Inception Movie review!

Its bloody 3am in the morning and I'll confess... I couldn't wait till dawn to write on this movie!! This is whole-sale 5 star stuff. Thats right... the very stuff with which bench marks are made.

When I heard Nolan was not doing the next batman movie after The Dark Knight,I was a little disappointed... But then he s not some guy who just does things the usual way. So any movie with his name on it would do! I was waiting for this movie right from the time it was announced. I had to work a lot harder to beat my expectations down and I told myself 'Ok this is just another movie' before I entered the show.

Inception succeeds as a movie and as an Idea that snatches you by the collar and drags you along - whether you like it or not! The Screenplay and direction stand out specifically since this is not like anything you have ever seen before! A wonderful trip through the mind of a genius!

The plot is a heavily complicated,immensely detailed,intensely layered and mind-blowing extravaganza! It would definitely require more than one viewing for a normal movie goer to even grasp what is going on. Yet the handling is so perfect and editing so damn good that you don't even think over the happenings and just allow yourself to be captured in the swirl of it all! The sub-sequences and parallel tracks which are supposed to be just supportive parts in the movie are shot with such class that other directors would just be satisfied to keep them as important or climactic scenes in their movies! Action scenes are done in a sort of ok-here-it-comes-yeah!-so-what? kind of way and yet stand out! Now THAT is something now isin't it? Aren't we supposed to be in a period where good action scenes alone make up good movies? :)

The film tells a web of accounts about a group of Brain-thieves who can steal anything in your brain from your sub-conscious memory. When they are asked to carry out something similar but not so pretty much the same,as the 'one last job', the plot is set into motion. Though what you hear sounds totally unbeatable and cool,even the best of men know that they can be beaten... since they are the only ones aware of their weaknesses......

Leonardo Dicaprio is stunning in one of the best roles he has played since 'Blood Diamond'. Ken watanabe, Allen Page, Joseph Gordon, Tom Hardy along with Cillian Murphy and the rest of the cast blend into their roles fit into them like a glove. It was heartening to see Sir Michael Caine in a small role. The crew has, in all absorbed the essence of the movie along with its ambitious heights and have supported in bringing out a movie that will be celebrated as a classic from our era. The length of the movie is hardly a matter since it just flies past you like seconds. Its still hard to believe it lasted 140 minutes! :) Finding out and specifying flaws from a movie like this would be a pure crime!! This is a double thumbs up!

The Climax packs an overall knockout punch that really leaves you in awe!! Yes.. that is when you snap out of your trance or rather 'wake up' and tell yourself that all this was for real and you have indeed experienced a masterpiece in Motion picture history!

5/5 - two thumbs up!

The 'A' Team movie review

Simply fabulous! I mean innovative and incredible...something Indian films these days never have. Indian film makers.. watch this first!

As I watched The 'A' Team movie,the thing that kept striking me was the power and confidence that ran throughout the movie. The screenplay was simply stunning and so was the script and direction. The break-neck pace of the film deliberately slows down now and then... possibly to make fun of all script writers who sit and think about providing lightning fast screenplay. This movie for all its worth and much less negative points definitely deserves your time and money.

The plot, as told in the trailer is about a team of Elite united states officers sent to prison for a crime they never committed. What actually follows is quite obvious but what they show is .... well, un-obvious. Twists and turns thrown in all around the movie with some very clever script-writing and terrific ideas laid out as 'plans' are the biggest and brawniest assets for this flick. Every plan that is made and executed by the A-Team is worth watching. This is the possibly the next level of film-making.

Amazingly active,surprisingly charming for his age and subtle as ever Liam Neeson sizzles as their captain,Col.Hannibal smith.Bradley Cooper as 'face' Peck is stunning as the 'ladies man' in the team. The rest of the cast just play along. :) I however missed Mr.T as 'B.A. Barnacus' and the ripe Jessica Biel ;-) the one that appears on screen looks too skinny :P They team could have however focussed on the character developement of Murdock. I felt the most lovable fella in the team, was being ignored a little.

The director really deserves credit for the twists and turns along with a lot of innovative ideas in every action block. Though some of them went a little overboard like a helicopter turning upside down and a tank falling from a shot down plane...the execution keeps it so damn engaging! Dialogues and cinematography are well above par as it lives to your expectations and leaves you impressed. Now and then there are tributes to the original series and the characters. The mention of Ghandhiji in a scene evokes thunderous applause and whistles at the theatre. The climax was a bit of an overkill but this movie deserves it. :) Costumes,sets,areas,editing... well there is nothing I can think of to complain. Finally a movie that respects your intelligence!

I don't want to spoil your movie experience with over-hype,which is exactly what I have been doing now :) But still this is one good movie that holds your interest with slam-dunk action and adventure.So with piping hot stars,clever screenplay and magnificent execution, this is the best tribute that can be given to the original Series. Get in and get yourself some fun to escape a boring weekend.

No Sound! only substance!

4/5

Raavanan Movie Review

"...1000 sengal venum.. ovvonnu laiyum 'raaman' nu adichu venum..." - Bombay

"..Adutha leave ku vena...enna ma??.. adutha jenmam illama adutha leave ku ma!!..." - Thiruda Thiruda

"unga mama minister apdingura thayiryama? ....Yaen college election la unga arasiyal saakadai ya kalakureenga?..." - Aaayutha eluthu

"..Aanandan nadippa vitta.. avar ketta padhavi avarukke..."
"...NADIPPA VITTA???.." "..Avar ketta padhavi avarukke.." - Iruvar

"..Appo IPS padichathu yaaru..innuru payyana?.. avarukku rendu mattum thaana illa innum vera ethavathu??..." - Agni Natchathram

"Tha nahi. Hoon.

Aur hamesha rahoonga.

Gurukant desai"

Just a few sparks that hit me as I thought of Mani Ratnam. Everytime this man wields the microphone a new benchmark is set. Maybe he was just a little tired this time around.

Raavanan disappoints as a movie and specifically so, since its from the man who always sets his own lofty standards. Save its technical brilliance, with its amazing Cinematography, art and editing, this movie fails to make an impression. Not even mighty Mani could do justice to a script that was so shallow. The treatment I would say was still mediocre.

It is Vikram who single-handedly keeps you engaged for the entire film...the man is such a treat to watch. Its nice to see him work after a long time. Aishwarya Rai is however the pick of the lot. Too bad she had to be wasted the whole of second half.Prithviraj has painfully little to play and carrries it out with ease. Karthick comes across as a spark of the old fire that he was. Priyamani too shines in her short role. Other actors like Vijay,Vaiyapuri,Ranjitha appear in forgettable roles. Ranjitha's screen time is in fact countable in seconds.

The screenplay looks like its turning constantly through a square maze.Though the movie looks fast in certain cases, Many things like Karthick's intro,Vikram's romance,Prabhu's dialogue delivery at the beginning..to mention a few... looked too ameteurish. Suhasini's dialogues really mar the impact that the film could have delivered. Come on!!this is not Iruvar for you to get away with simpler tones and leave all the poetics to Vairamuthu. I really missed Vijay Acharya's stunners in GURU. Even Rahman's BGM fails to make an impression. And I always thought Rahman reserved his best for Mani.

Santhosh Sivan and Manikandan take turns to salvage some respect and quite surely their cinematography is absolutely enchanting. Never have I seen such beautiful locations and creative photography as this. Apart from their hard work in the details, the camera also takes you through every delicate expression changes in the leads' faces. Marvellous! The songs were shot with such passion and the hard work put in was evident.

The references to Ramayan were quite obvious and most of it looked unnecessary and forced. If you want to paint grey both the shades of Black and White.. please make it more interesting. A movie that blurs that line should be like "The Prestige". Not a revenge drama.

Mani has set a few benchmarks as usual.Not in his usual style. At 130 minutes the movie's length is quite commendable. But predictably there was nothing more to show on this idea.

This movie is proof that a weak script can never give you a memorable movie. This is from a view point of an educated movie-buff. A layman would have not noticed anything except aishwarya rai's low-cuts.

So Ask no questions.. you ll hear no lies.

Expect less... get a mouthful

Normal rating - Average 2/5

Mani's Scale - New-found low.

Prince of Persia : Sands of Time movie review!!

Prince of Persia : Sands of Time

Video game movies usually don't work. Video game plots are designed for that thrill and speed.
So when a movie is made on it.. you dont' really set your expectations high. But Prince of Persia proves you wrong....well not totally :-)

The plot is quite direct. A rustic 'prince' on the run, wrongly accused of a crime he had not committed. That s it. Well almost. The story has its very own share of twists and turn.. one too many I'd say. The necessary introduction of new characters keeps up its pace and the movie never really runs out of steam and moves on a like a falling rollacoster without control.




The screenplay is so arranged that if you so much as blink a little longer you wouldn't understand where you are. The enjoyable part is watching a single movie with and without magic. The contrast is really good enough for you to relate with its characters.


The best part of the movie is Jake Gyllenhal.. who plays Dastan, the prince in question. His charisma and performance gives the movie a great advantage. All other characters seem a lot out of touch. Though they have eventually delivered the goods. Gemma Arterton disappoints as Princess Tamina,as she looks nowhere close to a princess of a holy Persian city.


Ben Kingsley plays,sorry 'cakewalks' the role of one Mr.Nizam. Toby Karell has however been wasted as Prince Gasab. I couldn't believe he was the guy I saw in RocknRolla. Like many other Disney movies, violence and adult scenes are nowhere to be found. Thankfully we do have the pace of the movie to hold out attention. ;)

The art and cinematography are huge assets for this movie. The editing has been done to keep the running crisp and slick. The director could have re-worked the climax to set it more fitting to this movie. The special effects are good but not great as per hollywood standards.

The most important aspect of the movie - the dagger that turns back time is used less than 6 times in the movie,which makes it a tad underwhelming. So except a few glitches and a lot of compromises by disney to keep this a 'kids' movie. Its a good work.

But disney fellas,We live in an era where even kids want more outta everything. There are few video games without violence. I suggest you look into your strategy for the coming decades. :D

Rating : 2.5/5

Iron man 2 Movie review

"Aaaaw!! Its good to be back!! "

exclaims Robert Downey Jr as he flags off this movie even as Hollywood is searching for an excuse for not providing some good summer entertainment. Jon Favreau finally seems to have found that and he manages to bring back Marvel's ambassador Iron man back to the big screen.

The movie does guarantee a decent package. Special effects,dialogues,a super-villain and a huge budget!! But the plot suffers due to lack anything new in it and of course the screenplay lacks the enigma.All said and done,most of it would not have come half as good as it seems,if it was not for the casting... and simply nothing would be same if it was not for Robert downey coming back again to play the titular character!!

The man has everything for the movie and that in turn proves to be something for everyone. Every movie goer. His overflowing energy and constant,eccentric childishness keeps you wanting to like a lot more than ever.

Tony Stark(Robert downey) is left in the middle of all controversies ever since he revealed that he is iron man. He is further dealt with physical and psychological blows after he finds out that the Arc reactor that keeps him alive is poisoning his blood and he has very little time left. Beyond all this he is targeted by a deranged Russian scientist's son(Mickey Rourke) who wants to exact revenge on the Iron man for reasons unknown. In all the chaos and confusion,it is his personal companion pepper potts(Gyneth Paltrow) and his trusted friend Rhodes(Don cheadle) who help him through.

In the middle of all this enter the sexy Natalie(a very hot Scarlett Johansson) as Pepper's second in command and one Mr.Justin Hammer(Sam Rockwell) a self-styled arms genius. And.. you have your bag full. :-) Scarlett shows that there's a lot more to her than just being the hottest female on screen. ;-)

The Iron man crosses each hurdle-one at a time and finally ends it as it should. The cast have blended well with the movie and provide a good show with a lot of light moments and less violence. the director keeps running them around the movie so that you don't tired. The stunt scenes have been choreographed keeping in mind audiences of all age groups, and though it takes off the bite in the scenes, a menacing Mickey Rourke as Whiplash makes up for it. The race track sequence is a good proof for the importance that hollywood gives its bad guys. However Samuel Jackson has been royally wasted. The special effects are quite good and as expected,hollywood always stays one step ahead in that area.


So, Now we have the coolest playboy-styled super hero with a heart of gold dealing with his demons inside as well as outside and a proper super villain as well as an industrial Rival trying to get ahead of him. Not bad I'd say. Though the movie has nothing really special or new,watch it for the entertainment quotient. This pop-corn muncher should end your summer movie hunt.

3/5

GREENZONE MOVIE REVIEW - This is Matt Damon's game face!!!

"We should always think before we go to war"

Cliche'? yes. But not when it shown through some rugged cinematography,some sensible direction and slick screenplay.

The movie sparks off with an aesthetically-picturized combat sequence. There is no stopping right from there.

Set in 2003 Saddam-Hussain-fled Iraq ,it shows America,now on an urgent need to prove their claims that Iraq has hidden away WMDs(Weapons of Mass Destruction) in various hidden sites. As per intelligence reports,Miller leads his team to every alleged WMD site. He is left frustrated time and again after busting into
these 'sites' that seem nowhere close to WMD sites. With the number of causalities rising and nothing concrete in their hands, the pentagon is compelled to further pressure the armed forces in order to maintain trust. The CIA head Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson),a well informed and sharp-tongued executive warns against all possible moves of the special forces. Miller soon realises the truth in Brown's words. The callousness of the pentagon and school-bully attitude of the Delta force soon makes him operate on his own. the free-wheeling Army chief gets entangled in a web that leaves him stunned and takes him further into the dirty rabit-hole. The truth as they say is never always sweet. The film as such warns that the efforts of many good men could go useless and horribly unpredictable when people at the top don't get their facts right.... and honest.


The casting steals the show with Matt Damon setting the benchmark as an upright and respected Chief Roy Miller.The movie does bring in waves set off by his previous 'Bourne' adventures, but the calm and composed eyebrows prove you wrong. Greg Kinnear has done his job quite well as the Pentagon agent and Jason Isaacs stars as a ruthless Delta force chief. Amy Ryan has nothing really big to do as a wall-street journalist and her role seems quite incomplete,as it seems like many of her scenes were deleted to further speed up this high-octane movie.

You know what to expect when its the director of the critically acclaimed Bourne series.With this film he further extends his prowess over real-camera action that drags you along the entire adventure with the jeep,through the dusty lanes,inside the choppers and into the plot! This movie is not for people who can't take jerks on screen.


Coming in at a time when film-technology has been raised beyond imagination and audiences' expectations have soared beyond set limits, this movie stands out like a Zen monk among the sweaty crowd of six-packs and two pieces. Big relief for movie lovers like me!!

So if the rate at which popcorn enters your mouth is very much dependant on the speed of the movie. You better get an extra bag for this outing.

The Complete Micromax Q5 Ezpad Phone Review

I got my Micromax Q5 on 20-feb-2009. I would like to share my experiences and points of view regarding this much-hyped phone.

First things First

PROS of Q5

1.Good

looks and body build quality
2.Rich interface and ease of use for basic applications with superb track-ball navigation.
3.Decent Battery ( comes to around full 36 - 48 hours with full use)
4.USB charger and PC suite.
5.Slick connectivity to internet(courtesy Opera Mini) and pre-loaded GPRS settings for all MAJOR telecom GSMs
6.Facebook,yahoo,gtalk,msn etc pre loaded.
7.Soft and intelligently laid out QWERTY keypad.
8.3.5 mm jack,Decent Camera and Yamaha powered music player(for thi

s price)
9.Speed and movement of control through the phone
10. 1000 contact addressbook

Now comes the better part.

CONS

1.Phone is Dual SIM - Dual Standby (Read definition below) :-P
2.Major interface mistakes. (for simplest of options like making calls or changing ringtones, u need to jog around the phone)
3.Hard-coded features (only 5 ringtones can be used from your personal memory)
4.Tooooo heavy vibration!!
5.Bad and amateur design of many applications.


The phone was really impressive when i saw it and was definitely better than all the china mobiles and all the mobiles from micromax.
What got me was the rich styling and no-compromise steel-black body. The track ball was amazing and the phone looked just too cool.

I got this phone cause i needed a dual-sim phone.. but my frends started complaining that while I was on call on one SIM the other SIM was unavailable. When
I mailed the micromax email support. This is what I got. I felt like a JAck-Ass to say the least......

Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for your mail.
With reference to your Query we would like to inform you that Q5 is a Dual sim Dual standby phone as it is mentioned on our website as well which means that you can insert both the Sims but can use only one at a time as the other one would be not available. For more informations you can log onto www.micromaxinfo.com For any further assistance feel free to contact MMX Support.
Thanks &Regards Neha MMX Support 0124-4811000

So there goes my basic necessity. SO i got two sims. One phone.. u can use only ONE SIM at a time. The other will be COMPLETELY deactivated. No calls no messages. I am mincing no words here.

I need to activate the missed call alert facility. I was further enraged when they said the Phone does not support Virgin GSM mobile’s GPRS connection. I am trying to configure it manually

OK next.... all the basics.......

Call quality purely depends on the network you use... otherwise signal reception is quite good.
Messaging is quite convenient and comfortable with the qwerty keypad... if you use system often. It took me less than 5 minutes to settle down to the keypad.
Good internet accessiblity and User-friendly opera browser that fires off like a raging bull.
Camera is good. At least it is really 2MP :-)
Good ring/Speaker/Call volume - Cant complain
Phone comes with a nice rubber pouch that sticks around and avoids any possiblity of scratches on the body.
Interface to system is no-fuss (though I am facing problems with the PC suite)

But then there are Major Irritants.......

Ok now... i did get a cheap phone.. so i didnt expect much.. but then.. there are somethings that really frustrate you
Only 5 of your personal mp3 songs/tones can be moved to the ’ringtones’ menu to be used. Remember Nokia 1100? u used to get tones from friends and store them right?
that too you must have had space for only 7 tones. Exactly the same case. AND you cant just click on a song and set as ringtone. :-)
Message tones cant be used from our personal memory and we have to use the in-built tones... like it or not!!

I am not able to set one sim as the primary sim... as a result you need to cross 5-6 screens everytime you send a message. Phone book looks hastily-laid out and so is a little tough to use.

Other features:

The facebook,Gtalk,yahoo are all individually configurable. GPRS settings need to be set separately for each of them....... What??? I am not saying anything.. it depends on how you see it.

The music files need to be added to My Music folder that magically gets created in your Micro-SD memory card. Any files outside will not be read or recognised by the player.
The music player seems like something designed by a 10-year old. It is so fussy to use and even inside the player,if you click a file the interface prompts up asking you what you want to do with it. :-)

The clarity of music,effects in the likes of Reverb,Equaliser,3-D surround are surprisingly good. Hands-free Ear phones are decent. Yamaha??? - Well maybe... But who cares anyway?

Got this phone at ameerpet cell phone complex. for Rs.4400. Must say a decent deal.


Had they looked a little deeper for some simple ideas with an idea of a better, crisp interface, this phone would have been a hand - bomb!!

The entire kit contains
1.Handset
2.Charger
3.USB cable/Charger
4.Rubber pouch
5.Manuals
6.Hands-Free

A sample photo taken from this phone: