Aeon Flux
The following review has been rated R for strong violence, nudity, blood and gore. Viewer discretion is advised
Monday, April 03 2006 - 1237 hours - present
“Excuse me … coming through …”
Three 20 something guys rushed up the stairs, bumping into people as they went along …
“Hey! Watch it!” someone yelled …
“Sorry …”
The three of them made their way up the stairs, into the strategically placed college library on the third floor of the building.
As they barged into the library, a few people looked up from the books they were reading - completely interupted … until what had been a lazy monday morning.
The three scanned for the newspaper stands and rushed in that direction.
“I’ll cover Express …” one of them yelled .. trying to keep his voice as low as possible.
“I’ll take times”, “and I’ll check out Herald” the other two pipped back .. as they made their way to the Newspaper stand.
Monday, April 03 2006 - 1235 hours - 2 minutes ago
“Ma’am … would you be seeing our project today?” said one of them to their project guide.
“Hmm … is it okay if I see it tomorrow? I am not feeling that well now” came the reply.
Monday, April 03 2006 - 1238 hours - present
“Oye … V for Vendetta was at 10:30 … next is at 6:30 … wanna go ?” asked one.
“Negative … we need to work in the evening … it has to be now …” came the reply
“How about Aeon Flux? Its at 12:45 at Adlabs …”
“Hmm … hows the movie?”
“Supposed to be good. Its got Charlize Theron man … supposed to be a sci fi super hero kind of movie”
“Hey .. I read a review today. She’s supposed to be an assasin. Though the newspaper review wasn’t that great”
“Hey … we need to take a decision in 1 minute. Either we go now or then tomorrow”
“Ok .. lets do it …”
“I think we’ll take 10 mins to reach Adlabs if we take it via KP … what say?”
“Done …”
“Okay cool … lets do this”
I’d like to bring to your attention here, that this is how bad decisions are made. I was unfortunate to be one of the “three”
The Review, Finally
So in the next 10 minutes (if you’re still here), we were at Adlabs … comfortably seated.
The movie had just started - and all we had missed was the National Anthem and the opening two minutes.
Aeon Flux the movie, is a pretty much waste of time and money.
The movie, as the posters will blatantly read out … is all Charlize Theron.
So, from the first shot to the end, its Charlize all the way …
One shot of her close up, then a wider angle, then her eyes, then her telepathic vision, then she kicking butt, then she flying then she …. etc etc …
You might be wondering, but it’s Charlize you idiot ! Whats wrong with that?
I had thought the same thing too, but by the end of the film, with 100 bucks down (out of which 50 bucks was for a freakin coke !!!), I realised that even that wasn’t worth it.
Okay, back to the movie
The movie tries to be very slick (it being set 400 years in the future … so it has to be)
The movie is a mixture of (all the bad things) of all the previous Sci fi movies …
In the end, there is no “sci” in the “sci - fi”
You’ll find traces of “The Island” (a lot of it), “I, Robot”, “Minority Report”, etc etc.
The Script … and the thing you call editing
Unfortunately, the movie does not have any of it.
Its like they hired Charlize Theron, got her an acrobatics trainer, gave her a tight suit and asked her to jump around while they shot her.
The editing is non existent, with shots following one another which have no connection between them …
Most of the plot is very masala hindi movie-ish … and with pretty ordinary acting, turns out to be very corny.
Till the end, every shot is very predictable … and you’re left wishing for something wacky to happen (like Charlize being the main mastermind villain or something) so that you could say .. “Woah .. never saw that coming” and probably losing 100 bucks wouldn’t sting that much …
But guess what? No such thing happens and by the end of the movie, when you step out of the theatre, you’re left wondering whether a law should be passed which jails good actors for acting in crappy movies.
The background score was not noticeable … it had more or less the qualities a sci fi movie should have.
The two best parts of the movie were no doubt the interval and the end credits.
Please don’t go and watch the movie if your life depended on it.
Maybe if someone kidnapped a loved one and threatened to kill them if I didn’t watch it, then maybe I would consider going for it …
2/25/2006
Rang De Basanti
Prologue
Just came from watching Rang De Basanti …
There is a lot to general things to talk about this film - but I won’t be doing that …
Instead, I will take a different route and talk about the experiences that I went through while I sat in the theatres for 3 hours today.
Some General Musings
For starters, Rang De Basanti is a pretty experimental movie to me … it’s not your normal, everyday bollywood paisa vasool movie. Not that I see so many bollywood movies, but still …
Today was approximately the 6th week since the movie has been released (and so I was told) - and there I was, sitting in the 3rd row from the screen for a saturday morning 10 o’ clock show.
The movie was to go houseful in the next 5 minutes before the movie started.
The running time of the movie is about 180 minutes - and I went through a series of emotions while watching the movie. The movie is essentially divided into two parts - the one before the interval and the one after.
The production values of the movie is very very good for a bollywood movie - brilliant acting (then again, all Amir Khan movies have brilliant acting), great cinematography and non obstructive songs (for most parts of the movies anyways)
Everyone acted brilliantly, including Madhavan who plays a good cameo.
I was particularly very impressed by Alice Patten (who plays Sue) and her efforts with Hindi which at the beginning sound corny (Maa Ki Aankh??) but you get used to within the first 10 minutes of her arriving in India.
Not to undermine the soundtrack - which was experimental too - and I loved it.
It was well synchronized with the story running and helped in elevating the momentum of the entire movie.
The first part
The initial one and a half hours of the movie deals with the character building (which is so very very important for any movie) of all the characters and is very fun and enjoyable to watch.
We’re introduced to each of the characters and the camraderie that they share amongst them. All this is kept very real, and I as a student (at approximately their ages) was able to empathize with them at once.
Though not generally a comedy, I was in splits at most of the dialogues which were nothing but inline chatter amongst the characters.
The main cast is not introduced till the first 20 minutes, but it was nevertheless very enjoyable.
The Second Part
This is the place where the movie takes a ninety degree turn and the entire emotional balance of the movie swings the other way.
Things get serious all of a sudden and you’re taken through a torrent of emotions ranging from joy, sorrow, fear, hatred, patriotism, etc.
The parallels drawn between the documentary being made - and the lives of the friends (though a bit cliched) was brilliantly done and stands out in the movie.
After thoughts
This movie actually makes you ’’think’’ and whatever hype it has received, is not over the top. Even after a hundred people telling me that the movie was brilliant and my brother spilling the ending, I still loved the movie.
About 3 weeks ago, people I didn’t know would come up to me and say ’’Rang De Basanti dekhi kya?’’ followed by ’’Go watch it’’
The movie has everything in it and as an experience, its well worth the 3 hours of your life that you will spend at the halls.
At the end, it does evoke a sense of patriotism and makes you ponder on things that happen and the government cover ups and whether anything would change in India, if at all …
Maybe a generation is awakening … and its a good thing.
And as a footnote, welcome to the world of intelligent, realistic (well almost) Indian movies. First Dombivli Fast .. and now this …
Things are starting to look good.
1/10/2006
King Kong - A Series of clichés
Prologue
To be honest, I had no idea of what the movie was going to be about.
Over the years, I had developed a kind of a subconscious image of the movie King Kong being about a big Gorilla and a human girl he falls for.
I have not seen the earlier movies - there were about 4 of them made according to IMDB, so I don’t really quite know how much this stuck to the originals, but here goes anyways…
The Review
The film starts with a very vintage look - I guess it has too…
It is set about sometime in the 1930s during the Great Depression of the United States (which actually lasted from 1929 - 1940)
The first half an hour of the movie takes us through the New York of the depressions - with thousands of people homeless, out of work, or going out of work.
The cinematography is impeccable.
Here, we are introduced to Jack Black who is sort of an obsessed movie maker who intends to make the next greatest adventure flick ever.
We are also introduced here to the very lovely Naomi Watts, who is an out of work actress and trying hard to make ends meet.
The other leading actor in the movie (besides King Kong himself) is the very suave Adrien Brody, who is also supposed to be the hero of the movie.
The first hour of the movie, as many people would tell is quite slow, but it was very interesting nevertheless.
The cinematography was a Peter Jackson true to life and you could really tell the directors focus to detail.
Even though the entire city was computer graphics, it was very realistic.
The second part of the movie is where the action actually picks up and this lasts for about the one hour and fifteen minutes.
The entire cast, reaches the shore of a ’’to be believed’’ lost island and that’s when the real fun actually begins.
In this part, we are introduced to King Kong and also every other possible creature which has managed to survive through the centuries.
Here the computer graphics are at their best, with action packed chase sequences every five minutes - leaving you pretty much breathless and at the edge of your seat.
There are actually a LOT of chase sequences, but they improve on the ’’adrenaline rush factor’’ with every sequence …
During the second half, which is shot entirely on the island, the scenery is nice but sometimes, things get pretty gory - these guys have not edited out quite a lot of content - and mind you, some parts got pretty squeamish.
You’ll also notice a lot of threads from the ’’Return of the King’’ battle sequences which are very noticeable.
This brings us to the last part of the movie, which again goes back to the city and hence goes into the emotional - drama track.
Though there is a King Kong rummaging through the city sequence, it was not as exciting as the island sequences.
I liked the overall acting of the cast and I think Jackson got the casting pretty much spot on.
Jack Black plays the looney director to perfection till the end, Adrien Brody also is good and Naomi Watts is stunning throughout the movie.
They all play their parts spot on - true to life.
Though, at many places, I found the supporting actors to be mediocre.
The plot of the movie is that there is no plot.
Sadly, there is hardly any story in the movie, and if I had to tell you the story, I could have done it in 5 - 10 lines.
But it is pretty much on the lines of the original movies - I am sure.
The background scores were pretty decent and kept up the pace of the movie at proper places. Though there was nothing outstanding about it (like as in Gladiator or Lord of the Rings)
The Computer Graphics were top notch. No question about it.
You’ll probably get your money’s worth just in the graphics quota.
Lastly, the cinematography is as good as it gets in any movie.
I did not find any flaws at all … and I was really impressed by it.
Ending Notes
At 3 hours 7 minutes, the movie does get pretty long, but it is worth it.
Some parts, in my opinion, could have done with some snipping - and the movie would be best at about 2 hours 45 mins or so.
I think what Peter Jackson has done here, is to take an old movie and do things which were never before possible.
This is apparent in all the action sequences and the amount of detail given to so many things.
After the ’’Return of the King’’, I did find this a touch disappointing, but the second hour almost made up for it.
Though at parts the movie becomes mind numbingly brilliant, there will be parts which go to the level of some B grade movies and make you cringe (this is mostly to do with the supporting actors) or maybe these parts were necessary in keeping with the original King Kongs.
However, many things lose touch with reality (which is kind of acceptable because it is a King Kong) movie.
But I sincerely believe, that the movie could have done with a fewer cliché’s.
In the end, it turned out to be one cliché after another…
All in all, a very nicely made movie with a very nice cast to boast and a lot of effort put in it.
Definitely worth your hundred bucks.
8/21/2005
Batman Begins …
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Author Note:
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I know this movie has come and gone … but I absolutely loved this flick …
For those who haven’t seen, can probably rent a DVD and for those who have, well, rent a DVD and see it again …
Cheers …
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Riddle me This, Riddle me That …
Whose afraid of the Big Black Bat ?
Remember these lines ?
They were by ‘’The Riddler'’ from Batman Forever which starred Val Kilmer, Jim Carry and the gang …
Did you see that movie … or more likely … the Circus ?
Superhero movies have come of age …
Okay, okay, so the only other decent superhero flick was ‘’Spiderman 2′’ and Sam Raimi needs to be complimented on the fantastic job !
Batman is one of my favourite characters, and also the most abused by Hollywood.
All the previous batman movies are, in my view, plain disasters …
The plots were highly thin and you did not know whether to laugh or cry or squirm.
I actually preferred the cartoon batman on Cartoon Network to the other movies …
Then, Cristopher Nolan comes along, and gives us a kick-ass of a movie.
A batman movie.
How a batman movie should be.
… dark …
Batman Begins takes us on the journey, of how Batman came to be …
It traces his childhood and then into his young adult life, educating us on how the Bruce Wayne - Batman persona came to be …
The main reason why I liked the movie is that it is true to the Batman genre …
Its very dark …
The cinematography is excellent and very well thought off.
This is the first Batman movie, which you can actually go to the movie for the story.
It has a pretty thick plotline which draws you into the movie and you are left wanting for more …
Even 2 hours and 15 mins doesn’t seem enough.
Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne ( and Batman ) and does a superb job while at it.
He pulls the ‘’I don’t give a damn … and I can kick your ass'’ attitude very well throughout the movie as Batman … and then sobers down to the debonair, rich playboy Bruce Wayne without effort.
Michael Caine is the ever faithful Alfred and has done justice to his role, even though it is not a very big one …
The movie also has Morgan Freeman, who actually does not need anything to be said about him … His acting was as usual, quite flawless …
Another cast member, whom I was very impressed by was Cillian Murphy who plays the Asylum doctor and does an excellent job.
His cold, calculated demeanor fits the character very well …
Katie Holmes plays Bruce Wayne’s love interest … but her role in the movie is quite small …
No Batman movie is complete without the Special Effects and this movie was no exception.
Though, unlike it’s predecessor’s, all the effects in the movie were subtle … and you could not actually make them out … but you knew that they were there …
The music in the movie gelled perfectly with the theme.
Actually, for most part of the movie, you’ll notice the music playing in the background.
The music accentuates the drama and the tension in the movie and will help in getting you to the edge of your seat on many occasions.
Umm … so this is it, I guess.
If you are a batman fan you’ll love the movie … heck, you’ll even love it if you’re not a fan …
Not a movie to be missed …
