Category Archives: Action

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

Theri Review

Theri Review – Theri is a Tamil action film released in 2016. Joseph Kuruvilla lives with his daughter in a remote Kerala Village. He always stays away from fights or disputes. But circumstances lead him to pick up a tiff with the local don and in the course his original identity Vijaykumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police  is exposed.

Vijay has gone back to his comfort zone after his experimentation with fantasy adventure Puli. This time, he has joined hands with director Atlee after his successful first venture Raja Rani. When a successful filmmaker gets to direct a successful mass hero there is a huge burden to please the fans of the star. Only a few directors like Shankar, Mani Ratnam have been able to stay focused on the script and deliver an appealing product both to the fans and general audience. Atlee doesn’t fall into that category. He has struggled to find his story in the commercial entertainer. In the end, it happens to be an out and out Vijay’s mass masala movie which has all the minimum guarantee elements for success but would be a forgettable one in the long run.

The movie reminds one of many blockbusters in Kollywood and Hollywood. It has influence from Baasha. Baasha seems to be a milestone for Kollywood like how The Godfather is for Hollywood. It is still inspiring movie makers. Then there are influences from Yennai Arindhal and the directors own Raja Rani and finally, there are glimpses of The Dark Knight Trilogy. In the scenes which mimic the dark knight movies, you will find Vijay modulating his voice as well like Batman :). If you have seen all these movies and is not a Vijay fan then you won’t find anything appealing in the movie.  If you are an ardent Vijay fan then there are more opportunities for you to whistle throughout.

For me, the best part of the movie is the romance portion between Vijay and Samantha. It does bring a different face of Vijay which we don’t get to see much. He tries to be a hero who can also cry just out of emotion. That’s new for a mass hero movie. The comedy during these portions has also turned out well. Where he describes the outcome of the fight before fighting is definitely enjoyable. Atlee’s core strength is in this area which he had utilized well in Raja Rani. Mottai Rajendran has a new role of being a sidekick to the heroes previously in Vedalam and now in Theri. I personally would like to see him as a fearsome Villain or in comic roles like Ghost Gopal Varma than seeing him flattering the hero. The biggest surprise of the movie is Director Mahendran donning the role of the Villain. Years of experience is seen in his acting. I would have loved a build-up portion for the villain rather than him just jumping in and only targeting Vijay.

High Points: The romance portion between Vijay and Samantha, Visuals and production quality, Comedy sequences in the flashback, Director Mahendran playing Villain.

Low Points: The overall movie might only appeal to hardcore Vijay fans as they have been generous in creating masala elements.

Overall Theri is created to appeal to the Vijay fans worldwide. It just increases Vijay’s mass masala template movies by one rather than standing out. If you are not a Vijay fan then you can watch it when played on TV.

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

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review – Batman v Superman is an American superhero movie released in 2016. The movie is based on superheroes from the DC Comics. Superman’s fight with Zod results in large scale massacre that destroys Bruce Wayne’s (Batman) office and casualties in his company. Batman decides to fight Superman to keep him in check while Lex Luthor adds fuel to their fire.

First of all, I would like mention that I am neither DC nor a Marvel fan. Rather I like all superheroes from both the universe. It helps to read this review in an unbiased fashion.

It has been a long due for the DC universe to bring their superheroes together. Thanks to Nolan’s Batman trilogy that had set up the foundation for the movies. Although Zack Snyder did not impress much with the Man of Steel he has definitely justified his efforts with the edition of Dawn of Justice. This may not be the epic start for the Justice League DC fans would have expected but nevertheless, it serves as a good appetizer for the upcoming main course.

The movie has a sluggish start and you tend to wait for those brilliant moments restlessly. Just when you feel that this might turn out to be a half-baked effort the movie picks up and keeps you engaged till the end. Ben Affleck is very convincing as Batman and definitely carries on the legacy putting the sarcastic comments on him to rest. His performance is a standout. The icing on the cake for the movie is Wonder woman. Her entry is the best part of the movie. Lex Luthor’s characterization is good and his dialog delivery reminds of Sharukh Khan. Some portions of the movie even look like the old school Bollywood movies and look like a decorated extravagant Karan Arjun 🙂

High Points: The fight night between superman and batman, Wonder woman’s entry, Lex Luthor’s characterization, Hans Zimmerman’s background score.

Low Points: Sluggish screenplay in the first half, some of the dialogues are cheesy and cliched takes away the impact of the good ones

Overall Zack Snyder doesn’t disappoint this time and in fact, has created a good start to the Justice League. Hope DC is able to be successful with the upcoming movies. If you love superhero movies don’t miss this one when it is in the theaters.

Worth a Watch

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

Deadpool Review

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Deadpool Review – Deadpool is a Marvel superhero movie released in 2016. Wade Wilson, a mercenary leaves his girlfriend as he realizes he has cancer. However, an experimental treatment goes bad degenerates his face and turns him into a badass superhero.

This one is the first installment of Deadpool. He is probably the first superhero with antihero instincts. Deadpool comic character is known for his foul-mouthed language, merciless killing and always seen to break the 4th wall to interact with the readers or viewers. Director Tim Miller has effectively translated all these unique characteristics of Deadpool on to the big screen.

Right from the starting scene the movie makes you laugh. When I mention the starting scene it includes the starting credits which sets you up nicely for the rest of the movie. The major portion of the movie takes a non-linear narration starting from the first attack of Deadpool in a car chasing scene and shuttles back and forth on how he got there then merging onto the flashback of what made Deadpool. This could have been very flat and typical of any superhero movie. This deviation from the norm makes Deadpool stand apart. The breaking of the 4th wall right from the beginning to the end post-credits scene has worked like a charm. It does provides a unique movie viewing experience. For instance, the scene from where he is escaping from Colossus cuffs he calls it a money shot before performing the act.

High Points: Performance of Ryan Reynolds as deadpool, the breaking of the 4th wall, the initial stunt sequence and the visualization of deadpool’s character.

Low Points: Deadpool is what you would expect of a deadpool so no low points here.

Overall get ready to welcome a badass superhero that teases the dark instincts in the viewers. This is R rated for violence and explicit language, watch it without your kids.

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

Ant-Man Review

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Ant-Man Review – Ant-Man is an English superhero film from the Marvel universe. Scientist Hank Pym quits S.H.I.E.L.D to protect the shrinking technology he has invented as he believes it could destroy the world if gotten by evil men. He is thrown out of the company by his daughter and his former protege Darren Cross. They are at the verge of reinventing the shrinking technology. Hank has to rely on a well-meaning thief Scott Lang to become Ant-Man and prevent them from becoming successful.

I was not very interested in watching a movie about a miniature man who could be a superhero in parallel with the Avengers. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the output of the movie. It was very interesting and engaging throughout. The movie had some good visual effects much like any other Marvel movies. The humor element was well used by the writers to keep the movie a very interesting one. Also, the challenge faced by Ant-Man was a very interesting one.

Director Peyton Reed should be lauded for the kind of output he has produced from a superhero much less known to the world in comparison with other Marvel superheroes. Michael Douglas is a good choice for playing the character of Hank. The story sets up nicely well for its sequel. Don’t miss the post-credits sequence featuring an Avenger.

High Points: The visual effects, Humor elements, A sincere attempt, Engaging Screenplay. The sequence where the Ant-Man barges into the Avengers facility is a very interesting one.

Low Points: Overload of superhero movies might not give the credit what Ant-Man deserves.

Overall Marvel is yet again successful in creating a superhero that they can add to their Avenger series. Ant-Man although the tiniest of the superheroes manages to steal the hearts of the audience. If you are a Marvel comic fan, you should watch this one.

Worth a Watch

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

Vedalam Review

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Vedalam Review – Vedalam is a Tamil action drama released in 2015. Ganesh comes to Calcutta with his sister to give her admission into a prestigious art institute. He leads a simple life and is a pleasant company to many. But there is untold dark side to him, not known to others.

The hero is so good and straight forward person you suspect something is going to break. Something breaks and exposes a contrasting personality within him. Now you try to justify the contrasting badass personality by giving a purpose to it and then you want to see the hero win. This is a tried and tested formula for many commercial movies. Baasha being the one which started it all. Then we had seen many movies which were wannabe Baasha’s. Vedalam is one to be added to the list that is entirely banking upon Ajith’s stardom.

The movie has some interesting sequences in parts and it is enjoyable during those sequences. But then the movie falls into the trap of lack of direction, with some cliched emotional drama coming rescue making it an average affair. Ajith’s screen presence is a big strength for the movie. The initial sequences in Kolkatta are enjoyable. The most enjoyable portion of the movie is the character of Vedalam which appears in the flashback. Ajith has changed his body language and dialogue delivery which has worked out well. Lakshmi Menon has a significant role in the movie. Shruthi Hassan just adds in glamour quotient and  just becomes the reason for Ajith revealing the flashback.

High Points: Ajith’s screen presence, The characterization of Vedalam, Comedy sequences

Low Points: High voltage emotional drama which looks cliched. The entire climax sequence looks too easy for Ajith compared to the introduction the Villain had.

Overall Vedalam suffers from the common phenomenon of all the mass entertainers of falling into ordinary cliches. This movie is still watchable for Ajith’s performance. Unless you are a hardcore Ajith fan you might enjoy watching this when played on TV.

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

Thoongaa Vanam Review

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Thoongaa Vanam Review – Thoongaa Vanam is a Tamil action crime thriller released in 2015. This is an official remake of French movie Nuit Blanche. CK Diwakar an officer in Narcotics Control Bureau along with his colleague steal drugs from a smuggling gang to make some quick money. The boss of the smuggling gang kidnaps Diwakar’s son and demands him to return the stolen drug.

Kamal Hassan demands a greater deal of maturity from the viewers for he had taken a script and stuck to the core theme of the script. He hasn’t taken any time to explain what NCB is. Hasn’t wasted time in introduction scene, songs and comedy track. The movie gets on track right from the first frame which opens on a hazy windshield with the evergreen Chandrababu song “சிரிப்பு வருது சிரிப்பு வருது…” playing in the radio. Even the character background of Kamal is revealed only later in dialogues during his first interaction with Prakash Raj. Kudos to Kamal, Director Rajesh M Selva and team for taking a script and staying in the perimeter of its true essence.

The next biggest strength of the movie is its cast. Prakash Raj, Trisha, Sampath Raj, Yugi Sedhu and Kishore all of them fit their roles very well. Kamal has performed his role at ease. The chemistry between him and his son reminds us of Uttama Villain. The trademark Kamal’s humor sprinkled in the dialogues in many places of the movie.

High Points: A different attempt in Tamil Cinema breaking some of the commercial formula, casting, action sequences.

Low Points: The original script itself has been witnessed in many crime thrillers and it lacks pace in the first half.

Overall Thoongavanam is a much-needed break for Tamil Cinema. It doesn’t aspire to be a milestone in Indian Cinema but a sincere attempt to give a good cinema to the audience.

Worth a Watch

 

Action, Can Skip it, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies

10 Endrathukulla Review

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10 Endrathukulla Review – 10 Endrathukulla is a Tamil action thriller released in 2015. A skillful car thief gets involved in the kidnapping of a woman without his knowledge. How he comes through the situation is the plot of 10 Endrathukulla.

Director Vijay Milton had aspirations of creating a racy movie with some high voltage action sequences. He has achieved the output he had expected but missed the story by a mile. The situations are very disconnected, this has been mainly due to the fact that the screenplay has been designed to maintain suspense till the end. This has not been successful as the movie does not connect with the audience at all as they fail to connect with the purpose of the protagonist.

Vikram’s performance could not save the engaging factor of the movie. There are enough heroes who are dependent on mass intro sequences, this is not needed for Vikram as he has extraordinary acting skills and dedication that would woo the audience. There is no strong villain in the movie, there are three of them who try to leave the responsibility to the other and in the end it is so fragmented. Retaining the suspense to the very end has caused the screenplay to slow down to a great extent and in many places they have used cliched double meaning dialogues to push it further. Samantha has some solid role to play during the last twenty minutes in the movie which she has done well.

High Points: The stunt sequences have been choreographed very well. There is nothing much  apart from this in the movie.

Low Points: The screenplay is predominantly not engaging. Absence of a strong villain.

Overall 10 Endrathukulla is like a sweet cherry fruit dipped in a spicy sambar. Cherry might be delicious but doesn’t go well with the combination. So is the brilliant action sequences built on a below average storyline.

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The Man From U.N.C.L.E Review

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The Man From U.N.C.L.E Review – The Man from U.N.C.L.E is an English comedy spy film released in 2015. This is based on the television series with the same name. Solo, an US CIA agent and a KGB operative have to come together to stop yet another nuclear bombing.

The movie is an out and out Guy Ritchie style movie. If you have loved Guy Ritchie’s movies you would love this one as well. The movie is stylish, witty and engaging right from the word go! The first one-hour of the movie just moves so fast that it was hard to realize the time go by. The situations are comical in nature and entice you with some amazing visuals and cool background score. Henry Cavill still has the expression from A to B but still has managed to be convincing in the role of a CIA agent. Ilya Kuryakin’s role is more adorable one in the movie. The tiff between Cavill and Kuryakin in the first hour is the most enjoyable part of the movie.

The movie slows down a bit once they are set on a mission but quickly picks pace towards the end. The traditional trademark of Guy Ritchie movies of repeating the same sequences with missing pieces is used in here as well and is brilliant to keep the narration interesting. The art direction is also done well to recreate the period setup.

High Points: Stylish visuals, Background score for the movie, Ilya Kuryakin’s performance, and the sequences of tiff between Cavill and Kuryakin, true to a Guy Ritchie movie.

Low Points: Once they are on the mission the pace slows down a bit. But this can be ignored.

 Overall this one is a very enjoyable spy movie completely presented in Guy Ritchie’s style. If you love spy movies and also Guy Ritchie’s movies then you are in for a treat. Don’t miss this one while this is in the theaters.

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Thani Oruvan Review

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Thani Oruvan Review – Thani Oruvan is a Tamil action thriller movie released in 2015. Mithran an IPS officer wants to take on organized crime that happens in the society by tracing the links of unrelated petty crimes reported on a daily basis to an organized crime source. But at the source is a fearsome villain Siddharth Abhimanyu who is invincible. Will Mithran be successful in this challenge is the plot of Thani Oruvan.

Director M.Raja has given a very racy thriller that is entertaining for most of the parts. After a long time this is a good break for Jayam Ravi. The script has been developed with the sole intention of giving a compelling thriller. They have failed to establish the core conflict very well. The reason why Mithran is so passionate about revealing the organized crime is not established very well as that is the core of the movie. The strength of the movie is Arvind Swamy. He has essayed the character of a fearsome, intelligent and unapologetic badass guy very well. The clashes between Jayam Ravi and Arvind Swamy are done well.

It was so pleasing to see that there was no bar song, unnecessary comedy track. Hope other filmmakers take clue from this and start concentrating on the strength of the screenplay rather than giving into the temptation of masala formula.

High Points: A very engaging script, Arvind Swamy’s performance and the character of Siddharth Abhimanyu, No unnecessary bar sequences and comedy tracks

Low Points: The length of the movie is bit long for the plot reducing this would have made it more racy, There should have been more effort to create the core conflict very well which would have made this more impactful. There are few loopholes in the plot, which do not get highlighted due to the raciness of the script.

Overall Thani Oruvan is definitely a very engaging thriller that needs to be watched in the theaters.

Worth a Watch

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

Maari Review

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Maari Review – Maari is a Tamil commercial comedy drama released in 2015. Maari is a local goon who lives by collecting money from the locals. His passion is pigeon race and an undisputed winner. Things change when sub-inspector Arjun takes charge in that area.

The movie is an out and out commercial drama that is just made to woo the first day fanfare. Director Balaji Mohan has a very good talent in creating comical situations but when it comes to action sequences it is not turning out to be effective. The story and the conflict were very weakly portrayed and some of the twists were very subtle and took a much predictable route. The build up for the hero for overdone to please the fanfare.

Dhanush has tried his best to do justice to the role and his performance is the one that lifts the movie on occasions apart from the comedy scenes. Robo Shankar playing the comedian is a refreshing change. The production quality of the movie is overall good. Particularly a lot of effort has gone into give it an aesthetic appeal. The music score was a different one from Anirudh. However it gets jarring after a while. Vijay Yesudas does well only in parts. His range of expressions is minimum to portray a wicked Villain. Kajal Agarwal is used as a eye candy for the visuals.

High Points: Comedy, Production quality, Costumes, Performance of Dhanush, Robo Shankar’s comedy

Low Points: Absence of core conflict, overdoing of build up scenes, Many characters are present in the movie but seldom used.

Overall Maari’s story is not a compelling one to be told and seen. If you love Masala movies and an ardent fan of Dhanush performance you can give it a try. If not you can watch it when it is played on TV.

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Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Review

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Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Review – Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is an English action thriller released in 2015. The movie is a sequel to the Mission Impossible franchise. Ethan Hunt the undercover agent is on a mission for IMF. However as IMF loses its existence his existence is under threat, as he is wanted by the CIA and also by a criminal organization.

I am not sure if this one were the best of the Mission Impossible series however this would definitely be one of the best in the series. The movie has all the ingredients that one would expect from a Mission Impossible movie perfectly assembled together in the right proportion to woo the audience. There is the impossible mission, unexpected twists, adrenaline pumping action sequence and you know what would happen in the end. Still this makes a very interesting action thriller that keeps you glued throughout. The only part I hated was the mid movie break.

The strongest part of this movie is the characterization of the Villain. This one well could be the arch nemesis of Ethan Hunt as Moriarty was for Holmes. The villain is very sophisticated, intelligent and more gruesome which makes the mission more challenging and more bangs for the bucks. Tom Cruise looks very handsome despite his age. I felt he looked better than how he looked in Ghost Protocol. Good part of the movie is that they haven’t used the facemask technique too much which has now become predictable thanks to the over use of it in the second installment. They have in fact made fun of wearing a facemask.

High Points: Screenplay of the movie, Motorbike chase sequence, Characterization of the villain, Brilliantly placed twists, impossible situations that puts the hero in the corner.

Low Points: Not many low points for this one. If you want to find one then it would be the opening sequence, which looked forcefully stuffed into the screenplay but what is a MI movie without such gravity defying stunts  🙂

Overall this one is a very enjoyable outing for the Mission Impossible fans and also fans of action thrillers. Forget the logic; just go in to be enticed by the mission.

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Baahubali – The Beginning Review

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Baahubali – The Beginning Review – Baahubali – The Beginning is a Telugu is a historical fiction movie released in 2015. The film is the first of a two part series. Shivdu is found on the riverside and is raised by a small tribe family; he always wants to climb the big mountain near the village against the wish of his mother. He is able to do it when he grows up; this leads him to his roots from where had come from.

5 tablespoons of Mahabharat, one tablespoon of Ramayan and one tablespoon of masala ingredients from high packed action movies mixed well together. The dish that comes out of the above ingredients is what is Baahubali in a nutshell. Although it is made of the ingredients that we have tasted before, the dish is well prepared and fulfills our appetite like a grand feast. Director SS Rajamouli has dreamt big and kudos to him and his team to bring such a visual grandeur to the silver screen. The breath taking visuals, a native story, stunning fight choreography, powerful characterization all these make Baahubali a very compelling watch. The movie stays true to its promotion and what it had promised to offer; a historical fantasy story painted on an expensive canvas. Every frame has visual grandeur in it, right from the formidable falls to the large battlefield. Many of the characters and situations resemble many of the Indian mythology stories you would have heard but putting them in this combination is interesting. Prabhas, Anushka, Sathyaraj, Nassar, Ramyakrishnan, Rana Daggupati, Tamanna all of them have performed very well. Peter Hein’s stunt choreography is one of the highlights of the movie.

High Points: The narration, visual effects and characterization of Baahubali, Bhallala Deva, Kattappa and Sivagami shine in this first installment. The interval block for the movie was really powerful and is the high point in the movie for me.

Low Points: There are definitely some low points. There is very less differentiation between Shivdu and Baahubali. You don’t feel they are two different characters. There have been some sequences to please the fanfare on the opening day of the movie, which could have been avoided. The background score for such a visually stunning film was a bit let down for me.

Overall Baahubali is a visual treat, though it is a story you would have heard a million times still it is very interesting when SS Rajamouli narrates it. This one is a milestone in Indian Cinema and a Must watch for all Indian movie lovers.

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