harsh007's Reviews

Krrish 3 (2013)

7/10

1 November 2013

Warning: Spoilers

Krrish 3

Plot After defeating Doctor Arya, Krissh along with his dad comes back to India where he lives a happy life with his Journalist Wife and Scientist Dad. He hides his true identity by doing menial jobs in the city and more than often gets fired because most of the time he is busy saving the people of the city .People of the city love him and he becomes their favourite. When everything looks picture perfect, dark clouds appear in the sky with the advent of Kaal. On the other side of the world Evil Genius Kaal who has a fascination with DNA Fusion , keeps performing fusion experiments in the hope of finding that DNA which can cure his ailment(physically disability) .He ends up creating Mutants by fusing DNA's of Humans and Animals/reptiles but fails to find a cure of his disability. Kaal owns a pharmaceutical company which creates antidotes for deadly viruses, Viruses which are created by them, more specifically through his own DNA. Kaal has extraordinary telekinetic powers through which he can control everything around him. His body is paralyzed except for his two fingers and he can still create havoc with them. The secret of Kaals astonishing power is unknown even to him and his search for an answer always ends up in vain. Kaal has an inherent hatred for mankind and he considers himself far superior than anyone else. He believes DNA fusion is the future and hatches a plan to destroy mankind and create a far superior race of Maanvars(Mutants) and rule on them, the only obstacle in his course is his disability and the only agenda in his life is to find a cure. Kaal and Krris's paths cross when kaal discovers that krisshs DNA can also create the antidote for his viruses. Will he find a cure for his crippled body? What is the secret of his superpowers? What is the link between Kaal and Krrish's DNA?How will Krrish save the human race from total annihilation ? For all these answers you need to watch the movie.

Story Rakesh Roshan has weaved an almost engaging story which keep you hooked most of the time by not revealing the cards till the very end and also has some unexpected twists and turns .Putting together elements of SCI- FI, family drama and action, the story is credible but the screenplay is faulty and has too many loop holes which loosen the grip on the audience. There is a fine line between drama and melodrama and most of the time movie ends up being over-melodramatic in dramatic sequences. Cheesy duologue's also dampen the experience further. Certain duologue's make you laugh and remind you of movies which were made a decade before.

Music The music is utterly disappointing, totally unwanted and only acts as speed breakers in the story. All the songs are out of place, out of date and should have been out of the movie also. A big Disappointment from the composer who had created really good music in the past. This time he totally missed it. Performances Hrithik Roshan is the only actor who can play Krrish on-Screen, he is near perfect in the movie. He is elegant, charming and has a chiseled body. Priyanka Chopra doesn't have much to do in the story or in the movie. Kangna Ranaut is totally in her character as the Mutant Kaya who can change forms, her expressions and looks make her a worthy addition to the franchise. Vivek Oberoi as Kaal-Krrishs Nemesis is the highlight of the show, he is scary, freaky and radiates confidence though his duologue's. He got the meatiest character in the movie and he did good work with it. Kaal is the most neatly sketched villains I have seen in a long time and he deserves all the adulation and accolades.

VFX Despite having a leaky screenplay one of the reasons why Krrish is engaging is because of the exceptionally awesome special effects that the movie has. The VFX team deserves a moment of standing ovation for pulling off something of this quality. The VFX looked unfinished and amateur in the trailers but look amazing in the movie. Kudos to the VFX team at red chillies. Keep up the great work. You have upped the VFX standards of Bollywood.

Final Word Rakesh Roshan is an expert director, no second thoughts about that but there are certain elements in the movie which he could have done without for better. Certain duologue's are over the top and cheesy, music is uninspiring, screenplay is weak and unimaginative. It resembles to a lot of Hollywood franchises which makes it hackneyed and makes us less proud of the finished product. The movie is not a great cinematic experience but isn't boring and crappy also. Good Acting (Vivek, Hrithik,Kangna) ,great VFX and an almost good story makes the ride enjoyable but bumpy due to certain roadblocks and speed breakers. If we compare it with the other superhero movies that Bollywood has churned out, Krrish 3 will top the list in terms of quality, acting and direction.

Overall Rating: 3/5

7 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Fifth Estate (2013)

6/10

Not even half as compelling as the actor or the character

28 October 2013

The Fifth Estate

Plot In his quest to make information free for everyone whistle blower Julian Assange takes on the kingpins of the world by raging a sophisticated ,new age war that threatens to shake the foundations of diplomacy and overthrow established regimes .It tells the story behind the rise and fall of wiki leaks and of its creator ;Julian Assange who some people call a visionary and some a threat to national security .The story revolves around the complex character of Assange and explores his relationship with Daniel Berg ,one of the spokespersons for Wikileaks.

Script The Fifth estate is loosely based on the book "Inside WikiLeaks" by Daniel berg and uses real life examples as key points to narrate the story. The script is to the point, taut and close to reality but it never becomes more than that. It feels like a monotonous narration of the book with no elements of a thriller that it promised to be. If the makers wanted a boring narration of the events that are already available online why did make all the efforts to make a movie and waste a talent like Mr Cumberbatch?

The script is written to explore the association of Assange and Berg but fails to do so and only creates a one dimensional sketch of a Multidimensional relationship. Other parts of the movie are outwardly boring and dimensionless which makes it a Prime time News at max when the viewers expected a thrilling and insightful leak into the life of one of the most Controversial public figures of the 21st Century.

Direction Its Difficult to understand why Bill Condon was chosen as a director for such a controversial public figure (Mr Condon is the director of Twilight :Breaking Dawn 1 and 2, Now you get it ,right?).His lack of control of the story and the essence of Julian Assange's character is visible throughout the 128 minutes , his lack of understanding of the character is the prime reason why this movie fails to hit the right chords.

Performances Benedict Cumberbatch is the reason why you should watch this movie is watchable throughout its runtime.The expression, body language ,non- verbal cues are exactly like Julian Assanges.

Though Assange refused to meet when benedict requested him so that he could understand him better ,citing faults in the script which he disapproved, still he managed to bring such a complex character to life on screen with panache .He is one of the most exemplary actors of this modern world of cinema.

Final Word The only reason why you may want to watch the movie is Benedict Cumberbatch. Except for him the movie is a dull replay of events we already know off, this isn't the movie that Julian Assange deserves. If You are interested to know about Mr Assange I suggest you watch "We Steal Secrets" by Alex Gibney, that is at least honest in delivering what it promises.

33 out of 44 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Gravity (2013)

9/10

Nerve Wracking and Thrilling Cinematic Experience

11 October 2013

Philosophy Space is Scary, out there no one can even hear you scream. There is no air, no medium for sound to travel on, it's just deadly silence and infinite darkness of the vastness of the universe which neither has a beginning nor an end and if you ever get stranded in such a place with nothing but your relentless desire to live and never ending urge to keep moving no matter how grim the chances are for survival, remember one thing and one thing only; the force that keeps pulling you down obstinately is the force which makes you walk this earth also and no matter how strong the force is we rise, walk, run and conquer. Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity is an ode to the stubborn human instinct for survival, the unflinching desire to hold on to life even when death seems imminent which is shown in the most magnificent and intricate way possible. It is one epic of a movie which only comes out as often as Halley's Comet. It is a well-directed, well written and marvelously enacted action-drama which uses more body language and sound design to express emotions than any movie I have seen in a long time. Story When a group of astronauts fixing a damaged device on a satellite are bombarded with a debris of destroyed Russian Satellite orbiting the earth at a speed of a bullet which creates a chain reaction by destroying whatever comes in their way and taking it along, disaster strikes on the US Team Members killing everyone except two out of which one detached from the spaceship is left floating in the ever expanding space with limited O2 (oxygen) and no communication with earth. There is no one to hear them cry, no one to send help. There is this limitlessness and two specs of hope hovering around in enormity. Direction Alfonso Cauron has possibly made one of the most engrossing space movies of all time which is dramatic, cinematic and enigmatic but not because of the exceptionally realistic 3D effects or the awesome CGI but because of the detailed portrayal of human emotions on screen which is perfectly balanced by a great background score. His attention to detail is evident from the way he has recreated every single object hovering around in the gravity–lessness, from the Ping-Pong bats on Chinese space ships to realistic movements in zero gravity everything has been researched thoroughly which add to the viewing experience Performances George Clooney as Matt Kowalski is incredibly sharp and witty as always. He makes an impression rather inscribes a character in our mind so deep that It will be remembered for a long time. But as the story is one woman's journey for survival, Sandra Bullock steals the show by giving one of the best performances of her lifetime. She is extremely convincing with her body movements and passes across a lot of emotions without words or expressions. She's so good that she might even steal this year's Oscars for it. Background Score Steven Price has created a sound track which is incredibly outstanding and gives an ethereal experience to the viewer's emphasizing on the mood of the movie. Price may not have been present physically in the movie but his contributions to the movie being so impactful are so much that it's hard to imagine Gravity without Price's soundtrack. Final Word Gravity is not only a technical masterpiece but also a nerve wracking and thrilling cinematic experience which like wine will become better and better with time. It fuses exemplary sound design, great storytelling and out of the world CGI / 3D technology to create a marvel. No excuse can justify missing it. Overall Rating: 4.5/5

3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

24: India (I) (2013–2016)

8/10

Reminiscence For Fans, Pule-Pounding Realistic Show For First Timers

6 October 2013

It puts a huge amount of pressure on the makers and generates equal amount of expectations from the viewer's when you recreate a show that has won many international awards including Golden Globe and Emmy and is loved by fans all over the world.24 (international version) is such a show which had created a genre in itself in Action-Drama segment of television shows. Being one of the highest rated and the longest running espionage themed television drama ever it proudly sits in all its glory as one of Americas finest shows ever produced. Recreating such a classic for an audience which is not accustomed to watch anything except Saas- Bahu Opera is a feat in itself but it requires extreme clarity of vision nonetheless and a good production house and (financial backing) and capable actors to adapt an international genre to suit the domestic taste.24 (Indian version) has that clarity of vision, the backing of influential producers and credible actors, but is that enough? Indian 24 as the international version is a thriller which revolves around the political assassination of the to-be prime minister and Jai Singh Rathor's race against time to foil the plot and save the countries future as well as his family from the clutches of terrorism simultaneously uncovering the conspirators behind the event. Each episode is a real time depiction of 1 hour of rathors life, rather the most important day of his life. It uses the similar split screen technique as the original to depict multiple scenes occurring at the same time. The beauty of the original series lied not in the fast pace or the action sequences but in the complexity of the characters, every character had depth and the drama that evolved out of those complex characters was the where the real beauty of 24 lied and I must say the Indian version beautifully captures that essence more or less because it follows the same pattern as the original. There is a to-be prime minister with a dark past which no one is aware of, Rathor has skeletons in his love closet, Nikki (Rathors ex) is still in love with him but is in relationship with another co-worker, rathors daughter is beautiful and irritating a major distraction for rathor from his job and from the central plot for the viewer. All this goes on along with the high level plot to assassinate India's youngest prime minister who has all the countries hopes pinned on him.Will Jai Singh Rathor succeed in saving his family and country both or will he have to pay the ultimate sacrifice? Follow the series to find out. The story/screenplay 24 of is well crafted and is rock solid as it is based on a similar skeleton as the original, I guess that was how the original creators wanted it to be. Overall the show looks promising as it has an ensemble cast of promising actors helming pivotal roles(Anupam Kher,Mandira Bedi,Shavana Azmi,Anil Kapoor,Tisca Chopra etc) in the story. For people who have followed the original series till all 8 seasons you can miss couple of episodes and still you won't lose track but for people who are new to 24 .Watch it and savor the taste as it is definitely not something that you would have seen before.

10 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Robber (I) (2013)

10/10

This is Vikramaditya Motwane's Masterpiece

9 July 2013

Lootera –a Saga of tranquil emotions sprinkled with somber pain and heart throbbing climax is a 'Masterpiece' of an artist who will have his name written in gold in the corridors of Bollywood as one of the most accomplished filmmakers of our time.

Sketched on the canvas in an extravagant fashion but still being close to subtlety it portrays the story of two people who fall in love, get separated and reunite again under grim circumstances with a cop-thief story in the background.

Varun an archaeologist from ASI comes to manikpur is search of a submerged city near the 400 year old temple which belongs to an aristocratic zamindar .Being a Charming young man with interest in arts and literature he impresses both the Zamindar and his Daughter. Soon they fall in love with each other but Varun is not what he claims to be, he has a dark secret which inhibits him from getting married to her but with a hope of starting a new life leaving his past behind he decides to marry her and get settled in some place where the tentacles of his past can't reach him. But his honest emotions are not strong enough to escape the clutches of a guilty past and he eludes on the day of the marriage leaving Pakhi heartbroken for life.

Four Years later Pakhi is dying of a fatal disease and in her desolation she seeks solace by letting the writer in her live .Soon she loses hope of life and decides to die when the last leaf on a withering tree falls. This is when Varun accidentally enters her life again under drastically different circumstances .

Lootera is a deftly crafter piece of art where every frame looks like a travel postcard with outstanding performance from the actors which gives life to the picturesque story .The leads are in top form and give their career –best performance but the real hero for me is Vikramaditya Motwane whose treatment to one of the most widely loved short story 'The Last Leaf', would have brought tears in the eyes of O 'Henry himself.

Viramaditya is a director who is in total control of the story and specializing in extraordinarily shot 'Muted Sequences' which showcase a Master Story tellers grip on his art. The music by Amit Trivedi is like Milk in 'Darjeeling Tea' it gives a flavour to the viewers which is reminiscent of 'Old World Charm'.

Lootera is a must watch , technically brilliant film with outstanding direction ,music and performance. Its quality cinema at its best , for me it is the best movie I have seen this year and one of the those movies which are not bound by time. It will be as enjoyable 10 years from today like it was watching it for the first time.

*****(For being an emotionally satisfying movie after a very long time)

6 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

9/10

An adrenaline pumping,heart thumping cinematic experience

12 May 2013

You know summer is here when Hollywood blockbusters start raining at the Box Office. This Year the like every year we have a huge arsenal of to- be blockbusters lined up to treat the viewers all over the world. The season started with Iron Man 3 being the frontrunner and now passing on the baton to Star Trek: Into Darkness followed by Man of Steel.

This week's movie Star Trek: Into Darkness directed by JJ Abrams (writer of lost, fringe, Armageddon, director of MI: 3,star trek etc.) is a sequel of the reboot of a cult classic adventures of the crew aboard the explorer space ship USS Enterprise. The story is set in a future where humans have explored new life sustaining planets where some species predate human existence and some are relatively new. The USS Enterprise wanders in galaxies to search for life forms and maintains a peace treaty with most of them as the sole motive of the explorations is to maintain peace throughout the universe. The movie begins with an adrenaline pumping ,heart thumping ,jaw dropping action sequence set in the blood red forest of planet 'nibru' where Captain Jim Kirk and his medical officer are being chased down by spear throwing natives, simultaneously Spock is trying to prevent the extinction of the species of the planet by exploding a cold fusion bomb in the erupting volcano thus trying to alter the destiny of the planet for which he gets panned later. Jim Kirk escapes the natives by jumping into the ocean but spock is not so lucky and gets stuck in the erupting volcano with the cold fusion device ready to explode. He is ready to sacrifice his life to save the life of the species by detonating the device but is saved by Jim kirk at the brink of spectacular cold fusion explosion, stopping the volcano from erupting and the species of annihilation; something they were not supposed to do as altering the course of destiny leads to devastating ramifications. Jim gets demoted, spock gets reassigned and THE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE BEGINS. In the days following the events described above a new terrorist emerges (Khan Noonein Singh) played by the ever charismatic 'Benedict Cumberpatch' who threatens the world by raging a war against its leaders beginning with direct attack on the USS Head Quarters and murdering its leaders in cold blood. Then begins the Man-Hunt for the absconder who has taken refuge in the un-inhabited territories controlled by the Klingons who are the arch enemies of humans. Going to those territories would lead to an all out war between Klingons and humans which would take earth INTO DARKNESS but not bringing the terrorist to justice would raise questions on power the USS itself.

Secrets are revealed, relationships are broken and tough choices are made to walk the thin line between good and evil. Thus making it into a racy cinematic experience which maintains its pace throughout the 133 minutes keeping you hooked to your seats all the time. It's a movie nobody should miss irrespective of whether you have seen any of the star trek movies before. Watch it you won't get bored even for a minute.

Pros: Spectacular action sequences, good story and well written characters, enthralling background score, Benedict Cumberpatch Cons :Not a very original story

6 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Ek Thi Daayan (2013)

7/10

Ek Thi Daayan is a must watch even if you are not a big fan of the genre

21 April 2013

Ek Thi Daayan is not the 'every day horror flick' that Bollywood churns out more than often,courtesy :Vikram Bhatt. Its a story of one of the most feared creatures of Indian mythology with elements of psychological thriller fused together in a way which is scary enough to send down thrills down your spine and intelligent enough to keep you on your toes almost through out the movie.

The story is brilliantly narrated through the eyes of a promising storyteller who had the guts to tell a supernatural story with enough creativity that it would leave marks on its viewers in real life:Girls with braids beware,people might come at you with knife in their hands to chop off that lovely three strand structure emanating from your head. :p

Ek Thi Daayan is a must watch even if you are not a big fan of the genre.Watch it for the sheer creativity and guts of a storyteller who has something new to offer .

3.5/5.

Pros:Good Script,performances,cinematography,music Cons:The curse of the second half,does not live up to the excitement and fear that it builds till the interval.

1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)

8/10

His legend will be difficult to match..

17 November 2012

Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Deewar, Daag, Waqt, Kabhie Kabhie, Trishul,Mashaal, Silsila,Chandni,Darr,Dil toh pagal hai,Veer-Zaara. Now coming to distinctions ;6 national awards,11 filmfare awards including 4 best directors,Dada saheb Phalke Award ,Padma Bhushan and the only Indian to become the life time member of BAFTA(British Academy of Film and Television Arts), 5 Honorary Doctorate degree and numerous Recognition from all over the world. You don't need to have an IQ of 160 plus to guess the name of the person being introduced above.He is the Legendary Mr Yash Chopra(Late). Now when a personality like Mr Chopra comes back to do what he does best ,the excitement among Fans and movie lovers especially in a media frenzy country like ours ,reaches gigantic heights.Thus Humungous expectations are inevitable, the desire to traverse the untraversed and the thirst to taste the Elixir becomes inescapable. This is the same enthusiasm with which I booked my tickets for the First day first show and entered the realms of the silver screen. The movie begins with Mr Chopra reciting a unheard stanza from the poem Jab Tak Hai Jaan.The Journey begins.

The movie has a very modest and fitting start which is beautifully shot in the Valleys of Ladakh. Every frame here looks like a postcard, such sequences are testimony to the fact that Mr Chopra had eyes for beauty like no one else. The Movie moves on with the story going backwards into the winter laden streets of London where Srk meets the love of his life floating like an angel in the midst of heavenly snowfall. The movie is filled with such beautifully shot sequences which clearly show the skill of a master filmmaker,who knows his craft like no one else.But disappointingly his craft is let down by his son 'Aditya Chopras' implausible story especially the hinge that connects the two timelines shown in the movie. If only he chose better reason for the separation of our 'Star Crossed ' lovers the movie would had been something else.There are many other places where the story should had been better written. Despite having a faulty story ,Yash Chopras exceptional treatment of the subject make the movie watchable and lovable in some places. Shahrukh Khan is called the 'Baadshah of Romance' and he shows us why girls go crazy for him. He is another pillar that keeps the ship above water till the end. He is in form after a long time and delivers one of his best performances ever(At least top 10). Nobody could have portrayed a character with emotional baggage better than him. He is truly the King. Anuskha Sharma is a natural and she proves her skills again and leaves an impression in almost every scene .In terms of acting, Katrina is a weak point.They should have taken a better actress for her character because it was complex and only a seasoned actor could do the job well. The music of the film is awesome but when Maestros like gulzar and AR Rahman come together you expect it to bring down rains but clearly our expectations went a little unsatisfied. So after all of the above Is JTHJ worth a watch??Should we invest our hard earned money in it? The answer is Yes, of course and how can you even ask such a question!!! The movie may have a defective storyline but it does have a story and it has the execution of a master storyteller .It could've been the best movie of the year or maybe the decade if only there were some tweaks in the story, some refinements which would had made huge difference to the impact it made on the audience. And and above all, Movies are as complex as humans,you just cant dismiss them as plain good or bad. They have shades, some bright some dark,only the intensity differs.

In the end all I could feel was there are few story tellers whose legends will be passed on to the next generations and Mr Yash chopra is one of them because his skill of portraying human emotions was exemplary and rare, simple but beautiful ,brilliant but close to the heart. Love will never be portrayed on screen like the way he could because he had the eyes to see what ours couldn't. Your Legacy will continue ,JAB TAK HAI JAAN

14 out of 27 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Agneepath (2012)

8/10

high octane action-drama ,well complimented by power packed performances

29 January 2012

15 minutes into agneepath and you know what level of intense action drama is going to unfold.

The movie begins on a poetic note ,with am idealistic father teaching his son about the path of fire(agneepath)that a man should walk on in life. The father is soon falsely blamed for a crime he didn't commit and hanged on the banyan tree in front of the his son and the whole village.

From here begins a story of vengeance ,power and crime that is sure to keep the viewer hooked to their seats for whole 2 hrs 40 mins. Agneepath is a powerful movie which is well directed and very well acted.

The already strong screenplay is combined with supreme performance and brilliant background score which generates superb cinematic experience.

But this awesome movie could have been even better if few songs were slashed off. overall its a good power packed movie that will keep you engrossed throughout.

i'll give the movie 8/10 and 9/10 is 2 songs were slashed off...

2 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Alcatraz (2012)

8/10

not fresh...but nevertheless intriguing

18 January 2012

Warning: Spoilers

j.j Abrams is a name to reckon with but his tea is not always sweet,this is the impression with which i watched the pilot episode of ALCATRAZ.

Keeping J.J Abrams aside,the writers of Alcatraz are also credible(the writers of lost,kyle X,deadwood) remember these shows??They were awesome right??

Now,coming to Alcatraz,the main plot is intriguing ,it brings back the same mysterious atmosphere that once LOST had created.The pace of unfolding of the story is fast,the viewer will not be bored for a second.The writers have successfully sprinkled elements of mysteries,eeriness which tease the viewer from time to time.

In the end i was left asking for more...that should be enough for any one in two minds about the show...watch it have fun.. i'll give it a solid 8 out of 10....lets see where the show takes us from a very promising pilot..

16 out of 33 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

harsh007

Reviews

Tell Your Friends

Recently Viewed