Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

Critic's Rating: 4.0
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut, Prachi Desai, Randeep Hooda
Direction: Milan Luthria
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes


Movie Review: So, you've seen Satya and loved it. You've also seen Company and lapped it up too. Had a most satisfying encounter with Black Friday also. You've even read those page turners on Mumbai's underworld, Maximum City and Shantaram, and wondered if there's anything more left to be said about the shining city's sleazy underbelly. Hold your breath. For Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai might just take your breath away with its iridescence and engaging quality.

True, the film does re-open the familiar X-files of Mumbai's most well-known crime story -- the stormy relationship between Haji Mastan and his protegee Dawood Ibrahim, even though it does begin with the mandatory disclaimer of steering clear from real life. But it does it with an elegance and an intensity that keeps you glued to your seats, despite the fact that you know where the drama is headed for. And that's because director Milan Luthria chooses to anchor his film in the emotional heartland rather than dabble with guns and gore. Refreshingly, the film goes low on violence and focuses more on the emotional quotient, throwing light on how Sultan Mirza (an awesome Ajay Devgn) rose to his Shahenshah-esque status in the underworld and how he tried to tame the roguish new team member, Shoaib Khan (an edgy Emraan Hashmi). Alas, in vain!

And here-in lies the dramatic core of Rajat Arora's dynamic script which catapults the two lead characters as a study in contrast. While Sultan is showcased as the archetypal gentleman crook with a strong moral fibre, Shoaib is unprincipled and rotten to the core. Like that dada of all Dons, Vito Corleone, our desi Godfather too refuses to do drugs and insists he dabbles only with stuff banned by the law of the land not by his conscience. Shoaib, on the other hand, is game for any and everything -- treachery, infidelity, gang war, bloodshed -- in his unbridled bid for power. Of course, he begins as the trusted acolyte of the man he venerates as God himself (Maine toh bhagwan chun liya hai, ab aap insaan chuniye, he tells the iconic Sultan), but it doesn't take long before he sets his eyes on the wider horizon. Mumbai mere neeche aur main dhuey ki tarah upar (Mumbai below me while I scale above as smoke), he declares and roller-coasts his way on the road to pure crime and total immorality, ending up as the outlaw who managed to rule the city with remote control. Interestingly, despite presenting Sultan as a larger-than-life figure, the film does manage to keep its moral compass straight and has a seminal sequence which categorically brands all its seemingly heroic characters as criminals, charisma notwithstanding.

Interspersed between this titanic tale of a ganglord and his wannabe are the tender love stories of the two fugitives. Once again, done with a delicate finesse which creates memorable mush on screen as Sultan serenades the actress Rehana (Kangna Ranaut) and Shoaib tries a Bobby with his shy showroom girl Mumtaz (Prachi Desai).

After the innovative and experimental Love Sex aur Dhoka, producer Ektaa Kapoor once again scores with a complete entertainer which boasts of almost everything: a compelling story, crisp and absolutely state-of-the-art dialogues (Rajat Arora), an artistic period piece ambience (Aseem Mishra), a lilting music score (Pritam) and some riveting performances. Both Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi breathe fire and brimstone in to their portrayal of the two disparate gangsters and come up with two of the most mesmeric acts of the year, while Kangna Ranaut and Prachi Desai pitch in as perfect and picturesque molls. Add to this an in-rom ensemble cast which includes principled cop Randeep Hooda and loyal Sultan aide, Naved Ahmad (both are extremely watchable) and you have an entire catwalk of flesh and blood characters in a cinema that is generally peopled with cardboard cut-outs.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai offers you both substance and soul, even as it dabbles with a slice of reality. Don't miss it.

Salt

Critic's Rating: 3.5
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Shreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Direction: Phillip Noyce
Genre: Action
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes


Movie Review: It's Angelina Jolie's race against time to prove she's truly Hollywood's Lara Croft (read alpha woman). So forget the script and sit back for an explosion of in-your-face action cuts where our stunt queen is hell bent on showcasing herself as truly `hero' material -- The One, amongst the guys -- sexy pout and svelte figure, notwithstanding.

The film opens with Ms Jolie being tortured in a North Korean prison from where she is rescued and then breaks into a relentless spree that has a twofold purpose. First, it is supposed to answer the million dollar query: Who is Salt -- Russian mole or patriotic CIA agent? And second, it is intentioned to save America -- and the world -- from armageddon that threatens to come in the shape of a nuclear holocaust, after the American President is forced to press the button by big bad Russia.

The film does keep you guessing and has its moments of mystery as Angelina's identity keeps slipping from Russian to American, as she hobnobs with the KGB and the CIA with equal ease. And in this game of high level subterfuge, she doesn't actually have any friends, even though her colleague Ted Winters (Liev Shreiber) does seem to trust her as much as the other co-agent (Chiwetel Ejiofor) doubts her credentials. But Ms Jolie really doesn't have time for friendship, trust and all such niceties in a world that's spinning towards disaster. She needs to make rocket launchers out of furniture; jump off bridge, onto high speeding trucks, leap down elevator shafts, wear latex on her face, inject tarantula juice into heads of states and break into the high security white House, dodging all the bullets and bombs that are aimed at her fragile form.

Fragile, did anyone say? Eat your words, people and open you eyes for agent Salt: the feminist answer to James Bond and Jason Bourne. She successfully completes her first adventure with a promise of a sequel. And a sequel....

The Last Airbender

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone
Direction: M Night Shyamalan
Genre: Action
Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes


Movie Review: First things first. If you're on the lookout for something as dramatically, philosophically or strategically driven as Shyamalan's The Village, Signs or Unbreakable, The Last Airbender is not the one for you. Not to say there's nothing in there for you. Martial arts, to the bending of the elements, costume design to the sets, the actual filming locations, this movie is a visual treat, served in 3D style.

But, it's mostly meant for tweens, based as it is on a popular Nickleodeon show which Shyamalan used to regularly watch with his seven-year-old son. The heroes are believable... out there to do things achievable... as they confront villains easy-to-handle. All this and more, with a storyline not quite complicated.

It's been a century, Fire Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtiz) continues to imprison anyone born with the power to bend elements of nature, when siblings Katara (Nicola Peltz) and Sokka (Jackson Rathbone) from the Water Nation find a mysterious boy trapped beneath the ice. Is that the Avatar? Yes, though this Avatar a.k.a Aang (Noah Ringer) is yet to master all elements of nature. Why? Because he ran away during his `enlightenment days' when he was told an `Avatar could have no family; an Avatar needs to make sacrifices to rise up the ladder'. But hey, no worry, for Katara and Sokka help him master the `emotional art' of water bending. And that's where we get our visual tamasha from. Don't miss out the water-benders do kata on boats surrounded by glaciers, the blending of the martial arts, the bending of all other elements. But as they inch nearer to their goal, the group must evade Prince Zuko (Dev Patel) too, the banished son of Lord Ozai who is `too soft and not fit to wear the Fire military uniform'. Does our `soft warrior' eventually turn into a hard, Avatar-trapper? Or does the movie leave scope for a possible sequel to follow soon? Find out.

So, where exactly does the bending go wrong? First, we really needed to see Aang develop significantly on his journey to become the Avatar. Except for the climactic scene at the water-bender city, the bending seems too unconvincing despite its 3D transformation. Second, in terms of the special effects, we wish we had more of those element-bending techniques working for real. Imagine one getting wet each time a globe of water splashed on them. Imagine one getting burnt each time a ball of fire blasted around them. Ah, for all those delicious tweeny fantasies!

Of course, to make up for that, Shyamalan gives us enough benders for the mind. Analyse this: There are reasons we are all born; we need to find them. There are certain things the human kind should not tamper with -- Nature and its spirit is one of them... The Fire Nation is misusing knowledge to create something that'll turn the moon red... In our hearts, all nations (here Air, Water, Earth, Fire) are one... Lesson-lender, anyone?

Airbender may not be vintage Shyamalan, but it sure is fun viewing for young adult fiction buffs.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Nicholas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Monica Bellucci
Direction: Jon Turtleltaub
Genre: Sci-fci
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes


Movie Review: This one's a simple summer flick that keeps the popcorn crisp. Of course, the story isn't original and does fill you with a sense of deja vu, even as Nicholas Cage makes you wonder what exactly is his career plan. But then, there's Alfred Molina on the other side who seems to be having so much fun playing the mean wizard, he fills your heart with devilish glee. Watching Molina's antics as he tries to unleash his fury and dabble with gargoyles that change into dragons and mirrors that capture him in crowded NY washrooms sure is uproarious fun. Add to this the geeky Jay Baruchel with his laid-back charms and his sleepy super-hero act, and you have enough to keep the minutes ticking.

Inception

Critic's Rating: 4.0
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cottilard, Ken Watanbe
Direction: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Sci-fci
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes


Movie Review: Christopher Nolan might just end up as the most alluring and enigmatic film maker of contemporary cinema. Memento, The Prestige, Dark Knight and now Inception: Nolan's oeuvre is definitely one of the most creative outpourings in commerce and cliche-ridden Hollywood. If you thought Memento teased your mind, try savouring Inception. It will leave you tortured, tormented, ticklish and tantalised with its mindplay. And if you think you can actually unravel this mind-boggler in one go, you're asking for the moon. It will leave you longing for one more dekko to get the picture straight....Too many levels of reality, too many things happening and too innovative an idea!

Refreshingly, Leonardo DiCaprio has only recently proved his skills at skating in and out of the inner recesses of the mind with unbridled felicity in Shutter Island. Once again, he walks into people's heads while they are asleep and walks out with their ideas, leaving them still asleep. But not satisfied with a mere extraction of ideas, he tries to push the limits of science still further. How about planting ideas, he asks himself and ends up burning up his own domestic idyll by using his beautiful wife (Marion Cottilard) as the gullible guinea pig. The experiment backfires and ends up as a tragedy that not only makes him a fugitive, it also tampers with his mind and creates a parallel reality that refuses to let go. So that, when the young Ellen Page joins him on his latest mission, she realises how dangerous it is going to be sharing the dreams of this troubled hero who must fight his own demons before he can play with other people's minds.

Inception is not only one of the most original films in recent months, it is absolutely riveting stuff. Like The Matrix, most of the action takes place in the realm of dreams, but they seem completely life-like: the chases, the crashes, the explosions, the extractions, the interrogations, the heartbreak, the longing, the despair. Leonardo is in stellar form, scoring another high after Shutter Island. A special word for cinematographer Wally Pfister who juxtaposes the real and the surreal with such finesse, you never do get confused and always remain aware of the slippery ground you are treading on. Go, get intrigued and push the boundaries of your mind.

Knight and Day

Critic's Rating: 3.5
Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz
Direction: James Mangold
Genre: Action
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes


Movie Review: Can you actually fall in love while being trapped in an exploding car, a crashing plane, a vicious gun battle, a beastly bull run or a death defying car chase? You can, if you play your roles perfectly. Like Tom Cruise, who steps into the super shoes of the archetypal knight in shining armour and Cameron Diaz who dances around in a billowy dress and high boots like the typical damsel in distress. And together, the Cruise-Cameron chemistry creates the perfect Me-Tarzan, You-Jane typical portrait that has thrilled mankind since Adam fig-leafed Eve.


The actor duo return after a long gap since their pairing in Vanilla Sky and this time they actually do set the screen ablaze in a goofball comic adventure that multi-tasks magnificently. It makes you laugh, clap and howl with glee with its corny situations and sheer absurdity even as it sets the adrenalin on OD (overdose) with its believe-it-or-not action cuts. Unconvinced? So how's this? Cruise kills an entire planeload of rogues without losing a hair, while Cameron powders her nose and prepares for some X-rated fun with enigmatic co-passenger! And mind you, there are zillions of such zany situations in this romantic adventure where all that Cruise must do is save a magical, minuscule, mighty powerful battery and its inventor from a bunch of global crooks and a misguided agency. As for Cameron, all that the script demands from her is to be herself: ditzy, balsy, sexy and sunshiny. Of course, Ms Diaz ain't no mean star herself. So, she does get to play the knight too in a classic reversal of roles, which has you grinning from ear to ear.

The duo are electric. The repartee is rollicking. The action is completely over the top. And the film is such a chaloo cheeseburst, you just can't miss it.

Go, sink your teeth in it.

Spread

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche, Margarita Leveiva
Direction: David Mackenzie
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 hour 37 minutes


Movie Review: There is a sweet irony in this story that transports Spread from where it dangerously dangles: C-grade Hollywood to watchable drama. And strangely, most of the drama comes from the parting shot, where a giant toad tries to gobble a white mouse and takes his time swallowing it. Metaphor, anyone? Is that the big bad dream city (Los Angeles) guzzling the millions of dream chasers who flock towards its dazzling lights?

Kutcher sufficiently slips into the shoes of a pretty boy who is willing to do pretty much for the kingsize lifestyle. Slipping out of one convenient relationship after the other, he manages to find a degree of permanence with the super-rich Samantha, who indulges him, but only until he delivers....At the first sign of neglect, she cracks up and cracks him up too, leaving him no option but to end up homeless -- and benefactor-less-- again. That is, if he wants his self-respect to remain intact. But more than self-respect, there's something else that has Nikki obsessing: his love for the mysterious and elusive waitress, Heather, who ends up in different cars each night. sometimes, it's a Mercedes and sometimes, it's a Porche, with half-lit cigars spilling out of the ash trays. Doesn't take long for Nikki to figure out another gold-digger like him....The toy boy and the hooker do try to work out deals together, but the business partnership doesn't last for long. Why? Because romance sets in. It's bitter sweet romance, that can't stand a chance before bitter and harsh reality.

Watch it for Ashton Kutcher and his pretty boy charms. And also for his existential dilemma: to be a gigolo or a grocery boy

The Storm Warriors 2

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng, Kenny Ho, Charlene Choi
Direction: Okide Pang Chun, Danny Pang
Genre: Action
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes


Movie Review: It's essentially a one-liner plot that anchors all the clash-bang baazooka. Comic book warriors Cloud (Aaron Kwok) and Wind (Ekin Cheng) must save China from the ungodly Mr Godless. And the only way they can do it is by undergoing extreme martial arts training which includes some psychological and ethical tampering too. If they really want to win this war against evil, then Wind must turn sufficiently evil too, according to their tutor, aptly called Nameless (Kenny Ho). But there's a catch. If Wind turns completely evil, there shall be havoc and no one shall have the power to control his murderous spree. So, how does Wind measure the modicum of vile he must inject into his psyche if he wants his sword to slash the right heads only? Can the beautiful Second Dream (Charlene Choi) bring him back from the brink; or is it left to his old comrade Cloud to tame his sword and turn his eyes back from mean yellow to gentle brown...

Don't mind the dubbing: it's terrible. Go for the fizz and the lightning of a full blown martial arts comic book venture instead.

The Losers

Critic's Rating: 4.0
Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Jason Patric
Direction: Sylvain White
Genre: Action
Duration: 1 hour 37 minutes


Movie Review: Ready for another comic book to come alive on screen? you better be, because this time, the comic book literally explodes in your face in its on-screen avatar.

The Losers, with its bratpack of five fighters and its wham-bang action, is so completely over the top, it tantalises you. Add to this, the crunchy (read crazy) one-liners and the sweltering `high-testosterone' show by Zoe `Avatar' Saldana, and you have Hollywood transforming cheese into chic with The Losers.

This high-decibel film opens with an explosive sequence that sees a bunch of kids being meticulously saved by our bunch of heroes from the jungles of Bolivia and then ironically blown off in the SOS helicopter that was supposed to ferry them to safety. After that too, the boom-boom and the slow motion wild-pack-walk is relentless, with zany action set-pieces literally rolling off the conveyor belt in quick succession as the hunted CIA men try to settle scores and set the record straight. Personal favourite: the supposed tele-kinetic shoot-out!! Debonair bad man Max (Jason Patric) is hellish fun too with his trigger happy ways and his witty one-liners. But the mirchi factor is truly Aisha, the badass chick who grew up in the African wilds and had a childhood hobby of collecting human ears. Now howzzat for our feisty miss who confesses she hasn't been called a `girl' for long.

Great fun. Gun for it.

The A-Team

Critic's Rating: 3.5
Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel
Direction: Joe Carnahan
Genre: Action
Duration: 1 hour 57 minutes


Movie Review: A-Team is an unbridled adrenalin rush all the way. You don't get the time to sit back and think of story and all that stuff in the thud and the rumble of the action set pieces that explode in your face.

Leading the lean-mean team is Liam Neeson who is determined to prove his innocence, after being convicted of stealing some engraving plates, which have caused a flush of counterfeit US dollars to flood the battle-scarred country. Like the quintessential leader of the wolf pack, Neeson harnesses the forces of the foursome, which essentially means the following: giant Jackson must crash through gun battles at crucial junctures on vrooming Harleys, Sharlto Copley must fly planes at breakneck speed, causing acute air sickness to anyone who can dare to keep his eyes open and playboy Cooper must dazzle with his with, charm and sharp shooting abilities, when he's not taking his shirt off, flinging tanks down the sky, or flirting with his ex, the delightful alpha girl, Jessica Biel.

Based on the popular TV series of the 1980s, The A-Team is strictly for action buffs who love to OD on high-decibel AXN cuts. The action is superbly crafted, leaving no room for anything else. Of course, the foursome do add a lot of charm and charisma to the lead characters, specially Cooper who gets more and more irresistible after Hangover.

Toy Story 3

Critic's Rating: 4.0
Cast: Voice of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cussack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton
Direction: Lee Unkrich
Genre: Animation
Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes


Movie Review: Absolutely awesome! If Toy Story 1 conjured up a whole new world for kids and set up a new benchmark in animation, then Toy Story 3 is a befitting sequel to the franchise. There is colour, verve, drama, action, comedy, romance and 3D too. Add to this, a few wonderful take-home morals for our young and old viewers, and what more can you want. Yes, Toy Story 3 is that perfect paisa-vasool family entertainer packaged in characteristic Hollywood pizzazz.


Thematically, the third part smartly carries forward the wondrous experiences of Woody (Tom Hanks) and his friends as they try to come to terms with the darker side of life after years of hugging and petting. The toys must learn to cope with the fear of rejection and the insecurity of being unwanted. After the warmth of Andy's room, they find themselves struggling for survival in their inconducive new environs, where on the one hand roguish kids are ready to tear them apart; and on the other, the self appointed, mean dictator of the day care centre is hell bent on making slaves out of them. So you have Woody, leading an action packed revolt against the tyrant bear (Ned Beatty) and his evil cohorts like Ken (Michael Keaton), Big Baby and Monkey. But before he can set his buddies free and flee to safety, he must undo what the bearish Lot-sa has done to his best friend Buzz (Tim Allen). The friendly Space Ranger has suddenly crossed sides and is working against the welfare of his former friends. But hey what's that? A re-boot has Buzz donning the role of Don Juan and giving us some of the most zany moments of the film. Go have your fill...

Mantra-wise too, you will find loads to inspire your kids at the end of all the action and drama. Woody and co. are definitely not pieces of plastic with their pep pills on the value of team spirit, friendship, loyalty and the importance of standing up to bullys, aggressors and exploiters. And that's not all, adults too can take home their favourite one liner: authority comes from the consensus of the governed, not from fear! That's cowgirl Jessie's feisty rebuke to fascistic Lot-sa and the lot-sa real life leaders like him. Enjoy!

Edge of Darkness

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston
Direction: Martin Campbell
Genre: Crime
Duration: 1 hour 57 minutes


Movie Review: Mel Gibson returns after a hiatus in this black, edgy thriller and brings back memory of his glorious performances. He still retains the gaunt, haunted look of the Mad Max series, despite the growing furrows on his face.

This time, he combines the agility of an aging detective with the pain of a father who must cope with his grief, even as he tries to remain objective while resolving a complicated case that involves corruption in high places. In question is a dubious nuclear facility, which ostensibly conducts harmless research to ensure the nuclear stockpile is always ready for the Prez to put into use. But behind the veneer, there is some sordid R&D activity going on. Gibson's daughter, who worked there, wanted to turn whistleblower and ended up dead. But Braveheart Gibson doesn't easily forget.

A gritty thriller that keeps you on the brink most of the time, Edge of Darkness makes for interesting viewing.

Robin Hood

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Max von Sydow
Direction: Ridley Scott
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes


Movie Review: This is one more collaboration between the ace duo of director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe. Yet, sadly, it ain't no Gladiator, neither in terms of histrionics nor on the scale of an epic. Blame it solely on the story. Scott has chosen on a period of time before the legend of Robin (of the) Hood was actually born. Naturally, this is a more conventional Robin who doesn't break the rules, doesn't infringe the laws and is quite unlike the flamboyant outlaw that we have got used to seeing as the quintessential Robin Hood character. Even his arch enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham, hasn't evolved as a full blown foe and remains in the shadow as the bad guy's mantle is donned by a new character: Godfrey, the French spy, who has no qualms of conscience bartering away the prestige of the throne of England to the scheming French. All that the Sheriff gets to do is force a kiss on the feisty Marion, as she ploughs her fields and fobs him off. Alan Rickman, (the unforgettable Sheriff in the Kevin Costner version) where art thou!


So, the point we are trying to emphasise here is the fact that the action is missing in this version of Robin Hood, which ends with the suffix: The legend begins...or something like that. Unlike the brigand who leads his merry men through one high-testosterone archery encounter after the other in the earlier versions, this Robin is a more genteel hero who bathes, dines and breakfasts the bourgeois way. No rough and tumble and real fighting for him. Even his romance with Lady Marion is fleeting and sedate and cries out for Bryan Adam's brusque ode to love: remember `Everything I Do...'

But comparisons are indeed odious. So, no complaints. And that's because Russell Crowe actually lends gravitas to the mythical character and gives him a Gladiatorial avatar, even as Cate Blanchett creates an alpha woman out of the uber feminine prototype of Maid Marion, who usually can't do without the protection of Robin Hood's brawny shoulders. But not our lady, who knows how to defend herself, well and proper.

Go watch this version, because the sequel is bound to follow. And then, we are sure, all hell will break lose....Savour the lull before the storm.

The Karate Kid

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P Henson, Wenwen Han
Direction: Harold Zwart
Genre: Action
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes


Movie Review: The film is a re-boot of the 1980's classic which had become a cult film for the '80s teens. It essentially tries to posit Jaden Smith as a chip off the old block (Will Smith) and showcase the talents of the young boy who had already won hearts in his touching performance as Will Smith's son in The Pursuit of Happyness.


Does Jaden deliver? Indeed, he does, with his dread locks and loads of attitude which makes Dre Parker one of the smartest imports from America in this bustling Beijing neighbourhood. Not only does he manage to catch the attention of all the bullies in school, he also manages to charm his way into pretty Ms Mei Ying's life, that usually revolves around the high arts, leaving little room for tween fun and games. And if that's not enough attention already, our young hero also succeeds in convincing the unfriendly handyman, Mr Han (Jackie Chan) to create a karate champion out of him: one who can not only learn to conquer all his weaknesses but can also out-chop all the bullies in a martial arts marathon match. All this, with just a few hiccups and a whole lot of tutor-taught bonding between Jackie and Jaden.

The film does have a lot to offer to young adults, but fails to rise to cult status. And that's only because the martial arts display (the stuff our boisterous teens holler for) is somewhat marginalised by the drama and relationship building which takes up a lot of screen time. The semi romance between Mei Ying and Dre and the prolonged training sequences involving Mr Han and Dre do seem to test the patience of our adrenalin-driven young viewers. Give us the Chopsucky, and give it fast: you can almost hear them screaming!

Jackie Chan sheds his comic sheen for a more serious visage; Jaden is fluid motion and poetry and the locales (the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China) are stunning. Celebrate the dragon....

Sex and the City 2

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis, Cynthia Nixon
Direction: Michael Patrick Young
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 26 minutes


Movie Review: The go-getter girls are truly at the crossroads, bogged down by different aspects of the mid-life crisis: motherhood, wifehood, menopause, the glass ceiling....Leading the brattish pack is Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) who doesn't know how to retain the `sparkle' in her two-year-old marriage to her avuncular husband who suddenly seems to have a craving for a third entity in their cosy domesticity. He wants a TV in the bedroom, much to the discomfiture of Carrie who can't see herself watching black and white Hollywood films, night after night, even though her husband thinks it's romantic. It Happened One Night is fine because it happens only one night, she yells, after a cosy viewing of the classic film. But day after day....Surely, it's time for a time-out before the magic disappears completely.


The other girls have their own set of woes. Like Charlotte's yelling kids and her sexy nanny who chooses to do cartwheels minus her lingerie; Miranda's misogynist boss who hates her voice -- and her talent; and Samantha's disappearing oestrogen that needs artificial stimulants to keep her hot and happening, despite being `fifty plus f***@$g two.' They get a chance to escape from it all when Samantha receives an invitation to holiday in Abu Dhabi from one of her clients.

And herein comes the problem. Once the girls arrive in Abu Dhabi, the film enters rough terrain. On the one hand it becomes more or less a touristy adventure where the foursome decide to `DO' the rich and prosperous Abu Dhabi after having undergone a long recession. And secondly, they decide to do it like stereotypical American tourists who view the exotic east as the quintessential backwaters. So, you have a series of insensitive and childish digs at the hijab, naqab, burqa, burkini and the antiquated laws of a land which can get you arrested for something as simple as kissing. OMG! gushes Carrie, as she sits back awe-struck to watch a native woman eat french fries through her hijab. And what's that, wonders a startled Samantha, when she hears the familiar call for prayer. And finally, the sisterhood seeks refuge from a group of belligerent sheikhs by hiding with a bunch of women who flaunt Louis Vitton and Prada beneath their burqas. Ah Amrika! When will you actually grow up and say Hello to an egalitarian world.

But, if you can ignore this insensitivity and infantile vision -- which actually isn't something new from commonplace Hollywood -- the girls have enough to keep the momentum going. Silly one liners, goofy situational slip-ups and some genuinely funny gags, specially by Samantha (Kim Cattrall) do keep the tedium at bay. Not forgetting the Indian reference: the sundry `Haanjis' and the Indian character who once again, is truly third world: a butler who meets his wife back home in India, only when he has the money for an air ticket. For the rest of the while, he lingers in permanent servitude, serving sherbets and milk to his Amrikan memsaabs. Tch tch!

The sequel may not be as spunky as the first film, yet, Sex and the City 2 has enough to keep the cosmo club grinning. Watch out for Sarah Jessica Parker's fashion folio and Kim Cattrall's wild abandon.

Khatta Meetha

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Trisha, Rajpal Yadav, Urvashi Sharma
Direction: Priyadarshan
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 28 minutes


Movie Review: Priyadarshan sure must be one of the most prolific film makers in the industry, currently. More importantly, he has the uncanny knack of dabbling with different genres of cinema which include a rip-roaring comedy like Hera Pheri neatly juxtaposed against the artistic, award-winning Kancheevaram. With Khatta Meetha, he tries to multi-task, once again, slipping from social satire to comedy in order to create a light-hearted comment on India's bumbling, bribe-prone bureaucracy and unprincipled political class.


Does he succeed? Yes and no. First, the highpoints....The film boasts of three wild and whacky comedy sequences which almost bring the house down. First comes common-man contractor Akshay Kumar and goofy assistant Rajpal Yadav's attempts to clean up Asrani's house on the eve of a family function: total mayhem. Then follows mechanic Johnny Lever's attempts to repair a road roller: absolutely hilarious. And finally, a cross-conversation between Asrani, his assistant and Akshay: ekdum fundoo. Add to this, a few more snippets of fun and games, and you have an outrageous comedy track, that sadly comes in bits and pieces only.

And herein lies the tragedy of Khatta Meetha. The film is too long and has too much of high-pitched drama, leaving room for too little of the laughter circus. Now this does seem irksome, specially since the comedy bits crackle with such fun, they leave you desperately hungering for more. What's more, the drama is mostly repetitive, with the plot going on and on about small man Tichkule's futile attempts to grow big. All he wants to do is grab a big contract and make some big money so that he doesn't have to be the black sheep of his family anymore. Ironically, even the romance between the somewhat corrupt contractor and the straight-jacketed municipal commissioner comes more as an afterthought, with an awkward flashback to a hastily injected college affair that sticks out like a sore thumb. All that song dance business too seems totally unwarranted, though there is a verve in Pritam's tunes, once again.

But, there is an earnestness in Akshay Kumar's common man act, complete with umbrella and briefcase, which carries the film forward, despite its middle-of-the film lethargy and high-pitched hysteria, where most of the family members keep shrieking out their lines. Just two of the family bonds seem to work in Priyardarshan's extended family: the dad and son (Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Akshay) relationship and the brother and sister (Akshay and Urvashi) rishta. Akshay remains in character for the entire film and once again brings to life something he is adept at: the `ordinary man as hero.' He is ably assisted by Rajpal Yadav, who revisits his desi Chaplinesque act with alacrity.

Tune off a bit for the tedious middle and you could be in for some fun and frolic in Khatta Meetha, Priyadarshan's re-make of his earlier Malayalam film, Vellanakalude Nadu, where Mohanlal essayed the role of the aam aadmi.

Tere Bin Laden

Critic's Rating: 3.0
Cast: Ali Zafar, Piyush Mishra, Sugandha Garg, Rahul Singh, Pradhuman Singh, Barry John
Direction: Abhishek Sharma
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes


Movie Review: Now this one's a real cornball. It maybe a shade amateur and have loads of rough edges to its canvas, if you compare it to a regular Bollywood comedy. But when it comes to content, the film scores above several of the recent laugh riots that may have done well at the box office, but definitely didn't have an intelligent script to boast of. Tere Bin Laden has both: a smart script and some smart acting.


Leading the goofball team is veteran Piyush Mishra as the cranky TV producer who heads a TV channel that goes by the dubious name of `Danka' (or something like that). He sends his newshounds on a punishment assignment: to capture the crowing of cocks in a cock-a-doodle competition.

Yawn! says smartypants, Ali (Ali Zafar) who anyhow sleepwalks his way through most of his assignments because he's waiting for the big kill: an ace reporter's job in the hot and happening US media. But the routine assignment metamorphoses into a dream assignment when Ali discovers a chicken farmer who happens to be an Osama clone.

The rest is easy: an ambitious make-up artist (Sugandha Garg), a maverick dubbing artist who can speak Arabic (Rahul Singh), loads of hungry-for-TRP TV channels and a gullible and godawfully stupid Amreekan government are all that it takes to give the world its new breaking news story.

The actors are having a ball, that's evident. The scriptwriter (Abhishek Sharma) is just loving it: making digs on America's war against terror. And the viewers are in for some breezy fun. Savour the satire.

Lamhaa

Critic's Rating: 3.5
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor, Anupam Kher
Direction: Rahul Dholakia
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes


Movie Review: From the communal cauldron of Gujarat 2002 to the scarred battlefield of Kashmir, filmmaker Rahul Dholakia carries forward his tryst with political cinema with a refreshing seriousness and gravitas that defies the demands of commercialisation.



If Parzania portrayed the nullity of communal violence with extreme sensitivity and pathos, then Lamhaa is a no-holds-barred look at the multi-layered turmoil in Kashmir, with so many real-life references that you end up with just one conclusion: now here's a real film about a real problem.

The highpoint of Lamhaa is the fact that it doesn't use the political overboil as an exotic setting for a love story, nor do the fiery Chinar trees and the serene Dal lake double up as sylvan scenery for romantic duets. There is romance, but a mere suggestion of it, between the ex-militant, Aatif (Kunal Kapoor) and the firebrand female activist, (Aziza) Bipasha Basu. The twosome, who are fighting their individual battles for a better future for their state, know the bitter truth: it may be ever-after, but in another paradise,when the bullets have stopped flying and the bombs have been silenced. Till then, Aatif wants to try the power of the ballot -- he wants to fight the elections --having realised the nullity of guns and bullets; and Aziza wants to shed her militant garb for a more workable solution. Our agents of change do realise it isn't going to be an easy task, specially since nobody seems to be in favour of normalcy. Neither the fundamentalist Pakistani leader, Pasha (Yuri Suri), propagating his factories of misconstrued jihad across the border, nor the machiavellian spiritual heads like Haji (Anupam Kher) and the rest, spearheading a hate wave within the state, nor even the sundry middlemen, moneymakers and dubious official agencies drawing their moolah and clout from the Kashmir conundrum.

Also, the film refreshingly -- and realistically -- posits no solutions. Seriously, can a political film actually dare to resolve a complex issue that has claimed millions of lives and has been plaguing a sub-continent for almost three decades? All it dares to do is transport you to one of the most dangerous places in the world that lies at your doorstep and take a hard-hitting look at the movement for self-determination and the role of the Indian state in post 1989 Kashmir. So, don't go looking for a cinema that follows a traditional format, offering made-to-order recipes and instant nirvana. Of course, the film maker has enough hooks to draw you in, the most important being the relentless pace of the film which unfolds like an action-packed thriller. Another alluring factor are the performances.

Most of the ensemble cast creates convincing characters, with Sanjay Dutt delivering a rock-solid and restrained act after a long time. Anupam Kher's enigmatic and shrewd spiritual leader is chilling and matches up to Yuri's malevolent Lashkar-Jaish leader look-alike. Both Bipasha and Kunal are completely non-starry and quite convincing as the voice of the young Kashmiri, longing for a semblance of normalcy. Just one word of caution: you might end up losing the link, now and then.... there are simply too many people and players who keep bursting onto the screen in unmitigated frenzy. But if you remain patient, you will see them fitting into the bigger picture.

A word about the cinematography: James Fowlds camera captures Kashmir, both in its beauty and its sinister shades. Mithoon's music score too has enough lilt to draw you in. Serious and sensible cinema, Lamhaa is meant for the movie buff looking for something more....

Udaan

Critic's Rating: 4.0
Cast: Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor, Manjot Singh
Direction: Vikramaditya Motwane
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours


Movie Review: Udaan is unconventional Bollywood at its biting best. The film is a moody, introspective and ekdum different look at teenage angst: an issue that has never been given the importance it deserves in Hindi cinema which has by and large relegated the 16-something story to teeny-bopper rolls-in-the-haystack romances.

But Rajat Barmecha's Rohan isn't your run-of-the mill Hindi film teenager. He has more substantial (read realistic) problems than to find a girlfriend and discover sex, even though his dad does ask him -- in a delightful sequence -- sex kiya ki nahin?! For him, the issues are mostly existential....Like, how does he cope with a father who seems to be a clone of Hitler; how does he pursue his dreams of becoming a writer, when disciplinarian dad insists he must join him in the factory; how does he learn to love a step brother he doesn't even know; how does he get back to a family that doesn't exist; and how does he adjust to a small town with its uneventful life and its middle-class morality.

Udaan is essentially a performance-based film that scores mostly in the characters it dabbles with. Ronit Roy's cold and emotionally stunted father-figure, bogged down by middle-class fears and obsessions about a `secure' no-nonsense future for his son is actually quite familiar. Even as Rajat Barmecha's dreamy, rebellious teenager who wants to escape rut and routine, is representative of the hundreds of youngsters who have run away from authority and an uninspiring future, with nothing but a pocketful of notes and a heartful of dreams. Add to this, Rajat's younger brother, a victim of domestic abuse, his understanding chacha (Ram Kapoor), and his bunch of edgy friends (both in boarding school and in the dead town) and you have a compelling character study of growing up in middle-class mofussil India.

Hailing from the Anurag Kashyap school of cinema, Udaan has the edgy feel and the bitter sweet emotional core characteristic of India's neo wave cinema. No, life ain't all ha-ha-hee-hee and families that eat together don't always stay together, happily-ever-after. There's a lot of rough-and-tumble-beneath the gloss and that's where all the real drama actually lies. Get down to some real business. Enter some real homes. Grapple with some real problems. And feel some real joy....

Red Alert: The War Within

Critic's Rating: 3.5
Cast: Suneil Shetty, Bhagyashree, Seema Biswas, Sameera Reddy, Naseeruddin Shah, Ashish Vidyarthi
Direction: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 5 minutes


Movie Review: Now what could be more topical than a film on India's most burning issue of the moment: the Naxalite movement that has metamorphosed into a civil war that seems to be setting our nation on fire. Ananth Narayan's film, scripted by one of our finest women directors, Aruna Raje, is doubly important. First, it literally takes off from the headlines that have been glaring in your face in the last few years. Second, it dares to enter not only the geographical territory of the war within, but also explores the more tricky ideological terrain. Is there any justification at all for the maoist movement which has created heroes out of people who are allegedly responsible for unprecedented violence and death? More importantly an ideology which is gradually growing into a mass movement, resulting in an ever-growing Red corridor, running through the heart of India.


Most of the drama is centred in a Maoist camp and witnessed through the eyes of Suneil Shetty, a humble cook who has no political leanings whatsoever. All he wants is to be left with his simple wife Bhagyashree and his two kids, after completing his job which entails delivering food for the fugitives. When one such mission causes him to be caught in the crossfire between the cops and the ultras, he is forced to join ranks with the rebels and ends up under the tutelage of the firebrand leader Ashish Vidyarthi. Vidyarthi leads a hungry pack of guerrilla fighters, hellbent on snatching their rights -- land, food, development -- from a supposedly unresponsive state. So, you have a gun-toting Seema Biswas, a Kohl-lined Ayesha Dharker, and a totally de-glam Sameera Reddy, riding the red wave, as Shetty hurdles up with them and pesters them with the pertinent poser: how justified is it to kill your own people? Ditto, queries Vidyarthi and lays down the matrix of the Maoist movement as a human rights movement, when viewed from the other side of the fence. The film essentially unfolds as the transformation of Shetty the apolitical cook, to a politicised citizen who is forced to pick up the gun, first for one camp and then another.

The film is naturally made within the confines of our Censor Board which means it must tread the middle path or cross-over to politically correct terrain (read the Indian State). No, Red Alert, refreshingly doesn't become a state-sponsored documentary, despite its sensitivity to Chidambaramspeak and all that terrorist versus revolutionary debate that springs from the Arundhati Roy camp. By and large, it races and paces through safe territory, and unfolds like a thriller that keeps you on the edge most of the time.

Performance wise, the film boasts of a strong ensemble cast, though one does feel fine actors like Seema Biswas and Ayesha Dharker have too little to do. Had they been given a larger role, Red Alert would have been molten lava. Suneil Shetty and Ashish Vidyarthi are earnest and engrossing while Sameera Reddy is unrecognisable and adequate. Scene Stealer? Naseeruddin Shah, despite being relegated to just a single scene. Vinod Khanna? Just okay as the Naxal ideologue who engineers a bizarre finale. It may be politically correct in its tenor, but Red Alert does make you sit up and demand attention. Specially in a season when political cinema is raising its banner in Bollywood.

I Hate Luv Storys

Critic's Rating: 3
Cast: Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Samir Dattani, Samir Soni
Direction: Punit Malhotra
Genre: Romance
Duration: 2 hours 16 minutes


Movie Review: First things first. Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor make an interesting pair. After the Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif coupling, this seems to be the most refreshing jodi that's jaunting and jiving on screen. Nice chemistry. Nice tu-tu-main-main (sparring). Nice physical compatibility. And a well-balanced emotional quotient. Kudos to the two of them to carry forth a film which once again doesn't really have anything to boast about in the `storys' department.

Thematically, I Hate Luv Storys, is extremely simplistic, uni-layered and terribly predictable. Imran and Sonam do begin on the we-hate-each-other note, with Imran squirming at any and everything that's filmy while Sonam swears by it all: pink teddys, bunches of blooms, candle-light dinners, Karan Johar films, cuddly Cupid's bows, shooting stars, soppy dialogues and all that made-for-each-other mush. But we all know the way the wind blows, from the word go. Mush shall rule, and how! For all the digs that producer Karan Johar allows on himself (filmmaker Samir Soni is actually a spoof on KJo), we know the film's going to end up reiterating KJo -- and all he translates into onscreen -- as king.

So, Jay Dhingra, who likes girls, but hates girly stuff, is gonna end up crying like a girl very soon. Of course, first he must ridicule Simran for all her `stoopid' misconceptions about lurrrv, including her boyfriend Raj who besides being a frumpish bore, wears `fugly' shirts too. But it doesn't take long for the tables to be turned, twice over. On the one hand, Simran discovers her penchant for Mr Wrong (quirky, irreverent Imran), rather than Mr Right (politically correct Samir). And on the other hand, sceptic Imran succumbs to the love bug, red roses, rain-drenched songs, airport encounters, et all. Only, their turn-overs are mistimed. So that, when Simran says `haan', jokey Jay says `nah!' and when Jay wanna say `yes, yes, yes!', it's a punctilious let's-be-just-friends from the sobered Simran.

Kya khali-peeli confusion, all this babalog blah. But hey, blah can be timepass too. Specially when it has loads of icing on it. Debutant director Punit Malhotra layers his first film with oodles of sugar coating: great locales, mast music (Vishal-Shekhar), a yummy 'n yuppy lead pair, some laugh-out-loud moments and a lot of laugh-on-ourself sequences that ridicule the romcoms that roll out of the Bollywood factory (there are jibes on almost all of Karan Johar films), only to finally reiterate them as pills the public wants. On the performance front, watch out for Imran's endless emoticons (eyebrow lifts, smirks, smileys) and his pronounced pout. And for Sonam's svelte form and pleasant screen presence.
Candy floss floats. Popcorn rules. Go, chew on it.

Raavan

Critic's Rating: 3.5
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Govinda, Ravi Kishan
Direction: Mani Ratnam
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes


Story: Cop Dev Pratap Sharma (Vikram) has just one mission in his life. He wants to capture the local outlaw, Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) who may be a Robin Hood for the tribals around, nevertheless, he is a law breaker. More importantly, he has kidnapped the cop's beautiful wife, Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) to avenge a personal grouse and has escaped into the dense jungles. Turn ofevents: the kidnapper falls in love with his trophy victim who too gets indecisive about where her loyalties lie....

Movie Review: The epics return again to contemporary cinema. After a re-telling of the Mahabharata against a political backdrop in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti, cineastes can now feast their eyes on a modern-day rewrite of the Ramayana, against a cops-and-robbers canvas.