Fan [2016]

Language - Hindi
Director - Maneesh Sharma
Run Time - 2 hours, 18 minutes
Genre - Drama
Starring - Shah Rukh Khan

FAN was atrocious, terrible and nonsensical. There is actually not a single thing I can appreciate about the movie.

The plot was non-existent and riddled with loopholes. SRK's acting, which has been applauded, was also nothing extraordinary. It's not that hard playing a double role, and most of the actors in Bollywood have proved that. The action sequences were also quite unreal. it's unfathomable that a local cyber cafe owner and even an actor for that matter can pull off all the stunts and chase sequences that were featured in the streets of Mumbai, Dubrovnik, and Delhi. One can understand if a cop or a hardened criminal are involved in such chases, but characters like Gaurav and Aryan could not realistically pull off such stunts.

Fan follows the story of Gaurav Chandana, who is an ardent fan of Aryan Khanna, a Bollywood superstar. He has a strange obsession over Aryan and wants to meet him on his birthday and present him with a trophy he got for mimicking  his star. To achieve that, he engulfs in criminal activities and lands in jail. Aryan visits him there and tells him that he wants nothing to do with Gaurav. Spurned, Aryan plots his revenge which eventually leads to a cat-mouse game where each tries to teach a lesson to the other.

There are various loopholes in the movie like - there is a vast difference between Aryan and Gaurav, and its shocking to see how Gaurav has fooled everyone in the movie, even Aryan's wife (for a brief period) and kids and likewise when Aryan imitates Gaurav. Also, if Gaurav's parents are not supporting of his obsession, why would they spend so much money on costumes and effects for his performances every year, and also allow him to sell his shop to fuel his revenge? How does a superstar like Aryan Khanna have no alibi for the three hours in London? Logic and reason have been defied to pave the way for the outrageous plot of the movie.

Maneesh Sharma might as well give up on directing after making back to back flops like Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, Shuddh Desi Romance and now, Fan.

SRK's career might as well be over after this. Does anyone remember anything extraordinary he's done in the last five years? The answer's NO. With films like Chennai Express, Dilwale, Happy New Year and FAN, his career has just been going downhill over the years. His rivals Salman and Akshay have meanwhile gone far ahead of the yesteryear's superstar.

In all, I would say JUST AVOID this movie. Even when it comes on TV.

My Rating - 4.2/10

Batman vs Superman : Dawn of Justice [2016]

Language - English
Director - Zack Snyder
Run Time - 2 hours, 33 minutes
Genre - Action/Drama
Starring - Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons

Before I start this review, I'd like to say that do not compare this movie with the Christopher Nolan trilogy, he is in a league of his own. Also, do not compare this with a Marvel movie,because they are bound to introduce laughter in their films to make it more 'family-friendly'.

Yes, the movie has some serious loopholes and unexplained agendas, but let me tell you, coming from an avid comic book reader, this is how most comics are. Yes, there are faults with the movie - it did try to cram up a lot of things in 2 and a half hours, and yes, it did seem haphazard at times, but overall, I would say Snyder made a hell of a movie. Apart from the shoddy editing.

The movie is just like a Dc comic book came on screen in a motion picture , In comics some actions don't need any explanation , it is left to explore in the future , or the stories don't have to make sense, that's the beauty of a comic book , That's why I liked the movie in spite of all other issues.
If they do not explain the dystopian future dream sequence (Is it a reference to Injustice?) and how Luthor is able to know identities of Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest, then it shall be quite a disappointment.

Affleck did justice to the role of Bruce Wayne, as did Jeremy Irons as Alfred. Cavill had already established himself as a perfect Superman, and my oh my, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince, a.k.a Wonder Woman is a treat for the eyes. Even Lex Luthor's craziness is quite perfectly embodied by Jesse Eisenberg. Although I'll say I'm very discontented at the first looks of Flash and Aquaman. They don't even remotely look what they are portrayed in the comics. Also, Doomsday looks like 'Abomination' from 'Incredible Hulk' then what he really is.

Set after the events of Man of Steel, Bruce Wayne holds Superman guilty for the collateral damage caused by the fight between Zod and Kal-El, and thus seeds are sown for a showdown. What do we know that it was mastermind Lex Luthor pulling the strings?

The action sequences are fabulous, especially the one-on-ones between our Dark Knight and the Man of Steel. Add in Wonder Woman and Doomsday to this, and you've got a feast. The movie pays homage to comic characters Mercy Graves, mention of the 'Langs' and also a Jason Todd reference.

What is also does is give a good base for the Justice League movies, albeit I admit, I'll be really sad if there's no Hal Jordan. I'm also intrigued to know if Luthor was talking about Brainiac or Darkseid?
Both are some of the biggest villains in the DC Universe. This website does point towards Brainiac though -https://www.lex-os.io/

The best scene of the movie, which deserves special mention in my opinion is when Superman is down and tells Batman to save Martha. Oh My fucking God it never occurred to me that both Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne's mother's have the same first name. Snyder has used this little bit of coincidence perfectly.

Last but not the least, Hans Zimmer kills it again with this background score as always.

Can't wait for Suicide Squad now.



My Rating - 7.4/10

Kapoor and Sons [2016]

Language - Hindi
Director - Shakun Batra
Run Time - 2 hours, 12 minutes
Genre - Drama/Comedy
Starring - Siddharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Alia Bhatt, Rishi Kapoor, Ratna Pathak and Rajat Kapoor

I have to admit ,when I heard that a Karan Johar movie is being released starring Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, the horrors of 'Student of the Year' came back to me, and I instantly made up my mind not to watch it.  But after hearing amazing reviews, I had to watch it and see for myself.

And yes, it turned out to be an amazing movie. Bollywood movies' standards have dropped so low, there are barely 5-10 decent films every year, and Kapoor and Sons is definitely one of them. A heart-warming, chuckle-filled family tale which pleases everyone.

What's different about this movie is that it sheds away the tag of a perfect family. Here is a family where a grandfather openly talks about watching porn, the husband cheats on this wife, and the kids are leading sad and dysfunctional lives. Thank God, it does not follow the cliche of all is well, happy endings.

All actors play out their roles effortlessly, as the movie focuses on each character and gives them space to flourish. Yes, the movie is at times predictable, but a delight to watch nonetheless.

The plot is quite simple, with Rahul (Fawad) and Arjun (Siddharth) being called back to India due to their 'dadu' (Rishi) suffering a heart-attack. Thus, happens a long overdue family reunion, when the 'can of worms' erupts and out comes flaring bags of tempers and some long kept secrets. Add some more Drama which the general India audience requires, and that sums up the storyline.

Commenting on individual actors, Rishi Kapoor deserves the most applauds for his portrayal of the lovable and naughty 'dadu'. With tons of makeup, I did not recognize him at first :O

Ratna Pathak is fun to watch as the jealous wife, whereas Rajat Kapoor also serves his role justice.

Fawad, Alia and Siddharth share amazing chemistry and drive the film. Fawad and Alia, in my opinion, are brilliant actors and the future stars of the industry, Siddharth, not so much.

The songs, as usual, were lame and unnecessary, and should have been eliminated.

Overall, a nice watch,`which leaves you with a feel good sensation. Go for it.

My Rating - 7.2/10

Deadpool [2016]

Language - English
Director - Tim Miller
Run Time - 1 hour, 48 minutes
Genre - Action/Comedy
Starring - Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin and Ed Skrein

Finally, we got to see Deadpool on the silver screen (No, X-men Origins does not count) and yes, it was totally worth the hype. Deadpool is so unique and brilliant because he is among the very few characters who regularly break the fourth wall in comics.

Originally intended to be a spoof on Deathstroke, this character has become a far important character than Deathstroke would ever be. And who other than the always zestful Ryan Reynolds to play the Merc with the mouth. Deadpool seems to be a persona that Reynolds has developed in his real life.

The best thing was that the producers didn't shy away from portraying Deadpool as he is, most filmmakers change some characters while adapting a character, but Tim Miller did ultimate justice to Deadpool, and let him be his usual witty, insulting, 'no fucks given character'.

Every part of the movie is brilliant, and the same was evident from the starting credits itself. There is crude, vulgar, ridiculing humour, all of which is missing from the usually serious superhero movies (Guardians of the Galaxy is an exception). The film deserves commendation because it takes a serious effort to make a film which is a combination of class and vulgarity.

There is nothing much to the story as it moves in a linear pattern, but Reynolds keeps us interested all the way despite the lack of a better plot. Morena Baccarin, as well as Ed Skrein, do justice to their roles; the chemistry between Reynolds and Baccarin is sizzling.

We have some interesting supporting characters in the form of X-men Colossus and  Negasonic Teenage Warhead, the blind roommate, Dopinder the taxi driver and Weasel, the bartender at the mercenaries bar. All of them add their own humour quotient to the movie.

The worst thing about the movie is that it's such a short one.

And I loved the posy credits scene! Cable in the next movie! Hell yeah!

Finishing up I'd like to say a few things.

1. The Marketing for the movie was spot-on. The innovative posters, the voice-over trailer, and Reynolds himself on his Instagram gave the movie the hype it deserved.
2. I'm so glad Indian audience is developing and watching movies like Deadpool over some romantic bullshit like Fitoor. Yes, Deadpool earned more than Fitoor over the weekend in India

Final Verdict - Ronald McDonalds' wisdomous words - 'I'm lovin' it'

Rating - 9/10

Wazir [2016]

Language - Hindi 

Director - Bejoy Nambiar

Run Time - 1 hour, 42 minutes

Genre - Drama/Action

Starring - Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar and Aditi Rao Hyadri. John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh in guest appearances.

With Farhan Akhtar and Amitabh Bachchan as lead characters in a movie, there is always going to be a lot of expectations. But sadly, most of it remained unsatisfied. These are two great, versatile actors, but the plot failed them.

The movie has multiple plot loopholes and becomes quite unrealistic in the latter part. It's regrettable how Bejoy Nambiar's movies have taken a downward slope from the brilliant 'Shaitan' to the average 'David' and now the dismal 'Wazir'.

Also, what was so strikingly awful was the use of abysmal animation and gaudy makeup on Neil Nitin Mukesh to strike fear in the eyes of the audience in the movie.  

In the movie, Farhan Akhtar plays Danish Ali, a CBI officer who has just lost his daughter in a crossfire between him and a bunch of terrorists. He finds solace in Pandit Omkar Nath, who has himself lost a daughter due to unfortunate incidents.The two bond over their loss, and the game of chess. With so many pieces on the board, who can deliver the killing stroke aka CheckMate?

What's the problem with the movie is that it moves in a linear manner. There are no ups, downs, there is just action and a counter-action. The strategy behind any action is lacking. Thus arise the plot holes too.

SPOILER AHEAD

• How does a conversation exist with Wazir on Qureshi's phone
• How and why is the police department not after Wazir after he has assaulted a person and then left threatening messages as well? Only Sartaj and Danish are investigating.
• One does not become a union minister without background checks?

Concluding, the underlying idea behind the movie is pretty great, but the execution was not up to the mark. Actors gave a top notch performance as usual.

Probably could garner a one time watch. 

My Rating - 6.6/10

Star Wars : The Force Awakens [2015]

Language - English
Director - J.J. Abrams
Run Time  - 2 hours, 15 minutes
Genre - Drama/Sci-Fi
Starring - Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, etc

The most awaited movie of the year finally arrived, and lo, it did not disappoint at all. All of us were crushed after watching Episodes 1-3 came out because they were soooooo BAD! But, the Force Awakens is a brilliant sequel to a brilliant franchise, one that was long pending.

There was no doubt of JJ Abrams talent, as we saw how admirably he revamped the Star Trek series. And he proved his mettle once again. It was refreshing to see new characters, and Oh did we love them like we loved Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Darth Vader and the rest. Rey, Fin, Kylo Ren, Poe, and BB-8 are great characters to build the next stage of the franchise.

JJ Abrams kind of played safe here, with the film kind of mirroring A New Hope, but isn't that what we all wanted anyway? The film is packed with great action, stunning visual effects and the new characters add a lot of energy missing in the last 3 movies. The little quips in between also add a pleasant dimension to the film.

The Force Awakens picks off after the events of 'Return of the Jedi', wherein the dark side was finally defeated. It has been many years since, Luke Skywalker has disappeared, and the dark side has grown stronger, seducing innocent young minds towards its side (Kylo Ren). There are some new faces in the fight between the good and evil, with each side looking to find the last JEDI - Luke.

There is not one moment in the movie which feels like a drag, as it keeps you enthralled all throughout. And the best part is the number of times the movie has paid tribute to the original trilogy. Its a must watch for every Star Wars, Sci-Fi fan or anyone for that matter who likes going to the movies.

Go on, and May The FORCE be with you.

My Rating - 8.5/10

Bajirao Mastani [2015]

Language - Hindi
Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Run Time - 2 hours, 38 minutes
Genre - Drama/Romance/Biopic
Starring - Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra

Rarely does one get to say that a Bollywood movie has been shot so well, and I can say this about Bajirao Mastani. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has always been a director with a vision of grandeur and splendor, and he does manage to captivate us with this visual masterpiece. Every shot, every scene has been shot with ultimate perfection and richness.

But it doesn't end there, the movie is aptly aided by the brilliant acting of its lead characters, Ranveer Singh as Peshwa Bajirao, Deepika Padukone as Mastani and Priyanka Chopra as Kashibai. All three have given a splendid performance deserving an applaud. The sizzling chemistry between Ranveer and Deepika has earlier been witnessed in Ram-Leela, and they continue to charm us. Priyanka Chopra also performs admirably as the supporting character.

The movie is a biopic of Peshwa Bajirao, the second greatest person of interest of the vast Maratha empire, after Shivaji himself. It is based on a novel which gave greater focus towards his relationship with his wives, Kashibai and Mastani.

The movie goes on the similar lines of Jodhaa Akbar, but is not able to match it as it falls short of content. The movie could have been made better if it could have been shortened a bit, as by the end it sort of feels like a drag. And there were numerous, unnecessary songs which could have been done away with.

All being said, one should go watch this movie, as it is better than most Bollywood movies which are nonsensical, predictable and unoriginal. Just go to admire Sanjay Leela Bhansali's artistry and the amazing chemistry of Deepika and Ranveer.

My Rating - 7/10

Spectre [2015]

Language - English
Director - Sam Mendes
Run Time - 2 hours, 28 minutes
Genre - Action/Thriller
Starring - Daniel Craig, Christopher Waltz and Ralph Fiennes.

The last BOND movie of the Daniel Craig era, Spectre starts off wonderfully. We have an exhilarating scene in Mexico amidst the 'Day of the Dead' festivities, but sadly, the movie just goes downhill from there and is not able to maintain the tempo.

For a James Bond movie, the 'action' content was quite sparse, and even when there was, it was meek and uninteresting. The movie made no sense in some areas as well and there were multiple plot holes in the movie. Simply put, the movie does not succeed in keeping the audience captivated. Although it does succeed in confusing them at times. Sam Mendes, disappoints after the much loved Skyfall.

Mendes fails to gain from casting Christopher Waltz as the villain, as the movie barely featured him. Even Dave Bautista of the Guardians of Galaxy fame (Drax) and Andrew Scott of Sherlock fame (Moriarty) were both barely given any screen time and thus wasted.

The movie picks up from the scars of Skyfall, with Bond chasing a target given to him by M posthumously, but failure to work within the system leads to his official leave from MI6. Bond uncovers an undercover criminal organization that has long been pulling the strings behind criminal activities in the world - Spectre, but his infiltration is soon discovered. These chain of events kick off the movie with Bond trying to figure out more behind Spectre and Franz Obenhauser (leader of Spectre) attempting to kill Bond.

The trailer promised us so much, It promised us of a great possible battle ensuing between Bond and the criminal organization 'Spectre'; something on the terms of Mission Impossible 5, but it became more of a one on one between Bond and Obenhauser (Waltz). Sam Mendes tried to win the war by linking all Craig-era movies but lost the battle at hand by failing to have a substantial plot for this movie.

The movie also falls short of the usual Bond gadgets and gizmos, that are usually the forte of a spy.

Thus. ends Daniel Craigs Bond reign, though, he does not go out with a bang. More like a fizzle.

Hardcore Bond fans will watch, but I'd recommend avoiding.

My Rating - 6.4/10

Talvar [2015]

Language - English
Director - Meghna Gulzar
Run Time - 2 hours, 12 minutes
Genre - Drama/Mystery
Starring - Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma

'Talvar' takes us back to the gruesome story of Aarushi Talwar double murder case which absorbed and dumbfounded the entire country. This is not another version of what happened, rather an anthology of all possible versions, upon which the audience can base their judgment.

Bollywood  movies rarely please me, but Talvar was an exception.

What works for this movie is its unique documentary-esque style of storytelling which keeps the audience enthralled throughout. Kudos to Vishal Bharadwaj for that. Also, credit to Irrfan, Konkona and especially to Neeraj Kabi for his performance as 'Ramesh Tandon' (Ramesh Talwar). I'm beginning to like him quite a lot after following his performances in 'Ship of Theseus' and 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy'.

This movie reveals how truly fucked up and bizarre the Indian justice systems' working is, as we get an overview of how this case progressed. It shows how Indian police and investigating authorities are incapable of solving a crime even with the easiest of evidence available and how a case becomes a media trial instead of being just a police investigation.

Although there were some shortcomings according to me. Vishal Bharadwaj, here portrays a biased stand towards the parents' innocence and builds the movie chiefly on that. Also, Tabu's role was unnecessary and could have easily been cut out.

In conclusion, I would like to shower some praise on Vishal Bharadwaj. He is one of the few genius minds in Bollywood. His films move away from the usual run of the mill Bollywood films, and that is one thing I love about his work. His films challenge the typical 'song-dance-drama-sprinkle some comedy' routine to which majority of Bollywood films adhere to and thus seem like a diamond among the soot. More movies should be made like this.

Just go Watch it. This is one movie you should not miss out on.

My Rating - 8.6/10

The Martian [2015]

Language - English
Director - Ridley Scott
Run Time - 2 hours, 21 minutes
Genre - Drama/Sci-Fi
Starring - Matt Damon, Kristin Wiig, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara and Chiwetel Ejiofor

With such a star-studded cast, one can barely go wrong. (Remember Expendables, Valentine's Day, The Counselor). And you have Ridley Scott as the director. This film had success written all over it.

A great story (everyone loves a hero story), coupled with some phenomenal actors, and brilliant cinematography and we have our masterpiece. One thing that was mediocre was the background score. You cannot have a science fiction movie without a good background score. It was lacking half the times and the other half seemed like it had been picked up from the soundtrack of Interstellar. Well, all can't be Hans Zimmer.

The Martian, based upon the best-selling novel of the same name, tells us the story of Mark Whitney [Damon], who's left behind upon a mission to mars as he was presumed dead. Now all alone on this planet he must find means to survive and somehow alert NASA that he is still alive. How will NASA bring back America's hero?

One may try to compare The Martian with the previous year's space saga, 'Interstellar'; but I ask why? They are completely different and amazing movies and should be left at that. Genius director Christopher Nolan's Interstellar made us think while Ridley Scott's Martian makes us hope. Hope for our hero to survive.

Although not suspenseful, but it was certainly not predictable. Our hero, Mark Whitney's tale sure had its share of ups and downs. Another thing that worked for the movie was the dialogues. The quips and quirks sure added some flavor to what otherwise would have been a pretty mundane movie.

I was a bit sad to see the other actors to receive such less screen time considering the tremendous talent and pedigree they hold to their names.

But Kudos to Ridley Scott and Matt Damon to deliver us one of the smartest, simplest and most satisfying film of the year.

My Rating - 8.8/10