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

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

30*3 Minutes of Capers

Down-in-the dumps pizza delivery boy Dwayne (Jesse Eisenberg) and friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) lead a humdrum smalltown existence. Till fate decides to come knocking their way. A chance kidnapping by two small time crooks, and Dwayne and Chet, under fear of death, find themselves out to rob a bank for $ 100 grand. With a bomb strapped to Dwayne’s chest, no less. The movie turns to a series of mildly hilarious escapades with the very occasional touch of the outstandingly comic. With a few over-the-top characters, and rank amateur criminals playing their parts rather well, 30 Minutes or Less is about getting your life back in 10 hours or less, and having a few laughs along the way

11.5/20

Tower of Righteous Actions

When investment manager and scamster Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda)’s Ponzi scheme goes down, so do the life’s savings of all the staff at his residential tower. Determined to get back what is rightfully owed to them, building manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) forms a team with a mission to steal back what is rightfully owed to them, in a Tower Heist. Given their complete lack of criminal experience, the team also hires one out-on-bail Slide (Eddie Murphy). An elaborately planned heist unearths unexpected findings, but not before some improvisation and brushes with danger. In the end all ends well, in a regular light entertainer that does not disappoint nor overly succeed either

12.5/20