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