Category Archives: Action

Action, English Movies, Fantasy, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Superhero

Avengers: Endgame Review

Avengers: Endgame Review – Avengers Endgame is an American superhero fantasy movie released in 2019. This is the last installment of the Avengers saga which began with Iron Man in 2008. After the disastrous events at the end of the infinity war, the Avengers who are alive come up with a plan to take on Thanos.

The end of a saga often becomes a formality of sorts and struggles hard to beat the expectations. How did Avengers Endgame fair? Well the kind of appetite that was generated by Avengers Infinity war, it is always going to be difficult. The endgame is successful in parts but leaves you longing for more action through the most part.

After the emotional turn of events at the end of the infinity war, the humorous events that happen as the Avengers set out on their task did not sit well with the whole theme of the movie. But for the part of Captain America, others did seem too draggy until the beginning of the second half which sets up for the final battle.

The final battle makes up for all the slowness and makes the watch total worth for the money. A big kudos to Marvel for creating a very connected story line since the first Iron Man in 2008.

High Points: The sequences involving Captain America, The character build-up of Thanos, Performance on Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, The final battle sequence

Low Points: The dragging first half of the movie. Humor that doesn’t gel well with the flow.

Overall Endgame is a fitting farewell for the Avengers Saga, that would keep you longing for more. It makes a must watch in theaters for the relevance it has with the whole franchise. Although it doesn’t match up to the Infinity war, this one will not disappoint you at the end. IMAX 3D version provides the best viewing experience.

Must Watch

Action, Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Petta Review

Petta Review – Petta is a Tamil action drama released in 2019. Kaali an elderly man joins as a temporary hostel warden in an arts college. There seems to be a hidden agenda behind his move which forms the core plot of Petta.

Petta, a fanboy film of Rajnikanth works its magic in bringing back many nostalgic memories of Rajnikanth movies in terms of shots, action blocks and situations. One big thing that it misses out is on the emotional connection to the character played by Rajnikanth on screen. Barring that it is an out and out entertainer. Like as in flashback sequences for Shankar, twists have become the regular feature in director Karthik Subburaj’s films. Personally, for me, the twists haven’t worked while it seems to have worked with many audiences. The twist of the tale in Jigarthanda and Pizza too did not work for me.

Petta’s first half is a wholesome entertainer, it has comedy, love, action sequences, songs, Thalaivar Swag all making it very enjoyable. The second half narrates an entirely a different story on a different canvas, that almost makes the first half irrelevant to the whole plot. The high orchestration builds up music is generously used in the second half BGM that might have worked well for the first day first show crowd but becomes cloying and making the climax appear to be elongated one. As it has been touted to be the second Baasha of sorts, I can’t resist doing a comparison to the old cult classic which again portrayed a dark side of Rajnikanth. But the first half characters lead back into the flashback as well and when the story connects back all of them are still relevant. That made you connect with the purpose of the lead character. That missed in Petta.

Besides the flaws, Petta is still a well made Tamil film that has many brilliant portions that would make you watch it again. First and foremost is the villaneous avatar of Rajnikanth and he plays it with so much ease and brings a terror on the screen as he gets involved in fights. It was refreshing to see Simran on screen after a long time. You just wished she had more screen time. Nawazuddin is the ideal choice for the Villain, the role is tailor made for him and he plays it to perfection. If you remove the fan flair of Petta, there is a raw gangster tale beneath it, that seems to be a very powerful one and left unexploited for the want of a breezy first half.

High Points: Rajni’s presence, the interval block, entertaining first half, the market fight scene, a Flashback sequence, inclusion of Simran

Low Points: Overuse of the build-up BGM, Twist after twist just for the sake of it

Overall, Petta is a true fanboy flick that captures all fanboy moments in a Rajni film. Lack of emotional connection to the main character makes it fall short of being a milestone movie. Yet there is lots to look for in Petta.

Worth a Watch

Action, Genre, SciFi

2.0 Review

2.0 Review – 2.0 is a Tamil Sci Fi action film released in 2018. Dr. Vaseegaran brings Chitti back to take on an evil force that goes around killing people.

For quite sometime Indian movies have been aspiring for recognition of making movies of big scale and making it work. Movies like Chandralekha gave this confidence in the yesteryear. Now movies like Baahubali and 2.0 push the needle in the positive direction in creating a large-scale movie on high budgets and still making it commercially workable. Shankar’s extravagant dream and realizing them as grand visuals makes 2.0 a visual treat. Rajnikanth has shouldered the movie to make it entertaining throughout. As the commercial values rested on Rajnikanth, this has definitely overshadowed the power and purpose of Akshay Kumar’s character which is pivotal to the plot.  That is where the movie falters, the character arc which is always a strong point of Shankar’s movie goes weak. Like many of Shankar’s movies, there is a very essential social message in this one too. However, due to the weak characterization, the message doesn’t hit you hard in your face as it did in Anniyan like it did in Indian.

In essence 2.0 is all about visual extravaganza and superstar show. You are sure to get entertained for the 160 minutes. Shankar has repeated the subtle introduction of the Superstar without any frills like in the first installment. The absence of force fitting of songs is a welcome change, Amy Jackson portions are there merely to add humor to the proceedings. The body language transformation from Vaseegaran to 2.0 is still a treat to watch and forms some of the high points in the movie. As a superstar fan, you would want to whistle as the transformation happens. There are some surprise shades of characters he has played as well, which you would watch in the movie. The scenes comprising of Vaseegaran, Chitti, and Akshay Kumar at the crossroads in the second half is constructed very well and makes you long for more. The movie has a fitting grand climax sequence that has been action choreographed very well. From visual spectacle, we have already seen Chitti and 2.0. The stunt sequences of Bird and the formation of particle animation to create the bird is quite stunning to watch. The bird not being revealed completely, but in parts across various scenes would remind you Spielberg movies like JAWS and Jurassic Park.

High Points: Shankar’s visualization, Rajnikanth’s screen presence, Visual effects, 3D movie, Action Sequences, Animation of the Bird, Social message.

Low Points: Weak Characterization,  Flaws in the screenplay. Sujatha’s magic is missing in the screenplay.

Overall 2.0 definitely pushes the envelope of creating a movie with visual grandeur and adoption of latest technology in Indian movies. This can change the commercial landscape of Indian Cinema in a positive way. Shankar’s dream stands tall at the end of it.

If good writing combines with such technology then it would be a treat to watch. Go watch the visual spectacle in 3D, you would be entertained if you are willing to forgive the flaws in the script.

Don’t miss the post-credits scene like Marvel Style 🙂

Worth a Watch

Action, English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, SciFi, Worth a Watch

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review – Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom is an English science fiction movie released in 2018. Three years after abandoning the island, Claire and Owen form a team to go back to the island to rescue selected species of the dinosaurs from the erupting volcano.

The movie is a sequel to the Jurassic World movie which is a reboot of sorts to the original Jurassic Park series. However in the latest series the backed scientific facts and the possible miracles in the genetic engineering space takes a back seat and more money is invested in attempting to make the audience jump out of the seats or spill popcorns. Although the attempt has not succeeded as much as the production house would have wanted, still they help in letting the script advance with lot of flaws swept under the carpet.

If you love Jurassic Park movies directed by Steven Spielberg, then you would have many moments to enjoy here as many scenes are replicated in here to create a nostalgic effect of the original. After watching the trailer I was just hoping that this does not create the same awkward moments of letting a dinosaur in downtown as in the Lost World. Fortunately not yet, at least not in this movie. (Sigh of relief)

The visual effects are quite stunning and the moment of thrills that work are pretty well done. As long as you don’t think about logic and science behind the scenes you would enjoy this movie.

High Points: Thrilling sequences, The emotional bond between Owen and Blue (raptor), nostalgic recreation of the scenes from the old movie.

Low Points: Lack of scientific facts and logic, over the top action sequences, very predictable screenplay.

Claire tells to Owen at one point, “Do you remember the first time you saw a dinosaur? You don’t really believe it. It’s like a miracle.” This holds good for the movie to. When we first watched Jurassic Park and got to see the dinosaurs on screen, it was like a miracle. Now we have got used to them like the King Kong, Superheroes and so on. Stretching this beyond this runs a risk of becoming cloying for the viewers.

Overall if you are a fan of the Jurassic World then go and watch this one on the big screen without worrying about logic. This is more of a commercial entertainer than science fiction.

Worth a Watch

 

Action, English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Superhero, Worth a Watch

Deadpool 2 Review

Deadpool 2 Review – Deadpool 2 is an English superhero action movie released in 2018. In the sequel to the movie released in 2016, Deadpool has to take on a time traveler by name Cable to stop him from killing a mutant kid.

Deadpool has been popular for being a bad ass superhero who likes to fight dirty. Well, he continues to fight as expected out of him. As the movie begins we see Deadpool setting himself on fire in his house just mocking how Logan died and gained popularity.  Then we jump into an adrenaline pumping stunt sequence followed by funky titles,  just to remind the audience they are going to see what they have come expecting.

From then on the movie goes in a predictable flow with some witty moments and some brilliant breaking the 4th wall moments. This makes the otherwise predictable movie a more enjoyable one. However this time the stunt and action block has a lesser scope and they have tried to use wit and emotion to fill it up. It has just managed to pull the movie over the edge. The formation of X Force and their first sky jump is a high point in the movie.  The climax is a bit too lengthy and barely manages from not becoming a cliche.

Cable, as a character, is dark and made really well.  The scenes involving him are definitely more interesting.  The soundtrack also has managed to keep the tempo of the movie going.

High Points: The formation of X Force, Characterization of Cable and the high way chase sequence, Witty dialogues and breaking the 4th wall, the Post-credits sequence will get you cracking

Low Points: The lengthy climax,  being lesser on action

Overall Deadpool 2 is a worthy sequel to the first installment of the badass superhero. It has most of the elements that are needed to entice the fans of Deadpool and it manages enough to keep the audience entertained.

Worth a Watch

Action, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Superhero

Avengers Infinity War Review

Avengers Infinity War Review – Avengers Infinity War is an English superhero action movie released in 2018. After being split into two teams during the Civil war, the Avengers reunite to fight against the deadliest villain Thanos.

Right from the time Iron Man 1 released on screen, Marvel has been planning for the stories leading to a juncture where the team of superheroes fights the deadliest villain yet. In a way, many of the subplots over the past ten years connect here as the superheroes unite. The highlight of the movie is the characterization of Thanos. He definitely looks very dangerous and threatening whenever he comes on screen.

The movie picks off right from the post-credits scene of Thor Ragnorok. There is action sequence throughout the movie. There is also a very deep emotional connect in this one compared to the previous Avenger movies which mostly relied on high octane action sequences and witty dialogues to entertain the audience. This one also has those witty moments and some spectacular action sequences out of which the climax sequence is quite stunning.

High Points: Characterization of Thanos, Culmination of all the subplots, Action sequence choreography, emotional connection to the story, very engaging storyline. Completely shot in IMAX the visuals would be quite stunning on a large IMAX screen.

Low Points: There is no low point as such apart from the fact that, for folks who haven’t been watching all other films of MCU this one would be confusing.

Overall Avengers Infinity war is one of the best movies yet in the MCU.  Right from the word go, the movie will keep you engaged and glued to your seat. It would be a visual treat and an experience of a different level for Marvel fans. Do watch in theaters preferably on an IMAX screen, as this is the first ever movie shot completely in IMAX.

Must Watch

Action, English Movies, Fantasy, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Ready Player One Review

Ready Player One – Ready Player One is an English action fantasy movie released in 2018. In the year 2045 virtual worlds are an escape route for people not doing great in reality. The master game creator Halliday leaves a message prior to his death about an easter egg in his famous game Oasis. The one who finds it would inherit Halliday’s wealth and control Oasis in the future.

The movie is based on author Ernest Cline’s novel under the same name. Spielberg has given a visual form to the novel and it has worked very well. The fans of movies like The Matrix and Inception would find similarities of the plot switching between the virtual and real world.

The first 10 minutes of the movie takes the viewers on a journey of the world in 2045. The scenes in the stacks as Wade climbs down from his house gives glimpses of people’s addiction to the virtual world and it has a striking resemblance to the addiction to mobile devices we see around today.

The movie gets on with the actual challenge from the word go, the pace of the screenplay is quite racy and maintains the pace. It is akin to the most happening virtual world. There are very fine references to many movies in the virtual world, that every movie buff would enjoy. The visual effects of the virtual world as well the stack in the real world is very stunning.

High Points: Racy screenplay, visual effects and the construction of virtual worlds, memories of some famous movies.

Low Points: Folks who find the concept of virtual world and gaming world as a silly manifestation of reality may not connect with the movie.

Overall Ready Player One is a visual treat for movie buffs, particularly if you love movies in the fantasy and action genre. Spielberg has given a movie that has much appeal to the newer generation.

Must Watch

 

Action, English Movies, Fantasy, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Review

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Review – Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is an English fantasy adventure movie released in 2017.  The spellbound board game is back in its newest avatar as a video game. Though the format is changed, the adventures and the perils it brings remains the same.

I didn’t realize this is the 3rd installment of the franchise. I remember the first one featuring Robin Williams is a classic. I had my doubts looking at the star cast if I would enjoy this one. But I was proved wrong. This is the first 4DX movie I had watched it on screen. It was a very nice experience and Jumanji suited well as I could feel the pull of the gravity as they fall down, ride on the bike, fly the chopper through the jungle. It is totally worth it for the 4D experience.

The story is very much along the lines of the Jumanji Franchise. They have chosen stars who suit the characters well. The irony of having an opposite physique compared to their real world appearance is an interesting twist. In particular, I enjoyed the character of Jack Black. He could play such roles with ease. Kevin Hart’s performance brings smiles to your face. The ending is predictable but nevertheless, the journey keeps you glued to the seats. Kids would enjoy this a lot, like many of us enjoyed the first part.

High Points: Jumanji Franchise, Cast Ensemble, Jack Black’s performance, Kevin Hart’s comical performance, 4D experience, use of video gaming, Visual Effects

Low Points: Predictable ending

Overall Jumanji offers you a fun ride just like the first one did. Despite the predictable nature of the scripts, the events that unfold make it a very interesting watch. If you have access to 4D screens do watch it on 4D as it is much more fun. Go and watch it with your kids.

Worth a Watch

 

Action, Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Wait for DVD/TV

Mersal Review

Mersal Review – Mersal is a Tamil action drama released in 2017. Maaran a doctor who charges just 5 rupees for treating patients is suspected to be on a spree to kill people in the medical profession.

I watched Mersal after much of the hype around it settled down. There has been a huge expectation on the movie after the success of Theri at the box office. Director Atlee has stuck to only commercial elements that work for any mass hero movies to create Mersal. Vijay has a triple role to play this time.  Evaluating this movie from a commercial mass masala film genre, it falls short of engaging throughout. The story is based on some superficial philosophy and wherever the screenplay drags Atlee has used the dialogues around the glorification of Tamil and Tamilan to appease the audience. However, this does not fit the tale. Too many characters with 3 heroines and 3 Vijay there is very less time on the screen to complete their introduction and get to the story. Although Vijay tells he needs 15 minutes of time to explain the flashback, it actually runs for 45+ minutes and slows down the movie even further. Using the same structure of a 3 act play for the flashback was a bad idea.  If this has been inspired by Aboorva Sagodharargal they could have taken a leaf out of the movie to keep the flashback short and quick.

Like I said before the screenplay is inspired by many mass commercial movies. Satyaraj himself says after hearing Vijay’s story that it feels like a Shankar film’s story. Throughout the movie, Satyaraj’s role is to listen to stories and flashback. They could have avoided this patchy non-linear screenplay altogether.  SJ Surya’s role as the villain is a treat to watch.

High Points: Vijay’s screen presence, AR Rahman’s background score, SJ Suryah’s role as villain

Low Points: Too many plot holes, Dragging screenplay, Cliched done and dusted scenes.

Overall Mersal is a mixture of Shankar, Murugadoss and Vijayakanth movies put together. If you are an ardent fan of Vijay then there are many fan moments to enjoy in the first half. However, when reviewed as a wholesome product it fails to cross the line.

Wait for DVD/TV

Action, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

John Wick: Chapter 2 Review

John Wick: Chapter 2 Review 

John Wick: Chapter 2 is an English action film released in 2017. John Wick has to return back to his dark life owing to the marker he had sworn by.

After a franchise becomes popular with the audience there is always an irresistible temptation to make a sequel to ride the popularity wave. More often than not the sequels fall flat owing to high expectations or lack of naivety the original film carried. Only very few franchises have been successful in making a sequel that is much more powerful than the first part itself. John Wick franchise joins the list. The Chapter 2 is as compelling and enjoyable as the first chapter. Like in the first chapter this is meant for action movie fans. If you are not a fan of action flicks then you may not appreciate this much.

The gunfights and the martial arts combat has been taken to the next level and choreographed very well. The world of John Wick expands and you get to learn newer rules in the world and also the power of how interconnected the world is portrayed very beautifully. The final scene of the movie is a great example of it. The movie starts with an adrenaline pumping hunt down sequence where John gets his car back. This serves as a good appetizer and then you are served with a delicious main course. Keanu Reeves has portrayed his character as well he has done in the first part. He is very good to watch in the stunt sequences.

High Point: Stunt choreography,  Keanu Reeves performance, the portrayal of interconnections in the gangster world, The metro station sequence, Gunfights, Sound effects.

Low Point: If you are not a fan of action movies then you would find this not so interesting.

Overall John Wick is here yet again to take you to his world with rules and entertain the action movie fan in you as much as he had done in the first chapter. With the second chapter clicking so well there is a great anticipation on the third chapter.

Must Watch – for action movie fans

Action, Comedy, English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Wait for DVD/TV

The Hitman’s Bodyguard Review

The Hitman’s Bodyguard Review – The Hitman’s  Bodyguard is an English action comedy movie released in 2017.  A professional bodyguard Michael Bryce is assigned to escort a notorious hitman Kincaid as he is the only physical evidence who can testify against the dictator of Belarus.

Action Comedy movies are bit tricky as you may either like it or not like it. Everything depends if the comedy suits your taste or not. The movie definitely has some very good action sequences and thrilling moments. However, the comedy involved may not please everyone. Ryan Renolds and Samuel Jackson use their star power to advance the movie. The action sequence involving the chase sequence in the climax has been shot very well. The contrast in the characters of the two lead men has been written very well where Michael believes boring is good which means everything should be uneventful while Kincaid lives dangerously.

There is never a dull moment in the movie and always there is something or the other happening that keeps you engaged. Given the plethora of superhero movies coming out this one doesn’t have the necessary gas to blow you off your mind.

High Points: The plot of the movie is a very interesting one, the lead character’s star value, the character sketch of Michael and Kincaid, the climax chase sequence.

Low Points: The comedy sequences may not have worked for all. The love angle of Michael seemed very cliched.

Overall if you love to watch mindless action movie then this one is for you. If the comedy in the movie connects with you then you would enjoy this more.

Wait for DVD/TV

Action, Crime, Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Vikram Vedha Review

Vikram Vedha Review – Vikram Vedha is a Tamil Neo Noir film directed by the duo Pushkar and Gayathri. The film released in 2017. The plot is akin to the folklore tales of Vikram and Vethal where Vikram was a righteous king who set out to the deep dungeons to capture Vethal. Vethal kept telling him tales where the lines of right vs wrong were blurred. In the end, the Vethal asked a riddle as to what is the right thing to do. Once Vikram answered it escaped. The movie starts with the animated version of this and the story has the same theme with a police officer and an encounter specialist Vikram after a deadly gangster Vedha.

Madhavan plays the role of the encounter specialist Vikram and  Vijay Sethupathi plays the role of Vedha. The plot is definitely a very interesting one that can keep you glued to the seats. Vijay Sethupathi has literally rocked the show in his role as Vedha. From a characterization perspective, this is written strongly as well and has a good character arc. Madhavan too has equally performed well in bringing out the demeanor of an encounter specialist.  The movie starts with what appears to be a casual outing for the police team and ends in a deadly encounter mission.  Very nicely done and it sets up the tone of the movie and establishes Madhavan’s character very well. Even before Vedha appears on the screen there are tales about him which establishes him as a deadly demon. And when he appears it stays up to the expectation. When he narrates the first story it is quite gripping and the twist of his escape from the situation is also well planted. The movie had been extraordinary till this point.

Post this there are more occasions he narrates the story to Vikram but quite unsure as to why Vikram listens to it patiently. He is shown to be a cop who doesn’t take even seconds to leave the bad people alive. Why does he have to listen to Vedha is still a question. When Vedha knows he would escape from the situation why does he have to tell a story to Vikram is also not established well. We did not know why Vethal told stories to Vikram as well isn’t it. That’s the only analogy I could draw for this.

Shraddha Srinath and Varalakshmi’s roles help in moving the story forward.

High Points: Vikram and Vethal as a plot device, Vijay Sethupathi and Madhavan’s performance, The initial story narrated by Vedha, The background score, and cinematography.

Low Points: The screenplay has many loop holes in the second half and it is hard to reason out why Vikram’s and Vedha’s behavior changes.

Overall Vikram Vedha is a Flamboyant and stylish encounter that would make you whistle at many moments. If you are able to ignore the loops holes in the screenplay you would enjoy this very much.

Worth a Watch