confessions of a true movie buff

WORLD WAR Z -"ZOMBIE MOVIE FOR THINKERS"

2013-06-21T12:07:00.001-07:00

Zombies, the Undead , the post apocalyptic world in which they live and a few human trying hard to survive. This Genre even though hard to digest has churned out many movies,games and novels to a large fan following of this doomed future,which many speculate we are heading
to . Based on Max brooks novel,
WORLD WAR Z is another in the line of this genre of movies which hopes to cash in out that same audience and ring in the summer box office with a well known name in the form Brad Pitt in the lead , (I am legend ??)

HERE'S A SHORT SYNOPSIS -
United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.

A trailer preview to Know what your heading into -

The movie unlike many of the other zombie movie chooses to focus on the origin and consequences of this outbreak globally rather than on been focused on a group of strangers abandoned on some remote shack or supermarket where in the end it is inevitable where few or none shall survive mounting to another useless sequel , sorry George A Romero we are really tired of the living dead these days . World War z has more of an I AM LEGEND approach as it focuses its action around its main character and lead UN employee Gerry Lane played by Bradd pitt .

The zombies of world war Z are not your blood thirsty , bone crunching zombies but a new variant of restless crowd which does make a spectacular appearance when seen in a crowd. There are few scenes in the movie, which will leave you amazed such as the zombies on the Gaza wall. The movie maintains its pace and is short enough so you don't run out of patience .

Movie Stats-

Directed by	Marc Forster
Produced by	Brad Pitt Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner Ian Bryce
Screenplay by	Matthew Michael Carnahan Drew Goddard Damon Lindelof
Story by	Matthew Michael Carnahan J. Michael Straczynski
Based on	World War Z by Max Brooks
Starring	Brad Pitt Mireille Enos James Badge Dale Matthew Fox
Music by	Marco Beltrami
Cinematography	Ben Seresin
Editing by	Roger Barton Matt Chesse
Studio	Skydance Productions Hemisphere Media Capital GK Films Plan B Entertainment
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	June 2, 2013 (Premiere) June 21, 2013(United States)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States Malta United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$200 million

Audience Recommended to - Survival movie fans,World end loving fans, Bradd pitt fans,not recommend for Gore lovers.
Theater seen from - Crown Cinemas ,Calicut
3-D Rating- Moments of eye pop
Imdb Rating - 7.2
Movie Buff Rating - 7/10

Final Confession-
Paramount pictures "World War Z " might not be your typical Gore zombie movie but instead it follows in the footsteps of I AM LEGEND to show us what actually might the world look like during a zombie outbreak .

MAN OF STEEL- "BATMAN BEGINS OF SUPERMAN MOVIES" IN IMAX

2013-06-18T07:38:00.001-07:00

It's a BIRD,It's a PLANE no wait It's Superman , Wait.......It's even Better , It's ZACH SNYDER'S "MAN OF STEEL" . DC comics have been looking towards paving a way for the new generation of their heroes starting with the legendary Trilogy of Christopher Nolan's Batman and after failed attempts in Green Lantern & Superman Returns, Astonished at the box office collections of Marvel's Avengers, DC comics decided to ring in Nolan's writing/Support and Zach Snyder of watchmen and 300 fame to construct what possibly could be the most action packed Superman/summer blockbuster of 2013.

Here's a Short synopsis -
A young itinerant worker is forced to confront his secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race.

Man Of Steel wastes absolutely no time to establish its an all out action film as the first scene begins on krypton as Superman aka Kal-EL's Father Jor-El (Russel crowe) kicks off the movie with an high octane star wars esque chase ensues as the movie gives us a glimpse of the origin of Man of Steel.From the very moment the film starts, you know your in for a ride of a lifetime as Hans Zimmer's Ideal for hope and other Ost's keep up the momentum throughout the film. The film also manages to take cues from smallville as superman's teenage days are shown in sublime moments of Great strength and moral reserve as Clark Kent searches for his true identity .

The first half of the movie which dwells on the topic of showing the human side of Man of steel , the second half meanwhile gets ready to fling the audience into a world of action, Brutal CGI as the Man of Steel meets his match and nemesis in the form of General Zod . The Arch villain manages to hold onto a certain amount of screen presence and project upon to the audience a feeling of impeding doom , this unsurpassble obstacle that superman must overcome in order to protect everything he stands for. Some may argue the last Twenty minutes or so of the movie is nothing but eye shattering CGI and a prolonged fight sequence. To that i say , That's what superman was made for , He's not batman , stop comparing the man of steel to batman's character who depends on his intelligence and wit to get him through the trickiest of situations . Superman is all Brawn and little Brain and more heart than Batman.
Here's the Trailer preview -

Also watch the Nokia Trailer to get an idea of how much fist pounding & Building Breaking Action

Man of Steel Stats-

Directed by	Zack Snyder
Produced by	Christopher Nolan Charles Roven Emma Thomas Deborah Snyder
Screenplay by	David S. Goyer
Story by	Christopher Nolan David S. Goyer
Based on	Superman by Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster
Starring	Henry Cavill Amy Adams Michael Shannon Diane Lane Kevin Costner Laurence Fishburne Antje Traue Ayelet Zurer Russell Crowe
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Cinematography	Amir Mokri^[
Editing by	David Brenner
Studio	Legendary Pictures Syncopy DC Entertainment
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	June 14, 2013
Running time	143 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$225 million
Box office	$201,981,486

Audience Recommended to - DC comic fans,Superman Fans, Nolan fans, Action movie fans and pretty much everyone looking for an epic movie. Not recommended for Nerds or the ultra critics.

Movie theater seen from -IMAX PVR cinemas , Bangalore

Imdb rating- 8.3

Movie buff rating - 9.0

3-D Rating- eye blinking

Final Confession-

Zach Snyder's Man of steel doesn't reboot Superman , it redefines it to Match the epic proportions of Greatness the Hero is known for while adopting a more realistic approach towards the Hero than a comical one . The Movie Buff considers this as Batman Begins of Superman movies which will later come to Define the way we look at superman and one day (fingers crossed) pave way for The JUSTICE LEAGUE (chills down my spine ) ...........

"Now You See me" -is definetly Now you should see me

2013-06-14T04:28:00.002-07:00

"Magic"just the word sounds er umm well Magical....... Magic has been used by writers of fiction as well as stage performers to bring awe to their audiences. So it only makes sense when film makers try to use the same gimmicks and tricks to capture their audiences visceral senses on to the screens in front of them. Movies based on magic has always been tricky but has managed to find a lot of success at the box office . Considering the 8 odd Harry potter movies, Narnia or even the Critically acclaimed Prestige , one of my personal favorites. So what happens when you mix Magic, Crime ,Show business and a stellar Cast to the Cauldron . Well you get pure "Film magic".

Here's a short synopsis of "Now you see me "
An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

The team of Illusionists are called the 4 Horsemen , each gifted with a particular talent, One a mentalist (the ability to read minds) , one a locksmith, A pure magician and his beautiful assistant who conveniently serves up a distraction to audience on and off the screen . The team been tracked by FBI agent and his sidekick in the form of a charming Interpol agent who seem to be at each others throats throughout the movie but develops a sweet chemistry in between. The Four horsemen and three acts will thrill you all the way as they surprise the audience and the FBI at every Turn , by robbing banks and giving away the money in style . Almost like if Oceans eleven decided to go Robin Hood all of a sudden . With the Morgan freeman in pursuit as the man who unravels the mysteries behind every magic trick and Michel Caine in a minor role ,this movie doesn't fail to impress and deceive the audience at every turn leading onto the last act or prestige in Grand fashion.

THE 4 HORSEMEN

Essential movie facts-

Directed by	Louis Leterrier
Produced by	Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman Bobby Cohen
Screenplay by	Ed Solomon Boaz Yakin Edward Ricourt
Story by	Boaz Yakin Edward Ricourt
Starring	Jesse Eisenberg Mark Ruffalo Woody Harrelson Mélanie Laurent Isla Fisher Dave Franco with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman
Music by	Brian Tyler
Cinematography	Mitchell Amundsen Larry Fong
Editing by	Robert Leighton Vincent Tabaillon
Studio	K/O Paper Products
Distributed by	Summit Entertainment
Release date(s)	May 31, 2013 (US)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	United States France
Language	English
Budget	$75 million
Box office	$137,534,207

Audience Recommended to -
Children of all ages, Magic and fantasy fans, People looking for a good time and lovers of All heist movies .
Theater seen from - Q cinemas ,Cochin

Imdb Rating-7.4
Movie Buff Rating - 8/10

Final Confession-
The movie Buff feels The title of the movie should be changed from "Now you see me " to "Now you should see me " . Its totally worth your while and a pure joy ride movie .

AFTER EARTH - "Not Even Worth During After Hours "

2013-06-10T01:27:00.001-07:00

Sci-Fi movies are a Fanstasy movie follower's Eye candy , The Holy Grail of Epic adventures and Graphics where anything is possible beyond the Stars. The Greatest Example been the Star Wars Saga which gave birth to whole generation of Movie Buffs across generations and Borders . But like every Great Hero even Sci fi movies have their epic Failures . After Earth is one Huge failure For the Sci-Fi genre . This movie had build up a lot of expectations especially due to its star cast in the Form of Will Smith whose got a number of Good Sci-Fi films under his belt like Independence Day and Men in Black Series. Teaming up with him is none other than his Son Jaden smith and Directed by once acclaimed Director M. Night Shyamalan .

Here's A short Synopsis for the Movie -
A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, a millennium after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.

If you look at the Trailer for the movie , it promises to be a Good mixture of I am Legend + 10.000 BC + Apocalypto . But it fails at every point of the movie to bring out any Form of special treats , the other movies brought out . Neither Does the Director or the Script Utilize Will Smith's acting Talent by Landing him one of the worst movie Roles he has got in a long time . While Father is limited to a minuscule performance , The son who is the protagonist of the movie Fails to live up to his father's acting talents. Even in scenes of Great Despair , the movie fails to connect with the audience and ultimately ends up giving you no lasting memories. Every Sci-Fi movie usaully promises to be a Visual Treat with every Director Throwing in the Special 3-D treatment to make the Deal sweater, M. Night Shyamalan Due to his arrogance or ignorance fails to do both as he refuses any form of 3-D entertainment nor a proper introduction to this "After Earth". Even the Climax scene fails to impress as the Antagonist in the form of An alien Being called Ursa is unable to create the Fear element on which the Alien movie series has Survived.

Audience Recommended to - Die hard Will smith fans, Sci-fi Nerds, Jobless youth and ofcourse Couples out for a Date ;)

Theater seen from - PVS cinemas Calicut

Movie rating -
Imdb - 4.8
Movie Buff confession- 3/10

Final Confession-
This is one movie which i truly hope i had skipped during the weekend, I am only Grateful i had a friend along so i could joke about the pace of the movie . I am going for 3/10 For a very poor AFTER EARTH. After All M. Night shyamalan doesn't seem to be worth even for After Hours these days .......

IRON MAN 3 AN IMAX EXPERIENCE

2013-05-06T03:51:00.000-07:00

"Big man in a suit of armor , take that away what are you " Questions Captain america in the avengers , too which our quick witted tony stark replies, "Genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist " . Well this statement exactly sums up Iron Man 3 as Marvel studios chooses to show the man behind the suit in the third installment of the Iron man series . Well lets have a quick look at the synopsis just to get you started on what to expect from Marvel's IRON MAN 3 .

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

So as the very short synopsis point out , Iron man meets his most formidable opponent upto date in the form of the mandarin (i hear cheers of all the iron man fans as they hear the mandarin) . Well there's gonna be a major anti climax in the movie not according to the liking of iron man series faithful in the movie, so be warned. The Movie takes cues from the dark knight rises and tries to show Stark's journey as sets out on a journey of retribution and redemption ,but this exactly when Iron man 3 fails , unlike the dark knigt rises , Iron man 3 fails to capture the audience and engage them in this journey of our hero and ends up at times of a drag as the movie fails to connect on an emotional level, which was the directors & script writers aim to begin with. Iron man 3 has action like the installments before it but fans will be disappointed if your expecting something of a sort of boss showdown. Even the scene of the Iron legion which is supposed to be the high octane action scene the trailer promises , fails to do so , maybe due to lack of build up or maybe due to the lack of Decent OST in the background , where again The Dark Knight rises succeeded . I was lucky enough to catch it on the Legendary IMAX experience which made the movie more epic for me and i do suggest you to do the same .

Here's a few essential facts about the movie

Directed by	Shane Black
Produced by	Kevin Feige
Screenplay by	Drew Pearce Shane Black
Based on	Iron Man by Stan Lee Larry Lieber Don Heck Jack Kirby and Extremis by Warren Ellis Adi Granov
Starring	Robert Downey, Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow Don Cheadle Guy Pearce Rebecca Hall Stephanie Szostak James Badge Dale Jon Favreau Ben Kingsley
Music by	Brian Tyler
Cinematography	John Toll
Editing by	Jeffrey Ford Peter S. Elliot
Studio	Marvel Studios DMG Entertainment
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date(s)	April 14, 2013(Paris premiere) May 3, 2013 (United States)
Running time	130 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

THEATER SEEN FROM - PVR IMAX CINEMAS ,BANGALORE Movie audience Recommended to - Iron man fans, Robert downey jr fans, Kids of all ages, Adults still acting like kids, Richard branson, Vijay mallaya and all the other Billionaire playboys .
3D rating - Eye pinching not mind blowing

Final Words-
IRON MAN 3 manages to deviate from the script of the original man series , Tries to take Iron man to the heights of The Dark knight series, Whether or not it succeeds to do so is upto fan faithful to decide,In short another fun joy ride with our beloved Tony stark and this time he's not just a man in the suit .

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD - "NOT THAT GOOD"

2013-02-25T05:34:00.002-08:00

Nostalgia , there's no feeling quite like it , sipping a cup of tea with your old friends, around the corner of the street from the local "chaiwalla"...ah the good old days..... Well coming to the point , that feeling which i described right now , might be the biggest selling point of Bruce Willis " A Good Day to Die Hard" the fifth installment of the Iconic Die Hard series .

Well Here's a very short synopsis of what the film is -
John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.

Well you might be wondering why i have given such a short synopsis ,well that's all there is to the plot,which emphases on father-son bonding rather than Die hard scenarios. The movie unlike its predecessors lacks the feeling of impending Doomsday or High stakes and lives at play which only our good old Detective McClane can save us Americans from ( :p since its the only the Americans that seems to need the constant saving from . Mind you i am no American ) . The story lacks any kind of substance and Bruce Willis seems to be overdoing his part, where his constant Dialogue of "Jesus Christ" seems to be delivered at the drop of a hat . Other than it may serve to raise your testosterone levels for some time , this movie barely gives you that Revved up feeling you get after watching Action Movies of the By-gone era like the Expendables .
SNEAK PEAK TRAILER -

Movie Details-
Directed by John Moore
Produced by
Alex Young
Wyck Godfrey
Screenplay by Skip Woods
Based on Characters by
Roderick Thorp
Starring
Bruce Willis
Jai Courtney
Sebastian Koch
Yuliya Snigir
Radivoje Bukvić
Cole Hauser
Music by Marco Beltrami
Cinematography Jonathan Sela
Editing by Dan Zimmerman
Studio
Giant Pictures
TSG Entertainment
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s)
January 31, 2013 (World premiere)
February 13, 2013 (United States/Canada)
Running time 97 minutes

Country United States
Language English
Budget $92 million
Box office $184,302,000

Audience Targeted- Macho men, Bruce Willis fans, Die hard fans and Bald guys with serious issues.
Theater Seen from - Pvs Film city , Calicut
IMDB Rating - 5.8

Final Verdict -
I am going for 5/10 for Bruce Willis "A Good day to die hard" ,just because i am a Die Hard fan of you Mr.Willis . Well will i ever see another Die hard movie , if its Released . Hell Yeah

Summer Sequels:Kung Fu Panda 2

2011-07-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

A few films can claim the titles like "The return of awesomeness" and manage to get away with it. Such a kind of movie is kung fu panda 2 , the kaboom of doom.A movie which uses the same ingredients in same amount with same execution and still not sounding repetitive, now that's pure genius . Jack Black voices the character of our beloved panda "Po" and the furious five return with a light cameo by master shifu .New villains, new scenarios and new jokes add spice to the movie which captures your attention in glorified 3D.

Here's a short synopsis to get your fist hungry -
Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will Po be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed .

The success of Kung Fu Panda 2 lies solely in its lovable character PO who mesmerizes us with his humility,humor and kick ass awesomeness.An imperfect hero thrown into a perfect world is just the right combination to keep you alive. Sometimes it reminds me of the quirky success Jackie Chan had entertaining us through action intertwined in Humor. Most scenes are memorable and share no resemblance with its predecessor , as the latter movie dealt with the relationship between Po and master shifu, while the sequel deals with Po's self discovery.Even the the Villain played by a fancy peacock and is minions are quite funny.In short its one heck of a ride into the world of awesomeness. This is one series i would like to see continue like the shrek and ice age series.Long live the Dragon warrior.

Details-
Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Produced by Melissa Cobb
Guillermo del Toro (Executive)
Written by Jonathan Aibel
Glenn Berger
Starring Jack Black
Angelina Jolie
Gary Oldman
Dustin Hoffman
Jackie Chan
Seth Rogen
Lucy Liu
David Cross
James Hong
Michelle Yeoh
Danny McBride
Dennis Haysbert
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Victor Garber
Fred Tatasciore
Music by Hans Zimmer
John Powell
Editing by Clare Knight
Studio DreamWorks Animation
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) May 2011 (2011-05)
Running time 91 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $150 million
Gross revenue $572,723,91

Theater seen from- Escape cinemas, Chennai
Audience recommended to-All Kung fu panda lover, children of all ages , adults looking for a good weekend
3D rating - 4/5 awesome

Final word-
I am going for 3.5/5 for Paramount Pictures "Kung Fu Panda ", awesomeness has truly returned .

Summer Sequels:X-men: FIrst Class

2011-07-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Professor Xavier: "killing will not bring you peace"
Magneto : "peace was never the option"
These two strong line forms the very foundation of the 5th installment in the x men series after wolverine origin.Been a geeky comic book fan of both X men and Magneto , the ever eager film buff(me) hits the theater to catch first class(thankfully not in 3D). My hopes were not on their highest neither was my adrenaline levels cause of the promos and lackluster cast been employed(an X men movie without wolverine ,,,,comeon....),so as i embarked on my journey into the sequel that is actually the prequel to all the other X men movies .

Here's a short synopsis to bring out that mutation in you-
Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

The main character of the movie is Erik Lensherr played by Michael Fassbender who for those of you don't know have appeared in movies like 300 and inglorious bastards, is the driving force behind first class. His characters dark past, his steely glare and his unending quest for vengeance just keeps you on the edge of your seat all the time, making you admire the steely resolve that will soon become magneto.

Charles Xavier on the other hand James McAvoy (whose acted in last king of Scotland) plays a cool, calm headed and compassionate Professor X ,who balances all the equations put out by magneto.The very fact there is a super villain in the form of Sebastian Shaw (kevin bacon) who can take on both Xavier and magneto together itself plays out superbly for the movie. The best scene is the one where our good old Mr claws (you know who i am talking about ) shows up just adds to the classiness of X men first class .The plot of the cold war and how mutants get entangled in it gets presented so perfectly that you don't find it cheesy even in the most world domination style schemes at all.

Details-
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Produced by Gregory Goodman
Simon Kinberg
Lauren Shuler Donner
Bryan Singer
Screenplay by Ashley Edward Miller
Zack Stentz
Jane Goldman
Matthew Vaughn[1]
Story by Sheldon Turner
Bryan Singer
Starring James McAvoy
Michael Fassbender
Rose Byrne
January Jones
Jennifer Lawrence
Oliver Platt
Kevin Bacon
Music by Henry Jackman
Cinematography John Mathieson
Editing by Eddie Hamilton
Lee Smith
Studio Marvel Entertainment
Dune Entertainment
Bad Hat Harry Productions
Donners' Company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) June 1, 2011 (2011-06-01) (United Kingdom)
June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03) (United States)
Running time 132 minutes
Country United States
United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $140–160 million
Gross revenue $336,815,632

Theater seen from- Calicut Crown
Audience recommended to- Every little kid,big adult, old senior you can find cause everyone's gonna enjoy this one.

Final word-
I am going for 4/5 for 20th century fox "X men first class" which indeed is first class

Summer Sequels:Pirates of the Caribbean- On Stranger Tides

2011-07-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

"Your Forgetting one very important thing mate,am captain Jack sparrow" and also the fact that no matter how many movies the pirates franchise churns out, we all will flock out in hordes to catch captain jack in action again, wont we.So when Jerry Bruckheimer brought out pirates 4 , an over excited film buff (me) went for the first show of pirates , to catch our favorite pirate in the awesomeness of 3D.But as they say "with great power(fan following) comes great responsibility(putting on a good show).So did jack bring back the magic without the help of orlando bloom and keira knightly (both whom i detest in the other movies) . Well lets see-

Here's a small synopsis to make you walk the plank-
When Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with the enigmatic Angelica, he's not sure if it's love -- or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the "Queen Anne's Revenge," the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard, Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.

Stranger tides starts of with a new adventures of Jack sparrow on his own without the annoying pair of will turner and Ms swan,the aim of every pirates movie been a focus on adventure and laughter which track the escapades of Jack . All the ingredients seem to be right in this movie (zombies,mermaids,black beard,barbossa and the Spanish) and yet it seems to lack that magic.The main factor should also be attributed to the use of 3D in this movie, which finds itself as more of a liability making the whole movie look dull and hazy without adding to the special effects.Its a movie where you go expecting a lot out of it but ends up been a no show .But as they always this will be remembered as the time when jack sparrow almost flopped , i say again almost , cause Johnny depp just manages to single handly rescue the movie and the franchise(rumor mill: pirates 5 to come) .

Details-
Directed by Rob Marshall
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenplay by Terry Rossio
Ted Elliott
Based on On Stranger Tides by
Tim Powers
Starring Johnny Depp
Penélope Cruz
Ian McShane
Geoffrey Rush
Music by Hans Zimmer
Cinematography Dariusz Wolski
Editing by Michael Kahn
Studio Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s) May 18, 2011 (2011-05-18) (United Kingdom)
May 20, 2011 (2011-05-20) (United States/Canada)
Running time 137 minutes
Country United States
United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $150[4]–250 million
Gross revenue $1,012,136,968

Theater Seen from- Crown,Calicut city
3D effects- Below average

Final word-
I am going out of 2.5/5 for Walt Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean- On Stranger Tides" purely out of my love for Captain Jack Sparrow .

Summer Sequels:Fast Five

2011-07-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well its that time of the year again between spring and summer, when the flowers bloom, the rainbows form and the movies come out in drizzles of golden showers.Its the time for sequels in Hollywood and no ones more merrier than the movie buff.Riding on the wave of sequels of fast and the furious,cars,pirates of the Caribbean,hangover,kungfu panda,X men(actually a prequel) and the transformer saga.Its just one of those film festivals enough to drive the movie manic into madness again.'So we start off with the high octane sequel to Fast and the furious "Fast Five".

There's a thing about fast cars and lots of biker babes that seems to attract the boyish urge that still resides in us , that feeling of one would describe as the need for speed .....That is the one driving factor for the fast and furious franchise. The franchise brings back Vin diesel and Paul walker to that winning throttle .

Here's a short synopsis to Drive you crazy....
Since Brian O'Conner and Mia Toretto broke Dom Toretto out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey... before someone else runs them down first.

The franchise takes you to Rio and involves more plot while still maintains the high octane action expected out of it.The stunt sequences are amazing and the fact that they didn't waste time trying to make it 3D just puts more raw action in your face.As usual there's little to the characters and more to the cars.The females provide you with enough eye candy and the director manages to squeeze in that all necessary scene of a bikini shot.The "Rock" Dwayne Johnson fills the shoes of the good yet bugging protagonist out to catch Walker and diesel .Their chemistry appealing to the macho man crowd and action sequences filling the thirst of the adolescent adult .

Details-
Directed by Justin Lin
Produced by Neal H. Moritz
Vin Diesel
Michael Fottrell
Written by Chris Morgan
Starring Vin Diesel
Paul Walker
Jordana Brewster
Dwayne Johnson
Music by Brian Tyler
Cinematography Stephen F. Windon
Editing by Kelly Matsumoto
Fred Raskin
Christian Wagner
Studio Original Film
One Race Films
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) April 20, 2011 (Australia)
April 29, 2011 (United States)
Running time 130 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $125 million
Gross revenue $596,925,140

Theater seen from-Crown theater , Calicut
Crowd recommended to - The ultimate macho man , racer movie of the summer

Final word-
I am going for 3 out of 5 for Universal pictures "Fast five" ,a sequel which manages to carry the same good old wine in a new bottle.

I am number 4

2011-04-05T00:56:00.000-07:00

Science Fiction movies are genre which time and time have upheld their standards in most times, so when you place your money and time on them your most likely to be on the safer side when inside the cinema hall.But in rarest of circumstances you end up glancing at the door with the exit sign. It was in such a predicament that i found myself in "I am number four". This movie is another addition to the fact that most movies are nowhere close to been good as the books they are based on.

Here's a short synopsis four(error intended ;) you-
An extraordinary young man, John Smith, is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri, John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events -- his first love, powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

The plot which promises to be as good as any X men movie or one which promises a sequel as we expect these Super Humans each numbered kinda excites you as it suggest a series ahead. But once inside the movie hall all you do is wait for someone to just arrive and finish off the main character in the movie as the Film lacks any kinda of drive, action or pull to keep you engaged throughout.The important thing when your trying to build a franchise movie is that you build a bond between the audience and the central character which the X men series did successfully with Hugh Jackman as Wolverine . John Smith rarely impresses and the female lead which i guess was intended to bring about a twilight kinda of scenario is rarely worth it and the villains are preposterous . So don't bother ,even if your an ardent Sci-Fi Fan.

Details-
Directed by D. J. Caruso
Produced by Michael Bay
Steven Spielberg
Chris Bender
J. C. Spink
David Valdes
Screenplay by Alfred Gough
Miles Millar
Marti Noxon
Based on I Am Number Four by
Pittacus Lore (Jobie Hughes & James Frey)
Starring Alex Pettyfer
Timothy Olyphant
Dianna Agron
Kevin Durand
Teresa Palmer
Callan McAuliffe
Jake Abel
Music by Trevor Rabin
Cinematography Guillermo Navarro
Editing by Vince Filippone
Jim Page
Studio Reliance BIG Entertainment
Bay Films
DreamWorks
Distributed by Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s) February 18, 2011
Running time 114 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $50 million
Gross revenue $123,868,000

Audience recommended to-Really Jobless bums... and the occasional trapped Movie Buff
Theater seen from - Escape Cinemas, Chennai

Final word-
I am going for 1/5 for Dreamworks "I am number 4" . My advice , run away from that ticket counter while you can.

Red Riding Hood

2011-03-23T04:12:00.000-07:00

Fairy tales, there's a funny twist to them isn't there . They are our favorites when we are growing up but once we reach a respectable age we show utter aversion to them in whatever form they might be. Thats one of the reasons why i was reluctant to watch Alice in wonderland even with Johnny Depp in it. But if you manage to bring a twist and a turn to an otherwise subtle and fairy plot of a fairy tale you might end up striking gold like The movie Tangled saw showed us earlier . So thats what exactly Catherine Hardwicke director of The Twilight movie did in new age adaptation of Red Riding Hood.

Here's a short synopsis to send you Riding into the movie-
For decades, the people of the village of Daggerhorn have maintained an uneasy truce with the werewolf, who prowls at every full moon, by offering the beast a monthly animal sacrifice to quench its appetite. But under a blood red moon, the wolf changes the stakes by taking the life of one of their own.

The victim is the older sister of Valerie, a beautiful, young woman, who has just found out that her parents have arranged for her to marry Henry, the scion of the town's wealthiest family. But Valerie wants only Peter, the poor woodcutter she has loved all her life. Unwilling to be parted, the couple was planning to run away together, but, in a horrifying instant, the wolf changes everything.

As the townspeople hunger for revenge, famed werewolf hunter Father Solomon is summoned to Daggerhorn to kill the beast once and for all. But Solomon's arrival brings only more turmoil as he warns everyone that the werewolf takes human form by day and could be any one of them. No one is above suspicion. Panic grips the town as the death toll rises with each red moon, tearing apart the once close-knit village. But it is Valerie who discovers she has a unique connection to the wolf that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect... and bait.

The movie probably appealed to me more than it should be cause i went in with my very low expectations and also maybe that i have a weakness for werewolf movies. At first i didnt even think there would be an actual werewolf but more of a serial killer. But (spoiler alert) there is an actual werewolf and a very mean one too, so this one's good for your money. With a deep background score and an exciting quest of trying to guess which of the villagers might be the actual werewolf keep you engaged throughout the movie . I personally loved the way the movie ended, the way every fairy tale should in happily ever after but in a very weird and dark sense of way.

Details-
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio
Jennifer Davisson Killoran
Julie Yorn
Written by David Leslie Johnson
Starring Amanda Seyfried
Gary Oldman
Billy Burke
Shiloh Fernandez
Max Irons
Virginia Madsen
Lukas Haas
Julie Christie
Music by Brian Reitzell
Alex Heffes
Cinematography Mandy Walker
Studio Appian Way Productions
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) March 11, 2011
Running time 100 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $42 million
Gross revenue $32,043,889

Theater seen from- Escape Cinemas, Chennai
Audience Recommended to- Couples mainly and also twilight fans and the occasional bored movie buff

Final word-
I am going for 2.5/5 for Warner Bros. Red Riding Hood cause it manages to take the fairy-ness out of the fairy tale and still ends up been worthwhile .

Hall Pass

2011-03-22T00:45:00.000-07:00

The ever perennial question of why comedy and sex go together so well .Well one of the reasons maybe that sex is so well hidden in our society , its nice to see certain people use it as a means of breaking the ice on the issue or the fact that sexual jokes have a sense of thrill and mischief when you crack them. Whatever be the reason , they are quite good fodder to keep the cinema halls as the series of american pie movies have demonstrated till now. But after sometime , such movies just became a sleaze fest losing their bearings from epic movies such as Euro Trip which epitomized the sleaze comedy Genre . Most sequels ended up been a far-cry from their originals.So now that brings us to Hall pass , another sure to thrill you sleaze comic movie starring owen wilson.

Here's a short synopsis to pass your time-
Rick(wilson) and Fred are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives take a bold approach to revitalizing their marriages: granting them a "hall pass," one week of freedom to do whatever they want... no questions asked. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn't long before they discover that their expectations of the single life--and themselves--are completely, and hilariously, out of sync with reality.

Here's why i think hall pass has got what it takes to be a winner-
1. Its the exact oppsite of a chick flic , its a dude comedy, a one to enjoy with the Bubs
2. It combines the humour of movies like hangover into an american pie style storyline
3. Maintains the perfect sleaze ratio, eye candy with the right amount of storyline and morals
4. Pure entertainer and relaxing time pass at the best like Grown Ups

so now you know what my 4 reasons were to put hall pass on my checklist . I wouldnt recommend watching it with your parents or you nieces/nephews but other than that a great movie to catch alone, with your buds or your Girlfriend/soul-mate.

Details-
Directed by Bobby & Peter Farrelly
Produced by Charles B. Wessler
Bradley Thomas
Benjamin Waisbren
Written by Bobby & Peter Farrelly
Pete Jones
Kevin Barnett
Starring Owen Wilson
Jason Sudeikis
Stephen Merchant
Jenna Fischer
Christina Applegate
Studio Virtual Studios
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Warner Bros.
Release date(s) February 25, 2011
Country United States
Language English
Budget $36 million
Gross revenue US $47,777,779

Theater seen from- Escape Cinemas, Chennai
Audience recommended to- The Dudes, The Gangs and the one with the ladies.

Final word-
I am going for 3/5 for this sleaze fest comedy which manages to reignite the once lost Genre.

Morning Glory

2011-03-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

There are some movies or in most cases a lot of great movies that just slip under the belt and are left unseen by most audiences cause they lack either the necessary promotion or they are timed badly along with other huge Budget movies.One of that kind of a movie is Morning Glory.Like i mentioned earlier my persuasive weakness for romantic comedies brought me to Morning Glory.But unlike the other Great romantic comedies this one was quite different.

Here's a short synopsis to wake you upto morning Glory-
When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller is fired from a local news program, her career begins to look as bleak as her hapless love life. Stumbling into a job at "Daybreak" (the last-place national morning news show), Becky decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy. Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover morning show staples like celebrity gossip, weather, fashion and crafts - let alone work with his new co-host, Colleen Peck, a former beauty queen and longtime morning show personality who is more than happy covering morning "news." As Mike and Colleen clash, first behind the scenes and then on the air, Becky's blossoming love affair with fellow producer, Adam Bennett begins to unravel - and soon Becky is struggling to save her relationship, her reputation, her job and ultimately, the show itself.

Becky played by Rachael McAdams is the main driving force behind the movie and turns out to be the inspiring female lead just like her character in the movie. The surprise in the movie is the presence of Harrison Ford , our dear little old Indy or han solo or even the president , but here in this movie we see Ford playing a shrewd , irritated and highly successful new reporter something like Larry king been forced to come down to meagre show like a morning new program called Morning glory. At first he's the worst charcter in the movie but at the end of the movie , Mr Ford just steals the show with his amazing Frittata ( something you will find out if you watch the movie).Morning Glory is not meant for the high octane evening watch but its meant for the lazy sunday afternoon watch preferably with your wife or your girlfriend.A quite predictable story line but somewhat sweet movie in a nice package.

Details-
Directed by Roger Michell
Produced by J. J. Abrams
Bryan Burk
Written by Aline Brosh McKenna
Starring Rachel McAdams
Harrison Ford
Diane Keaton
Patrick Wilson
Ty Burrell
Jeff Goldblum
Music by David Arnold
Cinematography Alwin H. Kuchler
Editing by Dan Farrell
Nick Moore
Steven Weisberg
Studio Bad Robot Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) November 10, 2010
Running time 107 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $40 million
Gross revenue $51,099,386

Audience recommended to- Feminists, Ladies looking for inspiration and a job and guys who love romantic comedies.

Final word-
I am going for 2.5/5 for Paramount pictures Morning Glory . Its a Chick flick which can be enjoyed by also the Guys.

TRON:Legacy

2011-03-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

Video games , movies and gadgets are a man's best friend(forget dogs when you live in the era of the aibo ;).... Well combine all of these and you should get a kick ass movie right.But sometimes the mixture of ingredients don't match up and ends up making a terrible concoction such as movies like Resident evil 3 and house of the dead. Movies based on video games have always been around classics such as mortal kombat and street fighter and then there's the Dumps such as Dragon Ball Z and DOOM. So TRON is a movie whose story is based on life within a video game, where users go into the Game. TRON legacy is the sequel to higly appreciated movie that was TRON.

Here's a small synopsis of the first movie(1982) for those you who weren't even born at that time-
A video game designer trying to prove a big time executive stole his idea is sucked into a corporation's mainframe where programs are personified counterparts of their writers and "users" are subjects of religious faith. A well-crafted and scripted metaphor, TRON benefits from breakthrough computer animation.Jeff Bridges amazingly appears in both movies as kevin flynn and Clu .

Here's a synopsis of the sequel that is the legacy of tron -
Sam Flynn, a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn, a man once known as the world's leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn's Arcade -- a signal that could only come from his father -- he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra, father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe -- a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.

So now you know the backdrop of Tron , it goes without saying this is one cool movie, lots of graphical environment, a compelling soundtrack and great background story makes sure that tron is every guys weekend blockbuster especially for the super nerd. Sure to some Tron might seem like a kiddish movie with all the light shaped discs and light cycles (bikes which leave behind a trail of destructive light) , but hey wasn't another certain franchise used the similar gimmicks by TRON to captivate audiences for decades AKA the STAR WARS . So i think we should overlook all its immaturity and learn to enjoy the awesomeness that is TRON.

Details-
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Produced by Sean Bailey
Jeffrey Silver
Steven Lisberger
Screenplay by Adam Horowitz
Edward Kitsis
Story by Adam Horowitz
Edward Kitsis
Brian Klugman
Lee Sternthal
Based on Characters by
Steven Lisberger
Bonnie MacBird
Starring Jeff Bridges
Garrett Hedlund
Bruce Boxleitner
Olivia Wilde
Michael Sheen
James Frain
Beau Garrett
Music by Daft Punk
Cinematography Claudio Miranda
Editing by James Haygood
Studio LivePlanet
Sean Bailey Productions
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s) December 17, 2010
Running time 127 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $170 million
Gross revenue $397,090,201

Audience recommended to-All sci-fi nerds, total Dude movie alert and the kids of all ages.

Final word-
I am going for 3/5 for Walt disney's TRON:Legacy cause any movie inspiring enough to come out with an Ipod dock by its name has to have look .Long live the nerd revolution and please when you watch this movie , watch it with a mind of a child you were once and be awed by the perfection of the Grid.

Battle: Los Angeles

2011-03-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

2012,Independence day,Armageddon,Deep Impact,The day after tomorrow,I am legend and the list goes on , movies which portray the will power of man and his ever lasting fight for survival against an external agent either an alien , zombie or even nature in certain scenarios. These movies even though might have that predictable cliche ending but with a right mix of CGI and soundtrack and that timely inspiring speech always makes it up for all the sufferance in the plot. Then there's movies like Skyline, war of the worlds and AVP2 which just take the same plot and leaves it in Dire straits . So when Battle: LA came out with its high octane trailer , i had to see which way the coin would fall especially with Aaron Eckhart leading the team.

Here's a short synopsis to battle with-
For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world -- Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.

So now you know the plot and i hope you have seen the trailer , so here' what i suggest , do no more . Yes thats right Dont even think about going out with your best buds to your nearest multiplex to catch this Bummer of a movie . Sure it promises a lot but lets just say it kills the movie buff in you. Here's one action movie where you literally beg the director to bring some sense of conflict and use of CGI to bring out the glory that is idea of Alien invasion. Aaron Eckhart's Brilliance is wasted by the director by placing the all time favorite mankind inspiring speech right when they see their entire base destroyed and all hope is lost and a band of 7 marines have to save L.A . The same group who cant even protect 7 civilians they are assigned to. Even the penultimate scenes of glory produce more smirks than inspiration. The turn of tides in battle especially reminded me of Tom Clancy's novels where no matter what the Odds , America would always win. I was hoping for a District , kind of a movie but ended up getting another Skyline from this outing.
Details-
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman
Produced by Jeffrey Chernov
Neal H. Moritz
Ori Marmur
Written by Christopher Bertolini
Starring Aaron Eckhart
Michelle Rodriguez
Will Rothhaar
Ramón Rodríguez
Bridget Moynahan
Ne-Yo
James Hiroyuki Liao
Michael Peña
Music by Brian Tyler
Cinematography Lukas Ettlin
Editing by Christian Wagner
Studio Relativity Media
Original Film[1]
Distributed by Columbia Pictures[1]
Release date(s) March 11, 2011 (2011-03-11)
Running time 116 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $70 million

Theater seen from- Crown theater , Calicut
Audience recommended to- Really jobless people on the weekend. Sci fi nerds and people who saw the trailer and cant resist and Believers of the alien invasion theory.

Final Word-
I am going for 1.5/5 for Columbia Pictures Battle:Los Angeles , all i have to say that this movie is Black hawk Down meets Skyline and that too in a bad way.

Return of the Blogger- Love and other Drugs

2011-03-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

Movies based on novels can be great, they might be fictional such as Jurassic park or even fairy tales such as Alice in wonderland. But when somebody makes a romantic comedy based on a novel , you have to take a peek into what the director will have to offer and am not talking about mushy romantic movies like twilight. So Love and other Drugs based on the book-Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman(yes its about the wonder drug) by Jamie Reidy was definelty on my checklist especially since it starred the beautiful Anne Hathaway.

Here's a short synopsis to get you drugged with-
Maggie is an alluring free spirit who won't let anything, including a formidable personal challenge, tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie Randall, whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love.

Maggie played by Anne Hathaway is a chronic patient suffering from Parkinson's Disorder and Jamie played by Jake Gyllenhaal (the Guy from prince of Persia) is hard core Drug salesman . The movie tells us the tale of Maggie's struggle with the disease and Jamie's ambition to make it to the top league . The Movie manages to capture the emotions of the partially disabled and frustrated Anne Hathaway beautifully or also as they joked about at the Oscars , she's the naked girl from Love and other Drugs(YES she is fully naked in this picture , warning Do not watch with parents or kids cause you might face really awkward questions later on in both cases). This is one love story or movie you want to take that special Girl out for a date for , cause i can guarantee you this once this movie is done she will be all Hugs.Also for all the Anne Hathaway fans she's also starring in the sequel to The Dark Knight titled The Dark Knight Rises(Giving you more reasons to love her;)

Details-
Directed by Edward Zwick
Produced by Edward Zwick
Scott Stuber
Marshall Herskovitz
Charles Randolph
Pieter Jan Brugge
Screenplay by Edward Zwick
Charles Randolph
Marshall Herskovitz
Based on Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman by
Jamie Reidy
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal
Anne Hathaway
Josh Gad
Hank Azaria
Music by James Newton Howard
Cinematography Steven Fierberg
Editing by Steven Rosenblum
Studio Regency Enterprises
New Regency
Stuber Pictures
Bedford Falls
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) November 24, 2010
Running time 112 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $30 million[
Gross revenue $93,567,005

Audience recommended to - All the lovely couples out there.

Final word-
I am going for 3/5 for 20th Century Fox Love and other drugs cause this one is a heart touching movie which truly makes you believe in the power of love ( Am i been too mushy, go see the movie and you'll know why :)

Return of the Blogger- Paranormal activity 2

2011-03-05T23:57:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't caught the Horror sensational hit that was paranormal activity , here's a few essentials you need to know about the movie series .
1.Its a kinda of a blair witch project but in the bedroom rather than in the forest(Strange right)
2.Its one of the most grossing horror films of all time considering the amount made to make the movie less than a honda civic.
3.It claims to be real life inspired ( just to give you more creeps)
4. A poltergeist or a Demon is the Main subject of interest.
5. The Film talks of the story of katie and her boyfriend Micah ( who buys the camera which ultimately tapes his own death)spoiler alert, sorry.

SO now that you know all the facts about Paranormal activity , lets dwell into the world of the second part or the sequel which exactly what the movie is not. Its a prequel to the other movie kinda like how the star wars was released.This movie shot in the same eerie Handy cam or home video style brings to the house of Dan rey and kristie , Katie's sister.

Here's a short synopsis to activate your paranormal self-
Just as Dan and Kristi welcome a newborn baby into their home, a demonic presence begins terrorizing them, tearing apart their perfect world and turning it into an inescapable nightmare. Security cameras capture the torment, making every minute horrifyingly real.

Well thats all what i should reveal right now, otherwise it just kills the story. One advice do watch the first one before you watch this one, and i am kinda of disappointed with the outcome of this movie other than the last scene this movie kinda of didn't have the originality of the original (Duh). But this does shed a lot of light into the story of the series (yes there is third part coming soon). Also For your kind information , i caught this at the imax theater in qatar and it felt like i was living amongst the family . Quite creepy........

Details-
Directed by Tod Williams
Produced by Oren Peli
Jason Blum
Akiva Goldsman
Screenplay by Michael R. Perry
Christopher Landon
Tom Pabst
Oren Peli
Story by Michael R. Perry
Based on Characters by
Oren Peli
Starring Brian Boland
Molly Ephraim
Katie Featherston
Seth Ginsberg
Sprague Grayden
Micah Sloat
Cinematography Michael Simmonds
Editing by Gregory Plotkin
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) October 20, 2010 (France)
October 22, 2010 (United States)
Running time 91 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3,000,000
Gross revenue $171,768,448

Theater Seen from- Imax , Doha
Audience recommended to - Not for Children ,People with heart conditions and wusses.
Final word-
I am going for 2.5/5 for Paranormal activity 2. Even though they did up the ante on the Budget somewhere along the line they lost the thrill that was scene in the First installment.

Return of the Blogger- Despicable Me

2011-03-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

Well like i said animation movies are kinda of my Achilles heel,so its no wonder Universal pictures got me running to the theater to catch Despicable Me. This movie again like megamind has the Villain as the protagonist. The story involves the life of self declared super villain or thief Gru who faces the challenge of facing a new supervillain who ends up stealing the pyramids and so the race begins for the title of world's greatest theif. I know it sounds corny but trust me you will love the ride.

Here's a short synopsis surely despicable-

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon, yes, the moon. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

This movies greatest moments are livened up by Gru's one eyed minions who just make you he he all over the place with their goofiness and lackadaisical organisation.This one might not impress the oscar jury like Up did but this one's a keeper for the hearts of both the kids and parents.It delivers the all essential message that we all need to remember from time to time in our busy lives. There's kid hiding within us and sometimes you need to let the kid out to play.

Details-
Directed by Pierre Coffin
Chris Renaud
Produced by John Cohen
Janet Healy
Chris Meledandri
Written by Ken Daurio
Cinco Paul
Story by Sergio Pablos
Starring Steve Carell
Jason Segel
Russell Brand
Julie Andrews
Will Arnett
Kristen Wiig
Miranda Cosgrove
Dana Gaier
Elsie Fisher
Music by Pharrell Williams
Heitor Pereira
Editing by Gregory Perler
Pam Ziegenhagen
Studio Illumination Entertainment
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) July 9, 2010
Running time 95 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $69 million
Gross revenue $527,858,058

Theater seen from- Qatar multiplex , Doha
Audience recommended to - All ages from 4-80 yrs

Final word-
I am going for 3/5 for universal pictures .This one is not despicable .

Return of the Blogger- Megamind

2011-03-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

Animated movies.....ah they just are too irresistible i say. Each time i see one of them am sure too catch it in spectacular 3D.So when Paramount pictures brought out megamind i knew i had my sights set and left on that spectacular journey into the world of megamind. Superhero's and animation just rock remember the incredible's movie . So i was sure there would be no disappointments and they weren't any.

Here's a short synopsis that mind boggles you-
Megamind is the most brilliant super-villain the world has ever known... and the least successful. Over the years, he has tried to conquer Metro City in every imaginable way -- Each attempt, a colossal failure thanks to the caped superhero known as "Metro Man," until the day Megamind actually defeats him in the throes of one of his botched evil plans. Suddenly, the fate of Metro City is threatened when a new villain arrives and chaos runs rampant, leaving everyone to wonder: Can the world's biggest "mind" actually be the one to save the day?

This movie has great comic relief to it with the villain been the center of attraction and the superhero just been an add on . Will ferrells voice does wonders for megaminds character as he commits more and more blunders mistakes on his road to world domination and the disapperance of metro man his arch nemesis drives him into insanity producing more fun for the city and the film. Enough said go watch the movie.

Details-
Directed by Tom McGrath
Produced by Lara Breay
Denise Nolan Cascino
Executive producers
Ben Stiller
Stuart Cornfeld
Written by Alan J. Schoolcraft
Brent Simons
Starring Will Ferrell
Tina Fey
Jonah Hill
David Cross
Brad Pitt
Ben Stiller
Music by Hans Zimmer
Lorne Balfe
Cinematography Phil "Captain 3D" McNally
Studio DreamWorks Animation
Pacific Data Images
Red Hour Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) October 28, 2010 (2010-10-28) (Russia)
November 5, 2010 (2010-11-05) (United States)
Running time 96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $130 million
Gross revenue $318,846,220

Final word-
I am going for 3/5 for megamind a movie which you can take your kids too and quietly enjoy it with them.

Return of the Blogger- Due Date

2011-03-02T03:21:00.000-08:00

When you think Robert Downey Jr(Iron man) and Zach Galifianakis (yes the fat jesus guy from Hangover) staring together in a movie you think its gonna be a high action comedy probably two of them been cops essentially but when i went for the Due date it was not at all what i had expected. The two actors are both known for the versatility and for been true to their identities characters.Our dear Iron man been the pompous over powering actor who gulps up screen time and Our hangover man been the ultimate no hold barred pea brained comic relief without any sort of sense what he's upto. Usually such big combinations end up been a bust on your face but director Todd Phillips somehow has managed to find the perfect balance between humour and Drama in this wonderful movie.

Here's a short synopsis to set your dates right-
Peter Highman is an expectant first-time father whose wife's due date is a mere five days away. As Peter hurries to catch a flight home from Atlanta to be at her side for the birth, his best intentions go completely awry when a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay forces Peter to hitch a ride with Ethan--on what turns out to be a cross-country road trip that will ultimately destroy several cars, numerous friendships and Peter's last nerve.

Peter played by Robert Downing essentially represents the modern man or the adult in the movie , always worried about commitments and work and what not and Ethan played by Zach represents the child within all of us innocent hopeful and having great expectations from the world around him. Both of them together make a great pair in this comedy with a touching message at the end . The best scene can be traced to their Plane conversation which gets them put on the no fly list. This movies packs enough Humour, Drama and storyline to get you through the toughest of your days.

Details-
Directed by Todd Phillips
Produced by Todd Phillips
Daniel Goldberg
Susan Downey
Screenplay by Alan R. Cohen
Alan Freedland
Adam Sztykiel
Todd Phillips
Story by Alan R. Cohen
Alan Freedland
Starring Robert Downey Jr.
Zach Galifianakis
Music by Christophe Beck
Cinematography Lawrence Sher
Editing by Debra Neil-Fisher
Studio Legendary Pictures
Green Hat Films
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) October 31, 2010 (Night Visions Film Festival)
November 5, 2010 (United States)
Country United States
Language English
Budget $65 million
Gross revenue $209,739,043

Theater seen from- Inox theater, Bangalore
Audience recommended- Everyone of all ages

Final word-
I am going for 3.5/5 for Warner Bros Due Date because sometimes in life you have to sit back and learn to laugh at it once in a while.

Return of the Blogger- Devil

2011-03-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

M. Night Shyamalan, for those of who you don't know the M stands for Manoj and the fact his dad was a malayali may just be one of the hidden reason why i continue to watch each everyone of his weird yet somehow distinguished movies. But this movie was different , i don't know whether it was the bare title or the concept of 5 strangers stuck in a lift and one of them been the devil , it could happen to any of us , think about it (except maybe the devil part). So i set out to catch this intriguingly titled movie and hoping not to be a partisan to the ethnicity of M.night shyamalan .

Here's a short synopsis that devil may care about-
The movie starts off with a narration by a stranger who re accounts of a bed time story his mother used to narrate when he was a child, how the devil would visit the planet to seek the souls of those who have sinned ( what a cruel mother ;) and then the movie starts with an amazing scene of suicide and you know your in for a ride.The main theme of the movie is set inside the lift which entraps 5 strangers who are stuck and left to wait it out for help to arrive. In the midst of all this confusion , is when the realization comes to the point when the lights go off each one of them is mystifyingly executed one by one. So the trick of the movie is you have to make a first guess in your mind who the devil is and play a game with your friends and see who wins even before the first person dies.

I know the plot line sounds kinda narrow but M.Night shyamalan does wonders with the concept and director John Erick Dowdle makes the thriller an absolute roller coaster as your put on the edge trying to figure out who the devil is. This movie unlike the other nights's movies doesn't have a complex puzzle or long back story to be narrated , it just keeps it simple and brain teasing at the same time . I think Night might have just found the perfect balance he was looking for after sixth sense. The movie's soundtrack and compelling narration make it a nail bitter same as the movie phone booth with a bit of horror element. The weirdest part was that when i watched this movie the lights kept going off in the theater too, which added to the effect created by the director . In short i had one hell of a chill after this one. As for claustrophobic people , kindly stay as far as from this movie , cause you will never enter a lift after this show is done.

Details-
Directed by John Erick Dowdle
Produced by John Erick Dowdle
Drew Dowdle
M. Night Shyamalan
Sam Mercer
Screenplay by Brian Nelson
Story by M. Night Shyamalan
Starring Chris Messina
Bojana Novakovic
Bokeem Woodbine
Logan Marshall-Green
Jenny O'Hara
Geoffrey Arend
Music by Fernando Velázquez
Cinematography Tak Fujimoto
Editing by Elliot Greenberg
Studio Media Rights Capital
The Night Chronicles
Blinding Edge Pictures
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) September 17, 2010
Running time 80 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $10 million
Gross revenue $57,417,973

Theater seen from- PVR cinemas , Bangalore
Audience recommended to - ALL except claustrophobic people and wusses .

Final word-
I am going for 3.5 /5 for M.Night shyamalan's DEVIL . This movie might just be his best work yet.

Return of the Blogger- Rakhta Charitra 2

2011-02-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

Well so we continue our journey through Pratap Ravi's life through the second movie but the difference is that in this movie Surya is the main character and as the movie starts of it recounts what happened in the first movie, and the first scene is iconic with the entry of Surya , walking in with a face of a lion ready to avenge the wrongdoings done on him. After this the movie just loses the plot and it becomes all music and silent gestures and loses the sense of thrill the first had.

Here's the plot line set to race you blood pressure a bit-
Following upto the prequel this story shows us the dark side of Pratap as it shifts focus to Surya , born out of similar circumstance as Pratap, Surya fueled by venegence against pratap for the death of his family . The rage of surya drives this movie. As Prataps futile efforts to end Surya's life fail , the whole movie revolves around their rivalry. But inspite of all the right ingredients, this movie fails to find the right mix that the first did. Sure it has lot of memorable scenes such as the attempted assassination of Surya in court and also the powerful scenes of Surya recounting of his parents death , but all of this mulled out by RGV's need for music background and unnecessary usage of slow motion scenes just kills the concept of the movie . A letdown compared to the first. But as the saying goes the first is not complete without this movie , so if you have watched the Prequel then you have to catch this one to complete the storyline of Pratap Ravi. This movie has a strong message to it , even though circumstance make a man, our will has a lot to play in shaping who we are.

Theater seen from- Coronation Theater, Calicut city
Audience recommended to - People who have seen part 1 , Surya Fans and people who just love violence

Details-
A History of Blood
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma
Produced by Madhu
Mantena Sheetal Vinod Talwar
Chinna Vasudeva Reddy
Rajkumar
Written by Prashant Pandey
Starring
Surya
Vivek Oberoi
Sudeep
Shatrughan Sinha
Kota Srinivasa Rao
Abhimanyu Singh
Priyamani
Radhika Apte
Music by Imran-Vikram
Dharam-Sandeep
Bappi-Tutul
Sukhwinder Singh
Cinematography Amol Rathod
Editing by Nipun Ashok Gupta
Studio Cinergy Pictures
Distributed by Vistaar Religare
Cloud Nine Movies
Release date(s) Part 1:
22 October 2010
Part 2:
3 December 2010
Country India
Language Hindi
Tamil
Telugu
Budget 30 crore

Final word-
I am going for 2.5/5 for The sequel to Rakhta Charitra. This movie is an essential part of the Rakhta Charitra Series , see it for Actor Surya's compelling performance and nothing more.(PS watch the last scene carefully , its amazing how it corelates with what has really happend this year )

Return of the Blogger- Rakht Charitra -1

2011-02-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

There's a certain movie which tends to define a director or an actor . For example we all hear George Lucas and we think star wars , Titanic spring into mind when we hear James Cameroon, Jurassic park brings Steven speilberg into the picture. So Ram Gopal Varma or RGV as he is called is well remembered for his work on the movie The Company and Sathya. After that RGV was written off as he did a string of Horrible movies, so horrendous his so called factory started churning out creations meant to tarnish his image. But that all changed when Rakht Charitra got released, both Vivek oberoi and RGV got back their mojo with this movie.

Here's a short synopsis that will splatters blood on the storyline-
The story involves the true life telling of the story of Paritala Ravindra,a well known political leader of andhra pradesh . Played by Vivek oberio , Pratap ravi emabarks on a journey of Vengeance( which is the main theme of the movie) and the incidents which later unfold and lead to his death are been discussed in the two part series of Rakht Charitra . The first part is told from the View point of Vivek Oberio's character and the second part is narrated from the point of view of Surya Narayanareddy a congress leader played by tamil actor Surya .

The greatest strength of Rakhta Charitra is that is the style of story telling adopted by RGV . It brings a sense of greatness to the history and one is pulled into the narration from the start. There are some amazing scenes in Rk-1 that surely will boil the blood in your veins , it just makes you scream for Vengence as Pratap Ravis life is torn into pieces with the incidents taking place in anathpur . The other thing that makes it a great watch is the super villain in the movie in the form of Pukka Reddy who really epitomizes evil in his character. As goes ahead plundering the town and as he continues to violate the modesty of the innocent women in the town. Vivek Oberoi plays his character to perfection as he dons the costume of both naxalite and politician and the entry of Shatrughan Sinha as Shivaji Rao brings the much needed twist to the story.This truly is critically acclaimed movie of year 2010.

Details-
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma
Produced by Madhu
Mantena Sheetal Vinod Talwar
Chinna Vasudeva Reddy
Rajkumar
Written by Prashant Pandey
Starring

* Surya
* Vivek Oberoi
* Sudeep
* Shatrughan Sinha
* Kota Srinivasa Rao
* Abhimanyu Singh
* Priyamani
* Radhika Apte

Music by Imran-Vikram
Dharam-Sandeep
Bappi-Tutul
Sukhwinder Singh
Cinematography Amol Rathod
Editing by Nipun Ashok Gupta
Studio Cinergy Pictures
Distributed by Vistaar Religare
Cloud Nine Movies
Release date(s) Part 1:
22 October 2010 (2010-10-22)
Part 2:
3 December 2010 (2010-12-03)
Country India
Language Hindi
Tamil
Telugu
Budget Indian Rupee ₹30 crore

Theatre seen from - Pvr Cinemas bangalore
Audience recommended- the strong hearted, RGV fans, people enjoying gore and fans of historical biographies .

Final word-
I go for 4/5 for RGV's Raktha Charitra , because this ladies and gentleman might just be the most violent movie India has ever made.

Return of the Blogger- The Green hornet

2011-02-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing about super hero movies, is that they have this great capacity to allure young men into their web of action adventure and mystery.Well sometimes that web turns out to be nice suprise , but sometimes it turns out your in a big spider waiting to be devoured by the fake promise of that tight panted superhero. So its not suprising i decided to go for the The Green Hornet the very day it was released and Boy was i caught in that spider's web.Am sure many of you like me wouldnt even have known the Green hornet existed before this movie got released.

Here's a short synopsis to horn out Your Brains-
Britt Reid, son and heir to Los Angeles' largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato. They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid's shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case, they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky. He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls.

Here's the problem with this movie it tries so hard to be everything- Funny , Action packed , deep seated mystery about the hero , a beautiful lass to save and all the materials you need for a great movie. But at the end of the day Seth rogen's kills the movie along with the villian (omg the villan sucks , i know spoilers right ). Cameron diaz provides atleast a bit of eye candy reminiscent of her role in the Mask . Other than that you just get bored with all the comical style direction and poor slapstick humour.

Movie Details-
Directed by Michel Gondry
Produced by Neal H. Moritz
Written by Seth Rogen
Evan Goldberg
Based on The Green Hornet by
George W. Trendle
Fran Striker
Starring Seth Rogen
Jay Chou
Christoph Waltz
Cameron Diaz
Music by James Newton Howard
Cinematography John Schwartzman
Editing by Michael Tronick
Studio Original Film
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) January 14, 2011 (2011-01-14)
Running time 119 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $120 million
Gross revenue $217,249,389

Theater seen from- Crown theater , Calicut city
Audience recommended to- Die hard Green hornet Fans( if there are any), Die hard Seth Rogen fans( who after this movie don't exist) and really bored people and also die hard Cameron diaz fans ( am sure there are millions)

Final word-
I am going for 2/5 for this movie . Go for this for the only reason imaginable - Cameron Diaz ( oh yeah ;).