Movie Review: Special 26..is a pretty special watch

 

If you are one of those rare but extremely lucky ones who has not even seen the trailers of this much hyped offering by Neeraj Pandey, you are in for quite a treat – just book your tickets immediately (you could even choose to stop reading this review right here). However, if you are one of the many who have seen the trailer and know the whole ‘real is fake’ drama the movie revolves around – then the first hour of this two and a half hour heist offering will probably look very familiar. But don’t fret, there’s plenty of fun to be had and you are still bound to come out with a big smile on your face

A Wednesday, Neeraj Pandey’s first, was stellar – a tightly packaged, well paced thriller with quite a thrill as you neared the climax. There were no unnecessary songs or scenes and the entire focus was on plot narration and letting the script itself be the winner. Special 26, though, is not as flawless – in fact, it falls prey to the stereotypical Bollywood act and has an unnecessary love angle with 3 songs for company. Moreover, the pacing tends to slow down unnecessarily on multiple occasions. Thankfully, though, by the end of it all Pandey more than redeems himself and you distinctly get the feeling that he’s quite managed to pull it off again, despite those hiccups

Heist movies aren’t the best genre that Bollywood has, to offer. Most of the recent ones tend to have the plot clearly lifted from successful Hollywood movies - the Oceans series, Italian Job, Usual Suspects etc come to mind. With Special 26 though, Pandey comes up with a high class act with its own original script and thrills to be had. In fact, this is one of these rare movies where even if you’ve managed to guess it the entire way through, you'll still revel in the discovery and enjoy the movie just as much. While its tempting – I won’t reveal more…

For a movie set in the 1980s there is incredible attention to detail – right from the cars, attire to even the initial casting being reminiscent of those days. Camerawork is snazzy and effective with high quality wide angle shots and equally effective close up scenes. Background score is liberally used and adds to the pacing and tension in certain scenes

Performances are top notch as well with the veteran Anupam Kher leading from the front, despite Akshay Kumar playing the main character. His versatility is clearly on display and he plays his character with great aplomb. Manoj Bajpai puts in his usual dependable performance as does Jimmy Shergill while Kajal Agarwal has too little role to be of notice

So the verdict is this – while it may not be as picture perfect as his debut, as far as heist movies go, Neeraj Pandey delivers a pretty ‘special’ offering – don’t miss it

Movie Review: Race 2…is a cheap car with fancy headlights

Race 2 is stylish, superbly shot and packaged but if you look under the hood, that’s where the disappointment lies. While it tries to be as fiery and racy as the original, at the end of the day it just doesn’t offer the same kind of mileage for the time you spend in the hall (and you spend a good 2 hours 20 minutes)

There were a few clear reasons why the original Race stood out and was the surprise hit that it turned out. It had unpredictable characters, devilish plot twists and a sense of suspense where you quite don’t know what to expect next. Yes, it was also stylishly packaged and made on an extravagant budget. Unfortunately, it is only this last part that the sequel really concentrates on and therein lies the folly. Sure, it has the same flavor of twists and turns but this time you really can’t smell the rubber when the tires screech at a supposedly sudden bend in the road

The other faux pas of this movie which is really its undoing in my view is its scenes being ‘inspired’ from too many popular Hollywood movies (I could count Casino Royale, Mask of Zorro and a painfully obvious rip off from National Treasure, am sure there were more..). What’s worse is that none of these scenes were really required and had the script been a little tighter and far more original (as was the case with its predecessor) this one could have stood its own too. Suffice it to say, that as soon as you begin to give the movie some credit..bang there goes another rather familiar scene ‘inspired’ from a Hollywood movie

Its not all bad though. Race 2 gets a stylish and snazzy packaging you would seldom find in a Bollywood movie. No expense seems to be spared and as is the case with the theme of the movie – money seems to have simply flown like water to get the shots right. Some special effects disappoint but sharp editing and brilliant cinematography and camerawork give a velvety sheen to the movie. Its a pity that the plot is lacklustre.

Though packed with plenty of stars none of them really make a lasting impact. Saif lacks the fresh look his character had in the original and John’s wooden performance fails to lift his character. Female leads don’t really have much of a role in this movie though on a relative basis Deepika is clearly the better actress. The tiresome Mini (secretary to RD) is replaced with an even more tiresome Cherry (I didn’t think that was possible..clearly I was proved wrong) and she and Anil Kapoor share some of the most cringe worthy dialogues you could imagine.

As we approach the finish line, the verdict is this - the original Race was pacy and thrilling. By spending more time on the design of the car than its performance on the road Race 2 clearly falls behind

Movie Review: Inkaar...yes, yes, yes...oh no!!

Inkaar is a compelling watch. No doubt about it. Sudhir Mishra can take a bow. A simple premise turns explosive and even spews venom every now and then but (and I hate to bring up this but, but the truth must be told), just when you think you have a winner all the way, Inkaar ends up disappointing in the worst possible manner. Hence, the blog title is what it is

Inkaar starts off promising and builds up even better. The flashback mode works well for telling the story and  despite its slow pacing and high focus on narration, it keeps you interested. Inkaar takes on a bold topic and thankfully maintains a no holds barred approach to its presentation. Expletives are used where required even though they tend to get censored out in the actual dialogue delivery and the movie looks to deliver its impact with the dialogues rather than over-use of background music or camera close ups..a refreshing change.

A really classy intermission has you looking forward to how the story will pick up pace in the second half and that too meets the mark. The contradictory accounts are superbly told and writing and editing is right up there. Seemingly black and white characters and accounts turn an alarming shade of grey and you are suddenly not sure who you support and why. In fact, you are eagerly awaiting for the movie to unfold it all for you..the spine tingling climax with some chilling realizations that would be the hall mark of this tale well told so far..however, what you get instead is almost lazy, trite and too stale in comparison reducing it to average Bollywood fare..a huge letdown

If the writing and presentation is good, solid performances further lift this movie. Arjun Rampal delivers his best performance yet, playing his complex character with an ease that he has seldom shown. Chitrangada Singh looks ravishing (not the best choice of adjective perhaps, given the tone of the movie but then I have to do justice) throughout the movie and her expressive eyes more than make up for accented dialogue delivery in parts. The songs are nice and melodious but don't stick too long in the memory and sometimes tend to slow down an already slow narrative

Inkaar, then is every bit worth a visit to the hall. Just be prepared for an under-whelming climax

Movie Review: Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola…ki Gulaabi Bhains ki aankh!!

If you didn’t get the title – let me explain because the last thing I want is for you going for this rather sad offering from a stalwart director just on a mis-interpretation. Truth is, I literally felt like swearing after the movie was over and given the over emphasis on the gulaabi bhains I am sure you have already seen in the promos – I felt this title covered it nicely

Mr Vishal Bhardwaj is the same one who got us gems like Omkara and Kamineyy (I’d add Maqbool to the list but for some reason I am still to watch it). Hence his credentials are only of the highest quality. However, when somebody like Mr. Bhardwaj offers a product like Matru ki Bijlee..it defeats all meaning and purpose. Without a doubt, this one is his weakest offering yet..yes, including Saat Khoon Maaf

The biggest flaw for Matru lies in its rather weak script – if you can call it that even. There are 3 supposedly central characters, but there is close to nil character development. There is no understanding built on why they are the way they are and by the end of an agonizing two and a half hours you’d happily shoot all three of them yourself if it meant you could get out of the hall faster.

The first half is slow to a point where I can tell you what happened in just two sentences, including any obvious twists and turns. The second half tries to do a lot more but its so apparent that you are caught wondering why the movie takes so long to get to its climax. Coming from the maker of Kamineyy, this is a real shocker in itself. Gone is the tight packaging, the underlying tension and then earth shattering impact. Instead you get a motley bunch of sequences ranging from comedic to serious to inane to insane
The songs are average to below average and even the gulaabi bhains stops appealing after a while. If the movie is somewhat bearable, its for precisely two reasons. For one, Pankaj Kapur puts in a highly commendable performance as Mr. Mandola and is able to display the range of emotions required by his rather complex character. The other reason is that there are bits of good humor/ satire of the intellectual variety which tickles the senses every now and then

That’s it. There’s nothing else to look forward to. Anushka on this rare occasion, looks out of place and doesn’t look her character as well. Imraan is strictly okay though to be fair to both, their characters don’t give them much room. Shabana Azmi is in good form and plays her role like the veteran she is – but in my view her character really didn’t suit her

There you have it then. I say this with a heavy heart, myself being an ardent Vishal Bhardwaj fan. If you don’t want to start off proceedings for 2013 in the worst possible way that’s one item you can tick off the list. Best to wait for his next..

Movie Review: Rise of the Guardians…raises animation standards

I can imagine the look on your faces as you read that title. You might be scoffing by now – ya right, raises animation standards..as if there’s any further they could go, you would say – and I couldn’t blame you…The quality of animation movies has risen higher and higher with every new offering, whether its Dreamworks or Pixar, over what has been a very steep learning curve. Yet, just when you thought they couldn’t take you any further..Rise of the Guardians ‘rises’ to the occasion and you couldn’t ask for a better way to truly celebrate the festive spirit – this holiday season

Clocking at a very comfortable 97 minutes Rise of the Guardians packs in enough action in a very unconventional premise with visuals that simply dazzle. From the flakes of snow, to the magical dust of dreams and the dark wisps of nightmares  - its all there to spin a story of its own. The fact that this is all in 3D makes it just picture perfect. The characters are memorable and sure to awaken your long lost childhood. The philosophical angle to the movie is simple yet subtle allowing you to spend more time on the adventure as it unfolds. The voice acting is good as always. The humor is subtle yet you are bound to laugh out loud on a couple of occasions.

If I had to complain (and I’ll have to try really hard to do that) I’d say that the story progression is quite predictable but then I’d have to be Grinch to be watching this movie with that view.  My only concern is that while this is a movie made for children for sure, the villain is quite sinister, dark and dreary, so it might unintentionally be a little scary for some

Still I’d say its worth the risk since the heroes, or guardians as I should call them, provide enough spark and merriment to chase away those bad dreams and its wonderful to just watch them spread the magic. And you, grown-ups, as you walk away from the halls after the credits..just give it some thought..why was this movie called Rise of the Guardian(s)..and you’ll have your money’s worth

Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey…runs pretty much on expected lines

Here’s the thing..Peter Jackson managed to create some magic with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, especially the finale movie (Return of the King) that I particularly liked. With the first instalment of the The Hobbit trilogy, he does pretty much the same stuff and while its masterfully presented, it just doesn’t give that wow factor by the time the credits roll

The Hobbit is not a bad movie by any standards. The cinematography is top class, the action is engaging and the attention to detail is vintage Jackson. At a glance you would assume this is another one of the sets of the Lord of the Rings itself. But the issue is – we’ve seen all this before! As an audience, we want something new and that’s where The Hobbit is unable to deliver.

The 3D presented that opportunity for The Hobbit. It had clear potential – plenty of scenes that could simply dislodge you from your comfortable seat as the wolves lunged at you or you ducked the thrust of a sword – but sadly none of that is capitalized upon. The 3D is ordinary and unless I saw this in the wrong hall, its the usual post production 3D fare. After watching a gem like Life of Pi (as far as the 3D goes), The Hobbit falls far below standard in that department. Quite a pity that. That and the comparatively weak storyline yet extraordinarily long runtime (it runs for a whopping 169 minutes, for reasons beyond my understanding) are the minor blemishes in an otherwise high quality movie

The first half of the movie is extraordinarily slow and the movie takes its time to pick up. Thankfully, once it does the action is highly engaging, though a tad too unbelievable and illogical at times. However, the wide angle cinematography and breath-taking beauty of the landscapes with a pack of dwarves scurrying about are truly worth the silver screen experience

The performances are solid from the entire cast and Martin Freeman does a more than decent job as Bilbo Baggins. Gollum when he does enter has your complete attention all the time he remains on screen and Ian McKellen plays his usual Gandalf – a role he would be all-too-familiar with by now.

The Hobbit then, has that air of familiarity and while it does nothing new, what is done is done well. I’d say its still a worth a viewing on the silver screen but prepare to spend a long time in the hall while you watch the band of little men take what is yet only the first leg of a long and promising adventure

Movie Review: Talaash..is an engaging search

One of the most anticipated movies of the year has most things going for it – a stellar star cast, capable directorial hands, stalwarts to have written dialogues and a more than decent plot. For the most part it delivers too – only, when you emerge from the hall there is bound to be that tinge of dissatisfaction..why is that so? Well, the answers lie within

Within an engaging plot presented in a gripping fashion lies an unnatural and bizzare climax and therein lies the folly. For the most part of the little over two hours that the movie runs for Talaash is every bit as you wish it to be. It’ll interest you, confound you, confuse you and captivate you. The hunt is not as breathless and yet there is that eerie underlying tone to it – perfect for a thriller of this sort. Some sequences have a sense of directorial class showing regret and growing distances in a wonderful manner. The background score is just apt keeping the underlying tension going all through. And then, there’s the climax

A million possibilities reduced to one which quite doesn’t sound as appetizing and almost seems a disservice to the presentation before it. Its quite clear where the director wanted to go, when all is revealed but where a movie like Kahaani enthralled with its climax, this one lets itself down and is probably the only reason why Talaash wouldn’t get the kudos it otherwise deserves

With such an elite star cast performances are expectedly top notch. The good thing about the movie though is that all 3 leads get practically equal screen time and while Kareena dazzles in her character and Aamir is great as the brooding cop, it is Rani Mukerji who delivers a truly emotive performance and steals the show. Other than that, Nawazzudin Siddiqui is dependable as ever.

Talaash then, is an engaging and gripping search..to an unsatisfying conclusion. Still the hunt is well worth a visit

Oh, a word to the wise..please avoid knowing anything about the movie or even reading facebook feeds before you watch this movie as there is many an idiot who revels in giving the plot away and in movies like this once you know the main plot its just no fun at all.