Movie Reviews (123)

πŸŽ₯ Palm Springs (2020)

Palm Springs is more in-line with the classic time-loop genre, where only the protagonist is aware of the time-loop, while everyone else is practically an NPC. It has two lead player characters which helps to create a far more involved plot, than what we usually see. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ 50 First Dates (2004)

Featuring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, 50 First Dates is an interesting variation on the Groundhog Day trope. What matters though, is if the film truly develops the idea or simply uses it as just another plot device to spin out your usual rom-com. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Anna (2019)

Released in 2019, I hadn’t realized that Anna was a Luc Besson film. In hindsight, it’s very obvious that this film is a result of the same mind that was responsible for Taken. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Justice League (2017)

Justice League follows Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, both in terms of storyline as well as showing the audiences how badly a movie can fail if you try really hard. Essentially, a terrible film which repeats the same mistakes, and just makes me further compare DC to Marvel cinemas. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Featuring what could now be considered an ensemble cast, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a comedy about how any romantic relationship requires constant effort and can fizzle out, if not maintained. It spins a collection of common tropes and humorous skits in a way that results in something better. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Polar (2019)

Based on a webcomic by the same name, Polar is a Netflix production that will be pushed in your face until you give up and decide to click on it that one night when you were feeling a bit down and wanted a nice gunfight to cheer you up. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Wedding Crashers (2005)

Wedding Crashers is about two men who make a hobby of attending random weddings uninvited, with the intention of convincing women in varying emotional states to have sex with them. The film has some strong opinions about whether this is a good idea and makes it a point to hammer it into the audience. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Atomic Blonde (2017)

Released in 2017, Atomic Blonde takes its name from the late Cold War era setting and the protagonist spy. It amps up the action in exchange for narrative, which is a really hefty price to pay, given the two-hour runtime. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Kate And Leopold (2001)

Kate and Leopold is primarily a Meg Ryan flick featuring Hugh Jackman. Released in the early 2000s, it combines a surprising number of plot threads with a hint of time-travel, while still not feeling like a Back To The Future ripoff. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Nobody (2021)

Starring and produced by Bob Odenkirk, I picked this to watch after his work on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul (and Arrested Development). I was expecting something interesting and fun, plus I’d heard that he breaks out of his usual Saul character. At the same time I did not have really high hopes, based on what I’d seen in the trailer. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Superbad (2007)

With its place at the forefront of the teenage coming-of-age genre, Superbad effectively captures the teenage obsession with sex and alcohol along with the related perils. The heavy use of crude jokes and bodily humours reinforces the idea that the writers took the title as a challenge to their abilities. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Sixteen Candles (1984)

Sixteen Candles is a John Hughes teenage romance flick that I’d put in the backlog after watching Ferris Bueller. Released in 1984, it casually drops some offensive stereotypes and rapey stuff without batting an eye. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Cruel Intentions (1999)

Cruel Intentions is not your usual American high-school affair. The movie is set apart by its base material, a French novel from the late 1700s called β€˜Les Liaisons dangereuses’. I’d wager that the book’s foundation is sturdy enough to let the movie muck around without breaking too many things. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Two youths are incorrectly charged with a murder but all the circumstantial evidence points to them doing it. If the two are convicted, they will be put to death. The film does an alright job of putting the two in a situation that couldn’t have been a better setting for a comedy. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Legally Blonde (2001)

I’ve been told that Americans are obsessed with hair colour, somehow it is supposed to define one’s personality. So naturally, I was expecting a film questioning the legality of it all. You know, how a not-blonde woman tries to get legal recognition for her fake blonde hair? Don’t worry, it’s not that. :) read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Dr. Strangelove (1964)

On first viewing, this Kubrick satire can seem as confusing as its title. But some persistence and exploration on the part of the viewer reveals overtly sexual themes coupled with cold-war era nuclear anxiety to provide a mind-boggling ending. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Scott Pilgrim must defeat his new girlfriend’s seven Exes, so that he may continue dating her. Defeat as in literally beat them up, in proper video game style with dramatized kung-fu and glittery special effects. Why? Just shut up and play along. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Sinister (2012)

Sinister is categorized as a β€œsnuff” film, which means that we’re going in with the knowledge that one or more people are going to die, on screen. That too in a brutal manner, otherwise there’s no horror element. Given the expectation the β€œart” remains in the style of depiction, plot intrigue and character tension. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ PokΓ©mon: Detective Pikachu (2019)

Having seen the PokΓ©mon anime, I went into this expecting a bunch of PokΓ©mon trainers, a gym fight and all those fancy aspirations of becoming the world’s best PokΓ©mon trainer. It instead was an orthogonal adventure that sneakily incorporated all of the above while still being a typical defeat-the-bad-guy adventure. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Delhi Belly (2011)

Named after the stomach bugs that affect white people visiting India. This is a classic MacGuffin chase enhanced by bawdy humour and the sheer grossness of some of the characters. If you have the appetite, you might enjoy this one. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Two Night Stand (2014)

A mundane exploration of an equally mundane scenario that is as unambitious as its characters. The movie hopes to be a commentary on hookup culture, but gives up about halfway into the plot. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Drive (2011)

Drive is the story of a part-time stuntman, car mechanic and night-time heist getaway driver. What we see are his attempts to save his innocent neighbor from the wrong people. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Ender's Game (2013)

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is one of my favorite science-fiction books. Set in the future, humanity has already fended off an attack by an alien species called the β€œFormics”. The Humans are now preparing a direct offense against their civilization. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Rajnigandha (1974)

A relic of the seventies, β€œRajnigandha” is a gentle walk-through of the emotional turmoil experienced by a twenty-two year old woman when she unexpectedly meets an old flame. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Martian (2015)

Based on The Martian a sci-fi novel by Andy Weir, this movie tries to build a narrative around how the scientific method is the only thing that will save humans, when in space. Astronaut Mark Watney is marooned on Mars due to a dust storm, which causes his team to think that he’s dead. They’re already heading back towards the earth and now he must fend for himself on the red planet. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Interview (2014)

The Interview is a fictionalised, gory and toilet humour riddled depiction of an interview with Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea. A supposed political satire which also took the form of irony when it had to make a bunch of cuts and edits in order to appease the very government it was mocking. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ She's Gotta Have It (1986)

A piece of romantic drama interspersed with supposed bits of comedy. Set in the Brooklyn of the eighties we see the evolution of various romantic relationships of a woman living on her own in the city. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Insidious (2010)

A horror movie that keeps you as clueless as its characters. Delivers reliable jump scares and occult visuals forming what is the beginning of an aptly uneasy but hopefully entertaining range of movies. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the most iconic teen comedies of all time. It achieves this reputation through the portrayal of the ideal smart-ass teen in the form of Ferris Bueller, who cuts through most teenage problems with his charm, confidence and a knack for fooling adults. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Bridget is a 32 year old single woman facing various societal pressures to get married. This leads to Bridget taking stock of her life and deciding to find the β€œright” man for herself. Her approach to this problem is narrated through the pages of her diary. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Captain Marvel (2019)

Captain Marvel has the distinguishing feature of being the first leading female superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character has blonde hair, a sassy edge and the ability kick butt. But what makes the character special, remains to be seen. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

This is the second installment of the β€œFantastic Beasts” series featuring Newt Scamander and is a part of the β€œwizarding world” of JK Rowling. Intent on setting up Grindelwald as a high profile antagonist in the future films, we see the movie start an array of plots and subplots, each executed with varying levels of competency. None of which come close to be even called functioning. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

The second Avengers film made it standard to have both a giant and a tiny Ant-Man. So, this iteration of Ant-Man does all that and also introduces a second flying tiny superhero called β€œThe Wasp”. All this to impress an audience that is already fazed after the events of Infinity War. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland is a goofy undead movie first, an existential one second and finally a comedy as well. It has a penchant for breaking the fourth wall, often through the use of on-screen text as props to aid audience recollection. This makes it a primary member of the β€œzom-com” genre. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Written around the concept of virginity as something that can be β€œlost”, the movie is a portrayal of the range of reactions from various people as a result of finding a sexually inexperienced man in his forties. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Two Weeks Notice (2002)

β€œTwo Weeks Notice” comes close to a well executed romantic comedy. It gets more than a few things right including the casting, the screenplay, the classic push & pull tension, respectable sidekicks and ties up all the loose ends successfully. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Miss Congeniality (2000)

Grace Hart is a tough FBI officer who ironically lacks but one quality: Grace. One could go further and claim that she’s an affront to grace, well into the territory of inelegance. Fortunately for her job, this has zero consequences since these qualities are well suited for a workaholic detective. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Officer Downe (2016)

This regrettable piece of art is based off of a graphic novel with the same name. As the trailer makes it abundantly clear, it is about a zombified β€œsupercop” who delivers his own brand of β€œjustice” in a crime infested city. In other words, every superhero ever. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Along Came Polly (2004)

β€œAlong Came Polly” is the story of one Polly, who comes along and relieves a non-confrontational insurance worker from his mental habit of magnifying the more coarser aspects of humans around him. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Office Space (1999)

Office Space is essentially about boredom at work. How most people hate their jobs and will do the bare minimum needed to not get fired. This is especially visible at larger companies, where the incentives of the employer do not always align with those of the employees. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Avengers: Endgame (2019)

It is not everyday that a movie has the chief responsibility of closing eleven years worth of character arcs, plot lines and roles. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the epic conclusion to what was dubbed the β€œInfinity Saga”, took more than a single deliverable film. β€œEndgame” is the second of two movies which were produced together, but is very different from its precursor. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Do villains need an origin story? That’s the question that this movie tries to answer. Every major superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had at least one entire big-budget film dedicated to this idea. Given that this movie feature an ensemble cast of characters, it is important to have an antagonist that challenges each superhero to their limit, but at the same time is not just some overpowered brute. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver is a heist movie. This means that like all the other ones, it has a β€œcrew”. In addition to the β€œmastermind”, the crew usually has a bunch of specialists for the myriad tasks that are part of any half-decent heist. Our story focuses on the β€œgetaway driver” specialization Γ  la the β€œTransporter” range of movies. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

This is another fine delivery from the pen of Madame Ephron. β€œWhen Harry Met Sally…” as overtly promised in the title, is the depiction of what was a long-winded courtship between one Harry Burns and a Sally Albright. The period lasts for about twelve years and is now considered to be a classic member of the Will-They-Won’t-They club. But of course, like most members of this club, they most certainly do. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Venom (2018)

The β€œVenom” is an alien symbiote who needs a host to live on earth. Brought to the planet by an evil Elon Musk, he intends to fuck over everybody but then mellows out after finding a suitable host with conveniently gray morals. Clearly wanting the whole planet for himself, he then decides to kill his β€œteam leader” β€œRiot” to prevent him from bringing his whole species down on the earth. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Get Smart (2008)

Have you ever wanted to witness Michael Scott actually live out one of his secret spy fantasies (AKA Michael Scarn)? Well you’re in luck. That’s literally what this movie is. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

I’m not scared to admit that I watch romantic movies when I am feeling lonely. They make me feel nice, probably because of the vicarious effect it has on me. That’s also probably the primary target demographic, you just make these movies for them and they feel good just seeing them. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Sleeping With Other People (2015)

Two college mates mate for the first time and then part. Meet twenty years later with all kinds of issues and then try to resolve them with each other’s help and become good friends. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Andhadhun (2018)

It is not everyday that you see a movie with a real underlying theme executed so well in Bollywood. Andhadhun seems like it approaches one of those. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Marvel’s new rendition of Spiderman is fresher, shorter, younger, freckler, pimpler, funner?, whatever. He swings in the suburbs instead of skyscrapers and attends a high school instead of a college. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

The eighth episode in the Star Wars saga. I went in half excited and half hoping they wouldn’t screw it up. As much as I hate to say it, here goes: I TOLD YOU SO. It is pretty bad, and given that it is Star Wars, you’ll never hear the end of it. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Green Lantern (2011)

Based on the chlorophyllous Lanterns from the DC comics house, the film was universally panned as a terrible adaptation. There may be a chance that it received a bit too much criticism. Closer evaluation should reveal that it is not much different from other superhero movies of its time. In fact, it does a few common things very differently from others. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Max Payne (2008)

The name might sound cheesy now, but it always was. Even for a hardboiled detective video game. Unless of course you were the first one, which this one was not even close to. The movie wants you to think it is about guns and epic bullet battles, but don’t let it fool you. It is a step by step how-to of how not to make a detective movie. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ It (2017)

A movie with a weird two letter name, if you know how It works, then you know what’s gonna happen. Based on a book by Stephen King (who is said to have written really great ones). It is also a remake of a movie that originally came out in 1990. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Badmaash Company (2010)

Movie depicts a bunch of youths who want to become rich for various reasons. They begin smuggling electronics from Thailand before moving on to exploit systemic loopholes in various organizations and social contracts in order to make money illegally. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Lights Out (2016)

Most horror movies are the same. That’s too little innovation in a field where there is potential for so much more. Beyond traditional jump scares, disfigured humans and plain old gore, there’s not much to reliably scare a large percentage of people. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Aparichit (Anniyan) (2005)

I haven’t seen many Tamil movies, translated or otherwise. This one however receives a lot of air time on Hindi movie channels for some reason. While I hadn’t seen it completely in one go, it had an interesting concept given the time it came out. After finally seeing it, I can say it turned out to be far more hilarious and much less thrilling. It might even need a genre reassignment surgery. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Hardcore Henry (2015)

There comes a time when a man chooses a movie out of pure randomness. I happened upon this movie and chose to watch it merely because of the poster. The flaws in that method were reminded to me much sooner than I’d expected. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Wonder Woman (2017)

It is becoming a challenge to write a superhero movie review these days. My amateur techniques are already falling apart and it is harder to write distinct reviews for movies that are so similar to each other. I await a time when people get tired of the moribund CGI bling that these films have become. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Logan (2017)

The much awaited finale to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Logan is an A-rated flick with no holds barred cursing, blood and gore. It feels much closer to Wolverine’s essence than any film before it. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

I first heard about Weekend at Bernie’s when I found out that Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro was inspired by it. I really enjoyed the Indian work and wanted to see if its stimulus was any good. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Sleeping Beauty (2011)

Intentionally named after the well known children’s tale of a girl who is molested in her sleep. This version is not much different except for the pre-emptive knowledge and monetary exchange after the fact. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Touted as the much awaited sequel to the first volume, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 appears with the same circus pack of alien humanoids and similar galactic scale events of destruction. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Kahaani (2012)

Unlike most bollywood movies, this one begins with a chemical weapon genocide in the Kolkata metro of all places. One is led to believe that the whole plot is going to be about this initial chaos but it soon becomes irrelevant for most part. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Ardh Satya (1983)

Happened to see this movie in memoriam Om Puri. I was told that this was a really great β€˜art’ film ( as opposed to a commercial one). Named after a short poem by Dilip Chitre, it is a cop’s story that depicts his struggle against the corruption of values. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Intern (2015)

It is always fun to see the old boy in a new suit trope in action. This one comes with a retired Robert de Niro in a suite, complete with the gawking faces of onlookers, an workplace romance and him being a champ at his job.. ahem internship. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)

I’ve been told that Farhan Akhtar has a reputation for making movies about rich people. This seems to be a continuation of the trend. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ About Cherry (2012)

How a girl with conventionally good looks enters the adult entertainment industry. It doesn’t work as she’d planned but then at the end everything is okay because her ex-boyfriend is a druggie asshat, she catches her best friend masturbating to her own porn, but then doesn’t understand why he is doing it and finally becomes the lesbian partner of her porn producer/director. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ 9 Songs (2004)

As is evident from the poster, the movie is a full sixty-nine minutes of sex and rock-n-roll music. It looks like an art film of sorts, where the focal point is the sexual relationship between a man and a woman and their shared enthusiasm for attending rock music concerts. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)

This movie depicts the events that take place parallel to the original 300. The other side of the story where Leonidas’s brother is preparing for war against the forces of Xerxes’s sister. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Sully (2016)

I had no clue of the events following the mildly amusing news that a plane had successully landed on the Hudson river. It didn’t seem like a big deal back in 2009, partly because it didn’t take place in my home country and otherwise because I am not an aeronautics geek. This movie portrays the investigation that followed the plane crash. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Boss Baby (2017)

Cute things. This is not Hollywood’s first attempt to pitch two species against each other. There have been quite a lot of movies that try to embattle cats vs dogs, mice vs cats, aliens vs predators; all in an effort to attract cute-chasers. In classic American capitalist fashion, everything in the movie world comes out of a corporation. And this movie becomes the story of BabyCorp vs PuppyCo. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Life (2017)

Survival Horror. The genre that doesn’t need a story. All you need to do is bring a cast of big names on board and kill them one by one. Where how great a movie is, is defined by the most creative way the director can come up to kill a beloved actor and his career. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Bajirao Mastani (2015)

This is another Sanjay Leela Bhansali flick that I managed to pull through (the other being Ramleela). read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Another day, another Marvel movie. This one is no different with its plot if you leave the setting alone. Funny in a formulaic way, it manages to keep you entertained with its trademark spectacles. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

I’d expected the movie to portray how the namesake book came about in the Wizarding World: a jolly adventure through β€˜murica messing around with fantastic animals. But it soon becomes a lengthy detour back to the β€˜dark side’ of the wizarding world. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

Once released, the ingenious trailer sparked quite a few interesting reactions. My mother, an animal lover basically kept enquiring throughout the year of whether the movie had released. The teaser promised a different perspective on an otherwise unsuspecting concept. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)

The first movie in the Hitman franchise was bad enough to also make it the last. As a fan of the Hitman series of games, I can say that it did not capture any of the Hitman β€˜essence’ and also failed at being a good action movie. Naturally, I was quite surprised when they announced another Hitman movie. I hoped that they would do good on atleast one of the fronts and get things right this time. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Inferno (2016)

The name Inferno and the fact that Dan Brown is involved should be enough to tell you that the movie is about Dante. I am tempted to think that Dan Brown is becoming greedy or being coaxed by his publishers or employing ghost writers, because of the lack of experimentation in the Langdon recipe. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Doctor Strange (2016)

This movie reminds me of Ant-Man, a different take on the superhero. It is very clearly a Marvel film and also quite unlike one. You have all the familiar trademarks including the predictable but funny jokes, the disposable villians to support the origin story, a genius but sassy protagonist and of course a post credits scene. But it also comes with a fairly new visual style, less romance and the supposed attraction of casting Benedict Cumberbatch. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016)

Happy is a go-lucky girl, whose escapist habits result in a botched wedding and her ending up in Pakistan. She literally bolts out of awkward situations with express disregard to the outcome, which is abundantly taunted in the film. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ You've Got Mail (1998)

You’ve got mail is basically β€œLove in the time when email was vogue”. It is set in the period when email and Instant Messaging (IM) had just entered the general public’s usage and were common enough that most people would get it without much explanation. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Groundhog Day (1993)

A movie with an amusing premise where a TV meteorologist Phil Connors, keeps reliving literally the same day again and again indefinitely. The general idea has probably been abused by, inspired and influenced quite a few other films since its release. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Back to the Future II (1989)

As a sequel to a really well done movie and given the 4 years of waiting, this one probably had a lot of fans and stakeholders to satisfy. I presume that it was probably a much harder problem to solve because unlike the previous movie, the filmmakers didn’t have any reference to work with. They have no idea of how the future turns out and are going to rely entirely on the predictions of the writers. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Back to the Future (1985)

This movie is often listed as one of the best time travel movies. I’d watched this movie in bits and pieces before but never as a whole. The movie is as they say, light, and can act as a decent introduction to the concept of time travel. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ YZ (2016)

Gajanan is a 33 year old teacher who has self-esteem issues. Things take a turn when he meets one of his unnaturally confident students who runs by the name of ΰ€¬ΰ€€ΰ₯ΰ€€ΰ₯€ΰ€Έ (32). The movie is named after β€œYZ”, a ΰ€ͺΰ₯ΰ€£ΰ₯‡ΰ€°ΰ₯€ slang word. However it puts a different spin on the idea and has its own philosophy on what exactly a YZ attitude is. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Dirty Grandpa (2016)

Essentially a barrage of dirty jokes first from Robert de Niro and then from the rest of the cast. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Suicide Squad (2016)

Suicide Squad is a menagerie of not-so-covert convicted criminals, who have been tamed to fight other criminals because it is such a good idea. It runs on the belief that two wrongs can make a right. A character literally says that defeating the villain will remove 10 years off their sentences. The movie takes place after Superman is (not?) dead and Batman is in the process of forming Justice League. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Zootopia (2016)

On the cover, Zootopia may appear to be a lazy play of words, a rehashed cobbling of a buddy cop story with added anthropomorphic animals; all the makings of an average film. In reality, it is all that along with an intelligently written satire with pop culture references that keeps both the kids and grownups engaged throughout the film. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Udta Punjab (2016)

Regardless of whether people like or hate this movie, it is different from the usual fare you’ll find in Bollywood. As may not be readily apparent from the title, the movie is about the problem of rampant drug addiction in the Indian state of Punjab. It is a well known fact that it is a systemic problem; one that cannot be fixed overnight or through the efforts of a few individuals. The movie depicts three sets of people who have encountered drug problems in various ways and how their stories converge in a disturbing fashion. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ John Wick (2014)

Retired hitman John Wick receives a dog from his dying wife as a final gesture to help him cope with her death. His mourning is cut short when he crosses paths with the local kingpin Viggo Tarasov’s son, who breaks into his house, kills the dog and steals his car. Obviously this isn’t taken lightly by Mr Wick and the bloody quest to exact revenge is on. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Spotlight (2015)

I don’t know what these kinds of movies are called but they sure do make investigative journalism look like an intriguing job. The last movie in this genre that I’d seen was The Insider and this one is equally shocking and bound to attract regular gasps from the audience. The movie portrays the Boston Globe’s Spotlight journalist team’s investigation into the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Ant-Man (2015)

Ant-Man has the unconventional superpower of being able to shrink in size and grow back on demand; and the ability to control real ants. With a modest attempt at a scientific explanation, the movie runs with what it has and delivers a comic superhero capable of making the audience sympathize with the death of a single ant. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Masaan (2015)

This is one of those films that begins with a major bait and then slowly reels-in the audience. It begins with a suicide and seems like it is setting up for one of those well publicised murder/suicide trials and the shock value that comes with it. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Romantic comedy plots have a tendency to be highly predictable and this one is no exception. I suppose there’s a really fine line between a romantic comedy and a romantic cringey. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

This is probably going to be the last comic book movie I watch without proper pre-evaluation. There is literally nothing new in the movie. Bland would be an understatement. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Captain America: Civil War (2016)

I haven’t read any of the comic books and so am not a fan of the Avengers. I can’t help but compare this movie to Batman v Superman. Both movies were released roughly at the same time and deal with the problem of collateral damage and the accountability of superheroes. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

The central theme of this movie is the idea of an immortal God versus the intelligent human. It should be evident that Superman is the β€˜God’ while the mortal Batman is the β€˜man’. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

This is the kind of movie that you’d expect the bean counters at Disney to readily fund given that the public adores the cute penguins. I did not have a lot of expectations from this film but the trailer looked interesting enough to make me sit through and bear what they came up with. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Big Hero 6 (2014)

Even though the movie is called β€˜Big Hero 6’, the story is about a 14 year old Hiro and his brother’s cute and lovable healthcare robot: Baymax. The remaining time is unevenly distributed between the other four members of the team. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Revenant (2015)

A movie about how a man comes back from a near death experience and exacts revenge on his deserter for killing his son. Stunning visuals and superb acting are the major facets of this movie. But I think there’s more to it than meets the eye. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Deadpool (2016)

This is a superhero movie about one Wade Wilson, who’s alter ego is Deadpool. Also known as the merc-with-a-mouth he is known for being absurdly immortal, funny and unconventional. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Hateful Eight (2015)

This is Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film. He describes the film as: β€œJust a bunch of nefarious guys in a room, all telling backstories that may or may not be true. Trap those guys together in a room with a blizzard outside, give them guns, and see what happens.” And trust me; that’s exactly what happens. Things are bound to get nasty. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

I am not a major Star Wars fan, but I had seen all of the first six movies in the order they were released. I had enjoyed most of them and was curious to see what new stuff Disney could put out. The Force Awakens takes place about 30 years after the events of the Return of the Jedi and all of the returning actors show their age. I’ll admit that I haven’t read the literature and other lore, and will be basing this review purely on the movies without taking into account all the fan fiction and even the books that are considered canon. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Children of Men (2006)

This is a gem of a sci-fi movie released in 2006 and takes place in the year 2027 where the world is struggling with mass infertility and no new child has been born for 18 years in the whole world. The United Kingdom is the last functioning government on the planet and is actively oppressing immigrants and refugees. The film depicts how society crumbles as it helplessly tries to deal with its own extinction. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Spectre (2015)

James Bond, the spy with a license to kill is back with his effortless charm and worldly vices. As an anachronistic spy, operating on intuition, trashing costly tech and discarding useful intel: James Bond is dead on arrival. Running blindly into the field is something that no spy worth his money would do. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Thor: The Dark World (2013)

The second Thor movie that takes place after the events of The Avengers appears to be a pure milking scheme for Marvel Studios and friends. Thor must save his mortal girlfriend Jane Foster from the aether that she’s mistakenly infused herself with. This aether is the most powerful weapon in the nine realms and used by the Dark Elves to convert matter to dark matter. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Sicario (2015)

This is a movie about the drug cartels that operate around the Mexico-USA border near Texas and Arizona. Primarily an USA centric film, it tries to depict the struggles faced and tactics used by various government agencies such as the CIA and the FBI when dealing with the drug cartels. Sicario in espaΓ±ol translates to β€˜hitman’. It is however never clear who the hitman actually is, till halfway in the movie. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2013)

This is a movie adaptation of the book β€˜The Perks of Being a Wallflower ( 1999)”. It is about high school, coming-of-age and finding what you love in the process. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Insider (1999)

The movie is based on real life events involving tobacco whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand’s controversial 60 Minutes interview about Brown and Williamson’s tobacco manufacturing malpractices. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

If mindless henchman bumping, aged Scientology believers performing average stunts coupled with eyebrow raising twists are your cup of tea then you’re going to like this movie. Ethan Hunt is on a mission to prevent the rogue Syndicate programme from taking control of $2.5 Billion in untraceable funds around the globe. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

This is a tongue-in-cheek story of the concierge and lobby boy of The Grand Budapest Hotel as narrated to an author. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Psycho (1960)

I’d first heard of Psycho when I read that there was a tribute to it in Pulp Fiction. This is also supposed to be Hitchcock’s most acclaimed movie. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Rear Window (1954)

This movie has a very interesting plot where professional photographer L.B. β€œJeff” Jeffries is confined to his apartment due to a broken leg. To pass time, he takes to peeping into the lives of his various neighbors through his rear window. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Taken (2008)

I’d heard a lot of good things about this movie. I happened to watch it on TV even though that is not my preferred medium. The movie is quite short as Bryan Mills must rescue his daughter within a 96 hour window. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Imitation Game (2014)

This movie is a historically inaccurate account of Turing and how he cracked the Enigma. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Yes Man (2008)

A man is so set in his ways that nothing new happens for him. He then chances upon a weird programme that requires followers to answer β€˜Yes’ to any question/favour asked of them. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Another day, another Hitchcock movie. I intend to slowly wade through all of them. This one is a supposed thriller where an American reporter is assigned as the foreign correspondent in Europe to cover the events that lead up to a fictionalised World War II. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Terminator: Genisys (2015)

You’re not going to be able to follow this movie till you’ve seen the first two terminator movies. Since this movie spends most of its time rewriting the stories from the first two movies you should go do it. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Spy (2015)

A run of the mill spy movie where a support agent is moved on field after her partner is presumed dead. She performs daring stunts which are obviously not possible for people of her size and this is supposed to be funny to the audience. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ The Conjuring (2013)

One of the few horror movies that I ended up watching in the past few years. It is mostly like any other horror movie where a family moves into a new home which unbeknown to them is haunted. As time passes the haunting becomes obvious and they decide to take help. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Dial M for Murder (1954)

This was my third Hitchcock movie after Vertigo and The Birds. Was only able to really follow it till the intermission. Beyond that things started to get confusing. But I think that’s mostly because it was 0400 in the morning. Things got especially confusing when multiple keys to different locks were introduced. Wouldn’t mind seeing the movie again to get a better idea. read more β–·

πŸŽ₯ Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

I had only seen glimpses of the original Mad Max movies on TV. The post apocalyptic setting never particularly interested me. I still ended up in the theatre when Fury Road was released. read more β–·