We' re back

The universe is about to be taken over by the First Order. Led by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the First Order looks like it will overwhelm the Resistance, and then some. The experience of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and General Leia (Carrie Fisher) come to bear, but it will require all the energy, resourcefulness and courage of Rey (Daisy Ridley), scavenger on the planet Jakku, Finn (John Boyega), the reformed stormtrooper, and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to save the day and find the way to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). The seventh edition - and this time a sequel - Star Wars - The Force Awakens - is a perfect blend of familiar Star Wars elements while doing enough to keep the storyline fresh and what increasingly looks like timeless. And yes, no review of this movie would be complete without a mention of the resourceful droid BB8, that takes the droid quotient of the series to an all new level

15/20

Truly Exceptional

Marty (Woody Harrelson) and the ultra-talented Rust (Matthew McConnaughey) totally nail it in True Detective Season 1. The pair seek out a serial killer in the Louisiana deep south, with its surfeit of temperance and Americana. Stirringly authentic, enough to bring me back to sitcoms after perhaps years of avoidance. True Detective Season 1 is a must-watch – the performances are solid, the story is gripping, the central character is relentless

16.5/20

Maratha Gallantry

Bajirao Mastani (Hindi) is the love story of Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife the Rajput princess Mastani (Deepika Padukone). First wife Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra) also plays a significant role. The film is set against the backdrop of the Peshwas going headlong against the Mughal empire

14/20

Time never stands still

Project Almanac is a brilliant little movie that has gone unnoticed, but deserves much more attention than it has garnered. David Raskin (Jonny Weston) is admitted to MIT, but cannot afford the tuition. Rather than sell the house, David rummages through his father's belongings, and chances upon a time machine. Goals start becoming blurred when David starts zoning in on scenarios that optimize his relationship with Jessie (Sofia Black D'Elia), at possibly huge collateral damage. A must-watch for sci-fi fans

15.5/20

To Prison, to Prison

James King (Will Ferrell) is living the Americal Dream. Leading the charge for a successful hedge fund, engaged to the boss' daughter and gold digger Alissa (Alison Brie). James' life turns upside down when he is framed (?) on charges of embezzlement, and is sentenced to 10 years in the much-dreaded San Quentin prison. Seeking some much needed toughening up, James turns to his car washer Darnell (Kevin Hard), who is entrusted with taking James through the rigor of prison bootcamp. Get Hard is an entertaining watch if laden with many stereotypes. A movie that you will not see in Indian movie halls anytime soon - I guess maybe 10% of the footage would have survived our enthusiastic censors

14.5/20

Fear the Water

In the Heart of the Sea had all the ingredients for an epic spectacle. Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) is listening to a first person account of the sinking of the Essex in 1820 (itself an adaptation from Nathaniel Philbrick's 1920 novel). Owen Chase (Chris Helmsworth), First Mate, has many ruboffs against Captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker) of the great Pollard seafaring family, but none can doubt the former's seafaring talent and navigational skills, in leading the crew of the Essex. Driven further and further into the Pacific in search of whaling grounds, the Essex finally meets in match in a feared sea-dweller - the legendary Moby Dick. So what doesnt work in all of this? The heroism does not click. The fearsomeness of the whale does not click. It seems that the sum total of the cinematography of Hollywood is no match for the evocative prose of Melville. Or maybe the cruel killing of whales just draws a different kind of empathy in our time

13/20

Strictly for Fans

The Peanuts Movie works through the many adventures of Charlie Brown, trying to catch the attention of The Little Red Haired Girl. In a parallel stroyline, Snoopy writes a novel about his battles for Fifi vs. The Red Baron. Strictly children's fare and for Charlie Brown fans, at that

12/20

The Journey is Everything

Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms), the eponymous family man who does not quite feel the love back from his family, takes wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and two sons on a long drive to amusement park Walley World. Along the way, evidence of Debbie's wild college ways, old crushes - notably Stone Crandall (Chris Helmsworth), disastrous swims and rafting expeditions, midnight liaisons that turn into exercises in hilarity - make for an entertaining time. Will the family bond together in spite of all the rough encounters, and finally discover who they really are? Vacation is an interesting watch that is quite hilarious in parts

13.5/20

The Spectacle that is Spectre

James Bond (Daniel Craig) kicks off his search for the elusive secret organization Spectre in the midst of the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. The search takes him across to Rome, where Ernst Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) engages him in a cat and mouse game that finally culminates back in London. Bond affictionados are in familiar territory (or are they?) - the title song (by Sam Smith, male), the Bond girls - Lucia Sciarra (Monica Belucci), and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the latter highly accomplished in medicine and hardly a wilting violet by any stretch of the imagination, the gadgetry from Q - and Bond inevitably taking some liberties with them. In the balance of things, Spectre is an understated good watch, with Daniel Craig showing clear signs of ageing though. That for me was the only point of disappointment with what was otherwise a fine movie.

15/20

Being yourself

Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley), real estate mogul, does not have long left to live. He finds his way to one Professor Albright (Matthew Goode) where through a process called "shedding", Damian is reborn as Edward (Ryan Reynolds). Things get complicated as Damian finds that the body that he now occupies actually belongs to one deceased Mark, and Mark's wife Madeline (Natalie Martinez), has been struggling to bring up their six year old daughter, since Mark's demise. Self/ less is at the heart a simple story of heart over mind, man over machine, well constructed

14/20

The horror!

It appears that the heir to the Dracula bloodline is not a vampire and cannot fly! The horror! While Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny (Andy Samberg) go off to California to connect with the latter’s family, the well-meaning Dracula (Adam Sandler) takes the young Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) through a series of experiences to test for the inner vampire. Definitely not a letdown!

14/20

Aptly named

It is not easy to be Malala Yousafzai in real life. Far from her home in the SWAT valley (now overrun by the Taliban) and a stranger in a strange land even as she runs a mission in faraway Syria Nigeria et al, the exceptional Malala shows her true grit a-la the Afghan warrior after whom she was named. He Named Me Malala is a must-watch

15/20

Furious(a)!!

Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and not Mad Max (Tom Hardy) is the real protagonist of the unmissable franchise-resurrecting Mad Max Fury Road. A relentless action sequence as Max and Furiosa outrun Imperator Joe along Fury Road, in their quest to save Joe’s wives, and a search for the elusive Green Palace from memory.

14/20

Well Rendered

The unlikely combination of Australia (ANZAC) and Turkey – the battle of Gallipoli is the stage where Connor (Russell Crowe) loses his three sons to battle. Or does he? The Water Diviner sees his wife Eliza (Jacqueline Mckenzie) take her own life, and, left with nothing in the world to live for, makes his way to Gallipoli to find his sons. Connor finds his way to the home of Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko), wherein love blossoms between erstwhile enemies. Connor makes a dangerous journey into the heartland, making unlikely friends and allies along the way, in the quest to find his three missing sons. With a depiction of the Outback that is as well-rendered as the nuances of Turkey in 1919, The Water Diviner is a low-profile hit and one that is definitely worth a watch

14/20

Slick, Poignant

Conspicuously African-American to a fault, with poorly placed beer product placements, and with a poignant send-off to the cornerstone Paul Walker, (Fast and) Furious 7 keeps the franchise alive and well through the level of SFX and make-believe that is only possible of Hollywood. A sliver of a storyline, that is totally overshadowed by science-defying stunts, the highlights of which appear to be driving off buildings and cliffs without terminal impacts to man or machine. This one holds it together – suspend all pretension to belief, and just enjoy

14/20

Bengal Shining

I was not quite captivated initially by Detective Byomkesh Bakshi – it seemed a good collection of movie sets and a somewhat faux art storyline. At some indeterminate point, I began to get captivated by its sheer relentlessness. Sushant Singh Rajput does well, but he is supported by a solid ensemble of characters. However, all said and done, credit for the movie goes to Diwakar Banerjee, who simply shines through with screenplay that is near-psychedelic in parts. Will rank this alongside the likes of Dev D, Page 3 and Rock On as hindi movies that surprised me hugely on the upside

15.5/20

I Spy

Unbeknownst to his family, lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is tasked with negotiating the release of Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), a CIA spy behind Russian enemy lines, for Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a KGB spy captured in the US. While negotiations go well, Donovan also looks to get stranded American student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) released, in what would become a 2-for-1 exchange if it comes through successfully. Based on true events, and with all the genius of Spielberg and the Coen brothers, Bridge of Spies is a must-watch

15/20

Walk of Life

Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a wire-walker par excellence, looking for his next big challenge all the while, and inspired by Papa Rudy (Ben Kinsley) in the craft as he is supported by Annie (Charlotte Le Bon) in life. A chance sighting of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre coming up in New York introduces Philippe to his life's purpose. Well executed if predictable. The Walk is quite thrilling, not for just the physical act of the walk, but also for the sheer intensity of following one's passion

14/20

Engineering Marvel

What is engineering - applied science - all about? It is about solving problems one by one, rigorously, from first principles, till a specific and possibly difficult goal is acheived. What if that goal were to be to return to Earth? Botanist and astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) shows us how engineering is done. I have as of yesterday been totally floored by The Martian, and its rigorous step-by-step engineering approach to problem solving, which quote frankly I cannot recall seeing in any other movie thus far. This is an absolute must-watch, and this is the sort of movie that twenty years later some scientists will quote as the early inspiration for their chosen path in life

16.5/20

Unconvincing but sweet

The Intern brings an old timer Ben (Robert De Niro) into the fast paced world of a fashion ecommerce startup in the heart of Brooklyn, led by one driven supermom and super-entrepreneur Jules (Anne Hathaway) who is living life on a treadmill and needs to sort out her priorities at both home and the workplace. This is a heartwarming movie, though not entirely convincing. Glad that Anne Hathaway has let go of the catsuit to get into roles that are more in character

13.5/20

Secret

Kingsman the Secret Service. Missed it in theatres, saw it after many weeks. Well made and uncomplicated. 14/20

2 movies over this weekend...

Hitman Agent 47: A woman searches for a man in Berlin, does not know why. Does not know why she is being chased by hitmen, and who's on her side and who is not. Better than other reviews would suggest. Damn these people with their fascination for big stars! This is good stuff. 14/20

Transporter Refueled: I rather liked this one. Been a while we saw an action hero, not full of himself to the point of obnoxiousness, in the beautiful French Riviera. More than passable thespian skills. 13.5/20

Pirates in Deed

Pirates of Silicon Valley (2009): The first edition of the epic war between Gates and Jobs. Exciting little-known movie. well-rendered. 15.5/20

Much castigated, not fantastic but passable

The Fantastic Four delves on the origins of the team that develops teleportation in a garage. Exciting stuff by and large, much panned by critics. I give it 13.5/20 because its a good movie and i dont get what the negative vibes are all about

The 3 movies on Independence Day

Home: Animation. 14.5/20. Oh and Kip find humanity and save the planet too. A cute version of ET

Brothers: Hindi. 13/20. Akshay Kumar is fit but too old for this league. Siddharth Malhotra shows that an Indian MMA movie need not look wholly incredulous

Shaun the Sheep. 15.5/20. A flock of sheep brave the big city and save their farmer who has lost his memory. Cant believe i wrote that. Excellent execution wrt the simplest of topics

And a couple more..

Predestination. 15/ 20. Sheer brilliance in this dizzyingly looping time travel plot. Ethan Hawke excels

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. 12/20. IMF rejustifies ots existence, changes female lead, staples on Alec Baldwin, travels the world. Does a few hackneyed acts of stupendous courage. Unimagimative.

Some more quick ratings

Minions 14.5/ 20 Clear charming quirky winner
Ant Man 14.5/ 20 Marvel disses mayhem for a simple funny storyline
Survivor 14/20 Milla Jovovich shows us what it takes to keep a ruthless Pierce Brosnan at bay across 2 continents

Intentionally blank

In summary - last 3 months

Not getting time to write reviews, so here is a quick summay of a few good ones:

Detctive Byomkesh Bakshi 15.5/20 Review to follow
Fast and Furious 7 14/20 Review to follow
The Water Diviner 14/20 Review to follow
Piku (Hindi) 13/20
Mad Max Fury Road 14/20
Terminator Genisys 12.5/20
Inside Out (Animation, Disney) 15.5/20

Travails on Silk Route

Dragon Blade is an ambitious "Asian" attempt at measuring up the might of an "Asian" alliance - Chinese, Indians, Huns, Parthians - against the power and might of the Roman Empire and the latter's warring factions - in a face-off to control the fate of the fabled Silk Road, during the Han Dynasty. Keeper of the Peace along the Silk Road - Huo An (Jackie Chan) - finds himself first at odds with Roman general Lucius (John Cusack) and then inseparable allies with the latter, as they join hands against the imperialist ambitions of Tiberius (Adrien Brody). Quite the entertainer, and a niche hit, with the realism of hand to hand combat being the positive highlight, that is somewhat marred by some kinks and melodrama in the storyline

14.5/20

Crack the Whip

Whiplash is a story of intensity, of burning ambition. Andrew (Miles Teller) is an aspiring junior drummer who is trying to put up with the hard driving Fletcher (JK Simmons) and his ruthless training style, to make it to the "core" of the band. Master and pupil collaborate and clash - in a game that can elevate Andrew to the greats of jazz, or destroy him forever

16/20

Soaring

Riggan (Michael Keaton) aka Birdman - a stereoytped actor from yesteryears, is attempting to resurrect his career in the face of a hostile and unrelenting media reception, estranged daughter Sam (Emma Stone), demanding method actor Mike (Edward Norton) whom he cannot do without - but most of all the ghosts of Birdman lurking in his mind, that are telling him to let go of Broadway ambitions, and pander to the kitschy tastes of his loyal audience. Brilliantly executed, somewhat predictable, full of allegory. Well-packaged Academy Awards candidate

15/20

We run the Night

Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), out of work and with a criminal record, finds an outlet for his burning ambition by entering the world of crime journalism. Disturbingly real, and with cringe-worthy acts from Louis that make sure that he gets the most shocking story every night and drives up TRPs, and with a partnership with the morning news director of a deadbeat news channel – Nina (Rene Russo), Louis finds that crime – or its grisly aftermath – does pay, and how. Handling competition and crime victims with a ruthlessness that borders on psychopathy, this Nightcrawler is a must watch, perhaps not for casual family viewing

16/20

Good Show Baby!

After the fiasco of Indian super-heroes and secret agents in overhyped movies like Bang Bang and Happy New Year, the success of which frankly speaks very poorly of the tastes of the Indian movie-goer, comes a convincing action thriller from the Akshay Kumar stable. Baby (Hindi) is a covert outfit pulled together post the 2008 December Mumbai attacks – its objective is covert ops, its identity a closely held secret, its mission always under a cloak of plausible deniability. Spanning across Istanbul, Nepal and Saudi Arabia, Baby pulls it off – not slick, but somewhat stodgy and believable, with believable characters. Nicely done guys

15/20

Inimitable

‘Tis the Oscar season and I was wondering why The Imitiation Game, centered around one Alan Turing and his involvement with cracking Enigma – the German cipher – and greatly influencing the course of the Allies’ victory in World War II – has got some 8 nominations. After watching the movie, I ceased to wonder. Benedict Cumberbatch, not short in the sterling performances department, gives the performance of a lifetime. The relationship between Alan and Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) is strongly reminiscent of that between Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind. Here is a genius – narcissistic, lonely, estranged and utterly convinced. And he changes the world completely – ends the greatest war in human history, and basically invents the computer to boot (no pun intended). Stunning character acting. Unmissable by leaps and bounds

16.5/20

A Killing in Kolkata

Directed by Arindam Sil, Ebar Shabor is a convincing Bengali whodunit in a season crowded with Feluda and Byomkesh. Unlike the latter two, Shabor (Saswata Chatterjee) is a police detective and has no airs about him. One Mitali (Swastika Mukherjee) gets murdered in the wee hours of a party at her house. Could it be the work of Mithu (Abir Chatterjee), the once-spurned husband, now in love with Mitali's sister Joyeeta (Payel Sarkar). Could it be a briefly-married to and now on hard times Pantu (Ritwick Chakraborty). Or could it be the flamboyant Samiran (Rahul Banerjee), spurned by Mitali? A well-woven storyline that keeps the viewer engaged, and while not truly twist-in-the-tale stuff, is definitely not a predictable thriller. In the crop of recent Bengali movies, this is a must-watch

14.5/20