Movie Review: Spectre

The latest installation in one of the longest running Hollywood franchise gets it all wrong! Following a message passed on to him by a person whom he trusted the most, Bond goes on a hunt of a man and an organization. What he comes up against turns out to be his most painful and difficult mission ever.

Atleast that's what the movie is supposed to be. But it is over-plotted, over detailed, over-drawn and slow paced. Some of the plot points seem far fetched. The script writers have overdone it in trying to string all loose ends since Casino Royale as a single story arc. And then there's this hard to believe connection between James Bond and Franz Oberhauser aka Blofeld.

Christoph Waltz and Andrew Scott are underutilized... that's a shame considering one is known for portraying a menacing, notorious Nazi officer and the other as Sherlock's nemesis. They are one of the most thinly sketched villains in Bond Universe. Lea Seydoux is, well, looking cute and does the best of the-damsel-in-distress part. Monica Beluucci is in a blink-and-you-miss role, especially in Indian cuts. M, Q, Tanner and Moneypenny get meatier roles and do their job well. Craig seems to be comfortable in his character as ever, but that does not help save the film.

It's not all bad though. There are some plus points: 

Stunts & action - The helicopter sequence in Mexico, car chase in Rome, Hand to hand combat on a train in Morocco, climactic sequence in London. It's as good as it gets. 

Cinematography, especially the first scene, all done in a single tracking shot. Hoyte Van Hoytema, take a bow! 

Background Score. 

Humor, especially when there's Q in the view.

If only the whole was greater than the sum of it's parts. It's a damp squib when you look at it's predecessor - Skyfall. Mind you, Skyfall itself had polarized reviews. So the makers should have treaded carefully this time around. I think the title track sums it up best - "Writing's on the wall"!

Verdict: You will enjoy it ONLY if you don't expect it to belong to the class of Bond films that we have known growing up.

Rating: 5/10.

Movie Review: The Martian

"This is something my mind explicitly rejected.. 

We are talking about mutiny... 

If it's a messed up film, the novel dies.... 

If I watch a messed up film, the story the way I imagined it is lost forever."

Thank you Mr. Scott for messing up my most favorite sci-fi novel of recent times. Now I need to recondition my mind into thinking that the movie never happened!!! And I need to gather whatever is left of my brains and help it piece all together through second reading of the novel, to bring it alive the way I had imagined.

- What 3D did to Gravity, it did exactly the opposite to The Martian. The film is just too dark and it fails miserably to convey the scale and perspective of the surroundings.

- Matt Damon carries the film, for whatever worth it is. Full points to him and the casting director as well. Cannot imagine any other actor in that role.

- I might change my view after second watching, but I really need some big motivation to do that now. 

- Mr. Scott, the video/audio logs was the lifeline of the novel. You cannot ignore them. Watch Burn Notice - That's the right way to show improvisations using voice over evoking similar sense of humor. 

- Mr. Scott, the journey to Ares 4 Mission Site had 2 rather daunting situations - The dust storm and the rover tumble and Watney's ingenious solutions to both of them - which you missed. Obviously you missed Watney's dance and the emotion associated with the completion of the long journey when he reaches the MAV. No mention of Phobos and Deimos too.

- Pathfinder never gets fried in the movie. So Watney's problems feel toned down in the movie as compared to the novel.

My rating: 6/10. It might still be a good movie, but it didn't come to close to any of my expectations. I will rather wait for the 2D HD print to enjoy it on my big-screen TV at home. Maybe then, I will be able to appreciate it and hopefully not hate it as much.

What it could have been: A great last installment of space sci-fi trilogy - Gravity, Interstellar and The Martian.

Movie Review: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Off late there has been a spurt of young adult fiction adventure novels and their film adaptations. Titles that immediately come to mind are Hunger Games, Divergent and Maze Runner. These stories are characterized by a post-apocalyptic or dystopian civilization with a central character as a young teenaged hero with a strong sense of virtues, who is a rebel of sorts, who questions the authority and its oppressive establishment. 

These stories are usually trilogies where the first part introduces us to the characters in our story, the society that they live in and the central theme of the story. The last part obviously is meant for conclusion and revealing the fate of the characters and their world. As such, the middle part is left for bridging the gap between the first and the last, and in most cases acts as a filler. Naturally, this is the most sluggish part of the trilogy.

That fortunately is not true in case with The Maze Runner. This popular series of novels involves a group of teenagers who are part of an experiment by a mysterious organization named WICKED. The members of this group stay in an open area with woodlands called as the Glade, which is at the center of a massive maze inhabited by some deadly creatures to deter them from leaving the glade. The inhabitants of this place, called Gladers, have their memories erased and they remember nothing except their first name. The first part of the series introduced us to the hero amongst the gladers – Thomas – and his band of brothers who embark on a quest to negotiate the maze and its dangers to find what is on the other side.  

The second part – The Scorch Trials – picks up exactly where the first part ended. As such it does not waste any time in exposition on the happenings of the previous film. Thomas and his friends are taken to a rebel stronghold, which later turns out to be WICKED’s station. Some new characters are introduced here and we get to know more about the world as it is after the catastrophic event. It gives just about enough time for the gladers, and us, to understand the predicament they are in, before the on screen action reverts back to the series’ trademark – Running. Thomas realizes that the only way he can fight WICKED is joining the rebels. So he and his friends escape from the station and embark on a journey through desolate landscape, dilapidated and ghostly cities which are inhabited by people infected with Flare virus – zombies. (These days you should assume that if there is a rampant incurable virus in a movie, then it is bound to have zombies. Well, there are notable exceptions like Contagion, but they are very few).

The series stays true to its theme as they keep on running most of the time – Running away from WICKED and its soldiers, running away from zombies, running away from collapsing buildings, running away from lightning storms. On the way they meet new people who help while some betray. Thomas also realizes that he is special in more ways than one. The movie answers some old questions while posing new ones. I will not take away all the fun by revealing too much here. But the ending sets up the story for an enthralling finish.

The action/adventure quotient of the movie is good enough to keep young as well as old audiences engrossed and emotionally invested all along. CGI is also well done with the orange hues and the landscapes reminding you of Mad Max movies. The music score is well suited for the action unfolding on screen. Acting and direction tick the appropriate boxes.

To sum it up, it is an effort that has gone one better than the previous film. Definitely a one-time watch!

My rating: 8/10

Movie Review: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

It's a movie with a pair of non-MI6 James Bonds having fun that the one from MI6 never had. The movie adapted from the famous television series co-created by Ian Fleming is as much an ode to action movies of the last century as it is a humorous take on the genre which off late has become more dark and serious.

The plot is simple - A group of neo-Nazis are making a nuclear bomb and delivering it to a group of terrorists. Set the story in 1960s and you have the West and the Russians facing each other at the Berlin Wall. To make matters interesting, the CIA and KGB decide to join hands to retrieve the blueprints of the weapon, and provide the best agent from their side played by Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer respectively. This sets off a series of hilarious scenes where the two leads indulge in some one upmanship all the while working towards the common goal. Throw in a female lead in the mix who has an agenda of her own, and we have an interesting premise that builds up to a typical Guy Ritchie thrilling climax loaded with stylistic action sequences. 

The chemistry between the three leads stands out the most and makes you crave for more when the movie ends. While there is nothing much to take away from the movie, you enjoy each and every moment to the fullest. Sometimes, cinema is all about that, isn't it?

My Rating: 8/10

Movie Review: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

First things first: The "Rule of Three" of story telling, one of the USPs of the franchise is still there, in the heist scene as usual and it is pretty well done! The stunts are exhilarating and you might skip a heart beat or drop your jaw here or there. Tom Cruise is still a bankable star. Rebecca Ferguson is a surprise package. Jeremy Renner is under utilized.

The hard truth: The movie comes nowhere near sophistication of the franchise kick starter or the indulgence in unabashed fun and adventure of its last installment (Ghost Protocol). The plot is intricate AND confusing, sometimes loosing the grip in the process. Most part of the movie looks like a rehashed version of some iconic scenes of the franchise, with ample amount of James Bond inspirations thrown in. 

Ethan Hunt does not need to do a James Bond to sell himself.

My rating: 6.5/10. Brad Bird, please come back for the next one!

Movie Review: Baahubali - The Beginning

Without getting too biased and without comparing to any Hollywood production:

1. First half and second half are like chalk and cheese when it comes to graphics and pace of the story. 

2. Hats off to the makers for Production Design (Art Direction), Cinematography and Background Score. Even sound mixing throughout is very very well done. 

3. A big thumbs-up for the level of detailing. 

4. A big thumbs-up for the climactic battle. 

5. In my opinion it is still not the best of the best, but no reason is good enough to miss it watching in theatres. 

6. Director's vision is noteworthy. He knows what he has on his hands and takes his time to unravel the story. It is a big risk, but as is evident, it has come good.

Can this inspire someone for Mahabharata or Ramayana Trilogy?! Just a thought.

Movie Watchings: American Sniper, Inside Out, Big Hero 6

American Sniper:

Biopic of the most lethal US Sniper till date. Engaging film, hulked up Bradley Cooper in the titular role, Clint Eastwood behind the camera. It is as much a patriotic film as it is an anti-war rhetoric. A must see.
My rating: 7.5/10

Inside Out: 

One of the most amazing, brilliant, intelligent, engrossing Pixar movie with a very original concept. If you don't "feel" for the "Emotions" by the movie ends, there is something wrong with you ;). 

My rating: 9.5/10

Big Hero 6: 

Marvel-lous! Now I know why this movie topped the charts and out-performed Interstellar. No wonder. 
This Walt Disney movie (of Marvel Superhero team) does which no other MCU movie did before that. It is actually entertaining, engrossing (and kick-ass) without the usual mayhem :D. 
Well "Guardians..." is an exception.
My rating: 9/10

Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

Consider you are in an isolated place with limited supply of oxygen and water. You also happen to have a dangerous liquid compound called as “Hydrazine”. You are to survive in this place long enough, with your water supply not estimated to last that much duration. Hydrazine is highly toxic and dangerously unstable but your only source of hydrogen, which can be combined with oxygen to create water. What would you do?

Consider some more facts - Nearest help is 225,300,000 km away. To add to this, no one knows you are alive and trapped in this isolated place. So no one is going to come and rescue you. And we have not even started with problem of food supplies. Quick thinking and improvisation is the key and that’s just what astronaut Mark Watney has to do to keep surviving. Because the isolated place is Mars, and Mark Watney is the only man on this lonely planet.

“I’m pretty much f***ed. That’s my considered opinion. F***ed.” 

The story of “The Martian” is set in the near future when inter-planetary travel has just begun, and Watney is an astronaut and member of NASA’s Ares-3 mission - third manned Mars landing. On the 6^th day after landing on Mars, due to a series of unfortunate events his crewmates are forced to abandon him during a severe dust storm. They believe he is dead. Now Watney must attempt to survive using only leftover tools and components from the abandoned mission – An array of solar panels, a habitat that doubles up as a lab, two rovers, some spacesuits and some scientific equipment. The storm has knocked out the communications antenna and there is no way he can inform his crew or mission handlers that he is alive. The next manned mission is not scheduled to land for 4 years and Mark has limited amount of essential supplies, not supposed to last that long. Somehow he must survive that long.

“I’m stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Hermes or Earth. Everyone thinks I’m dead. I’m in a Hab designed to last 31 days.
If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death.

So yeah. I’m f***ed.” 

Mark Watney does come up with a solution to this matter-of-fact problem and every other problem that comes along. But remember – this is space and all plans are “Mission Critical”. As always, Murphy’s Law imposes itself in every manner possible. Plans go awry, missions go sideways and Mark is required to fight for survival every minute of his existence on the unforgiving planet. This makes for an interesting reading as the best part of the book is dedicated to careful breakdown of each and every problem and the solution to it in a very scientific and mathematical manner. If they can at all be used as verbs, then Mark Watney “Sciences” and “Maths” his way out of each situation.

“It’s a strange feeling. Everywhere I go, I’m the first. Step outside the rover? First guy ever to be there! Climb a hill? First guy to climb that hill! Kick a rock? That rock hadn’t moved in a million years! …
First, first, first!” 

Majority of the book is in the form of audio and text log entries by Mark Watney on the mission computer after the fateful incident. To break the monotony of the proceedings and to provide fresh perspectives, author Andy Weir has interspersed these entries with events that happen at NASA as well as on the spaceship “Hermes” which is the return vehicle for the rest of Ares-3 crew. And mind you, these events and characters are not just after thoughts. Each event is well explained and every character is well developed and they play an important role to achieve the ultimate goal – “Bring Mark Watney back to Earth”. 

“Just once I'd like something to go to plan, ya know? Mars keeps trying to kill me. Well... Mars and my stupidity keep trying to kill me.” 

The author who is a geek in real life (he is a professional software programmer) and Mark Watney by extension, try to concentrate on the positive aspects of the situations and use humor and wit to overcome the negative psychological effects that would otherwise arise out of constantly facing life endangering situation in a hostile environment, devoid of any human contact or social exchange. He does curse and gives up a number of times, but soon composes himself with some quirky one liners. He seems to be a composite character of Chandler from ‘FRIENDS’ and Sheldon from ‘Big Bang Theory’. 

“You know what? “Kilowatt-hours per sol” is a pain in the ass to say. I'm gonna invent a new scientific unit name. One kilowatt-hour per sol is... it can be anything... um... I s**k at this... oh f**k it. I'll call it a “pirate-ninja.” ” 

This Adventure slash Science-Fiction is part Apollo 13 and part Cast Away, and builds on the strengths of both genres to give us story that will satisfy hard core geeks and nerds and casual readers alike. Do ensure that there is no pending “mission critical” work for you before you pick up this book, because once you start reading, it is un-put-down-able!!!

P.S. The book is being made into a movie, directed by Ridley Scott and Matt Damon in a role that cuts a contrasting figure to his other 'Left alone in space' role in Interstellar.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ok, so plus points first:

Good CGI, all characters enjoy great chemistry, Iron-Man rocks, as always & Hawk Eye gets a meatier role.

Ahh and yes, that brand of self-deprecating humor, made famous by Tony Stark.

"Action" - not really! How many superheroes are going to fight amongst themselves or their creations, with utter disregard to humans and the cost of their lives? First it was Loki, now it is Ultron. Is there a theme to any of these movies? Do the bystanders have any say in all this meaningless action? (Cue: The ferry scene in The Dark Knight, the cop march in The Dark Knight Rises). Apart from the German crowd sequence in first Avengers, there is nothing worth mentioning in this regards. Joss Whedon did have some change of heart though in the end and those poor souls in Sokovia got their ride on one of the helicarriers.

To me, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies and Transformers seem the same, the only difference being that MCU has the Infinity Stones and Transformers has the AllSpark.

The only Marvel movies so far who went beyond this formula were - Iron Man 3 which was an OK film and Guardians of the Galaxy which is by far a standout from the crowd of other MCU films. And more importantly it has its heart in the right place. If you want to go for some humor with good action, this is the movie you want. Not Hulk fighting Iron-man, Thor fighting Loki. It is cool to see them face-off but ultimately it is just pointless.

Does the Age of Ultron has any effect in terms of taking ahead a plot/story for other upcoming Marvel movies. Nil, Zero. No impact whatsoever. What is the point of the mindless action then? I did enjoyed this movie while it was playing on the screen, but it had nothing to take away once I stepped out of the theater. Such a shame!

P.S. My daughter Kavya surprisingly liked the most unlikeable hero of them all – HULK, the green guy :D.

Series Review: True Detective (Season 01)

A series that strips the police procedural of all the forensic science gimmicks, shifts the focus to characters, their stories - in 2 different periods - and unravels a serial-killer mystery in a chilling manner. The series follows a pair of homicide detectives who are in the pursuit of a serial killer with strange inclinations, over a period of 17 years. The case opens in 1985, a time when the usage of computers and forensic science as a standard police procedure was still in nascent stage and ends in 2002, post CSI-evolution era.

Hats-off to Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson. The banter among the two actors who play the detectives, is something that is never seen before. They dislike each other and at the same time respect each other. Not a single character is presented in clear black and white and all of them show shades of grey. The staging scene of the first murder is way too uncanny and that gets the viewer going. Episode 1 and Episode 8 (series finale) are edge of the seat stuff. The overall look and the plot is somewhat similar to Texas Killing Fields, but the series is way too good when compared to the movie.

An engaging story, excellent characterization, top-notch acting, superb directing and photography. And special mention for the opening sequence.

A must watch! Now waiting for the next season with new characters and story.

Book Review: The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly

Matthew Reilly, an Australian author, is well known for his fast paced action thrillers. His earlier novels - Ice Station, Area 7 and Temple - have been instant hits and are notable for twisting plots and long action sequences. He draws his inspiration from a lot of Hollywood action/Sci-fi blockbusters like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Back to the Future series.

Matthew’s latest installment – The Great Zoo of China – goes into a territory that he has never ventured. The setting is rural China, the primary protagonist is a female character and the antagonists are creatures that the world believe exist only in mythologies.

Dr. Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on crocodiles is invited to preview an extra-ordinary and secret Chinese project. It is a zoo which has been in the making for 40 years. Along with her are a group of high profile VIPs and journalists which include US Ambassador to China and his assistant, who is actually an ex-CIA field agent. Chinese believe that they have created a place which is unparalleled in human history and something that will soon become an icon of Chinese culture. The zoo houses one of the greatest creatures that we thought existed only in mythology – The Dragons. The Chinese have taken elaborate measures to protect the zoo and its patrons from these predators. It also includes a drastic last resort option – A self-destruct mechanism. If you are in an action movie/book this is a perfect recipe for disaster. What can go wrong will go wrong – and wrong it goes, horribly!

It turns out that the one of the species of the dragons are super-intelligent animals who have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to seize the control of the zoo (and the world). They start executing their grand plan with schemes that go beyond the zoo boundaries, and soon metal and flesh are shredded with equal disdain. Equally treacherous are the Chinese officials who will stop at nothing to keep this failure a secret from rest of the world. So it falls upon CJ and a handful of characters to get out of the crossfire and stop the mayhem and save humanity from disaster.

The writer takes some time for exposition and it has been done in great detail with ample space given to explain the dragon mythos as well as the specifics of the zoo, done through a guided tour of the characters by the Chinese officials. Characters are introduced (to be killed later in some gruesome way). One of the USPs of Matthew Reilly’s books have been the usage of maps and 3D views of the environments in which all the action takes place, and he leaves no stone unturned in his latest story as well. Once he is done with the exposition, all the action starts and it ends only on the last page. In between there are ample high adrenaline action pieces, twists and scares and majority of the characters are killed. Recently though, Matthew Reilly has taken the artistic license too far and as such some of the sequences venture into the realm of “impossible” or “outrageous” or like in this case - “fantasy”. Sadly, this time it is too much to digest and even though the action is very good the end result is somewhat a mish-mash of ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.

This book is a onetime read, especially if you have never delved into action thrillers before.

Texas Killing Fields, Abduction

Texas Killing Fields
This "Whodunit?" inspired by true incidents starts in a CSI-esque manner but fails to take off due to several plot holes, loose ends and shoddy scripting. Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington and Chloe-Grace Moretz are wasted in what could have been an engaging thriller.

Abduction
What if one fine day you come across a website for missing children and find your childhood photograph there? And what if your so called parents are ex-CIA agents. Interesting premise? Not really. 

P.S. Taylor Lautner (Twilight) is as wooden as a log and cannot act.

Weekend Movie Watch: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! & Furious 7

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
Though the movie is inspired from characters created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, it wholly and truly belongs to Dibakar Banerjee. Right from the "Y!" in the title everything about Byomkesh is different and the canvas conforms to DB's style of film making which comes ever so close to Guy Ritchie's.

The story and the movie indulges in some old fashioned slow paced murder-mystery. But the plot is top notch by Bollywood standards and the acting is equally good.

Ever imagined heavy metal as background score for a movie based in 1940's! It works splendidly. And BB has his own Prof. Moriarty in Yang Guang.

It's a franchise in the making! A must watch.

Furious 7
There is a fine line that all action flicks should be careful about. Because this line determines the difference between 'The Matrix' and 'Shoot Em Up'. Because this line determines the difference between a stylishly done action sequence or a nonsensical set-piece.

The makers of Fast franchise realized by the end of 4th installment that only NO2 powered cars and drifting and dragging cannot get their cash registers ringing. So they changed the formula and in came Fast 5 with an air of freshness about it. But they overdid that winning formula in Fast 6 and came perilously close to the above mentioned imaginary line. Sad to say, they totally cross it in 7. 

Apart from some handful of thrills and some real good one-liners, there is nothing great in this movie. It is over-hyped and over-rated.

RIP Paul.

Weekend Movie Binge

Sabotage
Half mystery-crime thriller and half action thriller. End result is a half cooked product.
Sam Worthington, Arnold Schwarzenegger are wasted in their roles.

John Wick
Neo is back, albeit in a human avatar. The gun fights are highlight of this very very stylish gangster/revenge movie. Reminds me of lesser known "Equilibrium".

Guardians of the Galaxy
This marvel movie of fringe superheroes does what other Marvel Universe movies do not manage - Awesomeness, fun & heart packaged in a super-sleek end product.


The Interview
Now I know why North Koreans were so against this movie! James Franco as a dim witted, self-centered TV Show host and Seth Rogen as his side-kick. The movie is outright witty, humorous and sarcastic in some parts and resorts to toilet humor in the rest. An OK movie in the end.


Nightcrawler
Jake Gyllenhaal is creepy & manipulative. Much like Rosamund Pike in "Gone Girl". A must watch movie, especially the second half which I thought was edge of the seat stuff.


Side Effects
Psychological Thriller. Just watch it for Jude Law and Rooney Mara. Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean's 11, Contagion) at his best!