Review: Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides (2011)

Jack Sparrow is back with the fourth installment of the famous pirates series. He is perhaps the only reason why POTC is still worth watching. Although this chapter is easier to understand, it lacks what the first 3 had to offer. Obviously - Orlando bloom and Kiera Knightley are missing and Penelope doesn't help soothe the eyes. The 'babe' factor is perhaps compensated by the addition of mermaids. Some of them are really cute.

Storywise, it is simple. Everyone is after the same destination - the fountain of youth. It is how each party reaches there and uses the resources that forms the crux of the script.

Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is at his best and starts off the movie with his amusing heroics. He does his part well - keeping the viewer glued to the seats and sprouting a few laughs here and there. It’s the Depp factor that’s undoubtedly the biggest draw. His flamboyant turn as Captain Jack Sparrow transformed him to a blockbusting superstar.

Visual effects looked stunning in 3D - perhaps another reason to watch the movie - a good decision to shoot the movie in 3D.

Music by the legend Hans Zimmer was L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y. It kept the viewer awake through the whole movie. Camera work was brilliant with some amazing shots with the locations ranging from dense forests to underwater.

The climax passes by without the viewer realizing it. That was one of the main negative points of the movie. When the film got exciting, it got too late.

So watch Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides for three reasons - 1) Jack Sparrow 2) 3D Experience and 3) Hans Zimmer but for them it is an average affair and worthy to be missed.





Rating: 2.5/5


POTC4-On Stranger Tides : Not 'tidy' enough!

Review: Dum Maaro Dum (2011)

First, let me describe the situation. Our end semester (Read: Final exams of B.Tech life) exams are going on and we all plan to watch this movie on the eve of the last exam. We hop on our respective rides and race to the theatre in the outskirts of the city. Rest is history..

'Dum Maaro Dum' - Been waiting for this movie ever since the trailer was shown months back. And the wait has been fruitful..

Fox star studios in collaboration with Ramesh Sippy entertainment bring you a creative and stylish bollywood flick which is sure to be a trendsetter. The editing is slick, the camera work is godly and the dialogues even more brilliant.
Rohan Sippy has created a brand for himself and his crew Amit Roy (Camera) and Aarif Shaikh (Editing) have recreated his dream and have given 'life' to it.

Dum Maaro Dum is simply a 'tough cop catching the wrong doers' flick but told in a way that is sure to woo the audience. Its fast paced screenplay in the start pumps up the adrenaline and makes you crave for more just when it slows down drastically as though there is some fault with the engine. But the progresses with the same slow pace till the pre-climax when you are introduced to a staggering climax and the viewer is awestruck because all the guessing is termed wrong.

Acting wise, Abhishek Bachchan as Kamath stands apart. All others give a decent performance. Aditya Pancholi (as Biscuit) fails to impress as an antagonist. Rana Daggubati comes up with a pretty good performance and is sure to capture the hearts of girls who have the T-D-H syndrome.

Story by Shridhar Raghavan is wafer thin but the editing, screenplay and camera weave their magic to sustain the thrills and chills (Read: chillies, chicks, steam, super hot) on screen.

Songs are already chartbusters and thanks to the choreographers, they look good on the screen also. Pritam has done a decent job.
Background score by Midival Punditz is riveting at most places but is also monotonous at a few places.

On the whole, Rohan Sippy has come up with a cracker of a movie. It has its own flaws both in the story and in the technical aspects but Dum Maaro Dum is definitely 'not' to be missed.


Rating: 3.5/5


'Dum Maaro Dum' - Class Stuff!


(P.S. This review was written and posted hours before the final exam)

Review: Nadunisi Naaygal (2011)

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Gautham Vasudev Menon, the director who brought us breezy romantic entertainers like Minnale and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya and also gave a new definition to tamil crime/thrillers with Kaakha Kaakha and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyadu is back but this time around he gives us a dark thriller which tamil cinema or probably even Indian cinema has never experienced.

“Nadunisi Naaygal” is a movie about a normal boy who turns into a psychopath following a very disturbed childhood.

The movie doesn’t boast around with strong background music nor does it feature any songs to disrupt the pace of the movie. It gives the viewer a feeling of involvement as in the scenes happening in and around them. It throws to light a very important social phenomenon which often goes unattended.

The protagonist (Veera Bahu) suffers from schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder combined. After watching his performance, no one can actually believe that he is first timer. Such class and finesse!

Swapna Abraham as Meenakshi renders a spectular performance.

Sameera Reddy, Samantha, Ashwin Kakumanu and Deva come up with decent performances.

Editing by Antony is slick and cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa is simply superb.

Gautham Menon has brought about a new genre in tamil cinema. The story telling is new, the story is new. Its crude (as in crude oil) and rude yet it shook me for it is a true story.

Go watch the movie. It is strictly for people who are bored from the clichéd commercial flicks. Now that Kollywood is changing colors through the recent thrillers from young guns, Gautham Menon’s ‘Nadunisi Naaygal’ raises the bar even higher. You start to wonder – where’d been such talent all this while!

Rating: 3/5

Nadunisi Naaygal - Goosebumps!

Review: Dhobi Ghat (2011)

From the stable of 'Lagaan' and 'Peepli Live', comes 'Dhobi Ghat' (subtitled Mumbai Diaries). Writer-Direcor and wife of Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao takes bollywood for a spin churning out a subtle, urbane documentary of people entering Mumbai.

There is nothing much to look in for a particular storyline as the viewer is confused when the credits start rolling. 'That's all?' is the question that pops up.

Thanks to the internet, i got to watch the movie at home in my mini-home theatre.

Although, the movie lacked something right from the start, the 'just' sight of every frame creates ripples in the viewer's thoughts as they've been shot keeping the minute and intricate details in mind. There are no flaws whatsoever.

Kiran Rao has written the character's after a lot of research and nowhere can you find the stamp of an amateur. Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat is on par with the finest movies of bollywood, even India on the whole.

Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra, Kriti Malhotra and Aamir Khan come up with 'gape open' and legendary performances that you start to wonder - India too has talent.

The background music is soft, never makes an attempt to shatter your ears. Most part of the movie has natural sounds. Editing is slick and Cinematography is still. Not much of movement but live scenes have been shot well.

Just like the movie, let the review be kept short. Dhobi Ghat is a movie that has stood apart from the bollywood trend and is a brave first attempt from Kiran Rao. Watch out for her future endeavours, she sure does have substance.

Though there is no satisfaction from the viewer's end, one must appreciate the work of this amateur.


Rating: 3/5


Dhobi Ghat: Not 'fully' washed!

Review: Kaavalan (2011)

The 'Friends' trio is back with 'Kaavalan'. Only this time with more of rom-com and a tinge of commercial elements. Kaavalan is an emotional drama and is sure to keep vijay fans and the general movie goer alive and fresh.

The movie starts off on a letdown-ish note with some stupid fights and awkward dance steps for the folk song. The first 15-20 minutes resembles 'almost' previous vijay flicks. But as soon as these annoying minutes are over, the visuals are bang on target. Siddique has portrayed a 'different' vijay. A 'vijay' which we all would have seen a decade ago and forgotten but the only difference lies in his 'backward ageing' and his cool charisma which is sure to woo the lady folk and some men too. (:P)

I don't think i'll be letting off the story because of 2 reasons. One that there is nothing special and the other that there are pretty decent twists and turns.

Vijay is back in his chocolate boy image. The college lover. His comic timings are laughable and his stints with vadivelu sure sprouted both silent and gape open laughs.

Asin looks homely in most parts of the movie and super hot in the few other parts. Her over make-up sometimes spoils the mood. She has acted well and her performance otherwise is laudable.

The most talked about 'Vijay-Asin' chemistry was missing as quoted by many critics and viewers. But that is definitely not a negative point and its absence had a meaning. Watch the movie to know more.

Raj Kiran, Roja and Mithra Kurian do their parts well although i felt 'Nizhalgal' Ravi and 'Delhi' Ganesan were underplayed. But there is a reason for this, there was no space for too many characters. Siddique has given enough treatment to the story and it is Vijay who rules. His screen presence is just amazing.

The costumes department has surely made Vijay look a lot better than his previous flicks. He looks handsome and stunning.

The movie definitely needed lot many cuts. Too many unwanted scenes spoilt the actor's charisma. If Kaavalan went under proper scissors, the movie would easily be declared the 'Movie of the year' for it being a perfect recipie made out of specially treated ingredients.

Vidyasagar's music is simply mesmerizing. His melody tunes are simply superb. The background score in action sequences were noisy yet astounding.

Although there are a few loopholes in the story, the movie ends with an intriguing and emotionally gripping climax, one of the best in recent times. Hats off to the director.

Director Siddique has made an attempt to break free Vijay from the shackles of illogical and dumb commercial cinema and the attempt is 'near' perfect yet successful. There sure are a lot of changes in the actor and Kaavalan is definitely not a usual Vijay flick.

Watch it! Not for a different tamil film but for a different vijay film. Vijay is back to Acting. ( :) :D)



Rating: 3/5


Kaavalan - 'Some'thing Different!

Review: 127 Hours (2010)

Here is my 60th post!

Academy Award Winner Danny Boyle's adaptation of Aron Ralston's real life story is 127 Hours. A truly inspirational and mesmerizing movie. Definitely not better than Inception but doesn't fail to raise awe either.

127 Hours is the true story of a canyoneer Aron Ralston's, brilliantly portrayed by James Franco, remarkable adventure in saving himself after he traps himself in an isolated canyon in Utah. The title signifies the amount of time he's been trapped in the canyon with his hand stuck under a boulder. Watch the movie to experience the adventure.

Danny Boyle has a vision, a wide 360 degree panoramic vision. Never seen any director give so much importance to minute details. 127 hours has a stylish narration, something totally different from what the oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire had to offer. Danny Boyle's style of story telling has changes. 127 hours is a complete new experience.

The movie is centrally based on a single character and the ways he takes to survive and save himself. Since the story is true, some of the methods adopted by the protagonist makes the viewer shed tears and literally feel the pain.

James Franco has done a fantastic job. Danny Boyle has the squeezed the acting out of him. But to such a story, one had to do justice and James Franco does it with ease.

Cinematography by Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle is utter brilliance. Music by A.R.Rahman is divine and also gives an Indian touch to the movie in a few places.

Although i could find minor mistakes, especially with the shadows (they haven't been mastered properly in a few places) , 127 Hours is a dark and an emotional adventure brilliantly treated by Danny Boyle. Hope it wins him an oscar this time too. Kudos and All the best to him!


Rating: 3.5/5


127 Hours - Brilliance!

Review: Man-Madan-Ambu (2010)

'Universal Hero' Kamal Hassan's short term flick Man-Madan-Ambu had arrived a week back and is here to stay in the viewer's minds. A heads up for all those who still haven't watched the movie, it is not a comedy movie and is nowhere close to 'Panchathantitram' in terms of comedy but equals 75% of its entertainment value.

Though drawing inspiration from 'Emotional Atyachaar' and other infidelity cases, Man-Madan-Ambu is a romantic drama set in lovely locations including venice, barcelona, kodaikanal to name a few. It thrills and chills with its subtle plot twists.

The movie starts off on a rather sober note with things going too slowly but as Kamal enters the frame, every moment is CLASS. He doesn't fail to entertain. He has his own comedy dialogues told in a way pertaining to the sadness of the character.

Trisha has acted so brilliantly and also dubbed her own voice. She looks stunning and her mere presence seems so suave.

Madhavan's character did not have any scope for acting but he does well. Sangeetha's local voice is sometimes cacophonous but her dialogues had some good comedy moments.

Oorvasi and Ramesh Arvind play touchy roles. Especially Ramesh Arvind, never seen him getting down to the skin of the character. Real class.

Kamal's screenplay was sluggish at places but later it compensated churning out a good movie although the plot was debatable.

My favourite song 'Neela Vaanam' was picturised beautifully. Something that was never seen before in Indian Cinema. A different choreography and camera work. Whose ever brainchild it was, kudos to you!

The movie makes you cry, LOL but definitely not ROFL like Kamal's earlier Panchathantiram, PKS and Vasoolraja did.

The quantities of romance, comedy and thrill was apt for a breezy entertainer.

All in all, Man-Madan-Ambu definitely deserves a one time watch. Do not miss it.


Rating: 3/5


Man-Madan-Ambu: Touchy and Classy!

Review: Mirch (2010)

Writer-Director Vinay Shukla's Mirch is fascinating. The movie's pace is fast and it keeps you asking for more.

When i first watched the trailer, i gaped at the steamy scenes and was startled that such movies make it to the big screen. But when i sat to down to watch the movie, with all great expectations, i was in for a surprise. Of course, the scenes in the trailer were there in the movie, but that wasn't all. The viewer is taken on a ride with a good dose of thrills and chills.

The Indian film industry seems to be getting inspired from UTV Bindass' Emotional Atyachaar, a lot these days with many movies coming up on infidelity. Though Mirch is on the same lines, it is also slightly different.

It is definitely not an ordinary adult movie. It is just like those chicks you come across with both beauty and brain. An all in one stuff. A definite must watch.

Upcoming actor Arunoday Singh plays the protagonist and performs well. He is lucky to share the steamy screen space with two hot 'bong' chicks, viz. Konkana Sen Sharma and Raima Sen.

His acting is par excellence and the guy has some future in the industry.

Konkana Sen plays her usual best. She gets to the bottom of the character and plays it with ease. Raima Sen, on the other hand, has shown some grit and has come up with an laudable performance.

Boman Irani, the legend, does his part well. He will definitely remain one of my most unforgettable actors in India or say even the world.

Ila Arun, Prem Chopra and others come up with decent portrayals of their characters.

All-in-all, Vinay Shukla's Mirch is fantabulous and a movie to cherish. It was a thorough entertainer. On the personal side, i saw my future in Vinay Shukla. If, sometime in the future, i get to make a movie, it will definitely be in the lines of Mirch. Hats off, Vinay Shukla!

Rating: 3.5/5

Mirch : Spicy Hot!!!

Review: Raktacharitra (2010)

Ram Gopal Varma's 'Raktacharitra' is an out and out gory and violent film. Seemingly better than his recent attempts, Rakthcharitra is spellbinding and exciting.

You see a vengeful and raging Prakash (Vivek Oberoi) growing into a hero of the masses. RGV shows you the politics, 'goonda raj' in a place called Anantapur in AP and also the many different ways a person can be killed using brain, brawn and other utensils.

The story starts cliched as one of the party members starts feeling jealous about another lower caste man who grows higher and faster in the party leader's eyes. Thus, he arouses a misunderstanding between them and that further leads to bloodshed and killing and finally ends with a personal vendetta coming out successfully.

RGV captures this thrilling drama in his trademark style, only that blood is given more importance. The background music does the trick, you feel the energy in every swoosh of the weapon, you get angry when something unlawful happens to the innocent and you feel extremely happy when the people get the treatment they need.

Raktacharitra's plot is not something new. It is the usual revenge but the portrayal of the revenge is shown in a never before seen way. Too much of blood is shed and the wounds are blatantly shown. Some might even puke watching them. As RGV rightly said, this movie is not for the faint hearted, it is not to be watched with family, it is not for the ladies and housewives, it is only for the true RGV fans and movie fanatics who don't mind outright gore and violence.

Yea, for people who have digested, Saw, Hostel and films of similar lines, RGV's Raktacharitra is a cakewalk but for people who didn't, please donot watch this flick.

Technically, there were a certain flaws in the action choreography. Most of the dialogues lacked the punch while some of them aroused a few laughs. There is hidden comedy between the frames.

The actors deliver their dialogues with a telugu accent which is apt for the plot's location. Kudos to RGV for keeping that in mind. Editing was good but not great. The way the suspense builds up, and paves a way for the sequel, RGV definitely needs a pat on the back.

RGV was quoted saying, “Raktacharitra is like a hardcore porn DVD. Some might hate it, some love it, some may be disgusted by it, but if it is there in the room, everyone wouldn't resist watching it” and Raktacharitra lives up to it.

Rating: 3/5

Raktacharitra – Gory and vengeful vendetta!

Review: Endhiran - The Robot (2010)

Disclaimer: There are no spoilers. So, people who haven't watched the movie yet can also read. Enjoy.

Magnanimous, Grandiloquent, Pompous, Pontifical, Portentous, Awesome, Magniloquent, Gargantuan, My word web couldn't give me more words as i run out of them to describe the movie. The most awaited movie of the century, in kollywood, has arrived and is here to stay. Shankar and Sun Pictures' magnum opus 'Endhiran' has been under production for 2 years, and its worth the wait.




Rajinikanth grows younger and younger in his movies. This time he doesn't demand an introduction scene, neither does he dance to a self appraisal song nor does he fly in the air defying the laws of gravity, he opens up his screen presence in a subtle manner, as a scentist making his robot after continuous hard work for 10 years.
The first half is totally logical, you can see the protagonists introducing their characters slowly and maturely. There are enough comical sequences, enough songs for the first half. Director Shankar has given robotics a lot of research and one cannot find any flaw whatsoever. The viewer will enjoy the movie and go gaga over every scene until the climax. The first 30 mins of the second half is where things go wrong, the viewer gets vexed watching 3 songs in quick succession. Though the songs are awesome to watch on the big screen, they tend to plant an ache in the viewer's mind. Once the songs are over and the robot's character changes moods suddenly, the movie is back on track and you start enjoying again.




For people who argue that robots should follow Isaac Assimov's three principles, our protagonist has a proper reason as to why his creation wouldn't follow the rules. He makes the robots with an aim and he tries his best to put things in place but as usual they go wrong. What you can expect from this movie is that, even though you can predict the storyline, it doesn't fail to entertain you. The movie has its own crispy n crunchy twists. Watch it to experience it!




Ash, starts off showing her age in 'Kadal Anukkal', one can clearly note the aged look on her face. But as the movie progresses, she slowly becomes more beautiful scene by scene. You can easily make out the way, you know probably, has a hip size of X and finally ending up with a hip size of X-5. I personally don't like her much, but the way Shankar has shown Ash in this movie clearly makes me her fan. She is sexy, she is hot, she is beautiful, she is gorgeous in all her outfits, be it the casuals, be it the traditional saree or be it even the tribal kinda outfit in the song 'Kilimanjaaro'. She has rocked. There is enough screen presence. Shankar must be lauded for he gives all his heroines an equivalent screen presence. Her negatives in this movie include, no proper lip syncing in songs, sometimes she does it correctly, sometimes she blabbers, clearly visible.

Danny Denzongpa, of course dubbed by some other stylishly speaking dubbing artist, performs his part well as the ego centric mentor of Dr.Vaseegaran(Rajinikanth). He dies also quite quickly, because he isn't the villain of the movie anyway.

Santhanam and Karunas, are good comedians otherwise, but their performance in Endhiran is below average, they portray serious characters although their bullying of Chitti the Robot sure springs up some laughs.

Art director Sabu Cyril has erected some wonderful sets, especially where the song 'Arima Arima' has been picturised are astounding and you literally gape over his work. He has also made a cameo in the film. Hope everyone figures out.




Cinematography by R.Rathnavelu, an upcoming technician, has captured the moments well and is sure to grab a lot of projects in the future. His way of picturising the 'Kilimanjaro' song in the heights of Machu Pichu is highly laudable and a commendable effort overall.

Dialogues by Sujatha, Shankar and Karky are wonderful. They amuse us as well as makes us think in a specific direction towards certain situations.

P.S. There is a hidden social message towards the end of the film.

Music by A.R.Rahman is outstanding. Brilliant background music. Even the firing of the bullets, the sounds made by robots, the carnatic touch, everything shows that only ARR can give so much detail into the background score. Two thumbs up to him.




Special Effects, is par excellence for a tamil film, although the viewer could make out easily the graphic sequences in many places. But the climax robot formations are awesome and never before seen even in hollywood. I think Shankar has taken Tamil cinema to a new level where most of the hollywood movies would hav difficulty in catching up with.




Last but not the least, the man who wielded the megaphone, the man behind the movie, Director Shankar, has his basics of robotics right but he too falters in many places. Like the locations are ambiguous, he shifts from Chennai, Mumbai, Vellore quite fast and in fact he shows all of the above as existent in Chennai only. He should have given more importance to it. Anyways, Rajini overshadows everything. He has brought out the 'actor' in Rajini after a long time. No director could do that in recent times. I hope people can understand what i'm trying to convey because you don't see the commerical stylish Rajini in this film, you can only see the intellectual sober Rajini, who doesn't know how to fight, how to dance, how to even crack jokes. Although, Rajini in the robot form is all powerful. So his fans don't lose anything. Shankar has tried at a different genre. You can't call it pure sci-fi. Its something else. Something bigger and better. Although, there are some scenes lifted straight out of the Will Smith starrer 'I-Robot', including the general look of the robot, this movie is something new to Indian Cinema and people must appreciate it. Kudos to Shankar.


So, i end my review here. I didn't want to write much but i ended up with more than i expected just like you would walk out of the movie with just two words, 'Exceeded Expectations'.

The movie has flaws, i don't want to go into it, but yeah i'm sure people can digest it. They are small and do not affect much as movies are made just for entertainment.
So watch it for Rajini, watch it for shankar, and watch it for Ash. And you sure are in for a treat and full paisa Vasool. Here's your movie critic signing off. Please do NOT miss Endhiran.




Rating: 3.5/5


Endhiran - Masala Sci-Fi