Movie Review: Revolver Rani..shoots far off the mark

Okay so I have no idea what the director was going for with this. I guess this is what happens when you make decisions in haste. So concerned was I after all the brickbats I received from my loyal followers for not having seen 2 States (the reason, in my defence, was that I had read the book and not liked it all that much and the movie would be pretty much the same) that I was worried about making the same mistake twice in a row. So…I booked tickets for Revolver Rani. As it turns out, that was the real mistake

Revolver Rani is best enjoyed when it doesn’t try to take itself too seriously. Don’t go for plot, logic, any sense of direction to the storyline and you might be able to watch it for Kangana’s powerful performance showcasing her versatility in a role that is a far cry from Queen and the fair bit of comedy that is introduced into otherwise senseless proceedings. Other than that, the Revolver’s chambers are empty – all six of them

A classy opening credits gives way to Ram Gopal Varma (not of the Sarkar vintage but the Aag variety) like sequences that suddenly erupt in ways more comical than exciting. Kangana’s Max Payne like shooting in multiple sequences doesn’t help matters and one isn’t sure what the director is looking to portray with her character. Add to that her shrieking and howling like her pre-Queen days and the circle is complete. There are precisely two smart sequences in an otherwise banal plot – one in the first half and one in the second – both of which end up being comical and fun. If only more of the movie was like that

As it stands though the movie doesn’t end up showing a true picture of Kangana’s character till the very end – the fearless hero, the tragic hero, the trapped hero, the action hero – all get inter-mingled and you leave the theater with no clarity on what was intended to be portrayed, if anything at all. Guns, shooting, killing, drinking, smoking all get glorified in this pointless tale

The plethora of songs only prolong the misery though the background score is apt and suits the context.I found myself recalling Matru Ki Bijlee..and idly wondering which of these movies was worse, though I thought Matru still wins that Razzie award

If you are a real Kangana fan you might still want to give it a shot despite all my misgivings. My advice though is to take shelter and hide till the Rani has fired all her rounds and left the scene

Movie Review: Captain America The Winter Soldier…is a pretty cold affair

At long last I gave Captain America a chance. I didn’t watch The First Avenger and I couldn’t appreciate him in The Avengers. Why did I watch his second outing then? Because some people said that this was the best Marvel movie since The Avengers. While that may be true, since Marvel hasn’t dished out anything great since The Avengers and the bar is set pretty low, this one doesn’t even come close to The Avengers and can be labeled as the ‘average’ category. If you are hoping for anything like that – you are bound to come out disappointed.

Captain America just doesn’t have much going for him as a superhero. In fact, he reminds me of that studious kid in class, who does everything by the book and tries too hard to get people to take him seriously. As a result, they don’t. Instead they look up to the Ironman types..the one that exudes natural charm and doesn’t even have to make an effort. Conspicuous by his absence, watching such a movie shows exactly why Robert Downey Jr’s screen presence matters as much as it does. Chris Evans tries for sure, but he just can’t pull it off

To make matters worse, the plotline is trying desperately to sound intelligent. It tries its best to weave a web of deceit, lies, treachery and double standards but unfortunately the only one who doesn’t seem to see through it all, is Captain America. As the audience, you’ve seen these tricks one too many times and could catch those twists in your sleep (barring perhaps one or two, but we’ll leave that trail cold for now) There’s plenty of action but none that would stir you and catch your attention. People can choose to live or die as the movie progresses and you couldn’t care less, for all the connect you’ve established with any of the surprisingly very familiar characters (courtesy The Avengers)

As you come towards the closing credits you might catch yourself wondering – is Captain America truly at home in the modern day superhero category at all. His uniform doesn’t enable anything – he doesn’t have a dual identity, its got no special powers other than that shield which can probably save him from even a nuclear explosion the way its exploited in the movie so does he really belong?

Marvel needs to slow things down. Dishing out such fare, one after the other without giving it due thought, will slowly lessen the excitement, the adrenalin rush and the sheer craze for the superhero genre the way its headed. The Winter Soldier just gets added to that list of ordinary fare, though, in all fairness, it might rank a little higher within that category.

Watch it if, for your own reasons, you are a Captain America fan. The movie clearly didn’t manage to make me one