Over to the Shire

In 2001 began a journey for me, sitting in IIMB campus, with Frodo Baggins, aided by Aragorn, Legolas, the dwarves, and the one and only Gandalf. The journey ended with The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies. It is thus with a twinge of more than a little nostalgia, then, that I pen this review. Executed with the same standards of excellence that we have come to expect of the franchise, the latest movie is particularly notable for the emotional turns of Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) – the lure of gold, and the eventual return to nobility. In this edition, the five armies – dwarves, elves and men, face off against the orcs, and a fifth army joins and eventually tips the balance. Brilliant action scenes and depiction of the sheer ambiguity of alliances and their fall-outs make The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies – quite exceptional. A must watch – but then if you have been with the series, that hardly needs any iteration

16/20

Earth and its Idiosyncracies

Pk is a reasonably engaging if totally hackneyed movie that, in the vein of several hindi movies, rather obviously tugs at the emotional heartstrings of the average Bollywood movie-goer. With a central theme of cutting through religious divides, the movie passes through beautiful Bruges and the pot-pourri of Delhi, and plays out a delectable love triangle in the most tangential of ways. Pk (Aamir Khan) plays out his role convincingly in what is an unoriginal but engaging script

10/20

Night in Armour

A familiar cast – a new location – a notable new addition. Larry (Ben Stiller), the night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, along with the familiar cast of Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Akhmenrah (Rami Malek) and Attila (Patrick Gallagher) find themselves at the British Museum in London, to salvage the spell under the tablet of Akhmenrah, that would save all of the above cast, and more, from not waking up at all. In the bargain, they wake up Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) and find themselves in complicated situations with the latter's adventurous pretensions getting in the way. Quite entertaining, the newest edition – Night at The Museum – Secret of the Tomb – is faithful to the franchise even as it ostensibly wraps it up in a dash of Brit flavor

12.5/20

Kicks and Punches

This one – a classic – is rather simple, and goes like this – Kurt (Jean Claude Van Damme) goes to Thailand, and sees his brother Eric (Dennis Alexio) pummeled at the hands of prize-fighter Tong Po (Michel Qissi). Determined to seek revenge, Kurt trains under the legendary Xian Chow (Dennis Chan) and goes all out to meet and Tong Po and avenge his brother’s defeat. Kickboxer (1989) is one of the great combat movies that started a genre that continues to excite to this day – on and off the screen

13.5/20

Intensity

“You’re on my team, kid. I’m not on yours. And don’t you ever forget that.” Thus spake Greg (Nicky Katt) to newbie Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), taking the new hotshot salesman down, in what is one of the most intense brokerage firms in New York – the fictitious JT Martin. Intensity and unscrupulousness go hand in hand as pure greed drives JT Martin’s salesmen to dump worthless penny stocks on unsuspecting victims. Boiler Room, one of the eponymous Wall Street movies of its time, just reminds us that the ethics of the chop shop are still alive and well in Wall Street and elsewhere, come 2014

15/20

Moses Reloaded

Moses (Christian Bale) is a general and member of the Royal family of Egypt. His bond with Ramesses (Joel Edgerton) is strong – borne out particularly by saving the latter’s life in a face-off with the Hittite army. Moses is also ambivalent to the fate of the Hebrews – Israelis – his very own race, toiling away as slaves to build the great pyramids of Egypt. It takes certain revelations for Moses to leave the kingdom for good, and seek out his destiny elsewhere. And then a vision – visitiation from God? Or just inspiration? leads him back to Egypt to free his people and take them to the Promised Land. Exodus – Gods and Kings stands out for the sheer mastery of the build-up of the character of Moses from a general of an empire, to a much older and wiser leader of a people. Perhaps a little marred by the liberal use of some barely believable special effects, the movie is nevertheless an essential watch in a year of movies that, while dull for the most part, seems to be ending off rather nicely

14.5/20

Katniss Marketing

In the buildup to the last installment, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is literally paraded by the rebel factions hidden in District 13. Led by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), Katniss becomes a thoroughly marketed symbol of hope for all the Districts breaking out in rebellion, with the highlight being a particularly rousing speech in District 8 post the bombing of a hospital. In the backdrop plays out the impending confrontation of Katniss with President Snow (Donald Sutherland), and the release of her boyfriend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) with some complicated side-effects. Clearly a bridge-ing movie, The Hunger Games – Mockingjay – Part 1 preserves continuity, but has little new to offer

13.5/20

Penguin Mashup

The antics of Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights) and Rico (Conrad Vernon) are strictly for younger humans this time round. While Penguins of Madagascar has enough comic turns to draw laughs periodically, it is too nonsensical – and I mean this in the context of any number of animated children’s movies that are not – to make any coherent sense for perhaps anyone over the age of five. I could barely tolerate it – and the seven-year old lost interest too after a while. Thumbs down.

10/20

Return to Confrontation

As the apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) find peace in what they believe is a world devoid of humans, the latter suddenly emerge – and thus ensues an uneasy face-off between humans and apes. A show of power by the apes, and the inimical hatred for humans borne by Koba (Tony Kebbell) are challenges for the more balanced Caesar as well as for the humans struggling to create a source of electrical power. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a well-executed movie, showcasing ape-human tensions along expected lines, and keeping the viewer reasonably engaged on a well-paced storyline

13.5/20

Works, John!

A fifty-something Keanu Reeves shakes himself out of career stupor and delivers an utterly convincing action thriller in John Wick. A wafer-thin storyline barely separates John Wick (Keanu Reeves) from the Russian Mafia, and generally speaking, the latter’s decimation in the hands of the former. This is the resurrection of an action hero, in full-on avenger mode as he sets to right some stereotypical wrong in brilliantly choreographed fight sequences. Enjoyed every minute of it – two thumbs up!

14.5/20

The Dumbest Cut

It was plain ... well, dumb, to remake Dumb and Dumber and produce the sad spectacle that is Dumb and Dumber To. Slapstick that does not click, crassness that screams out to be called out, a contrived storyline, and an utter waste of a brilliant cast and franchise. Eminently avoidable... would rather sit and watch maybe Scary Movie something at home..

9.5/20

A New Hero

Maybe it was the long hiatus from a copybook Disney movie – whatever be the reason, Big Hero 6 was an all out winner with the 7- year old. Rikk revelled in Big Hero 6 - Beymax the incredibly endearing friendly robot, the little army of do-gooders, Takashi's  ultimate sacrifice. Absoultely unmissable as far as kids' watching is concerned

16/20

Stellar

Complex and defining, inevitably compared to 2001 – A Space Odessey, and generally panned for its surfeit of near-pretentious mastery of quantum physics, Christopher Nolans’s latest magnum opus – Interstellar – is making waves worldwide as we speak. Set in a mildly dystopian, post-apocalyptic frugal future, Cooper (Matthew MacConnaughey), farmer turned pilot, stumbles upon the remnants of NASA, at the cusp of seeking to send a person to space and making contact with – well, something that could potentially save humans on Earth. Dazzling visuals, an intriguing storyline that requires the average viewer to pull up his/ her socks on the topic of quantum gravity and the like… Interstellar is quite the entertainer. Full marks to a brave movie that pushes the boundaries of what can be digested on “popular” cinema

16/20

Still there after All Those Things..

Gone Girl is an extraordinary movie that picks on (simultaneously) intense parenting, scheming wives, cheating husbands, doting siblings, obnoxious media, enthusiastic policemen – and a lot more - all in one swift stroke of genius from David Fincher (Fight Club, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo). Nick (Ben Affleck) and  Amy (Rosamund Pike) are a copybook couple in New York – the recession and career changes takes them to faraway Missouri – wherein the chinks in the armor of their marriage (who has the money? Kids, anyone? How about old flames, or pretty young things?) – begin to unravel. Yes, Amy is long gone – but in a black comedy of extremes, she makes her way back to Nick’s life – or does she? This is a stellar thriller-cum-drama rolled into one. Unmissable.

16/20

One in a Million (or at least in a few dozen..)

Albert (Seth McFarlane) is the quintessential misfit in the harsh Wild West – a well-read polished gentleman who tries to reason his way out of gunfights, much to the chagrin of bemused on-lookers who have come for a day’s entertainment i.e. watching one of the duelers die. Sheep farmer by profession, and spurned by gold digging girlfriend Louise (Amanda SeyFreid), Albert loses his heart to Anna (Charlize Theron), and almost his life to her husband – notorious outlaw Clinch (Liam Neeson). Hilarious in parts, crass in a few, eminently watchable and an unexpected winner overall – A Million Ways to Die in the West does not fail to remind you often enough that the Wild West really sucked..

14/20

Hope (Slowly) Belied

A Most Wanted Man is a dark brooding (way too brooding) adaption of a John LeCarre novel. Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) is escaping the war in Chechenya and the horrors inflicted by the Russians – including his own father – and immigration lawyer Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) becomes a source of hope for him, in seeking asylum in Germany. Anti espionage agent Gunther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is looking at extracting information – and an amicable solution to the plight of Grigoriy – but is that likely to happen? Ponder over that along with the chain-smoking Gunther, slowly and laboriously, as the answer indeed shall come to pass. Marketed as a thriller but clearly a drama at heart, A Most Wanted Man is one for the diehard spy whodunit aficionados

12.5/20

Future on Edge

The indescribable something – some element of movie magic – that does not quite come together in Minority Report and later Oblivion, comes through in Edge of Tomorrow – and how! This is an unmissable one from Tom Cruise’s “I-alternate-between-future-saver-of-Mankind and Mission-Impossible-Part-Zillion” stable. US Military officer Cage (Tom Cruise) finds himself thrown into direct warfare – against an invading alien army called the Mimics. Through a strange power that has been bestowed only on him on account of his actions, Cage finds himself being reborn over and over, with ally Rita Vrajanski aka Full Metal Bitch (Emily Blunt), and, over the course of the re-births, the duo try to salvage the future of mankind. The strength of Edge of Tomorrow derives from a well-written script as much as it derives from sterling performances from the lead pair. Mankind can heave a sigh of relief over this one.

14.5/20

Retreat, Hell

Fury zones in on the tank battles in the wake of the German retreat, at the fag end of World War II, in April 1945. The Germans are determined – well, by and large – to protect every inch of territory down to the last man, woman and child. Enter battle hardened Don Wardaddy Collier (Brad Pitt) ad his Sherman tank crew. Minor skirmishes – turns out that resistance can be led by children too, blossoming love and loss, but above all, intense tank battles – especially pitted against the significantly superior Tiger tank, are the hallmark of this movie. Fury is not one of the best World War II movies ever made, but captures the theater of tank battles rather well

13/20

Tragedy

It is interesting to think that the central character of Haider (Hindi) is not Haider (Shahid Kapoor) but his mother – Ghazala – and her fickle heart. A heart that sends Haider away, lets in Khurram (her brother in law) into her life, removes Hilal (her husband) from her life, and eventually destroys the last vestiges of their family. Loosely based on Hamlet, Hilal is the victim of an army crackdown in Srinagar. As his son Haider tries to trace him down, the complicities of the relationships within the family – and that with Arshia (Shraddha Kapoor) – Haider’s girlfriend – begin to unravel. Extremely watchable, intense, and somewhat disturbing

14/20

Bengali Warrior

I must confess that I am thrilled by a Bengali hero (Dev) holding his own through kitschy plots filled with a delectable heroine - Nandini (Mimi Chakraborty), malicious villians, a storyline that could be a copy of a hundred others, and special effects that are some three decades behind Hollywood - in short, a Bengali movie that looks oh-so-suspiciously like a Bollywood flick. Dev holds his own as a passable warrior and a mostly passable romantic hero, as a flashback storyline plays back and forth. Yoddha is quite entertaining for the average Bengali movie-goer who gets a treat of Bollywood from Tollywood.

12/20

Movie to Die For

Dripping with intensity, Sin City 2 – A Dame to Kill for – the latest edition of the noir graphic novel-turned-thriller is perhaps my movie pick for what has unarguably been one dull year for movies. The story somewhat centres around Marv (Mickey Rourke), a character of formidable intensity, the face-off between the young hustler Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the power-hungry Senator Roarke (Powers Boothe), and the machinations of the devious vixen Ava Lord (Eva Green). With animation blending into reality, and oozing with memorable dialogue, the stellar cast and cinematography will hold you in thrall. Suffice to say, watch this movie.

16/20

Maze of Errors

Maze Runner is a fast-paced teen fiction - turned - movie, that will keep you reasonably entertained, as long as you do not apply yourself on the glaring inconsistencies in the movie. Cannot desist taking pot shots at a few - over three years, a bunch of people that can build complicated huts but did not think of building themselves a ladder, an experiment that makes little coherent sense, a helicopter ride that was three years too late. Anyways, the story is about a group of boys that arrive - in gaps of one month - into a clearing in the middle of an ostensibly life-threatening maze. Having said that, if one is willing to suspend all semblance of a logical storyline, Maze Runner does not feel like an utter waste of time

11/20

Reptile Vigilantes

It cannot be easy making a convincing storyline about four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their mutant rat chief, living in the sewers of New York, being overly fond of pizza, and going out of their way to save New York from a copybook gang. To its credit, the movie pulls it off, thanks to in part the disconcertingly attractive journalist April (Megan Fox), the excellent special effects - notably an avalanche and some capers atop the Empire State Building, and an easy-as-pizza-to-digest storyline (call it a bare shell of a plot?) where all key players are inexplicably intertwined. In the balance, an excellent treat for kids, and for adults like yours truly, not a bad deal either

14/20

The History of November

Peter Devereaux (Pierce Brosnan) is a secret agent who has trained protégé David Mason (Luke Bracey), but has not quite been convinced about the latter’s capabilities. Enter intrigue in the Balkans – an escaped witness to war crimes in Chechenya – Alice Fourier (Olga Kurylenko), who is being hunted down by the Russians, Russian presidential hopeful Arkady Fedorov (Lazar Ristovski) with his own bag of secrets, and people within the CIA itself that cannot be trusted. The November Man shifts the centre of the copybook Hollywood spy thriller to Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the ubiquitous shootout and car chase now permeating beautiful Belgrade

13.5/20

Somewhat Expendable

The Expendables 3, while adding to the star cast of the traditional expendables (Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson) also brings forth a new kind of “expendable” – Kellan Lutz of Hercules fame, or Ronda Rousey of MMA fame, in particular. The storyline remains superficial, and actions continue to speak louder – much louder – than words. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) puts together an all-new crew to take out friend-turned-foe Stonebanks (Mel Gibson). With much killing in myriad forms, as expected, The Expendables 3 does nothing to detract from the possibility of a fourth edition

12.5/20

Reflected Horrors

Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and brother Tim (Brenton Thwaites) set out to undo a wrong – a father accused of killing a mother – theirs – and seek to prove, through a carefully controlled experiment, that the actual culprit was an antique mirror in the house. Armed with extensive research into the series of deaths surrounding the mirror, Kaylie aims to set all wrong right with a “kill switch” what will destroy the mirror, eventually. In a (reasonably) riveting drama of two determined siblings vs. the supernatural, Oculus executes well, and trails off with a rather poignant climax

 13.5/20

Twisted Encounters

Into the Storm follows the predictable path of the eponymous Twister, into great storms of unimaginable fury, threating to wreak havoc on US Midwestern towns and familial relationships. The intensity is immense, in fits and starts, and some light touches of humor and romance help nudge the light storyline along. The power and might of 21^st century special effects are, of course, brought to bear. Mid-week Midwest entertainment for me and the family

13/20

Demi-god by Design

Hercules finds a circumspect puffed up lead (Dwayne Johnson), who, along with his band of mercenaries, sides with the Thracians to defeat the warlord Rheseus (Tobias Santelmann). Things are not quite what they seem, however, and the warrior soon finds himself requiring to draw upon his remarkable strength as well as the many legends surrounding him, to rally armies in favor and bring to pass what is righteous and just. Nothing like the disaster earlier this year (The Legend of Hercules), Hercules is a treat to watch, with a reasonable balance of special effects and the human element, and a few no-holds barred treats in raw physicality to boot

13/20

Galactic Hotch-potch

Guardians of the Galaxy – well, I refuse to review this one. As I write this, I am looking at mindboggling ratings on the *leading movie review sites* for what is really a smorgsbard of an intergalactic thriller (that I am sure Marvel aficionados are well aware of) that does not have a speck of originality save the tepid bursts of mild humour. I quite liked Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) but, for the most part, he careens through a chaos of a plot, that, surprise surprise, is succeeding wildly at a commercial level. All the best to this Galaxy

9.5/20 

More Dragon

Here’s to finding a parent, dragon-care in the family and beyond, and having a good old bare-knuckles good-vs-evil fight with alpha dragons and some not-so-beta-dragons. While How to Train your Dragon 2 is quite entertaining, perhaps the grown-up watcher will notice the lame effort for a storyline. Or, perhaps not. My kid loved it, is enacting sequences at home right now. Mission accomplished, Hollywood for Kids..

12/20

The Lizard Chronicles

Godzilla aka Gojira is yet another tired remake of a hackneyed franchise. Barring a few visual effects that stand out somewhat, the balance is largely a smorgasbord of Gojira playing the guardian angel and trying to save the West Coast of the United States from some mythical destructive insect species, thereby following the laws of Nature of a gargantuan scale. Again, vague memories of the movie and its many clichés, without remembering a single concrete detail. My bad. Or is it?

11/20

Mutant Woes

X-Men - Days of Future Past - is another prequel to a continuum of X Men movies that I have long lost track of. This one is about Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) being sent to the past (1973, to be precise), to save mutant-kind from the scourge of the Sentinels - robots that have been created by the Trask group to find and exterminate mutants. A week down the line, I vaguely remember it as a mildly watchable movie but little else besides - a sign that this franchise, like several others, is for the diehard fan beyond a point

11/20

Be Real

Sitting with Rikk sleeping on my lap, on a Sunday evening, I wished for my very own six-year old that he always remains Divergent – at least all of Erudite, Dauntless and Abnegate. And this is where this piece of teen fiction-turned-movie is a winner for me. It has a core thesis – a rarity and a great find – and some great acting in terms of a very central lead Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley), who, with the weight of being a Divergent, has to find an acceptable path for herself, her affections, and her world. Well-paced, reasonably authentic, somewhat gripping, a must-watch

15/20

Don

Neither men nor women quite understand intimacy. While we have suave student Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) preferring the excesses of porn to the drudge of the real thing, for the so-called ideal woman Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), intimacy is about possessiveness and behavioral controls. Finally, it takes an offbeat relationship to bring some semblance of normalcy to Don Jon. Captivating, though difficult to understand the director’s intent on this one

12/20

Amazon Party

Resplendent with colour, catchy music, and a storyline that is somewhat touching in parts, Rio 2 is a winner. Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway) head out to the Amazon to find the last of the Spix's macaws. The search results in success, but not without much adventure. Where Rio 2 is exceptional is its continuous ability to induct freshness through an all-new cast of cameo characters – sloths, mosquitoes, and turtles included

14/20

Walter out there

A quiet man – Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) sees off the last issue in print of “Life” magazine, sees the first whiff of adventure by flying to Greenland, and then to Iceland, in the footsteps of his photographer. Cast into adventure, and something akin to love, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty captures the poignancy of things that shall pass, and how we are remembered

12/20

Sinking Ark

The eponymous Noah takes the Biblical tale, rips it into shreds, and brings Hollywood-style special effects and plot twists, both of which appear utterly incongruous. Noah brings the best of Hollywood together, and buries the plot in the midst of utterly poor cinematography, poor script editing, and dialogue that seems to be delivered in discontinuous monosyllables. Strictly one to avoid, this is one ark that, for me, sinks without a trace

9/20

Stop

The featureless Non-Stop reminds one of a dozen similar movies, keeps you waiting for the /breakway feature that never materializes. The one-great and now-shunned Air Marshal (Liam Neeson) needs to find a serial killer on board a plane. He does so eventually, after some knocking around of all of the passengers and crew. Truly non-descript

10.5/20

Robotic

I like the intent behind this version of Robocop – the story of a near-dead-in-action police officer Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), a family man – and the objectives of the megalithic Omnicorp to monetize him – turn him into an emotionless law enforcement officer - literally drowning emotions with dopamine in the process. But it does not come through in any meaningful degree. While wife Clara (Abbie Cornish) plays the wronged housewife in a totally uncharacteristic role, it is Dr. Norton (Gary Oldman) and his moral pangs that possibly lend some semblance of thespian consistency in a movie that does not leave much of a mark on the viewer

12/20

No Child’s Play

The Lego Movie does some extraordinary execution of the story of a child’s imagination. There is the simple guy – Emmet (Chris Pratt) – a construction worker whom no one notices. Emmet gets thrown into a chain of events that need him to become the Special – to find the Piece of Resistance and stop the Kragle, a weapon unleashed by Lord Business – and save the various realms of Lego world. With more than one innuendo, all of which unravel by the end of the movie, this one has more positive surprises than the "average" adult would think at the outset

14/20

Keep Discovering

The Europa Report is more about human goodness and courage than your average science fiction movie. Led by Captain William Xu (Daniel Wu), the Europa mission sets out to Europa – one of Jupiter's moons – with the mission of possibly discovering extraterrestrial life. Remoteness and the sheer inherent level of risk expose the team to fatal dangers. However, what shines through is the determination of the team to complete the mission – to communicate back to Earth that we are not alone in the universe. A must-watch on the lines of Moon and Gravity, The Europa Report demands some degree of initial patience but quickly grows on the viewer

15/20

Alone

Tough and alone, Riddick kills without compunction, finds his way around a predator-infested planet, tames a jackal as ally, lives off the land. And yes, sees off two mercenary hordes, with some lessons and reminiscing along the way. Somewhat simulation-like, Riddick is copybook one-man-army in an alien planet – good entertainment in sepia tinted hues

13/20

Fallen Demigod

The resoundingly insipid The Legend of Hercules takes the eponymous character and makes a totally blotched job on possibly all conceivable fronts. Poor cinematography, a total absence of character build-up, near-invisible visuals, a musical score that was turn-on turn-off and incongruous with the story in the background, the inexplicable hurried execution that makes the movie look more like a collection of trailers – where does one even start? The only saving grace is that with a few minor exceptions, each of the actors looked their part. If you are generally a period movie buff, I suppose this is a must-watch, simply because there is so little of the stuff going around. For anyone else, this is an unequivocal miss

9.5/20

He Wolf

For me, The Wolf of Wall Street operated at several different levels. At one level is the unavoidable allusions – the Mayflower (twice!), the crazy partying,choices related to marquee employers/small employers/entrepreneurship, the kid that’s oh so close in spite of all that is going on in life, the back pain pills – what can one say save what an outcome in spite of it all?! At another level is the debauchery, the over-the-top movie, the living-on-the-edge recklessness combined with high performance, the coke high to get over the lemmon high, perception versus reality across it all. Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Martin Scorcese come together to produce a one-of-a-kind movie that is profane, intense, irretrievably materialistic and out-and-out a one of a kind movie. Absolutely unmissable, whether you belong to the 99% or the 1%

16/20

Bengali Movie v 2.0

I went in to watch Chander Pahar expecting incongruity – the barely-peripatetic Bengali out in the open wilderness in Africa, on a treasure hunt that is not his own. The first half of the movie kind of corroborated this impression. And then came the second half. Some spiffy acting, stunning or near-stunning vistas, and the Bengali explorer Shankar (Dev) standing shoulder to shoulder with the Portuguese explorer Diego Alvarez (Gerard Rudolf). While the special effects leave a lot to be desired, the movie itself is stunning – weaving its way through the part-fiction part-reality almost-mythical lands of Africa

15.5/20