Falling off, Falling Apart

Standing on a ledge in the Roosevelt Hotel and ostensibly about to plunge to his death, Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is a man hellbent on making a point. While the New York mob, hungry for entertainment, periodically cheers on, and the press collect their sound-bytes, Nick – a man wrongfully charged for a crime that he did not commit – is directing brother Joey (Jamie Cassidy) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) to commit the very crime for which he was wrongfully imprisoned in the first place. Included in the cast of characters is negotiator Lydia (Elizabeth Banks) and her efforts at making sense of it all even as she tries to put her past track record behind, and businessman David Englander (Ed Harris), the man who was instrumental in sending Nick to prison in the first instance. Movies like Man on A Ledge only serve to show that actors of the caliber of Sam Worthington can hold a movie together in spite of a mediocre storyline

12/20

Titanic ask, passable effort

Perseus (Sam Worthington), son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), finds himself in a family of fishermen, and the latter are annihilated on the periphery of a battle of the kingdom of Argos with the Gods. The Gods have held sway over men for too long, and King Cepheus of Argos launches a campaign to destroy their all-pervasive influence. Faced by the destructive forces of Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and the Kraken, the king calls upon Perseus. Perseus with a band of remarkable men (the Titans) makes a perilous journey to the Stygian Witches, and based upon their advice, slays the Medusa and uses her head to destroy the Kraken and save Argos – not without some help from his father along the way – in the epic Clash of the Titans. Hades’ covert agenda is foiled and Perseus lives on as the hero of Argos. Like all other adaptations of Greek and Roman history and mythology, held to a very high standard, the movie does not make the cut. Notwithstanding the fact that all the characters play their parts admirably, and even the graphics hold together, the movie lacks emotional appeal – moving quickly through the milieu of characters and events. To be fair to the creators, the attempt has been to showcase the character of Perseus herein, rather than attempt a magnum opus. A decent watch, but not quite in the league of the timeless, as all heroes and their eulogies, be they mythology or movie, ought to be

12.5/20

Avatar = Reincarnation or Recycling?

Avatar does not seem to be a movie that is suited to the Indian cynic as audience. What of Ehwa (Gaia?) in a distant planet, an indigenous people with lifestyle and roots in the bounty of nature around them, their inevitable conflict with the human race and its endless quest for resources – this is all schmuck, says the Indian audience. And I cannot help but agree to some extent. There is a been-there done that aura about the movie – whether it echoes the indigenous tribes and fragile ecosystem of the Brazilian (and a dozen other) rainforests, or whether the unlimited greed for mineral resources brings to mind America’s global warmongering in search of oil, it seems that the core of the movie is drawn around a rehash of all-too-familiar elements and the fact that these elements are of course finding increasing resonance in an increasingly aware world does not take away from the fact that the core of the movie is somewhat unimaginative. But what is undeniable is the sheer quality of the graphics and the overall cinematography – the attention to detail and the sheer quality and complexity of the visual imagery bring to mind Jurassic Park – another genre-defining milestone in the use of technology by Hollywood. This is a movie that is likely to be a resounding commercial success in the short to medium term, but on a more measured inspection both critics and the junta may find it wanting

12/20

The Franchise Stands Salvaged

What clearly stands out in Terminator – Salvation is the liberal usage of the last editions’ unforgettable snippets. From “I’ll be back” to the cryogenic freeze, to the eponymous bike-over-truck reversal, the elements mercifully do not appear out of context though. The one other aspect that stands out is the performance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) who brings out his conflict and clear loyalties through a great performance. The movie is unmemorable in terms of the storyline, and, as may be expected, will lead to one or more sequels, and trails off that way. A movie that clearly keeps the franchise alive and kicking without Schwarzenegger, and with much more conviction than say Rise of the Machines

14.5/20