Movie Reviews |

Oblivion | Movie Review

From the early rushes and trailers, it looked like one of those sci-fi films you’ve already watched. In fact, it reminded me of Tom Cruise’s War of the Worlds, which I didn’t like so much. Oblivion, thankfully, turned out to be different. Co-written and directed by Joseph Kosinski, it is a decent watch. Direction was good, while the screenplay was a little slow. Few scenes just seemed to drag the film down. A faster narrative would have helped it better.

Tom Cruise does well in the lead role, and managed to carry the entire movie on his shoulders. Olga Kurylenkoi and Andrea Riseborough are pretty good, while Morgan Freeman was alright in his brief role. On technical front, the cinematography by Claudio Miranda was of top-notch quality, with the graphics and sound effects being excellent.

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7.5/10
Technical Aspects: 9/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Oblivion is an entertaining watch.

Verdict: 8/10

A Good Day To Die Hard | Movie Review

It looks like Hollywood is now taking inspiration from Bollywood and making films which make no absolute sense. A Good Day To Die Hard is one movie with absolutely no story, and all the action scenes are stitched together to make a movie. And these action sequences too make no sense. Direction by John Moore is mediocre while the screenplay by Skip Woods is pathetic (It’s the worst I’ve seen in a Hollywood movie till date).

Bruce Willis looks old, but still does a commendable job, while Jai Courtney struggles to act. The cinematography is alright, but the action sequences are so fast that you can’t make any sense out of them, thanks to some bad editing. The graphics could have been better, and the entire film looked grainy on a regular screen (I wonder how they plan to release it on Imax with such quality). Overall, it a bad film, so stay away from it!!

Is it worth your time and money??: No!! If you’ve watched and enjoyed Die Hard movies, then a bigger NO!! This movie is a disgrace to the franchise, it’s that bad.

Acting: 5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 3/10
Technical Aspects: 5/10

Verdict: 4/10

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola | Movie Review

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Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is a fun movie, but is unnecessarily long which makes you yawn over and over again. Vishal Bhardwaj tried to put in a lot of content into the movie, and in the process lost track. The movie starts off well, and there are certain epic episodes. But overall, dragging and long redundant shots are more in number when compared to the good ones. Screenplay is weak and could have been better.

On acting front, Imran Khan is alright as Mandola. The shabby look suits him. Anushka is super hot as Bijlee. The oomph factor is all there. But the clear winner is Pankaj Kapoor for he was brilliant in every shot and lit up the screen on fire. Shabana Azmi was equally good.

Editing could have been way better. The 148 minute movie would have been much effective it were cut short to somewhere around 120. Cinematography by Kartik Vijay is decent, while music by Vishal Bhardwaj could have been better.

Is it worth your time and money??: Depends. While the main intention of the film gets lost, you can still watch it for the humour and Pankaj Kapoor (and appreciate Anushka’s hotness!!).

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 6.5/10
Technical Aspects: 7/10

Verdict: 7/10

Django Unchained | Movie Review

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After three years of hiatus, Quentin Tarantino is back. Django Unchained is a typical Tarantino movie in all ways; its got the style, and all the blood. The story is simple, and sometimes predictable, yet engrossing. The screenplay, like other Tarantino films, is non linear, but not so much as say Inglorious Basterds.

Jamie Foxx is superb as Django, and his body language in certain scenes is excellent. Leonardo DiCaprio is great as the antagonist. But the clear winner in terms of acting, gaining him a much deserved Oscar nomination is Christoph Waltz. He is terrific as Dr. Schultz. The rest of the cast is alright. Cinematography by Robert Richardson is good, but editing by Fred Raskin could have been better.

Is it worth your time and money??: On the whole, for any Tarantino movie lover, Django Unchained is a must watch. You might actually enjoy the movie even if you are not a fan, so go ahead and watch it nevertheless!!

Acting: 9.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 9/10
Technical Aspects: 9/10

Verdict: 9/10

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Movie Review

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Is it worth your time and money??: Well, if you are expecting something very similar to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, you might be slightly disappointed with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The problem is Peter Jackson (Director) trying too hard to make it similar to the trilogy. The movie starts of pretty slow, at times felt very similar to LOR: The Fellowship of the Ring, but it slowly picks up pace and ends very well. The screenplay was pretty neat, but I thought the editing was shabby. Cinematography, like other LOR movies, is awesome, and the 3D effects just add value. Overall, it’s a good film with its own charm.

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

Verdict: 8/10

Talaash | Movie Review

Talaash is a different film and does not suit the tastes of everyone. Aamir is, as usual, very good as Inspector Surjit. He proves his mettle in the last scene. Kareena looks beautiful, while Rani downplays her role to perfection. Story by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar challenges current generations thoughts and perceptions. Direction by Reema is excellent, and she was able to keep the mystery till the end, but the slow screenplay plays spoil sport. There was unnecessary drag, and a couple of scenes could have easily made the cut on the editing table (Editing by Anand Subaya). A shorter, crispier Talaash would have been awesome. Nevertheless, the film works (at least for me). I loved the suspense revealing climax sequence – it was shot superbly and created the required effect. But the following water shots ruin the effect in a way for they looked lame. Cinematography by Mohanan is pretty good. Production values are good.

Is it worth your time and money??: Well, it’s not a typical Aamir Khan movie, so if you go without any expectations, you’ll end up liking it. Keep an open mind!!

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

Verdict: 7/10

Life of Pi | Movie Review

Directed by Ang Lee, Life of Pi is a simple story told in a very effective way. The film grips you right at the start, and you are engrossed in Piscine Molitor aka Pi’s life all through. You can emotionally connect with Pi, feel his pain and joy, and that’s what makes the movie work. The subtle humour is wonderful.

Acting by Suraj Sharma is superb and he couldn’t have asked for a better debut. He digs into the role with all his might and comes out a winner. Irrfan Khan is good as the older Pi, while Tabu looks stunningly beautiful as Pi’s mother. The Royal Bengal Tiger aka Richard Parker is a graphic wonder (to an extent that you would think he was real if no one told you that he were computer generated!!)

Direction is perfect, and so is the screenplay. However, I was kinda disappointed with the ending for it could have been much better. The graphics are simply wonderful. They look a little unrealistic at times, but I’ve never sailed in the Pacific at night, so I wouldn’t know :P!! The 3D effects are really good – they made me jump out of my seat on a couple of occasions.

Is it worth your time and money??: Absolutely!! It’s a visual masterpiece. A better and gripping ending could have made Life of Pi a magnum opus. But still, it’s a brilliant film nevertheless. Go rediscover yourself!!

Acting: 9/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 9/10
Technical Aspects: 9.5/10

Verdict: 9/10

Jab Tak Hai Jaan | Movie Review

Is it worth your time and money??: Unless you are a die-hard SRK fan, skip Jab Tak Hai Jaan for it’s a 3 hour-long boring film. The romance is pathetic, and the love story is even worse. The concept was good, but the handling and the twists were terrible. On acting front, SRK did fine, and Anushka was pretty good, but Katrina sucked big time. Even Yash Chopra couldn’t make her act (Zoya did much better in ZNMD). Direction seemed out of sorts, and it really didn’t feel like a Yash Chopra film. The screenplay wasn’t up to the mark as well. Music by A. R. Rahman, except for one song, is of second grade quality. Cinematography is fine, but editing could have been much better. Production values by Yash Raj weren’t up to the mark as well, for the graphics were horrendous. My recommendation, don’t watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan jab tak hai jaan!!

Acting: 5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 3/10
Technical Aspects: 6/10

Verdict: 4/10

Skyfall | Movie Review

Is it worth your time and money??: Skyfall is a Bond film, so the question of it not being worth your time and money doesn’t arise. It’s definitely worth a shot. But unlike what people have been saying, I wouldn’t consider it to be the best Bond movie ever. It is good, no doubt, and it establishes the new story line from now on, but it could have done a little more better. Daniel Criag for the first time looks a little odd playing the character. Javier Bardem is exceptional as the antagonist. Direction by Sam Mended is pretty good in parts, but the execution is a little slow. The film could have done better with a pacier screenplay as well. Overall, it is a decent film. The Imax effect is pretty decent as well, but nothing exceptional. Few shots looked grainy on the big screen. Give it a shot, I’m guessing you won’t be disappointed.

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

Verdict: 8/10

PS: This might be my last movie review from India. Next review from Singapore!!

Argo | Movie Review

Is it worth your time and money??: Oh yes!! Argo is definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. The story engulfs you right from the word go, and you enjoy the ride as if you are the ones involved in the crisis. Argo is a good story for USA to tell people, but Ben Affleck executed it brilliantly to make it stand apart. It’s an edge of the seat thriller with moments in abundance. The acting is just perfect, and so is the direction. But its the production and design team that needs maximum applause. It’s not easy to create the eighties, but they do a superb job of it. The grainy look makes one believe that it is actually a film from the eighties (The use of the old Warner Bros logo made it even better). It’s sure to sweep the Oscars. Overall, an excellent film and a must watch for any movie lover. Don’t miss it!!

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

Verdict: 9.5/10