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Reviews
Hanuman Da' Damdaar (2017)
Great story but extremely inaccurate
Hanuman Da Dumdar started as a great movie with Salman Khan as the lead actor playing Hanuman. I started loving the movie in the first five minutes itself, as when Valmiki went to Hanuman and I heard Hanuman saying common phrases from Hindi movies, I laughed so hard. I was actually very skeptical of having Salman Khan as the actor playing anyone and I thought it might not be a great movie because of that, as I thought that Salman Khan would probably not be that great of a voice for Hanuman. Although, when the actual movie started with young Hanuman, I started believing that the movie would be more fun, which turned out to be true.
Although the animation of the movie was not that good, I really like how the movie was written and the movie is a great story. I am sure that this movie is historically or mythologically inaccurate, but I still enjoyed the movie a lot because it showed more of a story of Hanuman as a kid. The movie works really well with the actual mythology itself. We see that, in the movie, Hanuman does not remember the great feats he had achieved as a kid. This also happened in the real story where Hanuman forgets his brave feats that he achieved as a kid because of a curse placed upon him by a sage. In the real story, Hanuman does not remember his past until he's reminded by Jambhuvan, a bear who is also a good friend of hanuman. Even though in this movie Hanuman is performing a lot of brave acts, he does not really remember his past and the great stories as a kid that we remember from the mythology.
Having this story relate to the actual mythology, even loosely, is good to see. I enjoyed the movie because it was a great way of narration of the story that was captivating, and also just learning about how the different characters connect in the actual story is fun in itself. We see some other characters from Hindu mythology such as Vishnu, Indra, etc. The most fun part of the movie for me was when Hanuman pushes an entire island off mainland India. I literally felt shivers run down my spine when I saw that moment in the movie. Again, this is most likely not what really happened in the actual stories (definitely didn't happen in real life), but I still loved the moment.
Overall, it is a great watch and very enjoyable with the modern, funny lingo which captivates younger audiences as well. The songs in this movie are very childish but other than that, this is a good story and it's worth a watch, especially if you are aware of the Hindu mythology.
Many people in the comments are saying that they didn't like the modern adaption of the language and the way they made the story does not make sense because it is mythologically inaccurate. While I agree that that is most likely the case, and that the story in this movie is not correct according to Valmiki's Ramayana or any other depictions of it, I also think that mythology in part is about telling the stories, in any form. Let's face it, all mythological stories are false and every adaptation of Ramayana is kinda like a fan fiction version of the original Ramayana. Looking at it from that perspective, this is a great movie and I would give it a 7/10, considering the other things I mentioned above. But the other part of mythology is conserving the culture and passing it down through generations. In that aspect, the rating would drop down really low.
The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)
Thoughtfully written, but a bit cliché
As an adult watching this movie, I was not amazed by it, but it meets all the criteria for a great family/children's film. It is funny for all age groups, displays a great adventure, and conveys a deeper message. There are parts of the movie, however, that were thoughtfully placed there and parts that were way too childish.
Baby Tina is supposedly Gen-Z so she prefers work-life balance, working together, working fair, etc. While her uncle is the older generation so his work preferences are different accordingly, like working hard and climbing up the corporate ladder over spending time with family. This contrast has been seen in the real world and accurately depicting it in the movie was very well done.
Uncle Ted is a real businessman and it is displayed throughout the movie. Wherever he goes, he uses money to solve his problems. He is a good leader and he gathers a team of his own to solve his problems for him. This is a perfect depiction of a boss and works very well with his character. On the other hand, Tim has a great imagination that he uses to come up with creative solutions for every problem he encounters. Another character who was well done in the movie was Tabitha.
Another thing I enjoyed about this movie was the numerous, short-lived plot twists. What I mean by that is by the end of the movie, they have a plan to stop the evil doctor, and they run into countless problems during that, always needing to improvise their plan again. The reason I like this is because in most movies, when the plan is improvised, the characters get this one good idea and the plan works out all of a sudden. However, in this movie, they have to come up with multiple ideas and go on a trial-error basis to finally get to one that works.
Even though the things I mentioned above make this movie interesting to watch, I think there could have been more justice done to the mom in the movie as her character is not very well developed. I also think that the way Tabitha improved her singing was unrealistic and could have been better. Apart from these two minor things, the movie was great and enjoyable.
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)
Good story. Good acting. Just very slow.
I recently rewatched this classic movie and, having watched it as an adult, I have a different perspective on the movie. As a kid, when I watched this, I did not enjoy it at all because it was too slow for my taste. While I still think the movie is very slow, I like some other parts of the movie.
Likes:
The overall plot of the movie is very good. Even though Rahul is an adopted kid of the Raichand couple, there is a lot of love among everybody in the family. When Rahul disappoints his adoptive father, his father kicks him out of the house and the family. Years later, when Rahul's younger brother, Rohan, finally realizes the real reason why his brother left, he brings the family back. It is the perfect depiction of an Indian wedding of a child with somebody that is not approved by their parents. It is common for the events of the movie to happen in real life in a similar scenario. However, the deeper part of the plot is that Rahul was adopted, and when he was cast out of the family, he felt as if he was never loved there. Thus, his misunderstanding and his father's pride keeps them apart for ten years.
Another thing that I like about this movie is the characters. When Rahul leaves, it affects everybody in the family. All the characters try their best to hide their pain but none of them can actually get rid of it. Over the years, the characters still stay the same even in their habits, likes, dislikes, etc.
The actors are mind blowing, as always. When you put some of the best actors in a movie, it is bound to be great. Yet, their acting skills still amazed me.
Dislikes:
Like I said earlier, this movie could have been much faster. There are parts of the movie which are well paced while other parts which are extremely slow. This breaks the rhythm of the movie and, honestly, bores the audience. It is honestly a 1.5-hour-long movie without the slow parts or the numerous songs (I have nothing against the songs though).
The background music for the entire movie is the same: the theme song. This is very repetitive and I could hear the music in my head for the rest of the day, which was annoying.
For about half of the movie, the characters are crying. There is a lot of crying in this movie and after a while, it just seems excessive. In real life too, we almost never see so much love among people that their eyes start watering every time they think about their family.
Other than that, this movie was a hit when it came out and it still excites people. It is definitely a movie with strong emotions and deep moments as well as amazing lines.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
One of the best movies ever.
A complete pack of plot twists, humor, emotions, action, and amazing characters. Everything about this movie is just great. The animations, as usual, are mind-blowing and, I think, better than the first Spider Verse movie. The movie ends with the perfect cliffhanger. Even if you haven't watched any of the other Marvel movies, this one would blow your mind. However, having some knowledge about the MCU and knowing what happened in the first movie would help enhance the experience, as the other spiderman movies, starting from Tobey Maguire to Tom Holland, just gives one a perspective of the big picture and how everything connects. After Endgame, Marvel movies started going downhill and most fans, including myself, don't like it as much as the movies before. This movie, although not part of the actual MCU, has reignited my interest for Marvel movies and I am sure the next movie would be the same.
Crushed (2022)
Amazing show with deeper meaning!
Crushed is a beautiful love story that revolves around Aadhya Mathur, even though it is not that clear from the beginning. Even though it starts off with Samvidhan as the protagonist, a student in grade 9 in the same class as Aadhya, it becomes clear in the second season that the show is about Aadhya. It is evident from the beginning that the main plot is about two "sidekicks" falling for each other, as both Samvidhan and Aadhya are sidekicks. In the show (and in the real world) a sidekick is a person who is best friends with popular students at the school. In the beginning, Samvidhan, aka Sam, has a crush on the most popular girl in the school: Jasmine, or Jaz, who also happens to be one of Aadhya's best friends. On the other hand, Sam is a sidekick to Prateek, who is one of the most notorious students at the school. As Sam tries to get closer to his childhood crush, Jaz, he unintentionally ends up becoming good friends with Aadhya, in spite of a rocky beginning to their relationship. Sam has a unique way of looking at the world and his caring actions make Aadhya fall for him, Although they do not have much in common, they bond quickly and soon, start dating. There is soon a twist in the story as we realize that the most popular boy at school, Sahil, also has a crush on Aadhya and because of this, and Sam's insecurities, the two break up as Sam thinks that Aadhya also likes Sahil. Eventually, they end up having a huge fight and for the next year, Sam decides to go to a boarding school to stay away from Aadhya. The next year, when most of the main characters are in grade 10, is part of the second season. This is when it is very clear that the story is actually about Aadhya. In the second season especially, Aadhya does not have a lot of screen time and the other characters take up the main stage. Yet, throughout the second season, we see Aadhya getting over her last breakup, bonding with people in her life, and making space in her heart for the new student, Samarth, who also goes by Sam. Finally, at the end of the second season, when Aadhya basically tells Samarth that she likes him, Samarth tells her that his father got a transfer so he has to leave the city again. This brings back the past that Aadhya was trying to forget as her ex-boyfriend also left her in a similar way.
Naturally, one would ask the question, "Why doesn't the protagonist get more roles in the show?" Firstly, this is a drama show which is about the various love stories, successful or not, at their school. Hence, it does not focus only on Aadhya's life but on some of the main characters in her life as well. For instance, they focus on the life of Prateek and Zoya as a couple, that of Jaz having a crush on Sahil and more. Showing the story of other people gives us an idea of how it affects Aadhya's life and how it all plays together as well. When Jaz finds out that Sahil has a crush on her friend, Aadhya, it affects their friendship in a few ways, including how they behave with each other. Prateek's relationship with Zoya also gets him valuable rumors about Jaz and Aadhya, which Prateek then tells Samvidhan. Overall, it demonstrates how friend groups work at the school and how every little decision affects a lot of other people in the school. Finally, as Aadhya is a sidekick in the story, she isn't doing much except studying so showing her life extensively is not necessary. Rather, displaying what her friends are up to at school further demonstrates the popular kid vs sidekick dynamic. Hence, during the second season, when their school participates in the Celesta competition, all her friends do something for the competition but Aadhya simply stays on the sidelines and supports them. As a sidekick, she is struggling with a lot of insecurities and imposter instincts. The story is hence about how she overcomes her fears but it also conveys a deeper meaning. Aadhya relies on her relationship with Samvidhan and then with Samarth to overcome her insecurities, as being with them makes her feel valued and seen. However, when Sam leaves in the first season, we see her crumbling because all the internal troubles she had overcome are back now with much more intensity. The message then is to not rely on external factors to overcome internal fears. Samarth helps her get back her fearless self in season two but as he has to move out, it is evident that Aadhya will probably go back to the state in which she found herself in after Samvidhan left, at least for a little while. Hence, what we need to see in season three is how she will cope with these insecurities and whether or not she will be able to conquer them for good. Furthermore, we would also see what happens to the couples Prateek and Zoya, Rajat and Jaz, and Aadhya and Sam.
Overall, this is a beautiful story with an amazing screenplay, realistic dialogues, a lot of coming-of-age emotions, deep characters, and funny moments that would bring one back to their high school years.