Perfect Sense

Movie Name: Perfect Sense
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Romance, Slice-of-life
Stars: Eva Green, Ewan McGregor

After a long time I got to watch a movie which moved me deeply. This movie forces you to think about the thing which is important in life.
The movie is about a disease which is spreading across is globe and rendering people devoid of senses one by one. First people loose sense of smell, then taste, than hearing and in the end - the sight. Movie deals with the panic caused by the disease and the aftermath. Amid the chaos, there are our protagonists, Michael (Ewan McGregor), who is a cook and Susan (Eva Green) who is researcher on epidemics. Both of them are brought together by the common factor - disease and are separated also due to the same factor. The movie leaves you delving about the importance of love and loved one.

This movie is entirely different from Matt Damon starred "Contagion" despite the fact that both the movies deal with the same subject of 'contagious disease'. This movie does not depict the efforts of any government of system; rather it displays the plight of common people. It spreads it message "life goes on" strongly. It depicts that love can conquer anything & everything. It makes us realize that in the end love is the only necessity in life which sprouts from our heart. Love exists even when all our sensory perceptions desert us.

Ewan McGregor has once again won my heart with his excellent acting. All kinds of emotions come to life in a natural way in his acting. Eva Green is also impressive. The narration style of the movie has been enhanced and more impressive with the help of small clips and photos of people around the world. The sound effects are excellent and helps you to feel the plight of people. The movie is successful in delivering the message. It is must of all the people who believe that movies are not just made for entertainment.

My ratings are 4.5/5.0

Catch .44

Movie Name: Catch .44
Language: English
Genre: Action, Suspense

I was not expecting much as it was not marketed much. Still I was hopeful because of its stellar cast with Bruce Wills and Forest Whitaker.

The story revolves around girl named ‘Tes’ played by Malin Akerman who deals in drug paddling along with her friends ‘Dawn’ and ‘Kara’. The three girls worked for Mel’ played by Bruce Willis. Scriptwriter has tried to introduce twists and elements of surprise but failed miserably to produce the same. The movie drags a lot trying to develop the characters. Even the ending is a cliched one.

I was disappointed with the movie, as it did not excel in any of the parameter. The plot was loose and direction was shallow. Music score was overkill, as it did not enhance the flow of the film. The big star cast was not utilized properly. It was a sheer waste of 90 minutes.

My ratings are 2.0/5.0

50/50

Movie Name: 50/50
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice-of-life

After a long time, I got to watch a movie with right combination of elements that is essential for a great movie. This movie does not have extraordinary cast, plot, dialogues or special effects. But this movie does have all the right pieces at right place to make a perfect fit.

The plot is pretty simple. The story revolves around a young guy, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is informed about the vicious tumor that is growing within his spinal cord. Rest of the plot follows the ordeal of the protagonist and effect of his disease on his family, lover, and friends. There is nothing unique about the plot, yet the movie portrays the issue in a different light. The movie neither is overflowing with overly sentimental dialogues nor is making a mockery of the fragility of human existence. The movie depicts various genuine characters whom we encounter in our daily life be it doctors who work mechanically without emotions or be it lovers who leave your side when you are down.

The acting is great by everyone be it Seth Rogan, who is playing the friend who is more concerned benefiting with friend’s disease or Anjelica Huston, who is playing the mother of a young guy suffering with cancer. Joseph has impressed once again with his acting prowess. He has potential of becoming a great actor. The movie makes perfect sense unlike various others in its category. It treats a social cause and all related aspects with complete respect without being smothering or sarcastic. In a way, the movie treats the issue of cancer in the same way as "Thank You for Smoking" treated the issue of smoking. This movie is a must for all the movie lovers who seek some meaning or message from the cinema.

My ratings are 4.5/5.0

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Movie Name: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Action, Sci-fi

I saw Planet of the Apes long time back. I did not enjoy that movie much and I was not much enthusiastic about its prequel either. Yet I decided to watch it for the lack of any other fiction.

The story revolves around a genetics scientist named Will Rodman played by James Franco who is experimenting with drugs to cure Alzheimer diseases. He takes one newborn chimpanzee at his home and names it "Caesar" as its mother dies in an accident. The chimp retains the effects of the drugs that were administered to its mother. It evolves physically and mentally. Due to certain situation, Will is forced to leave Caesar with the animal care facility. There Caesar encounters firsthand human - cruelty and loneliness. His trust in humanity is destroyed. It uses its enhanced capabilities to save other apes and takes the role of their leader. The movie ends with the portrayal of spread of an infectious disease which affects only humans. In such way it demonstrates the start of a new era when Apes are destined to rule the planet.

I liked the movie due to great direction and script. It was way better than the first installment. The main cast is Caesar. Animation and graphics has done really great to show the inner turmoil and emotions of the animal which has far greater abilities than human, yet is being treated like a pet. Tom Felton has performed the despicable character of cruel animal care attendant very well. Others do not have much to do. Graphics sequences are great. This movie is a must for all cinema goers.

My ratings are 4.5/5.0

Colombiana

Movie Name: Colombiana
Language: English
Genre: Action, Drama

Watched this movie last week. I was looking for some action flick so opted for Colombiana.

The movie’s story is about a girl named Cataleya whose parents are killed in front of her eyes in the childhood. She escapes from the hands of murderers and goes to his uncle’s place. She becomes an assassin for hire and finally takes revenge from the people who destroyed her life. Plot is pretty much clichéd, yet I was expecting some innovation or freshness. The movie was okay but there have been great movies with assassin as central theme such as Hitman, Taken, and Bourne series.

The main attraction was acting by Amandla Stenberg who played young Cataleya. Zoe Saldana played adult Cataleya but she was not as impressive as Amandla. No other actor has played significant role. The movie had a great starting but was not able to maintain the pace. An unnecessary romantic angle also does not help the pace of the movie. Music is bad and does not sync with the tempo of the movie. This movie was purely made for action lovers. This movie could have been great if the producers/ directors would not have brought some innovation to the script. If you are in mood for another cliched assassin movie, go for it :)

My ratings are 2.5/5.0

Captain America: The First Avenger

Movie Name: Captain America- The First Avenger
Language: English
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-fi

I watched this movie with many expectations, as it is based on a popular comics character. The movie did well but it cannot be compared to other movies based on comics’ characters.

The movie is about Steve Rogers played by Chris Evans, who solely wants to serve his country. He tries several times to enlist into US Army during World War II yet he fails miserably due to his health problems and weak physical structure. An army scientist sees the potential of good in him and gives him the opportunity to serve the country by being a part of the experiment to create the super soldier. The experiment enhances his physique, strength, and speed thereby converting him into Captain America. Rest of the movie is about Captain America as he finds his place in society and serves his country with his life. The climax leaves the possibilities for future installments in the series.

The movie could have used some editing. Viewer has to wait for a long time to enjoy some action because much time is spent in building up the story until the creation of Captain America. Chris Evans has done well yet he does not have physique as portrayed in comics. Hugo Weaving has played the role of antagonist named Red Skull. He was not able to invent anything for the character and looked very much similar to Agent Smith in Matrix. The movie fails to make its place among various movies that are based on comics. Only hardcore fans of action or comics will appreciate the effort spent on making a movie that introduces a superhero, Captain America.

My ratings are 3.0/5.0

The Three Musketeers

Movie Name: The Three Musketeers
Language: English
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama

Just finished watching the movie. I was not expecting much from the movie but it was good enough for weekend evening. I like period films in European settings. I watched it in 3D, so experience was even better.

The movie is about three legendary warriors from France named Athos, Porthos and Aramis. There is one young lad who aspires to join the Musketeers. The story is about the conspiracy by Church Carnal in France to create a situation for war between France in England. Musketeers fight to avoid the war and bring peace to the king. Milady de Winter, played by Milla Jovovich has an important role in the movie as a fellow conspirator to Cardinal.

The story is very much predictable. Movie has all the elements of all the genre, be it romance, action, drama or comedy. Milla has done wonderful as "Milady de Winter". The main characters aka The Three Musketeers were not able to leave the impression though they have done their parts satisfactorily. Orlando failed in the role of "Duke of Buckingham". The action sequences, 3D sequences and graphics were good. This movie is for the people who like to enjoy movies, not for the people who seek something greater than fun from the movies. I will recommend the movie for a fun evening, to appreciate the set ups, costumes and dialogues.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Real Steel

Movie Name: Real Steel
Language: English
Genre: Action, Drama

Yesterday I watched the movie. I was expecting a great action, drama flick and I was not disappointed :)

The story is set in year 2025 when robot boxing has replaced the regular boxing. Hugh Jackman has played “Charles” who was a boxer in his early days but now he is into robot boxing. He is broke due to his impulsive character, yet he is obsessed with robot boxing. One day he discovers that his girlfriend has died and left him with an 11 year old son, “Max” whom he abandoned in past. He is struck with his son for summer. His son finds an old robot named “Atom” in junkyard and wants it to fight but Charles does not expect anything from the old robot that was made for sparring during boxing practices. Rest of the story is about “Atom” fighting and winning fights, “Charles” realizing his mistakes and connecting with his son again.

This movie is not like other Hugh Jackman movies. This movie is about love, family and passion. The plot is good with adequate amount of humor, action and drama. Hugh has played a careless dad who has abandoned his family in the past. His character has its own faults yet one comes to like him and his passion. Dakota Goyo has played "Max", who is a smart kid and knows the world as it is. Max also displays the character traits of his father. Dakota has played the character very well. Chemistry between Max and Charles produces funny moments. Fighting sequences between robots are great with fine details. These are not complex like Transformers. Music and direction is good. Movie has all the elements necessary for success. I will recommend the movie to all viewers as it has all the elements of a good movie.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Flypaper

Movie Name: Flypaper
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Suspense

I recently watched this movie. Patrick Dempsey has done some good roles in the recent times, therefore I was having high hopes from the movie.

The plot unveils in a bank where two team of bank robbers try to rob the bank at the same time. Protagonist Tripp played by Patrick was getting the change in the bank at that time. He is taken hostage along with the bank staff. He continuously flirts with bank teller Kaitlin played by Ashley Judd, the whole time. There are many twists and turns in the story which captures the attention of viewers. This is not run of the mill comedy. The characters are funny and the plot interesting. Climax was a bit hurried and dull compared to the whole movie, yet the movie is able to make an impression.

The movie starts as a good comedy and slowly turns into a nice suspense flick. The characters are funny. Acting by Patrick was superb, Judd was looking a bit older. Tim Blake Nelson has portrayed a dumb robber which is worth mentioning. Dialogues and music was okay. The only negative part was the ending which was nothing great and left some loose ends. Ending could have be more interesting like the movie "Usual Suspects". Even so, it is worth a watch. I will recommend this movie if you are bored with cliched stories and want some freshness.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Transformers III - Dark of The Moon

Movie Name: Transformers III - Dark of The Moon
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Romance
Language: English

Finally I got chance to watch the latest Transformers movie. I did not expect it to be so long (~150 Minutes), yet I liked the movie very much.

The story follows from the second part of the movie. Sam (played by Shia LaBeouf) is confused about his life as he does not want to continue to some mundane job after saving the planet in first two movies. He has broken up with his last girlfriend and is in relationship with Carly (played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley). This time earth faces the danger from the new found member of Autobots, Centennial Prime. Megatron along with Shockwave, a new addition to Decepticons team helps Centennial Prime to bring Cybertron to earth. Rest of the plot, follows the ordeal of Sam and Autobots-team lead by Optimus Prime, as they thwart the plans of villains. The script beautifully contains the story within 2.5 hours. The story justifies the length of the movie.

The movie is all about action sequences which are directed beautifully. This time, movie does not dwell much on the dramatic sequences. There are many renowned actors in the movie, but the movie does not do any justification with all of them. Anyway, it is all about Transformers, not humans :-) In sum, for Transformers' fans it is a great movie but for others it is a bit complicated to understand and just a mix of great action sequences.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Zookeeper

Movie Name: Zookeeper
Language: English
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

I opted to watch Zookeeper as it was produced by Adam Sandler and Kevin James was performing the lead role. I have been a fan of Sandler's comedy movies.

The story of the movie revolves around a simple guy named Griffin who works as a zookeeper. He is very affectionate towards zoo animals. Therefore zoo animals decide to disclose the secret to him that they can all talk like humans. They do this in order to help him to get his dream-girl who rejected his marriage proposal 5 years ago and is back in his life. Griffin changes himself to be liked by his love but in the process he realizes the true love of his life and importance of being oneself. There have been several movies made with the similar formula, only the talking animals have added to the novelty.

The acting by Kevin James was good but nothing exemplary. He has portrayed the character somewhat similar to the one in "Hitch". But here Will Smith is not there to support him :) All of the voice actors and scenes with animals were good. None else had much screen space. The comic timings of the movie was a bit off and therefore movie was not able to make me laugh that hard. There is not anything else worth mentioning. In sum, movie was not able to deliver up to the expectations.

My ratings are 2.5/5.0

Cube

Movie Name: Cube
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Thriller

I liked the movie "Hypercube" which I watched long back. I recently got a chance to watch the first movie in the series, named "Cube". I did not miss the chance for the thrill ride.

The story revolves around six people who wake up in a maze of cube shaped rooms. Some of the rooms have highly sophisticated death traps. The people include a cop, a psychiatrist, a maths student, a mental patient with high affinity to maths, an expert in escaping from prison and a designer who helped in making the maze. The story is about survival from death traps and finding the escape route from the maze. The plot keeps evolving providing insights to the individuals, as people lose their humanity among chaos.

The story keeps the viewer bound with its twists and turns, but the ending does not clarify the elements of the movie and keeps the viewer dangling, probably to wait for the next installment. There is not any well recognized actor in the movie yet everyone have performed their part well. The music is good, so as the cinematography. Director has wisely used the ever increasing tension among individuals to show their person demons to viewers. For people who like movies such as Saw and Final Destination, this movie is definitely a treat. My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Karigurashi no Arrietty

Movie Name: Karigurashi no Arrietty
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life

Somehow watching Ghibli Studio movies make me feel good, therefore I watched one on my birthday. As always, it did not let me down and I was once again filled with new enthusiasm and a will to fight for survival.

The story revolves around a "borrower" girl named Arrietty. Borrowers are small sized people who live beneath the wooden floors and survive by borrowing from humans. A young boy named Sho comes to visit his grandmother's house, where he sees Arrietty. The story follows the survival story of Arrietty and her family. The movie is all about the will to survive against all odds. Arrietty gives hope to Sho also who has to undergo a heart surgery. The story leaves a deep impression despite being simple and pretty much predictable.

I always liked the simplicity and the characters of Ghibli movies. Sho and Arrietty depicts the pessimist and the optimist respectively. The animation is great and beautifully shows the importance of trivial things in the life of borrowers which are not much valued by humans. The music is okay. This movie may not be as great as other Ghibli productions but still I feel that for animation lovers, it is a must to watch.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Kiki's Delivery Service

Movie Name: Kiki's Delivery Service
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama, Romance, Slice-of-Life

I like Ghibli movies as they depict the everyday trials of human with such a ease in the movies. I recently watched another masterpiece by the Studio.

This movie revolves around a young witch named Kiki. She needs to live independently for one year as per her training as a witch. Therefore she lefts her home and reaches a coastal town where witches are not so common. She makes new friends and opens a delivery service for survival as all she can do as witch is flying. The movies depicts her trials and her efforts as she makes friendship with locals. The movie gives message that everyone needs inspiration to do one's task wholeheartedly. One can continue one's work only when one has strong feelings about the work and great inspirations to do the same.

The movie at its course also delivers the message about individuality. Kiki wants to buy a dress in the movie so that she can look pretty like the other girls of her age but she does not have enough money to spare. In the end it is shown how her way of dressing has become a fashion. Kiki inspires one to maintain one's own individuality rather than following others.

This movie was like all other Ghibli movies with a simple plot and lovable characters. The music was good and the dialogues were simple. The movie is ideal for the teenagers who are eager to go out in the world and experience the things first hand. My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Whisper of the Heart

Movie Name: Whisper of the Heart
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama, Romance, Slice-of-Life

I like Japanese animation movies. I watched this Ghibli production animation movie recently. Again the movie did not fail my expectations.

The movie revolves around a young girl named Shizuku who is studying junior high school. The plot revolves around her life, her friends, her love and most importantly her aim in life. The movie is successful in giving message that everyone needs to search for one's true inner calling. Humans are like rocks which are needed to be dug deeper to find gems and later to be polished to reach at its actual worth. The story is about Shizuku's journey to find her place in the world. The movie is able to give deeper sense to any simple scene. For example, there is a scene where Shizuku's boyfriend tells her that he wanted to carry her on bicycle on a steep road. But the girl declines and tells that she does not want to be a burden to him, she rather wants to help her on the steep road. The scene renders the beliefs of a couple beautifully without much ado.

As the movie deals with the life and trials we face everyday, important aspect of the movie are dialogues. Scenes and dialogues combined are capable to deliver the message. The music is great. This movie is must for any Chibi movie fans. This may not be as great as "Spirited Away" yet it is a treat for the people who believes in trying and trying hard with everything they got.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Everything Must Do

Movie Name: Everything Must Go
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life

I generally find Will Ferrell movies funny. I started watching this movie due to Will only without looking for reviews of the movie. I lost interest in the first twenty minutes, yet somehow I completed the movie. I did not like it much because the subject matter was not treated properly.

The story revolves around a senior sales person, portrayed by Will, who is fired after 16 years of service due to his alcoholism. His wife deserts him on the same day. So he is alone without money, car, job or family at his lawn in front of his own house which is locked by his wife. The story deals with how he makes acquaintances with some neighbors and moves forward in his life. The impact of alcohol on his life is depicted in length but the journey back towards a fulfilling life is not shown. The movies leaves the viewer wondering about many points; in some sense it is an open ended climax :-)

Will has done great as the man suffering from acute drinking problem. He loses everything without realizing that it was his fault only which made the condition so bad. There are not many characters in the movie. The pace is bit slow and movie seems dragging without much development of the plot. Nothing less is worth mentioning. It is not a great way to pass time if you are not into drinking ;-)

My ratings are 2.5/5.0

Chillar Party

Movie Name: Chillar Party
Language: Hindi
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life

This movie was produced by Salman Khan. I was surprised to see Salman advertising so passionately for his home production movie. I got a chance to watch the movie recently.

This movie is about a group of kids who live in a society. A new kid with his dog enters the society as the person responsible of washing cars. The group makes friendship with the kid and the dog after some initial tussle. Later when a minister makes a law to confiscate street dogs due to his personal vendetta against the dog staying within the same society, the group does all in its power to save the dog. The story is simple but it is stretched to 135 minutes. The story is about friendship and passion. It makes us realize that as adults people re forgetting what is important in life.

The script is well written. Dialogues are funny. I will not say that acting is superb but considering the low budget and acting experience of kids, the movie delivers acceptable performance to its level. I liked Naman Jain who has portrayed Balwan aka Jhangiya. The music score is good and helps in the flow of movie. Direction is good. There are some negative points also. First of all movie is a bit long for such a simple story. Then, main antagonist fails to deliver commendable performance. But overall, movie is worth watching. One more thing is worth mentioning here, item number by Ranbeer Kapoor.

Overall, movie is good watch for a soothing weekend. It forces us to think that we generally avoid the path of righteousness thinking that it is full of difficulties. But kids never leave the path they think is right. So never take kids lightly. Considering this I will rate the movie as 3.0/5.0 :-)

Largo Winch

Movie Name : Largo Winch
Language : English, French
Genre : Action, Drama

I watched this movie last weekend. I have seen French movies mostly with Drama as central theme. This was the first time watching an action French film. The action sequences were not as exciting as Hollywood movies, yet movie was impressive and left a good impression.

The story is about Largo Winch, played by Tomer Sisley, who is adopted and thus becomes an heir to a large group. His father has kept his identity secret to save him from undue risk. After the untimely death of his father, Largo faces various threats and conspiracies in order to gain his rightful inheritance. The movie has some nice twists and turns. The movie is all about the acceptance of Largo as the rightful owner of the wealth and responsibilities left behind by his father. The script is tightly written without any loopholes. The ending is open with a possibility of sequel, which was released later. The movie shows us the glimpses of flip side of being an heir to a wealthy person. Largo himself states in the movie that he is not after money, he is after his father's murderer.

The acting by all the main casts is great. Tomer has done well in his acting showing various emotions, needed as per script. Miki Manojlovic has done impressionable job as a ruthless businessman and a father. The father-son relationship was depicted with various small flashbacks. As stated earlier, the movie is not at par with Hollywood action movies but I liked the action sequences for Largo as those are used to depict a prodigal son of wealthy businessman, not a professional or hit-man. The story keeps you on your toes. The film has used varied locations to follow the script. The background music is worth mentioning. Cinematography, dialogues and direction are seasoned as expected from a French movie.

Taking all the pros and cons, the movie was great in his unique genre of action packed drama. The movie had right combination of drama mixed with action restricted within suitable time frame. I will rate this movie as 3.5/5.0

Singham

Movie Name: Singham
Genre: Action, Romance, Drama
Language: Hindi

I have been a fan of Ajay Devgn from his early days in film industry. I was waiting for the movie as I already watched “Singam” in Tamil in which Suriya was the protagonist. I was hopeful that Ajay could do justice with the role as he started his career as an action hero.

The movie is about an honest police inspector who is posted in his own village. He works according to his own definition of justice and law. He is the local hero. On the other side there is a city goon who has influence with Police and politicians. The story is about the confrontation and subsequent fighting between them. The plot is not innovative but the way story turns and twists, is interesting.

Ajay is looking great with his perfect physique and impressive voice. The movie is all about action sequences and dialogues. Ajay has done well in both the fields. The dialogues as well as the action scenes are funny. Prakash Raj has become stereotype in his villainous role. Actress Kajal Aggarwal has nothing to do in the movie. This movie is not for critics; rather it is for the movie buffs who believe in pure entertainment. The ending is a bit nonsensical. I will not compare Ajay with Suriya as both have their own styles. I liked both the movies. There is nothing to do for others. Music is good but the songs do not help the plot in any way. In short the movie is about action scenes, dialogues and Ajay Devgn.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Movie Name: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of life
Language: Hindi

I always appreciated movies made by Farhan Akthar, as they go beyond singing and dancing and seek some answers, which challenge the life of common men. This movie also succeeded in keeping up to my expectations.

The movie is about three friends who embark on a road trip, as a bachelor party for one of the friends. The friends come from different segments of society. They have their own fears and reservations. Together they face these fears and come out as winners. They learn to their callings in life and decide to act upon them. The movie gives message that life is all about choices, which are to be acted upon without fear to live to the fullest. The movie is a bit long (2.5 hours) but still has ability to keep the audience tied to their chairs.

The acting by Hritik is great as he portrays the transition from money minded Financial Trader to a free person who believes in living life in present. Farhan and Abhay have also done well in their roles. Katrina was not that impressive, but it is okay as her role was only to increase glam points. The locations in Spain are beautiful. Music and songs are not great but keeps with the flow of the movie. The end seemed a bit arbitrary as ending song was not aligned to the choices made by the trio.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Naruto Shippuden: Bonds

Movie Name: Naruto Shippuden - Bonds
Genre: Action, Drama, Slice of life
Language: Japanese

I like animation movies and Naruto is among my most favorite characters. I was planning to watch the movies for long and finally last night I was able to spare time to watch this movie. I always believed that Naruto is not just about action; it is about the life in general. Naruto always inspires me to fight with all my might for the things I believe in.

The story of the movie is about Sky Country ninjas, considered extinct during the Great War, who attack Konoha, hometown of Naruto. Naruto is sent on a mission to save one fire village from the Sky ninjas. He there meets with his long lost friend Sasuke and eliminates the threat of Sky ninjas. The story is not about the fights; it is about the bonds between people – bonds between friends and bonds between teachers and their students. I felt that there could have been more to the story as most of the movie is devoted to development of plot and lesser attention is given to relationship between Naruto and Sasuke. This might have happened to keep the movie aligned to the main series.

The action sequences and dialogues are the main selling points of the movie. There are not much to do for other characters as this movie solely belongs to Naruto and his bond with Sasuke. The animation is great as always. The music score is not that impressive as with other Naruto franchise. I will recommend this movie all anime fans even if they have not seen other Naruto movies/ series.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Romantic Heaven

Movie Name: Romantic Heaven
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of life
Language: Korean

I watched this movie yesterday night. I was in a mood for some light movie and from its name movie seemed a typical romantic comedy. But I was mistaken as the movie was much more than the wide spread rom-com. It made me to think about love and everything related to it.

The story is divided in four parts: A mother, A wife, A Girl and Romantic Heaven. The parts are strictly separate stories; rather they provide glimpses of life of various people whose lives meet at a single point. One can easily connect with these people as they are facing the life, as one knows it. That point is heaven, which is connected to everyone’s life. The movie is not just another feel good movie but it gives message to seek for the most important companion for the journey called life.

The acting was not as important as the story was. It questions the religious facts such as are there separate places named hell and heaven, and did god took a rest on the seventh day. The answers are also provided in the movie itself. The locations used are great and make one believe in existence of heaven. It is must for the people who prefer drama and slice-of-life genre.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows II

Movie Name: Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows II
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Action
Language: English

I was waiting very eagerly for the last installment of Harry Potter series. I was expecting a lot from the movie and it did not fail me. I may not be totally impartial in reviewing the movie as I consider myself a great fan of Harry Potter franchise.

The story of the movie revolved around finding remaining Horcruxes and finishing the story of Voldemort for once and all. There is nothing to comment about the plot, as the greatness is evident from the success of the book. The movie was more about visual treat for the fans. The graphics and 3D experience were great. The fighting scenes were done beautifully without showing much bloodshed or gore. I personally felt that movie would have been better if more time was spared for climax. It is currently 2 hours long, which could have been extended to 2.5 to 3 hours.

The acting by Daniel and Emma Watson was particularly good. The scenes, which revealed the true nature of Snape, were beautifully filmed. The last scene was a bit comic, as the actors were looking funny in adult roles. Overall it was among the best in the series. This movie is a must for all movie lovers.

My ratings are 4.5/5.0

The Adjustment Bureau

Movie Name: The Adjustment Bureau
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of life
Language: English

I am die-hard fan of Matt Damon. I was waiting for this movie with great enthusiasm. The plot made a impression that movie will have some good action plot. I liked Matt in Bourne series and I was expecting the same with this movie also.

The story follows a person who is running for the senator seat but on the last moment loses due to some scandal he caused in his youth. On the same day he meets up with a girl who lefts a great impression on him. Later he is captured by some people who tells him that he cannot be with the girl. They are mysterious organization with great powers who adjust people’s life according to Chairman’s plan, so the movie name “Adjustment Bureau”. Then story forwards to 3 more years. He meets the girl again, falls in love. But later leaves her alone for the fear of girl’s future as threatened by Adjustment Bureau. Story again forwards 11 months. This time our hero fights against all odds to get the girl of his dreams. The story ends with a happy note. The movie reminded me about the greater power which plans for our life. We sometimes call it fate, destiny or God. The movie is all about how one can try his hardest to change his fate and even the supreme power will help him to attain the same.

Once again Matt has impressed me with his great acting skills. He is so natural in expressing different emotions. The leading lady, Emily Blunt is gracious in her role. Her scene where she is performing on stage is great. The strong point of the movie is story line. It makes you keep wondering about the events that may happen. Supernatural element is also available in the movie which makes it different from other action movie. The movie can easily be categorized as drama because it is not depicting fight with some enemy; it is depicting fight with destiny to fulfill one’s dream. The locations and picturisation are good. Camera work is impressive when showing the chase scene near the climax. I will recommend this movie as it carries hope to the individual and asks you to leave your inhibitions and fight against all odds to make your own path in the life.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Rango

Movie Name: Rango
Genre: Action, Drama, Animation
Language: English

I like Johnny Depp and all his different roles. I love animation movies. So “Rango” was like heavenly movie for me. And the greatest part was that it did not disappoint me a bit.

The plot follows the journey of a unnamed lizard who is left on a highway on dessert due to an accident. He travels to a village named Dirt in search of its destiny. There he gets his name “Rango” and becomes local hero and sheriff of the town by the sheer stroke of luck. The down is suffering from water shortage as somebody is stealing water. Rest of the movie follows Rango’s plight to find the thief of water and bring the prosperity back to the town.

The story is interesting and the animation amazing. On top of all this Depp’s exceptional voice has put life in the character Rango. Rango is not typical, out of the mill hero material. He is selfish, boastful and liar. But when the time of self-realization comes, he shows all the qualities of a true hero. The setup of Dirt town and its inhabitants is far different from Disney’s good looking characters. Yet the movies are funny and catchy. The sound effects are great. The movie may not interest younger kids but it will surely be liked by teenagers and adults alike. I will recommend the movie if you like goofiness of Depp, combined with some excellent animation movie.

My ratings are 4.5/5.0

Paul

Movie Name: Paul
Genre: Action, Drama, Comedy, Sci-fi
Language: English

I was not specifically looking for this movie as already various movies are available about aliens. But I made a decision to watch the movie due to the story writes Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. I liked the story and the movie way more than other alien movies.

The movie is about two comic enthusiasts from England who travels to USA to visit Comic-con and travel across to the sites which are associated with aliens, such as Area 51. They meet “Paul”, a hitchhiking alien who was captured by human in 1950 in the way. He asks them to take him to some distinct place. Some government agents are following Paul to capture him. The whole movie is about chase to detain Paul. In the way they meet with variety of people, a father daughter duo who believes aliens are devil, some goofy agents, a woman who lived all her life proving existence of alien life. The movie reminds you E.T. but in the modern setting with much experience of human interactions. Paul smokes, curses and makes you laugh. He is an alien yet has all the human feelings of friendship, trust and loyalty. Paul makes you to fell in love with him instantly.

The acting is authentic by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. But the highlight of the movie is alien “Paul”. Seth Rogen has done brilliant voice acting work as Paul. The locations and set-up are authentic and characters funny. Story is great with some good direction. The movie stands firmly against so many other fantasy movie released recently. If you are fed up with low lying aliens or anti human aliens than go watch this movie. It gives a different take on the alien hypothesis. The movie is funny and witty. It is a great comic drama.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Source Code

Movie Name: Source Code
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-fi
Language: English

Recently Jake Gyllenhaal has done some impressive work in the movies. Source Code can also be cited as one of them. The movie is all about his performance.

The story is about an Army captain who wakes up in a train to Chicago. He is in someone else body and after some time the train is destroyed in a bomb blast. Our hero wakes up again in some close bunker type of place where he is informed about some Army project “Source Code” which helps him to live as another person’s last 8 minutes of life which died in a bomb blast. The government is trying to find the bomber with the project to avoid another blast as the first one was just an indication. In due course, hero learns that he is also dead and being used in the project as his mind is still functioning. Rest of the movie is about various trips to the past and living the same moments again to find the bomber. During the mission hero falls in love with a fellow passenger and gains the will to live on. The movie ends with a happy note with a different explanation for future – present - past analogy.

The movie reminds me “Déjà vu” where Denzal Washingon tries the same with similar machine. The freshness is achieved as Jake can relive only the last 8 minutes of some person’s life. So he tries to utilize the same in various ways. The story is bounding but a bit difficult to grasp even for science fiction fans. The cinematography is great. Jake has emerged as excellent actor with the movie. There is nothing much to do for other actors. The movie is short and interesting but not entirely innovative, yet a must for science fiction fans.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Seconds Apart

Movie Name: Seconds Apart
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Language: English

I was just checking the new releases when I came across this movie. I watched it for a change despite the fact that I am not much passionate about horror/ thriller films.

The story revolves around twin brother Seth and Jonah. They live with their loving and caring parents. Unknown to others, they have psychic abilities and use that power to make people suicide and video graph the dying experience. One detective who has lost his wife in a fire incident suspects the brothers. The differences between brothers become evident when one of them fells for his school mate. The other one (Seth) is not able to grasp the loneliness and tries his best to separate them. The movie ends when both the brothers are happy experiencing their own death after facing the truth about their birth and life.

The story is captivating but somehow the characters and not well developed. Orlando Jones who is portraying the detective shares more screen space without any usage of the screen time in development of plot. Entin brothers, Gary and Edmund have done well but I personally liked Gary Entin in the role of Seth. He is possessive, aggressive and lonely which is depicted well by Gary with expressions. The music and scenes are impressionable. It was a good thriller with fresh storyline. There are not much special effects used as fear is developed with the plot in the mind of viewers. It is a good watch but not for weak hearted people.

My ratings are 3.0/5.0

X Men - First Class

Movie Name: X Men - First Class
Genre: Action, Drama
Language: English

I was waiting for this movie from the time I heard about it. I am avid fan of X-Men franchise, so I went to watch it on the day it was released. It was once again great fun watching X Men movie.

This time story begins from the points where various child mutants start to find their powers. Two of them are Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. The two of them are born on different continents in different conditions. One (Erik) is held hostage by Nazi camp for experimenting his magnetic powers while the other (Charles) enjoys a life of affluence. The movie follows the life of the two persons who meet and befriends. They later become estrange due to differences of opinions. Erik feels that humanity will never accept mutants while Charles wants to live with humans in harmony. There are some other mutants also which are divided among two different teams (against humans and with humans). The end of the movie marks the beginning of X Men. This movie is a must for X Men fans as it gives you more insight about the greatest mutants of all time Professor X (Charles) and Magneto (Erik).

The story is great and so as the acting. James McAvory and Michael Fassbender have done excellent work portraying young Charles and Erik. James has displayed the calmness of Professor X and Eric has displayed the aggression of Magneto. Kevin Bacon has done remarkable well as main antagonist Sebastian Shaw despite the difference in physical appearance to the comic character. Other actors have also done well. The story never fell apart despite the various tracks going on parallel. The background music was good. The most important aspect was action sequences. The movie will not fall under pure action category but the action scenes are good and the locations are genuine. The movie has intertwined history with fiction in such a way that it has become realistic. I am not with the belief that this one was the best among X Men movies, yet I believe that it has again created a standard for the next movie in the series. It does not dwell upon action sequences only, the strength of the movie is acting and the character portrayal. It will rank top among action drama movies. This is a must for all movie fans whether one is fan of X Men o not.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

A Little Thing Called Love

Movie Name: A Little Thing Called Love
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Language: Thai

I like Asian movies and I am fond of Romantic Comedy genre. So this movie was like a little gate to short lived happiness for me.

The story is about is girl in high school who is not very beautiful or intelligent. She falls for the hottest guy in the school and tries to improve herself to get his attention. She succeeds in improving her looks, academics and extra-curricular activities but still not able to get the boy to love her back. Then there is entry of another boy who woos the girl. The story ends on a happy note but with some delay. The story is pretty predictable and cliché. Yet it is funny and enjoyable in its own course.

The music was okay, nothing great as expected from such movie. As I watched it with subtitles I cannot comment much on dialogues. But there were not many dramatic ones so the movie maintained realistic tone. The acting was good by the protagonist girl played by Pimchanok. She successfully displayed the plight of a girl who is not pretty and competing against the popular girls to gain attention of her loved one. Mario has done okay as he had nothing much to express except looking good. No one else has done any spectacular work. This movie does not give you anything new but if you like light romantic movie with some comic elements; you can give it a try.

My ratings are 3.0/5.0

Shagird

Movie Name: Shagird
Genre: Action, Drama
Language: Hindi

I was looking forward to watch this movie as Nana is repeating his role of Police Officer. I liked his previous movie “Ab Tak 56” in such role. I was having great expectations from the movie and movie did not fail me in my expectations.

The story revolved around a police officer, played by Nana Patekar who is not idealistic type. He kills to gain favor from a politician, takes bribe and indulges in all the activities which profits him. There is another police officer, junior to him and a new recruit, who is not happy with such activities. The movie follows the life of these two. How one tries to collect money by means to settle in foreign land and the other one tries to learn from his senior. The story cannot be summarized in a single paragraph as there are many twists and turns. The climax is something to look out for.

From this movie, Nana has once again proved his acting prowess. He was splendid in his role as a person whose aim is survival. He does not mind the method to accomplish the same. Mohit Alawat has improved his acting and rendered an impressive performance. Music was good. The best part was story. Different twists keep you bound to your seat. The language is typical North Indian as the events are showed to happen in Delhi. This is a must movie for the people who are bored with Comedies and want something different for once.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Hanna

Movie Name: Hanna
Genre: Action, Drama
Language: English

I watched it on Sunday morning. I was waiting for the release of this movie for long as it promised to provide with great action combined with good story.

The story revolves around father daughter duo. Father has taught the daughter every possible survival tactic. CIA and Interpol are after them. The story is about how the girl evades all that and comes across the truth behind her birth and identity. The story is pretty predictable.

The acting by playing the daughter is quite good. She was able to display the curiosity and emotions of a teenager with ease. Eric Bana and Kate Blanchett have done great as usual. The dialogues were good and use of different languages has kept the feeling of authenticity. The music during action sequences is way faster than the actual action scene. The movie can be categorized as action-drama. It has not been as great as Bourne movies or as fast as “Taken”, yet the movie was able to impress with its story and acting. Some editing would have helped to improve the pace of the movie. Movie is shot in Europe where the story unfolds, yet it was unable to use the abundance of locations available.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

I am Number Four

Movie Name: I am Number Four
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Language: English

The movie is based on the young adult novel of the same name by “Pittacus Lore”. I was interested in the movie as it seemed to provide all the elements for a good action-fantasy movie which I am fond of.

The story of the movie is about an alien boy from planet Lorian who lives among human. His race was destroyed by another alien race Mogadorians that is still in search of him and his remaining friends. The story follows typical plots with all the elements of a Superhero movie like love affair with college sweetheart, a bully who also likes the girl, a boy who is bullied and later saved by hero and one protector whop sacrifices himself saving the hero. Nothing out of ordinary exists. But the movie can be considered as the first installment among the many.

It is not a pure action movie, rater it is an action drama film. The action sequences and graphic are good. Villains do not seem to have much power compared to the hero. Dialogues and music both do not score high. It is mediocre movie. The acting is not great either. Alex Pettyfer failed to portray the inner turmoil of the character. So the drama part of the movie seems to fall apart somehow.

My ratings are 2.5/5.0

Unknown

Movie Name: Unknown
Genre: Action, Drama
Language: English

I watched this movie yesterday. I was hopeful about the movie considering the last movie “Taken” by Liam Nelson. The tag line and the posters for the movie were promising.

The story of the movie revolves around a scientist who has gone to Berlin for some conference. He meets with an accident and wakes up after four days. Then he comes to know that his whole identity is stolen by someone else. Rest of the plot follows his attempts to prove his identity and get back his life. There are good twists in the story with a generic climax. The plot is good but movie is not able to generate the same effect on the viewer as “Taken”.

As for acting, Liam’s voice is not that impressive in the role of a scientist as there are still hints of accent used in “Taken”. He is not able to fend off the image created by “Taken”. All the actors have done their parts but none is worth mentioning for some extraordinary work. Pace of the movie is good but some more editing to make the movie short may have helped. The background music is also okay.

In totality movie was good not great. After “Taken”, more passion was expected from the movie. Still movie is worth a watch. My ratings are 3.0/5.0

Pirates of Caribbean - On Stranger Tides

Movie Name: Pirates of Caribbean - On Stranger Tides
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Language: English

I watched on the opening weekend itself. I was overwhelmed by the crowd which was there for the movie. Everyone was excited to watch the new pirate movie. I also went with high expectations.

The story was about the search for fountain of youth. There were many a troupes looking for the same. English troupe with Captain Barbosa, Black Beard pirate ship with Captain Black Beard and Jack Sparrow and daughter of Black Beard and Scottish troupe were the search parties. Jack was in the center of attention as he was the only one who knew the exact location of the fountain. There were twists, turns, dangers, mermaids and what not in the magnificent journey. It was a journey which displayed many a shades in Jack’s character. There was love interest for Jack in the movie as Angelica, daughter of Black Beard played by Penelope Cruz.

The direction was great so as the graphics used in the movie. The 3D effect was not prominent part of the movie. The background music was also compatible with the story. But despite all this, the movie solely belonged to Jack played by Depp. Depp was successful to display the coolness of Jack with slight eeriness once again. Depp handled the pressure of repetition well and made the movie one of the favorites among movie buffs. Other actor/ actresses had done well but there was not much to do for them. Penelope has done justification with the lead female role. The movie was a treat with funny dialogues, great graphics and Depp :) It is a must watch for all movie goers. Ending has indicated for a possible movie in the series.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Limitless

Movie Name: Limitless
Genre: Action, Drama
Language: English

This movie was not among the hyped or much talked about. I watched this movie without knowing anything about the plot or the movie itself. It came up as a pleasant surprise as I liked the movie.

The story is about a writer played by Bradley Cooper (Hangover fame). He has many issues in his life like his girlfriend broke up with him, he has no money, and he is not able to write the book for which he has taken a contract. Combining all this you find a chaotic life. One day he meets with his brother in law (writer was already married and divorced once), who gives him a medicine in process for approval. The medicine can increase one’ brain usage to 100% (normal people have brain usage about 20-30%). Writer is able to bring his life back on track within a day. But he finds himself craving for more, after the effect fades out. He looks for more and gets the same. Now the story follows his rise to top and the side effects of the medicine. Movie ends with an unrealistic happy ending.

The acting was okay, nothing great. But the plot was good. There was nothing much to do for Robert De Niro either. Cooper was okay with the characterization. But he somehow is not able to express much with his demeanor. Movie keeps you bind with its evolving plot. There are not many loose points or holes in the story. Action sequences and the effects of drug look great due to good direction and camera work. In totality it may not be a movie worth going to theater but it is definitely worth a watch on DVD.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Hangover II

Movie Name: Hangover II
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: English

I watched this movie last weekend. I went for the movie with great expectations as I enjoyed the first part of the series a lot. There was not similar rush as for “Pirates Of Caribbean- 4”. Still I was hopeful for the best.

The story was very much similar to first part. Wolf pack again started for an adventure. This time to Thailand for Stu’s wedding. They managed to wreak havoc in Bangkok and to lose Stu’s brother in law in all the chaos. There begins the search for the lost moments. There were various elements connecting the story but still story was not as convincing as the first part. The story was definitely included more nudity and stupidity. The story touched upon all the negative aspects of Thailand, sparing all the beautiful and historical components :)

Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper were not inventive in their acting. There was nothing new in the roles and the act. But the acting by Zach was great. There were scenes where he conveyed from his expressions only the emotions and the feelings of the most eccentric character “Alan”. Zach stole the show with his stupidity laced with innocence. There was one more character worth mentioning, a monkey which wolf-pack found with them after hangover. I did not find him much entertaining except the scene where his introduction is provided by “Chow”.

The movie was not great but funny for sure. It was successful in delivering the viewers the laugh they expected. It kept them bound with its stupid humor and senseless plot. Nonetheless movie was successful in making viewers to eagerly wait for next installment of series. Movie is definitely worth a watch with friends.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0