Posts Tagged ‘movie reviews and ratings’
Movie Ratings and Reviews - The Messengers
Monday, November 21st, 2011
Movie: The Messengers
Year: 2007
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Directors: Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang
Stars: Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller and Kristen Stewart
Snapshot of Story:
A family arrives in a rural farmland to take up residence in a farm house away from the bustle of city life and comes across some horrifying ghostly beings.
Review of the movie - The Messanger
Storyline:
Kristen Stewart who plays Jess is now a superstar celebrity after her debut in the ‘Twilight’ series but this movie may have very well been the springboard to her fame. In effortless style Kristen Stewart plays the shy and introverted teenager with a troublesome life and parents who are overbearingly protective. The scene with her and Bobby played by Dustin Milligan in their first meeting was superbly portrayed and shows the candid innocence of two teenagers when they first meet.
The horror action was well executed and there were many moments of tensive scenes where the creatures appear out of the dark and randomly appear clinging to the roof or simply levitating in the air.
In one scene Jess freezes in the hallway as her brother witnesses a ghost coming towards them but Jess has her back to it. She remains in this position for what appears to be forever until the creature almost touches them and then she turns. This seemed to be an unnatural piece in the scene where I would have expected Jess to turn right away and make a run for it.
In the early part of the movie where Jess witnesses the ghostly happenings around the house, I felt that a ‘real person’ in that same predicament would hide and go the other way whereas Jess continues to explore the sounds and events that has already terrified her. I came up with a term for this and called it ‘a sadistic need for terrification’ meaning a desire to be terrified.
There is a twist at the end of the movie where the actual hired helper is the culprit and the ghostly beings were there to send a ‘message’ to the newcomers of the imminent danger (*spoiler).
Final Thoughts:
Kristen Stewart plays the innocent and shy teenager who comes face to face with some ghastly creatures of the farm house and her acting is up to par but some of the scripts are not so believable. In particular the scene where she freezes momentarily while a creature comes from behind. I found that the directors must have been horror aficionados after watching this movie as I saw some snippets of similarities from ‘The Shining’, ‘Poltergeist’, ‘The Birds’, and the ‘The Sixth Sense’. All in all the movie is watchable and has it’s good moments but the plot and overall acting is not substantial enough to put this movie in the category of the best.
Rating:
6.5/10
Tags: Dylan McDermott, Kristen Stewart, Movie Ratings and Reviews - The Messengers, Movie review of The Messenger, movie reviews and ratings, Penelope Ann Miller
Karan Johar’s Melodramatic Drama: Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (K3G)
Monday, November 14th, 2011
Movie: Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham (K3G)
Director: Karan Johar
Time: 2001
Genre: Drama, Romance, Musical
Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor.
Karan Johar's Melodramatic Drama: Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham (K3G)
Snapshot of the story
Like the other movies of Karan Johar this is also big budget, huge start cast, full of drama, family emotions and romance. K3G is story of young man Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) comes from a rich family and some of well know industrialist. Shah Rukh Khan falls in love with Anjali (Kajol), obviously from a Indian middle class family and want to marry her but Mr. Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan) want Shah Rukh Khan to get married to Naina (Rani Mukherjee). She is family friend and daughter of well know and very close friend.
Storyline
Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham is family drama; Rahul is adopted child to Mr. and Mrs. Raichand (Amithabh and Jaya Bachchan). Shah Rukh Khan likes Kajol and wants to marry her but Amitabh Bachchan is not happy with this relationship. After the death of Kajol’s father SRK gets married to her. Amitabh Bachchan takes the harsh decision and asks SRK to move out of the house and never come back.
Hrithik Roshan (Played as Roshan) was in the in boarding school when this happened and did not aware about the story. As Hrithik Roshan comes back from hostel he decides that he will go and take his brother back to where he belongs. Hrithik makes all sort of moves and ultimately manages to bring SRK to back home.
On Screen Chemistry
Amitabh Bachchan was phenomenon is his role as Mr. Raichand, SRK and Kajol look stunning his as even. Hrithik and Kareena were looked well in their first onscreen presence together. Romantic scenes were the highlights of SRK - Kajol and Hrithik and Kareena Kapoor sizzle on the screen. Music is the highlight and has romantic tunes of Jatin – Lalit which still remembered by millions of audience. Movie comes with the tag line “it’s all about loving you parents”
Rating
Movie scores 8 out of 10 for good music, strong performance all the actors and good music, however movie has lots of emotional scenes and places where completely do not connect with audience.
Tags: Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor, Indian Movie reviews, Karan Johar's Melodramatic Drama: Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham (K3G), movie reviews and ratings, SRK Kajol's love story
Farhan Akhtar Aims Big with: Lakshya
Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Movie: Lakhya (Motto)
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Time: 2004
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta
Snapshot of the story
First half of the movie can be related to boy next door as Karan (Played by Hrithik Roshan) recently graduated from college and totally confused what to do in life. His mind keeps changing every day. However no dream is too big if he decides to achieve something and it is just the matter to when we realizes that dream.
Farhan Akhtar Aims Big with: Lakshya
Storyline
Farhan Akhtar keeps reinvesting the ideal to fascinate the audience and especially young audience. After “Dil Chahta Hai” he comes with “Lakhya” with his signature style direction of story telling and some chart topper songs and choreographed by “Prabhu Deva”.
In the story Hrithik comes from rich family and after college he is confused what to in life as his father wants him to join family business like his elder brother. One fine day with his friend he fills the employment form of armed forces and gets the interview call. However his friend denies as he has taken in the MBA College. Hrithik has a girl friend Romi (Played by Preity Zinta) and both are dating each other from long time. Preity Zinta motivates him to go for it as this could be he is looking for but Hrithik’s entire family is against him specially his dad.
Against everyone, he goes to military academy but the tough training of army grills him a lot and decides to run out if the academy. This decision was not appreciated by his father and Preity Zinta and this becomes the point when there is crack in relationship with Preity Zinta. Hrithik went back to compete his training and get commissioned there and in the mean time extending his passion to his career Preity Zinta has become the Television Reporter.
Twist in the Tale
Priety Zinta goes to cover the war against Indian and Pakistan and come to know about Hrithik. This past of the movie has different emotions of romance, drama, action and patriotism. Second half of the movie has more of war scenes and touches lots of high moments. This is where their old love takes a new spring.
Conclusion
Story runs very slow and at time make you feel bore. Story runs on the straight note and has very few twists. Amitabha bachchan looks very nice if the small role as major of the army. Hrithik was very good and Priety look very beautiful as ever.
Rating
Story fails to make much impact on the audience and I will give it 7 out of 10 for some of the best dialog and songs by Javed Akhtar and to all the technical team which has to work in freezing condition of Kashmir and Ladakh.
Tags: Amitabh Bachchan, dating, Farhan Akhtar Aims Big with: Lakshya, Hrithik Roshan, movie reviews and ratings, Preity Zinta
Finest Sci-Fi by James Cameron: The Terminator
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
Movie: The Terminator
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure/Thriller
Year: 1984
Director: James Cameron
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn
Snapshot of Story:
A person arrives from the future and takes on an human appearance but is in fact a state of the art robot with super human abilities and skills. He has come back to eradicate a human that gives birth to someone that changed the course of a future war and goes about hunting that person with total ruthlessness.
Finest Sci-Fi by James Cameron - The Terminator
Story:
James Cameron’s brilliant direction of this movie set a new dimension in Sci-Fi action adventure coupled with horror. The story starts with the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who appears from the future on the planet earth and then immediately goes about hunting Sarah Connor played by Linda Hamilton.
The superior skills of the Terminator in imitating voice over and the callous nature of his approach to the killings suggests a human-like person but with no emotions. The resistance group of the future also sends back Lieutenant Kyle Reese to thwart the cyborg’s attempt at killing Sarah Connor.
There are some heart thumping wild chases through the city when both Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor almost comes face to face with the Terminator. It is in those clips that James Cameron shines as he delivers the special effects along with very believable scenes to heighten the reality of those shots.
Sarah Connor develops an affection for Kyle as the movie progresses.
Final Thoughts:
The ironic part of this movie is that the child that Sarah Connor bears is from the resistance fighter Kyle Reese sent back to protect her. Effectively, the cyborgs who starts the war in the future seal their own doom by sending back the Terminator, a very nice touch.
Like many outstanding directors of his time James Cameron pushes the limits of technology and movie making scenes with the Terminator. It is for this reason we need to thank and appreciate the great works of all the famous directors such as Ridley Scott, Alfred Hitchcock, Victor Fleming, Stanley Kubrick and more.
Rating:
8.5/10
Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Finest Sci-Fi by James Cameron: The Terminator, James Cameron, movie reviews, movie reviews and ratings, review of The Terminator
Salman is Larger Than Life in Dabangg
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Movie: Dabangg
Director: Abhinav Kashyap
Time: 2010
Stars: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Sonu Sood
Snapshot of the story
Dabangg means fearless. The story was written to show off the larger than life images of Chulbul Pandey (played by Salman Khan) and was done with ease. The story revolves around a corrupt cop Chulbul Pandey who wants to settle old disputes with his step brother Makkhi (Played by Arbaaz Khan) and step father (played by Vinod Khanna) and movie has a touch of romance with Rajjo (Played by Sonakshi Sinha) and the musical score compliments the story.
Salman-is-Larger-than-Life-in-Dabangg
Theme of Story
Any one who wants to know what is Indian cinema, then this would be the perfect example where the hero (lead actor) has been shown with larger-than-life image well suited to Salman Khan. Movie doesn’t really make any sense and is for pure entertainment only. Salman Khan is playing a corrupt cop in this movie living in a small town with his mother, step father and step brother. He started to like a girl that he wants to marry but the girl does not have mutual feelings for him. There is a goon (Sonu Sood) in the town that creates problems for Salman Khan as he starts the operation against these goons and puts the break in their looting. After the death of Salman’s mother his relationship with the step dad and brother started to show signs of cracks. Trying to take the advantage of this situation Sonu uses Arbaaz against Salman. A love story is also running in the background as Rajjo started liking and dating Salman and they finally tie the knot. Soon Arbaaz comes to know the evil intentions of Sonu and refuses to kill his own step brother and then Sonu decides to kill Arbaaz as he did not kill Salman.
Twist In the Tale
Story becomes a great action movie when Salman comes to know about this plot and try to save his step brother’s life and also come to know that his mother was killed by this goon (Sonu Sood). This adds the flavor of revenge motives for the action scenes. The last twenty minutes of the is completely dedicated to action as Salman goes to save his step brother and takes revenge of his mother’s murderer
On Screen Chemistry
The larger-then-life portrait of Samlan Khan was beautifully conveyed by the director Abhinay Kashyap in this movie. The movie does not ask much of you and applies the principles of Indian movies that many have come to love. This is in contrast to movies from the director’s brother Anurag Kashyap whos movies touches you with highly realistic stories. Debutant Sonakshi was looking very beautiful throughout. The music was the real highlight of this movie, specially the song “Munni Badnaam Hui…” which was a chart topping hit for several months.
The Happy Ending
The story ends with a happy note as the goon (Sonu Sood) was killed by Salman and Arbaaz was rescued from Sonu’s custody and that also bridged the gap between Salman and his step brother and dad and they start living like a happy family again.
Rating
7/10
Tags: Debut movie of Sonakshi, Larger Than life Image of Salman, movie reviews and ratings, review of Dabangg, Review of Indian Cinema, Salman is Larger Than Life in Dabangg
