Epic- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:3/5
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Farrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Steven Tyler, Jason Sudeikis

Direction: Chris Wedge

Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes

Story: A teenage girl lands up in an enchanted forest, the scene for a showdown between the forces of good and evil. What lies at stake is the fate of the forest and the world.

Review: A forest inhabited by tiny dwellers, an eccentric genius scientist obsessed with discovering their existence, and an estranged father-daughter relationship. These are some of the elements cobbled together in Epic. Added to this is the familiar trope of the unlikely hero, Nod (Josh Hutcherson) getting the girl, Mary Catherine ( Amanda Seyfried) - a little love story served up on the side. 

Leader of the Leafmen is the battle-seasoned Ronin (Farrell). Queen of the Leafmen, Tara (Beyonce Knowles) is reminiscent of Tinkerbell. Out to destroy the Leafmen and all life in the forest (for reasons unexplained) are the evil Boggans. 

Meanwhile, Mary lands up at her dad's (Professor Bomba, voiced by Sudeikis) house, which is in the forest, to spend some quality time with him. However, much to her chagrin, she realises that he's bothered more about the quest to prove the existence of the tiny forest people. Disappointed, she prepares her return to the city, but a chance encounter with a fatally-injured Tara and a wacky turn of events leads her to shrink size and become part the Leafmen vs. Boggans battle. 

Bufo the toad (Pitbull), Mub the slug (Aziz Ansari) and Nim Galuu (Aerosmith's Steven Tyler) are pretty funny. The animation makes everything look quite vivid, but doesn't break new ground in the VFX department. Also, it takes more than a star-cast providing voice-overs to make an animated flick really rock. Yes, the ingredients are in place but somehow, it doesn't engage you at the emotional level that say, a Toy Story did. And neither does it present something truly unique asWall-E did. 

Other than that, the film is adequate. It's sometimes slapstick, sometimes emotional, and funny at times. All in all though, the ambitiously-titled Epic is in fact anything but epic.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/Epic/movie-review/20084029.cms

Star Trek Into Darkness- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

4/5

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban

Direction: J.J. AbraStar Trek Into Darknessms

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 2 hours 11 minutes

Story: Captain Kirk, Spock and crew find themselves battling an enemy aboard the Enterprise who is hell bent on causing their utter destruction. Will they be able to save the ship and themselves in time?

Movie Review: It's emotions versus practicality and the needs of the many versus the needs of a few that's the underlining message in this, most recent Trekkie outing. James Kirk ( Chris Pine) is a brash and bold risk taker with an ego to match. Spock, of course, is the cold, calculating, logical Vulcan voice of reason. The film has situations aplenty that calls for use of both their approaches. The opening scene has them beating a hasty exit from an alien planet, featuring exotic, crimson flora that sears the screen. They're there to save the planet from extinction by plugging up a volcano. It's not 'logical', but the visuals are so exciting that you can't help but watch.

The movie then shifts focus to the one-man-army, sharply-dressed John Harrison (Cumberbatch) whose need for vengeance makes him seemingly unstoppable. There's a scene where Kirk and Harrison zoom through an interstellar asteroid field that'll have you at the edge of your seat. Don't let the 'Into Darkness' part of the title mislead you; It's a fun movie with more than a few cheeky one-liners in between - and even during -energetic action scenes.

The film will grab you from the opening shot and not let go. Despite a running time of over two hours, you won't feel as though you've been watching for that long because there's not a wasted nanosecond. Its pace is frenetic but not exhausting. J.J. Abrams sure knows how to make his films with style and the stunts in here are pretty awesome. Far from being superficial, the story and plot underscoring the breathtaking visual effects is solid. What you see is what you get, and this is one heck of a good entertainer. Don't miss it.

Note: You may not like this film if you are not into Star Trek movies or fast-paced action/sci-fi films.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/Star-Trek-Into-Darkness/movie-review/19947163.cms

Gippi- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

3/5

Cast: Riya Vij, Divya Dutta, Arbaz Kadwani, Jayati Modi, Taaha Shah, Doorva Tripathi

Direction: Sonam Nair

Genre: Drama

Duration: 1 hour 37 minutes

Story: Gippi is a plump pre-teen plagued with problems of Pre PMS and confused about her springing adolescence. Until a competition to win the title of the school 'Head Girl' changes it all.

Movie Review: She's a typical 14-year-old, hungering for junk food and caring-a-damn about her unwaxed legs and unplucked eyebrows. She's no topper. Far from a head-turner. She's Gippi (Riya), a gregarious, gol-matol gal. The bindaas backbencher, who doesn't sweat over low scores in class, or being overweight with mass. Damn the parlours, beauty queens, gossip gals and fashion magazines, these aren't her favourite subjects. There's lot more going on in her small world of 'heavy-weight' teenage troubles.

Gippi is the class klutz and the butt of jokes; no thanks to motaapa and her 'boyfriendless' status. She shares her naivete (and other 'horny' secrets and 'men'strual issues) with her BFF Aanchal (Doorva). Gippi's strongest support is her bro Booboo (Arbaz), as well-rounded as his name, and single supermom (Divya) who grooms her on everything from bras to boyfriends. When the Mean-Bee, Shamira (Jayati), challenges Gippi to compete at the school elections, she suddenly finds a goal, but will the free-spirited Gippi transform herself in to one of the 'mean girls'? 

Riya shows her adolescence angst with childlike mannerisms and sweet, spontaneous reactions. Jayati is a regular high-school hip babe; Doorva is endearing with her oil-soaked plaits and guileless expressions. Arbaz entertains with his fetish for all things girlie, except the gals. Taaha scores well, and Divya Dutta excels in her part. 

Sonam Nair's 'coming of puberty' film handles simple issues sensitively, though it doesn't delve too deep. The subtlety appeals, but lacks drama in the second half, with a mediocre climax. Teenagers will find a slice of their life in Gippi, and adults might protest to such 14-somethings extreme indulgences in fashion, hot-bods and green-tea diets. The mom-daughter moments exude emotions and shed the typical broken-home baggage. Overall, a simple story that stays pre-pubescent and doesn't quite grow into the high-school of stories. 

Moral: Be yourself, love yourself - fat, frumpy or Gippi!

Resorce:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Gippi/movie-review/19946970.cms

Go Goa Gone- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:3/5
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari, Pooja Gupta

Direction: Krishna D.K., Raj Nidimoru

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 1 hour 37 minutes

Story: In a first of its kind zomcom(zombie-comedy) three friends gatecrash a rave party on an island and find themselves attacked by zombies the morning after. Will they make it the shore safely? 

Movie Review: So who's a zombie? For some it's a sleep-derived person who walks around as if in a trance. For others, it's a soulless creature who can be revived by witchcraft. But in Krishna D K and Raj Nidimoru's Go Goa Gone, the zombies are some interesting creatures who've overdosed on a drug that is said to be more dangerous than MDMA, or Ecstasy as most of us know it. And now these living people have turned into a brain-dead lot who know nothing but hunger. 

So where do you find these zombies. Wait. Let's start at the beginning. Three fun-seeking friends—Kunal Khemu(Hardik), Vir Das(Luv) and Anand Tiwari(Bunny) join Puja Gupta(Luna) at a rave party in Goa. Their host is a Russian Don—Saif Ali Khan(Boris). The night is young; the company vivacious. Drinks are aplenty and the drugs lethal. As the party reaches a crescendo, the friends find themselves enthralled. Alas, there's a price to be paid. Each of the three friends wakes up the next morning `wasted' and in fairly interesting company. They have a zombie or two in their vicinity. Scared out of their wits, the three friends and their girlfriend, Luna, run for their lives. But it isn't that easy. The island is now home to a large group of fast-mutliplying zombies, who are eager to make these human-beings `meat' for their insatiable appetite. Boris, their knight-in-shining-armour attempts to rescue them but the zombies are not easy to shake off. As the part hilarious, part scary adventure continues, you find yourself laughing aloud with the three boys and their wisecracks. And you also find yourself scared shitless of the zombies who keep cropping up unannounced in their creepy avatar. 

Go Goa Gone is positively different from anything you seen before. And for the young and restless(tattooed, ring-pierced, rave-party enthusiasts) or even those who like whacked-out fun, it's a great ride. With easy performances from Kunal, Saif, Vir and Anand and the crackerjack dialogue, the film will keep you in splits for the most part. What is a little tiring though,is the pace of the zombies, who are a bit too monotonous. Sachin-Jigar's Babaji ki bootiadds to the mood, almost tempting you to light up and lie back. The shores of Goa and Mauritius seem enticing enough. However some of the situations in GGG are repititive. Hence, the laughs that were coming spontaneously till a point become a bit forced at some juncture.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Go-Goa-Gone/movie-review/19947015.cms

Iron Man 3- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

4/5

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall

Direction: Shane Black

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Story: After saving the planet (in Avengers), playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark now faces anxiety issues. Plus, the 'vulnerable' superhero is bombarded with threats from the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a Middle Eastern terrorist and an army of indestructible (Terminator-T-1000-esque) lava men. Can the superhero get his act together? 

Movie Review: Like The Dark Knight Rises, for a major portion of the film, the Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) stays unmasked. His new armour flies piece-by-piece to his body. He stays mortal, as in most scenes, you see him wearing just one part of the armour.

Right in the beginning as Tony Stark declares he is a 'changed man', you fear the character might lose out on its core personality. You wonder if Shane Black can pull it off, considering it's his first outing as an Iron Man director and it comes after the massive success of The Avengers. But Black breathes new life into the franchise while retaining its trademark charm. He keeps the film vastly different from Jon Favreau's previous installments by adding his own brand of action-humour and twists.

Black combines spectacular action, comedy and drama to get you entertained and emotionally invested in his characters. Scenes where Tony confesses his fears to Pepper ( Gwyneth Paltrow), his interaction with a small boy are heart-rending. Robert Downey Jr gets a multi-layered role and he performs with absolute finesse. His smirk and those classic wisecracks amuse you the most.

However, Ben Kingsley steals the show! He is bound to get major applause for his performance.Guy Pearce (Aldrich Killian) is effective as an actor but his motives seem unconvincing. His character fails to make the desired impact.

From the jaw-dropping attack on Stark's Malibu estate, his brand-new prehensile armour, to a mind-blowing airborne rescue scene, Iron Man 3 is every bit the superhero blockbuster you'd expect it to be. Just do not leave the theatre once the closing credits start rolling!

Note: You may not like the film if you find solo super-hero films tedious post 'The Avengers'!

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/Iron-Man-3/movie-review/19708079.cms

Aashiqui 2- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

4/5

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Shraddha Kapoor

Direction: Mohit Suri

Genre: Romance

Duration: 2 hours 13 minutes

Story: A fading singing sensation finds new purpose in life when he falls in love with a talented singing aspirant. But the blitzkrieg of stardom makes, breaks and shakes their love story. 

Movie Review: He sings. She sings. He, for his stardom. She, for her supper. And the twain meet. In a restrobar, where she croons and he swoons. And Aashiqui is born. Again! Retelling the celebrity story that stardom ain't an easy ride. It sometimes vrooms and then goes sputter, the fuel of celebdom often running out. Like Rahul Jaykar (Aditya) discovers; once basking in a 'rockstar' like status, but soon losing it to alcohol, addiction and self-deprecation. But when he meets budding singer Aarohi (Shraddha), his heart finds a new beat and his crumbling life finds a cause. He trains her to become the Nightingale of India; she shines while he stays her shadow; sometimes sober, mostly stoned. The real lyric of this story is their romance, pulsating with passion and intensity - on high notes and 'higher spirits'. 

Suri's musical love story doesn't bear much semblance to the original 'Aashiqui'; instead it finds its own rhythm. He pitches the story with old-world romance, high-drama and well-crafted heart-breaking moments. Aarohi's character is endearing and Rahul stays 'bottled' (like 'Devdas' with a cause), with sudden outbursts. The story slows down in parts and the climax might seem unreal to many, but maybe a 'fix' for die-hard aashiqs. 

Aditya is likeable in mushy moments, he shows intensity in flashes but sometimes loses grip. A mature role like this demands a lot, nonetheless, it's a good effort. Shraddha looks innocently beautiful. Letting her emotions play out brilliantly in high-strung scenes with supreme confidence. This is a talent to look out for. The jodi's palpable chemistry heightens the drama. The music is the strongest supporting cast, with captivating tunes like Tum Hi Ho (Arijit Singh), Sunn Raha Hai (Ankit Tiwari) and Bhula Dena (Mustafa Zahid) pouring more passion in to the story. 

This could be good soup for the lovers' soul - with a dash of old-world flavour.

Note: You will not like this if die-hard romantic films don't leave you enthused or entertained.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Aashiqui-2/movie-review/19707965.cms

Oblivion- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

4/5

Cast: Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman

Direction: Joseph Kosinski

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 2 hours 5 minutes

Story: Earth is destroyed while repelling an alien invasion. 60 years later, Jack (Tom Cruise) a drone repairman, is assigned to a nuclear-ravaged earth to save humanity. He patrols the wrecked planet and kills alien scavengers. However, a few recurring dreams make him question his mission and identity.

Movie Review: Assisting Jack is Vika ( Andrea Riseborough) who monitors his activities and sends help. The two hope to emigrate the humans left on earth to Titan (Saturn's moon) for mankind to survive. However, random memory flashes of a woman ( Olga Kurylenko) in pre-war New York leave Jack pondering his past.

Oblivion is not your video game-esque, fast-paced sci-fi action film which offers cheap thrills. It's a profound, cerebral drama which focuses on Jack's inner journey and his relentless search for identity.

In spite of Joseph Kosinski's unhurried approach towards the film's buildup, he manages to keep you thoroughly engaged, thanks to brilliant production design and clever imagination. Spectacular images of planetary ruin, ravaged surfaces, barren landscapes, floating houses on the clouds, futuristic aircrafts, powerful drones and the strength of a complex restless mind, Oblivion manages to capture the beauty of it all with astounding reality.

In terms of story-telling, the film stays unpredictable, thus convincing us to patiently wait as the mystery unfolds, even when it feels a tad directionless at times. Like a novel, the film stays unputdownable till the end.

After Jack Reacher, 'I-want-to-be-versatile' Tom Cruise once again slips into a role which does not require his trademark charm or good looks and succeeds better this time as the role doesn't require him to be stoic either. Cruise displays the inner turmoil of his character brilliantly, in spite of not having any memorable dialogues at his disposal. Unfortunately, Morgan Freeman is wasted.

Oblivion is primarily a great visual experience. The mystifying sombreness of a post-apocalyptic earth has been captured brilliantly.

Note: You may not like the film if you do not like slow-paced science-fiction movies, high on human emotions.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/Oblivion/movie-review/19474749.cms

The Place Beyond the Pines- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

4/5

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta

Direction: Derek Cianfrance

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Story: A daredevil motorcycle rider resorts to robbing banks to support his newborn son and lover. It is a decision that proves to have major consequences.

Movie Review: It's the opening, retro-cool extended tracking shot where Luke ( Ryan Gosling) gets ready for his daredevil biking act that first gets you. The camera follows him from his trailer to the Big Top, where two other riders await him. They go about their act, eliciting gasps of awe, before the frame ends. It's like a metaphor for the entire movie. Separate lives, yet intertwined in an intricately-constructed ride.

His former lover, Romina ( Eva Mendes) walks into his life again. Soon, Luke finds out Romina's got a baby son. Sincere to a fault, he quits his act and embarks on a tag team bank robbery spree with grimy backwoods mechanic Robin (Ben Mendelsohn). All of this, so he can buy stuff for his baby and hand Romina wads of dollar bills. Although never too far from his dirt bike, he loves his role as father and provider.

The second 'act' of the movie belongs to Avery Cross ( Bradley Cooper), a cop-with-a-conscience who stays away from histrionics. A collision with Luke becomes inevitable. Stone-faced Deluca ( Ray Liotta) is the dirty cop played to perfection.

While the only weak link is Avery's kid AJ Cross (Emory Cohen), Dane DeHaan (Luke and Romina's teenage son, Jason) is someone to watch out for. Essentially three films cohesively segued into one, the narrative's complexity never once becomes overwrought.

An ambitious film, Cianfrance aims for higher ground, and gets there with ease. Ryan Gosling's act gives method acting a new meaning - it is elegance in itself. And incidentally, the English translation of the Mohawk word Schenectady (the town where the movie unfolds), is 'the place beyond the pines'.

Note: You will not like this film if you don't like dramatic movies about inter-connected lives.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/The-Place-Beyond-the-Pines/movie-review/19474716.cms

Chashme Baddoor- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

4/5

Cast: Ali Zafar, Siddharth, Divyendu Sharma, Taapsee Pannu, Lillette Dubey, Anupam Kher, Rishi Kapoor

Direction: David Dhawan

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 2 hours 11 minutes

Story: Shy Siddharth loves feisty Seema - but his buddies falsely boast of flings with her, breaking the couple up. Can love be remade? 

Movie Review: The answer's yes - love can be remade and so can a lovely film like 1981's Chashme Buddoor (CB). This version's as different as paapri chaat from a dhokla. But it retains the original's madness, masti and movie-mania. The remixed CB unrolls in Goa where phatichar shayar Omi (Sharma) is addressing, ahem, the St. Stephens College of Arts and Science, while wanna-be hero Jai (Siddharth) is over-acting into a rape scene. Watching the dolts in full bloom, CB has you chuckling from the start. Things only get better when sober Sid (Zafar) pops up, yodels with his cheap chums and explains their drought of dough to doughty cafe owner Joseph Futado (Kapoor) and landlady Josephine (Dubey). Meanwhile, Seema (Pannu) is escaping an arranged marriage, scooting towards the three idiots. Love happens - but after lust, lies and lots of laughs. 

CB's boy-band impresses with consistent acting. With his silky sleaziness, Sharma often steals the show while Siddharth's comic rhythm is a revelation. Zafar is endearing with his clenched-jaw charm, graceful as he dances, cute as he romances and rather hot when he throws a punch or two. Pannu's bubbly without being overwhelming while Kapoor and Dubey light up the screen with their little love story - hardcore CB fans, you'll find their romance does chamko! 

But the star remains the story, spicily modernized, yet its salt still that passion for filmi fun, rainy moments, shared chattris, judwaa bhais, overpoweringMa's, red coats-yellow pants (Dhawan clearly enjoying a Govinda flashback), cheap shers, cheaper lusts and triumphant love. CB's music is catchy, its lines too - "Bomb woh thi, blast main ho gaya!" - while the hilarity underlines the wise adage: friends stab you in the front but good friendship deserveschashme buddoor. 

Watch it zaroor. 

NOTE: You will not like this movie if you don't like corny, occasionally 

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Chashme-Baddoor/movie-review/19357416.cms

Himmatwala- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

3/5

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tamannah, Paresh Rawal, Mahesh Manjrekar,

Direction: Sajid Khan

Genre: Action

Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Story: Himmatwala returns to his gaon to avenge his baap's death. Here he meets sher, sherni, maa, behen and other assorted creatures.

Movie Review: Hark back to taaki taaki and tap dance to tathaiyya as the (r)awful 80s are re-awakened from their garish grave and served re-heated; as old wine in an old bottle. Vintage? Not truly. Just as we thought Jeetendra's white shoes and coloured wigs were laid to rest in filmi museums, Sajid Khan dips into his cookie jar of movies, masti and 'naus-talgia' for yet another peek into the petty-past. Got himmat? Read on:

After years, Ravi aka Himmatwala, a big-city street-fighter, (Ajay) moves back to his village that's suffering the ruthless reign of Sher Singh (Mahesh). Singh terrifies the gaonwallahs by day, and sleeps with a sherni at night (a stuffed toy-tiger, before you Tiger Savers wake up). His bro-in-law Narayandas (Rawal, sporting a Goldilocks wig in grey) with a Kader Khan hangover (nicely done) is his partner-in-paap. While Himmatwala is on a revenge mission (maa kasam!), he falls in love with sher-ki-beti, Rekha, (Tamannah); who's a chori with most guts and the sexiest ghaaghra-cholis. Well, there's more melodrama: A weepy maa in white, a bechari behen (yes, she gets molested too); a gaon-ka-mandir (crucial to the climax. Hail 80s!) plus tons of dialogue-baazi (maa-ka-doodh, maa-behen ki kasam, et al). Lastly, Himmatwala also braves it with a Sher (thankfully not Singh, the real thing).

Ajay bends iron rods, fights tiger claws and takes the laws into his singham paws. Too much, huh? Well, that's our Himmatwala - 100% filmi! With bone-crushing action, power-packed dialogues and perfected herogiri - Ajay stays true to the title and does well. In her Bollywood debut, Tamannahmakes a decent impression. She's superhot (her midriff demands a separate acting credit) and shows conviction, but later gets lost in transgression.Paresh Rawal entertains in parts, but often goes OTT. Thankfully, Mahesh Manjrekar's acting doesn't time travel and he evokes a few laughs.

In this remake, Sajid Khan's passion for the 80s kitsch is entertaining to begin with, but gets suffocating after a point. While few scenes (grand and outlandish) win ceetees, the rest try too hard to get any reaction. He also attempts 'Nazi'jokes, gay-gags and revisits Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'(we braved this too!).

This one might impress the wannabe Himmatwalas out there. But it'll take more than himmat to go back to the gawdiest era of all. Rest, as they say, is history. Repeated!

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Himmatwala/movie-review/19255289.cms

Olympus Has Fallen- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

3/5

Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett

Direction: Antoine Fuqua

Genre: Action

Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes

Story: The White House is taken over by a group of terrorists and the US President is held hostage. It's up to a former Secret Service agent to eliminate the bad guys and free the President in a limited amount of time.

Review: President Benjamin Asher ( Aaron Eckhart) loses his wife Margaret (Ashley Judd) during a road accident one bitterly cold night. It's an ominous portent of things to come. Secret Service agent Mike Banning ( Gerard Butler), who was in the motorcade on the night of the accident, blames himself for not averting that tragedy. Asher transfers Banning to a desk job that's devoid of action and excitement because every time he sees him, Asher is reminded of his loss.

Banning's misery is soon alleviated in the unlikeliest of ways. A group of North Korean terrorists (along with plenty of outside help) overrun the White House, hold the President and his Cabinet hostage and make a bunch of demands that have to be met, 'or else'.

Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs ( Angela Bassett) and the authoritative Speaker Alan Trumbull ( Morgan Freeman, perfect for this kind of role) take charge, with Banning on the ground. The action (and the body count) sky-rockets here onwards. Banning channels his inner John McClane and unleashes systematic slaughter of the bad guys. In the process, the White House itself takes one heck of a pummeling. People are tortured, blown up, shot and killed in hand- to-hand combat. Banning's disdain for the enemy is only matched by the delight he derives from being able to prove himself.

The action is taut, thanks to the editing. Although it does play on patriotic emotion and righteous anger, 'Olympus... is mercifully low on excessive melodrama and jingoism. Furthermore, a few of Banning's muttered punchlines are genuinely funny. Despite being a formula-flick, 'Olympus... is satisfying if you get your thrills from action movies.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/Olympus-Has-Fallen/movie-review/19089472.cms

Sona Spa- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

3/5

Cast: Aahana Kumra, Shruti Vyas, Pooja Pradaan, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Naseeruddin Shah

Direction: Makarand Deshpande

Genre: Mystery

Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

Story: Based on his play by the same name, the hypothetical theme of Makarand Deshpande's film is highly relevant to the 'poor' quality of life urbanites lead. Lack of sleep and peace being major issues, the film addresses this problem and offers solution in the form of 'Sona Spa'. A spa, where the insomniacs can buy sleep from sleep workers! They sleep on your behalf thus enabling you a better life.

However, there's a catch. The girl, who sleeps for you, also gets a direct access to your dreams and deep secrets...things you would never want to share otherwise! The film then traces the complicated lives of the clients and their sleep workers. It's a tale of regrets and redemption, love and lies and above all friendship.

Movie Review: As sleep workers Rucha (Shruti Vyas), Meenakshi (Nivedita Bhattacharya) and Ritu (Aahana Kumra) discover the hidden thoughts of their clients, they also battle the tragedy of their own lives. While a rebellious Rucha struggles to deal with her alcoholic father, Ritu hopes for a miracle that would save her dad from dying and former sex-worker, Meenakshi hopes for a better future.

The film mirrors the kind of lives we lead today. Through humour, it addresses the gravest tragedy. It also makes us wonder if it's better to live a lie instead of succumbing to the harsh reality. The concept is great, but the execution could have been better. Sleazy Mr Choksi (one of the clients), Meenakshi's shayari and never-ending philosophies, Ritu's sister's marital woes...various sub-tracks fail to engage you.

Theatre actors, Aahana Kumra, Shruti Vyas, Nivedita Bhattacharya act well. Aahana will remind you of Anushka Sharma. She is as effervescent and earnest. Pooja Pradhan (as the woman in charge of the spa), fits the bill. Naseeruddin Shah as the spiritual babaji, who says, 'In Ssssooonaaa Sppppaa, girls don't sleep with you but for you' evokes laughter.

Sona Spa is 'futuristic' yet relevant to current times. Sona Pranam!

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Sona-Spa/movie-review/19089154.cms

RangrezzRangrezz- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

3/5

Cast: Jackky Bhagnani, Amitosh Nagpal, Vijay Verma, Priya Anand, Rajpal Yadav

Direction: Priyadarshan

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 17 minutes

Story: Three friends who believe in undying friendship risk their life and dreams, so that the fourth one can win his girl.

Review: So, here's the story of BFFs (best friends forever) revisited. Only this one's not about boys on a bachelor's trip (read: road film) or the boy gang-bang kind of stuff (read: sex comedies). The theme of 'Rangrezz', is more like 'dosts till death do us part', with of course, a melange of other issues (love, sex, marriage, mazhab) doing a walk-in, walk-out part through the film.

Three Mumbai boys from different backgrounds (lower-middle class and below) are diaper dosts, bound by unbreakable friendship. They have big hearts and small ambitions. Rishi (Jackky) is waiting to become a cop, because his marriage to childhood sweetheart Megha (Priya) hinges on hissarkari naukri with guaranteed pension (call it middle class mentality if you want). Winu (Amitosh) harbours a dream of starting a computer class, and Pakyya (Vijay), the most gareeb of the trio, lives in shambles, has 'foreign' dreams and is pretty much bekaar. Basically, they all live off yaari-dosti. A fourth guy walks in, Joy (Rishi's school-buddy), with a love-problem. The BFFs daringly dive in to fight with the ruthless pyar-ke-dushman and help loverboy kidnap his girl for a quick round of saat pheras. Then there are more plots and meandering sub-plots, heart-break, drama and dollops of dostana - taking off with a 'Govinda' song and climaxing in desi Gangnam style.

'Rangrezz', Priyadarshan's remake of a Tamil film, has a story without a convincing purpose, point or plan. There are ample well-shot scenes ( Santosh Sivan), good performances (strong supporting cast) and sweet moments; though the film shows little bit of everything and doesn't leave you with much. There's too much of goodness, topped with diatribes and dialoguebaazion dil, dosti love, lust, and shaadi. The second half goes awry, the story loses steam and characters lose colour.

Jackky performs earnestly, showing far more promise and confidence since his previous films. The rowdiest of them all, Pakkya, is a surprise and his character stands out. Priya Anand is likeable and bubbly in her bit role.Rajpal Yadav does his usual madcap comedy.

The boy buddies put in their best, but this film could have done with a dash more ofcolour.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Rangrezz/movie-review/19089055.cms

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

3/5

Cast: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin

Direction: Don Scardino

Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

Story: Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton, partners in stage magic and friends since childhood, find themselves in a rut, drifting apart. Thanks to competition from a street magician and Burt's own humongous ego, their signature act and decade-long partnership ends....badly. Do they recover from the bad spell or lose the magic their friendship had?

Movie Review: A headlining cast like this is enough to convince you to buy a seat for this one. But as it turns out, not enough to keep you in it. The story is a truly plain connect-the-dots, its execution neither dazzling you with a spellbinding screenplay, nor keeping you enthralled with the illusions on display.

Carell, going by his regular standards, feels like an extension of his character, Burt Wonderstone. We've seen it all, there's nothing new on offer. Ditto with Carrey, who, as Steve Gray (modelled on David Blaine?) is the slapstick will-do-anything-crazy to Carell's monotonous all-too-subtle deadpan.

It is Alan Arkin as ageing magician and Burt's inspiration Rance Halloway, coming a little too late into the second half, who brings a rare grace, refreshing candour and understated chutzpah to the otherwise soul-less premise. He is the catalyst who drives the film forward.

For a comedy, it's a little underwhelming. The magic tricks are more shock, less awe. Not as incredible or magical as one would expect. Could do a lot better.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/The-Incredible-Burt-Wonderstone/movie-review/18953227.cms

Jolly L.L.B.- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

5/6

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani, Saurabh Shukla, Amrita Rao

Direction: Subhash Kapoor

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Story: Lawyer Jagdish Tyagi 'Jolly' dreams of making it big like his advocate idol Tejinder Rajpal - will Jolly sell out too? 

Movie Review: So, Jolly LLB isn't a comedy - despite jokes about 'appeal' spelled as 'apple' and Jolly telling Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists he's Maskhar-e-Taiba, Jolly LLB is a serious movie, showcasing the arrogance of the rich, the helplessness of the poor and the corruption of the law. 

Jolly (Warsi) is a struggling mofussil lawyer, itching for big-city deals. He convinces girlfriend Sandhya (Rao, attractive and effective in her hot schoolmarm-avataar) and hits Delhi's District and Sessions Court where his 'office' is a desk under the sky. Jolly flounders about until he meets the super-polished, super-successful Tejinder Rajpal (Irani), arguing the 'victimization' of his rich client Rahul Dewan, whose Land Cruiser's run over six labourers on a footpath. An eye-witness appears - Jolly files a PIL. What happens when Rajpal replies using cash? 

Rather like its protagonist, Jolly LLB's first half meanders a bit, featuring a clumsy 'daaru' song and a Meerut that mysteriously hides - but boy, does its second half hammer things home. With crackling scenes between Jolly versus Rajpal (Irani deadly smooth, like velvet soaked in blood) and Rajpal versus judge Tripathi (Shukla in a brilliant show, hysterically yelling, "Gavel kidhar rakha hai?!", thundering at Rajpal, "Sit down! Ye mera court hai, aapka club nahin!"), the action becomes electric. Drama builds as Jolly (Warsi, highly endearing and impressive) finds his voice. Jolly's astonishment at Rajpal's callousness - "Footpath sone ke liye nahin hai" - Jolly responding, "Footpath gaadi chalane ke liye bhi nahin hai!", mirrors the aam aadmi's bewilderment and determination to fight. 

Jolly LLB works because of its bigger point - decency is for all and worth fighting for. Using bittersweet satire and plot twirls, the film shows corruption even used against the corrupt. Despite that weaker first half, this truly becomes a Jolly good show. 

NOTE: You will not like this movie if you don't enjoy courtroom dramas 

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Jolly-L-L-B-/movie-review/18952985.cms