Film Review - How To Train Your Dragon 2

Return Of The Dragon

Film: How To Train Your Dragon 2

Voices of: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler

Directed by: Dean DeBlois

Duration: 1 hr 45 mins

Rating: * * *

When How to Train Your Dragon was released in 2010, it became an instant success because it had that extra zing, compared to most other animation films. The good news is that the sequel is also in the same vein and a good follow up to the tale of bonding between man and animal.

It is set a few years after the fight between humans and dragons that happened in the first installment. Now they are all happily living together, even the chief (voice of Gerard Butler) is friendly with them and his son Hiccup’s (Jay Baruchel) bond with the dragon Toothless has only become stronger. While the initial bits of the film just meander with the fun and games, the young man also meets his mother (Cate Blanchett) who was separated from him when he was a baby. 

All such films need a villain and here it is Drago (Djimon Hounsou) who wants to capture all the dragons and take over them. It is upto Hiccup and his friends to save the day as the proceedings get a little darker when to monstrous dragons fight with each other.

Barring the initial bits when precious little happens, once the story gets moving it keeps up the pace with a thrilling climax. The animation is top notch and all the colorful creatures look beautiful, am sure they look even better in 2D. Many of the characters from the previous film also make an appearance.

The first film was more fun because it had considerable novelty but since the plot doesn’t really push the boundaries this time, there isn’t any surprise element. But for those looking for some fun time at the theatres, go ahead, enter the dragon. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 15th June 2014

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Film Review - Grace of Monaco

Not So Amazing Grace                        

Film: Grace of Monaco

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth

Directed by: Olivier Dahan

Duration: 1 hr 53 mins

Rating: * 1 / 2

From the director who made La Vie en Rose (2007), Grace of Monaco is a huge disappointment and that is putting it mildly. A large part of the blame should also go to the screenwriter Arash Amel who has, the fictionalized account if one big fat turkey.

The trouble with many biopics lately has been the writing- from Jobs to Grace Kelly, the writers and the directors, both have got it wrong.

The former actress has quite a life- first as an A list actress in Hollywood who enchanted many with her beauty but then gave it all up at the age of 26 to marry Prince Rainer of Monaco.

Very few actresses on the big screen had the beauty, grace and charm of Grace Kelly - the heart still skips a few beats when you see that stunning close up of hers when she makes an entry in Rear Window.

But this film is muddled - it uses fact, fiction to dish out a story that doesn’t hold your interest. Produced by Uday Chopra and Yash Raj films, the focus is on the period when Kelly’s (played by Nicole Kidman) marriage was going through a turbulent phase. Not only that, there was a great deal of upheaval on the political front as Prince Rainer was under severe pressure from Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.

With a story that is all over the place, it is not clear what exactly the director was trying to portray. From personal crisis to political problems and conspiracies to charity, it oscillates like an old grandfather clock. The only episode that had me interested was Hitchcock persuading her to do Marnie in which Tippi Hedren acted eventually. The actor who played Hitch (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) had his voice, accent and mannerisms spot on and you can also see the effort put in by Kidman, who sparkles in some scenes but draws a blank at other times but not sure if the blame lies on her shoulders. There are too many culprits responsible for this messy film.

Published in The Navhind Times on 15th June 2014

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Film Review -Fugly

At the Four Front 

Film:Fugly

Cast:Jimmy Sheirgill, Mohit Marwah, Vijender Singh
Directed by:Kabir Sadanand

Duration:2hrs 14 mins
Rating: * *

The song in Fugly says “Yeh Fugly Fugly kya hain?” – incidentally, am still searching for the answer as to what on earth this film is about. With hardly any originality, it looks like a derivative of several films of recent times. 

The story is about three blokes, Dev (Mohit Marwah) Aadi (Arfi Lamba), Gaurav (boxer turned actor, Vijender Singh) and a girl (Kiara Advani). After a skirmish involving her, they find themselves rubbing a cop (Jimmy Sheirgill) the wrong way.

The writing again is lame and the proceedings are as believable as a pink Rhino doing the break dance. And in the second half, it takes a turn for the worse getting into the Rang De Basanti mode. 

There are way too many stereo types as far as the characters are concerned and even though there are a couple of funny episodes (one including an elderly lady) but they are not enough to salvage the film.

Jimmy Sheirgill as the bad cop pulls it off impressively while the rest are just about so-so.

So here’s another film that is well intended but squanders an opportunity. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 15th June 2014

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Film Review - Edge of Tomorrow

If Tomorrow Never Comes

Film: Edge of Tomorrow
Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Directed by: Doug Liman
Duration: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: * * * 1 / 2

Edge of Tomorrow will go down as one of the better science fiction films we have seen in recent time. With a clever story (based on a Japanese book All You Need Is Kill) director Doug Liman (the Bourne Identity and Ultimatum) manages to deliver a film that is intriguing from start to finish.

It would be impossible not to think of Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day (1993) while watching Edge of Tomorrow. Since the story goes in a ‘loop’ it also reminded me of Manners of Dying (2004, based on a story by Yann Martel) and science fiction writer Robert Heinlein’s classic time travel story, By His Boot Straps.

What would you do if you could ‘reset’ the day and start all over again if something went wrong? That is the basic premise although it is set during a conflict when everything is going wrong.

Set during an unspecified time, aliens have invaded the earth and mankind is fighting a losing battle.  Tom Cruise plays William Cage, an army Major who is forcefully sent to France where a Normandy like attack takes place. Just as he is killed, Cage finds him self back to the base. The conflict starts again and Cage is killed at a slightly latter stage this time but as soon as that happens, he finds himself back on the base.

In other words, with his death, the day is reset. Rita (Emily Blunt) is an ace warrior who possessed similar qualities once and understands what is happening to Cage. Together, they have to find a way to get to the Omega (equivalent of the alien mother ship) and destroy it.

With a story that goes in a loop for a while, it could have easily spiraled out of control but Liman has kept the proceedings tight and pacy, initially you wonder where it all headed to but once the outline is laid, the film gets into action mode. You know they are likely to achieve what they want to, the question is, how will it unfold.

Tom Cruise’ off screen antics may have given him a bad name but as in actor, he still has it in him to pull it off.
 
For those who like action or sci-fi Edge of Tomorrow is not to be missed.

 

Published in The Navhind Times on 8th June 2014 

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Film Review - Filmistaan

Cinema Paradiso

Film: Filmistaan
Cast: Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Gopal Dutt
Directed by: Nitin Kakkar
Duration: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: * * * 1 / 2

There is something eminently likable about Filmistaan, it is an earnest and sincerely made film on a modest budget sans any big stars. There is a political India–Pakistan peace message thrown in and how Bollywood can transcend all boundaries, with a somber finale. Moreover, it is about two characters who are truly madly and deeply in love with cinema. More power to such films.

Sunny Arora (Sharib Hashmi) is a film buff who can recite the dialogues of Bollywood films, ab-initio.  While working on with a film crew near the Indo-Pak border he is kidnapped by militants and soon finds himself on the wrong side of the LOC. The militants (Kumud Mishra and Gopal Dutt) were hoping kidnap an American but end with this Bollywood devotee. They keep him captive in a village house but he finds a friend in a Aftab (Inaamulhaq) who pirates DVD’s and is movie crazy himself. With a common passion, the two of them hit it right away giving us a lot of fun moments.

With Sunny making every attempt to cross the border and come back, towards the end the plot hits a few serious notes instead of continuing in the lighter tone. In the climax, the famous freedom speeches of Jinnah and Nehru are cleverly juxtaposed but the point leading up to it could have been snappy.

The best parts of Filmistaan are when it focuses on cinema and the love of it.  A scene involving Maine Pyaar Kiya is a hoot and though there is no heroine, the cast is fabulous. Sharib Hashmi and Inaamulhaq are both utterly convincing in their respective.

Filmistaan has a few flaws but if you love movies, you will come out satisfied after watching this zany film.

Published in The Navhind Times on 8th June 2014 

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Film Review - Holiday

Working Over Time

Film: Holiday

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha

Directed by: A.R. Murugadoss

Duration: 2 hrs 50 mins

Rating: * *

Written and Directed by A.R. Murugadoss of Ghajini fame, Holiday is a remake of hit Tamil film Thuppakki. More often than not,when it comes to films, what works in South India doesn’t work in Bollywood as far as the box office is concerned. From a creative point of view also, it has hardly ever struck a chord and this film is no different.

With no regard for logic or a plot that makes sense Holiday is aimed at the lowest common denominator. The good news is that it is not as painful as some of the other Akshay Kumar films we have been subjected to but then that is not saying much.

Virat (Akshay) is an army man who is taken straight to the prospective bride’s house from the railway station. While he thinks that the girl Saiba (Sonakshi) is a shy, simpleton, it turns out she is a boxer. All the commotion and romance that ensued prompted me to say saiba bogus in Konkani.

When the initial part of the romance is done, it is time for some action. A deadly terrorist attack takes place and the before the sleeper cells are activated for more destruction, Virat and his friends cleverly kill all the 12 members of the terrorist gang. Well, not so cleverly actually. They all wear suits and ties while carrying out this operation in broad daylight in Mumbai, and our hero belongs to some intelligence wing in the army but it takes a while for his grey cells to get activated as to how the terrorists track them down.

Bones are broken, blood is splattered and even a finger is chopped and thrown in bin to ensure that peace prevails. Freddy Daruwala plays the not so menacing terrorist who heads the outfit seeking revenge.

It is not just the hare brained plot even the length of the film is a deterrence. Akshay Kumar has been there done that and to be fair he still has some screen presence. It is just that we have seen it time and over again. All said and endured, this Holiday is like working overtime. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 8th June 2014 

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