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Movie Review: ‘Heist’ is an impressively enjoyable film for one and all

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Bus 657

Producer: Randall Emmett, George Furla, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Alexander Tabrizi & Stephen Cyrus Sepher
Director: Scott Mann
Star Cast: Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kate Bossworth, Morris Chestnut, Dave Bautista, Gina Carano, Mark – Paul Gosselaar, D. B. Sweeny, Tyson Sullivan
Genre: Action & Adventure
Verdict: GOOD

Plot: When their attempt to rob a casino owned by the feared gangster Pope (Robert De Niro) goes awry and a shootout ensues, Vaughn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) & Cox (Dave Bautista) are forced to flee on foot & hijack city Bus 657 and take the passengers hostage. Now, in a high speed chase, Vaughn will not only have to outwit the police, led by Officer Bajos (Gina Carano) who are in hot pursuit, but he will have to contend with Pope’s maniacal right hand man, Dog (Morris Chestnut), in order to make it through the day alive.

Aces: The only redeeming factor of this not so suspenseful joy ride in Bus 657 is the natural & restrained performance of Robert De Nero, Jeffery Dean Morgan & Dave Bautista. while the rest of the cast just fill the bill in carrying the film forward.

Minuses: There are lots of loopholes & gaps in the film which are distractive.

Last Word: Actually speaking Heist – Bus 657 can be recommended at least for a one time watch.

Movie Review: ‘Triple 9’ be prepared for extreme violence

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Triple 9

Producer: Keith Redmon, Bard Dorros, Marc Butan, Anthony Katagas, Christopher Woodrow & John Hillcoat
Director: John Hillcoat
Star Cast: Cassey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Cliffton Collins Jr, Norman reedus, Teresa Palmer, micheal K Williams, Gal Gadot, Woody Harrelson & Kate Winslet
Genre: Action & Adventure
Verdict: AVERAGE

Plot: In Triple 9, a crew of dirty cops is blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute a virtually impossible heist and the only way to pull it off is to manufacture a 999, police code for “officer down.” Their plan is turned upside down when the unsuspecting rookie they set up to die foils the attack, triggering a breakneck action – packed finale tangled with double – crosses, greed & revenge.

Aces: The only redeeming aspect of this movie is its power packed ensemble cast, all of whom have proved their histrionic brilliance without any doubt.

Minuses: Too much of mindless violence. Men are being shot at close range constantly with their heads blown of like pumpkins. That apart lots of F word is being used in every scene nay every single second.

Last Word: Strictly recommended only for action lover fans.

Movie Review: ’13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi’ is a thoroughly enjoyable spectacular film

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13-hours-the-secret-soldiers-of-benghazi

Producers: Micheal Bay & Erwin Shroff
Director: Micheal Bay
Star Cast: James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Domnic Fumusa, Pablo Schreiber, David Denman, Toby Stephens & Freddie Stroma
Genre: Action Adventure
Verdict: GOOD

Plot: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi follows 6 men as they are tasked with going to Benghazi to protect the men serving. Against all odds and against their jurisdiction, they must flee their site when an attack begins. After an American Ambassador is killed at a US compound, this crew tries to figure out exactly what is going on, while trying to stay alive and protect their people.

Aces: Directorially and even content wise the film is very strong plus all the 6 actors playing the main lead are very competent in the task given to them. They do look like perfect soldiers.

Minuses: Some of the war scenes are too tedious and oft repeated.

Last Word: This is one of the good war films seen in recent times and also better than watching not so inspiring films like Transformers et al.

Movie Review: ‘London Has Fallen’, which has action unlimited, is a must watch for one & all

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london-has-fallen

Producers: Gerard Butler, Mark Gill Danny Lerner, Matt O’Toole, Alan Siegel & Les Weldon
Director: Babak Najafi
Star Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Angela Bassett, Robert Foster, Melissa Leo & Radha Mitchell
Genre: Action Adventure
Verdict: GOOD

Plot: London Has Fallen is the sequel to the worldwide smash-hit Olympus Has Fallen. The story begins in London, where the British Prime Minister has passed away under mysterious circumstances. His funeral is a must-attend event for leaders of the western world. However, what starts out as the most protected event on Earth turns into a deadly plot to kill the world’s most powerful leaders, devastate every known landmark in the British capital, and unleash a terrifying vision of the future. Only 3 people have any hope of stopping it: the President of the United States (Aaron Eckhart), his formidable Secret Service head (Gerard Butler), and an English MI – 6 agents who rightly trusts no one.

Aces: Director Babak Najafi has maintained the suspense and the tempo of the film with some witty one – liners thrown in. Amongst the brigade of the actors Gerard Butler (who also doubles up as one of the producers) & Aaron Eckhart lend some credibility to the movie. But pray what was an acclaimed actor like Morgan Freeman doing in this part of London.

Minuses: Not much of a plot to follow, but it really doesn’t need one. Anyways the end result is that London Has Fallen is almost like a run – of – the – mill action fare.

Last Word: This entire trip to London is enjoyable to some extent. So don’t get your hopes too high and you won’t be terribly disappointed.

Movie Review: ‘Gods of Egypt’ is a spectacularly entertaining movie

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GODS-OF-EGYPT

Producer: Basil Iwanyk & Alex Proyas
Director: Alex Proyas
Star Cast: Nikolaj Coster- Waldau, Brenton Thwaites, Gerard Butler, Elodie Yung, Courtney Eaton, Chadwik Boseman, Rufus Sewell, Geofrey Rush and Bryan Brown
Verdict: GOOD
Genre: Action & Adventure

Alex Proyas a well – known Australian director has really made a mark, in his decade long career, with films like The Crow, Dark City, I, Robot and Knowing and now in his 6th outing Gods of Egypt he further asserts his directorial Prowess by taking up a semi – mythological history of the real to reel Gods of Egypt.

Plot: In this spectacular action – adventure inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, the survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero Bek (Brenton Thwaites) undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. In order to succeed, he must enlist the help of the powerful God Horus (Nikolaj Coster –Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless God of darkness, who has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens, both God and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the epic final confrontation.

Aces: The performance of the trio of male brigade of actors like Nikolaj Coster – Waldau, Brenton Thwaites and Gerard Butler, the costumes and the special effects.

Minuses: Too many sub plots and some mindless action hampers the smooth flow of the film.

Last Word: Gods Of Egypt is an entertaining film from mythological, action and adventure point of view.

Movie Review: ‘Spotlight’ is a highly sensitive & riveting movie about child sex abuse in the Catholic church

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Spotlight

Producer: Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin & Micheal Sugar
Director: Tom McCarthy
Star Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Micheal Keaton, Racheal McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci & Brian D’Arcy James
Genre: Suspense
Verdict: GOOD

After having directed many films like Meet The Parents, Good night and Good Luck director Tom McCarty has touched upon a sensitive subject of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church.

Plot: Spotlight narrates the true story of the Pulitzer Prize – winning Boston Globe investigation that rocked the city and caused a crisis in one of the world’s oldest and most trusted institutions. When the newspaper’s tenacious “Spotlight” team of reporters delves into allegations of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, their year – long investigation uncovers a decades – long cover – up at the highest levels of Boston’s religious, legal, and Government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world. Directed by Academy Award -nominee Tom McCarthy, Spotlight is a tense investigative dramatic -thriller, tracing the steps to one of the biggest cover – ups in modern times.

Aces: The finest performances of the entire ensemble cast and the credit for which undoubtedly goes to Tom McCarthy at helm of the directorial affair.

Minuses: The long yawn inducing boring conversations amongst themselves of the members of the fourth estate in the press room and in the 1st half of the film it hardly moves out of the press room.

Last Word: Spotlight is a very relevant and sensitive film which may be liked by classy audience but may not be palatable for the mass audience.

Movie Review: ‘Deadpool’ is a sheer exercise in boredom topped with unlimited violence

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Deadpool

Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg and Ryan Reynolds
Director: Tim Miller
Star Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrien, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand & Stefan Kapiac
Genre: Action Adventure
Verdict: POOR

Debutante director Tim Miller has made a sheer mess of his debut directorial offering, namely Deadpool. It happens to be the 8th instalment in the X – Men series of movies, which are primarily based on the globally famous Marvel Comics.

Plot: Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti – hero, Deadpool tells the original story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson Ryan Reynolds), who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humour, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

Aces: The brilliantly coordinated non – stop action scenes throughout the movie which may prove to be a real visual treat for fans of actions movies.

Minuses: Too much of blood and gore topped with bedroom scenes and in your face blatant male nudity.

Last Word: The brutal violence in Deadpool has crossed all the limits of boredom. So much so that you feel like reading marvel comics at home rather than taking a trip to cinema halls to watch Deadpool. A statutory warning, even if you are a die – hard fan of action movies watch Deadpool at your own risk and it is certainly not recommended for weak hearted persons.

Movie Review: ‘The Boy’ is a chilling scare fare

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The-Boy-Movie

Producers: Matt Berenson, Roy Lee, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg and Jim Wedaa
Director: William Brent Bell
Star Cast: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Nortan, Diana Hardcastle, Ben Robson, James Russell & Jeff Klyne
Genre: Horror
Verdict: AVERAGE

William Brent Bell a director of the small screen arena had made his directorial debut with Sparkle And Charm. And now in his 2nd directorial outing he has tried to attempt a scare fare with The Boy.

Plot: Greta (Lauren Cohan) is a young American woman who takes a job as a nanny in a remote English village, only to discover that the family’s 8 year old is a life sized doll that the parents care for just like a real boy, as a way to cope with the death of their actual son 20 years prior. After violating a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring Greta’s worst nightmare to life, leading her to believe that the doll is actually alive.

Aces: The only saving grace of The Boy is the restrained performance of Lauren Cohan and Rupert Evans and to some extent the directorial treatment of William Brent Bell.

Minuses: The Boy really relies on the usual dose of non – frightening jumps and scares which is the 1st thing that proves to be the undoing of a horror movie.
Last Word: The Boy is not really a very frightening scare fare. In fact it is pretty much like a standard horror flick.

Movie Review: ‘The Hateful Eight’ borders mainly on the scenario of mindless and meaningless violence

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The Hateful Eight

Producers: Richard N Gladstein, Shanon Mclntosh & Stacey Sher
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Star Cast: Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demien Bichir, Tim Roth, Micheal Madsen, Bruce Dern etc
Genre: Mystery
Verdict: AVERAGE

Director Quentin Tarantino of Pulp Fiction fame does not need any special introduction. His films are mostly based on non – linear story lines, satirical subject matter and above all aesthetic nay mindless violence. So his latest film The Hateful Eight is no exception.

Plot: Set 12 years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive Daisy Domergue, race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as “The Hangman,” will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter 2 strangers: Major Marquis Warren, a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix, a southern renegade who claims to be the town’s new Sheriff. And thence begins the scenario of mindless and meaningless violence.

Aces: The powerfully riveting performance of stalwart actors Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demien Bichir, Tim Roth, Micheal Madsen and Bruce Dern. What holds you is the presentation of the film revealed in 5 varied chapters which raises your anxiety and curiosity level. This is Quentin’s 8th film and a sequel of his 7th film Django Unchained.

Minuses: Too much of gruesome blood and gore with characters being shot dead at close range in every single reel of the 5 chapters.

Last Word: Recommended only for persons who are die – hard fans of adventure and mystery, but certainly not for the weak hearted persons. Period!

Movie Review: ‘The Danish Girl’ is a heart touching movie

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The Danish Girl

Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Anne Harrison, Gail Mutrux and Tom Hooper
Director: Tom Hooper
Star Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, Amber Heard etc
Genre: Drama
Verdict: VERY GOOD

Director Tom Hooper’s journey from the small screen to the big screen has been very unique as he always directed films of diversified themes. In his latest outing The Danish Girl he tackles a very sensitive real life story of the 1st ever sex change operation.

Plot: The Danish Girl is a remarkably sensitive love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe & Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer. With support from his loving wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander) & artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) prepares to undergo one of the 1st ever sex – change operations.

Aces: The sterling performance of Eddie Redmayne as both artist Einar Wegener and then as a transformed Lili. He gets a good support from Alicia Vikander as Einar’s wife and Ben Whishaw who gets infatuated with Lili and above all Tom Hooper’s deft directorial treatment. One more plus point is that the Censors have been very liberal as the film does not peg itself on the hinges of titillation.

Minus: The main fault lies with the script which borders mainly on melodramatic elements and becomes saccharine.

Last Word: It’s a film made with good intentions which will appeal more to the classy & the global festival circuit audiences rather than the masses.

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