‘Avengers: Endgame’: Movie Review

To say that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is simply another movie would be a gross understatement, and a disservice to the legions of fans and the incredible work done by Marvel Studios over ten years and twenty-one movies before this. To be sure, this is a cinematic event on a grand scale unlike any other in the past, and probably in the immediate future – and pretty much everyone has been waiting for this with baited breath. And Joe and Anthony Russo have pulled it off in grand fashion – not only does the movie deliver in terms of thrills, action visuals and all of the glitz, it is a complete package that does not skimp on humour, emotions, or genuinely heartfelt moments that will leave a smile on your face and a lump in your throat – and that is what makes this one such a fitting conclusion to this arc of the MCEU.

To say anything on the plot, other than that the movie picks up 22 days or so after Thanos snapped his finger and destroyed half of all living creatures, and the survivors are left to figure out what to do, would be risking giving away some spoilers. But, as a warning, without any details, I would say this – one of the big positives (and potential challenges for casual viewers) is that this movie really emphasizes on Marvel Studios’ idea that all the movies in the MCEU are part of a shared cinematic universe, and clever nods, callbacks and references to events and characters in the previous movies play a pretty crucial role here. So, you’d better be aware of the events of the previous movies – else you’ll be lost to what is happening here.

It is to Marvel’s credit that their casting decisions were always on point – I have said previously that the casting is such that it is hard to imagine anyone else in these roles. And here, more than ever, the decisions really pay off. This movie focuses on the characters, each with their unique personalities, and their relationships that have evolved over the course of so many movies, and charts out satisfying conclusions to their arcs. Full credit to the writing, which is consistent with the characters, - it’s not hard to believe where they are in their lives, and their journey till the end seems just about right. And the actors bring their A-game here. Without exception, everyone is absolutely perfect here – it is clear to see the actors’ love for their characters, and their investment really pays off.

The writing is nothing short of exceptional. Full marks to the makers for a restrained approach which isn’t just about a bunch of people fighting each other in a CGI mashup – for the most part, the movie is an adventure with people in difficult situations, which they need to use their wits to get out of. The dialogues are crackling with humour and the chemistry the characters share with each other, and there are so many fan-service moments in the movie, it is hard not to cheer them. This is a comic book movie at its best – poignant and measured while at the same time exhilarating, amazing and unabashedly about its heroes.

Of course, though close, the movie isn’t perfect. The movie is 181 minutes long, which may irritate some audience members – that being said, there is never a dull moment and the makers justify the length. There is a lot to cover here, and pretty much every scene is crammed with details that take the plot along. And while it is mostly about the characters, the third act is very effects heavy and kind of a CGI slugfest. But again, works as an integral part of the movie – and the audience at the screening I attended were clapping, whistling, hooting and screaming all around. If you needed any indication of the feedback on the movie, this is it.

I, for one, found it a bittersweet moment when the credits rolled – I didn’t realize these movies really had me so emotionally invested. I cannot emphasize this enough – this is perhaps the only conclusion (out of the 14 million possible outcomes 😉) that would have worked for something like this, and is the perfect goodbye to these characters. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is a cinematic experience like none other – you cannot miss this!

‘Shazam!’: Movie Review

After the massive success of DC’s last outing ‘Aquaman’, which was pretty grand in scale with a huge underwater world and a lot of CGI (which worked well for that movie), it is surprising to see DC taking a U-turn, deciding to tell a much more down to earth story of one of its lesser known heroes. And it is a pleasant surprise, that yields a simple yet effective story which brings back the fun in what is seemingly the thankless job of a superhero. DC’s course correction to focus on character stories in genres that suit the key players (looking forward to Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker later this year) feels like a smart move, and I hope it’ll deliver good results. 

‘Shazam!’ tells the story of Billy Baston (Asher Angel), a foster kid who keeps escaping out of foster care looking for his birth mother. When he gets taken into a group home with five other foster kids, Billy befriends one of the kids Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), a superhero enthusiast on crutches. When standing up for Freddy as he is bullied at school one day, Billy ends up being transported to a magical hidden temple in another dimension, and granted the powers of Shazam, an ancient hero who protects the world from manifestations of the seven deadly sins. On saying out the name, Billy gets transformed to the grown-up superhero version (Zachary Levi). Billy, with help from Freddy, must now explore his new-found superpowers and navigate the responsibilities around wielding it, all in time to counter the threat from supervillain Thaddeus Silvana (Mark Strong).

The refreshing thing about ‘Shazam!’ is the lightness of touch and the grounding of the stakes involved – it makes for a more personal tale which gives a chance for us to get to know these characters and their motivations. And, more importantly, this movie focuses on one aspect of superhero life that DC seems to actively go against – that the superhero life can be “fun”. The movie is whacky and incredulous, but it does not take itself seriously and calls itself out on its ridiculousness – and this is what lends the movie its USP. The movie plays with the trope of a young boy being endowed with super powers, and the interactions between Shazam and Freddy, which plays with this very well, provides some of the best moments of the movie.

The acting is very good. Zachary Levi is perfect as the man-child superhero, and his chemistry with Jack Dylan Grazer is great. Asher Angel is impressive as Billy. Mark Strong is menacing yet understated, and you really do get a sense of his character’s motivations. The rest of the support cast are all in good form too.

All in all, ‘Shazam!’ is a fun popcorn entertainer that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Movie Review: ‘Super Deluxe’

Just by virtue of it being director Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s second film, ‘Super Deluxe’ generated a lot of buzz. Add to it that it has Mysskin, Nalan Kumarasamy, Neelan K. Sekar and Kumararaja himself as writers, and actors like Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil part of the ensemble, and expectations became sky high. It is great, then, that ‘Super Deluxe’ delivers on its potential in fine style.

‘Super Deluxe’ consists of multiple storylines – there is one plot of a group of boys trying to watch a porn movie, and how it leads to two stories – one where a subgroup of friends have to try and make money quickly, and the other where one of the friends gets injured and needs to be hospitalized while his mother (Ramya Krishnan) and father (Mysskin), a self-proclaimed godman, scramble trying to heal him in their own ways. Another plot involves Vaembu (Samantha) whose lover dies during the act of lovemaking, and she now needs to dispose of the body with the help of her husband Mugil (Fahadh Faasil). Yet another plot tells the story of Manickam aka Shilpa (Vijay Sethupathi), a transwoman who comes back home and tries to come to terms with his son Rasukutty (Ashwanth Ashokkumar).

As expected with the calibre of the writers on offer, perhaps the biggest plus of ‘Super Deluxe’ is its writing. The screenplay is sharp with full of surprises, and the dialogues are pure gold. Hats off to Kumararaja for pulling off a seemingly difficult task – getting together four writers to put their styles into the plots, and seamlessly combining them to make one final product. The love for the characters and attention to detail here is clearly evident. The movie is beautifully shot, and is very stylish – the colours pop, and the camerawork is great. The background music by Yuvan Shakar Raja works perfectly (look out for the memorable ‘Star Wars’ reference). The acting here is top notch as well – Vijay Sethupathi is expectedly good in a difficult role. Bagavathi Perumal as the crooked cop Berlin is the perfect amount of creepy. Samantha, Ramya Krishnan and the boys do a great job as well. Mysskin is brilliantly cast as Arputham. But for me, the scene stealers were Ashwanth Ashokkumar as Rasukutty; and Fahadh Faasil as Mugil – the layers to his performance are just amazing!

While addressing the cons, I think the movie could have been shorter – it has been edited very well to seamlessly blend the stories, but the indulgence is evident. The runtime is quite long, and the movie would have benefitted from a reduced length, especially in the second half. Also, the movie may not be very accessible to a wider, mainstream audience – there are profanities aplenty which would dissuade family audiences, and the movie is more for the new-gen audiences and may not really be appreciated by the regular movie goers.

That being said, I count myself as a movie buff, and I can safely say – I loved ‘Super Deluxe’. There is so much going for it, and full marks to Thiagarajan Kumararaja and the entire crew for putting together such a wonderful package. I am excited to see what more Kumararaja has to offer (hopefully we get something sooner than the 8 years it took between this movie and ‘Aaranya Kaandam’.)

Movie Review: ‘Us’

After his extremely successful, Oscar winning ‘Get Out’, writer-director Jordan Peele is back with his second horror outing – ‘Us’. For those expecting an intelligent horror movie with a lot of underlying themes like his first movie, ‘Us’ would deliver – however, it should be noted that this one is not as straight forward in its storytelling as ‘Get Out’. The social commentary here is anything but direct – and most viewers (myself included) would scratch their heads trying to figure out what exactly Jordan Peele wants to say. This is evident from the amount of breakdown and exploratory videos on YouTube, which try to decode what the movie is all about.  

‘Us’ follows the Wilson family comprising of Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o), her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and their two children (Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex) who go for a vacation to their beach house in Santa Cruz. Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) is apprehensive of the trip as it reminds her of a traumatic incident in the past, while her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) is trying to compete with his more affluent friend Josh Tyler (Tim Heidecker). Soon enough, the family are attacked by a family of doppelgängers, each of them wearing identical clothes and wielding scissors. Who are these doppelgangers, what do they want, and will the family escape them forms the plot of the movie.

As I mentioned, ‘Us’ is much more obtuse than ‘Get Out’, which seems to have disappointed a lot of the viewers. That is not to say that ‘Us’ doesn’t work – on the contrary, ‘Us’ probably is more effective as a straight up horror movie than ‘Get Out’, where the key theme of liberal racism was central to understanding the movie and was instrumental in creating a lot of the discomfort. Here, however, while the subtle meaning and the themes of classism, rise of the have-nots and how our circumstances define who we are would enhance the viewing experience, the movie is plenty scary even if you don’t really connect with the themes.

Jordan Peele is already establishing himself as a brilliant creative voice, and his direction is top notch here as well. He creates an eerie sense of discomfort and tension, more akin to something like ‘The Shining’ rather than relying on jump scares. And his liberal use of humour to undercut the tension is brilliant. It also helps that he has a stellar cast who play both the roles very well – Lupita Nyong’o is a treat to watch, and is the highlight here. But full credit to the other cast, including Winston Duke and especially the children, who give amazing performances as well.

‘Us’ is by no means an easy watch – even fans of classic horror may be put off by the movie’s ambiguous tone, open ending and indirect messages. That being said, the movie is not something you can forget easily – it would make you want to revisit it and peel off the many layers to understand the hidden meaning. I have spent quite some time researching the movie after I saw it. And any movie that is capable of generating that interest is definitely a recommendation from me (Shame that it had such a limited theatrical run in India, but would definitely recommend watching it once it is out on streaming).

Movie Review: ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’

Dreamworks Animation’s final installation of the successful ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ franchise is a definite improvement on its predecessor, and is actually quite sweet and charming. It is a fitting conclusion to the series – if you loved the previous films, chances are you will definitely love this one as well. I am not the greatest fan, and for me this one was, like its predecessors, a decent watch but wouldn’t rank among my favourites.

‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ (THW) continues to follow the story of unlikely Viking leader Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless. Hiccup and his fellow dragon riders of Berk are now into saving dragons full-time – so much so that they have caught the attention of infamous dragon hunter Grimmel the Grisly (F. Murray Abraham). Hiccup must now try and find the “Hidden World” to provide a safe haven for all dragons. Meanwhile, Toothless discovers a female Fury dragon and falls head over heels in love – but is it a ploy by Grimmel to capture Toothless?

One of the key highlights on the movie is, of course, the animation – the evolution of the quality of the animation is very impressive to say the least. The detailing in this movie, in scenes of Toothless with Light Fury, and especially in the scenes in the Hidden World, are beautiful. This coupled with a good story and screenplay, which highlights the evolution of these characters, and highlights mature themes of family, relationships and letting go, and you have the basis for a fine movie. The voice acting complements these very well – so you have a well-rounded finished product.

For me, the issue was that the material never really elevates to the status of some of the best animation movies I’ve seen. The emotional heft is missing, and I felt the third act in particular was a bit flat – while it concludes the series perfectly, I felt the major conflict is resolved way too easily, and Hiccup’s misgivings are more of an afterthought.

‘THW’ is a decent watch, and if you are a fan of the series, a fitting conclusion to the franchise.

Movie Review: 'Captain Marvel'

I have enjoyed pretty much all the movies in the MCU – it is easily the most consistent movie franchise, if you can call it that. I think a large reason for that is that despite connecting threads linking it to the larger MCU, each movie had its own unique flavour, which suited the lead character and the story that was being told. Which is probably why ‘Captain Marvel’ feels underwhelming. The movie sticks to the tried and tested, but ultimately tired formula of origin movies – and with just one movie left in the current story of the MCU, playing it safe feels lacklustre.

‘Captain Marvel’ kicks off in the year 1995 with the Kree empire’s Starforce member Vers (Brie Larson), who suffers from amnesia and has recurring visions of what seems to be her past, getting trained by her mentor and commander Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), who tries to get her to control her abilities. The Kree empire’s ruler is an artificial intelligence known as the Supreme Intelligence (played by Annette Bening). After she is captured by a group of the shape-shifting enemy known as Skrulls, Vers escapes and crash-lands in Los Angeles. Her presence attracts the attention of Agent Nick Fury of the newly established S.H.I.E.L.D. (Samuel L. Jackson, made to look young by really impressive visual effects). They need to work together to fight the Skrulls threat, uncover Vers’s past and essentially save the day.

Like pretty much all Marvel movies, this one is a pretty solid movie. The acting, for one – Brie Larson is a very likeable Captain Marvel, and her chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson is probably the best thing about the movie. Jude Law is very good – so it’s a shame that he doesn’t have a lot to do. The supporting cast is pretty good too. The special effects are great, the nostalgia aspect with all the ‘90s references are fun, there are laughs to be had – there is a lot to like here.

The problem, for me at least, was that there is nothing new on offer here. There is a ho-hum feel to the entire proceedings, and I was never really invested in the story. It was emotionally quite light, and didn’t really elevate from a popcorn entertainer. Not that it is a bad thing – but I have come to expect a lot from these movies. I saw ‘Captain Marvel’ more from a continuity standpoint to be honest.

To sum up, the movie is definitely worth a watch – needless to say I guess, considering how successful it is. That being said, this is not up there among Marvel’s best offerings.

Movie Review: ‘Kumbalangi Nights’

Malayalam cinema has always fascinated me – I think it was the first movie industry I was exposed to where masala entertainers, hilarious; seemingly “mindless” comedies, and intelligent cinema (be it drama, comedy, action, whatever) coexisted homogenously under the “commercial cinema” umbrella and were equally successful. I guess it helped that I grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, which has been dubbed “the golden age of Malayalam cinema”. And I think that inherently, most of the movies at that time paid a lot of attention to the script, screenplay and dialogues, and were inherently intelligent, thoughtful and detailed in their execution. Though this changed in the 2000s, it is now heartening to see a resurgence in the film industry with some intelligent, though provoking cinema which is redefining the space of commercial cinema. ‘Kumbalangi Nights’ is one such film.

‘Kumbalangi Nights’ tells the story of four brothers – Saji (Soubin Shahir), Boney (Sreenath Bhasi), Bobby (Shane Nigam) and Franky (Mathew Thomas), who live in a small, cramped and incomplete house in the wasteland area of Kumbalangi and have troubled relations with each other. When Bobby falls in love with Babymol (Anna Ben), he needs to try and improve his job prospects, and get along with Saji to try and convince Babymol’s brother-in-law Shammi (Fahadh Faasil) to agree to the marriage. Meanwhile, events in Saji and Boney’s life involving their business partner and an American tourist respectively, change the course of their lives and force the brothers to come together and “complete” their incomplete home.

‘Kumbalangi Nights’ is a brilliant film in large part because of its script and screenplay by Syam Pushkaran, and the direction by debutante director Madhu C. Narayanan. The pacing is leisurely and almost lazy – while this may irritate some viewers, it is in sync with the scenery and the gradual payoff is rewarding. The subtlety and humour with which the movie handles its themes is delightful. The surprising element for me, which didn’t strike me immediately (probably because most of the main characters are men), is the feminist angle and the theme of toxic masculinity – while Malayalam cinema has many movies with female protagonists and themes of feminism, I think I have not seen the subject matter handled with this subtlety since ‘Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala’. I will not spoil anything, but I have to mention the brilliant climax, which took me by surprise. A word of mention also for the soundtrack, which again adds to the ambience.

The acting is very good here. Soubin Sahir and Shane Nigam especially work well together, and a scene where Boney tries to reconcile with Saji was so hilarious without trying hard at all. And of course, there is Fahadh Faasil (who is also one of the producers) – I have been sadly ignorant of a lot of his great work and am just catching up, but his performance in this movie is very special (I want to elaborate, but will not to avoid spoilers). All the other cast members also do a great job as well.

I would strongly recommend ‘Kumbalangi Nights’ for fans of good, albeit slightly offbeat, storytelling. Even if you have not watched Malayalam movies, would recommend this as an entry point if you can watch with subtitles.

Movie Review: ‘Gully Boy’

Zoya Akhtar has often been criticized that her movies are focused more on the upper class and rich people’s problems. Not sure if ‘Gully Boy’ was a conscious attempt to silence that criticism, but the way the movie captures the lives of the people living in the lower strata of society is a clear statement that Zoya is a versatile filmmaker who can succeed in making a movie on this population. ‘Gully Boy’ takes a pretty basic underdog story and puts it in a very unique setting – the underground rap scene in Mumbai.

‘Gully Boy’ tells the coming of age story of Murad (Ranveer Singh), a college going youth living in a small house in Dharawi with his mother (Amruta Subhash), grandmother (Jyothi Subhash) and his father (Vijay Raaz) who has recently remarried to a much younger woman. He is in a relationship with the feisty Safeena (Alia Bhatt) who is studying to become a doctor, and his friends include his college-mate Salman and the shady mechanic Moin (Vijay Varma). Murad is a fan of rap music and writes poetry in secret. Murad happens to see a rapper MC Sher (Siddhanth Chaturvedi) perform, and while stuck chauffeuring on behalf of his injured father, writes down lyrics which he later showcases in an open mic hosted by Sher. Sher takes Murad under his wing, and with the help of music student Sky (Kalki Koechlin), they try to make it big. Murad’s journey, with his troubled relationships and innate desire to lead a better life and follow his passions, and how he tries to achieve them while juggling the challenges life throws at him, form the crux of the story.

The direction by Zoya Akhtar is really great here. It is clear that the makers love Mumbai, and the city is captured in all its at-times glossy, at-times grimy glory. The stark contrast between the haves and the have-nots is shrewdly captured without overtly pointing it out through the glitter, the lights and the camerawork. There are many themes covered in the movie, but the extremely different lives of the people living in the same city and the inequities we see in everyday life is a constant one. That being said, there is no preaching here – the shots are visualized without any judgement, and the movie points out things without pointing fingers.

The screenplay is pretty good, even though it does not offer any surprises – it is a straight forward underdog movie. That is not to say it is not an intelligent movie – some scenes indicating the aforementioned class disparity are subtle and beautiful, and really make you think. The movie could have been shorter though, and I felt the subplot with Sky took away from the movie a bit.

The performances are perfect, and pretty much all the actors inhabit the character and their lives. Ranveer Singh slips into the skin of Murad – there is none of the flash we’re used to seeing. Murad is quiet, reflective, and hides a lot of pain he’s going through. This performance is a good indicator of Ranveer’s range and versatility. Alia Bhatt is as impressive as ever. Siddhanth Chaturvedi has a dream debut here. I would be remiss not to mention Vijay Varma, who is excellent as Moin. Other actors like Vijay Raaz and Amruta Subhash also perform very well.

And of course, there’s the music. I was not really familiar with the Mumbai rap scene, and it was a revelation for me. With scathing, thought-provoking lyrics, the music makes you ponder over issues and takes the story forward by conveying the characters’ thoughts and emotions. The slower numbers also work very well. For a movie like this, the music should be an integral part and would be a key driver for the success of the film, and boy, does it work!

On the whole, though the pacing falters at times, ‘Gully Boy’ is a definite recommendation from me.

Movie Review: ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’

‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ is a good example of the evolution of Bollywood. While we are used to seeing war movies featuring a lot of chest-thumping, a version of loud patriotism bordering of jingoism, and melodramatic scenes; ‘Uri’ takes a more restrained approach and presents us a war movie which is more restrained and realistic. Director Aditya Dhar takes inspiration from movies like ‘Zero Dark Thirty’, and gives us a gritty, grounded experience (barring some small indulgences). And going by the success of the movie, the audience really appreciates this take.

Through a series of five chapters, the movie tells the story of the events leading up to the attack on the brigade headquarters at Uri by militants, and the subsequent retaliation by the Indian army. Vicky Kaushal plays Major Vihaan Singh, whose best friend and brother in law Major Karan Kashyap (Mohit Raina) is killed in the militant attack – the story revolves around Major Vihaan’s journey from an army man who is relegated to a desk job, and then gets back on the field to head the surgical strike. The plot moves ahead through important characters like National Security Advisor Govind Bhardwaj (Paresh Rawal), an intelligence officer (Yami Gautam), an Air Force pilot Flight Lieutenant Seerat Kaur (Kirti Kulhari) and Rajat Kapur as Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Of course, given the last character, critics of this movie have called it a propaganda piece, which I will briefly give my personal take on – I don’t think it is. If you want to realistically show a success story of the military, you need to include a real-life character who did play a role in the events. I didn’t feel any scenes showed him with an exalted stature. 

Moving on – a key thing that works is that the performances are solid – Vicky Kaushal portrays the frustration of an army field officer relegated to the desk, and the anguish of losing a friend. Though he cannot give a rousing speech like Sunny Deol, he carries himself like an army officer thanks to his bulked-up physique and body language. I was also very impressed by Mohit Raina as Major Karan Kashyap. Of course, the other actors are reliable as expected.

For me, the main aspect that separates ‘Uri’ from other Bollywood army movies is the deliberate move to not go in the direction of melodrama – kinda like ‘Lakshya’, but this one is purely an army action movie and I felt landed more solidly. The direction is solid, the camerawork captures the urgency of the situation, the action scenes are choreographed in a natural manner without downplaying anything, and the background score is very good despite (or maybe because of) being used reservedly.

On the whole, I was very impressed with ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’. It’s nice to see that a movie like this did so well. Seems like the josh is pretty high on this one. In case you’re one of the few people who didn’t catch it, it is streaming on ZEE5.

Movie Review: ‘Petta’

Karthik Subbaraj has delivered what fans have wanted for a long time – a proper Rajini mass entertainer movie. ‘2.0’ was a success, it was more of a Shankar movie that relied heavily on special effects, and not the charisma of the superstar. While ‘Petta’ is by no means the best Rajini movie, it has done something important – it has revived the Rajini brand.

Right from the opening shots of the movie, it is clear that Karthik Subbaraj is a fanboy and has created a vehicle to show his reverence to his idol. The movie highlights everything that fans want in Rajini movies – punch dialogues, his excellent comic timing, and action sequences, to name a few. He stays true to the “formula”, and to Rajinikanth’s and Subbaraj’s credit, it works. This is a crowd pleaser from start to finish.

The story kicks off with Kaali (Rajinikanth) arriving as the warden of a boys’ hostel at a college in Darjeeling. As expected, he starts cleaning up the mess and taking on the college goon Michael (Bobby Simha) and his father Gnanam (Aadukalam Naren). He forms a close bond with a student Anwar (Sanath Reddy), and romances Mangalam (Simran). However, all is not hunky dory as Anwar is soon attacked in the college by goons of the villain Singaar Singh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). A flashback reveals why, and Kaali and Anwar travel to Uttar Pradesh to take on Singaar Singh and his son Jithu (Vijay Sethupathi). The story is nothing too great, and the twist in the end is not really exceptional.

As expected with a Rajini movie, there is not much for the other actors to do. The towering presence of the superstar pretty much overshadows everyone else, and Rajinikanth is definitely enjoying himself here. Bobby Simha creates an impact with whatever he has to do. However, no one else really gets much to work with. Both Trisha and Simran have precious little screen time, and there is not much for them even in that. The real disappointment is to see Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Sethupathi saddled with very generic roles with nothing special to offer. It is expected I guess, but sad nonetheless. ‘Petta’ could have used strong antagonists.

But; all said and done, this is a Rajini movie, and there it ticks pretty much all the boxes. Fans would have enjoyed this one for sure.

2018 Missed Reviews Roundup - Part II

I know it is suuuuuper late, and probably pointless right now - but finishing what I started. So here goes.

Andhadhun

Sriram Raghavan is back in his element! Its’ really nice to see the director get back to form – if ‘Badlapur’ showed that he was getting his groove back, ‘Andhadhun’ is a realization of the enormous potential of the director. With a slick script, a great cast who fully commit to the material (impeccable casting by Mukesh Chhabra), brilliant editing and Raghavan’s trademark exploration of the grey shades in character, this is a suspense thriller/black comedy that really works. Special props to Tabu, who is absolutely wonderful as the morally ambiguous Simi – it is clear to see why she was Raghavan’s only choice for the role.

If you haven’t seen ‘Andhadhun’ yet, definitely make time for it. It is one of the movies that showcase the brave new directions that Bollywood is taking. Streaming on Netflix.

Badhaai Ho

‘Badhaai Ho’ is a sweet, charming family entertainer that tells the story of a middle-class family whose lives are turned around when the middle-aged parents get pregnant. The firm works primarily on account of its witty script which captures the lives of middle-class Delhi folk beautifully, crackling dialogue and the cast – while Ayushmann Khurana gives a good performance as expected, the senior actors Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Surekha Sikri are the ones who steal the show.

Highly recommended if you have not seen it yet. Streaming on Hotstar.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Even the most ardent fans of the Harry Potter universe (is that a thing?), who are in tune with the lore of the series, would have to admit that ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ is quite dense and tries to jam in a lot of plot points, references, easter eggs and mythos into its run-time – resulting in a bloated, convoluted and over-complicated movie. And in this, the movie loses out on the wonder and the magical feel that the movie should have – the result is a dull experience which would alienate viewers new to the franchise, and also perhaps disappoint even the Pot-heads. No matter what criticisms people had on the first ‘Fantastic Beasts’ movie, it did deliver on the promise of the wondrous aspect of the world. 

All in all, this installment was a disappointment for me; and I hope the makers can get back to the roots of what made the earlier movies work.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Wow! There probably isn’t a more apt reaction for ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’. I had been waiting for this one for a while; but even despite my pretty lofty expectations, this movie impressed me a lot. I saw this one on an IMAX screen, in all its artistic glory, and the results were absolutely outstanding. This is one of those rare movies that really does push the envelope in terms of what animation can actually achieve – it gives you the feel of an actual comic book, which is amazing. The animation is complemented by everything else – a great storyline (you need to pay attention or else you would find yourself confused and disoriented quite often), excellent dialogues and voice acting all around, a killer soundtrack and amazing editing, to name a few. If you missed watching this one on the big screen, you actually did miss something special. 

Would definitely recommend a watch once it does become available on streaming.

2.0

Shankar is back with the sequel of his super successful ‘Enthiran’. Despite a lot of hype and positive reviews, I went to the theatre with tempered expectations. And I wanted to like the movie – I really did. But, the paper-thin plot, mostly senseless screenplay and lack of an emotional core really didn’t work for me. Though the special effects are good (great use of 3D), it became overkill for most of the movie. Even the star-power of Rajinikanth did not really work for me – this was not a Rajini mass movie, so to speak – it was a Shankar extravaganza with Rajini as the hero. 

On the whole, I was disappointed and, surprisingly, bored during a lot of the movie. Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think Shankar’s vision could have been complemented with a better script.

Aquaman

‘Aquaman’ is now DC’s most successful movie – I think one of the main reasons for this is that after ‘Wonder Woman’, this is the DCEU’s most tonally consistent movie. This coupled with the strategy of moving away from the doom and gloom palette Zack Snyder had created in the previous movies. Director James Wan, famous for his horror movies, does a good job to create a visually stunning world, and the screenplay has a goofy, fun take on the superhero which works very well. And of course, Jason Mamoa is a charismatic leading man who is clearly having fun with the character. Despite quite a few shortcomings like an overcrowded plot, the standard busy and CGI heavy third act and a lack of emotional investment in the characters, the movie works for the large part. 

For those who were looking for a DC revival, this might not be the movie they deserve, but is the one they need.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

If you liked its prequel ‘Wreck-It Ralph’, chances are you will like ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’. This is a delightful movie that takes the characters from the first movie and puts them into the new age of the internet. This premise has a lot of promise, with the leads in a fish-out-of-water scenario as they try to navigate the vast expanse of the internet. The humour is spot-on, and there are some observations which make you stop and think while laughing. And of course, Disney takes a jab at, and sprinkles easter eggs all over the place, from its vast pool of properties. The highlight, of course, is the scene where Vanellope meets and interacts with other Disney princesses – the scene is hilarious and Disney sportingly makes fun of itself as well.

On the whole, this one is a fun ride for young ones and adults alike – definitely worth a watch.

Bird Box

This was a weird one – while the Netflix movie ‘Bird Box’ is definitely not a complete disappointment, it doesn’t work as well as it should. Like most disaster movies, this one also creates a sense of dread and impending doom. The plot is broken into two parts – one which talks about how the protagonist tries to cope with some fellow survivors, and the other which talks about how she has to navigate a river with two children to get to safety, while being blindfolded. An inconsistent tone, an underwhelming ending, and mostly unlikable characters are some of the issues with the movie. And while Sandra Bullock is as reliable as ever, on the whole, this was definitely not the best output that could have come out.

Bandersnatch

‘Bandersnatch’ was, for me at least, a cinematic event that really heralded something new. While the concept of the consumer taking the plot forward is not new (there are a few interactive video games where the plot moves forward based on the choices of the players – and this is the main plot of ‘Bandersnatch’ as well), ‘Bandersnatch’ has really run with the idea. While this may not be the best ‘Black Mirror’ product, it definitely works – not just for the novelty of the choice based storytelling, but also how the makers are self-aware and drive the whole point home with apt themes of choice and free will; multiple endings; easter eggs; breaking the fourth wall; and dark humour as well. 

This is definitely something that was unique and beautiful, and I hope Netflix continues to challenge the status quo, experiment more and come up with new and interesting templates and concepts.