I know sometimes I write too much of a review and all that my readers want to know is whether the movie is worth watching or not :-)
So, even while I will continue to write my thoughts, analysis, reviews, feedback, likes and dislikes of movies, directors, actors, actresses and movie plots with the same details as I have been doing so far; I have also decided to start something fast-track.
Something which would paraphrase my overall impression of a movie in a few lines and which will indicate my ratings for the movie. While, it is one of my favorite hobbies to watch new releases as soon as they hit the cinema halls, if there are not enough new releases, or if I cannot watch enough of them, I would add up my reviews for some of the older movies that may be relevant with current context or lists. And yes, to tell you the exact number - I will be covering five movies every fortnight and we will be moving upwards through the list, thus discussing the best movie at the end of the blog :-)
So, we begin this series with some power-packed performances and movies by the veterans of the film industry.
Kate Beckinsale rocks!! She might just be a real Vampire, destined to look young forever. I mean it has been six long years since the earlier Underworld flick that she acted in, and yet she looks just the same. So much so that for a moment there, you can't help but wonder - Has this latest movie in the Underworld sequence of movies been shot way back in 2006 and released only now?
Having said that, the same question also comes in your mind after seeing that the plot of "Entire Underworld versus the Human Race" which was so much publicized in the movie trailers and promos was just an illusion.
The writers of this movie have not really moved at all from the age old conflict between Vampires and Lycans and it is still the Lycans who come close to harming the Vampires!!
Unfortunately, this one is another set of movies, which is now moving close to the Resident Evil movie line-up, purely because there is nothing new anymore that the movie-makers have to offer.
There is more blood shown in the movie, and for those who like the Matrix movies, Kate plays Neo for a moment in this movie, when she puts in her hand in body of another vampire and squeezes his stopped heart to make it pound again.
My rating for this movie would be a 2.5 on 5.
Frankly speaking, I was not sure if I wanted to spend money for watching this one. Somehow, Nicholas Cage has become too stereotypical in last couple of years. He is either a sorcerer, or a rider from hell, or a father battling some magical or cosmic forces - I mean come'on!! We have seen you in better movies and better roles Nick!! And if most of the movie has to have a skull-on-fire or an animated-face trying to cope with itself, as a protagonist; does it matter who plays that role? It could have been any poker faced guy covering up the left overs of the role that were left after all the special effects and nobody would have noticed!!
Thanks to the history of great acting associated with Nicholas Cage, I decided to go for the movie anyways. I don't know where to begin on shortcomings of the movie. Firstly, the plot is too predictable. Secondly, was there really a need to make the "ghost-rider" a good guy with all the angel stuff in the plot?? Thirdly, I really missed the oomph appeal of Eva Mendes ;-)
And again, Can Nicholas Cage try something new for a change? I mean while I was watching this movie, I was getting confused - whether I am watching the sequel of 'Ghost-rider' or a sequel of 'Drive Angry' - the plots are so damn similar, the role which Nicholas Cage plays is almost the same and the only difference in this one is that the infant baby of Drive Angry has now grown into a Young Boy [I know the baby in Drive Angry was a girl, and my statement is just a sarcastic comment]
The effectiveness of special effects and a bearable pace of events make movie watchable.
My rating for this movie would be a 3 on 5.
I had already posted a one-liner review of this one on my facebook page. Here it is, in a little more words.
In 'Book of Eli', we have a traveler fighting the armies of the whole world to protect that one thing he possesses and which is the thing that would change the world around him. Sometimes, he goes bad, sometimes he is ruthless and sometimes he just takes you by a surprise. Well, Denzel Washington is all of that in the 'Safe House'. And, he is more ruthless, leaving behind a bleeding companion and killing whoever comes in his way. He is also more wicked in this one. Add to it, he has a history with CIA and knows how the CIA works and will react to his every move. He acquires an apprentice against his will and now has secretly decided to defend this apprentice. I know what you are thinking, this plot is not just similar to the Book of Eli anymore, but is also similar to the "Enemy of the State".
That's it folks - You got it right.
To sum it all up, "Safe House" is a movie you get when "Enemy of the State" meets "The book of Eli".
Acting wise, Ryan Reynolds is promising and Denzel Washington is damn good as always.
While the plot is old and predictable, the real demerit of this movie is with the cinematography. I think the makers of this movie wanted it's viewers to have a feel that they are watching a live footage of various cameras currently placed in all nooks and corners of the world. A lot of noise is therefore observed in the picture quality. Unfortunately, it hasn't really achieved its real effect. There are parts in the movie which seem like they were supposed to be shown in HD mode and are instead being shown to you in regular mode - I think you must have got the quality degradation I am trying to refer to :-) That's the reason for my comment in the review line posted on facebook "Not sure what settings the camera-man was trying to achieve :-)"
My overall rating for this movie would be 3.5 out of 5.
Meryl Streep has done it again. This versatile actress has worked her magic and brought to life the lifes and times of Margaret Thatcher - the Iron Lady.
The movie makers have also ensured that this does not turn out to be just another documentary and the movie has it's own cinematic elements.
Through-out the movie, Meryl lives what is now commonly known as Thatcherism - the moral absolutism, the nationalism, the interest in Individual and the uncompromising attitude of Margaret Thatcher to achieve political goals. She plays the "Iron Lady" perfectly well.
Meryl successfully justifies the gratitude expressed by James Cameron for the Iron Lady - "You have got to do the right thing even if it is painful. Don't trim or track all over the place. Set your course and take the difficult decisions because that is what needs to be done ... I think that influence, that character she had, that conviction she had, I think that will be very important." and it is all showcased in the little actions and scenes and expressions that we observe in the movie.
And then, when the movie is about to end, and just when we think that we have seen it all, the game changes. Meryl elevates her acting and movie ending gets an unexpected twist. After working hard on getting rid of the hallucinations of her dead husband being around, a drop of tear slowly slides down from the eyes of Iron Lady - Iron Lady also weeps.
It is then that we realize that the movie is not really about justifying what James Cameron had said of the Iron Lady, but what the Iron Lady had herself once said "Being Prime Minister is a lonely job. In a sense, it ought to be: you cannot lead from the crowd. But with Denis there I was never alone...". When you come out of the movie hall, you carry the heavy impression of the loneliness that the Iron Lady is now fighting in the last phases of her life.
My overall rating for this movie is 4.5 out of 5.
Papa George, one of the characters in Hugo introduces the world of cinema to his audience in one of the scenes of this movie. His opening remarks are "If you have ever wondered where your dreams come from, look around... This is where they are made".
Hugo, as a movie has succeeded in doing just that. This movie has so many magical and mystical elements to it, when they pile up, they make it the best movie among those listed here and many more.
Plot of the movie is simple and for those who have read the original Novel, on which this movie is based, it is also familiar. But for those like me, who have not read the story before, it is definitely not predictable. In fact, it is rather engaging and curious. Yes, Curious.
If Movies create magic, Martin Scorsese is truly a magician of highest standing. This latest offering from him showcases his immense love for the world of cinema and at the same time, takes us through a journey of cinema in it's earliest days. The details showcased in various aspects of the movie from the set designs to the details of clock work to the creation of an post world war I era - everything is just perfect.
What I liked the most is that at every moment in this movie, we are expecting a miracle, an in-road to some magical world. We become one with the protagonist and we want the little automaton to be a magical device - like the golden compass, which would take us all to some mystical land like Narnia. We cannot help to anticipate magic when the automaton starts working when it is finally repaired by the boy. We feel the same anxiety as both the kids, who are eagerly watching what the automaton is drawing.
Martin Scorsese succeeds in making us believe for a while, that Hugo's father has not died, but has just got lost somewhere in a magical land. We sense the urgency of Hugo's rescue attempts. We despise the Station Inspector who is always trying to put Hugo and other kids off to the orphanage, we become keen and eager along with Rene Tabard to meet the maestro of Cinema and know the secrets of his life, we also get fixed to the notion that Papa George has got to be some wizard, who can magically set everything right.
In fact, one corner of my mind also had a suspicion that the old lady with the dog and her admirer, both being historically associated with Harry Potter franchise, may just turn out to be guardians of Hugo in this real world, appointed by his father :-)
But the magic and anxiety and anticipation is not just all that we get to see in Hugo. Our protagonist also gives a valuable message to his audience, "I'd imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason".
And when it all ends, we are happy for our protagonist as he gets a new home and he also help resurrection of a veteran movie maker. Moreover, we are happy to see that persistent efforts of even a little nobody can create magical endings.
All-in-all, if you want to watch a really good movie, you can blindly go watch Hugo.
My rating for this movie is 5 out of 5.
So, even while I will continue to write my thoughts, analysis, reviews, feedback, likes and dislikes of movies, directors, actors, actresses and movie plots with the same details as I have been doing so far; I have also decided to start something fast-track.
Something which would paraphrase my overall impression of a movie in a few lines and which will indicate my ratings for the movie. While, it is one of my favorite hobbies to watch new releases as soon as they hit the cinema halls, if there are not enough new releases, or if I cannot watch enough of them, I would add up my reviews for some of the older movies that may be relevant with current context or lists. And yes, to tell you the exact number - I will be covering five movies every fortnight and we will be moving upwards through the list, thus discussing the best movie at the end of the blog :-)
So, we begin this series with some power-packed performances and movies by the veterans of the film industry.
Underworld Awakening
Kate Beckinsale rocks!! She might just be a real Vampire, destined to look young forever. I mean it has been six long years since the earlier Underworld flick that she acted in, and yet she looks just the same. So much so that for a moment there, you can't help but wonder - Has this latest movie in the Underworld sequence of movies been shot way back in 2006 and released only now?
Having said that, the same question also comes in your mind after seeing that the plot of "Entire Underworld versus the Human Race" which was so much publicized in the movie trailers and promos was just an illusion.
The writers of this movie have not really moved at all from the age old conflict between Vampires and Lycans and it is still the Lycans who come close to harming the Vampires!!
Unfortunately, this one is another set of movies, which is now moving close to the Resident Evil movie line-up, purely because there is nothing new anymore that the movie-makers have to offer.
There is more blood shown in the movie, and for those who like the Matrix movies, Kate plays Neo for a moment in this movie, when she puts in her hand in body of another vampire and squeezes his stopped heart to make it pound again.
My rating for this movie would be a 2.5 on 5.
Ghost Rider
Frankly speaking, I was not sure if I wanted to spend money for watching this one. Somehow, Nicholas Cage has become too stereotypical in last couple of years. He is either a sorcerer, or a rider from hell, or a father battling some magical or cosmic forces - I mean come'on!! We have seen you in better movies and better roles Nick!! And if most of the movie has to have a skull-on-fire or an animated-face trying to cope with itself, as a protagonist; does it matter who plays that role? It could have been any poker faced guy covering up the left overs of the role that were left after all the special effects and nobody would have noticed!!
Thanks to the history of great acting associated with Nicholas Cage, I decided to go for the movie anyways. I don't know where to begin on shortcomings of the movie. Firstly, the plot is too predictable. Secondly, was there really a need to make the "ghost-rider" a good guy with all the angel stuff in the plot?? Thirdly, I really missed the oomph appeal of Eva Mendes ;-)
And again, Can Nicholas Cage try something new for a change? I mean while I was watching this movie, I was getting confused - whether I am watching the sequel of 'Ghost-rider' or a sequel of 'Drive Angry' - the plots are so damn similar, the role which Nicholas Cage plays is almost the same and the only difference in this one is that the infant baby of Drive Angry has now grown into a Young Boy [I know the baby in Drive Angry was a girl, and my statement is just a sarcastic comment]
The effectiveness of special effects and a bearable pace of events make movie watchable.
My rating for this movie would be a 3 on 5.
Safe House
I had already posted a one-liner review of this one on my facebook page. Here it is, in a little more words.
In 'Book of Eli', we have a traveler fighting the armies of the whole world to protect that one thing he possesses and which is the thing that would change the world around him. Sometimes, he goes bad, sometimes he is ruthless and sometimes he just takes you by a surprise. Well, Denzel Washington is all of that in the 'Safe House'. And, he is more ruthless, leaving behind a bleeding companion and killing whoever comes in his way. He is also more wicked in this one. Add to it, he has a history with CIA and knows how the CIA works and will react to his every move. He acquires an apprentice against his will and now has secretly decided to defend this apprentice. I know what you are thinking, this plot is not just similar to the Book of Eli anymore, but is also similar to the "Enemy of the State".
That's it folks - You got it right.
To sum it all up, "Safe House" is a movie you get when "Enemy of the State" meets "The book of Eli".
Acting wise, Ryan Reynolds is promising and Denzel Washington is damn good as always.
While the plot is old and predictable, the real demerit of this movie is with the cinematography. I think the makers of this movie wanted it's viewers to have a feel that they are watching a live footage of various cameras currently placed in all nooks and corners of the world. A lot of noise is therefore observed in the picture quality. Unfortunately, it hasn't really achieved its real effect. There are parts in the movie which seem like they were supposed to be shown in HD mode and are instead being shown to you in regular mode - I think you must have got the quality degradation I am trying to refer to :-) That's the reason for my comment in the review line posted on facebook "Not sure what settings the camera-man was trying to achieve :-)"
My overall rating for this movie would be 3.5 out of 5.
Iron Lady
Meryl Streep has done it again. This versatile actress has worked her magic and brought to life the lifes and times of Margaret Thatcher - the Iron Lady.
The movie makers have also ensured that this does not turn out to be just another documentary and the movie has it's own cinematic elements.
Through-out the movie, Meryl lives what is now commonly known as Thatcherism - the moral absolutism, the nationalism, the interest in Individual and the uncompromising attitude of Margaret Thatcher to achieve political goals. She plays the "Iron Lady" perfectly well.
Meryl successfully justifies the gratitude expressed by James Cameron for the Iron Lady - "You have got to do the right thing even if it is painful. Don't trim or track all over the place. Set your course and take the difficult decisions because that is what needs to be done ... I think that influence, that character she had, that conviction she had, I think that will be very important." and it is all showcased in the little actions and scenes and expressions that we observe in the movie.
And then, when the movie is about to end, and just when we think that we have seen it all, the game changes. Meryl elevates her acting and movie ending gets an unexpected twist. After working hard on getting rid of the hallucinations of her dead husband being around, a drop of tear slowly slides down from the eyes of Iron Lady - Iron Lady also weeps.
It is then that we realize that the movie is not really about justifying what James Cameron had said of the Iron Lady, but what the Iron Lady had herself once said "Being Prime Minister is a lonely job. In a sense, it ought to be: you cannot lead from the crowd. But with Denis there I was never alone...". When you come out of the movie hall, you carry the heavy impression of the loneliness that the Iron Lady is now fighting in the last phases of her life.
My overall rating for this movie is 4.5 out of 5.
Hugo
Papa George, one of the characters in Hugo introduces the world of cinema to his audience in one of the scenes of this movie. His opening remarks are "If you have ever wondered where your dreams come from, look around... This is where they are made".
Hugo, as a movie has succeeded in doing just that. This movie has so many magical and mystical elements to it, when they pile up, they make it the best movie among those listed here and many more.
Plot of the movie is simple and for those who have read the original Novel, on which this movie is based, it is also familiar. But for those like me, who have not read the story before, it is definitely not predictable. In fact, it is rather engaging and curious. Yes, Curious.
If Movies create magic, Martin Scorsese is truly a magician of highest standing. This latest offering from him showcases his immense love for the world of cinema and at the same time, takes us through a journey of cinema in it's earliest days. The details showcased in various aspects of the movie from the set designs to the details of clock work to the creation of an post world war I era - everything is just perfect.
What I liked the most is that at every moment in this movie, we are expecting a miracle, an in-road to some magical world. We become one with the protagonist and we want the little automaton to be a magical device - like the golden compass, which would take us all to some mystical land like Narnia. We cannot help to anticipate magic when the automaton starts working when it is finally repaired by the boy. We feel the same anxiety as both the kids, who are eagerly watching what the automaton is drawing.
Martin Scorsese succeeds in making us believe for a while, that Hugo's father has not died, but has just got lost somewhere in a magical land. We sense the urgency of Hugo's rescue attempts. We despise the Station Inspector who is always trying to put Hugo and other kids off to the orphanage, we become keen and eager along with Rene Tabard to meet the maestro of Cinema and know the secrets of his life, we also get fixed to the notion that Papa George has got to be some wizard, who can magically set everything right.
In fact, one corner of my mind also had a suspicion that the old lady with the dog and her admirer, both being historically associated with Harry Potter franchise, may just turn out to be guardians of Hugo in this real world, appointed by his father :-)
But the magic and anxiety and anticipation is not just all that we get to see in Hugo. Our protagonist also gives a valuable message to his audience, "I'd imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason".
And when it all ends, we are happy for our protagonist as he gets a new home and he also help resurrection of a veteran movie maker. Moreover, we are happy to see that persistent efforts of even a little nobody can create magical endings.
All-in-all, if you want to watch a really good movie, you can blindly go watch Hugo.
My rating for this movie is 5 out of 5.
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