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Movie Review: 'Tomorrowland' is a crazy rollercoster ride

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Tomorrowland

Producer: Brad Bird, Damon Lindelof and Jeffrey Chemov
Director: Brad Bird
Star Cast: George Clooney, Thomas Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan – Micheal Key, Chris Baur, Pierce Gagnon Mathew Maccaull, Judy Greer & Gary Chalk
Genre: Sci-Fi
Verdict: Blockbuster

Director Brad Bird, basically an animator, has tackled a science fiction genre heavily diluted with pure fantasy, in his latest offering Tommorrowland. No doubt it ultimately turns out to be a rivetingly mysterious adventure that keeps the viewers spell bound from start to finish.

Plot: Bound by a shared destiny, a former boy genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embarks on a danger filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world and them forever.

Aces: Its subtle humour, exciting thrills and visual delights

Minuses: The performances of most of the actors are routine barring George Clooney, Thomas Robinson and Britt Robertson

Last Word: Don’t miss this theme park based movie, maybe a finale summer treat for kids.

Movie Review: 'Big Game' is an exciting thriller

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BIG GAME

Producer: Will Clarke, Petri Jokiranta, Andy Mayson and Jens Meurer
Director: Jalmari Helander
Star Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Onni Tommila, Felicity Huffman, Victor Garber, Ted Levine, Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson, Mehmet Kurtuluş and Jaymes Butler
Genre: Action Adventure
Verdict: Very Good

Jalmari Halender is more famous for his popular movies like Rare Exports series. Safety Instructions and A Christmas Tale. In his latest offering ‘Big Game’ he has come up with an interesting premise of how a thirteen year old boy saves the life of the President of the United States of America.

Plot: In the rugged countryside of Finland, a young thirteen year old boy Oskari (Onni Tommila) embarks on a traditional quest to prove himself by spending 24 hours alone in the wild, armed with only a bow and arrow. And then he lands up a big catch, a big game that of the President of the United States of America (Samuel L. Jackson) and then how Oskari saves the President forms the crux of the narrative.

Aces: Jalmari Helander’s excellent directional skills topped with a par excellence performances of Onni Tommila (Oskari) and Samuel L. Jackson (President).

Minusses: A picture perfect flawless movie.

Last Word: A good summer end treat for parents and kids.

Movie Review: 'Mad Max: Fury Road' is a spell binding fare

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mad-max-fury-road

Producer: Doug Mitchell, George Miller & P. J. Voeten
Director: George Miller
Star Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays Byrne, Rosie Huntington – Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoe Kravitz, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaten, Megan Gale, Josh Helman, Nathan Jones, John Howard, Richard Carter & Angus Sampson,
Genre: Action Adventure
Verdict: Very Good

Director George Miller is known more for Mad Max franchise than for his film Babe and Happy Feet series. This time around he has dished out another post apocalyptic action adventure in tandem with elements of realistic horror. It is the fourth outing in the Mad Max film series.

Plot: In the distant future the world is a desert wasteland and civilization has collapsed. Max (Tom Hardy), a survivor in Australia, is captured by the War Boys, the army of tyrannical cult leader King Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays – Byrne). Designated a universal blood donor, Max is imprisoned and used as a blood bag for the sick War Boy Nux (Nicholas Hoult). Meanwhile, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) drives her heavily – armoured War Rig to collect gasoline. Furiosa begins driving off route, alerting Joe who realizes that his five wives, women specially selected for breeding, are gone. Joe leads his entire War Boy army in pursuit of Furiosa, calling on the aid of nearby Gas Town and the Bullet Farm.

Aces: The high octane performance of the principal cast namely Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays – Byrne, Rosie Huttington etc and the dare devilry oriented non – stop action sequences.

Minuses: Its clever but fake looking suspense

Last Word: A not to be missed dystopian movie.

Movie Review: 'Danny Collins' is an interesting fare

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Danny Collins

Producer: Nimitt Mankad, Jessie Nelson, Denise Di Novi & Shivani Ravat
Director: Dan Fogelman
Star Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale, Christopher Plummer, Katrina Cas, Giselle Eisenberg, Melissa Benoist & Josh Peck
Genre: Comedy Drama
Verdict: Good

Debutante Director Dan Fogelman in his debut directorial offering Danny Collins has tackled a true story of a reputed folk singer Steve Tilston. All in all Danny Collins is an offbeat and a thought provoking movie.

Plot: Danny Collins (Al Pacino) is an aging 70s rocking folk singer who cannot give up his extravagant ways of living. Once he also gifts away his brand new Mercedes to a hotel’s bell boy Nicky Ernst (Josh Peck). But once when his manager Frank Grubman (Christopher Plummer) uncovers a 40 year old undelivered letter written to him by John Lenon & Yoko Ono, Danny decides to change the course of his life and embarks on a heartfelt journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a new life.

Aces: Dan Fogelman’s sensitive treatment of the subject at hand. The sterling performance of a dynamic actor Al Pacino who really sinks his teeth into every role of his career. And the cute & lovable pair of Nicky Ernst (Josh Peck) & Jamie (Melissa Benoist) albeit in their brief roles.

Minuses: Couldn’t find any flaws to talk about.

Last Word: A short & Sweet movie about a legendary singer’s journey of self realisation.

Movie Review: 'Hot Pursuit' is silly & senseless

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hot_pursuit

Producer: Dana Fox, Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon
Director: Anne Fletcher
Star Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Jim Gaffigan, Robert Kazinsky, Joaquin Cosio, Vincent Laresca, Micheal Mosley, John Carol Lynch, Mathew Dell Negro, Richard T. Jones, Evaluna Montaner, Mike Birbiglia, Micheal Ray Escamillia, Benny Nieves, David Jenson, Jodi Lyn Brockton. Leslie Quezada and Chelsea Avina
Genre: Action Comedy
Verdict: Poor

Director Anne Fletcher has churned out a silly and senseless movie, namely her latest offering Hot Pursuit, which sounds almost akin to a Bollywoodian caper. Besides she is highly and heavily inspired by an old Hollywood blockbuster movie namely Thelma & Louise.

Plot: Officer Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) is stuck working in the evidence room after overreacting and accidentally setting an innocent civilian on fire. A drug kingpin is on trial and a key witness needs to be escorted to Dallas. His wife is accompanying him and laws require a female escort. There’s a double – cross at the pick – up and that’s when Mrs Riva (Sofia Vergara) and Cooper run for their lives in a snazzy convertible.

Aces: The action & chase sequences are quite thrilling.

Minuses: The irrational directional skills of director Anne Fletcher and an absolutely badly hammed performances of the over the hills lead actor Reese Witherspoon topped with a can’t – act – for – nuts Sofia Vergara.

Last Word: A strictly avoidable fare.

Movie Review: 'Playing it Cool' is an enjoyable fare

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PlayingitCool

Banner: Voltage Pictures
Director: Justin Reardon
Star Cast: Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Anthony Mackie, Aubrey Plaza, Patrick Warburton, Ion Gruffudd, Ashley Tisdale, Topher Grace, Giovanni Ribisi, Martin Starr, Luke Wilson & Philip Baker Hall
Genre: Rom – Com
Verdict: Good

Director Justin Reardon in his latest offering Playing It Cool has tackled the genre of rom – com with a lot of adventurous spirit, but most of the film’s circle of writers appear more whimsical rather than seriously interested in doing the job at hand. Yet the film appears lively adding a freshness of its own.

Plot: The narrator (Chris Evans) is a writer and wants to write an action oriented script but his publisher Bryan (Anthony Mackie) wants him to write a romantic script first. The problem is, the narrator doesn’t believe in love. But when he meets a beautiful lady (Michelle Monaghan), he falls for her, only to find out that she is already engaged to Stuffy (Ion Gruffudd).

Aces: Playing It Cool has its own appeal due to its sincere sweetness topped with the perfect on screen chemistry of its lead pair Chris Evans as a reluctant writer and Michelle Monaghan as a mysterious woman.

Minuses: The intermittent use of fantasy sequences from the first frame to the last frame of the movie.

Last Word: A mushy romantic fare worth giving it a try.

Movie Review: 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water' is a kid's delight

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The SpongeBob Movie Sponge Out of Water

Producer: Paul Tibbit and Mary Parent
Director: Paul Tibbit
Star Cast: Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence & Matt Berry
Genre: Comedy
Verdict: Excellent

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water is based on the Nickelodeon television series SpongeBob SquarePantscreated by Stephen Hillenburg. That apart it is a sequel to 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. In this particular movie director Paul Tibbit has mixed SpongeBob and other characters which are animated and rendered in computer animation. Besides the live action scenes were shot in varied locales throughout Savannah and Tybee Island.

Plot: A pirate named Burger – Beard travels to the island of Bikini Atoll to obtain a magical book that makes any text written upon it come true. The book tells the story of SpongeBob SquarePants, a childlike sea sponge who loves his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab fast food restaurant and faithfully guards the Krabby Patty secret formula from Plankton, owner of the Chum Bucket and business rival to Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob’s boss.

Aces: The movie has an entertaining flight of fancy, full of gags albeit topped with an hilarious roller coaster joy ride.

Minuses: It’s too fast paced for comfort as before you could enjoy one gag fully,  you end up missing a lot.

Last Word: An extraordinaire summer treat for kids and adults alike.

Movie Review: While We're Young

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While We're Young

Producer: Scott Rudin & Noah Baumbach
Director: Noah Baumbach
Cast: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Charles Grodin, Amanda Seyfried, Brady Corbet, Ryan Serhant, Maria Dizzia, Adam Horovitz, Ad Rock, Adam Senn, Dree Hemingway, James Saito, Matthew Maher, Wyatt Ralff, Greta Lee, Jesse Eisenberg & Peter Yarrow
Genre: Comedy Drama
Verdict: Good

Director Noah Baumbach happens to be an artistic director considering his past repertoire of films like Kick And Screaming, Margot At The Wedding, Greenberg, The Squid And The Whale, Frances Ha and now While We’re Young which takes a pot shot at the American documentary filmmaker. Incidentally speaking Noah mostly deals with a message oriented subtle & satirical comedy.

Plot: Josh (Ben Stiller) & Cornelia (Naomi Watts), happens to be a childless New York married couple in their mid – forties. As their other friends all start having children, the couple gravitates towards a young hipster couple named Jamie (Adam Driver) & Darby (Amanda Seyfried). He’s an aspiring documentary filmmaker, a vocation Josh already has. Soon the older couple begins enjoying the energy they feel hanging out with the younger generation, but eventually Josh begins to suspect his new best friend might not be as straightforward and trustworthy as he thought.

Aces: It is a beautiful & thought provoking film about the generational conflict with superlative performances by its lead cast.

Minuses: Mainly Noah Baumbach’s unclear directional skills, besides the pace of the movie is too slow.

Last Word: An intellectually supercharged entertainment worth watching at least once.

Movie Review: The Avengers: Age of Ultron

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The-Avengers-2-Age-of-Ultron

Producer: Kevin Feige
Director: Joss Whedon
Star Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johnsson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor – Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Haylay Atwell, Idris Alba, Stellan Skarsgard, James Spader & Samuel L. Jackson
Genre: Action – Fantasy
Verdict: Very Good

Don’t Miss!

Director Joss Whedon returns, after a long hiatus, with Avengers: Age Of Ultron, a super hero film which happens to be a sequel of The Avengers. No doubt the sequel is spectacularly mounted but something is still amiss. Frankly speaking Avengers: Age Of Ultron is surely a visual delight for the viewers but on the other hand one can say that Joss Whedon has failed to live up to the expectations, that the earlier instalment had raised for its sequel.

Plot: When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers to reassemble. As the fate of Earth hangs in balance, the team is put to the ultimate test as they battle Ultron (James Spader), a technological terror hell bent on human extinction. Along the way, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.

Aces: Avengers: Age Of Ultron is big, bold, funny, thrilling, absorbing all rolled into one. That apart the outstanding performances from its ensemble cast specially Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth & Mark Ruffalo leading the male brigade and Scarlett Johnsson and Elizabeth Olsen leading the female brigade.

Minuses: The robotic, sometimes undecipherable, jargon and the overall pointless destruction created during the battle between the avengers and the Ultron.

Last Word: A well crafted movie to suit the palate of audiences of all ages.

Movie Review: The Water Diviner

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The Water Diviner

Producer: Troy Lum, Andrew Mason & Keith Rodger
Director: Russell Crowe
Star Cast: Russell Krowe, Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney, Dylan Georgiades, Sem Yilmaz & Yilmaz Erdogan et al
Genre: Historical Period Drama
Verdict: Good. Worth Watching

Debutante director Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner is no doubt an entertaining war fare, albeit a bit contrived and artificial as far as its emotional quotient is concern. It is a historical period drama set in Australia and Turkey during the first world war.

Plot: The scenario opens in 1919 after the end of world War I. Joshua Connor (Russell Crowe) an Australian farmer and water diviner returns home one fine day, when his spouse Eliza Connor (Jacqueline McKenzie) is still seen grieving as her 3 sons have not yet returned home from war even after a lapse of 5 years. At last fearing them to be dead Eliza commits suicide and Joshua sets off in search of his missing sons. But Joshua meets with a lot of resistance until Major Hasan (Yilmaz Erdogan) advises captain Lt – Col Cyril Huges (Jai Courtney) to allow Joshua to search for his sons.

Aces: Russell Crowe’s debut directorial finesse as well as the par excellence performances by the trio of Russell Crowe himself in tandem with Olga Kurylenko and Jai Courtney with adequate support from the rest of the cast. Not to forget the brilliant cinematography by Andrew Lesnie.

Minuses: If only it was a purely cross cultural family melodrama and not served as a cocktail of war film.

Last Word: A heart touching tale of a father and his missing sons

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