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Prometheus
Prometheus (I) (2012)
4/10
Prometheus UnSound
11 June 2012
P.B.Shelley composed Prometheus Unbound in 1820 which depicted the confrontation between Zeus and Prometheus, the Titan, who gifted Man the use of Fire.Prometheus, is thus, represented as a messiah for mankind.

In Ridley Scott's movie, Prometheus is the name of the spaceship which has taken flight in the not so distant future in search of the origins of mankind. Could have been an interesting premise, but it all becomes a tiresome study resulting in an Unsound mind.

Unbelievable prurient adolescent displays from Scientists which makes the term 'logic' vanish from anyone's dictionary, futile attempts to engage viewers through rehashed and further rehashed stock situations and the sheer denial to LET GO of the concept of Alien, which is a distant remnant of its super-horror original franchise element and is now just another funny avatar - that's what Prometheus is all about.

Still I had to give it a '4' because of the C.G panorama and the isolated grandeur built on screen. It's a technician's solid deliverable although we have seen enough of these. Heart, the movie has none. Boredom and yawns - plenty. Aliens, Predators, Aliens vs Predators and now Engineers ( you'll know the term if you feel like watching this whimper on a big screen ), Aliens, Humans - You have seen it all, many many times. Ridley, give us something original again. At least a repeat of Maximus from Gladiator or a Hoot from Black Hawk Down. Not Another Ripley from Alien, please.
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Real Steel
Real Steel (2011)
Steel Hearts On Fire
9 October 2011
Awesome.That's the word coming to my mind after watching this spectacle.

Pros: 1.Usage of 3D models(Robotronics) and less of CGI makes the viewer more involved. 2.Young Dakota Goyo is a real discovery. 3.Atom, the bot warms the heart with his looks. Full credit to Atom's designer. Bringing humility yet determination to a bot's looks ? That's real tough.

Cons: 1.Borrows heavily from Rocky's fighting style down to the left handed hooks. Sly Stallone pops up time and again in the mind's eye. 2.Could have been a tad tighter in the editing department with more focus on an extended final fight rather than extended drama at some points.
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Robin Hood
Robin Hood (2010)
5/10
Robin Begins
12 May 2010
Ridley Scott's version of Robin Hood is poor man's Gladiator.Make Maximus a more composed,a bit less passionate, and a much less intense soul with sidekicks ready at his beck and call and you will get Russell Crowe's version of Robin Longstride a.k.a Robin of the Hood.It's only fair to say that Russell Crowe is repeating himself once too often.There are even hints of Captain Jack Aubrey in Russell's Robin from another one of his previous ventures 'Master and Commander - the Far side of the world'. The movie gives a sense of deja vu at best.We have seen it all.The ambushes in the forests, the medieval ships through the rough seas, the fights on the beaches, English countrysides and castles in all their glory and countryfolk working in the day and frolicking at night with no need to bathe. And then there's the fight.Add to all this bits of debatable history with a hint of crusades and some dollops of French to add authenticity and you get Robin all ready to fight for the downtrodden.

If you are looking for your favourite Robin Hood characters and their exploits which you have read as a kid, the movie does'nt have much in store.Friar Tuck, Little John, the Sheriff of Nottingham all are there but not as you might have known them or wanted to see them.It's a Robin Hood prequel,this movie.

Some of the scenes are spectacular no doubt, but it all seems so familiar.Anyways,no worries.We're all seeing too much of movies these days.
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Avatar
Avatar (2009)
10/10
A Visionary And Tantalizing Adventure Romp
17 December 2009
I got rewarded.I got rewarded by watching Avatar.Avatar takes the average movie-goer's cinematic experience about ten notches higher.And the 3D experience probably adds much more to the euphoria of being in the world of the Navi, an alien tribal humanoid race living in a planet called Pandora which has similar features with that of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Lost World'. Human greed and intrusion is about to destroy the balance of Pandora.But the destruction cannot be initiated easily as the jungles of Pandora and the Navis and the topography of Pandora all combine to form a formidable adversary.Enter a disabled marine Jake Sully, a paraplegic bloke with no fear.The absence of fear makes him an easy choice to toss into the jungles of Pandora and unravel its secrets for the human strategic advantage, if he manages to survive.But a fearless heart entering a pure and mystic world can work out its own mysterious route.And the journey begins.Those who have seen the movie once would come back to the theatre again.Including me.I like rewards.
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Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation (2009)
10/10
Are these hate-critics funded by Skynet?
26 June 2009
An Apocalyptic canvas,awesome pulse-pounding action sequences,eye for detail,phenomenal CG and a human touch..that's what makes Terminator Salvation a truly enjoyable movie.There are so many bad reviews that you feel compelled to take a stand.Some of the the Myths and Facts:

Myth:Christian Bale did not do justice to the John Connor role Fact:Bale did a real good job.Bale's steely demeanour and wooden approach is what you'd expect from a battle-weary individual who has been hunted by Terminators and who's fighting each day of his life.

Myth:Terminators are meant to Terminate.They take too much time to kill in Salvation. Fact:The difference between Machines and Humans are getting smaller.Machines,logically,as they evolve,take pleasure in inflicting pain ( unless they are looking for a mass wipe-out) before actually killing.Watch the movie closely,you'll agree.

Myth:This movie does not have a Terminator feel. Fact:This movie is different.While the previous Terminators had hunted in the Present World, this movie is in the Apocalyptic Future, after Judgement Day.The feel has to be different.But there's nothing to scathingly criticise about.

While T2 remains my all-time favorite, T4 carries on the Terminator juggernaut with gusto.

Watch this.Your money won't go to waste.
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WALL·E
WALL·E (2008)
10/10
Wall-E transcends Languag-E
16 August 2008
I am on office assignment in Krakow,Poland and Wall-E is available here in only the Polish language.I do not speak or understand Polish but still I went to watch Wall-E in one of the movie multiplexes.This movie is the best animation that has come out of PIXAR till date.And while I did not understand the Polish dialogues, I understood fully the language of the heart that this movie has created.

The director Andrew Stanton along with Pete Docter has created a sublime story that epitomises all the values that we live for: Care ( Wall-E's pet Cockroach ), Love and Devotion irrespective of partner's qualities or limitations ( Wall-E and Eva ), Dedication to Work ( Wall-E carries on with his duties alone),Self-belief and Self-Strength (Captain of AXIOM), Preservation of our planet ( The Green Sapling ), Prevention against Harmful Effects of Too much Branding and Consumerism ( Buy-n-Large ),Need to stay fit ( Obese human race ),Tolerance ( Eccentric and so-called Mal-functioning yet Talented Robots in AXIOM ).

We get to take a look at our future through the replacable eyes of Wall-E who has more heart that anyone more human than him.

Please take your entire family to watch this movie if you have not already done so.You will start appreciating LIF-E more.
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Taken
Taken (I) (2008)
8/10
Knockout punch
16 August 2008
Liam Neeson had been a young Irish boxing champion at the age of 15.More than 40 years down the line he shows the world that he is still good enough.In 'Taken' his character is that of a former spy, who is capable of tearing apart an entire prostitution racket which kidnapped his daughter.He is relentless in his pursuit and lethal,delivering serious damage to all those who are part of the unholy nexus in this movie.Unlike most reviews I would not consider this movie as a 'Bourne'esque action thriller.Neeson's action scenes are more in line with that of Daniel Craig's Bond in Casino Royale.The difference is that Neeson is a loving father and when a man of his skills is bent on taking revenge, hell does break lose.The scenes of young girls being raped and tortured are intensely dark and horrifying and the brutal rage perpetrated by Neeson against the offenders is glorious in its fury.Neeson is indeed called 'Rambo' by one of his cronies early in the movie, more as a friendly banter,but the demolition that follows justifies this nick-name.If you love action don't miss this.
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Transsiberian
Transsiberian (2008)
6/10
Thrilling,but not Gripping.
16 August 2008
This movie could have been a brilliant one but falls short due to over simplification.Roy and Jessie are an American couple on board the transsiberian train from beijing to moscow.This particular route has its fair share of crime with drug transfers via 'mules'(innocent looking people transferring drugs from one location to the other)being rampant.A Spanish hombre Carlos and his American girlfriend Abby become the compartment mates of Roy and Jessie.And the darkness builds up on the white snow...

Emily Mortimer is splendid as Jessie,an amateur photographer, with a wild past.She is a good wife,but irrational and confused sometimes, unwillingly giving way to her wild side through her inherent goodness.Eduardo Noriega (Carlos) is enigmatic as the Macho,Attractive yet Impolite Spaniard,with a sense of danger lurking in his eyes.His pushy side, while repelling for a sedate person, draws adventurous individuals towards him like a magnet.Woody Harrelson ( Roy ) and Kate Mara ( Abby ) do not have enough screen time.However Ben KIngsley delivers an outstanding cameo as Russian narcotics division detective Grinko.

The Russian cold is captured effectively, the screenplay is taut, the camera captures the vivid icy desolation of Russia with some haunting imagery.These are the things that work for the movie.

However, this is not a Whoddunit movie and the Agatha Christie genre of the Orient Express should not be brought into consideration here.The movie focuses on select individuals and is definitely thrilling.The ending is over-contrived and somewhat ludicrous and spoils the building up of tension.The movie never grips the audience,but due to its overall quality definitely worth watching.
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The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (2008)
10/10
Posthumous Oscar: Heath Ledger
2 August 2008
There have been enough comments in IMDb regarding 'The Dark Knight' as a Masterpiece and unlike most hypes, this is a fact.However this movie achieved this greatness because of a once in a lifetime performance from Heath Ledger.It's sad that Heath, who was nominated for an Oscar in Brokeback Mountains would never get a chance to hold the statuette.However, his portrayal of 'The Joker',maniacal,sadistic, and downright evil, paradoxically also has a creepily 'Wise' side.He has seen the downside, has been dragged through the depths of torture by his own father and is deranged.He is trying to bring out the inherent evil in every man and does not care about money.He wants Gotham to see a different class of evil.Batman is not able to fathom this Joker.The Joker is too toxic,too psychotic,too devilish.And Heath, the idealistic son in the Patriot, the heroic Ned Kelly,the soft spoken hunk with a secret in Brokeback Mountains is astoundingly fiendish as the Joker.Only a Posthumous Oscar would do justice to Heath's brilliance.This might remain the Darkest Batman ever.
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The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
10/10
I loved the Yeti
2 August 2008
There's Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello,Michelle Yeoh in this movie, but there's also the Yeti.Big White Creatures, with Warm Blue Eyes.IMDb tells me that their grunts and stunts were the courtesy of Michael Scherer and Scott Taylor.Man, when I was coming out of Cinema City, Krakow in Poland, yesterday to find an excuse to get back my 19.5 Polish Zloty back which I had paid for the tickets for the 19:30 pm Friday show, only the image of the Big White Kind Yetis brought back a sense of moderation in me.So I sacrifice my 19.5 Zloty for the 10 minute Yeti experience in this movie and give it a 10 out of 10 for the remarkable prowess this movie(?) has shown in terms of wasting money of the producers,talent of the actors and money of the patrons.Brilliant.And Man, I loved the Yeti.
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Wanted
Wanted (2008)
6/10
Same stuff with a different flavor.Watch it,has style.
5 July 2008
'Wanted' is a good action flick.Stylish,Fast and having it's own dose of twists and turns.However, It would be unwise to compare this movie to a Cult Classic like 'Matrix'.The story does not have enough meat, the plot is having many a loophole, but James McAvoy does a decent job in carrying his role through. Angelina Jolie's character 'Fox' is much more believable as an assassin than McAvoy's 'Wesley' but probably this was how it was meant to be.Even when McAvoy goes through a complete transformation to a super killer from a door-mat nobody, he does not really look tough enough for his part though he makes up with his acting skills. The action shots are innovative.You would have seen similar stuff before but you can find a different stylized version here.The camera work is very good and the slow-mo effects does not sap the pace of the fighting sequences.That is a job truly well done.The story never reaches anywhere near the sublime dimensions of Matrix,so for a overall rating 6/10.(Angelina looks sexy but thinner,if you do not like action no point in walking into the theatre just to check her out).
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Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
10/10
And then there's two Pandas!! 'Po' and 'Shifu'.
21 June 2008
When a layperson is introduced to the opus of Chinese Martial Arts, the animals,birds and insects commonly present in fighting techniques are Tiger,Snake,Monkey,Leopard,Crane,Mantis,Eagle,Horse,Tortoise,10000 bees,Centipede,Scorpion,Gecko,Toad and several other relatively unknown styles.

There's also the mythical Dragon style.

But Panda ? No buddy, there's no Panda.

And that's specifically the reason I loved this movie.

The giant, lazy, slow animal ( Giant Panda ) with it's affinity for food ,having probably the least chance to make it up to Kung-Fu ranks, becomes a hero in this incredible movie.And his master 'Shifu' is a small Red Panda !!But don't get me wrong.Not by magic.The Giant Panda is a large animal with considerable strength and it can be fast when needed.

Po the Giant Panda was unexpectedly chosen by Tortoise guru Oogway to defend their valley from the wrath of the snow leopard 'Tai Lung' who was raised by Kung-Fu master Shifu, who is a Red Panda himself.

Shifu has five of the best as his students: Tiger, Viper, Crane,Monkey and Mantis.But not one of them, or even, all of them together can defeat the Snow Leopard who used to be the best and most powerful of all of Shifu's students.Sadly 'Tai Lung''s lust for power turned him into a merciless outlaw.Only with the help of Tortoise Guru ( Shifu's master )'Oogway' could Tai Lung be sent into Prison.

However Tai Lung breaks prison in an outstanding animation sequence that can compare with Hollywood's best action scenes, and is slated to come back to the valley and wreak havoc in his quest for a 'Secret' power.

And now according to Oogway, only the gentle Panda 'Po'( with enough theoretical, bookish knowledge but no Real Kung-Fu experience ) can stop him,and Shifu has to train him in unconventional ways.

Watch this movie with your entire family and you will love every second of it.

The climax could have been more gripping.Even then, for innovation, a 10 out of 10.
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Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
1/10
Gone Dennis Gone
15 June 2008
I have a real doubt as to whether people showering praises on this movie and providing rave reviews have actually read the book 'Gone Baby Gone' by Dennis Lehane.The author is a master storyteller and I bet that if you have so much of a moderate understanding of English and you can read, you will be bowled over by the pace and sheer intensity that the book provides.The movie is at best,lame. None of the confrontations which exist in the book and keep your pulse pounding is portrayed with as much of an iota of realism in the movie. 1.The Filmore Tap episode. 2.The Quarry episode 3.Leon Trett,Roberta Trett,Corwin Earle chilling and horrifying episode. Where is the blood curdling menace, the horror, the claustrophobia? The book has it all, the movie has zilch. And Ed Harris as 'Remy Bressant' and not 'Remy Broussard'.!! Such an ill fitting role for a great actor. Remy is supposed to be a younger man who works out 4 times a week. Not who's born in 1950 and is 58!!! Edi Gathegi ( Cheese Olamon ) and Slaine (Ruprecht 'Bubba' Rogowski )look like they are in for comic capers.They are real violent stuff actually, in the book. Did Ben Affleck for once, read the book!!!! Michelle Monaghan and Amy Ryan look and fit their parts.

How much liberties can a Director actually take when putting an extremely compelling work of fiction into a movie? If Dennis Lehane sees this farce of a movie, he would for sure chuckle: "Gone Dennis Gone".
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Rambo
Rambo (2008)
10/10
Live for Rambo or Die For Stallone
27 April 2008
Let's genuflect.Let's pay tribute to a man who has portrayed the best Action Hero ever.John J Rambo."Don't Argue-Destroy".Sometimes destruction has to be seen from a positive perspective.When you face intolerable cruelty,you have to mete out horror.When you are pushed "Killing is as easy as Breathing".The Gore is the movie is not glorified,it is true to the context.Stallone,at 62,exudes such extreme rage,such messianic intensity,you stare transfixed.And the brutality which Rambo perpetrates is exactly what is required for the troops of the Warlord in a Uniform,who treat human flesh and limbs as Chicken wings,Claw and Tear and Rape Women as if they are made of Rubber ,and put bullets in the head of a Child.They get paid back with interest.Shredded into bits by close range HMG,Head Chopped Off by Chopper,Throats slit open by Nails,Rambo pardons them for their sins by delivering them to the Lord:By giving they received,By dying they would wake to Eternal Life.The Rambo Saga cannot be over as yet.Rocky can bid Goodbye,but Rambo must reload again.Live for Rambo or Die for Stallone.
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3:10 to Yuma
3:10 to Yuma (2007)
5/10
Completely illogical,irrational Western
29 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Folks,if you are going to watch this movie, do not theorize. Just watch and enjoy.There are too many loopholes to talk about and a completely irrational yet thrilling climax,so leave your brains at home. The story is ultimately about heroism and courage(both misdirected, with some ego and stubbornness to spice things up).Small time rancher Dan Evans who is apparently trying to make ends meet for his family, is thrown into a perilous situation of escorting notorious criminal Ben Wade to a prison train heading to a place called Yuma where Ben Wade is supposed to be tried for 23 cases of felony of all sorts,barring rape which is not mentioned anywhere in this movie.Ben is by the way a charming womanizer who can rattle off any portion from the Bible, because his mother made him sit in a railway station when he was small and gave him a bible.For three days he waited for his mom and read the bible from cover to cover but mom never returned.Even for a mom like that Ben can kill a tough Pinkerton agent even though Ben is handcuffed.He just can fly off his horse and push the brat off a cliff because that brat made a nasty remark about mom and even bad boys love their moms.One can imagine what an arduous task this is to escort a criminal like Ben to a station and pack him on a train when his absolutely kick-ass sidekicks are in hot pursuit to free him under the leadership of second-in-command,a faithful psycho called Charlie Prince. For a character like Ben who can even kill 3 gun-toting apache Indians (this time too he was handcuffed)in the Apache territory, how he could remain captured till the end of the movie is a big question.When all of his captors die in one way or the other or flee the scene to save own life,it is up to the honest farmer,former civil war veteran soldier Evans to escort this rogue to the train.He gets assistance from his elder son,who becomes aware through the course of the movie that his father is not actually a wobbly coward but a hero who is preferring a glorious death rather than becoming labelled a coward.Please do not try to make sense of this ego/morality factor because Ben could have killed Dan anytime he liked but just plays along.I got the feeling that Ben was kind of having fun in getting guided to a prison train when all the time he was aware that either he himself or his band of mercenaries were absolutely capable of freeing him.In a town where gunshots are daily fare for the townsfolk,a final fight ensues where amidst the frenzied gunshots life goes on like normal.This is crazy by whatever standards.Just look at the scene during the last 6-7 mins where the Station porters are busy attending the train amidst a complete skirmish.Was this normal?Very hard to digest.As if to salute the moral courage of Dan,Ben gets on the train to prove to Dan that Dan is actually a hero who did his job, then gets off the train and kills all his fellow mates including Charlie Prince who bet his life to free him !!How more crazy can this be!!Then again he gets on the train and as the train pushes off, he whistles softly and his dark horse listens this whistle from quite some distance(wow!!) up and above all the noise a steam engine driven train can make and starts running beside the train until both disappear from the screen.Too much talent wasted for a film that is too irrational.Guys,do not apply logic.
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30 Days of Night
30 Days of Night (2007)
6/10
Blood on the snow
15 December 2007
This is a decent vampire movie.Do not expect to get scared like hell,but it has it's fair share of chills.All the perfect examples of a supernatural setting are present.Remote Alaskan town,Desolation,Loss of contact with the external world,Stranger speaking in an Eastern European accent asking for fresh meat,dead dogs,and above all 30 days of night.The are quite a few preludes before the actual bloody mayhem but the first sense of real uneasiness sets in when Sheriff Eben Oleson actually confronts 'Something'which is faster than his vehicle and the film takes off from this point.Josh Hartnett has done a commendable job in portraying the helplessness of a protector who is not having many choices but will simply not give up hope.The character of Beau Brower(Mark Boone Junior) serves as a perfect foil to the Sheriff's determination of not giving up without a fight.Tough as a nail, Beau never seems to be afraid of the Vampires.He knows they can be killed too.The cold, the night and the claustrophobia are harbingers of the death lurking outside the hideaway of the survivors.The killings are brutal and gory, but most of them can be anticipated.The horror surprise elements are not that much.The culmination of the movie is also strange and a bit hard to digest.But overall its worth viewing.
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