ChrisTreborn's reviews

I am giving this movie a rare 10/10. Hats off to the makers to bring such SciFi subject in Hindi language without Bollywood cliches like"Filmy Dramas" "Dance Numbers" "Third rate Jokes". This is such a No Nonsense fictional movie that i wasn't expecting. Huge respect to John Abraham to pull it off in the Indian field. This movie is like watching a English Hollywood film, made by an A-list Hollywood Director. The cinematography, color grading, sound design, graphics are on high level. We are all waiting for the sequel.

Such a pathetic sequel to a great film. Why they even made for such an spoof take on a Masterpiece. This is totally a missed oppertunity. The story was so poorly written and the action sequence sucked. They even filmed the movie digitally, making video look throughout the film.

Just watched on it's OTT release, I must say, this is the only movie while I was watching made me to think the loss of theatrical relase experience.

The movie has it's downfall in the opening 20 min, but when it's on it's just a Wild Ride. I totally enjoyed every bit of it. It has action, but also great emotional elements to it. Yes the Time Travel, Sci-Fi reminds me of previous Hollywood movies, but this one put a signature stand on itself. Great loss if you miss this experience.

I would gave this movie 9/10!

Don't watch it, stupid boring time consuming pathetic movie. The lead actress looked like a dude cosplaying a girl, no effects, very lagging movie

After seeing Rock's last "Rampage" outing, I was charged for this movie. And this movie delivered what I was expecting. But it delivered a little over the top.

The script had great idea, and the filmmakers executed perfectly, but they should have toned it down a little bit. It would have been a great movie if the action standards should have treated realistically.

But end of the day, it was entertaining, just like in the 80's, 90's disaster action movies.

Minus Points- -After getting realistic action scenes, the director treats Rock as a Superhero character with superhuman DC/Marvel strength (yes he's an action star, but this is not the 80's Stallone Arnold era). -Unrealistic plot holes.

Plus points- The Rock himself, I think this is his first time he portraying a handicapped character.

'I' the Most eagerly awaited movie sucked big time. This is Such a big bad movie, I don't know what to say, I've wasted my money, my time. I hate myself for watching this piece of stupidity. I know this is Indian movies, should not be taken as seriously, but even the dance numbers and music videos in this movie were below average. I don't know why the film-makers wanted to make a film in this pathetic level.

The movie plot deals on a Virus named "I" and how it affects a male Supermodel's life. If you can digest graphic nature of the subject, plus she-male love triangle, and mediocre song numbers, give it a try on Shankar's "I". Anything good was from the surprise villain Suresh Gopi and Upen Patel (with his dubbed voice).

Watch out for the abundance of product-placement. Unlike any other Shankar movies which has stunning VFX Sequences, this movie doesn't break in any new ground. Even the movie posters sucked.

Too much destruction, Too much CGI,Poor dialog,Uninteresting story and characters. Maybe the director & studio wanted to outdone the standard put by Micheal Bay's TRANSFORMERS Films. Even the new Superman theme sucked, Hans Zimmer provided a lame score compared to his iconic theme for BATMAN.

Anything good was from Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent. And also the FIRST HALF with stunning VFX scenery. This is totally 70's Superman with steroids. Not a Reboot, just VFX mockery.

Yeah I'm done with Superman. Batman got the best reboot in cinematic history, I don't think anything can compare.

I give this movie 1 out of 10.

I don't know why Bollywood films are still producing soap opera based musicals in large scales. May be most of the population are poor, illiterate, religious and dumb or they don't have any access to international movies. Any way i happened to watch an advance screening of most hyped Bollywood movie 'JTHJ'. I must say one of the lame movies I watched in recent years. Not because it's 'boy meets girl' or 'pretty people fall in love' storyline, it was one of the craziest love triangle ever filmed in a Bollywood film. Story is simple, leading man stuck with his past, find it difficult to live in the present, reason his past, present relations, I can't reveal much more about the plot line in this spoiler free review. I must say this movie is for the ladies, or estrogen driven males, to enjoy this sort of enlarged melodramas. I have no problem with musicals, or recent twilight movies, but I don't think they deserve a good spot in realistic serious movies in worked cinema.

Anyway anything good in the movie was the visuals, camera works and some background scores. Also the actress and supporting girls tried their best to look surreal beautiful in every frames. And the leading man who looked so aged for the part, was so overacting, but wait it's a musical, and from Bollywood, so it's OK i think, good for a single watch.

I give this movie 2 out of 10.Sorry I am not a musical song dance number fan.

I watched this movie with nothing in my Mind. I got my 2hrs of amazing movie experience by watching this film. THIS MOVIE REALLY IS AN Oscar MATERIAL. I really think this movie truly deserves an Oscar (for it's simplicity, sub themes).

All the cast members really worked in this MASTERPIECE. It's truly a GEM. I really respect Adam Sandler for showing his versatile acting side also the leading lady Paz Vega. Even the child artist were perfect in each role. This movie is drama/ comedy...or a little Black comedy. But the bottom-line is "This movie really made my day".

This movie deals with self identity, family values which is extremely hard to see in today's world.

Too bad it didn't get nominated for the Academy Awards that year (but the irony is bad mediocre pathetic movies like SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, went for Oscars).

This is Hollywood's best. Too bad if you miss this WELL SPIRITED ONE. ( and I am not a typical movie viewer, or an average reviewer, I am a professional Film Editor/VFX artist who got real taste in SERIOUS cinemas, and I am saying this "SPANGLISH is a MASTERPIECE").

I give this movie 10 out of 10!

I got the chance to watch the special screening of this movie. And I don't want to reveal major storyline. In all ways it's a typical Indian mix. It got good songs, over the top action scenes and really bad SCI-FI storyline. Also the actors in this movie done a terrible work. But I think the Indian audience will only look for it's entertainment value. It got all ingredients for a mainstream movie. I think it will satisfy family and young audience alike. But today most of the "main stream" audience move away from gimmicky movies, this film has to prove itself in it's value, and it's uniqueness. I have to give credit to the director. He done a great job for assembling major talents, technicians for this project. Any way give it a try. Good for a single viewing experience.

I am not into dumb Musical movies, especially Bollywood ones and when I got the Chance for Special screening of Kites, I simply turned down. But I decided to give a try for it's International Version crafted by the XMEN 3 LAST STAND director Brett Ratner.

I expected a mediocre typical Bollywood Stupid Musical Dance movie, but this one broke the mold. This movie will be remembered as the Trendsetter of Hindi films in the International Grounds.

It is a Rollar Coaster film, but with a Heart. I don't want to spoil all the story but it reminds me some of the movies like Stallone/Sharon Stone's Specialist, Mr & Mrs Smith, Bonnie & Clyde, even a Hindi film Daud, but all those stands down in-front of Kites.

I don't know how the Hindi version would look like, how the conservative audience react to Kites. With some Intense Physical scenes and unique narration which really required for the story material, I think this movie is going to be a "Love It or Hate It" category.

The thing I don't like in this movie is the Love story itself, because it's too aimed for Female "Twilight" Audience who worships Romance. Other than that it's a Total Adrenaline movie, with great cast and good locations. The main leading man Hrithik Roshan I think is a well trained actor, with great physique and fight/dance abilities. This could be his "Enter The Dragon" in Hollywood.

Also I have to give credit for Brett Ratner for his experimental Remixed version for the Movie. With no Reshoots, just with the Original and unused material he made the perfect Crossover Product for an Asian film. By hiring composer Graeme Revell the movie got a new dimension and a fresh soul. The action scores and emotional themes heard in the movie were so brilliant, it definitely going to be Graeme Revell's best work after Daredevil and Freddy vs. Jason.

My recommendation only watch the International Cut. It's more cooler, edgy and Real. It is much shorter than the Asian version I heard and much stylish. Also it got no Dumb Song dance numbers (except the last one, which was done brilliantly by lead actor Hrithik Roshan).

Anyway I give this movie 9 out of 10.

Kites = The Next Level

First of all I am a great fan of James Cameron, and I went to see this movie with great expectation. But very sorry to say that, what I got was a total pathetic version of mediocre VFX-LOVE-DRAMA-STRUGGLE movie.

When I am writing this comment, all those great memories coming into my mind, that first Script Treatment for Avatar I read from the Internet years ago. All those images and there happenings in the script envisioned, went totally upside down when it was finally filmed.

Set in the future 2154 the story starts with a man named Jake Sully a paraplegic former marine, who lost his twin brother and arrives on planet/moon Pandora to replace his brother's assignment in the Avatar program. What is an Avatar? Basically the term taken from Hindu Religion which means incarnation of one of the Hindu Gods taking a flesh form. But in the movie it stands for injecting a human's intelligence into another remotely located biological body.

IE, On Pandora the superior life forms (much like humans) are called Na'vis very tall, lean, blue skinned, big eyed creatures with tails. Since humans cannot breathe Pandora's atmosphere, scientists have created human-na'vi hybrid bodies called Avatars. So they may easily interact with the na'vi and na'vi address them as Dream-walkers.Things went wrong when Jake took his Avatar form in a much more emotional level.

As a VFX student/artist myself, yes Cameron done a great work. It's the first time the Notorious "Uncanny Valley" effect (A viewer intelligence to find unrealistic human characteristics in a CGI Object)failed in the big Screen. The VFX characters never looked so realistic or more precisely looked "PEOPLE in BLUE RUBBER MASK". Total achievement in Visual Effects standard point, the Sound editing, Animation, perfect in all sense. Even tough, personally I think the main character design of Na'vi's looked pathetic, especially that blue color, but hey it's Cameron's favorite color tone.

But the problem in the Avatar is the whole story, JC worked so much in this project for years, but he lost in polishing it, mainly because he concentrated his energy on the VFX side and it can be seen in the whole picture. The major movements in the movie made me Deja Vu, especially that romantic pairs Forest scenes directly taken from Major Walt Disney Animated movies like TARZAN, SPIRIT STALLION OF THE CIMARRON and exactly from FERNGULLY THE LAST RAINFOREST.

And let face it, Cameron is not good at Sissy girly melodrama stuffs so we find mediocre weak dialog, awkward love scenes through out the movie, and I can understand that he's a SCIFI LEGEND not a Woody Allen! ( In Terminator he got help from his uncredited co-writer William Wisher for Sarah Conner's dialog.) If he had left off the romantic angle the movie could have been much better, or may be he just added to make it more DRAMATIC. But the whole story suffered a "WALT Disney Taste" because of that.

Also the music by James Horner was annoying especially in the humor scenes, it sounded stupid and lame. Cameron should choose some one with more integrity and soul like Hans Zimmmer or James Howard Newton. The war cue and the main theme is so forgettable, he should have given his dream project to his usual collaborator Brad Fiedel.

And the cast assembled for this movie was so bad especially the main lead actor Sam Worthington with his dumb voice accent and screen presence I wish to crush my 3D glass. Cameron should give chances to black actors. Anything came good was from Giovanni Ribisi as the aggressive corporate administrator with less screen time. And also Zoe Saldana was interesting with the "ACTOR DRIVEN PERFORMANCE", also must give credits to the animators and VFX crew.

But the most threatening shot I found in this VFX Glowed movie was Sam Worthington realistic poliomyelitis legs done in CGI/Prosthetic practical FX. The Less FX is Much enough, Cameron should know that Rule and should never go to the roots of George Lucas. And I must say the whole Three D experience was not good as I expected, I should have went for the normal theater, this one hurt my eyes and enjoyment.

All in all this is not the Avatar I anticipated, I imagined a far more a intriguing vision from the Terminator Director. What I got was a James Cameron's Mockery of Walt Disney movies. You will enjoy it if you are new to Hollywood Epics, but as an experienced movie watcher I give this movie 3 out of 10.

Only because 1) James Cameron directed THE ABYSS! 2) James Cameron directed TERMINATOR!! 3) James Cameron directed TITANIC!!!

Avatar = Walt Disney Movies on Steroids.

First of all I had no idea about this movie, it's actors (most of them are unknown to me), director and writers. It aired one day on HBO and I watched it giving up that day's class. This movie is that cool and funny.

Story of two brothers (who are so close and not matured as a normal adult), teaming for good cause for making a Grandchild for their dying father. It's so cool and well written, we lost ourselves in each frames. I highly recommend this to any viewers (females are exception!) seeking for some decent jokes. It's not a rude awkward comedy we usually gets from Farrelly Brothers or Mediocre Spoof movies which usually stands for racial stereotypes homosexual humors and slap stick comedies.

This movie is a GEM!

I give this movie 10 out of 10!

Last month late night I happened to watch two hour special of this series. I thought it's a usual "Average Joe Underdog" Story, the opening got similarities to the Jon Favreau/Vince Vaughn's movie "Swingers". But it turned out to the best Pilot episode I watched recently.

Story of Hank Lawson(Mark Feuerstein) dumped by fiancée, forced to move on with the help of his best buddy/brother Evan Lawson (Paulo Costanzo). To get over the bad things Evan made him to party crash which was held by high class people and on that party Hank saves the life of a supermodel. The event led to another and he becomes the reluctant "Private Physician" to the rich and famous.

With a good cast and great locations, this serial really blends CSI with Glamor. As a great fan of Discovery channel "Medical Detectives" and AXN "CSI", this serial takes a new turn on Information integrated Entertainment. It got the lot of subplots Work, Family, Medicine, Glamor, Wealthy, Hot Girls, This SERIAL IS GOING TO STAY.

Of course, the success of the show depends on it's long run and I wish the writers will come up with Great Enriched Ideas. What the Wealthy celebrities are into, other medical outlooks. And I am total sure this serial is going to be a success and it wins where "Dr. House" failed.

I give this one 10/10.

Royal Pains = Guilty pleasure's another side.

Yes and this is not a TERMINATOR movie, what if all that Cybernetic Computers take over the world. A "Down to earth version" of that scenario is D.J. Caruso directed Eagle Eye.

Originally taken from the idea of Isaac Asimov's short story "All the Troubles of the World " DreamWorks brings Eagle Eye penned by writers John Glenn, Travis Wright, Hillary Seitz, and Dan McDermott.

It got good story, good execution, a little plot holes but all in all it's a GOOD Sci-Fi Realistic movie. But the problem is the terrible Female lead played by Michelle Monaghan. She ruined everything what the movie originally intended for. A good suspense film reduced to a "Single Mother/Working Woman's Heroic struggle" movie - with a young lad as a Sidekick.

A real bad casting for the movie. If she had remained away from the movie I would definitely give this movie 10 out of 10. But instead I go for a 3! Only because,

1)Shia LaBeouf - his brilliant take of an identical twin who lost the other half, out running the performance of Rachel Weisz in a similar situation from the movie Constantine .

2)D.J. Caruso - The 'Disturbia' Director for adding a different suspense tone to an ordinary SCI-FI Action movie. A subject which was vastly covered in the movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stealth, I Robot, Terminator 1-2 and so on.

3)Steven Spielberg - for NOT DIRECTING THIS MOVIE!

Eagle Eye = Good for a "SINGLE" Watch.

Oh hi, This is my first day of my November and all the good things happened in my life occurred in this month, I wanted to start and celebrate it by watching a BIG THING, thus I witnessed Micheal JACKSON'S (ie NOC-01-2009 01:00pm)THIS IS IT . And in a one-liner I'll say it's a RAW CUT version without any sweetener.

After a large fall the KING OF POP decided to make a GREAT COMEBACK with a concert named THIS IS IT, but due to faith or destiny he died without fulfilling it. This film shows the final days he spent on that concert with his rehearsals both on stage and behind the scenes.

Directed by Kenny Ortega who designed the original concert, failed to capture MJ's final performance for the screen. As the viewers expected we see MJ good dance numbers, the new assembled dance members, the new musicians (but miss to see an UNHEALTHY JACKSON, which strongly favors the argument that producers used BODYDOUBLES)and nothing more.

The problem with this film is, it just flat, no characters, no narrations, no developments. Just badly edited, badly photographed, and badly MANIPULATED. It just a Tele-play of some urban dancers and their warming up.

Even WWE promos looked better than this. I thought this film will milk the audience by Manipulating his memories with the actual unseen footage, but no, none of that happened, it just a flat cut.

The opening sequence shows sneak interviews with the dancers who auditioned for MJ's concert. (WOW, I though OK cool, they are going for ARNOLD'S PUMPING IRON DOCUMENTARY Take, by describing from DANCERS /PARTICIPANTS point of view, Showing how MJ planned the concert, how is executed and how he left off) BUT when the movie pickups from their it just reduced into mediocre DVD EXTRA feature which was done by a 10 year old. (even a 10 year old can do better!)

A bad setback to a TRUE FAN, or a NON-AVERAGE-FAN like me. Even at some point I doubt that the filmmakers used BODY DOUBLES for creating dramatic points for the movie. Especially opening sequence where MJ sat with director Kenny Ortega for selecting the dancers, and the much more elaborate dance sequence for THRILLER, which shows a different body-language MJ. Using Harsh Back ground Lights covering Jackson's face, edited with original Jackson footage I think the producers really want to polish his last performance, but the outcome was simply pathetic.

They should have at least seen the WWE produced homage videos, even with single photograph how they capture the emotions of their long lost WRESTLERS.I remember some of my friends tried to get off the cinemas because of the lagging coverage of the movies. Even the screen aspect ratio seemed so small that it's like watching some 70's PROJECTOR porn video. This documentary or Docu-DRAMA sucked a lot, because of it's bad quality and bad execution.

Anything good was , hmmm... no, there is nothing good in this movie except it's TRAILER, and the hype it made. This movie got all the awkward movements like MJ infamous PRIVATE AREA touching pose rehearsed by his fellow dancers, and we miss SLASH the guitarist, in-place it's a WHITE BLOND WOMAN (yeah like us, Jackson loved WHITE TRASH). Above all they forgot to add HIS Signature MOONWALK, sorry I don't know why the PRODUCERS left that in a hurry.

Yeah it's a documentary, but what I got was Kenny Ortega's RAW CUT version prepared in 8 hours with no essential score or subtitles cards. May be a DIE HARD fan should reedit this whole mess with new presentation and release it on YOUTUBE.

I gave this one 3 out of 10.

Am a great fan of Sci-Fi, ACTION, COMIC BOOK and even ART film adaptations, I got lot of expectations from this movie, after all it was marketed as another SCIFi comic book flick. And it's a product of Summit Entertainment which stands for young blood interest movies.

But when I watched this, it turn out to be an off beat film with a stupid plot. The actors were good especially Leading man Chris Evans and the child actress Dakota. With limited action sequence, music, bad locations ,and a stupid story line; this so called "HEROES" adaption turn out to be the worst movie of 2009 after XO: Wolverine.

It's all because of the bad direction of Paul McGuigan. A CGI hater director,what he intended was a "Chris Nolan take for X-men" and what he made was a mediocre live action Anime movie, which is stupid by the way. I was expecting a good fight sequence of Chris on the street of Hong Kong, a good CGI X-men sequence but none was seen in the movie. Summit Entertainment please don't make a sequel if he's in charge again.

Anything good in this movie is the Camera works, which was done brilliantly and the interior art directions. Those color patterns and lightnings totally took the show. Also, did I mentioned Chris Evans' Black Shirt he wore in that climax, totally awesome, I would like to have one of those.

Better watch the trailers and posters, don't waste your precious 2 hours.