Vella_Viewer Reviews

Berlin (2023– )

Genuinely so bad!!

[1/10 · 24 February 2024]

I'm yet to finish Ep01 and I'm wondering what's the point of this show??

They picked up a famous grey character from Money Heist but turned him into a caricature of himself!! All the sharpness and heist planning abilities have been thrown out of the window and they show him like a hormone powered teenager chasing women!! Supporting cast looks flat and can't really act, even to save their lives. Production design is the only good thing so far, looks sleek and jazzy but can't really uplift the dumb plot and lack of character development. They had all the resources in the world to pull this off and yet failed without making any genuine effort!!

I won't be surprised if they never hired any writers for this and AI wrote the dialogues and script!!

Aarya (2020– )

A downward spiral of mediocrity

[4/10 · 24 February 2024]

Season 1 started okayish in 2020 - it had its own flaws like silly song-dance sequence, lame geeta inspired play or daughter spray painting her walls out of grief etc but yet had its charm with decent performances.

Fast forward to Season 3 (because I barely recall anything now from mediocre season 2) - Very sloppy writing and even worse dialogues!! Can't fathom why an 18-year teenage boy will make an older girl pregnant and then goes all emo about wanting to keep that child and then mourning its loss. A teenager should be in college doing things which college kids do and NOT run around getting drunk, rash driving and shooting bullets for the love lost. And icing on the cake was poorly shot climax where no one can point a gun and shoot straight!! Even bollywood movies of 80s used to have better action sequences of group fights. Besides this, daughter writing/narrating some silly poems was another lame layer of plot no one asked for.

And what's with playing mantras in the background to uplift the action sequences featuring Sushmita???

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

True MI Fans won't like it: Due to lack of depth

[5/10 · 16 July 2023]

A lot of us have pretty much grown up while loving this franchisee - one installment at a time. And it has been wonderful to see the franchisee evolve (specially last two movies) with changing times and taste of audience. But latest 'Dead Reckoning Part 1' turned out to be very disappointing due general lack of depth in plot, characters and dialogues.

'Sense of Urgency' has been one of pillars of MI but throughout this movie, none was felt. Everyone was just going about sitting and talking in long scenes revealing little and repeating the same points. After initial 30 minutes, I thought may be movie will pick up pace but there was absolutely NO build up or edge of the seat scenes. Multiple times, I found myself waiting for scenes to get over during later part of the film.

Villian was kinda inconsistent and non-threatening and come onnnnn ----> 'he loses the key to ethan and he just shouts his name in frustration like this was a scene in home-aloneee' !!

Tom's character seemed sympathetic or caring towards new female lead but they never showed any reason why he should be!!! In the climax, Tom spent way too much time on bike while alot of action happened in the train.. eventually he jumps but then again climbs on top of train and villian actually ran towards him to fight!! Seriously ....????!!

Action and stunts are top notch with healthy dosage of trademark humour but overall too thin on plot line, characters or relationships!!

And I dont know when I will get over the scene where female lead is worried if he will leave her alone on the train and he says "I will be there!!!!!!???!?!?!"

Alas.... so much wasted potential and money!!!

Eclipse (2021– )

Well performed show which drags itself to a predictable climax!!

[7/10 · 12 July 2023]

Bit late to the party to watch this acclaimed show but kinda enjoyed watching it courtesy excellent performances by Wamiqa, Pawan Malhotra, Anshumann and Zoya. Been a fan of Zoya since Mukkaabaaz and she was effortlessly good in most scenes - except for a few confrontational scenes towards the end, where she looked expressionless. Remaining 3 leads were incredibly good.

Through the plot, they revealed the secret in the beginning and yet kept part of the secret mystery, to keep viewers hooked but it kinda turned the show into a drag. And in the episode, it looked very ILLOGICAL - when a character dies when someone sets him on fire. Within 5 seconds he jumps into the water and still dies!! And in the courtroom scenes, it looked like lawyers had no role and judge himself was arguing in favour of the protagonists!! Also, random goons shooting people throughout the show - their identity was not revealed or given a conclusion.

May be there is a season 2 on cards and hope they make the script tighter.

Rocket Boys (2022– )

Awe-inspiring and Hard-Hitting with genuine undercurrent of Patriotism!!

[10/10 · 28 June 2023]

Science based shows are RARE and a real life inspired show which captures the journey of a country's scientific evolution is even more RARER!! Both seasons aptly capture the roots and genesis of Nuclear and Space programs of the country and honestly made me learn much more about the vision, struggles, sacrifices and contribution of Dr Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai than our schoolbooks taught us...

Performances, background score and music were top notch, specially the title music. And Jim Sarbh - what a terrific performer he is... literally nailed every scene .. every dialogue with such impeccable finesse and perfection!!

I wish the showmakers had Season 3 also in place with Dr Kalam spearheading the missile program but I understand it would be hard to retain audience interest after both initial lead characters have passed away..

Kudos to the makersss.. And world needs more genuine Science based shows !!!

Pathaan (2023)

Calling it disappointing would be an understatement!

[4/10 · 29 April 2023]

Ummm... where do I start??

So I finally decided to watch the movie on OTT, considering all the hype, praise and money it minted at box office. I wasn't expecting much but yet hoped it be moderately entertaining!!

But alas saying 'I got disappointed' would be an understatement.

All 3 main lead characters have very flaky backstories and you just don't feel any connection with them or find yourself rooting for them or hating them at any point of time! The much praised action sequences are caricaturish and multiple times I found myself waiting for them to get over, so that plot would move forward!

VFX was surface level ok and acceptable but kinda looked fake in aerial combat scenes - alot of times you could even see the size disproportionality between actor and background?!!!!

They had all the budget and star power to make this work but alas failed to create any sort of magic!!

PS Deepika, Dimple and Ashutosh Rana performed way better than both male leads!

Jubilee (2023– )

Incredibly well acted, musically rich and shot but weak season finale!!

[8/10 · 20 April 2023]

Initially, I found the plat slightly predictable but as the show progressed - I felt completely drawn into the beautiful world crafted by Vikram Motwane!! Casting was spot on and Aparshakti Khurana was the surprise package who carried the character with class, intensity and elan. Absolutely loved the music and been playing the songs on loop - Amit Trivedi is a gift which keep giving (while we are all still hungover over his score in Qala)

Only sor epoint for me was the season finale - the plot and script got very convoluted by the end, with too many loose ends to tie and characters to involve to give fitting season's ending to each. Wish the entire Russian-American propaganda angle was weaved better in the plot. By the end, I was kinda waiting for final episode to get over (with disappointment) :(

Hope they will bring in fresh perspective and approach in next season. And last but not the list, Wamiqa and Sidhant LIVED their roles to perfection.. Kudosss!!

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023)

Perfect finale for the EPIC Series!!

[10/10 · 15 April 2023]

Throughout the development of this film, I kept wondering what will they show after Uhtred finally conquered Babbenburgh in Season 5. And will there be a fitting finale to the amazing show?

And to my surprise, the movie didnt disappoint at all !! It was fast paced, ticked the usual boxes of rivalary between Saxons & Danes while ensuring that we get to see Uhtred of Babbenburgh and his pals one last time riding into intense battle!!

The scene of Brida in Valhalla was the icing on cake for me.. so beautifully it reminded us (ie the viewers) about the love they shared since childhood !!

Loved the pacing.. could have been bit more detailed but they had limited time.

Thank you makers of the show and Uhtred of Babbenburgh for inspiring us and giving us joy!!

Transatlantic (2023)

No sense of urgency, whatsoever!

[6/10 · 13 April 2023]

There is a big war going on, evil forces are marching in and occupying the territory. And the same point of time, our protagonists are trying to save the people from them! So far, so good.. based on a remarkable real life story!!

But what I kept getting amused by was the LACK OF URGENCY in the script and the characters to save the lives. Everyone is just going around well dressed , seemingly making effort to save the people. At any given point of time, cops know where people are and what they are upto but they don't take any action and just wandering in the dark. At the same point, protagonists have enough time to party, carry out love affairs, make out and what not!!!

Such serious disservice done to the real story and people who braved the odds to save lives in WWII ..

Casting is decent and diverse with good locations but scripting has million loopholes and moves around like a soap opera, instead of a taut thriller with sense of purpose.

The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022)

Worse Netflix Original Show Ever!!!

[2/10 · 26 December 2022]

There are average shows... bad/boring showsss.. and then came "The Witcher: Blood Origin", the unabashed title holder for worst web show ever!!

I generally quit badly made shows within an episode or two but for this one I carried on purely out of respect for "the witcher". This 4 episode debacle has literally undone all the good work and universe setting done by the main show. I had slight hope that may be show will redeem itself or get slightly better in climax but it seemed like writers and creators had lost interest after shooting initial 15 minutes or Netflix stopped paying them after a point - so much so that show kept getting worse with each frame. And by the season finale came, none of the actors were even remotely interested in doing their part and were left to speak their OWN dialogues!!!

And special mention for such caricaturish CGI, dumb dialogues and laughable character arcs for each of the leads..!!

Sheer wastage or potential this mini series could have had ... but alas ... creators as well as Netflix had no interest in anything!!

Qala (2022)

Poetry in Motion!!

[9/10 · 3 December 2022]

How heartbreakingly Beautiful.. Poignant... and yet visually stunning a movies can be - Qala sets a perfect example for the same. Storyline isn't of a conventional entertaining movie, which was evident from the trailer too. But yet it hit the sweet spot somewhere between an art film and a sensitive take on human emotions, complexities of parent-child relationship, art, talent and life at large.

Music is of course the heart and soul of the film - I have been playing the jukebox of movie on loop from few days and it is sheer delight... Each song is a masterpiece indeed.

And yes, we all need a #Majrooh in our lives. :)

High Water (2022– )

Surprisingly good and Poignant

[10/10 · 26 November 2022]

I had noticed the show a few times in Netflix recommendations, added it to my list and forgot about it.... but one fine day decided to give it try randomly over few other trending recent shows..

And to my surprise it turned out to be an impressive show with realistic portrayal & compelling screenplay... (since its based on true events). Besides showcasing the disaster in a balanced manner, show deployed the fictional characters with beautiful character arcs and backstories which moved with the show's storyline and came to a moving & beautiful conclusion in the final episode!!

In spite of being a millennial, I would truly rate this as #UNDERRATED .. (chuckles).. highly engaging and Poignant!!

The Longest Night (2022)

Such juvenile plotholes!!

[2/10 · 23 August 2022]

So they actually made a thriller about 'Prison under Attack'. I got intrigued on noticing Alberto Ammann in the thumbnail ... (Narcos fans would remember him)

I'm on Episode 01: And.. the entire plot hinges ON transformer of the jail being out in open for anyone to temper with or destroy it!! And there are barely any armed guards visible amid mayhem to protect such a huge jail !!

Giving up now.. not going to waste my time anymore.

SAS: Red Notice (2021)

Was this an 'Actual Movie' or a SPOOF on #DieHard kinda action Thrillers!

[1/10 · 2 September 2021]

Everything was so tacky n bad from the word go...

But icing on the cake were the DIALOGUES !! Anyone saying anything they feel like and getting away with it... !!

Why... Why... Whyyyyyyyyy??????

And god forbid.. Are they planning a Sequel?? 😭

Shershaah (2021)

Shoddy Execution of what could have be Classic to celebrate the supreme sacrifice of a Braveheart!!

[5/10 · 20 August 2021]

Don't go by the praise people are posting on Social Media n here..!! They don't understand the difference between a Hero's Life + his Sacrifice Vs a Faulty movie made on his life!

Okhayyyy... so you decide to make a movie on one of the most respected & celebrated War Heroes of the Country in the last three decades.. Mount the movie on grand scale with budgets & stars and yet manage to fall so flat on the face!!

1. Why dialogues are so clunky ? Why everyone keeps repeating the obvious things without any depth in sentences?

2. Why such poor VFX when the base gets bombed by enemy or certain fire scenes? Literally got reminded of AJOOBA movie!

3. Why is everyone worshipping him since childhood as if they all knew what he will accomplish ?

4. Why his entire battalion and 3 levels of senior officers behave like his fan boys from the moment he arrives at the base?

5. Were the romantic songs really needed? Did you not see how misplaced they were in 'LOC Kargil' or even 'Border'?

6. And last .. why our Protagonist keeps hand grenades in front pocket of his shirt? And keeps taking them out like a pen to give autographs..!!!!

I can go on and on.. but seriously pathetic attempt!!

A biopic on a Real Life Hero's valour and sacrifice need to be celebrated but you guys turned entire exercise into a Caricaturish Attempt !!

Sheer disgrace literally..

PS Siddharth, Kiara and Shiv Pandit performed really well but how I wish overall script and execution were better thought through!

The Gift (2019–2021)

Horrible dialogues & Screenplay win over excellent cast & production quality

[5/10 · 27 June 2021]

Non Turkish Viewer here - I'd watch S1 & S2 in 2020 and was keen on S3 in 2021.

Good things about the Show:

• Casting is good with Beren Saat leading it all the way!

• Good production quality & locations.

(many) Bad things about the Show:

• Dialogues are horrible (I watched in Original Turkish language with English sub titles) - In majority of the show, characters keep repeating the obvious things dozens of times.

• Villians are just couple of caricature-ish people trying to look n sound evil but have no super powers or even man power like usual villians
• Characters just keep traveling across locations for heck of it
• Seems like no one even bothered to work on the screenplay. Show has good story line but they definitely failed to translate it into a good script with dialogues

Special Criticism for Season 3

• This is NOT HOW you make a Final Season of a show where characters move around, appear and change sides any time with no CONSISTENCY !

• Certain characters appear in certain scenes just for heck of it with no connection with storyline ! Sounds more like they were given screen presence to help them EARN more money.

• When a main character dies - you DON'T go n tell the grieving person (within seconds) that "Accept it..you will find more dreams and happiness!! "
• Villains are too weak or lame but seem to be doing alotttttt for no reason
• And why was the Climax so funny !! Random fire balls falling to destroy the planet and main villian just dying by falling on the ground; and finally leads walking away holding hands like a Bollywood movie from the 80s.

Show had good potential to become a Global Hit but childish execution just ruined it !!

Maharani (2021– )

Well acted and directed but PLOT HOLESSS & SCRIPTING INCONSISTENCIES !!!

[6/10 · 17 June 2021]

Huma and Amit Sial were brilliant along with rest of the cast while direction & cinematography were also top notch.

But the plot had few glaring Plot Holes/Inconsistencies: 1. Chemistry between the lead couple disappears, the very moment when Huma's character starts finding her voice & feet. They aren't even shown communicating with each other or gradually their relationship deteriorating, which is highly contradicting to their initial chemistry showcased in the show.

2. Amit Sial's character (Naveen) leaves the ruling party abruptly and joins the Opposition & even becomes their Leader. Anti defection laws in our country DON'T ALLOW that too happen since 1985.

3. All other leaders of Ruling Party stop supporting the CM and become part of Opposition without quitting the ruling party! What could have been a practice of choosing new Leader within the party Legislators, was turned into No Confidence Motion in assembly to add drama !!

It is a good show but could have been brilliant show, had they kept it factually correct & consistent but I guess they fictionalized it too much to add drama and duration for the Show!

Medici (2016–2019)

Incredible show and why this is such an Underrated Gem!!

[10/10 · 15 May 2021]

Great storyline, screenplay and impeccable casting!!

Personally I love period dramas and Medici didn't disappoint at all. The USP of the show was the Character Development of each Character through the story arc.

Period dramas are generally full of action/wars while Medici stands apart with political maneuvering & story telling through out its all 3 seasons. Season 1 was sort of build up for rest of the show and then 2nd and 3rd seasons take off to another level of plat and characters.

Hats off to the entire team for creating such a BRILLIANT show.

Ludo (2020)

Brilliant Tale of Life and Human Flaws

[10/10 · 16 November 2020]

Lovely performances ... n beautifully shot...

Comedy scenes were below par, could have been better... but nevertheless intelligently interweaved narrative, even in the smallest scenes how characters cross each other's path across many junctures...

And thumbs up to Abhishek Bachhan.. he steals the show, obviously along with Pankaj Tripathi..