Zero Review

Zero was one of the most awaited and ambitious movie of Shah Rukh Khan specially after the debacle of his last movie Jab Harry Met Sejal. I have tried to review this movie objectively but still being a huge Shah Rukh fan I will not be able to detach myself from the fandom of Shah Rukh. Thus if I sing praises of the movie in any way it is because of my love for Shah Rukh Khan. So lets get started.

Zero is a movie which tries to explore many emotions and how different events change a person. With this objective the movie tries many things without properly laying down the reasons for why the events are happening. Thus the audience is left confused as to what is happening on screen and why? The first half of the movie with its rustic feel is good and pacy in parts. The high point of the first half is the song sequence of Mere Naam Tu where Shah Rukh is seen in his romantic avatar. Nothing else comes close to that in the movie. However the second half is the real letdown. The first half hour of the second half promises to be interesting but then with weird twists and turns the movie ends up being a combination of love story and science fiction movie. Thus if you look at the whole movie you are really confused about what the director wanted to convey with the movie. There does not seem to be a central plot which baffles me. If the plot is that a Zero becomes a Hero, it does not come out clearly. If anyone can find out what the real plot is, please let me know.

This movie has good acting from all the actors. While Shah Rukh Khan shines through the movie as Bauua Singh, the midget, Anushka Sharma does a good job at depicting the emotions for a person with Cerebral Palsy and Katrina Kaif is fabulous as a celebrity who has just had a break-up. Even the supporting cast of Tigmanshu Dhulia and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub has done a fantastic job at making the audience laugh at their scenes.

Anand L. Rai seems to have done a mixed job at directing this movie. While the first half is directed well the second half because of its confusing plot does not seem to have any direction at all, thus reflecting poorly on the director. Even his movie Ranjhana seemed to have suffered from the same confusing second half, though it was better than that of Zero. It is always difficult to direct a movie with a poor script and it can be seen that the poor script has crept into his direction.

Overall if you are a Shah Rukh fan you must go on and see the movie. But I guess since I am writing this review a week late you must have already seen it. For the others, you can go for the good acting from all the actors and a good first half.

Rating - 2.5 / 5 (I was thinking of giving the movie a 3, but the confusing second half made me give this movie .5 lesser)

Aquaman Review

Aquaman was one of the most awaited movies from the DCEU and many expectations were riding on it, as far as the fate of DCEU is concerned. The movie finally released in India on 14th December 2018, a week ahead of the US release, and here are my views on the movie.

If I am to compare Aquaman to the other DCEU movies, it is not as good as Wonder Woman, but certainly better than all the other DCEU movies - Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League. Now that we have established how the movie ranks in the DCEU, lets look at what works and what doesn't work for the movie. The movie does a pretty good job at telling the audience what Aquaman can do and what are his superpowers, which was mostly a mystery in his last movie - Justice League. The movie moves along at a fast pace for most parts, but it does slow down at some places. Some crisper editing would have helped the movie become better. Being a superhero movie, this movie has a lot of CGI and VFX shots, which are very good at bringing the underwater world to life. However at places they look tacky and you can easily figure out that the action on screen is pure CGI, which should not be the case. The story is good but at times the action on screen doesn't seem very compelling. Even though we know that the world is in danger, but the audience does not sense the danger, as they very well know the hero is going to save the day. The writing could certainly have been improved to get the audience more involved with the plot.

Jason Momoa as Aquaman certainly steals the show here as he looks and acts like the superhero very well. He is undoubtedly the star of this movie. Patrick Wilson as Orm, is good and he leaves impact as the movie's main villain. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta is very good and should have been given a longer role. However he will be an antagonist in future DCEU movies as per proof in the mid credit scene, and thus waiting to watch how he will be used in future. All the other actors including Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe and Nicole Kidman are fine in their roles.

James Wan has done a good job at resurrecting DCEU and his good direction is visible through most of the movie. However a sub par script hasn't helped his cause. We have previously seen him direct some very good horror stories. He should have included some horror and thriller elements in this movie as well to make it more exciting.

One of the good things about this movie are its action sequences and the action choreography. The first action scene with Nicole Kidman is perhaps the best action choreography seen in this movie. The chase sequence where the Atlanteans and Black Manta are chasing Aquaman and Mera is also very good and innovative. Thus full marks to the action team here. However the action and direction at other places could have been improved.

Overall the movie is certainly watchable. But does it guarantee a second watch - I don't think so. So go ahead and watch this movie with your loves ones this holiday season.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

2.0 Review

2.0, called as the Spritual Sequel to Shankar's 2010 movie Robot, has finally been released worldwide. Fortunately I got the chance to watch the movie in the first weekend of its release, and I have mixed feelings about the movie.

2.0 has been made on a larger than life scale with a budget going around Rs. 550 crore, which was unthinkable for an Indian movie. Lets first talk about the positives. The biggest positive of the movie are its Visual Effects. It can be seen that enormous amount of work has gone into the Visual Effects of this movie as they are just spectacular, when you consider that it is an Indian movie. The VFX are the best yet for an Indian movie, however they still fall short of Hollywood, mainly because of budget constraints. This is the one thing that raises the bar of this movie. Another thing that goes for this movie is Rajnikanth. He shines through the movie along with Akshay Kumar and makes the movie enjoyable. The third positive point, and this is something that I give credit to Shankar for his movies, is the importance he gives to women's roles. Amy Jackson has got a large enough role and she does not go unnoticed. And it is also perfect casting, as she didn't have to emote for the role. 

Now coming to the negatives. The biggest negative point is the script of the movie, The makers were so engrossed in the getting the visual effects right that they forgot to pay attention to the movie's script. There is not much character development because of which character deaths do not shock us. And finally when the reason for all the deaths and devastation is revealed, it does not seem very plausible. Even the concept of how the movie's villain was formed is not very convincing and raises a lot of questions. The second negative is how the visual effects have been handled and included in the movie. While Hollywood has learnt the art of using VFX as a support to tell their stories without losing out on the human element of their stories, 2.0 fails in this effort. The VFX in this movie seem to have become more important than the story itself and instead of helping the story move forward they take the center stage. Indian movies need to learn to marry VFX with a movie's story. Unless they do that this problem will remain. The third negative is that most of the movie's focus is on Rajnikanth and his avatars, which relegates the others, including Akshay Kumar, into secondary characters. In total there are only 4 characters who are central to the plot (to of them being Rajnikanth himself), which is very low considering the scale and story of this movie. Development of higher number of important characters would have lent more credibility to the story, an example being the Bahubali movies.

On the acting front not much can be said as you can see only Rajnikanth throughout the movie, who has done a decent job in bringing out the various avatars. Amy Jackson has been cast perfectly as a robot and as it did not require much emotions and acting. Akshay Kumar though looks good in some parts, seems to be hamming in most of the action sequences involving him. Acting wise there is nothing to see in the movie.

Shankar is truly a phenomenal director who has time and again shown the grip he has on his art with slick movies. However with this movie, it seems he was more interested in showcasing the VFX quality and thus fails to bring the same quality in his direction. However he has been able to bring his vision to life and that is one heck of a work done. Full marks to the director for his vision.

Thankfully there are not too many songs in the movie and those which are there help in moving the story forward. Thus the songs are welcome in this movie. The movie's background score is also good and brings out the mood of the movie.

Overall this is one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted in Indian movie industry and all Sci-Fi fans should go and watch this visual extravaganza.

Rating - 3.5 / 5 (.5 extra for breakthrough VFX)

Badhai Ho Review

Badhai Ho is another out of the box movies from the new breed of film-makers who are not afraid to take risks while telling a story. The movie does full justice to this new brand of alternate cinema that is being made these days.

Badhai Ho is a wonderful movie. There are multiple things that work for the movie. Firstly, the story has been told in a humorous way which makes you laugh throughout the movie. Secondly the actors of the movie have played their parts brilliantly in mixing both the humor and the serious elements in their respective scenes. Thirdly, the dialogues and the script of the movie is awesome. So even if you go ahead and change one or two elements in the movies dialogues or the script, it won't affect the movie very much. Thus full marks to the writers of the movie. However even with all these positives it feels that the movie moves at a somewhat slow pace. This could have been improved with better editing, though I am not particularly complaining.

As already mentioned acting is one of the best things in the movie. The casting has been done perfectly. While the movie's lead actors, Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra are good, the movie belongs to the seniors. Gajraj Rao is fabulous in his role and he has brought out the nuances of seriousness, romance and humor perfectly. At times he acts like a teenager, and that is what makes his character very endearing. Neena Gupta is also very good in her role and is able to bring out all the emotions associated with her character. The other actors have also played their roles really well.

Amit Sharma has been able to mix humour and emotions very well in the scenes of this movie. His direction skills in this movie need to be lauded. He will go a very long way in this industry.

Overall this is another movie which can be seen with both friends and family. So go to the theatres and watch this movie.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Sui Dhaaga Review

Sui Dhaaga was released last week without much fanfare of a usual big starcast movie. Even the trailers of the movie indicated that the movie was simple in both nature and story. So here's my review of the movie along with the answer whether the movie matches the trailers.

Sui Dhaaga is truly a simple story made in a simple style with very ordinary characters that you may meet in everyday life. It is very rare to find a movie nowadays that adheres to these simple characteristics. This simplicity is what makes the movie special to watch and one can really enjoy it. Due to this simple story the movie seems to be moving slowly during the short first half where not much happens. The major story happens in the second half of the movie where the characters learn to make it big in life even after facing many hurdles. I have already said that the essence of the movie is its simplicity. However this simplicity also somewhat goes against the movie as it prevents the movie from presenting very high stakes for the characters, which would have otherwise heightened the movie. But it may have also made the movie more complex which could have marred the storytelling and the screenplay. Thus what is the best point of the movie is also the biggest obstacle for the movie. Had the writers taken some risk, it could have really lifted the movie and made it into a special one.

Acting wise the movie truly is a gem. Both Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma have played roles that needed very subtle performances and required portraying so many emotions without going overboard. Both of them have carried out their roles very well. I may even go on to say that this is perhaps Varun Dhawan's best acting till date. Raghuvir Yadav is also first rate as Varun Dhawan's father and his presence provides for the lighter moments along with seriousness of the scene. Since Raghuvir Yadav is one of the best actors to grace Indian cinema, he does it effortlessly.

Sharat Katariya has done a good job at directing this simple movie. The movie has the same consistency of narration throughout the movie which must not have been very easy considering he had two of the biggest new stars acting in the movie, but he handles them well. He is the same director who had also directed Dum Laga Ke Haisha, which was another movie known for its simplicity. Thus eagerly waiting to see what he brings on next.

Overall the movie is a slow entertainer and one must like watching simple movies to be able to enjoy the movie. One should go with family and friends to watch this gem of a movie.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Stree Review

Stree is surprisingly one of the best and most interesting movies to have released so far this year. From the trailers one could gather that it is in the Horror Comedy genre and when the film released it managed to both scare and make the audience laugh at the same time.

Stree has a very interesting storyline which is not seen in most of the movies. This interesting story with good and funny dialogues is what makes this movie great to watch. Add to that superb acting performances from most of the cast and you have a winner in your hands. Stree moves at a fast pace in both the first half and post interval parts and unlike most other horror movies it has a very interesting ending. The ending of the movie has primed it up for a sequel and lets hope they come up with an equally interesting and enjoyable sequel. What is also surprising is the use of memes in the movie. Two of them are spectacular - the usage of Mission Impossible theme with indian instruments and Rajkumar Rao acting like Shah Rukh Khan when asked to show love to the ghost. These things have been done very well and don't feel out of place.

Rajkumar Rao is a terrific actor and he shows once again why he is rated as a very good actor. He has enacted the role perfectly and I don't think anyone else could have done it better than him. Shraddha Kapoor is good in her role. Aparshakti Khurrana and Pankaj Tripathi are also superb in their roles. This movie has been taken to another level by the actors and thus everyone deserves credit.

Amar Kaushik has brought the story and the script of the movie to life in best way possible and deserves all the credit for the movie. He seems to be a director who can nake good films with small budgets and thus waiting to see what he makes next.

The songs in this movie are not very great but have been superbly woven into the plot and echo the movies mood. Thus after watching the movie you start to hum these songs. This happens most of the times for good movies and it has happened for this movie as well. The background music is also done very well as it heightens the horror element.

Overall this is a movie which wasn't expected to be so good but turned out to be spectacular. So evertone should go ahead and watch this unique movie which frightens you and makes you laugh at the same time.

Rating - 4 / 5

Gold: A Dream that United a Nation Review

Gold was one of the most awaited movies of the year with big hopes riding on the movie. With Akshay Kumar in the lead everyone was eager to see the story of free India's first olympic hockey gold medal.

The movie has a patriotic backdrop with India trying to win an olympic hockey gold after getting independence on the land of its ruler of past 200 years. This emotional track has been woven well in the movie, however it is not the consistent theme as the movie focuses more on the dreams of a few individuals and tries to present it as the dream of a nation. Thus there is inconsistency in the central theme of the movie. The movie does well to weave the different historical facts like India's partition and the riots into the movie's storyline which form a part of the conflict in the storyline. The movie is also engaging due to good character development for the main characters. However this is also a drawback for the movie as it focuses just on three main characters and fails to build stories around other characters. If the writers had concentrated on building the characters of a few other hockey players, it would have made the movie more engaging. Overall the movie moves at a slow but consistent pace in the first half which picks up in the second half. At 2 hours and 50 minutes the movie feels long and could have warranted a few cuts to make it more taut.

Akshay Kumar has done a decent job at potraying a Bengali babu. His performance is sincere but it lacks the edge that could have made it great. However Amit Sadh is the star of the movie. He exudes a raw confidence and arrogance that was required for the role. He is spectacular in all his scenes. All the other actors do not get enough due which is the fault of the writers, and the actors could not have done much to change that.

Reema Kagti has done a good job at directing this movie. There are more positives than negatives which is a job well done for a movie of this stature. She keeps her movies moving at a slow pace which can also be seen in her earlier venture, Talaash. She is a new breed of filmmakers who believe in content over glamour and thus hoping for her to go a long way in her career.

The movie has average songs and none of them are hum worthy. However what is commendable is that most of the songs have been woven well into the storyline and work as background scores while the story moves ahead and thus you do not realise that there are so many soundtracks in the movie.

Overall the movie us a good watch with your families and friends and one can go for it to get some patriotic flavour.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Mission Impossible: Fallout Review

I just saw the 6th instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise and being an action movie fan was not dissapointed.

The movie is an adventure to watch out for with the usual frills and tense moments we have come to associate with an Ethan Hunt movie. In that sense it does its job of continuing the MI franchise. But where it does fall flat is the twists in the sequences and the story. Having seen all the previous instalments I for one could predict all the major twists and turns that happened in the movie. Thus though these movies are enjoyable to watch, they have become very predictable. If the writers could have made the movie unpredictable, it would given a hugher sense of elation and satisfaction to me and I think to the other audience members too. The movie is very fast paced, but I think they should have slowed it down a bit to give the story some time to grow. Some of you may be thinking the movie was already high on length at 2 hrs and 28 mins. But that is what the writers need to figure out if they want to broaden their audience base (not that the base is currently small, but some change could have helped the movie further). So the writing is a bit of letdown for me. The movie's high point are its chase and action sequences which have been choreographed to perfection. Thus even though you know how the movie us going to end, you still can enjoy the movie.

These kinds of high octane action movies are not known for finesse in the art of acting from their actors. This movie is no different. While Tom Cruise is his usual good self as Ethan Hunt, acting wise there is no difference from his other movies. All the other actors, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames have stuck to their part to keep the continuity of the franchise intact. If want to see good acting don't go for this movie.

Christopher McQuarrie is both the writer and director of this movie. While I have already clarified that the writing should have been better, the direction is nothing to be proud of. The writer and director in him seem to have had a fallout. While the movie is very fast paced, but that is due to the editing. Christopher gains no directing points for this movie.

Overall the movie is a must watch for all action afficionados, MI fans and Tom Cruise fans. All the others can keep away from this movie (if anyone is left)÷.

Rating - 3 / 5 (Taking away .5 points for unispiring writing)

Sanju Review

Sanju, based on the life of Sanjay Dutt was a much awaited movie mainly due to the excitement created by the potrayal of Sanjay Dutt by Ranbir Kapoor. I had many reservations about how the mivie has been handled and whether Sanjay Dutt has been potrayed as a larger than life character, but the movie allayed all my fears.

Sanju is about the relationship of a father and son and how they cope with the problems faced by the son. The movie does not try to make Sanjay Dutt look great, but presents him as a vulnerable man. Instead the movie presents Sunil Dutt, Sanjay's father as the great man. Raju Hirani's writing is superb in the movie. His non linear storytelling style does well to glue the audience to the story by connecting the dots across the non linear storyline. This style of storytelling is somewhat similar to that often adoptes by Christopher Nolan and it makes the screenplay engaging. The movie moves very fast and even though it is long at 2 hrs and 41 minutes, it does not feel that long. Full marks to the editors of the movie.

The movie stands on the shoulders of three individuals - Ranbir Kapoor, Paresh Rawal and Vicky Kaushal. However out of the three, Ranbir Kapoor steals the show with his potrayal of Sanjay Dutt. He has copied Sanjay Dutt's mannerisms so well that if you observe the silhouette of both, you would be unable to identify Sanjay Dutt. He is sure to take home many awards with this performance. Paresh Rawal as Sunil Dutt and Vicky Kaushal as Sanju's friend are superb in their roles. The three ladies, Anushka Sharma, Diya Mirza and Sonam Kapoor do not have much to offer as their characters are not well developed. Overall hats off to Ranbir for pulling this off.

Raju Hirani has done it again with both his writing and directorial skills. He seems to understand the art of telling a story really well and at no point do you think that a plot line has been left unclosed.

A special mention should be given to the song Kar Har Maidan Fateh, which fits very well with the tone of the movie and at the same time gives you goosebumps. Full marks to the music director, lyric writer and singers in bringing the song to life and take the movie' ongoings to a higher level.

Overall the movie is good and Ranbir Kapoor is amazing. Go and watch this movie to become a Ranbir Kapoor fan, if you are not one already.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom Review

Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom was a much awaited sequel to the hugely successful movie Jurassic World. With huge expectations riding on its shoulders, the movie does not match up to the first part, but does not dissapoint either.

The movie talks about genetic power and uses it to introduce new forms of Dinosaur species on screen, who are both terrific and frightening to watch. This is one of the things that goes for the movie. Another positive for the movie is that though it seems like a derivative of The Lost World, it's writing is better than that movie and thus scores positive marks for it. The Lost World had tried to bring newness to the Jurassic franchise but had failed. This sequel works where the other sequel had failed. But it is not in the same class as the first Jurassic World movie which had never before seen stunts and situations,  and that made the movie awesome to watch. This movie too tries to bring in new situations and new stunts, but they are not as awe inspiring. Thus even though it does not have many flaws, it is being compared against its predecessor and thus falls short of expectations.

The visual effects of the movie are superb and they are what make the dinosaurs appear real and bring in the excitement. The dinosaurs are the real heroes of this movie and one cannot imagine the work that must have gone in to bring the creatures to life.

J. A. Bayona has done a good job in bring the movie to life, but seems to have been limited by the movie's writing. His horror movie skills come to the fore during a few dinosaur - human confrontations and they are the high points of the movie. He has been directing different kind of cinema and this is his first in the action genre. Inspite of that, he has not disappointed the movie watching audience.

Overall this is a good action movie which everyone can watch with their families. So go out and get entertained.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Solo: A Star Wars Movie Review

Solo: A Star Wars Story was one of the most awaited movies of the Star Wars franchise with it being the story of the most popular Star Wars character, Han Solo. The movie has its share of positives but fails to impress the way the other recent Star Wars movies have done of late.

The movie had the big weight of trying to establish the beginning of Han Solo, and thus there were high expectations with the movie. The movie does have its fare share of good moments like where Han meets Chewie, but such moments so few that they are difficult to notice. The movie is a deviation from the main Star Wars storyline and this is what makes the movie's ongoing a bit less engaging. The film-makers have tried hard to put in various elements of a western classical into a sci-fi movie but they seem to have been lost. This movie looks like a wasted opportunity.

Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han Solo is good in his portrayal of the role, but is nowhere close to Harrison Ford's portrayal of the character. Emilia Clark, Donald Glover and Woody Harrelsen are good in their roles, and out of them Donald Glover is the best.

The movie's directors changed midway through making of the movie and it was completed by Ron Howard. This has affected the vision of the movie and makes the movie fall apart. Ron Howard is a better director than what we see in this movie, but I doubt that he was the best choice to complete this movie.

Overall this movie is a one time watch for all Star Wars fans. However one does not take away much from this movie. The movie has been made as part of a trilogy, but I doubt the trilogy will be completed.

Rating - 3 / 5

Deadpool 2 Review

Deadpool 2 was an immensely awaited movie from the Marvel and Fox stable after the success of the first part. And we have not been dissapointed by the second coming of this loud mouthed superhero.

Deadpool 2 had huge shoes to fill not just in terms of a good superhero movie but also had the additional responsibility of being a comic movie which makes people laugh at the expense of other superhero franchises. The movie has a lot of jokes which touches not just the Marvel Universe, but also the DC Universe. For a movie to be able to do this is fantastic and this is what separates this movie from other comic book superhero movies. Though at times the jokes do feel like an awful lot and you plead that they should stop, but the wittiness of the jokes is what keeps you entertained throughout. The story has a simple premise which has been beautifully woven into the X-Men Universe. However the characters do not seem to have been developed very well. While there is some back story to justify Cable's actions, even his character has not been fully developed. The other characters like Domino hardly get any character development, which would actually have been asking for too much from a single movie. The action scenes are well choreographed and together with the good visual effects make for an entertaining watch. The movie has successfully woven many diverse elements like grief, time travel, revenge, action among others very well which speaks volumes about the movie's writing.

Ryan Reynolds has done a good job at bringing the loud mothed superhero to life and is without doubt the life of this movie. Josh Brolin as Cable also looks very convincing as a time traveller hell bent on killing the mutant kid. His ice coldness provides the perfect foil for the comic timing of Ryan Reynolds. All the other actors act as just space fillers. Do not watch this movie if you want to watch good acting.

David Leitch has done a good job at directing this movie with so many elements, due to which it does not feel like a parody of other movies. However the effort isn't great and this could have been directed better. Maybe by advising the writers to cut down on the jokes.

Overall the movie is a good R-Rated effort and one should go and watch this movie if ono wants a mix of comedy and action.

Rating - 3 / 5

Top 5 Directors between 1991 - 2000 who Influenced Movie Making

Since the first movie was made there have been several landmark movies which have changed the way movies are made or which introduced a technology which revolutionalised movie making. I have tried to list out 5 directors whose movies in the decade from 1991 to 2000 left an indelible impact on the way movies are made and looked at. The list is not in any particular order and it does not signify ranking.

1. Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg has made several landmark movies during his long career including Jaws, ET - The Extra Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the Indiana Jones series. However what really brought a change to film making ideas and movies was his 1993 Movie "Jurassic Park". The movie showcased the possibilities of visual effects and animal disaster movies were no more a thing of imagination. The success of the movie not only brought in sequals but also inspired several other animal and creature movies like Anaconda, Godzilla, among others. He has also created the most realistic battle sequence in the opening scene of the movie Saving Private Ryan, for which he won the best director Oscar. He had also won the best director oscar for his movie, Schindler's List, which certainly cements his place in one of the best directors of the 1990's. He also made notable science fiction movies like AI and Minority Report, which speak volumes about his influence on Sci-fi movies.

2. James Cameron

James Cameron is a director who is known test out and introduce new technologies in his movies. While he is most known for his 1997 movie Titanic which won 11 oscars including one for the best director, the movie which changed the way movies look at visual effects was the 1991 movie, Terminator 2 - Judgement Day. The movie had one of the most innovative action scenes which required some innovative visual effects - and James Cameron delivered them the way only he can. The movie inspired the visual effects and paved way for the visual effects of other future movies. James Cameron also tasted success with True Lies in 1994, thus cementing his place among the most influential directors of the 1990s.

3. Wachowski brothers

Wachowski brothers, Now Wachowski sisters, can be called as a one film wonder whose movie, The Matrix, was one of the best sci-fi action movie of the 1990's, and perhaps is still one of the best sci-fi movie ever to be made. The movie had such phenomenal visual effects and action sequences that they became a landmark for all sci-fi movies for the years to come. Its scenes have been copied in so many other movies worldwide that no other movie before it had achieved. The movie did not just have good visuals but it also made a mark at the philosophical level questioning human nature to its core. Due to these elements Wachowski brothers influenced sci-fi movie making and action movies made in 2000's.

4. Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino makes a different brand of cinema and his movies are known for their play like format which have long scenes and the story moves forward with the help of dialogues. While he has made many stellar movies over his career, his 1994 movie, Pulp Fiction, has been rated by many as one of the best movies ever made. The movie epitomises the style of Quentin Tarantino's movie making style. The movie has influenced many independent movie makers as it shows that just having a solid script and good actors can result in an outstanding movie, without the need of any visual effects. He is still one of the best directors of this generation and truly deserves to be in this list.

5. David Fincher

David Fincher has been one of the best directors of my generation with his mind boggling thrillers. His movies begin slowly but soon captivate the audience. In the 1990s he made several movies including Seven, Fight Club and The Game. Out of these, the most popular is Fight Club (1999) which has one of the best revelations ever for any movie. His style of movie making seems to have influenced other directors including Christopher Nolan, though I do not have any proof. His other spectacular movie of the 1990s is Seven (1995), which is considered to be one of the best murder mysteries on celluloid. The quality of his movies puts him in the 5 most influential directors of the 1990s.

You are welcome to put forward your thoughts and comments on this list. If you think I have missed on any one who should have been on this list please feel free to voice your opinion.

I will also try to list out the 5 most influential directors of the decade from 2001 - 2010 as soon as possible. You are also welcome to post your suggestions on the topics that you want to read about and I will try to write about them.

Thanks for bearing with me and reading.

Reasons for Marvel Cinematic Universe's Success

Marvel's most ambitious movie, Avengers Infinity War released on 27th April and it has already become the fastest to reach the worldwide gross of UD$ 1 billion. With this movie Marvels experimentation with shared universes has come a full circle. Marvel's journey started 10 years ago with Iron Man, and little did anyone know that Marvel would create a plethora of superhero movies, that would turn up to the most profitable movie franchise ever brought to the big screen. Lets have a look at why this franchise has been so successsful.

What started with a single franchise of Iron Man soon turned into multiple superhero franchises including Thor and Captain America. While the three franchises were successful on their own, they were turned into a single larger franchise with the help of shared universes. This teamed up superhero franchise of Avengers went on to become the most successful superhero franchise of all time, thus giving credence to the idea of shared universes. Shared universes has since been the mainstay of Marvel Cinematic Universe with the events of one franchise not only paving the way for future movies of the franchise, but also affecting other franchises. How the multiple franchises were turned into a single shared franchise was by referencing events of multiple franchises in a movie and  by the use of post credit and end credit scenes.

The post credit and end credit scenes not only gave a glimpse of how the next instalment of the franchise is going to turn up, but it also gave a glimpse of how one superhero storyline will affect the other superhero storyline. Marvel has been using this technique to good effect since the first Iron Man movie. What was just an idea for linking all the different superhero franchises soon became a thing of excitement for movie goers with the post credit and end credit scenes becoming a much talked about and something which the audience eagerly waited for. Before MCU happened movie goers never used to wait till the roll out of entire credits. But with the addition of these scenes movie goers were seen to eagerly wait for the end credits to roll out so that they can get a glimpse into the future of these shared universes. This is one thing that Marvel can truly be attributed to add to the world of cinema.

Shared universes have been the second important introduction from Marvel Cinematic Universe. The shared universe could easily have been a big disaster for Marvel, if it had not been handled properly. But since the entire MCU storlyine is being looked over by a single person, Kevin Feige, it has helped bring in a consistency to the storylines and crossovers. Even though at times you can find that the smaller plotlines have been somewhat changed, but the main MCU storyline has been consistent. Thus all the movies can be seen to contribute to the overall MCU story in some way or other.

The third big risk that MCU took was to introduce stand alone franchises for lesser known comic book superheroes. Everyone was asking the question whether Guardians of the Galaxy would succeed since it is not a very well known franchise worldwide. But the way the movie was made and its box office success allayed all fears of not only the MCU bosses but also of the audience, who welcomed these smaller superheroes with open arms. After the success of Guardians, Marvel took another risk of making Antman. Even though it was not so successful but its storyline was so efficiently woven into the Avenger storyline that it has become a hit with the audiences and we are in for a second instalment this summer. MCU even introduced the lesser known superheroes of Dr. Strange and Black Panther and made it into huge money spinning franchises.

The fourth risk that Marvel took was to reintroduce Spiderman to the world as apart of the MCU. There was already the successful Spiderman franchise of Sam Raimi in the early 2000s and the not so successful version of The Amazing Spiderman which promised a lot but failed to deliver. Tbus bringing the web slinging superhero for a third round was risky and needed a different approach. Marvel recognised this and introduced Spiderman in Captain America: Civil War where Tom Holland's Spiderman came as a refreshing point in an otherwise dark movie.

After pulling off so many risks, MCU has woven the plots of all its superheroes into a single Avengers movie, which is the biggest superhero ensemble one can hope to see. Though this is being said to be the culmination of a phase of MCU movies, Marvel still has a lot to offer as it has already plans to produce many more movies including Captain Marvel. I cannot wait to see where the shared universe storyline goes after the culmination of Avengers Infinity War storyline. MCU is far from being done with its superhero movies. Lets hope to see many more exciting MCU movies in the years to come.

Avengers: Infinity War Review

Avengers: Infinity War is finally out and people across the world are flocking to the theatres to see all the Marvel franchises of Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr. Strange fight the universal threat of Thanos. I must say it is a treat to watch.

Avengers: Infinity War is a huge ensemble of superhero characters who are fighting a common enemy. With the movie interspread with character introductions and interactions from the different franchises, it could have easily gone wrong and confusing for the story. But MCU makes the cross franchise character interactions interesting and I feel it could not have been done better - though I am not a screenwriter. The movie is an assault on the senses with the story moving from one humongous scene to the next, or should I say from one planet to the other. While the visuals on screen keep you glued to the screen, the story keeps you glued to what's happening in the movie. This is without a doubt one of the most ambitious movies ever made by MCU, and they have come out with flying colours. The movie has so many characters that after a point in time it becomes difficult to count out the number of characters in the movie. But even after having so many characters at different locales and with different agendas throughout the movie, there is no confusion as to the objectives of the character. Having already come out with introduction movies for all the characters made it easy for the movie to get the viewers right into action. This is what MCU does so well by using the shared universes and post credit scenes. The scenes of the movie are so good that one can hear the audience giving out cries of excitement at various scenes. The scene where Steve Rogers is introduced into the movie gets the most noise and excitement. The movie also has some interesting twists and turns which leave the audience wondering what is going to happen next. However the ending of the movie overpowers all the other twists and turns and it made people in the theatre give out shrieks, oohs and aahs. The ending of this movie is certainly different and better than all the other MCU movies put together and puts your mind on the road to thoughts about the last Avengers movie, which is going to release next year.

The movie has so many actors and the movie's story moves so fast that you do not get a chance to judge how the actors have done their job. Though I must say that everyone has done a very good job in the movie as the movie gave most of them an opportunity to do something that they have not done in their solo movies. Josh Brolin needs a special mention here as he seems to carrying the movie on his shoulder. He is able to carry off the character who is the most formidable enemy of the Avengers with ease and makes it believable. This is not just because of the actor but also because of the screenwriters and the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo. The Russo brothers were given the uphill task of directing this humongous movie, but they have done a superb job at it. It is hard to find too much fault with the plot of the movie - giving due to the screewriters. The visual effects of such movies have to be very good and it does not dissapoint.

Even the post credit scene is one of the best that we have had over the years and it prepares you for the other MCU movies to come till the next Avengers movie is released next year.

Overall the movie is super exciting and very well made. All fans of the Avengers franchise should go and watch it (I bet most of them have already watched it).

Rating - 4 / 5

October Review

Shoojit Sircar often makes movies from the heart which touch a cord, even though they do not have too much success at the box office. He does not make run off the mill stories and his movies always have something to say. October is one such movie.

October tells the story not of people but of a circumstance and how the circumstance affects life of the people involved in it. While the movie moves on smoothly, it is laboriously slow and at times you begin to wonder - what is the point of the movie? Even though the movie has been well written, but still it's narration should have been faster and crispier. That is one big flaw that this movie has. 

Varun Dhawan as a hotel intern has acted well in the movie. Varun Dhawan often tries out different kinds of movies which give him some scope for acting, in between the comedies and romantic movies which are his forte. Banita Sandhu has debuted in this movie, though she does not have much to do other than just sleep around (on the hospital beds). Gitanjali Rao has done a fair job of potraying the troubles a mother whose daughter has met with an accident.

Shoojit Sircar has directed the movie very well. But it does fall short of his other directorial ventures, mainly in terms of entertainment value.

Overall this is a good movie. But since it is very slow in its narration, I would recommend only die hard serious movie fans to go and watch the movie.

Rating - 3 /5

Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety Review

Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety was a movie I had heard a lot about since it had released and everyone who had seen it vouched for it as a must watch movie. So I had to see it even though I saw it 3 weeks after its release. So here's my thoughts on the movie 3 weeks after everyone has sliced and diced the movie.

Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety is a movie based on war of the sexes where Sonu (Titu's best friend) and Sweety (Titu's to be wife) fight for Titu. This movie should be appreciated for the fact that it has a hero, but no heroine and no love angle for the hero - a very bold move for a Bollywood movie. It is the fights and the rivalry between the two main characters which keep you glued to the screen. The movie is very entertaining to watch with its witty dialogues and Alok Nath in a new avatar.

The acting is very average in the movie. While the main actors Karthik Aryan, Nushrat Bharucha and James Bond Singh are just average in their roles, it is the supporting cast which infuses life into the movie.

Luv Ranjan has directed the movie well and made it interesting even with poor actors, by making use of a good script. This is one director who keeps making different kind of movies and should keep doing it for audiences like us.

Overall the movie is an entertaining watch with friends and family and one should go ahead watch this movie, if not already done.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Altered Carbon (Netflix Show) Season 1 Review

Altered Carbon is an American Television series which has created waves since debuting on Netflix. It is one of the best Sci-fi series that I have seen in recent times.

Altered Carbon is based on the 2002 novel of the same name and features a dystopian future around 350 years from today where Alien technology has helped the human race in creating a technology by which human consciousness and memories can be stored on a physical device, called the Stack, and can be transferred to different bodies, called sleeves, usually created artificially by cloning. The technology has allowed for the ultra rich to be immortal by continuously transferring their consciousness from one sleeve to another, while the poor do not have ausu privileges. To weave a story around this concept must have been a herculean task but it has been handled very well. I have no idea whether the novel has the same story line as the series, but it must have certainly helped the makers.

Altered Carbon is as much a philosophical series as it is Sci-fi. The series raises many questions regarding the religious implications of the technology as man has technically stood against nature and God. It also raises the Ship of Thesus question whether the man once transferred from one sleeve to another is still the same man. The series also features escort services of the most advanced kind with the help of the sleeve transfer technology, which combines human ruthlessness with pleasure. It brings to fore one of the most disturbing questions about the extent to which humans can go once they achieve god like powers of extending life. The series asks you all these questions but also keeps you entertained throughout. Thus the series has got elements for both the philosophical and the sci-fi audience making it an entertaining watch for both kinds of audience.

The series also has a lot of nudity which is an essential part of the story. At no point does the nudity go over board to make you cringe. Credit has to be given to all the main actors who all have such scenes and look comfortable in the scenes. The actors have done a good job but they are somwhere left lagging behind the brilliance of the plot and the story.

The visuals of the series are superb and it can be seen that a lot of money has been spent in bringing the story to live screen as the production values are excellent. The visual effects only add to the brilliant visuals which make the series visually appealing.

Overall this is a series for all sci-fi fans and one must watch this, though I must say you cannot watch it with family because of the nudity and violence. I must thank Netflix for bringing this to the Indian audience as otherwise this show would never have been alllowed to screen in Indian television.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Black Panther Movie Review

Black Panther was the most awaited movie of the first quarter of 2018 and it is also the last Marvel movie before the most talked about movie of the year, Avengers Infinity War, releases later this year. Black Panther had too much riding on its shoulders and it has not let down on its expectations.

Black Panther is not a superhero movie in the true sense but is about characters fighting for their homeland, which is Wakanda here. The movie's story flows like a bollywood movie with father son relationship and revenge woven into the movie's plot. Where the movie deviates from being bollywood is in its action sequences and showcasing of Wakandan technology. The action sequences are very innovative and keep you glued to the ongoings in the movie. The other innovative thing is the Wakandan technology that has been shown in the movie. It is difficult for a normal man like me to imagine such technologies and to make it look so exciting was a difficult task which has been done very well. The screenplay of the movie also looks flawless as no scene in the movie seems pointless. Thus the movie has been very well written and translated into celluloid. The movie has mind blowing stunts and visual effects, which together with the innovative style is great to the eyes. Wakanda city also looks visually stunning

Chadwick Boseman as Tchala and Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger are the stars of the movie. However all the actors have done a good job in their respective roles. The actors have also been given their due as all the roles are important to take the movie ahead. However special mention has to be given to Martin Freeman who has done a commendable job in a short role.

 

Ryan Coogler has both written and directed this movie. He has done a commendable job in directing this movie and has given the movie a very modern look. This movie looks refreshing as Ryan got a chance to introduce the world of Wakanda to the audience. He has also been roped in to direct the next instalment of the franchise and it will be intersting to see what he has to offer in that movie. The movie truly speaks volumes of the directorial style of Ryan Coogler.

Overall this movie has brought in freshness to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one can't wait to see what Black Panther adds to the Avengers Infinity War. All MCU fans should go and watch this visual and creative masterpiece.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Padman Review

Padman is a movie inspired by the story of Arunachalam Muruganatham who invented a machine to create low cost sanitary pads. Helmed by R. Balki and starring Akshay Kumar in the lead, the movie tells the story of Arunachalam's journey from a village welder to an entrepreneur.

The movie has a good and entertaining first half and a more serious and better second half. The movie's narrative is fast and keeps you engaged as an audience. This is another one of those movies which are based on true events, but the names and events are changed to suit both the movie's scale and keeping in mind the all India audience. If we ignore the changes that have been made to make this movie, then it is a good movie to watch. The way the movie flows from one scene to the next without any hiccups make it an easy watch.

Akshay Kumar as the protagonist, Lakshmi has essayed the role with sincerity and looks the part every bit. Radhika Apte as Lakshmi's wife is very good in her role. Though she doesn't get a lot of screen time in second half of the movie, she has done the best out of the three lead actors as a village woman who doesn't believe in breaking age old traditions. Sonam Kapoor is refreahing in the movie but offers nothing new when compared to the other roles that she has done in past.

R.  Balki is a very talented director and we have seen him handle complex subjects with ease in movies like Cheeni Kum, Paa and Shamitabh. Compared to those movies Padman seems a comparatively easy movie to direct, though his handling of the subject of menstruatiom and sanitary pads should be commended. I am waiting with bated breath to see what is the next subject that he is going to handle. I am surely going to watch his next.

The movie's music is not great but merges well with the movie's mood. There's nothing great to talk about in the cinematogtaphy department but this was not a movie where the cinematographer's special skills were needed. So nothing to complain about here. However one needs special mention of the dialogues of the movie which are great but never go over the top. Akshay's monologue at the end of the movie in Linglish, as he called it , deserves special mention as it didn't have proper grammar but had a great impact.

Overall this is a movie that you can watch with your whole family without cringing inspite of the subject. So go and watch this gem from R. Balki.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Tiger Zinda Hai Review

Tiger Zinda Hai was one of the most highly anticipated movies of Salman Khan after the Tubelught debacle. The movie has already collected over Rs. 200 crore in box office collectons within a week of its release in India. Lets have a look at where the movie works and where it doesn't.

The movie has an ok first half with action oriented introduction scenes for both Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, which doesn't make much of a sense as we already know the characters from Ek Tha Tiger. The movie has a good premise but the way the script has been written makes it loose its intensity and runs like a regular movie. Even though you want to know what is going to happen next you are not engrossed enough in the movie. The second half of the movie is better and it has a lot of action sequences, some of which have been lifted from Hollywood sequences. One instance on why the movie is not well written is the Terminator shooting sequence where Salman Khan does not get hit even though many people are shooting at him. Scenes like these though make for great watching but make you question the detailing of the script. However the movie has good action sequences in the second half and if you are ready to ignore the details, then the movie is an entertaining watch.

Salman Khan as always plays the over the top action hero very well and Katrina looks superb in the movie and has performed some of the best action. Sajjad Delafruz as the villain, Abu Usman, is refreshing and looks and acts like a terror organisation leader. Paresh Rawal is good in the scenes that he has been given. All the other actors seem just like character fillers with not much of an identity.

Ali Abbas Zafar seems an good director but he lacks a clear vision of how the film should look. Thus even though he does a good job at directing the movie, he leaves a lot more to be desired for. The editing of this movie also could have been better as it does not have the crispness as it could have.

Overall the movie is entertaining for Salman fans but offers nothing new for the audience in general.

Rating - 3 / 5