The Revenant Review

The Revenant has already been nominated for 12 Academy Awards. So writing a review for the movie is very difficult and kind of irrelevant. Still I will try to do justice to the movie with this review.

The Revenant is a movie about survival and revenge.  The movie starts off with a bang with its beginning reminding you of the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, though with lesser blood and limb shed. After the beginning the pace of the movie slows down but it still progresses at a continuous pace. The pace is right for this kind of a movie, but at 2 hours and 30 minutes, the movie seems a bit long. You cannot help but feel that with a few cuts and smart editing the movie could have been made more interesting. What is commendable about this movie are the locations where it have been shot. These locations give the feel of the 19th century and lend credibility to the story. The movie has gruesome violence which may turn your stomach while watching it.

Alejandro G. Inarritu, the director of this movie, has already won an Academy Award last year for Birdman, which was one of the finest directions I have seen on screen. Compared to Birdman, the director seem to fall short of the expectations from him. However if we look at this movie in isolation, then the director has done a very good job at directing this movie. He has made the movie on a huge scale with every scene speaking of magnanimity. The cinematography is superb and makes you gape in awe at the screen. The dream sequences of Leonardo De Caprio leave a mark on you, though they seem to be inspired from Gladiator. Alejandro has created another gem with this movie, though it is not his best.

This movie has one of the best performances from Leonardo De Caprio till date and this movie is made worth watching because of his acting prowess. This movie is about Leonardo as he is seen in the frame for most of the movie. However the other characters do not seem to be fleshed out well due to which other actors do not have much scope for acting.

Having already read and heard a lot about this movie I would urge all Leonardo fans to go for this movie experience. You will not regret it.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Deadpool Review

Deadpool is a movie which has taken the superhero genre by its throat and kicked it in the ass. This is like no other superhero movie that has come in the past. The movie is the same space as X Men, but is totally anti X Men in its treatment. While X Men franchise is known for its serious plots, Deadpool is totally opposite and has lots of comedy to keep one entertained. 

This movie is an action comedy with the character of Deadpool providing for the laughs. Be it romance or action, there are plenty of comic dialogues thrown in which make the audience laugh consistently. The right mix of comedy with other elements makes this movie highly entertaining. The movie's story moves fast, even though there are flashbacks in the movie. The movie starts with an action sequence and the flashbacks help the audience understand why Deadpool is killing so many people (Spoiler alert). The movie successfully interlaces flashbacks during an action scene, which I think is the first for any movie. With the flashbacks, the first action sequence has is 45 minutes long, but even then the scene does not seem to be stretched, as the story is moving forward. This is a mark of good writing. One of the high points of the movie is Deadpool talking to the audience, which involves the audience in the movie watching experience. This movie has made fun on superhero movies but in a good way. This is also something to watch out for.

Deadpool, the movie, belongs to Ryan Reynolds who has provided a very good performance in both comedy and action, most of which happens together. This is the first movie of Tim Millet as a director and he has done a fare job at it. He has shot the action scenes beautifully but he lacks in a proper script. This makes the movie fall a bit flat. The ending of the movie could have been written better. The Special effects too are very good and give the movie the feel of a superhero movie.

Overall the movie is worth a watch for X Men and other superhero movie fans. But beware - this is not the usual superhero movie as the hero says in the movie. 

The best thing about this movie is the character of Deadpool and I am eagerly waiting for the character to appear in other movie franchises or in the next part.

Rating - 3 / 5

Disney's The finest Hours Review

Disney's The Finest Hours is a movie about the biggest small boat rescue that happened in 1952 off the coast of Chatham, England. The movie shows how ordinary people when faced with extraordinary circumstances, take steps which make them extraordinary individuals.

The movie had varied pace with it starting off slowly. Even with it slow start it lays down the roots and the back story of the characters and the events which is referenced throughout the rest of the movie. The movie is a bit slow in the first hour but has its moments when action in the sinking ship is shown. The first hour has two different settings. One at the coast guard office where things seem a bit slow and the other is the sinking ship, where things are a bit haywire and part is pacy. Post the first hour, most of the movie happens at sea and that is when the movie picks up on both pace and dramatic intensity. The visual effects and sound are great and the whole theatre was at a pin drop silence when some of the scenes at sea were on screen. The huge tumultuous sea makes the huge ship look insignificant and makes the audience gape with awe whenever the force of the sea is shown. The last hour is great and it takes the movie to the next level. The rescue scene has been shot really well. Kudos to the director for being able to present it the way it has been.

The actors Chris Pine and Casey Affleck put on a very good performance and are able to show the vulnerability of the characters. Eric Bana is in a short role and does not get much scope for acting. The other actors lend a credible performance.

The director Craig Gillespie has done a good job at directing this movie, but has not been able to be consistent throughout the movie. The movie seems slow at times while at others it is awesome to watch.

The visual effects are great and that is what is the best part of this movie. The scenes at sea - when the rescue boat struggles against the currents or when the  people are being rescued have superb effects. The visual effects make the movie what it is.

Overall the movie is average with its share of thrills. Go ahead if you want to watch a disaster cum rescue movie with great visual effects.

Rating - 3/5