Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

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Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Genre:     Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Starring:  Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Peter Weller, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin

Directed by: J. J. Abrams

Rated: US: PG-13, UK: 12A, India: U/A

Running Time: 133 minutes 

Movie Review:

After the magnificent performance by Star Trek in 2009, it was quite clear that a sequel was on the way, which took a long road to reach to the theater - Obviously 4 year is a long span when Marvel Comics did the whole The Avengers concept in 4 years - which includes 2 Hulk, 2 Iron Man, a Thor and a Captain America and finally - The Avengers... and mind my maths but it calculates what? 7 movies! Not that is what we call Business! And now when the sequel is here, it is sure to create some ripples with its jaw dropping visuals and astounding 3d effects. This is what Star Trek Into Darkness is all about, it is a refreshing film with a weak story line, which is unlikely as the predecessor came with flabbergasting visuals and resplendent storyline along with the cast ensemble which were just perfect for a Star Trek installment. And Star Trek Into Darkness promises the same, the difference being is its underwhelmed story which does not impress anyhow.

 Based on the series of the same name created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek Into Darkness is actually the 12th installment in the Star Trek film franchise which has been into continuation since 1979 when the first motion picture of Star Trek was released. The 2009 Star Trek was, however, a spinoff and took the Star Trek film franchise to a new level. But that does not mean that you have to watch each and every Star Trek to get hold of what exactly it is.

After bombing a secret installation in London, the starfleet agent John Harisson tries to kill the high ranking officers at starfleet, which result in deaths of several officers including Rear Admiral Christopher Pike. Harisson successfully escapes to a planet, which turns out to be Kilngton, the home planet of Kronos. Kronos are enemies to humans and now its time for the Starfleet Team which includes - Captain James Kirk, Spock, Dr. Leonard McCoy, Hikara Sulu, Nyota Uhura and many more, to go behind this fugitive with only two options - bring him back to justice or kill him for his evil deeds. The emotional Kirk, aghast by the death of Pike, is filled with rage and he is sure that he will end up killing Harisson. But Harisson is powerful and he know secrets that can shake the core of starfleet officers. And there is something new waiting for Kirk and his team, which is ruthless and ugly than Harisson himself. What will Kirk, Spock and their team gonna do? Watch out for this fast pacing adventurous yet dangerous ride with Kirk and his crew where they will save lives and more importantly, will save their dignity.

 My Verdict:

Star Trek Into Darkness is hell of a ride. With its appealing 3d effects, this film is a good to go. Just its storyline, which does not looks to be fresh and in the end - with all its whoa! effects, you may end up saying - 'I think I have watched films with similar story line'. But the place where it does not fail at all is - 'Entertainment'. Star Trek is visually perfect, with its jaw dropping sequences and its stunning visual effects, it takes you to a fast pacing adventurous ride where action and entertainment is guaranteed. And when you have your 3d glares on, you know that you took the right decision to go for this film because the 3d effect of this film, takes you to a magnificent joy ride.

Why See?: Visual effects, action, adventure, 3d effects

Why Not?: Storyline - which does not look fresh.

Rating: 7.5/10


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Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

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 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

Genre:    Action | Fantasy | Horror

Starring:  Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare

Directed by: Tommy Wirkola

Rated: US: R, UK: 15, India: A

Running Time: 88 minutes 

Movie Review:
Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as Witch Hunters? Sounds fun! So I had to see it, keeping my fingers crossed that it should go head-to-head with the same genre movies like Van Helsing (2004) or Brothers Grimm (2005). And Voilà! It was not that bad but the problem was... It was not that good either. Superior to Brothers Grimm and inferior to Van Helsing though, Hansel & Gratel is a time pass gory entertainer which promises nothing but fun.

A spinoff from German folk fairy tale by Brothers Grimm, Hansel & Gretel casts Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the duo siblings, who, because of the series of events happened in their childhood, are now the best known Witch Hunters. 11 kids have disappeared from a town of Augsburg, and they are just a part of a ginormous satanic scheme of witches. Hansel & Gratel have been appointed to find out the truth and slay the witches behind this evil act. But witches know them better than they know themselves, and they are more than ready for them so action is guaranteed.

Gemma Arterton is fabulous, and watching her fighting on the screen is enchanting. Jeremmy Renner cracked some nice one liners. The news had been that this film was delayed for 10 months, so that Jeremy Renner can complete his roles in highly anticipated Marvel's Avengers and The Bourne Legacy. Which means that Jeremy was always the first choice for this film and he has to perform real well, which he did. The plot is feeble though, which is really sad as this film had a high chances to be much much better.  Even the way of presenting a scene is mediocre at places. But as Vfx is good and this film is full of gore action which is the first demand of a evil hunting action flicks, this movie does not lack in that and turns out to be an 88 minutes of disappointing fun (A fun filled film which also disappoints simultaneously? Boy was that possible.... All hail to Timmy Wirkola.)

My Verdict:
I had high expectations from Hansel & Gratel: Witch Hunters. Even someone who would see the trailer would say the same. Though this film did not quench my curiosity much, but it did not disappoint me either. You want bloody action where witches are getting killed by some pretty cool gadgets and techniques - you would not want to miss it. But if an unpredictable and sensible plot is what you seek, this film will never meet your expectations. These pros n cons make this film an average entertainer which is fresh as movies of this genre has not been in the spotlight recently. But this film promise a better sequel (no no its not like that the movie does not end here, but a sequel is sure to come), and I will be waiting for the sequel.
  

Why See?: Intense action scene, good performance, good humor at times

Why Not?: Weak Storyline, less humor

Rating: 6/10

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The Last Stand (2013)

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The Last Stand (2013)

Genre: Action | Crime | Thriller

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro, Luis Guzmán, Jaimie Alexander, Eduardo Noriega, Peter Stormare, Zach Gilford, Génesis Rodríguez

Directed by: Kim Ji-woon

Rated: US: R, UK: 15, India: A

Movie Review:
Arny is back after 10 years in a lead role and that too with a Bang! Though he is not the same as he was in Terminator 3 and has grown old. But his passion for action is nonetheless same.

The Last Stand is especially for Arnold Schwarzenegger fans who have been waiting for his comeback since a decade, who even watched The Expandables, just to have a glimpse of him and well Kim Ji-woon is not going to disappoint any of the Arny's fan and that is for sure.

Set in a sleepy border town Sommerton Junction - Arizona, of which, Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the Sheriff. Soon he comes to know that the leader of a drug cartel has been on a run and going to speed out to the Mexican Border via his town in a sports car faster than any chopper. Now he knows that the only thing that can stop him from crossing the border is he and his rookie staff. How will he do that? The answer is: he has his own means (he always has). But will he be able to? The answer is in the film itself.

The Last Stand is a fast paced action film with some good one liners and has been comic at places, but all in all it is an average action flick with nothing fresh except Arnold who still has his charm and will be loved by his admirers. Moreover this is a genuine welcome to Arnold Schwarzenegger and is fine film for him to have a start all over again. 'Welcome back Arnold, you did a fine job here' - That's all what I have to say.
 
My Verdict: This is not a film for the film lovers who wants something extraordinary and has urge to watch something different or maybe a film crafted for oscar. But if you are an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan and you want to see some decent action film with no nonsense, this film will meet your expectations (just try not to keep them much high). This film has some good action scenes and the pace of the film keeps you engaged. Beside that, it has nothing special to see, oh! wait! it has something special to see and that will be Arny himself.

Why See?: Arnold Schwarzenegger, fast pace, good action

Why Not?: Nothing extraordinary

Rating: 6/10

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Aashiqui 2 (2013)

Aashiqui 2 (2013)

Genre:  Drama | Musical | Romance

Starring: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor

Directed by: Mohit Suri

Rated: India: U

Movie Review:
Romance has not been better than this lately. Aashiqui 2 brings back the romantic era of 90s when every other hit film was a romantic one. The dedication, love, passion, emotions, sentiments, sacrifice and the other faces of romance, its all there. Though not so intriguing, Aashiqui 2 is a heart touching romantic musical entertainer.

Aditya Roy Kapoor, at times, looked to me an inconsistent actor, who made some brilliant performances with high end dialogue deliveries but on the other hand was not able to judge his role at few times. But the one who impressed me was the girl we saw in Luv Ka The End - aka Shraddha Kapoor. She justified her role elegantly, she and her expressive eyes were magical to see on the screen.

Aashiqui 2 is a story about a defaming singer Rahul Jaykar whose addiction to alcohol and attitude is the reason of his defame. During this period, he finds a girl 'Arohi' who is a heart touching singer. Rahul decides to make her a superstar and falls in love with her. Soon he realizes that he is going to be a threat to her, but for how, why and what happens after that - Watch the movie.

The film has some brilliant dialogues and one of my favourite was - 'Yeh (Alcohol) to wo biwi hai jo satati bhi hai aur talaak bhi nahi deti.' lol...weird but funny.

The strongest part of the film is obviously the songs, that has already created sensation among the music lovers. But more importantly, all the songs have been rightly placed and timed, makes it more enjoyable. Aashiqui 2 is a decent film in almost every aspects.It is one of those films, which, if not makes you cry, can at least bring tears to your eyes, or make your heart filled with love for your partner.

I believe, Aashiqui 2 does not have the best possible ending for a movie, and if the film with such a simple story which has been beautifully crafted, had to have a better, sensible and possible alternate ending, it would have been much appreciated than it has been now.
   
My Verdict: They say 'all is well that ends well', and I agree to it because I have found that there has been movies which I liked while watching and hated when it ended. Because end really matter a lot. But this movie is not one of them. Despite of an inadequate ending (which can make you think that was this the best possible ending for this film?), Aashiqui 2 is a well made film which does not bores you, and if Romance is your genre, and you are really in love with the songs, and you would want to see the mesmeric spark between Aditya and Shraddha, and you want to enjoy a good romantic film with you partner, well don't wait and buy the tickets now!

Why See?: Well placed, timed and written songs, good acting by actors.

Why Not?: Ending is not 'quenchy' enough.

Rating: 7/10

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Gangster Squad (2013)

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Gangster Squad (2013)

Genre: Action/Crime

Starring: Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Robert Patrick

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Rated: US: R, UK: 15, India: R

Movie Review:

Okay, somebody tell me what was wrong with Ryan Gosling's voice? Why was he talking like a girl. Lol, a guy with that personality and voice like this, irritates a lot. And yeah, the love chemistry of gorgeous Emma Stone and hunk Ryan Gosling (with female touch in his voice this time don't know why) is back from Crazy Stupid Love. They look a pretty couple together on screen.

Gangster Squad is an Action Crime film based on Tales from the Gangster Squad  by Paul Lieberman. This movie shows post World War II Los Angeles, which was then under control of a gangster Mickey Cohen. Can this gangster be stopped when he virtually owns the city? Well this is movie all about.

I appreciate Sean Penn (Mickey Cohen) as for some good acting here though his makeup is 'gawky'. But in this movie, what I truly appreciate is... Screenplay. Will Beall has written some great one-liners that were enjoyable at times.

There are some good action sequences and some nonsensical too (well car chase looked murky to me few times). But most importantly, there are some loop-holes in plot that are questionable. Ruben Fleicher's Zombieland was hilarious, and he has taken care of putting some good humor in this movie too but they are too less than expected.

Dialogues are enjoyable, caste ensemble is up to the mark,  the style the movie carries on in whole is great but when it ends, you just get up saying - 'It could have been better than what it is'. Well Ruben, take care next time. I appreciate your approach, but this movie has some elements missing and some questions that should have been taken care of in the movie itself.

My Recommendation: Car chases and gunfights of 40's was something we rarely see. So this is a Rental.

Why Should I See?: Screenplay and some good actions

Why Should I Not?: Sometimes Blatant

Rating: 6/10

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Nautanki Saala (2013)

Nautanki Saala (2013)

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Pooja Salvi, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Evelyn Sharma

Directed by: Rohan Sippy

Rated: India: U/A

Movie Review:
Something is seriously wrong with this movie. No matter how hard I try to like this movie, I ended up saying - 'Not Worth'. This movie is good for some DVD release rather than a theatrical release. First half goes with ups and downs but try to manage the interest of the crowd. But when the movie progress after first half, it plainly fails to entertain at many points and goes on moving blindly towards the end.

After his miraculous performance in Vicky Donor, Aayushmann has been on a greater level of expectations and no doubt he did the good job in Nautanki Saala too, but the plot is mediocre and most of the time is a non-comedy. The film has its moments, but most the time it fails to make a plot so interesting that can bind the viewers all the time.

My Recommendation: If you are not a hard-core Aayushmann fan, you can easily give this movie a break and wait for some good films which are coming by the end of the month. Songs are good, and they are the only enjoyable part at times.

Why Should I See?: Good Songs.
Why Should I Not?: Mediocre Plot

Rating: 5/10

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

Genre: Sci-fi/Action

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jonathan Pryce, Byung-hun Lee, Elodie Yung, Ray Stevenson, D.J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Channing Tatum, Ray Park, Bruce Willis

Directed by: Jon M Chu

Rated: USA: PG-13, UK:12A, India: U/A

Review:

Meticulous Vfx, good Sfx, nonsensical plot, cockeyed (at few places) yet superb action sequences, almost no Tatum, no Ripcord either and less of Willis states the whole story of G. I. Joe: Retaliation.

At some point it felt like some of its action has took its inspiration from Transformers but in an incoherent way. Where some of the actions are exquisite and if you are watching it in 3D, you may get your 'Whoa!' moment a many times, few actions will make you think that they have been added without adding sense to them.

It has more flaws then its predecessor and I felt that 'Rise of the Cobra' was better than this one on the basis of plot and direction.  But G. I. Joe: Retaliation won't disappoint you if you are in for a pure action. Dwayne Johnson has tried his best to carry Tatum's legacy with all he can do. But personally, I missed Stephen Sommers (Director of  'Rise of the Cobra') at many places.

My Recommendation: If you are in for a pure action, disregarding its plot and absurdity at some places , this movie is for you and it won't disappoint you in any way. And watch it in 3d if you can as it will double the fun.

Why Should I See?: Meticulous vfx, superb action scenes, good Sfx, great 3d effects.
Why Should I Not?: Nonsensical plot, incoherent (at few places) action.

Rating: 3/5 (1 point for its praiseworthy Visual Effects)

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3G (2013)

3G (2013)

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Starring: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sonal Chauhan

Directed by: Sheershak Anand, Shantanu Ray Chhibber

Rated: India : A

One word for this Not So 3G Movie is - Hopeless. Still if you want some cheap thrills, I recommend you to wait and buy the DVD as the movie did not seem to have anything that looks promising.

3G is a movie that has a story with no vision, it has a plot that takes movie nowhere and the shots have not been managed properly. The only plus point is the sound effect. Rest this movie is not worth the risk.

But if you like Sonal Chauhan and / or Neil Nitin Mukesh, then you can go for their sake, else I won't recommend to risk a single penny on this movie.

Why Should I See?: Afx (Sound Effects)
Why Should I Not?: Numerous reasons.
 
Rating: 3/10

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Special 26 (2013)

Special 26 (2013)

Genre: Heist/Drama/Thriller

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpai, Jimmy Shergil

Directed by: Neeraj Pandey

Fake raids, corrupt businessmen and politicians - India has seen some of the cases in its past that does not need an introduction. But carving it into a movie between fake and real and making it a story worth to see is a challenge. And Neeraj Pandey knows how to do it. It is very rare in Indian Cinema that a heist movie of this quality is made. Most of them goes down in the list as the worst movie of the year. But this film, this film has a promising future as it has got a strong plot, brilliant star-cast and most importantly memorable dialogues.

Seems like The Gangs of Wasseypur has started a cult (as expected) of developing stories based on true incidence.  But Neeraj Pandey is not an unknown name for movie lovers after his fast pacing brilliantly made movie - A Wednesday.

Finally a no nonsense movie from Akshay Kumar which has a chair gripping plot and a twisted (yet a bit expected) ending.  This movie is worth to see in every expect except for its not required and unromantic romance. But all in all, it won't let you down. After a long time a clever movie is made in Indian Cinema and it may go to the one of the finest movie of this year. 



Pros: Dialogues, Clever Plot
Cons: unwanted songs, slow at times.

Rating: 7/10

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