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

Greek Gods

Immortals is the story of Theseus (Henry Cavill), born of a peasant mother, but of such strength and resolution that Zeus (Luke Evans) himself believes that the Gods should not intervene in the affairs of men, to save Theseus and the Hellenics, because Theseus alone is capable enough to lead his people. Pitted against Theseus and the Hellenics is the evil Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), with his hordes that show no mercy as they search for the Epirus Bow in their quest to unleash the Titans upon the Gods. With much action drawn straight from Greek Mythology, the story centres around Theseus and the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto) and their battle against the evil hordes of Hyperion, who stand steadfast in the way of the latter’s quest to free the wrong half of the Immortals

13/20

Lights Camera and All Action

If The Expendables were to be renamed, An Ode to Action may well suit. Sylvester Stallone pulls together a panoply of stars – some current (Jason Statham) others of yesteryears (Dolph Lundgren) – all from the world of action. The overlay is a deliberately loose storyline – opening with a quick sequence on nailing a band of Somali pirates, and then getting down to the business of ending a dictatorship and the dealings of a rogue CIA agent, in an island country in South America. While Barney Ross (Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Statham) form the lead pair, the cast and crew of good guys – Yang (Jet Li), Toll Road (Randy Couture), tattooman Tool (Mickey Rourke) and cameos from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger – is only matched by the evil bunch of Gunner (Dolph Lundgren), James Munroe (Eric Roberts) and Paine (Steve Austin). Fans will remember the movie for the one-man (or few-man) army sequences that have been missing since Rambo took a breather in Afghanistan. Sharp action, wholesome entertainment, and largely interesting dialogue – while Mickey Rourke is not quite his impactful self, Dolph Lundgren with “Insect..” was interesting. Don’t miss this little milestone in action movie history from a living legend

13.5/20

Iron Age - Part II

Director Jon Favreau clearly realizes that he has a good (read lucrative) thing going, and wants to keep his powder dry for later installments, as far as Iron Man 2– the second installment of the irrepressible Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark aka Iron Man, is concerned. This superhero clearly differentiates himself from the rest of the save-the-world pack on two counts (a) his identity is out in the open (b) he is singularly immodest. With a cast that clearly “trades up” from the first installment, Iron Man II runs through Tony’s idiosyncratic jaunts, in particular handing over the Stark empire to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) on what appears to be a whim, and an impulsive participation in the Monaco GP that reveals potential supervillian Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). Lt Col James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) brings the voice of reason, the Hammer empire headed by the unscrupulous Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) is all about bare-knuckles corporate rivalry, and Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) ups the glamour quotient substantially. Endnote – this movie keeps you wholesomely entertained, and waiting for more from Tony Stark. Mission accomplished for now
13/20

Stalking and Entering

Mickey Rourke continues where he left off with The Wrestler, and in the tradition of gracefully ageing Hollywood stars, to deliver quiet menace as a cold blooded murderer in Killshot. Diane Lane and Thomas Jane (the Colsons) are witness to a crime, enter witness protection, and then are hunted down by Armand “The Blackbird” Degas (Mickey Rourke) and the hare-brained violence-prone character of Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The performances are hard, the pace engaging, the outcome uncertain till the last minute. This is the return of the unadulterated thriller. Best watched in a movie hall, though. What next from Mickey Rourke I wonder? Or from John Madden (the class that brought you Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Proof clearly shining through)

14.5/20

Grappling with Fate

The hardest thing in life is to reclaim it from your own mistakes. Gradually, you fade into the sunset, or, in the case of Randy the Ram in The Wrestler, into an existence where reconciliation with one’s daughter and seeking means of leading a so called normal life with so called normal jobs, has become one’s raison-de-etre. And then, over a night of being spurned in love, relapse into the ghosts of the past, and estrangement all over again are all brought to a head over a minor incident at the butcher’s shop. And Randy the Ram becomes a wrestler again, and stops running away from his place in destiny. This is a movie without a definitive storyline, and without a definitive end. But you will share the journey of a man trying to find his calling, While the story is heartwarming, the vignettes are somewhat repetitive and the movie a tad too inconclusive.

13.5/20