Category Archives: Rating

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

The Magnificent Seven (2016) Review

The Magnificent Seven (2016) Review – The Magnificent Seven is an American movie released in 2016. This is a remake of the 1960 movie of the same name which in turn was based on Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese film Seven Samurai released in 1954. A corrupt industrialist Bogue besieges a village and slaughters people standing against him. People in the village recruit gunmen to help them fight against Bogue and his men.

I had seen Seven Samurai and couldn’t keep comparing this to the original. The new edition has a lot more changes than the original movie. If reveal the details I would be spoiling the fun for the viewers so I would rather stick to reviewing the movie. Times have changed but still

Times have changed but still there is the charm for the cowboy tales and see their standoffs on the big screen. The Magnificent Seven covers this well in the first half. It treats the audience with intense, suspenseful and also funny standoffs in the first half. The introduction of each of the seven characters have been taken very well and for me was one of the high points of the movie. Denzel Washington has performed the lead role of Sam Chisolm very well. He is very convincing as a skillful warrant officer and the leader of the pack. Including a Comanche warrior as part of the seven was an interesting take.  Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Byung-hun Lee, Vincent D’Onofrio and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo have been convincing as well.

The movie then plunges into a high voltage gunfight sequence in the last twenty minutes. The starting of the fight sequence as the row of horses galloping towards the Village  is a visual treat on an IMAX screen. There is never a dull moment in the movie.

Although it has been engaging throughout I felt there is some soul missing in the movie compared to Seven Samurai. The details of which I would let you interpret for yourself. If you see this movie in isolation you would enjoy it.

High Points: Cowboy standoffs, Introduction scenes of the team of Seven, the visuals of the gunfight sequence, the casting of the characters.

Low Points: Lack of emotional elements as compared to Seven Samurai

Overall the magnificent seven is an evergreen tale retold. It brings back the lovely memories of watching cowboy adventures on screen. If you are able to not compare it with Seven Samurai you would enjoy it better.

Worth a Watch

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

Iru Mugan Review

Iru Mugan Review – Iru Mugan is a Tamil action thriller released in 2016. Akhilan is a former RAW agent who has lost his wife Meera during one of the undercover operation to nail down a terrorist known by name Love. Years later when an old man attacks the Indian Embassy in Malaysia, Akhilan had to be called back to investigate as the tattoo on the old man’s neck indicates that Love might be alive.

Director Anand Shankar comes up with another thriller after his first outing with Vikram Prabhu in Arima Nambi. This time, he has Vikram playing the protagonist. Vikram has scope to exhibit his acting skills playing both the angel and the devil of the script. In particular, he has played the role of Love very well. If you are a fan of Vikram then you have a lot to cheer about this movie.  The only other notable performance is from Thambi Ramiah as some of his dialogues are rib tickler.  Apart from Vikram’s acting performance, there is much less to look forward in the movie.

The movie claims to be of the Sci-Fi genre and still uses sequences like people laughing uncontrollably when inhaling Nitrous Oxide is a mockery. Malaysian police take the brunt which usually is borne by the Tamil Nadu police of making the dumbest moves. It is high time Tamil films move out of such tactics and build something that is much more comprehensible.

Nayantara and Nithya Menen are not just eye candy and have a much larger role to play. But again their characters lack depth. The way Nithya Menen discover clues appear amateurish.

High Points: Vikram’s performance as Love,  Thambi Ramiah’s comedy

Low Points: Very superfluous screenplay, use of  some illogical stuff like the laughing gas sequence in a film that claims to be in Sci-Fi genre, the sequence of Peter’s factory

Overall Iru Mugan doesn’t make you bored nor does it sweep you off your feet.  If you are able to forget and forgive the lack of depth in the screenplay you would like this. You can watch this when played on TV.

Wait for DVD/TV

Biopic, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Pelé: Birth of a Legend Review

Pelé: Birth of a Legend Review – Pelé: Birth of a Legend is an American biopic released in 2016. The movie is based on the life of the legendary Brazilian footballer  Pelé. It deals with the time frame where he rose from an ordinary boy to a national treasure.

I was a bit skeptical before watching this movie due to the average reviews it has been receiving. But realized, I was wrong should never go with the critics. The movie is high on emotions and goosebumpy moments which keeps you engaged in the movie. The best part of the movie is that it doesn’t cover much of what the world knows about Pelé but goes into the part where you see an innocent boy, a janitor’s son go on a journey to become a legend.  In many scenes, they don’t show the goal but people’s expressions and emotions.

The emotions are not cloying ones but kept well placed in the script to lift up the human spirits. The movie focuses more on the conflict of Brazilian game style being forcefully removed and how Pelé struggles to get it back.

High Points: The sequence where the kids get the cloth ball rolling without a bounce, The same repeated when the entire team is demotivated where they take it to the light house. The background score of A R Rahman adds a special dimension to the whole film. There are lot more goosebumpy moments you would love. The history of Ginga.

Low Points: If you don’t like an emotional script then you might be disappointed with this, which might be the reason for the average reviews.

Overall Pelé: Birth of a Legend is a true tribute to the legend himself. A country that is obsessed with football as a religion, one man had believed in their core values to lift their spirits high and win for them. If you love football you should definitely watch this one, even if not there is plenty for you to cherish.

Must Watch

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

Kabali Review

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Kabali Review – Kabali is a Tamil gangster drama released in 2016. Kabali a gangster leading the Tamil group in Malaysia is released from prison after 25 years due to a crime scene where he lost his pregnant wife. As he sets to seek revenge on his enemies he learns his wife might be still alive.

Probably this Rajnikanth movie had a much greater hype than any of his previous movies. I decided not to watch it on the first day for multiple reasons, one with so much of overhype I wasn’t sure if I could write a balanced review. The other reason was Ranjith and Rajini had mentioned this would not be a usual Rajini movie and the most recent posters depicting Rajini in an emotional avatar I did not want to miss out the intensity lost when I watch it as an ardent fan of Thalaivar.

As expected the movie is definitely apart from standard Rajini movies. Still they couldn’t do away with some of the scenes that happen to be typical template of a Rajini starrer. The first 20 minutes of the movie gives what the audience need at the same time helps in moving the plot forward. Rajini’s costume, the style of his walk, the swag has come out very well and there is plenty to cheer about. As the movie progresses the plot gets grim and eventually turns into an emotional drama till getting back to the Gangster life. I enjoyed the gangster part of the flick for many reasons. I felt there was a deep influence of Scarface and it could become a cult classic. I did not like the emotional journey of Kabali and felt it was added just as a filler and did not move the story forward infact the emotional journey made his purpose of revenge more weaker. If you have watched the movie you would understand.

Kudos to Ranjith and team for pulling out a movie which had more chance for Rajini as an actor.  Radhika Apte, Dhansika, Dinesh, Kishore have supported well.

High Points: Rajini’s acting, his Swag, intense drama in the screenplay, Background Score, Flashback portions, Malaysian culture has been depicted well.

Low Points: The emotional Journey of Kabali did not help the plot much, Songs could have been better.

Overall Kabali is charismatic to hold you to your seats and keep you intense till the end. The minor plot holes could be easily forgotten when seeing the entire package. Ghost of Baasha would always haunt Rajini and his directors and we can’t do much about it. Only way to break this is to create movies like Kabali and Endhiran to bring out the actor in Rajinikanth. Go and watch in the theaters.

Worth a Watch

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Malayalam Movies, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

Adi Kapyare Kootamani Review

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Adi Kapyare Kootamani Review – Adi Kapyare Kootamani is a Malayalam comedy movie released in 2015.  A young woman Adhista Lakshmi enters Men’s hostel for sake adventure with the help of a hostel inmate Bhanu. But getting out of the hostel without being caught doesn’t seem easier.

A very simple plot tied in with some of the nostalgic memories of a hostel is the strength of Adi Kapyare Kootamani. Guys who have lived in a hostel would be able to relate to many of the incidents in the movie. In particular, the scenes in which there are watch guards making animal sounds to announce the arrival of the hostel in charge, hiding liquor in the room, doing dance rehearsals, playing volleyball all would remind some evergreen nostalgic memories of a men’s hostel.

Dhyan Srinivasan, Aju Varghese, Namitha Pramod, Vineeth Mohan and Neeraj Madhav essay their roles well. Mukesh is a good pick to play the role of Father Alfred.

High Points: The plot is based on some nostalgic hostel memories everyone could relate to. The sequence of Father Alfred comes in for inspection amidst of many voice signals indicating his arrival is hilarious. The comedy has worked very well.

Low Points: There is a dramatic twist added to the movie in the end which does not seem to fit the script. They could have made an ending without getting a paranormal angle to it. There is no much scenes to establish the character of the lead characters in the movie but for Mukesh. Hence you might take time to connect to the characters.

Overall I found the movie to be very entertaining one. The comedy works well. The screenplay stays to the core plot. If you have spent some part of your life living in a hostel you would relate to this much better.

Worth a Watch

Comedy, Genre, Horror, Rating, Reviews, Short Films, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Bhoo Short Film Review

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Bhoo Short Film – Boo is a Tamil Short film released in 2015. The central plot of the movie deals with the fear of a young man Kathir regarding the presence of Ghost.

The short film Bhoo deals with the Horror comedy genre. The movie starts with an unfortunate death of four people.  Meet the hero Kathir who suffers from Phasmophobia. There has been a lot of time taken to establish the character of Kathir through a series of incidents. The team has also put together a song sequence which introduces the protagonist. The song combined with the list of establishing shots makes the introduction a bit lengthier. However once, the story reaches the main plot about few friends ending up in the house haunted by the ghost it gets back on track. This portion of the movie is done well with the limited resources the team has had.

High Points: For me the entire sequence in the house involving the ghost has been the most interesting part of the movie. This combined with a twist, in the end, makes it an interesting watch. Having a music video for a short film is yet another high.

Low Points: The Team has tried their best to bring a good movie with limited resources. The only low point is the length of the movie which could have been shorter.

Overall Bhoo is a good attempt at the horror comedy genre. The end with a twist definitely makes it a good watch. But for the length of the movie Bhoo has a lot to offer for its audience. Kudos to director Ajith and team. Best wishes for their next venture.

Worth a Watch

You can watch the full short film here

The team also went the professional way of promoting the movie with a promo song combined with an audio launch at Spathagiri hall in Coimbatore.  The team organized a ticketed show at RR Grand auditorium on September 27, 2015 which was a well-participated event. These are good signs for the upcoming short film market.

Post the short film release the team has also released the making video which is funny and at the same time highlights some of the challenges the team has gone through in making the movie.

 

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

Muthina Kathirikai Review

Muthina Kathirikai Review – Muthina Kathirikai is a Tamil comedy film released in 2016. Muthupandi is a 40-year-old bachelor who is aspiring to make it big in politics. He falls in love with a 25-year-old girl. His political rivals plan to spoil both his politics and love interest.

This is an official remake of Malayalam movie Vellimoonga. I loved the Malayalam movie for the humor element it had. Having Sundar C reprising the role of Biju Menon the movie looked interesting as we know Sundar C for comedy timings. However, the expectations fell short as I heard the title of the movie as Muthina Kathirikai. I felt that the makers have missed the core strength of the movie which is more about politics rather than the problem of a 40-year-old man finding a bride. Even the teasers emphasized on the romance portion than the politics. The Malayalam movie had a very apt title Vellimoonga (white owl) which represented the white kathar dress the protagonist wears and nails the theme as political drama in the heart of the audience.

If the audience goes into the movie expecting a romantic comedy they wouldn’t find one. This becomes the biggest weak point of Muthina Kathirikai. The part I liked in the Tamil movie is a sincere attempt to remake the original. However when the movie deviates from it and focusses on the romance portion it completely looks out of place. Also, I felt the cast of VTV Ganesh and his brother could have been done with different actors. They have definitely played their part well but having their names established as good comedians they don’t appear a big threat for Sundar C who could beat him.

High Points: The political drama part has come out well. Sundar C definitely feels comfortable in his zone of comedy. The comedy is definitely enjoyable in many places.

Low Points: Cliched Romance portions, Casting of the opposition leaders, The title and teaser of the movie could have emphasized on the political aspect of the movie.

Overall Muthina Kathirikai is unable to make a delicious dish, however, the dish is also not bad to discard if made at home. You could wait to watch this when played on TV.

Wait for DVD/TV

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Short Films, Tamil Movies

The Affair – Tamil Short film Review

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The Affair – Tamil Short film Review – The Affair is a Tamil short film released in 2016.  A 52-year-old man is having an affair with a girl half his age and his grown up children comes to know about it. How do they react is the plot of The Affair.

After Unakkae Uyiranen and Haiku Nee director Surrya Narayanan and the team has come up with yet another Tamil short film The Affair. The screenplay is very engaging right from the first frame. The length of the movie is just right to create the impact needed. The plot deals with something that is very intense in human emotions. The treatment of the screenplay keeps it simple and nonchalant which makes it a pleasure to watch.

The casting of the movie is perfect. Livingston and Anupama have performed very well. Anupama has performed so well and conveyed a lot without having to utter a dialog. The background score matches the mood and tempo of the movie well. The use of extreme close-up shots helps in maintaining the intense mood of the movie. Hardly you get to see the environment but for a few shots but still understand where these characters reside. It is done brilliantly.

High Points: The high point of the movie is the exchange of dialogues between the father and the daughter. For me, this shot sums up the plot well. Apart from this, the casting, screenplay, visuals, and background score have been done well.

Low Points: Not much low points to talk about 🙂

Overall The Affair is very soulful at its core and deals with human emotions in a nonchalant way. A tight screenplay and power packed performances make it a must watch. Watch it definitely when this releases for public view. Kudos to the team for pulling out such a soulful movie.

Must Watch

You can watch the full short film here

 

Action, Comedy, Drama, Genre, Malayalam Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Action Hero Biju Review

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Action Hero Biju Review – Action Hero Biju is a Malayalam drama film released in 2016. The story revolves around the daily life of a local town sub-inspector in Kerala.

The movies title and trailer are a bit misleading for it to be a typical commercial cop drama. However the tagline “A ride with a police officer” is a more apt title. Nivin Pauly had switched gears after the blockbuster Premam to do a realistic cop drama. The word realistic is key because the movie is very simple and revolves around the day to day life of a cop. After watching the movie for 140 minutes you get a feeling of having been a spectator in a police station. You see the police officer trying to resolve the cases, adamant to not to submit before power, deal with emotional situations with a straight face as it is a routine, enjoy the music played by a convict. The conflicts are not dramatic like any other movie. Barring the last fight sequence, the movie is a sincere attempt to pay tribute to the cops.

The best part of the movie is the screenplay. It is almost like a theater where the next set of characters arrive to perform on the stage once the previous ones are done. Here the police station is like a stage. You see a plethora of characters including a local drug dealer, a stalker, a nuisance creator in public, a separated couple, a human right activist, a spoilt rich man to mention a few. Each of the characters adds an interesting facet to the narration. In many parts, you see parallel tracks going on a different case and each of them gets a logical resolution. The start of the movie creates the necessary suspense needed to glue the audience to the seat.

High Points: A sincere screenplay without any frills, Nivin Pauly’s performance as sub-inspector Biju, character sketches in various cases.

Low Points: I want to leave this blank to laud the effort of an honest film.

Overall Action Hero Biju is a movie for all movie buffs. The makers have proved how you can make an interesting movie without falling into the fray of items forced in for commercial reasons. I would recommend this to be a Must watch for the sincere script.

Must Watch

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

Ko 2 Review

Ko 2 Review – Ko 2 is a Tamil political thriller released in 2016. Kumaran kidnaps the chief minister f the state. His demands are very peculiar in nature to begin with.

Making it a sequel to Ko seems to  be an after thought. They seem to have introduced some subtle references in the background. Apart from this there is absolutely no connect between the two. Bobby Simha has struggled to carry forward an already sluggish screenplay. Prakash raj and Nasser have very limited scope in the movie.

The serious scenes in the movie look comical while the comedy portions make you serious. The movie starts with an interesting premise but falls into the trap of creating a justification so strong to connect with the audience. The justification given is not connected to the initial premise of the movie and there is absolutely no foreshadowing on what the audience are supposed to expect. In the end, the movie that should have created a social impact ends up being a tale of personal vengeance.

The old Tamil movies Paalam starring Murali and Director Cheran’s Desiyageetham has been built on the same premise and were engaging throughout. The reason is their screenplay stayed core to the plot and the connect between the protagonists’ cause and the audience had been established well. Ko 2 fails to do that.

High points: The only high point of the movie has been the initial premise.

Low points: The screenplay is too loose and sways too much. Lack of utilization of Prakashraj and Nasser. Lack of proper research on the subject and no connect with the audience.

Overall I felt this might have been the movie Karthik (played by Siddarth) in Jigarthanda was making where Assault Kumar becomes Azhuguni Kumar.  Bobby Simha’s character’s demand to the abducted chief minister seems like “Teacher avan en pencila thirudeetaan” tone.

Can Skip it

 

Can Skip it, Comedy, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies

Idhu Namma Aalu Review

Idhu Namma Aalu Review – Idhu Namma Aalu is a Tamil romantic comedy released in 2016. Shiva falls in love with Myla at first sight when their parents arrange their meeting for prospective bride and groom. But Shiva has a past break up with Myla’s friend Priya. Will they be able to get together is the plot of Idhu Namma Aalu.

Finally, Idhu Namma Aalu sees the light after so many controversies and obstacles.  Any movie that is been in talks for so long diminishes in product value. Despite that Idhu Namma Aalu did fairly keep the interest with the movie lovers for the star cast it had. Bright and colorful visuals. STR and Nayantara coming together after Vallavan. Andrea playing the role of a third heroine. All these made it into an attractive package. The movie does score well in comedy thanks to Soori. Despite that, the screenplay lacks the punch for it to make a full-length movie. The lack of a proper core conflict makes one yawn through the proceedings.

The sequence wherein the to be wed people speak over the phone for hours ignoring their friends is hilarious and does happen a lot in reality. But giving that more than 15 min screen time is a bit too dragging.

High Points: The star cast, comedy

Low Points: Lack of core conflict in the movie, Until the last twenty minutes there is nothing that would glue the audience to the seat.

Overall Idhu Namma Aalu does have its moments but very few to make it into a full-length feature film. But for the star cast, there is nothing much to look forward to.

Can Skip it

Drama, Genre, Guest Post, Hindi Movies, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

Guest Post: Sarabjit Review

Guest Post: Sarabjit Review

Guest Post – This review is written by Ritu Verma working as part of SnapperBazaar

When the trailer of Sarbjit was released, people were really excited to know about the life of an unfortunate Punjabi who drunkenly ambled across his field to cross the Indo-Pak border which lead into his dreadful journey of torture and death. While the audience expected to see his ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’ song transform into blood cuddling cries and whines, the movie showcased his sister’s character more often. Even the poster had Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead and the expected main lead, Randeep Hooda, was shown in her shadows.

Sarbjit was ruthlessly beaten and tortured after being caught by the Pakistani police force who suspected him of being an Indian terrorist named Ranjit. He was drowned in water, left in a room full of rats who scrawled all over him, locked in a box and many more unspeakable acts of torture were done to him. While he was suffering in the prison, his sister Dalbir (Aishwarya) and wife Sukh (Richa Chaddha) struggled to get him back to India. Both of their efforts went in vain when officials of both countries did not pay much heed to their demands. The result being, an innocent Indian subjected to numerous mental and physical tortures and finally a merciless death.

Randeep’s performance is the sole thing that might make the movie ‘paisa vasool’. But less spotlight on him and more on Aish has lead into poor collections of the movie. The acting of the all the three leads is appreciable. The sorrow and pain in Sarbjit’s character was beautifully portrayed by Randeep and Aish and Sukh successfully managed to illustrate the pain of hopeful loved ones wishing to see their beloved brother and husband beautifully. The makeup and costumes were also up to the mark. The songs of the movie were soothing and appropriate for the storyline. Overall it is a good watch.

Worth a Watch