Category: English

We finally have a sequel to X-Men: First Class, which combines elements from almost all the X-Men movies. Yay!

After directing the uninspiring Jack the Giant Slayer, Bryan Singer is back with what he does best, directing X-Men movies. Scripted by Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman, there are number of subplots and loose end which needed to be taken care of in this one, and Singer does a great job (while there are still few minor unanswered questions). The screenplay is very impressive, especially during the climax where both the past and future are running in parallel. However, I thought the future episodes could have been better handled.

The movie has a huge casting lineup, and everyone performs their best. After five movies as Wolverine (and a special appearance in the sixth), it’s more of a cakewalk for Hugh Jackman. I sometimes wonder if he’s born to play Wolverine! James McAvoy and Micheal Fassbender carry on from where there left off in First Class, with Fassbender having much stronger screen presence. Jennifer Lawrence looked super hot and did great, while Peter Dinklage is good. The rest of the cast is perfect.

On technical front, music by John Ottman could have been better (I feel so especially after amazing score by Hans Zimmer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2). His editing work is pretty neat though (apparently most of Rogue’s scenes were cut out, I wonder why). Cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel is good, but the 3D effects and visuals weren’t really upto the mark.

Is it worth your time and money??: This is definitely one of the best movies in the series, but I personally liked First Class better. It’s still a fun film, with a lot happening. While The Amazing Spider-Man 2 relied on visuals to get you engrossed, X-Men: Days of Future Past relies solely on its script, and doesn’t disappoint. It’d be nice if you catch up with other films so that you understand this one better. You’ll be fine otherwise too.

Worth mention: Quick Silver during the pentagon break episode, and the past and the future shots during the climax.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

In closing-credits of The Amazing Spider-Man, a man in the shadows asks Dr. Connors if Peter knows the truth about his father. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is all about Peter finding out the truth, in addition to a the arrival of a new nemesis.

Directed by Marc Webb, I thought this film was much better than it’s prequel for it has an improved storyline. Scripted again by James Vanderbilt (and a few others), this one has more structure to it. Though our Spidey still seemed like a boy with a new toy, there is some maturity to his role. He’s torn between his love and responsibilities, and this has been very well conceived. While the direction is pretty good, and the screenplay (Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner) is much improved, I felt the film was too long and had too many characters. Given that the movie was this long anyways, it would have been nice to establish Harry and Peter’s friendship in a better manner as it all seemed very contrived. At close to 150 minutes, I kinda lost track on how the movie had started for there was so much happening!

Andrew Garfield has a more meaty role in this film, and he does not disappoint. I thought he performed well during the climax. However, I believe he makes Spider-Man more cheeky than required, and does not carry the innocence Tobey Maguire brought to plate. Emma Stone is pretty good as Spidey’s love interest, and so is Jamie Foxx as the main antagonist Electro. Dane DeHaan (Harry/Green Goblin) was just ok.

One of the major plus points of this film is some excellent background score by Hans Zimmer. Add to that some amazing sound-mixing, and we have a winner. I really enjoyed the sound effects along with some amazing visuals and 3D effects. Cinematography by Daniel Mindel is of top-notch quality. Editing by Pietro Scalia and Elliot Graham could have been better, but then the script had too much to offer, so I’m guessing there was little they could do.

Is it worth your time and money??: Definitely. It’s a fun film with a lot happening. You can give it a watch just for its grand visuals, but the story is equally good. The only negative aspect is the length, and maybe (at times) heavy fight sequences. Nevertheless, if you can sit through for 142 minutes and love action, you are in for some Amazing entertainment!

Worth mention: The climax fight between Spider-Man and Electro was quite a scene. And also the final fight with Rhino.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

PS: X-Men fans are in for some goodies during closing-credits, so stay put.

It was disappointing not to watch the movie in IMAX 3D (Prasads, you…).  

And ya, it’s a Sony!   😀

So Captain America kicks off the season of superhero movies this year, and it ain’t a bad start.

Scripted by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, CA: The Winter Soldier relies more or less on the premise set in the CA: The First Avenger, that of Project Hydra (for those who have no idea what that is, I’d suggest you watch the first part). The Russo brothers (Directors) did a commendable job with the given storyline, but for the mediocre screenplay. At two quarter hours, the movie seemed really long because of the slow screenplay, especially during the first half. However, the innumerable number of fight sequences and action episodes keep you glued to your seats.

Chris Rogers is good, while Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) looked odd at times. Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson are decent in their respective roles. On technical front, music/score by Henry Jackman could have been more gripping. The action sequences are very well choreographed, and cinematography by Trent Opaloch is pretty neat. The 3D effects are just alright, nothing spectacular. Editing by Jeffrey Ford could have been sharp. The production values are pretty neat.

Is it worth your time and money??: It’s a decent film, and I liked it better than CA: The First Avenger. While the first film didn’t really establish Captain America as a superhero (not for me at least; he absolutely did nothing in the movie, even the climax fight with Red Skull was so boring!), this film has a lot of potential for him to make his mark, and he does. But for the slow screenplay, it works on every other front. Give it a watch (not necessarily in 3D or IMAX though).

Worth mention: Nick Fury’s car chase sequence. It’s funny though that the roads are absolutely empty and there’s not a single soul in sight when so much is happening.

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 7/10

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a well scripted, hilarious comedy from Wes Anderson. The story is simple, but the effective screenplay makes the movie work. The narration is brilliant. Acting is spot on, with Ralph Fiennes putting up and exceptional performance. Music by Alexandre Desplat is subtle, and cinematography by Robert Yeoman is brilliant.

Is it worth your time and money??: Overall, it’s a brilliant fun film, and a joy ride. I’d suggest you give this a watch!

Worth mention: The swift screenplay, and some smart acting from Fiennes and his accomplice, Tony Revolori.

Acting: 9/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

300: Rise of an Empire tells a story which runs parallel to the 2006 film 300, where Leonidas (Gerard Butler) leads 300 Spartans into battle. This film showcases the Greek fighting Artemisia (Eva Green), the naval commander of the God King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro). Just like it’s predecessor, this film, directed by Noam Murro, is a visual treat for any action movie lover. While the script and theatricals falter at times, the amazingly choreographed fight sequences and the spectacularly dark cinematography keep you engrossed in this blood shed warfare.

On the acting front, Eva Green is superb and fits the role to the bill as Artemisia. Forget beautiful, she looked as cunning and powerful as required to do justice to the role. On the other hand, I was disappointed with the lead, Sullivan Stapleton. A role of such magnitude needed someone with a better persona, and maybe better acting skills. He created no impact whatsoever.

The background score and sound effects are excellent. Editing by Wyatt Smith David Brenner is decent, while the screenplay by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad could have been more effective. However, cinematography by Simon Duggan and the action sequences more than make up for other flaws.

Is it worth your time and money??: The film is a visual extravaganza. Barring the gore blood shed and mediocre performance from the lead actor, 300: Rise of an Empire is an entertaining watch.

Worth mention: The amazingly choreographed fight sequences in single shots.

Acting: 6/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 7/10

With a brilliant, star-studded cast, I was expecting quite a bit from August: Osage County. Though I was a little perturbed by the end, I wasn’t disappointed.

Based on the award-winning play by Tracie Letts (playwriter and screenplay), August: Osage County is a drama about dysfunctional family trying to find solace by abusing and shattering each other. Honestly, the movie is quite disturbing, for it depicts each member of the family tearing apart the other irrespective of their relations. It’s a movie portraying how ugly things could be if you aren’t up to face your demons within the walls of your home. Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts play out of their skins to bring life to this drama., while Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberback comes up with another fine performance. The rest of the cast is equally brilliant. Direction by John Wells is neat, while the screenplay by Letts is pacy.

Is it worth your time and money??: While it features some spectacular performances, August: Osage County is not a film for everyone. As mentioned, it is very disturbing and makes you think how lucky one is for not having such a screwed up family. Watch it at your own discretion.

Acting: 9.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 6/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 7/10

Now that you’ve started with the series watching the first one, you can’t miss out on the middle pages of the book can you? But honestly, after watching the trailers, I thought the movie would be a huge disappointment, and I was not really excited about it. However, I ended up liking it better than The Unexpected Journey, for the second installment of the trilogy has more meat and substance, where the plot unravels slowly yet steadily, and everything seems to start to make sense finally. Peter Jackson does a commendable job with the direction, and an interesting screenplay gets you engrossed in the film.

On the acting front, kudos to Ian McKellin for putting up such a consistent performance in the series. He’s brilliant. I was starting to wonder what all and how much Gandalf had to survive through the books. Uff! The rest of the cast, but for the only female character were good. Though she looked beautiful, I though Evangeline Lilly looked odd and did not exactly fit into the role.

On technical front, the editing is much better than its predecessor. Cinematography is brilliant, and the 3D effects are alright. The graphics looked a little artificial at times though, and the music too seemed too melodramatic and not as great as the LOR score.

Is it worth your time and money??: Yes, it’s a decent watch.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

Is it worth your time and money??: I’d say NO!! Man Of Steel, for me at least, was a big disappointment. I found Superman Returns way better than this one. Coming from the house of Christopher Nolan (Story and Producer), a lot was expected, but alas! Zach Snyder, taking a page from Nolan’s work, tried non-linear storytelling, which I think failed miserably. Though the direction was decent, it’s the screenplay which kills the film – it was one of the worst screenplays I’ve seen in recent times (David Goyer). Most scenes seemed out of sync, and the fights especially were so fast that I couldn’t figure out a thing! Add to this some terrible graphic work (I’m not sure if it was because of the digital conversion for IMAX, but most scenes were grainy and bad). It seemed more like a sci-fi movie (reminded me of War of the Worlds) than a Superman movie. Acting and music were the only saviours. Overall, a mediocre movie. If given a chance, I’d skip it, and instead maybe watch Spiderman or something!!

Acting: 7/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 6/10
Technical Aspects: 5/10

Verdict: 5.5/10

Is it worth your time and money??: Oh yes. I loved Star Trek Into Darkness. Though the script is a little more complicated than the first movie, J.J. Abrams did a decent job with it. The direction is pretty neat, and the screenplay is decent. Chris Pine does a very good as Kirk, while Zachary Quinto does a brilliant job as Spock. Benedict Cumberbatch is equally good as Khan. The rest of the cast did a good job. On technical front, the visuals are excellent. Most of the IMAX shots were graphic works, but good. The rendered 3D work was excellent, but shooting with 3D cameras would have made it even better. Nevertheless, I loved the effects. Music by Michael Giacchino is good, while cinematography by Daniel Mindel is perfect. Overall, a worthwhile film.

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10
Verdict: 8/10

After disappointing with Iron Man 2, this one is a much better film. It doesn’t do better than The Avengers, but still is a decent film nevertheless. The story and screenplay could have been better though, for it has a number of loopholes. Direction by Shane Black is pretty neat, while the screenplay, co written by Black and Drew Pearce, seemed patchy and out of sorts at times. Things like a ten-year old kid help fix Mark 42 (suit) were quite startling, for its premise wasn’t established, and the antagonist leaving behind Tony Stark tied to a bedpost with two guards was plain stupid.

On acting front, Robert Downey, Jr. is at his usual best, while Gwyneth Paltrow, though good, looked really old. The franchise needs a new Potts in my opinion. Guy Pearce is very good in the negative role, while Rebecca Hall is decent. Ben Kingsley has a brief role, and is effective.

On technical front, music by Brian Tyler is pretty neat, and editing by Jeffrey Ford and Peter Elliot is alright, while cinematography by John Toll is very good. The long shots were well picturized, and the 3D effects on such shots were good.

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Yes indeed. Walk in without any expectations and you might enjoy the film.

Verdict: 8/10