Review: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

It isn't definitely the best movie of 2012 till date but it is not far from it either. I know it sounds confusing but that is how you are left with when you want to decide how the movie is.

Christopher Nolan, probably an upcoming legend, has masterfully created the end of the series in The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR) so that the fans do not get upset. However, if it wasn't for the way certain scenes were shot or if it wasn't for Tom Hardy or even Hans Zimmer, TDKR would have been a serious letdown.

Most of the premiere/first day watchers went gaga about TDKR in the social networks which naturally and intentionally yet unintentionally created a hype. A hype which took the expectations to another level because after The Dark Knight, Nolan gave a different and dark dimension to a comic book series. I knew if I went in with the same high, I wouldn't get satisfied. So I chose to see an average flick.

Hans Zimmer's music was THE thing that made a difference. Even though, at most places it was just the looped score running, it pumped up the adrenaline and took you to the edge of the seat. The "Deshi Deshi..Basarah Basarah" (meaning of which is explained in the movie) was made heard in all frames. It sure brought Goosebumps.

Tom Hardy, one of the many Inception artistes who make a comeback in TDKR, also adds weight to the difference. His voice, which was supposedly made unhearable only to bring audiences back to the theatres, was very clear whenever he addressed the public. A wanted initiative maybe. He plays Bane, the toughest opponent of Batman till date. He's muscular and scary, scary enough for Batman to fear.

The one thing which I never understand why is that characters who know to converse well in English start by speaking in some random language and then towards the end of the movie switch to english all of a sudden just to energize the  hero. Please make me understand why.

The movie's got most of the navarasas of cinema. There is plenty of drama and emotions.

Few minutes into the movie and you ask yourself, "Did I pay so much to watch this?" and that is precisely when Nolan starts answering your question. At the end of the movie, you get bowled over by his narration of the end of the Batman saga. There could not be a better and fitting end to this version of Bruce Wayne.

There are many impossible situations and sequences but since it is a superhero (like) movie, you can overlook them but no one makes a perfect movie, come on!

Marion Cotillard is deadly and hot. Coming from her eccentric role in Inception, a welcome change in TDKR is enough to entice you. Anne Hathaway is stylish as catwoman. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine support Bale throughout just like in the previous installements. Gary Oldman does a decent job too.

Christopher Nolan's Inception could be called one of the best movies he's made but definitely not TDKR, even TDK but not TDKR. No.

Somewhere, and also as my friend quoted, the ending seemed like Angels and Demons. I know it is difficult to agree. But even in a different perpective, the ending was quite predictable. No innovation here. It does lead to an anti-climax. But it does makes you say "Wow" when the credits start rolling out.

A long movie this, but for Nolan fans it is nothing new. It grips you to your seat, yes but not always. Nothing that could be made different. It is after all Nolan's cinema and I'm sure there is a reason for everything. Watch TDKR and get baffled. Watch the legend come to an end.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Dark Knight Rises: And falls!

Review: Cocktail (2012)

With a tantalizing title "Cocktail" is an amazing mix of fun, party, emotions and love and connecting each of them is a web spun by Director Homi Adajania.

Cocktail is a spicy concoction of three lead actors. Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone are funny and so natural (not expected generally). New face Diany Penty amazed me. She is cute and her subtle expressions are cuter. I'm not quite sure about her future but the "Meera" in Cocktail impressed and emotionally touched me.

From the trailers and promos, we see 3 friends who have fun in a foreign location and Saif (Gautam) making out with both the lead ladies.

The plot of Cocktail is not that simple. It somehow connects every viewer with some instance in their life.

The Cinematography was just brilliant. Superb colour and lighting. The background score from Salm-Sulaiman was decent and gelled with the visuals so nicely. Pritam's music was surprisingly foot tapping and hummable.

Melodramatic scenes were touching and Sreekar Prasad's editing carried the movie at a fair pace. Not too many unwanted scenes. Cocktail right from the start to finish is a drink which is naughty and then turns spicy and finally ends sour. By the time you finish the drink, you are in love with it and would want to revisit it sometime later.

Boman Irani and Dimple Kapadia are seriously legends. Performance wise Deepika is awesome and hotness wise..umm..I admit..She is Hotttt..but only in this movie. Diana delivers a mellow performance as her character asks for. Randeep Hooda chips in a small portion and does it well. Saif is unexpectedly fun and he plays his character with ease. Looked like this was written specially for him.

While the first half was super cool, the second half was serious but it was spellbinding. It gripped me as I continued to watch the movie..sometimes controlling my tears.

Watch Cocktail for its spicy story and watch it for the lead actors. I'm sure you'll love it.

Rating: 3/5

Cocktail: Gets you 'high'!

(P.S. I'm emotionally sensitive, so i love such movies)

Review: Billa II (2012)

If you ask someone to watch Micheal Corleone's history, it definitely is an offer you can't refuse but would you be interested to watch David Billa's history? Read on to find your answer...

For an unconventional tamil movie of 2 hour runtime, Billa II's first half is slow and its second part even slower. There is not one cheerful moment in this installment.

By the time the explosions and fight sequences come and enlighten you, you are half dead or probably dozing off.

Supposedly the plot takes place in the 1980s and of course Chakri Toleti, the director has made sure that the sets match the timeline but again no one is perfect. There seem to exist modern houseboats and modern parties with ladies wearing clothes of the future. For me, it was a serious let down. And to support it, stupid mixes of languages, both Russian and Hindi. When someone can converse in English, then why the need of Russian and to top it, a Russian-tamilian transalator.

For a movie which had a lot of potential, Chakri Toleti's Billa II fails to entertain. In fact, there is not much style too. I was ready enough to let go of the substance but Ajith's trademark style was missing. Too many unwanted slow-mos spoilt the already slow paced screenplay.

If you thought the trailers were amazing, well they were but they were only leading to something passable. Yes, Billa II is something you can miss.

Parvathy Omanakuttan's inclusion is a total turn-off. Not only can she do a proper lip sync she also can't move her lips when her dubbing artist is saying something. The "hot" ladies in the song "Edho..Mayakkam" were better in all terms than the 2 so-called lead ladies. Bruna Abdullah did

nothing except gaze at Ajith and hug him a thousand times.

Vidyut Jamwal, already famous in Tollywood and Bollywood, plays a Russian goonda for whom "business" is dealing arms. He has a hot assisstant though.

Sudhanshu Pandey's pathetic tamil accent is a serious turn-off. Though, he seems to be turned on by Ajith's belly "bouncing" in Edho oru Mayakkam's "Bounce..Bounce..Bounce with me" chorus. (This song was one of the best moments in the movie)

Yuvan's music is below average. Every time there is a romantic tune, it starts off with a piece which reminds me of "Cadbury" Ad. Background music was okayish. Not striking the right chord.

Billa 2 could have been more shorter (and better) if the songs were removed and the video frames per second (fps) increased.

The only positive about the movie is R.D. Rajashekar's cinematography. Amazing visuals in Edho oru mayakkam and the climax stunt sequence. *Take a Bow* RD.

The awesome punchline that we see in the trailer "En vazhkai la ovvoru naalum...." fails to gather any cheers as the viewer is confused as to why this dialogue is actually rendered by Ajith.

You can actually see a knife kept comfortably in a fake blood sack in the first scene of the movie. Easy for Ajith to take it out (like Sinbad) and just go on a killing spree. Such letdowns....hmph..

All in all, Chakri Toleti's Billa 2 fails to deliver. It does step up in the way blood sprays out in fight sequences. But there is no style and no substance. What else can a movie entertain us with?

Rating: 2/5

P.S. I'm being lenient here.

Billa II: Yawn!

Review: The Amazing Spiderman (2012)

Definitely not an untold story, but Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spiderman" sure shows us the unseen side of Spiderman.

When "Hulk" released in 2003, Universal Studios took 5 years to make "The Incredible Hulk" which was a decent watch. Similarly after 10 years, but this time the same production house which made the previous series comes up with "The Amazing Spiderman" which is definitely better than the original (atleast to me). Wondering when will another adjective be added to another Marvel superhero and be remade and retold.

There is no sizzling hot MJ here, instead we have Gwen Stacy, the Captain's (captain of what? A police officer) daughter. Peter Parker meets Gwen and then there is Love.

Andrew Garfield is amazing. He gets into the skin of the character (Easy for him since he's already skinny) and plays the crazy side of Peter Parker awesomely. He's funny and witty and that makes him special. "The Social Network" too offered him a different role which he played almost silently.

Music by James Horner (the orchestrator for Titanic, Avatar, Braveheart, etc.) is just okay. There were some abriupt Grand Piano tones here and there.

Cinematography was excellent. That too for a superhero who partly travels in the air and partly on land, the camera too needs to be creative and it is. Thanks to the man who also gave us Armageddon and Pearl Harbor.

Martin Sheen and Saly Field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May come up with decent performances but not better than Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris (in the previous series).

Irrfan Khan does a cameo and gets away with it without being noticed.

Rhys Ilfans delivers a good performance both as a one handed scientist and as a lizard.

There are a lot of commercial elements to it. Lot of scenes probably inspired from Bollywood. (Even the action and emotional scenes, mind it)

"The Amazing Spiderman" is funny. (Funnier than most Ben Stiller movies..)

I would aptly call the movie as "Spiderman: The Amazing Kiss" rather than its current title for that scene still holding a lot of space in my mind hours after exiting the theatre. (What an Idea, Sirjee)

All in all, an awesome entertainer and Marc Webb has spun his magic and the result can be seen in 3-D on screen. Watch it soon!


Rating: 3.5/5

The Amazing Spiderman:"Desi Spiderman"

(P.S. If you know what i mean)