MEN IN BLACK III 3D Movie Review (ENGLISH)

MEN IN BLACK 3 in 3D

Story: Agent J has to stop the alien criminal from assassinating his partner, Agent K... in time. But how?

Movie Review: Let's rewind history. Shall we! It's been a decade since the Men in Black (MIB) put on their suits for the last time ever: first in 1997 and then in 2002.  So it won't really be a bad idea to brush up a little on why we liked (and missed) the secret society of protectors. Well, the MIB gave us good comedy, great special effects, inspiring performances, and ample action. Welcome to Circa 2012 and nothing much seems to have changed.

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Barry Sonnenfeld

Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Jemaine Clement

Genre: Sci-fci

Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

WATCH THE MOVIE TRAILER IN HD

There's Agent J (Will Smith) who still gives us rib-tickling moments with his one liners. In his own words: 'Men for me are 'K'; women for me are 'O'. I refer to couples as 'OK'!' There's the grumpy, agent-of-hardly-any-words, K (Tommy Lee Jones), and tales of his heroic deeds and achievements that have been saving planet Earth. And above all, there are aliens, once again seen as our next-door friendly refugees who are still using New York as their hideout from mean intergalactic creatures. Of course, now we have Boris the animal ( Jemaine Clement), who has just escaped from the Lunar prison and is on the lookout for Agent K for settling scores of the last forty years. Agent J, on the other hand, is on a spree to change the course of his buddy and partner's life... and that of mankind. All this, simply to save the future while he travels back in time. 

Once the time travel begins (in the movie), it is simply a trip down memory lane. You are actually transported to the USA of the 1960s... in time to witness the launch of Apollo 11 and man's maiden journey to the moon. Don't miss out the setting, the headline makers and the style statement of the Big Brother then. And just incase you thought the Smith-Jones pairing is what kept the MIB series alive, here is more. No doubt, the two have put up a great show in all MIB movies, but taking the partnership forward this time is the Will Smith (Agent J) - Josh Brolin (Agent K, the younger one) bonding. In fact, it's hard to believe that Agent K of the 1960s is not really Agent K of 2012. So convincing is Brolin as the young Tommy Lee Jones. As for Will Smith, he fits the bill (the MIB suit in every sense of the word) as always. 

Now, for the special effects. The monster show where Smith fights it out with a huge fish that attacks diners is surely worth every penny. The moment when Smith jumps off the Empire State Building to travel back to the past is worth every cutting-edge moment. Add to that some cool gadgets -- the state-of-the-art MIB workplace and the wheel Hoover-bike, for instance -- and you are left high and dry. 

Sadly, it's the 3D that does not really spruce up the drama, but once you know you are in for some real MIB-isms (a hi-tech, buddy sci-fi comedy that features everything weird, creepy, funny and wonderful in and around the universe), you don't really care.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

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

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

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: Vicky Donor (Hindi)

Story: Unemployed Vicky is urged by a fertility sexpert to make better use of his 'wasted' sperms. He turns this into a 'productive' idea, until it becomes the origin of more troubles.

Critic's Rating:

 

Direction: Shoojit Sircar

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Annu Kapoor, Dolly Ahluwalia, Kamlesh Gill

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 2 hours

Avg Viewer's Rating: 

Movie Review: Looking for designer babies anyone? With the looks of Brad Pitt/Aishwarya? The stardom of SRK? The talent of Lady Gaga? Well, you need a super-sperm that's one in a million, and Vicky Donor (Ayushmann Khurrana) is full of the 'spunk' that your fertile imagination needs. He's the biological dad of 53 healthy children! Want more? He's unemployed, single, and his view of sex is, jitna mile, utna kum. But don't slam him as a sex-maniac just yet. So what if all he does is 'shag' for a living. At least he breeds joy, cheer and sperms all over the world.

Vicky's over-the-top Punjabi mother (Dolly Ahluwalia) - 100 decibels above average noise levels - constantly nags her puttar about his worthlessness. On the other hand, he's pampered by granny Biji (Kamlesh Gill) - more progressive than all the Dilli-wali kitty party aunties. In the meanwhile, fertility expert, Dr. Chaddha (Annu Kapoor), is frantically looking for a sperm donor for his rich clientele. Vicky is his perfect find, with the Alexander of Sperms. But obviously, he can't disclose anything about his baby-boom(for the moolah, of course) to anyone. It's just too unmanly for a Punjab da sher. Even the love of his life, Ashima Roy (Yami Gautam) who he eventually weds, is kept in the dark. This plants the seed for other complications, which pop up as surprises later. 

Ayushmann Khurrana is rock solid. In this tailor-made debut, he's natural and impressive. He doesn't come from a filmi gene pool, but he'll hold his own (pun intended) in Bollywood. NewbieYami Gautam is the estrogen element in this sperm-dominated enterprise. She's a sheer delight to watch, emoting effortlessly. 

What keeps this film together is the solid supporting cast. Annu Kapoor, in a convincing performance, is bankable as ever. He only speaks sperm language, referring to men as 'complicated sperm', 'confused sperm', et al, and giving advice on how to 'up' the count. Dolly Ahluwalia, plays the dominating mother and saas-serving bahu with melodrama and laughable lines. The unforgettable act is Kamlesh Gill, lighting up every scene with sasuma-like sarcasm, interspersed with witty one-liners and a drunken scene that cracks you up. 

Director Shoojit Sircar is back with a bold, first-of-its-kind concept that's taboo. He makes this sperm of an idea swim all the way. He intelligently uses comedy to break mindsets, without embarrassing moments or awkward lines. The film entertains, without preaching sexual moralities or social service. Even the music blends beautifully with the story. The winner here is the script (Juhi Chaturvedi), penned with subtlety, oodles of non-slapstick humour, while sensitizing the cause at hand. However, the lingo gets too Punju at times and the last twenty minutes could do with some editing. 
It takes a man to make a film like this, literally. Kudos to John Abraham for his brave maiden production. 

Thankfully, this sperm hits bullseye.

Courtesy: The Times Of India

Review: Hate Story

Story: Journalist Kavya Krishna loves tycoon Siddharth - who uses and abuses her. How far will Kavya go to get revenge?

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Vivek Agnihotri

Cast: Paoli Dam, Gulshan Devaiya, Nikhil Dwivedi

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: So, yeah, Hate Story exposes a lot - underneath Delhi's surface, that is, not really, as the adverts so tantalizingly showcased, of leading lady Paoli Dam. The film instead blows the top right off the dirty deals, the, well, intercourse between different power spheres ruling India's capital - business, politics, journalism, police, all meet in this slick flick. Depending on who you are, the intersections provide some pleasure - and lots of pain.


Hate Story starts with reporter Kavya (Dam) joining photographer-friend Vicky (Dwivedi) in exposing cement tycoon Siddharth Dhanrajgir (Devaiya) bribing a judge. Enraged, 'Sid' takes revenge - sweetly. Ignoring Vicky completely, he offers Kavya the sky if she works for him, letting him, as he terms it, use her talent. Remarkably, Kavya instantly agrees. Hugging a huffy Vicky goodbye, she leaps into Sid's deals, winning him a biggie in Mumbai. As a result, the tycoon takes her to dinner - and to bed. 

But it's not quite as charmless as that - Sid makes love to Kayva in gentle rain, in fluffy duvets, in the shower, pouring her with expensive watches and a big diamond. Swept off her feet, Kavya's in love - till Sid drops the honey-brush, slaps her one and throws her out of work with chilling contempt. She's also expecting - but he'll have none of it. A forced abortion follows after which her unconvincing 'middle-class family' (spot Pitaji by his red muffler) abandons her. Seeking revenge, Kavya approaches Delhi's most plush and padded prostitute, demanding seduction classes. These last one hot little moment - but more sex with more men follows, all leading towards entrapping Sid within a web of truth and lies, exposing and exposes. 

Interestingly, Hate Story isn't just one woman hating one man - it's also a tale of hateful deals, corruption, brutality and sleaze tiling the farmhouses fringing the capital, glistening in hotel bars, twinkling wickedly off the sunlight on the NCR's corporate buildings. It would all be so interesting - if only deeper and tighter. Instead, we get little sense of the porcelain-faced Kavya's torment, sliding from reporter to prostitute. We get even less sense of backup-BF Vicky's feelings - while we get way too much of Delhi's street-shots, wasted lines, lip-gloss thick as a moustache, bathrobes, jacuzzis and cars, all burdening Hate Story by about 30 minutes too many. 

Underneath this, even the sex-scenes sag - the frontbenchers clap most wildly not at Dam's bare back when she's riding Sid's brother Raj, but at a Haryanvi cop telling her when arrested for Raj's murder, "Kuch kapde pehen lete toh theek hota." Better acting and more music under-wiring this plot would've helped - the only memorable melody is the velveteen lament 'Dil kaanch sa', layering Kavya's trauma after Sid's brutality. 

But there are pluses too - Devaiya stands out as a stammering little egomaniac and the electricity between him and Dam crackles. There are memorable shots - Dam staring with agonised eyes at Sid's office while having car-sex with a stranger outside, a moment of acute tension when she meets Raj's wife in court. One more encounter follows - but let's leave something to the imagination. Appreciate, if you will, the thriller, not the diet-erotica - that's rather an anti-climax.

Courtesy: Times Of India

Wrath Of The Titans: Now face the wrath!

Story: Perseus's defeat of the huge Kraken is history. He now vows to live the life of an ordinary fisherman with his son, Helius. But then the son of God cannot live without his destiny forever. The Gods -- have otherwise in store for him 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Jonathan Liebesman

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell, Rosamund Pike

Genre: Action

Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes

Avg Viewer's Rating: 

Movie Review: There's always scope for improvement. There's ample scope for the clash (2010: Clash of the Titans) to turn into some real action-packed wrath (2012: Wrath of the Titans). Here's calling all you Clash of the Titans buffs who just could not wait to see their second dose of video game push button fantasy come alive on the big screen. 

So what's cooking between the Gods and the Titans this time? The same old war for the I'm-the-best title. But unlike its previous years, the Gods are losing control of humanity and taking over are the badmaash Titans and the deadly giant-sized Kronos. That's where our been-there-done-that hero from the past, son of the all-powerful Zeus ( Liam Neeson), Perseus (Sam Worthington) steps in to put up yet another spectacular show with the spear of Tritum -- the only weapon that can kill the one who shall not be named. Of course, there's a gamut of labyrinths and changing loyalties (Ralph Fiennes's Hades and Edgar Ramirez's Ares) he has got to deal with first. 



Back to all Clash of the Titans fans. Don't go expecting for a storyline that'll make you go all hail Liebesman. After all, when was this Gods versus Titans versus Demi Gods series all about a colossal plot anyway. But then here is what makes up for the same. First, it's the edgy action cuts -- the coming soon calamity drama, fist fights with fire exploding beasts, two headed beasts, unheard of and unseen before beasts, the fight between the one-eyed Cyclopes (who literally tears out of the screen) and our war heroes, the will-Perseus-won't-Perseus-make-it on time situations, the ultimate falling of the Kronos, explosions unlimited. Then there is the element of the mysterious --  the island of Kail, the labyrinth leading to the dark dungeon of the underworld called Tartarus, the Kronos made out of a huge, huge mound of lava -- the falling of which gives this sequel an epic finale. Next is the ultimate hero, the demi God. This time it's not just Sam Worthington who seems to have mastered the art of fighting with the evil Gods, but also Toby Kebbell as son of Poseidon. Toby's God-turned-man avatar, Agenor, comes with a rather mortal sense of humour. Lastly, it's a message rather loud and clear -- Not that the Gods must die too. Not even that man will be all powerful provided he uses his power wisely. It's the possibility of yet another sequel -- watch the sword of honour being passed from Father (Zeus)... to son (Perseus)... to son (Helius). 

A word about the 3D effects. Definitely not much to make the Gods happy, but surely enough to send the message -- of wrath -across to us mortals. 


Courtesy: Times Of India

Titanic 2012. Romance in 3D.

Story: The love story between commoner Jack Dawson ( Leonardo DiCaprio) and aristocratic Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), set against the ornate yet tragic backdrop of the sinking luxury liner, sends out all the right signals. It talks of a love that is passionate, permanent, soul stirring, death defying and powerful enough to break all barriers of class and destiny. 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: James Cameron

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Gloria Stuart

Genre: Romance

Duration: 3 hours 14 minutes

Avg Viewer's Rating: 

Movie Review: It took some 300 hundred people, 60 weeks, 279,000 frames and $18 million more (initially costing some $200 million) for director James Cameron to sink the Titanic all over again. Not to say, his earlier Titanic (1997) did not have its fair share of numbers to deal with: a movie stretching to 194 minutes; a movie bagging 11 Oscars that year. The fact that James Cameron managed to blend steamy romance with mind-blowing depiction of disaster made the film even more spectacular. Watching the Titanic sink, with all the attendant creaks and cracks, was truly a milestone moment in movie lore. That was then. For now, the Big Question: What is it that really makes Titanic (1997) look all different from Titanic (2012)? 

For starters, the decor and dresses look more elegant, the ocean more blue and deadly, the ship more huge and gigantic. Not to miss out is Kate Winslet's very first entry with an enormous hat and an even more enormous bow. Spectacular. Next, it's the sweeping and romantic shot of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as 'king (and queen) of the world'. More iconic a shot in 3D. But then unfortunately, Cameron's real trick-n-treat visual wizardry is primarily seen during the last 30 minutes of the movie. Perhaps, that's why you just can't wait for the Titanic to snap. And snap it does, 3D ishtyle. Right from the luxury liner being hit by the oh-so-big iceberg, water blasting through the hull, those on board being washed away by violent waves... to the ship's final plunge as it breaks into two, is what makes Titanic different... and worth a watch ek baar phir! Special mention: 1) The section of the ship rising up perpendicular to the ocean 2) Hundred of lifeless bodies floating around in the cold water... in the middle of nowhere. 

So grab your 3D glasses and book yourself a tryst with the turn-of-the-century cinema all over again. And incase you feel the wait (for the special effects to set the screen ablaze) is too long, worry not. It's the overwhelming sentimentality of the liner, along with the then Kate-and-Leo chemistry, that still classifies the Titanic as an epic romance, 3D or no 3D. 


A word about James Cameron: No doubt Cameron is mastering the art of advancing technology, not just in the world of cinema, but his very own cinema. First Avatar (followed by Avatar 3D), now Titanic. 

Tip off: You know what's coming up next on screen. But rest assured, you still won't mind seeing the Titanic sink all over again - in 3D... exactly a hundred years from the moment it actually happened.


Courtesy: Times Of India