Kung Fu Panda : Osborne & Stevenson

Dreamworks has always been at the helm of animation , churning out full-on extravaganza like the Shrek Series.

Kung-Fu Panda , takes me back as an audience to the vintage Jackie Chan flicks with a vengeance streak attached to it.

The difference here is that the characters are full-of-life making them all body n flesh.

An Ensemble ... An Ovation

1. Panda aka 'Po' (Jack Black is exhilarating)
2. Tigress ( Angelina Jolie is first-rate )
3. Monkey (Jackie Chan is lost in the crowd)
4. Mantis
5. Crane
6. Viper (Lucy Liu is just ok)
7. Master Shifu ( Dustin Hoffman is brilliant )

The Panda is a kung-fu fanatic ,works as a noodle waiter & is a helping hand to his father.

One fine day , the Tortoise Master decides to choose a dragon warrior to fight an evil protégé of Master Shifu , the snow leopard Tai Lung , on the premonition of it escaping from prison.

Panda , comically , is the chosen one , and the story captures the essence of 'Po's journey through the Kung-Fu triumph.

Kung Fu Panda is one of the finest entertaining animation movie in a long time , Pixar has serious competition!!

I just loved it , an evergreen repeat for sure ....

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Rear Window : by Alfred Joseph Hitchcock

Today's generation marvel at mysteries be it from M.Night.Shyamlan supernatural repertoire to Christopher Nolan's mysterious non-linear films.

but Sir Alfred Joesph Hitchcock .. is where it all started , Father of murder/suspense.

Rear Window is one such flick from his portfolio, which in a subtle way , creates a milieu of suspense with a tinge of humour splattered too.

It is a story of a wheelchair bound photographer , who is recuperating from a fractured leg , passing time looking into the neighbourhood from his apartment window.

The director has created a setup where the audience sees the lives of people in the adjacent building through the protagonists' eyes.

One fine day , the photographer with all his gadgets , catches a glimpse of mysterious circumstances at the rear window, convincing him of a crime!!

With support from his girlfriend , nurse and his cop friend , he embarks on the path of finding the truth!!!

Notable Sequences

1. The Glowing Cigarette light in the opposite dark window.
2. The Flash bulb scene.
3. The Gory Anecdotes of the Nurse.

Year 1954 , makes this movie a 54 year old drama , present day ,

... but for me it is a Classic!!!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

A Wednesday : by Neeraj Pandey

A Wednesday is a film which creates a furor jolting the audiences .

The film starts off with an anonymous caller played by Naseer tipping the Mumbai Police Commissioner played by Anupam Kher.

The Mumbai police is in panic-mode in search of the potential bombs waiting to be triggered all over the city. The hunt is on to nab the caller at all costs .

It is a race against time , where in the time-window is small and the impact is huge . Naseer demands for the release of 4 terrorists in lieu of information of the RDX whereabouts.

A Wednesday is a tip of the iceberg film with a thought provoking epistle in the end credits .

The milieu of the movie is intact from start to culmination , Neeraj , the director deserves to be applauded.

In context of  the  " present-day"  , A Wednesday will go a long way in making our own place a better place to  live in ---   'WITHOUT FEAR'   ---

Rating :  4.5/5.0

 P.S.  -   Naseer's soliloquy  ,  blew me  , than the impact of the shells!!

Following : by Christopher Nolan

Breaking a Story into Pieces and Restructuring ..

Nolan is God ...

a true grandmaster .. outwitting the audiences.

This is the 5th installment I have witnessed , and I am simply blown away time and again starting right from Memento , Batman Begins , The Prestige to The Dark Knight.



Following( is Nolan's Debut - 1998) ....... is about this lonely , struggling writer , who takes up a weird hobby of following people on the streets with the motive of inspiring his next novel using the commonalities .

In the process , he finds himself into a sequential ( so to say non- linear for us ) parody of events , teaming with a professional thief by accident.

The length of the film at 70 minutes makes it sharp , crisp , and into a what-happens-next mould , with mouth-gaping end reeels.

WYS - I - N (Not) - WYG .... Christopher Nolan's Mantra ...

Take a bow !

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Rock On!! : by Abhishek Kapoor

Aditya ( Farhan) ,
Joe (Arjun) ,
Rob(Luke) .
KD(Purab) ... have created Magik(the band name) .

Rock on!! is simply an exhilarating experience for any cine goer who has been aspiring to be a Rock Star sometime in his/her life .

Its about chasing your dreams and pursuing what you are passionate about !!!

The story starts with a band of 4 friends , in glory of making it big , staging concerts in front of huge crowds , getting contract deals and all the moolah ..

In all this the friendship fades into oblivion , as rifts widens distances

Years later fate conspires to bring them together again and set them on a journey back to where they left off... a soul-searching journey into their past...

Prachi Desai plays Farhan's Wife in the film , has done exceptionally well in portraying a woman in search of her husband who is running away from his past! ..

Key Moments which I felt were too many too list :) :) ..

• Band Magik jamming sessions , the money raising gig ( is just hilarious)
• The Band signing the music contract.
• Prachi's non-tiring effort in bringing happiness in their lives.
• Purab and Luke's one-liners put a smile on your face , stages a reunion for the band.
• The End-Credits where in the band re-unites and bury the hatchet.

Special Mention : The supporting ensemble is terrific in terms of the Arjun's wife played by Shahana Goswami and Koel Puri playing Prachi's friend!!

Music .. more than words , it is melodic Rock to the core , not for hardcore Metal guys , but it works , BIGGG TIME!!

Credit goes to Farhan for bringing a new flavour to alternative rock with his husky unique voice and Shankar Ehasaan Loy in tapping it in full force ....
My Fav Tracks :

1. Sinbad the Sailor
2. Rock On!!
3. Phir Dekhiye
4. Ye Tumahari Meri Baatein.
5. Pichle Saat Dino Mein

.... Farhan excels as an actor and so does his bandwagon!!

Rock On!!!! ..... KICKSS ASS

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Bachna Ae Haseeno : by Siddharth Anand

Cas·a·no·va : A man who is amorously and gallantly attentive to women....
Bachna Ae Haseeno is an upmarket romantic oomphatic experience ..

Ranbir Kapoor , Bipasha Basu ,Deepika Padukone & Minisha Lamba .. is the ensemble roped in by the director Siddharth Anand with movies like Ta Ra Rum Pum & Salaam Namaste already in the kitty..
Ranbir Kapoor plays Raj ( not again , a SRK clone in the making ) ... film kicks off in the midst of Swiss Alps , initial reels reminiscent of DDLJ..

The film is divided into 3 stories in the life of ... Raj.

Stages of love,betrayal,infatuation , hatred,unrequited heart-2-heart connection.

Finest Moments :

• Ranbir dropping a bombshell at the Airport in front of Minisha.
• Bipasha Basu and Ranbir's oooozing chemistry.
• Ranbir's umpteen attempts to buzz off the idea of marriage and commitment.
• Ranbir's Shopping blunders in presence of Deepika brings the house down.

Cuteness Galore : Ranbir , playing the character to the hilt.
Ooooomph : Bipasha Basu is rollicking.
Duds : Minisha Lamba and Deepika Padukone.
Grooovy : Music is stupendous , My Fav Track is "Khuda Jaane".
Surprise Package: Surdy Kunal Kapoor.

Sidharth Anand has made a nice light-hearted romantic movie ,
with guffaw n tears plenteous..

One-time watch for sure... ... Ranbir rocks!!

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Singh Is Kinng : by Anees Bazmee

Akshay Kumar having a stupendous box-office ruling run (Tashhn being an exception ) ...

... Anees Bazmee on the heels of two back-to back hits (Welcome/NoEntry)

Mouth-watering prospect for sure .. ain't it!!

Singh is Kiing is all about Happy Singh , a surd who is a brat in his Pind ( so called village ) , notorious in his actions..

Villagers plan out to drive him out of the village , in tandem with a The King Underworld Pin in Australia played by Sonu Sood having a gala time there unaware what will struck him soon!!!

Happy Singh's histrionics along with buddy played by Om Puri embark on this journey which has all the makings of a laugh riot ....

ALAS! ..... the laughs just don't sizzle,giggle,tickle : ( :( :( :( :( :(

Katrina does what she does best , song n dance routine ... the SURD Brigade including Khayali , Jaaved Jafferi , Sudhanshu Pandey...to name a few... are just ok.

Ranvir Shorey is completely wasted , Dhupia is a prop ... Om Puri provides able support.

Singh is Kinng belongs to Akshay .. had he not been there in the foreground , I would have sleep-walked thru the movie...Only he has the firepower to pull off a full-on punjabi masquerade..

Pritam's music does it again .. ( this is umpteenth time i am mentioning this in my blog posts) .. he just amazes me with his ability to shell out tracks after tracks..... Teri Ore is my Pick!!

Singh is Kinng is all hype .. little substance ..

Akshay Kumar Fans .. Please stand up...

Rating : 2.0/5.0

Ugly aur Pagli : by Sachin Khot

Close on the heels of Pyar ke Side Effects ,
here comes another film based on the syndrome of 'Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus' ... Ugly aur Pagli


Ugly is played by Ranvir Shorey who is a dumb dimwit , still in engineering college past many years , failing to advance..

Pagli is played by Mallika Sherawat who is a hard taskmaster and a bully.. living life on her own terms .

Ranvir meets her on a railway station and gets hooked up with this drunk girl. He faces her tantrums,her demands,her overbearing self , Ugly is an absolute doormat.

As far as performances go , Ranvir , is the most under-rated actor we have in our country ... he is simply superlative .. Malika is passe'.

The storyline of the 2 hr histrionics , is wafer-thin .... the giggles fizzle !!!!!!!!

Rating : 2.5/5.0

Kismat Konnection : by Aziz Mirza

Aziz Mirza has always been associated with a feel-good kinda cinema , Kismat Konnection is no exception.

Its a story of budding Architech played by Shahid , who inspite of being a top-notch student in his degree dayz , fails to make it big every time an opportunity knocks on his doors.

The Luck evades him time n again until a Fortune Teller procrastinates his lucky charm popping up soon in his life.

Enter , Vidya Balan , who is associated with an old-age home , the senior citizens being her family.

Vidya brings luck to Shahid whenever she is around , n things start going his way but at the cost of blatant betrayal.......

The performances are stereotypical , only Shahid in top -form post Jab We Met.... Vidya is just not getting it right from her clothes to her dancing to her acting prowess...

Pritam proves yet again with his music ,as being the most-sought after music composer....

Overall, Aziz Mirza's work has always put a smile on your face and moisten one's eyes , from Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman to Chalte Chalte , this does not hit the bulls-eye!!

Rating : 3.0/5.0

The Dark Knight : by Christopher Nolan

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
........... We're tonight's entertainment : The Joker

Christopher Nolan in association with Warner Bros. has undoubtedly re-defined SUPER-HEROISM with The Dark Knight


Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne , the multi-millionaire , who turns into the Dark Crusader saving the Gotham City from doom.
The film starts with a bank robbery , an act of deceit plotted by yours truly THE JOKER played by the late Heath Ledger.

The film belongs to the set of actors playing legendary Batman Caricatures in never seen before sequences. To name a few ....

1. Michael Caine : The Butler
2. Morgan Freeman : Lucius Fox
3. Gary Oldman : Lieutenant James Gordon
4. Late Heath Ledger : The Joker
5. Aaron Eckhart : Harvey Dent
6. Christian Bale : Bruce Wayne / Batman

The Joker steals the show in all this masquerade. Ledger has got into the skin of the psychopath as if he has lived this role all his life!!

Jack Nicholson played the Joker in the 1989 flick , but Heath has surpassed all on - screen comic caper villains big time!!!!

“Do I look like a guy with a plan?” the Joker asks ..
Tribute Mr . Ledger!

The Film's Action , is astounding from a Hospital Blow-Up , Truck - BatPod Street Chase to Batman Sling from a Copter!

Special Mention : Performance by Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent is a revelation , and his alter-ego in the second half of the flick is brilliant.

I am a big fan of Nolan Films , film noir at its best ... fantabulous follow-up to Batman Begins..

The Dark Knight is the best comic caper super hero celluloid movie ever witnessed ..

Rating : 5.0/5.0

Jaane Tu .. Ya Jaane Na : by Abbas Tyrewala

Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na ... simply a breath of fresh air :) :) ...

Abbas Tyrewala in collaboration with Numero Uno Actor Aamir Khan brings forth a frothy , romantic , bubblegum , Archies meets Veronica storyline !!

The film is all about Meow and Rats! ... the on-screen friends who are inseparable to the hilt.

Imraan Khan has got acting in legacy and he proves it by playing a non-violent , cute-faced,innocent,sweetie pie kid on the block .

Genelia-DeSouza gives super chemical reactions playing Meow! .. clawing people who even give a thought of insulting Rats!

The gang of friends just out of college know that Rats and Meow are in love , their parents know they are in love , but for the protagonists.

Jaane Tu .. may remind you of a lot of bubblegum fables (a la' Ishq Vishq) ... this is quite extra-ordinarily different!!

Heart-Warming Moments in the film :

• College Brawl where in Imraan intends to save Genelia
• Imraan's mother(Ratna Shah) , passing the legacy of Rathore's to her son.
• Ratna Shah and her tet-e-tet with her husband on the wall picture(Raja of Rathore).
• Post-Interval portions where Rats n Meow go fetch companions for each other.
• Cameos by Khan brother's and the Disco-Techque histrionics are hilarious.
• Chemistry between Meow and her brother!

The list is endless , supporting crew is fantabulous , from parents to chums to cops !!

Finally the music , AR Rahman , what can I say , super-duper melodies ... within the realm of the film...

The Next Generation is surely knocking the doors and ringing the bells......

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Jaws : by Steven Spielberg

Jaws ... considered to one of defining movies of the 70's seeing the rise of edge-of-seat-thriller-scary genre ....

Steven Spielberg , now an accomplished director in Hollywood , came up with a masterpiece adaption of a thriller novel...

Amity Island , attracts millions of tourists every year on July 4th , this year is no exception at all but for......

SHARKS at BAY!!!

Sequences of events pertaining to shark attack on beach tourists creates a furor on the island with the Police Chief at the helm of things.

High-points of the Film :

• First attack by the Shark , Police Chiefs hunch on the same.
• Heated Altercation between the Mayor and the Chief along with the Nat Geo expert.
• Hiring of the sailor to kill the deadly beast.
• The Journey to the heart of the ocean in the boat ORCA.
• Climax is spine-chilling and horrific-in-your-face stuff.

Spielberg proves it yet again ...

JAWS ... ranks amongst the best thriller/horror flicks...

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Aamir : by Rajkumar Gupta

There are certain films which have made a significant impact on celluloid in past few years ....

AAMIR ..

is simply extra-ordinaire ... !!!

The film is about a simple man by the name of Aamir , a professional who has just returned from UK and landed in Mumbai City.

As soon as he steps into the city of dreams , his nightmare begins!!!

The film delves into the living environ of the Muslims in a country of diversity such as India , not giving enough to this minority post-independence.

The protagonist Aamir played by Rajeev Khandelwaal ( a la ' Telly Actor 'Kahin To Hoga') is caught in this maze of events where he is helpless to come out of it.

Rajeev will give a lot of film-fraternity-young- kids -on- the- block-run-for-their-money-many-many-years-to-come ... EXCEPTIONAL TALENT!!

Eye-Openers :

• Sequences post-landing of Aamir at the Mumbai Airport.
• Shabby , Dismal , Dingy Locales of Muslim Inhabited Areas.
• Turn - of - Events in the second half.
• Climax is simply mouth- gaping - what - happens- next - mode.

Thumps Up to the first-timer Rajkumar for this superlative effort ..

RATING : 4.0/5.0

Sarkar Raj : by Ram Gopal Varma

Sarkar ... was a film made with a lot of conviction , one of the few gems by Ramu , actually in a director's hat.

Sarkar Raj was high on expectations , set 2 years where the prequel is left off.


------- Bottom Line ------
------NO NOVELTY--------


The Bacchhan Trio , excel for sure , in particular Big B n Aby Baby are out of the ordinary..... These two actors say a thousand words through their eyes.

Aishwarya playing an entrepreneur is not very convincing for my liking ... anybody could have done what she has portrayed.

+VES :

1. Bacchhans are top-notch
2. Background Score is riveting
3. Technically Ramu is slick as ever

-VES:

• Old Wine in the same bottle
• Predictable ( for me at least , people may find it intriguing!!!!)
• Supporting Cast is intolerable!!

Sarkar Raj is all about deceit , dirty politics , self - propangadization , and gang-war ... seen it umpteen times ...
Rating : 2.5/5.0

Apocalypse Now : by Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola , the renowned director of the acclaimed classic , 'The Godfather' , gives us an insight into the human psyche in a world at war in VIETNAM!!!

Apocalypse Now ... is about a US Army Captain sent on a mission to terminate a fellow Colonel in the Cambodian Jungles , where he is supposed to have lost his mind and has gone insane.

Colonel Kurtz played by the great Marlon Brando , is a spine-chilling , whacko portrayal of a god-saviour for the people of Cambodia , where he goes on a rampage of killing Vietcongs at will.

This film is a journey of a man in pursuit of answers to the Human Mind Working at the time of distressing war . Captain Willard , who is on this voyage is played by Martin Sheen.

Narration of Martin Sheen , makes the movie engrossing in some parts , though it meanders along , causing the audience to lose their patience at some point!!!

Verdict :

I expected a lot from Coppola as per his prior imprints... this one is below below par ...

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Cloverfield : by Matt Reeves

Cloverfield ... in my view is a path-breaking film in terms of the way it has been conceived and shot!

It's a film presented as a video-cam footage shot by a group of young people prior to the crisis ---- A Gigantic Monster in down-town Manhattan!

The movie starts with footage of a young couple having a gala time dating at an island , with the focus in the CAM shooting various events in the lives of these young group of people.

Captured Moments in the Video Cam:

1. Farewell Party for Rob accepting a job in Japan.
2. Coney Island Date
3. Initiation of the Catastrophic Earthquake
4. Subsequent Devastation by the Monster
5. Escapism of the main protagonists all around the city of New York.

Caution : People may feel nauseating and a temporary loss of balance. Audience members prone to migraines , the film may act as a trigger.....


The Shaky Camera Filming is unique yet an edge-of-the-seat experience to say the least! ----

Dunt Miss This One...

Rating : 4.0/5.0

U Me aur Hum : by Ajay Devgan

Ajay Devgan has been a prolific actor over the years and he teams with his wife Kajol to bring forth a canvas full of love , emotions and deep bonding!

It is a story about Ajay and Pia who meet over a cruise where Pia is a bar-waitress and Ajay , a charmer to the core....

He tries to woo Pia , and the movie has a lot of romantic moments you can identify with in the first half .

The latter half of the film is a revelation , not seen before performances and the actors prove their prowess .

"The turn of events when Kajol is diagnosed with Alzheimer makes you CRY for more... the bonding between the couple is brought to the fore!!! .... It is very high on EQ and the handkerchiefs will come out in numbers for sure!!!"

Best Scene of the Movie : When Ajay rushes back to the asylum to bring back Kajol

U ME AUR HUM ... is an extra-ordinary effort by a sensitive actor and has proven himself yet again this time in the director's hat.

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Goodfellas : by Martin Scorsese

Good Fellas is a typical gangster flick reminiscent of The Godfather Trilogy...

Martin Scorsese has always been an interesting director with his films showing his craft in rainbow colors ranging from high-voltage dramas to pure action adrenalin flicks.....

Its a story about Henry Hill , small village boy who always wanted to be in the big league, with the freedom to walk in fresh air , not giving a damn about the world around him...

The journey of Henry Hill takes off from his childhood days where he meets with the gang linchpin in the form of Rober De-Niro and Joe Pesci. It spans decades and how they build an empire ranging from killings to smuggling drugs.

The culmination of the film takes you by surprise , the performances pack a punch in particular Joe Pesci's award winning portrayal of Tommy De-Vito , the hale n hearty gruesome gangster!!!

Martin has done a good job , but The Godfather still remains the ultimate Gangster flick....

Rating : 4.0 /5.0

Krazzy 4 : by Jaideep Sen

PEOPLE , 

This is a warning to all movie lovers Krazzy as you maybe .....

Attempt to even enter a
theater playing this flick is hazardous to your health,wealth and general well-being.


Rating : GIVE ME A BREAK !!!!!!

Fargo : by Coen Brothers

Coen Brothers are known for their dark tales suitably tagged as neo-noir ... Fargo is one such black comedy!

It is about a car sales executive who is in severe debt and in urgent need of cash.

One fine day , in a snowy Minnesota winters , he hires 2 goons to plot kidnapping of his own wife , to rig a huge sum of ransom from his wealthy father-in-law.

The story takes a turn of events when the kidnapping goes gory and police gets involved giving the sales executive a pretty hard time .

The case is in the hands of a pregnant woman police officer played by Frances McDormand (wife of Joel Coen , the director of the film) who has done a commendable job , with funny anecdotes and small nuances , making it fun crime drama!!!

The end is predictable which makes the movie an anti-climax... nevertheless good Oscar winning film!!

Rating : 3.0/5.0