Reviews

Beyond all the hype that is the Indian Civil Services exams, the movie's twin message that education is empowerment and honesty is rewarded in the end is laudable!

I am unaware of the real life persona behind the chief protagonists of the film, but our family watched their story with tears in our eyes and positivity ebbing by the end of the film.

This was a wonderfully well made movie both from story as well as acting perspectives. I am unable to recall the last time I watched a film devoid of cringe worthy scenes or raw action but still at the edge of my seat eagerly waiting for the next punch.

Kudos to the team and crew. Please make more such movies that leave a positive message.

I did not like the police doing a morality check on each and every character. Neither did I really like the one-faced nature of most people in this movie.

But the cast did a good job in communicating the personality behind their characters very effectively. The storyline was crisp and not much time was wasted on unnecessary drama.

The end scenes could have been much more punchy but felt slightly more on the preachier/ unrealistic side. For one, I wouldn't expect criminals (hardened or accidental) to accept their guilt so easily. The police explaining how they identified the crime back to the criminal, just for dramatic effect, has to change!

The message and the intent of this movie is noteworthy. Where do we draw the lines when it comes to stereotyping respectable positions? Everyone should be allowed a chance to redeem themselves. It may play a prominent role in our lives, but an outdated "societal respect system" should not become a bar in deciding whether one lives or dies!

It was refreshing to watch a well made movie that is far removed from more recent thrillers that overemphasize gore or adult content. Some plot lines concerning history could have given the story more depth.

Out of everyone, I enjoyed watching Crowe's act in this movie. However some of the actions by his scripted character makes you wonder whether such a person would survive in journalism. Jeff Daniels was perhaps the most convincing of the lot.

I also find the lack of consequences for many of the reporter's actions or lack of serious involvement by police/ Feds a bit unrealistic. But that keeps the focus fixated on the main characters & keeps the storyline succinct.

It was impossible to avoid watching The Umbrella Academy (TUA) given the amount of billboard adverts. I gave a patient watch to all 10 episodes.

The opening episode gave a hint of potentially different story line from traditional superhero flicks. But the script was meticulously straightforward & acting so detached that I was left to wonder whether the original creators quickly orphaned TUA after it was conceived.

There was hardly any depth given to any of the superheroes or villain. When plot lines started crossing borderlines of incestuous relationship, it is evident that the relationship mapping was illl-conceived making this cringe worthy viewing for both mature and young audience.

I would really classify only 2 of the heroes as having any real superpowers; maybe one mutant amongst them. It is safe to say that 2 side characters who could easily walk away with stab sounds and fatal car crashes had more superhero abilities than the central characters. If your superpower is making people do what you speak, wouldn't it be sensible to die rather than live another episode after you lost the ability to speak? And no, I would not consider aping between jack sparrow and half lunatic as something original.

In summary, TUA was an attempt to make a drama that dreamed to rewrite the superhero formul; but falls short of being classified as a tasteful story by any measure.

In recent times we have seen quite a lot of action hero origin stories. With dramatic improvements in techniques relating to in production as well as post processing of movies, big production houses calling for a reboot of a franchise is not totally unreasonable.

However what is unjustified is the lack of attention they have been giving to the sexes! All the franchises have one thing in common - their intent is to showcase macho men and how the world becomes a better place because of them (with the exception of X-Men)!

It is 2017, and girl superheroes find a footing at last. When I watched Wonder Woman (2017), what stuck me the most was not how beautiful the main star was - it was how the action was fixated around her and how Gal Gadot seems to have been able to absorb all that attention so gracefully.

Chris Pine stars as the "more-than-average-looking" Steve Trevor and has acted his part with extreme sincerity. David Thewlis and Danny Huston play pivotal roles in the movie as well.

While the back story from Diana's childhood (involving ancient Greek gods) continue as the central theme of the movie, I felt that the storyline did not have enough meat or surprises to outpace other recent superhero movies! To me characters like Charlie or Sameer (the artists themselves did a good job) were unnecessary to the plot itself. These were possibly introduced only to help improve the humour quotient the movie lacked. I will discuss that in my more detailed review.

Please read the full review (with spoilers) at http://blog.nrajesh.com/review- wonder-woman-2017/

Plot: Even a great hero, faces his match sometimes. This was perhaps what the Iron Man was missing the most. That is until the Mandarin came along. Showing little emotion, Ben Kingsley emulates a terrorist to perfection. Places are bombed with no trace of the type of explosive device left behind. He challenges everything Iron Man stands for. Slowly midst all the chaos, a pattern seems to emerge in the way the chaos unfolds. In the end, Tony Stark issues an open challenge to the Mandarin to come and fight him face-to-face.

Tony is made to pay dearly for this. Mandarin's reach is beyond Tony's wildest expectation. He takes hit after hit. In a couple of moments the life and home of Tony Stark come crashing down. He is put in such a precarious situation that losing all his tech (including the Iron Man) is probably the last of his woes! Even with his long time pal Colonel James Rhodes trying to help him out, Stark cannot get out of sudden anxiety attacks. In the meanwhile, he befriends a little boy when trying to figure out how to tackle Mandarin.

With the world looking vulnerable once again, Mandarin pushes on. His target now includes the President of the United States. With no one around to stop, evil seems to spread in all directions. Can the man inside the suit muster courage and help salvage his pride, is what forms the rest of the movie.

Effects: This movie is technically brilliant. The sight of Iron Man crouching on one leg ready to spring to action is simply exhilarating. Given the fact that we get to see almost an army of Iron Men, makes it all the more enjoyable. The sound effects keep the visuals at pace. At no point could I feel the effect was overdone.

There are a couple of scenes really worth mentioning. For example, the brilliant scene that is shown in the trailer where Stark's mansion is torn down, is even more brilliant in its full length. There was one more visual where Dr. Killian gives a demonstration of the live feed of his brain. The concept itself is cool and I somehow felt the visual was even more glorious to watch on large screen.

The action sequences, though not that many (sadly) were still worth waiting for. The climax is like a crescendo and makes worth watching on a big 3D screen.

Cast: There is no viable replacement for Robert Downey, in my opinion. So the producer's better pay up and retain him in any immediate sequence (Avengers sequences included)! This guy nails the character so well. Paltrow makes a fine girlfriend, but I felt there were a few scenes like the one where she meets Dr. Killian after years, when she under performed.

Ben Kingsley fits in so well. The way in which he portrays a terrorist and a show man with élan is really unbelievable. He is the show-stealer in all the scenes; even when he shares the stage with the inimitable Mr. Downey Jr. Others like Cheadle, Pearce do justice to their role. However I felt the later was underutilized. Ty Simpkins probably acted a wee bit more sheepish than was required but I think that kind of felt good on the whole.

Direction: Shane Black has done decently in his first Iron Man flick. If the intention was to show more of Stark (the human) than just the gloss and glamor of the man in the armor then he certainly excelled.

I do have second thoughts on whether this kind of story will hold good in the future. People flock to cinemas to see superheros like Iron Man kick evil bosses butts. But the director kind of makes up in the climax.

There is also this humor portion of the script, which was kind of nicely handled. There were a handful of scenes which had the audience in splits. Especially the one where Tony (all tied up) awaits his suit when he is talking to a couple of bad guys. Overall, I feel the director has portions to improve, but there is no major flaw that is worth talking about.

Read the full review at http://blog.nrajesh.com/review-iron-man-3-2013

The caped crusader returns back to entertain in The Dark Knight Rises. Here is my take on the last installment of the trilogy (Nolan's version).

Plot: Rises is set in an age and time when Gotham is no longer the crime capital that it used to be. Offenses are so petty that there is no need for a man with a mask to fight crimes anymore. But there is always a calm before the storm and for Gotham this storm comes in the form of Bane.

Bane is not the unpredictable or scheming kind of villain that we are accustomed to see in the Batman series so far. He is anything but that; he is pure brute force who likes to be in command and power his way no matter when or against whom. He's seen by the Batman as the enduring spirit of Ra's al Ghul; ruthless and with just one aim – the destruction of Gotham.

Effects: Despite the lack of truck flipping awesomeness in the movie, it still packs a punch when it comes to technical details. Be it the explosions that rock the city or the hand-to-hand combat it is impossible to call anything a farce. That's the most beautiful thing about this whole trilogy. Instead of going for impossible looking stunts or out-of-the-world effects that could have been shown in any Hollywood movie (especially a Batman film), the director has gone to great lengths to showcase realism surrounding the fictitious character and his weapons.

From the tank like Batmobile to the powerful Batpod to the indestructible Bat, fans are in for a treat. I wouldn't rate The Bat as the best looking bat vehicle, but the way it makes its appearance is absolutely jaw dropping! But that's probably the only big gadget this film was to produce. That is not to say it was disappointing but there was definitely scope for more in three hours of a Batman film. Nothing too serious though. Musical score by Hans Zimmer is a big plus and adds to feel of the movie in more ways than can be described by words!

Cast: An applause for Christian Bale is due. The guy has bought to life a comic book character and has played his part admirably. Be it the recluse or the fading billionaire or the Dark Knight he enthralls in this film. Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman look snug in their roles and deliver really good performances.

Tom Hardy as Bane can barely be seen or heard properly (behind his mask), but convinces everyone with his mannerism and body language. Oozing with confidence, he truly looks like the man commissioned to bring Gotham to its knees! Joseph Gordon-Levitt does well as a hot headed but honest cop, but is hardly challenged in his character. Anne Hathaway as Selina and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate look good, but, perhaps could have shown more conviction during the final few scenes.

Direction: Here's a director who certainly has convinced everyone about who or what the Batman is – not a glorified superhero but a mere mortal who cares about lives of millions he has absolutely no connect with! As a director Nolan has taken the Batman films to a whole new level.

One cannot help but smile looking back at the story-line. Sometimes a director picks up a good script and sometimes, if fortune favors, it is the other way round. I believe that the fans of the Batman got lucky this time. Think about it – without the dramatization and the dark nature of these films, it may probably have remained just three more batman films (even with the same story-line). I am sure that even those who had questions about Batman's physical limits will now question the very notion of what a super hero is, thanks to these three versions of Nolan!

Read the full review at http://blog.nrajesh.com/review-the-dark-knight- rises-2012

A script that keeps the audience gripped. Kahaani might not have the masala that is usually offered by Bollywood, but this has definitely blown away recent movies/ thrillers.

Vidya Balan's acting and the way the climax is drawn out are really awesome. She had everyone believing that she got really pregnant and that's called an act!

The characters of the film definitely look comfortable in their roles, but there are a couple of screens that does not seem entirely natural. For example there is one where the secretary agrees to offer a glimpse of her boss's PC - without too much of an incentive to speak about.

But overall a real good entertainer. Please watch it.

Here's a movie that is watch worthy for the spooks. Don't go expecting too much of graphics in this one. Detailed review below

Plot: The story is set in late nineteenth/ early twentieth century. A young father who's in financial stress, tries to take up an assignment of dealing with papers pertaining to an old estate that is now long vacant. To him, this could mean saving his job. The only problem is that, the house he tries to assess, and the village nearby is haunted by the Woman in Black.

Effects: As can be expected in a ghost flick, there are quite a lot of frames that have been captured only to arrest the attention of the viewer; either with a subtle fingerprint appearing on a window or creepy noises, one is kept in the edge of their seat. Apart from this, there are also scenes, like that of a fire accident, that are very neatly done without too much gore. Whenever she appears on the screen, the ghost itself is made to appear extremely calm (except in the last scene) - something that is extremely unnerving for the viewer. The crescendo that accompanies the final time we see her in the mansion, makes it a really exciting watch. The set (mansion/ village) itself is quite brilliantly done.

Cast and Performance: Daniel Radcliffe is the protagonist of this tale and has done quite well in his first movie performance since the Harry Potter series. His natural act does give away in moments where you expect more fear or action out of him. But this is probably good in a way, as it wards off his Potter series histrionics (that is still stuck in our mind). Roger Allam as Bentley is probably the only other actor who shares a good spoil of the screen time and does okay. The tale is probably too thick with the haunted scenes that one would probably not recollect the other minor characters in this film.

Direction: The director (James Watkins) has stuck to traditional spooks to keep the audience entertained. This does extremely well, considering the fact that the whole tale is set in an era which may not mingle that well with too much of special effects. As explained above, he has made sure that Radcliffe doesn't keep himself in his wizardly shadows. Directing the sequence of events in a very straightforwardly manner probably meant that the intention was not to get the audience too preoccupied in piecing together a story, but rather enjoy the thrills that come with a horror flick.

Read my full review at: http://blog.nrajesh.com/ review-woman-in-black

"The Mist" is more about human psychology than about monsters or aliens. Some of the graphics did seem B-grade, but the plot simply keeps you hooked on.

In many ways it is more interesting/disgusting (in an embarrassed) way to watch how even grown ups will react when put in real tight situations.

The fact that most of the movie is done in a local grocery store with little or no background music only adds to the eerie and lifelike atmosphere.

A part of the ending was guess-able, but the other wasn't and in many ways was indigestible. Overall, this movie is as good a horror film as we are going to get to watch.

Good action movie right from the start. Most of the action sequences are out of the world. Brad Bird has a great directorial outing with his first action movie.

Kremlin getting hit, amazing gadgets that probably would never see light of the day outside of Hollywood, hot cars getting roughed up, ammunition being fired like crazy and of course fist fights - you got it all.

Tom Cruise has aged only in flesh. He is as astounding as one would expect the lead of a high-caliber action movie. Jeremy Renner somehow reminds me of Daniel Craig a lot. Simon Pegg plays up a pseudo-comical role to cool down the tension. To sum it up, good plot and a LOT of action.

Instead of focusing on "punch" dialogues and simple "hero kills villain" kind of story, there is a good amount of emphasis laid on the pseudo heroine as well.

Director has taken it up to cover most of the silly mistakes that happen in Tamil movies. Screenplay is fast paced and when the action gets to a high we have a nice number or comedy scene to take the heat off.

Vijay dons the role of a happy-go-lucky, sister loving, girlfriend fearing, charming village milkman during the first half. In the second he is the action packed superhero Velayudham. This movie definitely suits his style and I guess he has been quite comfortable in blending into the character.

Genelia has played her part with a lot of confidence. Hansika plays more of a third fiddle throughout the film - her presence is probably more for glamour (probably her character itself was an afterthought).

Saranya was a really good pick. She plays the chirpy sister role with gusto and makes her presence count.

The songs of the movie are already a big hit. In general the songs appeal to most of the audience. Santhanam has done a good job in the comedy role and even small time comedians and veterans who play short roles have chipped in nicely. As an afterthought I will say there are too many comedians in this movie.

Overall this movie is a good entertainer. Worth watching with family or friends.

Based on one of my favorite childhood comic books, comes one of the best ever animation motion pictures of this year. The Adventures of Tintin (2011) does a fine job in keeping the audience entertained while compromising a bit on the original story line.

Plot: The Secret of the Unicorn is not the first book in the Adventures of Tintin and neither was the character of Captain Haddock introduced in this book. But I am not complaining

The plot kicks off right from scene one where Tintin unsuspectingly buys a three-masted sailing ship. The floor is immediately set for an adventurous journey. Far too many people seem interested in buying the replica model which sets the young man thinking, that it may hold secrets to something very important.

An attempted murder, a car chase and a burglary later he is proved right. Only that the perpetrators of the crimes failed in their desperate attempt to get what they wanted – a piece of parchment hidden in the replica.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to the twins from the police force – Thomson and Thompson, who are in search of a notorious pick-pocket. They do manage to lay their hands on their target using an ingenious technique only to let him slip away (as you would expect from these comical characters)!

As soon as Tintin gets back home he is kidnapped. The rest of the story revolves around the journalist trying to escape from his captors, the introduction of Captain Haddock, the story behind the Unicorn and the secret treasure that lays at the bottom of the ocean floor. The hunt is on now… in earnest.

Special Effects: I watched the film in 3D and, to say the least, I was blown away – not by the 3D effects but rather by the Performance Capture technology. It was scintillating to see the visuals. It was hard to believe the world I saw on the big screen was virtual. The audio effects adds up to the amazing graphics and sets the mood for a fantastic adventure ride.

Be it the noise of pencil scribbling on paper or the pumped up car chases with everything getting blown away, every sound and frame stand out as perfect. This is definitely one of the best visual treats and, needless to say, was a pleasure to watch!

Cast and Performance: Any avid Tintin fan would stand up and applaud the choice for the cast. It was perfect in my opinion. Everything from their voice to their demeanor matched my imagination. It was as if the characters of Hergé had magically come to life! Definitely two thumbs up for the cast.

It would be interesting to lookout for the casting in the sequel(s) (hoping there are many more to come). Surely, interests for doing voice overs in this series will spike; its about to get crowded with the best in the business eager to pitch in somewhere.

Though being an animated film, I would still go ahead with the performance section of my review. Because you realize, while watching this film, that this is simply NOT cartoons on canvas – anything but that!

Jamie Bell as Tintin, Daniel Craig as Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thomson and Thompson all shine through quite easily and have been poignant in the rendition of their fictional characters. The others are not far behind by any means. The characters of lesser importance in the plot of the film, too, walk away with acknowledgment of a job well done.

But even out of this great cast, I am inclined to pick Andy Serkis rendering of the character of Haddock as the best. One will end up being mesmerized by the perfection that has gone to recreate THE most animated character in this comic book series.

Direction: You have moments of adventure, that of good humor (there are way too many characters to take care of this) and thankfully no drama. The film rolls on without any noticeable flaws. The performance extracted out of the characters, as I already mentioned, only add to the positives.

An average Tintin fan would expect nothing short of brilliance in direction. This is a Steven Spielberg film. PERIOD.

Read the full review at http://blog.nrajesh.com/review-the-adventures- of-tintin-2011

Plot: The film hinges on the final battle between death eaters and other wizards. Hogwarts is the center of all action. Death and destruction is no longer discussed in background. You literally see the beautiful castle, Hogsmeade and Gringotts being ripped apart and people die. Let me stop with that.

Special Effects: The film has been shot in 3D and, as with its prequels, the final episode boots really good CGI. Apparations, flying broomsticks, dragons, giants, slithering snakes, magic - everything is thrown at the audience in the two hour running time of the movie. And its all so beautifully interwoven that you end up applauding their physics rather than cringe thinking about their improbability.

Cast: The main stars need no introduction. I guess this series was blessed, for they managed to complete production of eight movies with almost the same cast as they began. So in order to review the casting I need to go back in time - I guess it is unnecessary. I do not think we are going to get a more fitting description of Harry or Ron or Hermione. The only gripe is that we get to see less of some favorite characters (like Hagrid for example).

Performance: The lead characters have done good. Not just in this movie but the entire series. Kudos to the kids who dared to spend the most crucial years of their lives to entertain us (yeah they definitely got a handsome pay in return) and have been keen to learn from day one to get their acting skills honed. Of the others I would always rate Alan Rickman's portrayal of the complex character of Snape as a cut above the rest - it was like a character written in the book come alive. Evanna Lynch also cast her character (of Luna Lovegood) with charm. Helena Bonham Carter will forever be remembered as the sneering Bellatrix Lestrange.

Read the full review at http://blog.nrajesh.com/review-deathly-hallows-2

Plot: Optimus is kicking every Decepticon's butt – as a Prime should! But it is sad that there was not that big a build up in terms of rivalry between the Decepticons and Autobots. Important characters like Bumblebee and (even) Optimus seem to get very little screen time.

Genre: It is a pure action film; and nearly two and half hours of it! Gets exasperating after a while; but a bunch of good looking Ferrari's and McLaren's save the day. The story definitely has loopholes – I didn't think for a minute it wouldn't; so no big surprises there.

Special effects (which is the reason why people go to a Michael Bay movie): 3D visuals was good awesome, I've got to admit it. The initial sequences of "clip pasting" from the past did not seem so realistic. In fact those first few screens seemed way too fast; as if the movie couldn't wait to get to the action mode.

Casting and performance: Somehow I NEVER really liked the mom-dad characters of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf); can do without them really. The new girl (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) is good looking, but doesn't really seem to perform that well esp. in the intense action sequences. LaBeouf does a good job – fighting (whenever armed) and screaming (when disarmed). He seems to have gotten used to his character! Overall, the casting of the movie was not that great and the characters never really seemed to connect emotionally. I felt it could have been better.

Read the full review at http://blog.nrajesh.com/review-transformers-3