"Cars 3" Movie Review

The latest instalment in a franchise considered by many as Pixar’s most substandard offering, “Cars 3” will probably not change any opinions – unless “Cars 2” was your favourite. Pixar seems to have heard the complaints everyone had with “Cars 2” and delivered something closer to the original – with more focus on characters and an emotional plot. So “Cars 3” is a solid-ish movie, but definitely not in the league of some of Pixar’s finest.

The movie brings back the focus to race car Lightning McQueen, whose career seems to be arriving at the finish line with the rise of a new breed of racers led by rookie Jackson Storm, who use technology to gain more speed and consistency forcing the old timers into retirement. Now McQueen must try and keep up with the pack, or risk fading away – his journey forms the core of the movie.

The key strength of “Cars 3” is the emotional heft it carries – the themes of mortality, relevance, and legacy the filmmakers focus on would touch a chord with the adults, though probably may not be fully appreciated by the younger audiences. It was also good to see that Paul Newman’s Doc Hudson was integrated beautifully and is an integral part of the story, effectively becoming a heartfelt tribute to the actor. The voice acting is spot on, especially Owen Wilson who effectively conveys McQueen’s doubts and misgivings.

That is not to say the movie doesn’t have its share of spectacle – as with every Pixar movie, the animation is spectacular. The racing scenes are gorgeous, and the demolition derby scene in particular stands out (both beautiful to watch and maybe the most fun part of the movie). I saw the movie in 4DX, which really added to the fun element – this movie really works perfectly with the format.

To sum up, “Cars 3” is fun while it lasts. While it may not be an addition to Pixar’s best list, it definitely gets the franchise back on track.

"Wonder Woman" Movie Review

Finally! After a bunch of disappointments, the DCEU has finally managed to produce a movie that nails it. And in doing so, they also managed to do something the MCEU could have attempted earlier but didn’t – showcase the female hero in her solo movie. Full marks to director Patty Jenkins and writers Zack Snyder, Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, who give us a movie that celebrates its female protagonist without trying to force an agenda; and also doesn’t cram in references to the extended universe (something “Batman v Superman” was panned for).

“Wonder Woman” is the origin story of its titular character. She is Diana (Gal Gadot), princess of the Amazons, a demi-God sort-of race that was created by the god Zeus to save humans from his jealous son Ares. She is brought up in Themyscira, an island away from anything else and trained as a warrior. The isolated existence of the Amazons is interrupted when American spy pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine, who continues to impress with every movie) crash lands near their island and brings the horrors of World War I along. Diana feels this is her calling and goes with Steve to fight for humanity and end the war, and in the process discover her powers et al.

The movie works well both as a superhero movie and a war movie. The action scenes are great, but they work in service of the plot and aren’t too flashy – they don’t feel special effects heavy, which helps given the superhero movie fatigue that is kicking in (except for the climax, but then it is a superhero movie). The war is a perfect backdrop for the character’s growth – the war scenes feel they have been handled like a proper war movie, and not as a forced plot device. Also the positivity of the movie is something that would have also worked for Superman, whose interpretation took a u-turn for the grey, brooding “Man of Steel” version. This feels like the movie “Man of Steel” should have been, and “Captain America – The First Avenger” could have been.

The success of “Wonder Woman” is mainly because the makers have a clear interpretation of the character and do not hesitate to water it down because it can be considered naïve and corny in a largely cynical time. I haven’t read any of the comics so I can’t speak for accuracy, but this works. Diana’s ‘fish out of water’ moments, her naïve innocence (the scene where she squeals with joy on seeing a baby is priceless), her belief in the greater good, all these moments go towards defining the character and also bring some of the best moments in the movie. The biggest plus of the character is her compassion that is her greatest strength, and this is highlighted well without overdoing it. This is the superhero we need, and I hope this character becomes a role model for the younger generation.

It is especially refreshing that there are no broad strokes or generalizations, and that Diana doesn’t have the challenge of facing discrimination per se. It is also good that Steve Trevor is such an endearing character – a quintessential war hero – who realizes Diana is special and treats her as such without giving it a second thought.

The performances are top notch. Of the supporting cast, special mention to Robin Wright, who makes the most of her role despite limited screen time. Chris Pine seems the perfect choice for Steve Trevor, and the chemistry he shares with Gal Gadot make for the best moments in the film. But the movie does belong to Gal Gadot, who completely owns the character and brings us the strong yet gentle superhero we need. She captures the essence of the hero and brings a layered, nuanced performance.

The movie does have some flaws – the last act feels a bit like a departure from the rest of the movie and may not work for everyone (though they do tie everything together the best they can), and the great reveal isn’t all that surprising. But these are nit-pickings in a movie that really works. I would highly recommend this movie for one and all. Not only is this an entertaining movie, it is in a way a very important one. If you haven’t caught it yet, go ahead and watch it.

"Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2" Movie Review

‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2’ brings back the band of misfits who teamed up in the first movie – and pretty much everything else. And though that’s not a bad thing, it feels like the makers are struggling to add the element of surprise that was the biggest strength of the first movie. The irreverent humour, the soundtrack of 80s music, the jazzy special effects, it all feels familiar. But it still is a fun ride, so it’s not like audiences would be complaining too much.

This movie primarily focuses on the parentage of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), when he is met by his biological father Ego (Kurt Russell) and taken to his planet along with Gamora (Zoey Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista). Meanwhile, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Baby Groot (still Vin Diesel) are trying to keep Gamora’s sister Nebula (Karen Gillian) hostage while evading the Ravagers led by Yondu (Michael Rooker). Everything is not what it seems, and the true motivations of all the characters are revealed as the movie progresses.

This movie is definitely packing more in the emotional content than the first one. Themes of family, identity and sacrifice are explored here, and at times it seems a little out of character when the movie treads into serious territory. But those are brief moments and not too out-of-place. The one thing which felt out of left field was the final act, which seems to take an abrupt turn from the rest of the movie. But that is also covered up nicely with the cracking one-liners and fun effects.

The movie does what it is expected to, it dazzles us with the visuals and gets us laughing with the jokes. The characters we care for are still the same (the makers have done a great job with Bautista’s Drax in particular). The actors are charming and don’t take themselves too seriously. It feels almost formulaic, but hey; it works.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2’ is fun while it lasts, but chances are it won’t stay with you very long after you leave the theatre. Still, it’s a good time to be had – go for it!

P.S. 1: There are five post credits scenes, so don’t leave the hall until you’re sure that you’ve caught them all.

P.S. 2: It was disappointing that the version I saw had some scenes cut – unfortunately censored because of some mildly adult humour I’m guessing. I am thinking the censor board should lighten up.

"Babubali 2: The Conclusion" Movie Review

The wait is finally over! Arguably the most eagerly awaited movie in Indian cinema of all time, ‘Bahubali 2: The Conclusion’ is finally out. So, does the movie live up to the hype? Though I personally felt it wasn’t as great as the first movie, it definitely does stand up to the great expectations and turns out to be an epic in all respects.

‘Bahubali 2: The Conclusion’ picks off with the flashback chronicling the story of Amarendra Bahubali (Prabhas), who has been recently chosen as the would-be ruler of the kingdom of Mahishmati. Pretty much the entire first half is spent in showing the camaraderie between Kattappa (Sathyaraj) and Bahubali, and the romance between Bahubali and Devasena (Anushka Shetty). Without going into too much detail, a mix-up causes Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan) to get angry and give the throne to Bhallaladeva (Rana Daggubati). Despite this, Bhallaladeva and his father Bijjaladeva (Nasser) continue to plot Bahubali’s downfall. Once the big question of why Kattappa killed Bahubali is answered, it’s time for the son to take revenge and claim his rightful throne.

Straight off the bat, there is no doubt that the movie is a visual spectacle. The camera work is superb, and it’s not just in the grander scenes (of which there are many). Especially in the battle scenes, many images will awe you. The word “epic” keeps coming to mind, and for good reason. The set design, make-up and costumes, special effects and music (for the most part – I felt that the special effects in the final portion weren’t able to do justice to Rajamouli’s grand vision, and the music was nothing too special but background music was good), all of the elements work together to come up with something that is truly of a scale that hasn’t been matched in Indian cinema.

The acting matches up. Both Prabhas and Rana Daggubati do full justice to what are probably roles of a lifetime – both in terms of the physicality as well as the emoting. Prabhas plays the lighter moments and the emotional bits with equal ease, and Rana Daggubati embodies the menacing and evil nature of his character well. The rest of the cast matches up as well – especially the ladies. Anushka Shetty, with probably the strongest character of both parts, shines. And Ramya Krishnan also exudes the authority and fury of her character perfectly. It also helps that all the actors are given well written characters, and though there are some contradictions here, for the most part the strong writing provides a solid foundation for all performers. Kudos to the writer especially for giving us strong female characters.

The biggest problem for me was the length and inconsistent pacing. There is way too much time spent on the romantic relationship of Bahubali and Devasena, and that takes away from the bigger parts of the story. Key plot points, like Bahubali’s loss of the throne and his subsequent banishment, could have used a little more screen time. And not to mention the final act, where Shivudu rises up and leads the rebels in the final battle against Bhallaladeva (again it would have been good to have some more examples of Bhallaladeva’s cruelty) – it is probably not even a quarter of the film. My biggest pet peeve was that the part where Shivudu needs to change from an inexperienced soldier to a master strategist; is explained off in a single line and the whole sequence gets under a minute. It was a good idea but didn’t get any screen time. Despite its length, many portions like this felt rushed – which is actually a major criticism if it was a lesser movie. In my opinion, it would have helped if the great reveal of why Kattappa killed Bahubali happened just before the interval, and post interval it was the final battle. Or else have this one only for the flashback, and a part 3 purely for the battle.

I felt the comedy track in the first half stuck out as a sore thumb, and felt like an abrupt shift in tone. And I didn’t particularly enjoy it either. Speaking of abrupt shifts, the changes in the motivations of Sivagami also felt odd – such a strong character being swayed so easily, though essential to the plot, felt forced and out of place. It’s to the credit of Ramya Krishnan’s talent that she keeps us invested throughout.

But all said and done, despite its flaws, this is not just a movie – it is landmark in Indian cinema. Hats off to S. S. Rajamouli for his vision, and his ability to realize that vision. Definitely go watch it if you haven’t already.

"The Fate of the Furious" movie review

The latest instalment in “The Fast and The Furious” franchise delivers pretty much what viewers have come to expect from the franchise – over the top stunts, a plot which purely works as a thread to bind together the various action scenes, and the general experience of a popcorn flick which delivers a good time if you’re willing to leave your brains at the door. However, I couldn’t shake off a feeling of fatigue by the time the credits were rolling.

“The Fate of the Furious” has Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) going against his crew – sorry, his FAMILY – when coerced into working for super hacker/mastermind Cipher (Charlize Theron). The rest of the family, with a little help from Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), the villain of the last movie, must work to stop Dom by jumping from one crazy action scene to the next before Cipher can get what she wants (something do with nukes and world domination, but all that is not really relevant). The movie is intended to be just plain fun, with a lot of action scenes and the witty lines, as long as you don’t focus on anything logical like character motivations and the laws of physics.

Of course, the movie relies on its over the top action set pieces that border on the impossible/insane, and it is these moments that are the highlight. The makers don’t try to change what works and pretty much play to the crowd – fight scenes for the Rock and Statham and bigger set pieces with no let up on extravagance. The problem is that it gets tired towards the end, and it seems the film makers are just trying to compensate for substance with an overdose of ludicrous action scenes (the final showdown with the submarine was overkill and overlong, but that’s just my opinion). It felt like the franchise should slow down and maybe go back to its street racing roots rather than have such high stakes – or atleast make some changes. There is never a sense of danger despite what the characters are faced with, and everything just feels too convenient. The action scene with Jason Statham in an airplane (which in itself is far from grounded) was the highlight for me and got me far more excited than the bigger, crazier moments (though special mention to the “let it rain” scene). In fact, Jason Statham and the Rock were the only ones who seemed to be having fun doing this. Vin Diesel has a lot more acting to do, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

All in all, the movie was a disappointment – in a franchise that has relied more on the surprise and shock generated by its action, it was just a matter of time before it became by-the-numbers and formulaic to the point that it became boring. And though the movie isn’t a total bore, it felt tedious. The franchise has probably reached the finish line – but since this was the first movie in a long time not to mention this being “the last ride”, chances are there will be more to come. Hopefully the makers can add some excitement to the next one.

'Logan' Movie Review

To call ‘Logan’ a superhero movie would be misleading and, in a way, disrespectful. The movie generated a lot of hype – the key reason being that Hugh Jackman has decided to hang his claws, so to speak, and he was very insistent that the movie be just right. So there were a lot of expectations. And oh boy, did they get it right! More akin to a gritty western style action movie than the spectacle based CGI fuelled jam-packed action rides we are used to; the makers defy genre trappings (more than even ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Deadpool’ did) and give us a bold, mature movie with genuine heart.

The movie is set in the not too distant future (2029, if I remember correctly); and seems pretty bleak. Most of the mutants are gone, following some sort of incident. Logan has aged significantly and his healing powers are not as potent as they used to be – he is hurting both physically and emotionally. He is a heavy drinker and drives a limo to make ends meet and take care of a deteriorated Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who is now suffering from a brain condition which results in seizures that affect everyone around him. The plot kicks into high gear when Laura, a young mutant who is being chased by an evil corporation and its mercenaries joins them, and they have to get her to safety.

There are just so many positives here – everything from the tone, to the directing, to the acting. Credit to James Mangold, who has directed and also written the story, for not succumbing to standard comic book movie trappings. The acting is brilliant – Patrick Stewart is in fine form, and Dafne Keen playing Laura is an exciting find who could be one to watch out for. But of course, it’s Hugh Jackman’s show – and he shows just how invested he is in the movie by delivering a nuanced and layered performance that is the highlight of a movie that has so many things going for it.

Logan definitely justifies its ‘R’ rating (‘A’ in India) – this one is not for the kids. It is the most violent X-Men movie by far – the action is brutal, savage and raw; which is appropriate given the protagonist. Rather than focusing on gratuitous violence, the makers use the freedom of the ‘R’ rating to explore mature themes of isolation, loss, family, sacrifice and living with one’s actions – all of which, despite the focus on character building and relations, seems appropriate for Wolverine.

In fact, the main reason the movie works so well is that it feels like the perfect Wolverine movie – after the first two movies which were far from perfect, the quintessential anti-hero gets the movie that truly represents him. Yes, the movie is long and, at times, slow. But it works, and delivers a swan song that is damn near perfect. It is a satisfactory conclusion for one of the most successful franchises. Just go watch it! Even if you aren’t a big fan of the franchise, you can’t help but leave the theatre with a sense of closure. 

"John Wick: Chapter 2" Movie Review

It would come as no surprise that if you didn’t like the first John Wick movie, chances are you won’t like ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’. However, for fans of the first part, it will come as a pleasant surprise that the second instalment not only lives up to expectations, but ups the ante and delivers a high octane thrill ride that surpasses its predecessor.

I’ll try not to give too much away. The movie kicks off right after the first one ends. John Wick is contacted by a former associate to honour an agreement he had made to get out of the assassin business. Trouble ensues once John, who initially refuses, reluctantly takes up the job. Not long after, there is a contract on him and all of the other assassins are after his life. So it’s up to John to use all his gun-fu expertise to survive and exact vengeance on the villains.

The best thing about John Wick: Chapter 2 is that it takes the formula that works and revs it up. There’s no attempt to overhaul the vehicle – instead the movie just take the action to the next level, and also corrects some of the flaws its predecessor had. The world the movie is set in is more fleshed out – and though some parts are a little silly, it adds to the charm of the whole thing.

There is not much in terms of plot here, but you’re too busy having a good time to notice. The fight choreography is innovative and very well executed (special mention for the portion where John is being targeted by a lot of people, there is some shooting in public but not the kind you’d expect, and a pencil comes in handy). The light touches of humour that worked so well in the first movie are here as well. And certain moments like the meeting of Laurence Fishburne and Keanu Reeves feels like fan service for Matrix buffs.

A word of mention for Keanu Reeves, who is pretty much there in every scene of the movie. His commitment to the film is exceptional, and he also manages to stay to the character by adding depth and vulnerability, and not just the physical exertions the role requires.

I would highly recommend ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’. Even though it is a sequel, the movie feels fresh and exciting. Action fans will love it. If you were in any doubt; yeah, he’s back!