Chhota Bheem And The Curse Of Damyaan (Animation)

Chhota Bheem And The Curse Of Damyaan

Story: Damyaan, the evil snake of Sonpur, is simply a step away from being over powerful and immortal since he has access to the Book of Magi. What's stopping him? The curse that has him locked inside a palace for ages... a curse that shall be broken should the king of Dholakpur set him free. Now, the king does set him free (by mistake) and then chaos forms the order of the day. Can Chhota Bheem and team stop Damyaan from doing the unwanted? Can Chhota Bheem and his team make Dholakpur one happy place to live happily ever after in? 

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Voice by Kaustav Ghosh, Rupa Bhimani

Direction: Rajiv Chilaka

Genre: Animation

Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review : Jham, jham, jhambhura! Now we know why our tweeny lot always maange more of Chhota Bheem. After all, our hero can do anything and everything that every Bollywood mainstream hero does. Chhota Bheem can save the girls from being kidnapped. Chhota Bheem can fight a dozen of bad guys at the same time. Chhota Bheem can fight tigers and snakes. And, most importantly, Chhota Bheem knows how to be in sync with the time - he can play (and win) the T20 cricket tournament in town. Not to miss out is his looks: Chhota Bheem is a hit with girls in his kingdom (He looks rather cute), and has a couple of pretty things hitting on him! 

Now for the movie. Talk of animation and it's bright and colourful, though not really sharp. 

Next, talk of music and there's ample to tap your foot. In fact, the theme track (sung by Shaan) works well. As for the fun, it's all in there to make our under-12s happy. Case in point, Chhota Bheem goes all dishum dishum with Damyaan, Bheem and his team being gifted with magical powers. However, the wait for fun unlimited is a bit too long. And if tween claps is what you are on the lookout for, there's ample scope particularly when our little hero fights one enemy after the other... all in a row: first the giant spider, then the tiger, then the MMA warrior, then the snake guy.... Finally, those into sci-fi stuff can have there share of time travel as well - of course, it's absoluetly desi in every sense of the word. 

Sadly it's the voice-over that just does not seem to connect well specially for a face like that of Chhota Bheem. But then you might choose to overlook that considering there is hardly happening entertainment for kids in desi cinema. Right bachcha party?

Courtesy: The Times Of India

The Raven Movie Review (English)

THE RAVEN MOVIE REVIEW

Story: It does not take long for Edgar Allen Poe's murder mystery tales to turn into reality, courtesy a serial killer. Now, what will it take to stop those gruesome murders? 

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans, Brendan Gleeson

Direction: James McTeigue

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: Those into Edgar Allen Poe shall be left satisfied. The first shot of the movie tells you this one is possibly on the lines of a biography: There have been lots of theories as to how Poe died; The Raven adds a new dimension. Those into his tales of mystery too shall have no reason to complain. The Raven is an amalgamation of a couple of whodunnit tales from the greatest inventor of the detective genre. And those into neither, can treat The Raven as your usual dose of murder, mystery and thrill. 

THE RAVEN OFFICIAL TRAILER (HD)

First, it's two women who are murdered in a locked room. Enter detective Emmett Fields ( Luke Evans) who traces it back to Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Next, a man is discovered sliced into two, just as in Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. Enter detective Fields... this time with Edgar Allen Poe (John Cusack) himself. Interestingly, it's Poe himself who ends up solving his own murder mysteries. But then you've got to pay the price. In this case, blood, gore and soul-stirring crime, specially when the pendulum cuts the man into two. As for John Cusack, he is bang on as Poe when it comes to the looks. As for Poe's character, it comes rather naturally to the actor. 

Back to the murder and thrill. There are tense moments, chases, one puzzle leading to the other. There's also a Victorian setting, a serial-killer, his tricks... and of course, Edgar Allen Poe's macabre tales.

Department Movie Review (Hindi)

Story: Mumbai Police forms a Department beyond the law to end the underworld - what happens when this Department gets corrupted?

DEPARTMENT MOVIE REVIEW

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati, Vijay Raaz, Anjana Sukhani, Abhimanyu Singh, Madhu Shalini

Direction: Ram Gopal Varma

Genre: Action

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Like other Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) films, Department has an idea - a force to finish the underworld by stepping over the law's boundaries. But like other RGV flicks, this one also blasts itself out of the water, leaving you savouring jarring camerawork, flimsy acting and over-the-top violence. Inspector Mahadev Bhosle (Dutt) creates Mumbai's department to battle, ahem, mafia dons Mohammad Ghori and Sawatiya (Raaz). Bhosle inducts Shivnarayan (Daggubati) and with skulls crashing on walls, children flung out of windows and criminals impaled on rods, they take on the underworld. So far, so gross, but the film pulls along, powered largely by Daggubati whose smokin' machismo holds Department together - but not for long. That's despite Bachchan popping up as don-turned-politico Sarjerao Gaikwad, all silvery hair, dark glasses, manic laughter and a tinkling bell. Bachchan's clearly having fun - but few viewers are.

That's because Department, which should've been a taut, tense encounter between three strong men, is instead ripped to shreds by too many weak actors given puzzlingly large roles. There's a most non-don-like Raaz, living in a shed, sporting an enviably slender waist exposed by mysteriously thin dhotis. His sullen sidekicks DK (Singh) and Naseer (Shalini) make one of the most unattractive screen duos ever. They mouth lines banally, shoot bullets expressionlessly, blow smoke dully into each other's mouths, yet have more screen time than Bachchan even. Others - like Shiv's wife Bharti (Sukhani, pleasant) - have
little to do except dodge those bullets and bodies.

Watch Department Movie Trailer (HD)

The violence might even have clicked, considering the tale's twists - but crazy camerawork makes you forget all that. Varma's experimented, placing multiple cameras at different angles, treating you to close-ups of bottles pressed to mouths, lips sucking cigarettes, zooms up Dutt's hairline. The camera even flips upside down, puncturing the tension that should've vibrated between Bachchan and Dutt. One line - "Chamatkaar ko namaskar" - nails it. You stagger out sensing something wasted - Nathalia Kaur's item number's more hideous than hot, the prettiest thing around is a translucent tea-cup, the action is mind-numbing. Losing the plot and three strong stars, Department shoots itself in the foot.

Courtesy: The Times Of India

Ishaqzaade Movie Review (Hindi)

ISHAQZAADE

Story: Where love and hate collide, this love story is born. Two people who're raised hating each other, break the unwritten family dictat; and fall in love. These outlaws of love thus start a new war. 

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra

Direction: Habib Faisal

Genre: Romance

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review:It's the war of the roses. And it's as (t)horny as it can get. Splattered with bandooks and badmaashi, goondas and gaalis - starts this ajab prem kahani. Firebrands Parma (Arjun Kapoor) and Zoya (Parineeti Chopra) are childhood hate-mates, born into politically warring families who've avowed to hate unto death. So, in the rustic and earthy brown landscape of small-town Almore - where pocket guns are a fashion accessory, and local yokels could kill for anything - diesel or dancing girl Chand (Gauhar Khan), the Queen of 'Kwality Baar' - a love story blossoms between loveable rowdy rascal Parma and feisty, free-spirited Zoya. They growl at each other with the same fierce passion with which they grope each other and get-it-on. Most riveting in this love-hate plot, is the (fore)playful chemistry between the two, with their volatile verbal wars, and sexed-up lovemaking; even between chases and gunshots. Rare indeed to find such a beautifully complementing debut pair onscreen.

ISHAQZAADE OFFICIAL TRAILER (HD)

In an impressive debut, Arjun Kapoor believably plays Parma with dollops of arrogance, energy and unabashed guts; chomping with the same crudity with which he shoots, spits gaalis, pisses on posters, manhandles his girl and makes raw love. He uses his boy-man charm topped with that infectious 'batteesi' effectively, and keeps up the temperatures throughout.

Parineeti Chopra is fabulously effervescent. As the 'mango 'ishmile' flashing Zoya, she's adorable and admirable. She lacks the obvious, larger-than-life mega-screen presence, but wins you over with her 'item'bomb' simplicity.

Gauhar Khan 'reveals' a lot more, of her acting skills that is.

UPCOMING VOLCANO: Parineeti Chopra

Director Habib Faisal takes you into the heart of this small-town story, creating a politically-divided Almore with elan - penning gripping characters (a rigid and arrogant Dadda, a suppressed, dukhiari Amma, two overbearing brothers), but fails to maintain the crescendo in the second half. After highlights like a sensitively shot lovemaking scene on a rusty train berth, a subtly picturized romantic song (Pareshan), and a shocking pre-interval scene, it starts falling apart like a house of cards; ultimately folding into a predictable climax.
The flatness of the second half is what takes away from the pace of a launch vehicle that could've been memorable.

'Ishaqzaade' starts with a bang-bang, but ends up firing blanks.

Fatso Movie Review (Hindi)

Story: Navin and Nandini are to marry - but Navin dies in an accident that wasn't supposed to kill him. He returns in Sudeep's chubby body - but will 'Fatso' get his girl?

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Rajat Kapoor

Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Purab Kohli, Gul Panag, Neil Bhoopalam, Gunjan Bakshi, Brijendra Kala

Genre: Romance

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: Think of all those uber-cool Mumbai movies you've seen - Dil Chahta Hai, Bluffmaster, Wake Up Sid - put them in an imaginary blender, switch on, and hey presto, you have Fatso, frothing over with shots of surfing sea, rain-soaked skies, stylish bars.

Fatso Movie Official Trailer

Add a group of friends led by Navin (Kohli), who pops the question to Nandini (Panag) before crashing headlong into a truck and you have Fatso's main course - how to live after death. And what to do if your buddy, thinking you're in the great beyond, makes a move on your girl.



Fatso's a whimsical film with a rhythm somewhere between jazz and an old Bollywood song. Starting on an innovative note, it's brightened by Kohli's sparkly performance, Panag's dimpled smile and every shot of Mumbai that's made prize-winning cliche-level. Its most stunning sequences however occur in the grim sarkari office everyone apparently visits after they're dead - there is no heaven or hell, posits Fatso, just hundreds of peons, files, queues and babus, eternally occupied in 'mittings'. But Navin refuses to rest in peace till returned to earth - as fat friend Sudeep (Shorey). With Shorey literally getting a new lease of life, having visibly restrained himself as the much-mocked 'saand' of his group, you imagine Fatso's second half will rev up.

Alas. Here's where Fatso flops down heavily. Any sense of magic, of life rescued from death, love saved from vanishing, even the funny ironies of a slim guy stuck in a fat form, is totally missing. The 'friends group' is unconvincing. Kala's notable as a chatty clerk escorting souls about while Panag stands out in the silence of someone hit by grief. A cafe sequence, where Navin sees Nandini ordering spaghetti, then crying in the ladies' room, is moving. But otherwise, strangely flat acting and banal lines leave Fatso more heavy than cheerful.

The film seems overwhelmed by its own smart styling - little details like a dress drying on a clothesline, a girl rubbing hand-cream onto her palms, are clever. But there's too much style, not enough substance. No-one but pretty Tanuja (Bakshi), whose boyfriend Yash (Bhoopalam) hits on Nandini, seems to have a job. Life's a round of bar-hops with holidays when the living gets dull. The movie's peppiest number - 'Fatso! Na jaane kab last time sofe se khara hua' - is reserved for its feeble end, pushed wearily by Shorey listing everything he loves - mangoes to mosquitoes - before Panag mercifully plugs his outpourings with a kiss. Willing, yet weak, Fatso joined a good gym - but could have done with a much stricter trainer.

Courtesy: The Times Of India

Jannat 2 Movie Review (Hindi)

Story: A rookie guns dealer goes undercover for a cop who is out to crack the illegal arms racket. Caught in a web of lies and miscalculated moves, he becomes the target of suspicion and gun-war.

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Kunal Deshmukh

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, Esha Gupta, Manish Choudhary

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: 'Guns for a cause - Nothing illegal about it!' That is gun dealer Sonu Dilli's ( Emraan Hashmi) theory - If everyone in the world owned a gun, there'd be no war, only peace. He's as easy with his guns as with his gaalis, and like a self-proclaimed KKC (kutti, kameeni cheez), 'humps' a woman, ridiculously to the rhythm of 'ek rasta, do rahi ...' (climaxing to aha aha!). ACP Pratap (Randeep Hooda) is the always bloodshot, almost 'Devdas'esque cop, wallowing in grief at the loss of his wife, killed in one such shootout. This cop of 'caliber', has a personal agenda, he tracks down Sonu Dilli (forever with his pants down), and takes him under his wing as an informer who can expose the illegal gun racket, led by the deadly Mangal Singh Tomar (Manish Choudhary). In the meanwhile, Sonu is shot in the heart (by Cupid), and his ladylove Jaanvi (Esha Gupta) is a doctorni who believes he runs a shop called 'Kareena Cut Piss' (read: cutpiece). Sadly, it's not a 'bullet-proof' plan, all hell breaks loose, with everyone gunning for something, and Jannat seeming like a faraway destination.

Emraan plays Sonu Dilli with a brusque Haryanvi accent, which is forgotten halfway through the movie. He's impressive in intense scenes and panic moments, portraying conflicting emotions with aplomb. He's crass and cool at the same time, wooing the lady, kissing and making love - in true Hashmi style.

Jannat 2 Official Trailer (HD)

The man to watch is hot-gun Randeep Hooda. Explosive in this one. Brooding but brave, intoxicated but vigilant. In this angry young cop avatar, he stuns you with silent pain and frantic outbursts. The film almost rests in his able holster. In probably the best performance of his career, Randeep is 'bang on'.

Debutante Esha Gupta struts ravishingly at times, though expressionless; shoots off a few dialogues, romances Emraan in Sufi-ish songs, and kisses back passionately. Her role is essential to the plot, but is under-written and she is over-exposed (ahaan).

Manish Choudhary is as evil as he can get. More pungent than gunpowder, deadlier than his weapons. He's the baddie that we love to fear.

Hot & Sexy ESHA GUPTA

Director Kunal Deshmukh shoots off gritty action and gushy romance, combined in unequal proportions. The chase sequences give you a shot of adrenaline and the action is high-tension. Although random romantic moments and too many songs break the pace of the story (Shagufta Rafique). The climax is touching, but for a thriller, there are several predictable turns, minus the twists. The dialogues are crude, but suit the rawness of the film, and the actors use cuss words as liberally as their guns. The music (Pritam) is memorable, but only till the next Bhatt album release.

Jannat 2 is a decent crime caper, but doesn't shoot you between the eyes.

Tip Off: If you don't have an appetite for crude desi gaalis, be armed before watching this one!

Courtesy: The Times Of India

Hugo Movie Review (English)

Story : Once upon a time there was boy named Hugo Cabret who lived in a train station. Despite being single and young, he searched hard to find a secret message from his father. The message, like magic, reached all the way to the right person, till dreams were re-lived. 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: For the time being, let's keep all this aside: After having released in the U.S last year, Hugo finally releases in India today. Hugo went on to nab 11 nominations and five Oscars this year. With Hugo, directorMartin Scorsese for the first time ever enters three-dimensional territory. Instead, let's talk of this: The Eiffel Tower of the 1930s has never looked so inviting; the snow falling atop the wooden roofs and window panes of old France has never looked so mesmerizing; the world of clocks has never seemed so hi-tech. For starters, Hugo is a visual treat. And now we know why it grabbed the Oscar for Best Visual Effect this year. 

But then adding life to all that eye candy is Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), the orphan boy in town, who lives in a railway station, steals croissants, and gets his five minutes of laughter when he spots the odd ones out at the station when peeping from the huge clock tower. Like all restless kids, Hugo too is on the lookout for his 'purpose' which in this case is understanding the secret message his dad (an unfortunately hardly-there Jude Law cameo) brought forth by an old piece of automaton. Helping him in his purpose is yet another kid, Isabella (Chloe Grace Moretz). For her, the 'purpose' is rather simple: adventure calling. Fun while the two are out coding and decoding messages, sketches, and looking out for the right key to get the automaton started. Once functional, you realise there is much more to the movie -- the true story of turn-of-the-century French pioneer filmmaker Georges Melies, all his surviving films, his collection of mechanical models called automata, his determination of making dreams (filmmaking) come true.

Watch Hugo Official Movie Trailer (HD)

Now, for the ideation. Hugo lives up to the pages it owes its creation to - Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. And why just the plot, Martin Scorsese ensures even the feel of the movie is in sync with the literary version. With 284 pictures between the 533 pages, the book appeals to all for its words as well as pictures. With hardly any dialogues, the movie depends equally on its performance as it does on the picturesque setting. Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz are quite successful in taking you back to the Dickensian era... and perhaps a 1930 version of Potter's 9-3-4 platform. Watch Asa go all out to give Chloe her first taste of real adventure - they sneak into a cinema hall. Watch Chloe kiss Asa for the first time ever on his cheeks - something that makes our kid grow up. But the real winner is Ben Kingsley who, as the owner of a small toy shop, 'fixes' whatever little seems to be amiss, both when it comes to machines... and the silent pauses. 

Tip off : If the tick-tock of clocks (Hugo is quite low on dialogues) sounds like music to your ears, and the huffing-puffing of steam engines (Hugo brings to life the old French charm) looks like wizardry to your eyes, you are sure to like this one.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

Movie Review: Safe (English)

Story: Mei (Catherine Chan) is wanted by all -- the Triads... The Russian mob... The NYC super and corrupt cops. Why? She has the secret code to the safe. Enter Luke Wright (Jason Statham), her protector... and the one who ultimately gets access to the safe. 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Boaz Yakin

Cast: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Chris Sarandon, James Hong

Genre: Action

Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review : It's a Jason Statham movie where the actor is once again seen paving his way to victory while sorting the good from the bad. So no prizes for guessing what lies in store: gun firing in loads and fist fights in aplenty. Add to that some Statham-ism and there's no looking back. Now, how many actors do we have out there who pick up call girls in NYC, pay them plenty of that dollar, get an entry into a sizzling restaurant and ask them to leave immediately. Or for that matter, how many Medowlands (New Jersey) ex-fighters do we have dressed in an executive suit breaking tracheas of the bad guys. Statham fans, there's enough of the suave in here. 

A still from the movie

But then, Jason Statham has competition in Safe. And this competition is a pretty tough one for it comes from the little Catherine Chan. With hardly any dialogues (in English) to herself, Chan actually keeps you asking for more each time she (or Statham) are missing in action. In fact, it's not just her computerised memory that helps her remember all important bank transactions in the Chinese world, it's her ultimate understanding of the big bad biz world (she excels in distinguishing between good business and the bad one) that takes you by surprise. Make sure you catch Catherine's Mei calling the shots - in every way - in the last sequence. 

Of course, the two (Statham and Catherine) together make this gang war for the green bills in the bustling narrow bylanes of New York's China Town worth a watch. The action, on the other hand, is crispy and smart. As for the storyline, guess it was always meant to tread on safe ground... nothing that you have never seen before.

Courtesy: Movie Reviews @ Times Of India

Movie Review: 21 Jump Street (English)

Story: Nothing gives two not-so-happening cops a kick of their life more than an opportunity to bust a drug racket on college campus.

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Cast: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Dave Franco, Brie Larson

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 1 hour 49 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: You know this one's about two cops who are all out to make high school teens say no to drugs. So you obviously know what to expect -- car chases, gun shots and swearing unlimited. But then what you really do not expect turns out to be the highpoint of 21 Jump Street. Ghosts from the past, in this case one's college life, staring right into the face. What does one do? Still remain the cool cop who has everything under control? Or think a zillion times before asking a girl out on a prom night? Can't really blame the boys - Jenko ( Channing Tatum) and Schmidt ( Jonah Hill) - for they have their share of rejections to deal with. But before that, it's some unfinished task.

21 Jump Street is the place where the men in uniform decide to do something more fruitful. And what better way to nab the drug peddlars on campus than by being a part of the campus. Once within the campus, things fall in place and the brain behind all that nefarious activities is exposed. Who is that? We don't really care for this time it's all about how the boys gel well with teens on campus... and how the boys resist all that temptation. Get your dose of haha moments from here; get your I've-been-through-that-in-college-too moments here. All this and more as Channing and Jonah actually seem to have a ball of a time. They find it too hard to follow the rules of the undercover programme. First, no sexual relations with students, no getting them drunk. But what can they do when the teachers of this high school are rather high on the libido quotient. Next is no trying out HFS (the drug) themselves. But what can they do when peer pressure is the driving force. They do it and then tounges go waggling, Peter Pan goes texty, iconic bond in the chemistry class becomes the four letter word and the rest is all laughter. Finally, no nightout for buddies when mom and dad are away. But what can they do if friends drop by. Enjoy, get drunk, get naughty and when stabbed (all that hot blooded stuff post a couple of tequilla shots), just say 'it's awesome'.

The back to school cops, Channing and Jonah, fit the campus bill with ease. Not only do they look like they belong to the Justin Bieber-Miley Cyrus looking generation and live their teenage angst all over again, but eventually do what they ought to - get all to stay away from deadly drugs.

21 Jump Street (2012) clearly says cops Jenko and Schmidt have got to revive an undercover police programme of the 1980s. Remember Johnny Depp's television series by the same name? Incidentally it ends up reviving more - laughter and teen insecurities.


Courtesy: Movie Reviews @ Times Of India

Movie Review: Malligadu (Telugu)

Story: The gory climax might make some peoples stomach churn, but then it's essentially a Tamil film, could have some nativity issues as well. 

Movie Review: A dubbed version of the 2007 Tamil cult classic, Paruthiveeran, Malligadu is releasing four years later in Telugu but is still makes for a bewildering cinema experience that evokes awe and disgust in equal measure. Awe for the sheer caliber of filmmaking that captures nuggets of rustic village life - dancers in exotic costumes, loudspeaker announcements, cattle with balloons tied to their horns, card players oblivious to the ear-shattering noise around them, eunuchs performing - these opening frames transport you into another realm. 

Then there scenes in which you have Malli (Priyamni) vomiting all over the screen and in others where women are repeatedly slapped and smashed against walls and shoved and raped and murdered, all captured in graphic detail. Well, the rustic romance between Malli Babu ( Karthi) and Malli is disarmingly cute. 

Malli Babu is village ruffian who spends most of his life going in and out of jail. His life's ambition is to do something so notorious that would get him on TV before landing in the central jail. His only friend is his uncle Sivayya (Saravanan) who is just as jobless and ready for adventure. Malli is his cousin who swears undying love for Malli Babu after he saves her from drowning in the river as a kid. Malli Babu ignores her romantic overtures but eventually falls for her. 

Their families however, are sworn enemies and are dead against their marriage. So the lovers elope to live the life of their dreams, but their families are determined to punish them. What ensues is some pretty intense cinema.

Courtesy: Movie Reviews @ Times Of India

Review: The Avengers (English)

Story: Global catastrophe is round the corner. And the onus of saving citizens on Earth lies with Nick Fury. But how does he go about it? Time to chalk out a super plan. But then looks like it'll take him something more super than just a plan....

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston

Direction: Joss Whedon

Genre: Action

Duration: 2 hours 26 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: What do you expect when six mighty super heroes - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk - 'assemble' together on the silver screen for one common purpose? Action unlimited. High voltage drama. Larger-than-life effects. Throw in some smart one liners (humorous, of course) and you maybe in for some push button video gaming fantasy.


Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson), director of S.H.I.E.L.D, an international peace keeping agency, goes out of his way to save Planet Earth from impending doom, courtesy Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Loki, of course, is on the look out for the Tesseract, the cube that has all the power to swallow the planet... and get its inhabitants to bow before the evil one. That's when Fury thinks the best way to save Planet Earth is by handing charge to the evergreen power personalities. And that's precisely when Whedon creates an assembled six-in-one pack - The Avengers -- to wage war on screen. Yes, the story is rather simple. But then with testosterone swelling and bullets whizzing here, there, everywhere, we don't mind missing out on a breath-taking script.

The Avengers is not just your typical good versus evil kind of super hero flick. Here, before all scores are settled, it's the good-versus-good hungama that keeps you glued to your seat. Blame it on the big egos of the superstars. After all, they are all super in their own rights, have never worked as a team to ward off evil... and never taken instructions from other super guys. Naturally then, fireworks and action cuts are bound to follow.

Cut to the performances. Robert Downey Jr's Stark not just delivers his lines with panache in his typical 'playboy' avatar, he keeps the action going-literally - on screen. Chris Evans' Captain America as always makes it on time just when you are about to give up on all that mess. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) comes across as the perfect brother who is torn between the right and the wrong amidst lightening power and battles. Black Widow's ( Scarlett Johansson) mind games leave you simply asking for more. Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) is once again seen doing what he does best -- play around with his bow and arrows. Finally, it's Mark Ruffalo, first spotted in the bylanes of Kolkata, who gives you ample opportunity to clap when he turns into what he calls 'the other guys' (Hulk). Special mention: Tom Hiddleston who surprisingly stands tall as the bad guy in a group of otherwise good samaritans.

So here's what you've got to do: Just settle down with your 3D glasses for some bang-bang stuff where special effects speak louder than guns and the super guys have nothing to fall back on, other than their muscles, reflexes and of course, their super powers...


Courtesy: The Times Of India

Review: Tezz (Hindi)

Story: Revenge-seeking Indians plant a bomb on a British train - can Indians loyal to the law prevent an explosion fast enough?

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Priyadarshan

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Boman Irani, Sameera Reddy, Zayed Khan, Kangna Ranaut, Mohanlal

Genre: Action

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: Look carefully - Tezz shows you a London Bollywood hasn't explored before. Forget those chiffon saree-soirees, lush parks and cream teas - Tezz's London showcases illegal Indian migrants trapped between violent ghettoes and furious policemen, wet sewers, oily garages and bomb-strapped garbage bins. This is a gritty city, normally shown as every Indian's vacation paradise - but what happens to those who want to live there, even illegally?

Tezz follows engineer Akash Rana's (Devgn) life unraveling as he and his workmates Megha (Reddy) and Adil (Khan) get hunted by British immigration. Rana suffers the cruelest cut - his marriage to British citizen Nikita (Ranaut) is declared invalid, he's deported, she's jailed for unpaid loans. But it's not over - four years later, Rana returns seeking revenge and the London-Glasgow Express, 500 people on board, finds itself laced with a bomb that'll explode if the train drops under a certain speed.

Sounds familiar? Tezz draws from different vehicle-thrillers, reminding you of Keanu Reeves' Speed one moment, Vinod Khanna's Burning Train another. But it isn't just another machismo-fueled race - instead, Reddy is Tezz's surprise package, pulling off devilish stunts, looking stunning in the short life of a desperate Megha. As Counter-Terrorism Command Chief Arjun Khanna, Kapoor looks good too - and with one glance at a boy with bandaged eyes, he reminds you of the acting power-house he is.

In Tezz, he's pitted against Devgn (the latter can play 'smouldering' in his sleep apparently) and occasionally, Boman Irani as Sanjay Raina, Railway Traffic Controller. In one tense scene, Irani controls a track-switch, trembling almost like a music conductor commanding a symphony. There's a shout-down between Kapoor and him - over far too soon. In fact, you're left wishing Tezz had more dramatic face-offs between its fine actors but instead, the film diverts into several tracks too many.

Mohanlal is poorly used as policeman Nair escorting a criminal via train. As is Ranaut, pretty in her now-familiar 'impending doom' style, but with little to do. Khan looks fresh but has a shaky role - topped with a thrilling chase. Mallika Sherawat performs an item number in the 'Desi Club', asking, "Do you wanna get hot? Do you wanna get wet?" - but after all that promise, dances little and smiles even less. Tezz's London, overrun by Indians, is also populated by Brits speaking hilariously fluent Hindi and despite pumping background music, features few pleasing songs, snatches from just one qawwali, Tere Saaye Mein, standing out. Otherwise, it's gunshots and grim lines, some pacey - "Ye koi naya kameena hai," quips Kapoor of Devgn - some not.

Despite slick action and stunning scenes - bullets ramming underwater into a sunlit stream, a violet flower-bush before a cop-car - Tezz loses speed often. Here's possibly why - director Priyadarshan's oeuvre is putting characters in desperate situations and watching them respond. It works beautifully in comedies - but Tezz needs relentless pushing, not frequent stops pondering over the unfairness of citizenship. You can't run fast carrying heavy baggage - that's why Tezz huffs and puffs a little too much.