Movie Review: Pacific Rim

Cast:
Directed by Guilermo del Toro
Music by Ramin Djawadi
Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh
Idris Alba as Stacker
Rinko Kikuchi as Mako

Overview:
The perfect candidate for IMAX or any other Big Screen format and even better in 3D, this movie packs in some amazing special effects for the adult audience and yet is unable to deliver anything more than just that. At 132 minutes, the movie seems too stretched and gets too loud and even messes up your vision with the huge monsters and robots fighting surrounded with fire, lava, ocean and if that was not enough, perpetual rainfall!

Characters:
The characters seem to be as well written as a movie focused solely on special effects and actions demands. With cliched scripts and character sketches, the protagonists in the movie seem to pull off a decent performance. Idris Alba delivers some powerful dialogues with confidence ("Today we cancel Apocalypse"); Charlie and Rinko give an effective performance at best.

The robots and monsters which form an important aspect of this movie have been designed very creatively and executed superbly. They definitely play an integral part in the script.

Music:
Ramin creates a background score that blends brilliantly into the genre of the movie and the balanced use of some heavy rock and electronic sounds makes the otherwise explosives intensive movie seem a little different. Good job!

Experience:
If you are a fan of some amazing computer graphics and raw action loaded with thuds and bangs and booms, this movie is a must watch. For others who are looking for something more (which we are by now so used to expecting even in an action/thriller movie thanks to likes of Avatar, Marvel movies, Batman series, etc. etc.), you might be in for a bit of a disappointment. The movie start off at a rapid pace and then rapidly becomes sluggish as the characters are developed. There should always be some doses of humor and emotions which are perhaps missing in this movie. Maybe a little shortening of the movie and adding a little more story would have helped this movie significantly.

Been-O-pinion:
I rate it 2.5 out of 5....which I consider on the higher side and is owed mainly to genuine innovative designs and concepts (neural connection) which the movie employs. For me....the only Rim at which this movie lies is the one between almost being an awesome action movie and being an over-the-top mindless action movie. Go for it at your own discretion! 

Movie Review: Chennai Express

Cast:
Directed by Rohit Shetty
Story by K. Subaash
Music and background score by Vishal-Shekhar
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Shah Rukh Khan as Rahul
Deepika Padukone as Meenamma
....and everyone else! 

Overview:
The first summer blockbuster and if I am not really mistaken, the first of 2013 too, has arrived! Humor, Rohit Shetty'ish Action and Shah Rukh's charm....is there any other formula that could spell success? Just as the entertainment of this movie is typical to masala movies, so are the flaws and shortcomings - draggy towards the end, mostly cliched and predictable second half, etc. etc.

Characters:
A simple and rather slim storyline does not require many characters, or rather many well-developed characters. Chennai Express essentially rides from the first frame to the last on SRK's presence followed by Deepika's.
Rohit Shetty as the super commercial director. Although all directors almost play an invisible character in their movies, Chennai Express in particular seems to pronounce this transparent presence of its director a little extra loudly and clearly! The execution screams out loud - Rohit Shetty - the punch lines, one liners and over the top action makes it very evident as to who is the man calling the shots here!
Deepika as the seriously accented Meenamma.  A very very rare occurrence in bollywood, but our leading lady here actually changes her accent big time and does a decent job at it too! She looks superb in the sarees and simple indian make-up. Plays her part as innocently and naturally as required by her character.
SRK, the King Khan as the extremely lovable Rahul. Its time to rehash and re-establish the fact - SRK is truly the King of entertainment and romance! A superbly played role, with perfect humor timing and never getting hammy. SRK blends in all the typical SRK moments into Rahul and yet does not seem over indulgent or over the top at any time! He proves yet again that no one can entertain the masses and folks of all ages all at once like him!

Music:
Vishal-Shekhar....already having proved plenty of times that they are indeed one of the most talented musicians of Bollywood, experiment sufficiently with the music of this movie and make it relevant as well as awesome at the same time! "One two three four", "titli" and "lungi dance" are great numbers and show what kind of range they have as composers (note: Lungi Dance is a promotional track only created by Yo Yo Honey Singh) ! The background score however is not anything to write back home about. It is appropriate at best!

Experience:
Delivering loads of extremely funny moments and sufficient doses of the usual masala expected of both, Rohit Shetty and an Eid mega release...Chennai Express fulfills all your expectations, unless you go in with the wrong ones to begin with. No doubt, the movie suffers from an unnecessarily prolonged climax and could have easily done with 1 to 2 songs less in the second half....but the first half definitely charges you up sufficiently to keep you going through the entire movie. SRK's fantastic comedy timings, Deepika's earnest south Indian accented dialogues and Rohit Shetty's treatment make this movie worth your money.

Been-O-pinion:
I rate it 3.75 out of 5....this maybe a bit unconventional ratings but I think the over commercialization of the movie takes away a little of the awesomeness that this movie could have otherwise achieved. Having said that....be sure not to miss this train...its one hell of a ride and gives you enough reasons to keep revisiting some scenes in your mind and having a laugh  long after you have exited the theater!

Movie Review: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Cast:
Directed & Produced by Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra
Writer & Lyricist Prasoon Joshi
Farhan Akhtar as Milkha Singh
Master Jabtej as Young Milkha Singh
Pawan Malhotra as Coach Gurudev Singh
Sonam Kapoor as Biro
Divya Dutta as Isri Kaur

Overview:
Hard work and dedication...kudos to Farhan Akhtar! India is such a big country...there must be many more such success stories...go bollywood! Go grab those stories and bring them on the big screen...you have finally learnt how to make great biopics! Bhaag Milkha is overindulgent...and bit too long at times, for its own good...nevertheless...a must watch!

Characters:
Well...the movie as such belongs to only one man...but i will briefly cover a couple others who follow close behind the main man in terms of performance!
Pawan Malhotra as Coach Gurudev.... An actor who fills his character with emotions and expressions! You see his pride towards his disciple in his eyes, in his dialogue delivery and in his body language! What a performance!
Master Jabtej as chota Milkha. A talented kid who perfectly depicts the mischief and the anger that Milkhas initially happy and then traumatic childhood yields! You feel for the young Milkha thanks to this young natural actor.
Divya Dutta as Isri Kaur...Milkha's emotional and suppressed sister. Although maybe a little melodramatic at times, but nevertheless Divya Dutta conveys the emotions and the magnitude of her emotions beautifully!

The physique says it loud and clear..
Farhan means real business! 

And finally...Farhan Akhtar! What can one say? What can you say! Oh boy...would it suffice to
say...Aamir Khan...beware....there is a perfectionist in town who is younger (although relatively!) and not half as good looking and yet may give you a good run for your money! Those strong shoulders not only help Milkha run fast and do the bhangra gracefully, but are also the ones on which this whole movie lies! Brilliant brilliant brilliant!

Music:
Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Prasoon Joshi....effective. A soundtrack that meets the requirements of the story and genre of movie. A special mention for the title track (both versions...arif lohar's and the siddharth maahdevan's rock version) which is energetic and perfect to inspire any Milkha to get up and run! Also Mera Yaar...beautifully composed and written, ditto for O Rangrezz.
As for background, SEL as usual churn out their best work for Farhan Akhtar.

Experience:

A movie true to its genre. The opening sequence is mesmerizing...the training sequences are off the hook...hats off to Rakyesh Mehra. The movie scores 10 on 10 in the technical boxes. The camera work, the editing, the whole production design! As for execution, Rakyesh does an equally competent job...the only flaw being his and perhaps prasoon joshi's over indulgence in their own creation. The movie could have easily done with 25 minutes shorter runtime. The extra length slows down the pace (which is ironic for a movie titled bhaag milkha bhaag) and also tires you in parts. But the movie truly belongs to Farhan Akhtar's stellar performance and effort!

Been-O-pinion:
I rate the movie 4 out of 5. No man or actor could look more his role or more expressive while just running on a race track than Farhan...a salute to his effort. Fly Farhan Fly! One more feather in Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra's hat...although...I must add...we still await for another Rang De Basanti from you Mr. Mehra!

Man of Steel: Movie Reviewed

Cast
Directed by Zack Snyder
Produced by Chris Nolan (also co-writer of story)
Henry Caviil as Clarke Kent / Superman
Amy Adams as Louis Lane
Michael Shanon as General Zod
Diane Lane as Martha Kent
Kevin Costner as Joe Kent
&
Russel Crowe as Jor El
Music by Hans Zimmer

Overview
Brand new action, brand new story and great star cast....longer in duration than was necessary, but nevertheless, most of the 143 minutes you spend in the theater, you feel content...a bit overwhelmed with the action no doubt....but at a personal level, I enjoyed every bit of the innovative action scenes!

Characters
A great ensemble cast with many characters playing little parts around the main man....but contributing all the while.
Russel Crowe....the original father of Superman! Probably a rare opportunity in itself to see Russel Crowe in a super hero movie, let alone having the pleasure of his presence throughout the movie. Its great to see him and deliver those dialogues so believably.
Kevin Costner....the earthling father of Superman! A great character...a loving father and one worthy of being the father of a superhero. He plays his character with maturity and makes every piece of advice he gives to the little Kent so powerful and effective.
Diane Lane...mother of Superman! Likeable, motherly and just perfect in the role that she is expected to perform.
Amy Adams....Superman's love interest! Cute....pretty and pleasing to the eyes. Plays her role with conviction and amongst all the action and loud noises, she gives some resting time to your mind and eyes.
Michael Shanon....the potential nemesis of Superman! A worthy opponent and a classic villain. He irritates you, makes you angry but also convinces you that he is not wrong but just has a different interest. Effective performance.
Henry Caviil....Superman! A great choice.....the perfect match actually....Henry looks great and gives a 100% to the important role that he plays. He portrays the depression, the subtle joy, concern, excitement, anger....all to perfection. It is tough to believe that he is an English actor and unimaginable as to how much practice it must've taken to get rid of the accent.

Music
Hans Zimmer....what can one say about his amazing compositions! The soundtrack is brilliant and blends in beautifully with the emotional and action sequences. I'm heading to the itunes store and buying this album for sure!

Experience
A truly colossal experience. Superman could not have been revived in any other way! Hats off to Zack Snyder and Chris Nolan. The movie comes along with some of the biggest expectations for this year....a responsibility which is very difficult to fulfill. It definitely manages to meet those huge huge expectations, although there is no doubt, that the movie's brilliant build up....amazing storyline...and great performances are tarnished by extra long action sequences. Towards the end...this movie which starts off as a very humane and sensitive take on superman....ends up being a blatant exhibition of innovative action sequences and amazing special effects. Its super enjoyable....super mature compared to any previous superman movie....and super engaging until u start getting bored of the destruction.

Been-O-pinion
I rate it 4 out of 5...it may be a tad bit generous...but the overall movie experience and also the action sequences, before starting to bore you...actually make you appreciate how novel they are...! I can see this plane....no bird...no SUPERMAN....fly high through the sequels! 

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani - Movie Reviewed

Cast

Directed by Ayaan Mukherjee

Ranbir Kapoor as Bunny

Deepikda Padukone as Naina

Kalki Koechli as Aditi

Aditya Roy as Avi

Music & Background Score by Pritam

Lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya

Overview:

"Mai udnaa chaahta hoon....

Mai daudna chaahta hoon...

Girna bhi chaahta hoon...

Bass....Rukna nahi chaahta"

That's pretty much the best summary of the movie - The theme that underlies the entire plot and drives the movie from start to finish. As was the case with Ayaan Mukherjee's last movie, this movie too does not boast or even attempt at telling a brand new or a unique story. The premise is simple, but its really the philosophical focus that makes the movie worth your time.

Characters:

Many non-human aspects play important characters in this movie - Manali (truly Manali or Gulmarg....doesnt matter), Udaipur, Friendship, Attitude. Having said that, lets move on to the human characters.

Farrukh Sheikh as Bunny's Father - A short role, maybe just a little more than ten dialogues, nevertheless a great role played by this veteran. Eventhough this is what fathers do...understand and encourage, yet, in this case, you will see why it is such a tough role to play.

Aditya Roy as Avi...a friend who is sooo in luv with his friendship and yet is overburdened by his bit of bad "luck" in life. A great performance, although the second half seems to have tired him and his facial expressions and body language tend to get repetitive. 

Kalki as Aditi...a brilliant performance...my mistake....ONCE AGAIN....a brilliant performance by this multi-talented actress! Even the transformation of character from pre-interval to how it becomes post-interval is superbly portrayed by her. You empathize with her, you luv her and then you feel proud of her maturity. 

Deepika as Naina....the nerd and the over-protected girl. Typical transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly and typical Deepika style! Her expressions of embarassment, of being awe-struck, of being fascinated yet perhaps a little taken aback, all beautifully depicted. The only let down for me was that I get the feeling that Deepika is not experimenting, from Love Aaj Kal to YJHD...her choice of characters needs bit more variety for a more substantial assessment of her talent. 

Ranbir as Bunny....no words. As stated in one of my previous reviews and perhaps by every film critic out there....he is truly his only competition! He makes you believe in what he says, makes you want to have the same dreams that he has and makes you feel exactly those emotions that Bunny feels! Supreme talent...Supreme!

Music:

Pritam...man...what is this guy upto! A brilliant soundtrack invigorated with the right kind of energy and reflecting the mood of the situation perfectly! Be it Balam Pichkari or Badtameez Dil or Kabira....each bringing out the relevant mood and yet great compositions even if heard in isolation of the movie's storyline. Amitabh Bhatacharya...another talent...be it poetry for Ilahi and Kabira or craziness such as "Pal mein phudina dekha, naak ka nagina dekha"....he proves he can write it all!

Pritam's background score is also perfect...the splashes of "oooh..." and "aaaah..." from Ilahi and the saxophone from Badtameez dil....blended into the otherwise energetic background score is wonderful! Again...all about bringing out the right kind of energy and he does a fab job at doing that. 

Experience:

This movie may belong to Ranbir or to Deepika or to any of the other great performances, but actually this movie truly belongs to Ayaan Mujherjee! Taking a simple story, blending it with a great script, fantastic dialogues and deft execution, Ayaan manages to engage his audience completely in this...otherwise predictable...love story. The underlying theme of following your dreams and living life to the fullest is vividly brought out....although maybe a little too emphatic at times. With perhaps a better edited second half, this movie would have found no room for criticism. 

"Beet ta to waqt hai...

Par kharch to hum hote hain...!

With that thought...I would like to make a special mention about the ending...I think the climax of this movie is one of the best that I have seen in a long time! I bet you will love it too!

Been-O-Pinion: 
I rate it 3.5 out of 5...This movie may not be a classic....may not be a real example of meaningful cinema...but this movie sure as hell teaches you one thing... "You can't be old and wise, if you were never young and crazy"! Go for it!

Ek Thi Daayan - Movie Reviewed

Cast

Directed by Kannan Iyer

Emraan Hashmi as Bobo, the Baffler

Konkona Sen as Diana

Huma Qureshi as Tamara

Kalki Koechlin as Lisa Dutt

Music by Vishal Bhardwaj

Lyrics by Gulzar

Background Score by Clinton Cerejo

Overview:
A movie which takes Bollywood or rather tries to take Bollywood into a yet unexplored territory. Not a pure horror movie, not completely a thriller and not totally fantasy but a bit of all. A movie which I find rather hard to decide upon, whether it is good or bad. The director and the cast put in a 100% no doubt and that is one thing for sure that you take back as you exit the theater.


Characters:

The two characters whose names I am not aware about are the two kids who play the role of the younger Emraan Hashmi and his sister are brilliant and extremely cute. A major portion of the first half is carried off by these two characters. Pawan Malhotra plays a superb widower who is both tired of staying alone and of taking care of his kids. 

As for the remaining cast, I will try to express my opinion on them without divulging any key information.

Emraan Hashmi plays the talented Bobo, the magician and carries out his role with conviction and talent, both of which we have all gotten used to expecting from him. He expresses fear, confusion, anger and concern in the most believable manner that could have been in such a movie. 

Konkona Sen plays Diana, a name remarkably close to the word used in the title of the movie and looks true to the character that she plays. Her eyes are the key performers in this movie! Huma Quereshi plays Tamara, Emraan's love interest and comes across as an extremely promising actress. Even though she does not get a very meaty role, she lives up to the expectations of her character. Kalki plays Lisa Dutt from Canada and once again proves to be a reliable actress. 

Music:

Songs do not play a major role at all in the movie and its good to see that Kanna Iyer does not make the characteres lipsync to the songs unrealistically. Having said that, the songs are just average and apart from Yaaram nothing stands out.Gulzar writes equally average lyrics for this one.

The background score however, is a whole different story. As is the case with all horror movies, without the right background music, half the fun would be lost. Clinton Cerejo composes brilliant background tracks which have a very international feel to them. 

Experience:

If there is one adjective that I repeatedly associate with this movie in my mind, it is "Interesting". As you watch the movie, as a hindi cinema person, you may feel you are being taken into a genre which has never been seen before. The effort is definitely genuine but when you come out of the movie, you may be confused as I was - "Was this a good movie or a bad movie? I did get a few real jhatkaas but were they enough? But then, was giving meaningless scares and thrills really the point of this movie? I think not". Kannan Iyer definitely has potential of being a good storyteller.

Been-O-pinion:

I rate it 2.5 out of 5. It might have been a 3.5 too, but I would blame the script for not being able to get that extra point. The movie could've been a completely new experience and a thrilling one too...but in the end...this Daayan fails to leave a haunting impression in your minds - an objective that should have been kept above everything else! 

Kai Po Che - Movie Reviewed

Cast:
Directed by Abhishek Kapoor
Sushant Singh Rajput as Ishaan
Amit Sadh as Omi
Raj Kumar Yadav as Govi
Amrita Puri as Vidya
Music by Amit Trivedi
Lyrics by Swanand Kirkire
Background score by Hitesh Shoni

Overview: 

Ae Zindagi...humein sohbaton ka nasha hai; Yeh sohbatein, yaaron ki.....

Ae zindagi...humein hosh ki na tu dawa de....

Dua De...Dua De...

These lines of poetry from the song Meethi Boliyaan are as wonderfully written as the script of this movie. A movie that spans across real and extremely varied emotions, a movie that captures the ups and downs in the lives of three friends....wonderful.

Friendship at it's best

Characters: A movie completely driven by characters...you will have to allow me a few extra lines this time for this section. :) 
Sushant Singh....coming right outta the small television screens at home, takes a huge leap and gives one hell of a performance as Ishaan aka Iss. The character he plays may be complex, but not once does he show any signs of confusion in how to portray it....from dialogue delivery to body language....full marks!
Omi played by Amit Sadh....another great performance.... His transition from a sidekick who says yes to everything his charming friend says....to a young leader who shows all characteristics of leading yet being always overshadowed by either his uncle or circumstances is commendable. Another well expressed and enacted character.

A heart-warming moment of a bro
and sis captured magically!

Govi played by Raj Kumar Yadav....kudos! Kudos to the brilliance of the author who wrote this character, to the director who brought it out to the audience and last but not the least....to the actor who played this character!! Raj Kumar excels in his portrayal of Govi....a character that creates the perfect balance between the other two characters, which brings maturity to the whole situation and which shines brightly despite the subtlety and underplaying demanded of it.
Lastly, Vidya...played by Amrita Puri. Another subtle character that is omnipresent in the background constantly, yet never taking the full fledge glamour of being the "heroine" of the movie.

Music:
Just three songs, yet what amazing work....Swanand Kirkire and Amit Trivedi definitely need to work together more often. Amit Trivedi proves that he is one of the most talented musicians of our times! Background by Hitesh Soni is also worth a special mention....for its simplicity yet lingering feel....and most importantly...its "Just right" feeling.

Experience:

A moment between friends
captured...so skillfully!

A completely different experience from what you might have felt at the movies in a long time! This is a movie where emotions of all sorts are worked upon and tapped into. There are some beautiful moments and scenes in the movie that are executed and captured to perfection. The first half of the movie is sheer brilliance...while the second half, even though more eventful, is dulled, ever so sightly, due to too many things going on simultaneously and perhaps a tad bit too much talk on cricket! :)
Abhishek Kapoor deserves a pat on the back and an applause for handling the subject of friendship yet again....so skillfully and giving the audience a movie that goes beyond friendship into the the realms where friendship is tested against the odds of real circumstances.


Been-O-pinion:
I rate it 4 out of 5. A movie which I thoroughly enjoyed and truly felt for...and yet came out of it with one disappointing question in my mind....why on earth was this movie called Kai Po Che!!?? :)