THE HUNGER GAMES (2012)

From the very first day i heard there was a movie coming called "The Hunger games", i was curious to know what the movie was about. I came to know its based on a young adult novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The novel had received some criticism for being similar to "Battle Royale", a Japanese movie that i saw few years back. I was slightly let down to know that because the movie was almost similar to an already well known film. But my interest was again revived after i heard the young main cast was going to be Jennifer Lawrence (oscar nominated for Winter's Bone) in the role of the protagonist Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson (brilliant in Bridge to Terabithia) as Peeta Mellark.

The movie is directed by Gary Ross (oscar nominated for Seabiscuit). Set in the nation of Panem (a nation with a rich city Capitol and 12 poor districts) which saw an uprising from these 12 districts many years back, the movie follows the life of Katniss Everdeen and how she ended up in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are an annual event which are held by the Capitol as a punishment for the districts for the rebellion. 12 boys and 12 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected from each district to represent their district in the Hunger Games as "tributes", which is a game of "fight to the death" with the last surviving person as the winner. From the District 12, Katniss and Peeta are selected in the process of selection called "The Reaping". The Hunger Games are not just any games, they are highly popular among the people of Capitol and it is viewed on television like a normal reality program.

                                                                   Katniss and Peeta

                                     Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor.

The movie is made on the first novel of the trilogy. The most remarkable thing about the movie is how it completely makes us believe in the unsettling and brutal side of humans. And i loved how the movie mocks the ever increasing inhumaneness of this world. The fictional world created is also fascinating which shows the ostentatious society of dolled up people of the Capitol. Though the movie is similar to the concept of "Battle Royale", its completely different in execution with more emphasize on the human side.

My verdict:
This a pretty cool and entertaining movie which keeps us guessing what will happen next even though we might know what is coming. I loved the performance by the two leads and also the amazing Woody Harrelson in the role of their mentor for the Games. Overall the movie is gripping and lived up to my expectations.

Who should watch?
If you are a sci-fi and fiction lover you are definitely going to like it but if you easily get distracted or impatient from the movies with unconventional ideas or themes this not for you.

Movie info.:
Genre - Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Director - Gary Ross
Stars - Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 142 minutes

5 Reasons Why Jab Tak Hai Jaan SUCKED!

Have you all watched Jab Tak Hai Jaan? Well i did in November and i still can't get over the fact it received better critical reception than Talaash from some critics as well as movie goers. Well i gathered these five important reasons why i believe JTHJ sucked! I have really admired Yash Raj movies over the years and some are really one of my all time favorites but JTHJ honestly seemed to have missed it by a long shot.

1. LAME SCRIPT:
Seriously what's up with the script? It was like too pat and puerile. You get hit on your head, then you again get hit on the head, that time i really wished 'one more hit and kill that man please so that i can go out'. And his girlfriend leaves him because she thought Sir Jesus was trying to kill him. What? I have seen way worse bollywood movies but i never expected something like this from Yash Raj, especially when its his last.

2. WOODEN ACTING: 
The movie stars Katerina Kaif. Enough said.

3. USELESS DANCE NUMBER:
I liked that dance number but not in the movie. It was useless and no way helped the movie and made me feel like the movie was dragging slowly and slowly and not towards something good. And so many songs! And they were all not that great.

4. SUPER LAME EDITING:
175 Minutes! Couldn't they find an editor? Give it to me, i could have done it better and for free if i knew movie was such a torture!

                                         Yeah i too cried like that while watching the movie.


5. NEGLIGIBLE ONSCREEN PRESENCE OF SOME ACTORS:
Anupam Kher, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh! Couldn't they give some more time to these brilliant actors on the screen? And Anupam Kher i thought was there only for like 1 minute. WTH?


But after the movie ended i did not feel completely cheated because something in the movie definitely stuck in my mind that i liked that saved the movie from being a total disaster.
So what saved the movie?

1. ANUSHKA SHARMA:
This marvelous, vivacious and sexy actress has got all what she needs to go to the top. I know she was there for less time than Katerina Kaif but her spirited acting and charm completely overshadowed Katerina. It was sheer delight to watch her! Give her the best supporting actress award hands down!

BRAVE (2012)

Previous Pixar Animation Studio's animated feature Cars 2 was a disappointment for the crazy fans of animation like me and wondered if had Pixar lost its touch. And then came much anticipated Brave which wiped out all the doubts and made me realize Pixar can still do its thing.

The movie is set in a time in Scotland when kings and magic were in fashion. The king Fergus gifts her young daughter Princess Merida with a bow on her birthday. Afterwards the clan is terrorized by an out of control ferocious bear whom Fergus defeats but looses his one leg. Soon archery becomes Merida's passion and gives her sense of freedom as she grows up. But when her mother decides for her to get married Merida's hopes are shattered and she rudely rejects the offer. But nonetheless the three clans from all over Scotland come in order to win Merida's hand for their young princes. Furious Merida leaves the castle and goes to the nearby forest where she meets a wood carver who turns out to be a witch. Merida asks her for a potion that could change her mother's opinions and so begins a story of adventure, bravery, compassion and morals.

                                                       The Royal Dunbroch family.

The movie's animation is top notch, something that Pixar is master at and the story is also brilliant in many ways. The story has the right amount of humor and heart which makes this movie a definite watch.


My verdict:
The movie is not groundbreaking like previous Pixar movies but it still lives up to Pixar standards and is magnificent in its own. The good thing about the movie is it does not forces its morals on us but lets itself slowly prove the meaning and significance of moral values.

Who should watch?
A must watch for animation fans! But this is a kind of movie that is for everyone who likes a feel good movie with magic and adventure.

Movie info.:
Genre -Animation, Adventure
Director - Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Stars -Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson (voice)
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 93 minutes

THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)

2012 was not pretty interesting year in terms of horror movies but there were a few of the horror movies that caught my attention. I had been waiting for a long time to see the much awaited The Woman in Black not much because of the reason it is horror but because it stars Daniel Radcliffe, the star of Harry Potter series. Its his latest release after the ending of the Potter series and quite a surprise as i didn't expect his next movie to be a horror one. But surprise is what made me so curious for it.

Movie is directed by British director James Watkins (also directed the fantastic "Eden Lake") and stars Daniel who plays the protagonist Arthur Kipps, a broke lawyer who lives in a British town in early 1900s and has been given a job by his boss to collect some paper work from a manor in a nearby town so that it can be sold. Being a widower and a father of a four year old boy, he is hesitant to leave but reluctantly accepts the job due to the risk of loosing his job. He receives a very cold reception in the town and is asked to leave the town but he somehow bribes a coachman and leaves for the manor where he realizes it is haunted.

                                                      Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps.

My verdict:
The movie has an overall eerie atmosphere which i enjoyed. The performance by the leads is top notch and the plot is intriguing and frightening. Movie is overall pretty scary but mostly jump scares which i believe somehow degrade the quality of movie but still the plot and performance kept me involved and the movie had a lot to offer till the very end. Especially the very early 1900s sets and the creepy manor make this a good spine tingling watch but still it somehow lacked the amount of horror element that i expected.

Who should watch?
The movie is one of the few interesting horror movie of the year so definitely worth a watch, especially horror fans, but the movie has enough suspense and drama that any movie fan will enjoy. Its worth a watch for a good scare at a lonely night.

Movie info.:
Genre - Horror, Drama, Thriller
Director - James Watkins
Stars - Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeers
Country - UK
Language - English
Runtime - 95 minutes

TED (2012)

Haven't we all longed for a cuddly talking toy when we were little? But what if that toy grew with us and we saw all the same changes taking in him as we saw in us as we matured? Say like drinking, smoking and getting laid. Did i just say getting laid? Well its a cute and cuddly toy, isn't it? How hard can it be for him to get women, eh? Well Ted is one of those fantasy movie which truly and hilariously makes our all these fantasies come alive on screen.

Directed and written by Seth MacFarlane (creator of awesome series Family Guy) Ted stars well known actors Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and voice by the director Seth himself. Movie is about how a small and lonely boy gets a talking teddy bear for Christmas (you gotta see it for yourself how) who soon becomes the hot topic of the world. Both of them grow as best buddies or as they like to call themselves "the thunder buddies". Ted (the teddy bear voices by Seth) and John (Mark) grow up to be lazy asses who spend a lot of time smoking weed and drinking and watching a crappy old sci-fi tv series. Things change when John's finds a girlfriend Lori (Mila) but not much. Lori finds it hard to find a place between them as an individual and couldn't accept John being 35 and still spending time with a teddy bear who most of the time likes to get boozed up and get high and get laid. Both of their lives change when Lori puts forward an offer to John which he never thought he would ever have to deal with.

                                                                John, Ted and Lori

                                                       Ted and his daily routine.

My verdict:
This is a hilarious American comedy with some really original slap-stick jokes and i cracked up laughing pretty hard! The concept itself is so full of curiosity and Ted lives up to its expectations. Ted is really well animated and amusing little character and as a whole i found movie very funny.

Who should watch?:
Though the movie is hilarious but most of its jokes are american so if you are not very well aware of them you might not find it as funny as it is but anyways you will still have a great time watching it. Though warned the movie is R rated comedy which means it has crude sexual humor and nudity.

Movie info.:
Genre - Comedy, Fantasy
Director - Seth MacFarlene
Stars - Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 106 minutes

PROMETHEUS (2012)

About 30 years ago Ridley Scott's movie called Alien came in 1979 which became one of the finest known movie in sci-fi genre to date. But who would have known Scott will produce another gold with the same material. Prometheus is basically a prequel to Alien but it differs in many ways from being similar to it. Firstly breathtaking special effects and secondly very different story line.

Prometheus is directed by well known Hollywood director Ridley Scott and stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Logan Marshall-Green. Wow! With such a star studded film its hard not to let your hopes high. But Prometheus delivers, and with style. The movie is about the exploration of the genesis of human race. The concept is such that it will even shock Charles Darwin but nonetheless its intriguing. A bunch of archaeologists find a cave in which they find a map of constellations which matches to many maps and paintings found in ancient cultures and dynasties. The map points to the moon of a distant planet which might be similar to earth in many ways. So the CEO of Weyland corporation begins a mission funded by him to that moon. A special crew of scientists and archaeologists is selected and they leave for the planet in a spaceship called "Prometheus". About 4 years later they reach the planet and soon they discover something greater than they imagine and gradually the exploration turns into a havoc.

                                                                          The crew

                                                                 Spaceship Prometheus

 My verdict:
The movie was an exhilarating experience for me. After a long time i had watched such good alien movie. Though some parts in the movie may seem recycled but still the overall movie concept and amazing special effects and Scott's brilliant direction compensates for it. Definitely worth a watch!

Who should watch?:
This movie is definitely a treat for sci-fi fans, but anyone with a taste for action and thriller will also like this movie.

Movie info.:
Genre - Sci-fi, Adventure
Director - Ridley Scott
Stars - Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 124 minutes

New Trailer: MAN OF STEEL (2013)

Here is the trailer for the upcoming movie on Superman MAN OF STEEL releasing June 2013!

New Trailer: OBLIVION (2013)

Check out this insanely cool trailer from Tom Cruise's upcoming sci-fi action movie OBLIVION releasing in April 2013!

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)

There was a time on earth when there were cave-men and huge frightful beasts roamed the land and life of men was a life of risk and survival. Now thousands of years later those beasts might be gone but life is still a survival game. But a six year old knows about the concept of life and death pretty much the same as he knows about rocket science: nothing. But in Beasts of the Southern Wild i came to know the other side of it. The imagination and vision in a child runs way ahead than a grown up.

Beasts is a feature length directorial debut of Benh Zeitlin starring Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry in the lead roles. The movie is about a community who lives in an isolated area which is separated from the main city by a levee. They like to call this place Bathtub as it is pretty much surrounded by the sea and is constantly struck with windstorms. But nonetheless life for this community is no less than a party everyday. Here lives a 6 year old girl Hushpuppy with her obstinate father who lives by the rule "Brave people don't run away from their home". When a huge storm strikes the whole area is flooded killing many and ruining the livestock and food. People begin to migrate but not Hushpuppy and her daddy. They are not scared to face whatever comes next but they wont run away like cowards. They travel together in a boat altered from a truck, waiting till the water level goes down learning and teaching the ways of survival. They may not be educated or civilized but they possess the most important thing, love and dignity.

                                                        Hushpuppy and her daddy.

This movie is one of the finest movie I have seen this year and what makes it so special is the magnificent Quvenzhane Wallis who played the role of innocent Hushpuppy. I could not believe i was watching a 9 year old act like a pro. She was so believing in her role that for a moment i thought i was watching a documentary. She exudes so much confidence in each and every emotion, be it a heart shattering moment or a moment of laughter or tear, it was an utter joy to watch. Not only the acting in this movie is splendid but so is the beautiful landscapes captured on the camera. It gradually seeds the notion in our mind that this life is pretty and nasty at the same time but the brave is the one who sees it on the both extremes, one who doesn't run away but survives, because survive is what we must.

My verdict :
This is a brilliant movie with a heart and boasts of an unbelievably heart wrenching performance and script. I personally loved it!

Who should watch? :
This movie is for serious real life cinema lovers. But it doesn't mean if you are a horror or action fan you cant enjoy this. I would say go ahead and give it a shot and i am sure you will not be disappointed.

Movie info:
Genre - Drama
Director - Benh Zeitlin
Stars - Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 93 minutes

70th GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD nominations announced!

The prestigious Golden Globe Award nomination to honor the movies of 2012 have been announced! The winners will be announced on JANUARY 13TH! 

India's bet BARFI failed to get a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Category.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA:

1. ARGO

 2. DJANGO UNCHAINED

 3. LIFE OF PI

 4. ZERO DARK THIRTY

 5. LINCOLN

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:

1. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

 2. MOONRISE KINGDOM

3. LES MISERABLES

4. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

5. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

For a complete list of all the nominees in all the categories click HERE.