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You are here: Home / Archives for Hollywood

Movie Review: ‘Max’ is a heart touching emotional saga of a boy and a dog

July 6, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

max_movie

Producer: Karen Rosenfelt
Director: Boaz Yakin
Star Cast: Josh Wiggins, Dejon LaQuake, Thomas Haden Church, Robbie Amell, Lauren Graham, Luke Kleintank, Jay Hernandez, Miles Mussenden, Mia Xitlali, Owen Harn & Joseph Julian
Genre: Adventure
Verdict: Good

Boaz Yakin an American director, of Remember The Titans fame, has come up this time with an emotionally heart touching film about a boy Justin and a dog named Max and the total bonding they share with each other.

Plot: A military dog from Afghanistan is adopted by his late handler Kyle Wincott’s (Robbie Amell;) grieving family in US, where his close bond with the soldier’s brother Justin Wincott (Josh Wiggins) leads to a life altering revelation in this family friendly adventure.

Aces: Its salutation to all the military dogs who not only help the soldiers on the battlefield but also on their home front. Besides Josh Wiggins and the dog steals the show in the entire proceedings.

Minuses: Too much exposure of melodramatic sentiments.

Last Word: A perfect outing for all animal lovers.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Dejon LaQuake, Film, Hollywood, Josh Wiggins, Max, Movie, Movie Review

Movie Review: ‘Terminator Genisys’ is not impressive at all

July 6, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Terminator Genisys

Producer: David Ellison & Dana Goldberg
Director: Alan Taylor
Star Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brett Azar, Aaron V. Williamson, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Willa Taylor, Jai Courtney, Bryant Prince, J. K. Simmons, Wayne Bastrup, Matt Smith, Nolan Gross, Courtney B. Vance, Dayo Okeniyi, Gregory Alan Williams, Sandrine Holt, Michael Gladis, Griff Furst, Teri Wyble & debutante Lee Byung – Hun
Genre: Sci-Fi

Verdict: Average

Alan Taylor, the director of such popular films like Lost, The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Sex And The City, The Sopranos, Game Of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood, Mad Men, Palookaville, Thor: The Dark World et al, is the latest director to wield the megaphone for Terminator Genisys. But sadly enough he has failed to create the magic of the earlier “Terminator” series.

Plot: In the year 2029, John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the Resistance against Skynet, launches a massive final offensive on Los Angeles. He is notified by his unit, Tech – Com that Skynet will attack on 2 fronts, past & future, thereby changing warfare forever.

Aces: As in all the Terminator series. Its the special effects that rules the roost here too. And the débutante actor Lee Byung – Hun is promising enough to watch out for.

Minuses: Seriously speaking It lacks the thematic depth, conceptual intelligence or even visual thrills that launched this once mighty franchise.

Last Word: Even the staunch fans of Arnie and the past Terminator series will be sadly disappointed.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brett Azar, Film, Hollywood, Movie, Movie Review, Terminator Genisys

Movie Review: ‘Insidious: Chapter 3’ – This horror saga is not so scary

June 27, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Insidious Chapter 3

Producer: Jason Blum, Oren Peli and James Wan
Director: Leigh Whannell
Star Cast: Ashton Mojo, Angus Sampson, Dermont Mulroney, Hayley Kiyoko, Lin Shaye, Tate Berney and Stefanie Scott
Genre: Horror
Verdict: Average

Director Leigh Whannell can very well be termed as the Horror master as he has mainly gained recognition in the past with films like Dead Silence, Death Sentence and the Saw and now the Insidious Chapter franchise. Normally sequels are made after the success of a prequel but in case of Insidious Chapter 3 it is a prequel after the success of the 2 earlier franchises of the same.

Plot: This chilling prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family, reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl (Stefanie Scott) who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.

Aces: The only thing that goes in its favour is the outstanding performances by its principal cast namely Dermont Mulroney, Lin Shaye and Stefanie Scott while the rest of the cast are just used like props to carry the movie forward.

Minuses: The gaps between the scary scenes are painfully slow and stiflingly boring which tests the viewers patience.

Last Word: This horror saga can be safely skipped.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Angus Sampson, Ashton Mojo, Dermont Mulroney, Film, Hollywood, Insidious Chapter 3, Movie, Movie Review

Movie Review: ‘Inside Out’ is an enjoyable fare

June 25, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Inside Out

Producer: Jonas Rivera
Director: Pete Docter
Star Cast: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaitlyn Dias, Lewis black, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith and Richard Kind
Genre: Fantasy
Verdict: Good

Six times Oscar nominated and one time Oscar winner (for his film Up) director Pete Docter has till this date tried his hands at varied genres of filmmaking like horror, animation et al. In his latest animated outing Inside Out he has tackled the memory powers of a human being in lieu with his five basic emotions namely Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger.

Plot: Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life.

Aces: The excellent manifestation and psychological interpretation of the human mind and its five basic emotions.

Minuses: Inside Out has a very complexed theme, which will be hard for children to grasp.

Last Word: It’s an entertaining film which will make you laugh and cry in unison.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Diane Lane, Film, Hollywood, Inside Out, Movie, Movie Review, Pete Docter

Movie Review: 'Spy' is an interesting espionage thriller

June 22, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

spy-2015

Producer: Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Peter Chemin and Jenno Topping
Director: Paul Feig
Star Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Bjorn Gustafsson and Nargis Fakhri
Genre: Espionage Thriller
Verdict: Good

Together the pairing of director Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy had gained an instant recognition through their earlier movie Bridesmaid. But somewhere along the line their director – actress chemistry is totally missing in their latest outing Spy.

Plot: Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global disaster.
Aces: The only plus point of the movie is the lead actress Melissa McCarthy. The other scene stealing act comes from Jason Statham and Jude Law.

Minuses: The female version of James Bond parody does not exactly work here. Besides what is an Indian actress like Nargis Fakhri doing in a Hollywood espionage thriller?

Last Word: If you are a fan of a thriller genre, then this is the movie for you.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Film, Hollywood, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Melissa McCarthy, Movie, Movie Review, Rose Byrne, Spy

Movie Review: 'Jurrasic World' is an entertaingly watchable fare for one & all

June 16, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

jurassic-world

Banner: Amblin Entertainment
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy & Gerald R. Molen
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Thor & Miguel Sandoval
Music: John Williams

Hollywood Director Steven Spielberg certainly needs no special introduction and his latest directorial outing is an American science fiction adventure film which is the 1st installment of the ‘Jurassic Park’ film series. It is based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, ‘Jurassic Park’ was followed by 3 sequels, ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (1997) & ‘Jurassic Park III’ (2001), both of which were box office successes but received mixed critical responses.

The film centers on the fictional Isla Nublar, an islet located off Central America’s Pacific Coast, near Costa Rica, where a billionaire philanthropist and a small team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park of cloned dinosaurs. John Hammond, the founder & CEO of bioengineering company InGen, has created a theme park called Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar, a tropical island in an isolated Central American location populated with cloned dinosaurs. After a park worker is killed by a Velociraptor, in spite of an attempted rescue led by the park’s game warden, Robert Muldoon, the park’s investors, represented by lawyer Donald Gennaro, demand that experts visit the park and certify it as safe.

Almost a decade after the release of the last part in the ‘Jurassic Park’ series, we see the release of the 4th installment ‘Jurrasic World’. For those who have witnessed the spectacle of the 1st ‘Jurrasic Park’ more than 2 decades ago and have grown up on Steven Spielberg’s vision of the park, there will surely be feeling as to ‘what new will this movie show?. The 1st half of the film is a visual treat (especially in 3D) as the filmmaker gives us a full tour of the advanced dinosaur park. On the other hand, the 2nd half of the film features unending thrill rides in the form of a cat & mouse game. Overall, despite ‘Jurrasic World’ being predictable in parts, it does not fail to amaze you, developing into a fitting sequel to its predecessors.

Performance wise Chris Pratt adds life to the character of Owen, Bryce Dallas Howard keeps the audiences wondering. It will be noted 1st time in history of Bollywoodian Cinema that Irrfan Khan has got a very meaty role in this Hollywood big budget film and as always, he manages to charm the audiences with his performance. While the rest of the cast comprising of Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero as Donald Gennaro, Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Thor & Miguel Sandoval have all performed exceedingly well.

Tail Piece:  The film is for both, the young audiences who haven’t seen the series on the big screen and also for the ones who have been following it for decades. In fact ‘Jurrasic World’ is surely a big screen experience that is not to be missed, especially if you can catch it on IMAX 3D.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Film, Hollywood, Jeff Goldblum, Jurrasic World, Laura Dern, Movie, Movie Review, Sam Neill, Steven Spielberg

Movie Review: The Duff is a enjoyably funny

June 13, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

The Duff

Producer: Susan Cartsonis McG and Mary Viola
Director: Ari Sandel
Star Cast: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca Santos, Skyler Samels, Romany Malco, Ken Jeong, Allison Jenny, Chris Wylde, Mahaley Manning, Nick Eversman, Seth Mariwether, Gabriella Fraille, Danielle Lyn, David Gridley and Brian Dewar McNamara
Genre: Romantic Teen Comedy
Verdict: Good

Debutante director Ari Sandel’s, known more for his short film West Bank Story and a docu drama on Wild West Show named 30 Days & 30 Nights, ‘The Duff’ is a hilarious albeit a thought provoking tale of a girl nicknamed as DUFF which stands for a “designated ugly fat friend” which is bound to get lapped up by a teenie bopper crowd.

Plot: Bianca (Mae Whitman) is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as ‘The DUFF’ (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca Santos). Now, despite the words of caution from her favourite teacher (Ken Jeong), she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby (Nick Eversman), and enlists Wesley (Robbie Amell), a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school’s ruthless label maker Madison (Bella Thorne) and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone’s DUFF.

Aces: It depicts a truest picture of high school students intertwined with their romantic interludes and of course the most outstanding performances by its principal cast, aided and abetted by a cavalcade of some fresh talents.

Minuses: Sometimes the chemistry between the actors is missing and the movie tends to go overboard with ‘The Duff’ business.
Last Word: Missing ‘The Duff’ will be like missing a heart warming movie. Period!

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Film, Hollywood, Mae Whitman, Movie, Movie Review, Robbie Amell, The Duff

Movie Review: 'What We Did on Our Holiday' is a roller coaster ride

June 5, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

What We Did on Our Holiday

Producer: Norman Merry, Suzanne Reid, Ed Rubin, David M. Thompson and Dan Winch
Director: Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin
Star Cast: David Tennant, Rosemund Pike, Billy Connolly, Celia Imrie, Ben Millker, Emilia Jones, Amelia Bullmore, Annette Crosbie, Lewis Davie, Ben Presley, Jake D’Arcy, Bobby Smalldridge, Alexia Barlier and Ryan Hunter
Genre: Comedy
Verdict: Good

The director duo of Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin are more famous for having directed sitcoms and comedies like Outnumbered, Drop The Dead Monkey and Ballot Monkeys and now their latest offering is What We Did On Our Holiday, a rollercoaster ride albeit a hilarious take on petty squabbles of an extended family.

Plot: Doug and Abi are taking their 3 children on a trip to Scotland for a big family gathering. They are in the midst of a difficult divorce, and have asked the kids to keep it a secret from their extended family. But as the inevitable feuds kick in, a completely unexpected turn of events involving the children causes further tensions to rise to the surface. And with the repercussions that ensue, hilarious and emotional in equal measure, the family are forced to put aside their differences and work together or else risk losing what they hold most dear.

Aces: Kudos to the director duo Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin for coming up with such a heart warming movie and a special well deserving mention must also be made of the excellent job done by the entire cast including the bit role players too.

Minuses: The sub plots of the movie creates confusions galore.

Last Word: A lovely fable like feel good movie. Don’t miss it.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Billy Connolly, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Film, Hollywood, Movie, Movie Review, Rosemund Pike, What We Did on Our Holiday

Movie Review: The Age of Adaline

June 5, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Age Of Adaline Start Again

Producer: Sidney Kimmel, Gary Lucchesi, Brett Ratner and Tom Rosenberg
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Star Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Anthony Ingruber, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, Lynda Boyd, Anjali Jay, Richard Harmon, Mark Ghanimé, Barclay Hope, Chris William Martin, Lane Edwards and Peter J. Gray
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Verdict: Very Good

Director Lee Toland Hrieger, after having several award winning movie outings like December Ends, The Vicious kind, Celeste, Jesse Forever etc, has now come up with an interestingly beautiful yet an unbelievable fare named The Age Of Adaline.

Plot: After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost 8 decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with a charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

Aces: The brilliant & sensitive directorial treatment of Lee Toland Krieger and of course the par excellence performance of its principal actors like Blake Lively as Adaline, Michiel Huisman as Ellis, Harrison Ford as William and above all Anthony Ingruber as young William.

Minuses: it defies all logic of the ageing process

Last Word: A must watch movie.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Blake Lively, Film, Harrison Ford, Hollywood, Michiel Huisman, Movie, Movie Review, The Age of Adaline

Movie Review: 'Poltergeist' is a shocking scary fare

May 23, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Poltergeist-2015

Producer: Roy Lee, Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert
Director: Gil Kenan
Star Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jarred Harris, Jane Adams, Saxon Sharbino, Kyle Ketlett, Kennedi Clements, Nicholas Braun, Susan Heyward & Soma Bhatia
Genre: Fantasy Horror
Verdict: Good

There are some directors who stick to one particular genre of filmmaking and Gil Kenan happens to be one of them. Amongst the scores of horror movies that he has churned out. The most talked about one was an animated horror movie named Monster House. And his present directorial venture is Poltergiest which in itself is the 1982 remake of the same name.

Plot: It is the contemporized classic tale about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever.

Aces: The shockingly scary scenes in the haunted house which are really spine chilling.

Minuses: The current Poltergiest movie does not exactly lives up to the reputation of the earlier version.

Last Word: Go watch Poltergiest if you are a diehard fans of horror movies.

Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Film, Hollywood, Jarred Harris, Movie, Movie Review, Poltergeist, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sam Rockwell

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