pritish-sai Reviews

Enthiran (2010)

Solid Effort but far from perfect !!!!!!!!

[5/10 · 5 October 2010]

I ll probably be labelled as the biggest dick in the universe for saying anything negative about this movie but after seeing that Science Fiction, which is my favorite genre of all time and being a die hard fan of Cameron and Spielberg for years I have to say that although this is by the far the best visual effects extravaganza in Indian Cinema ( credit Stan Winston Studios) it falls flat on a significant number of levels.

Straight off I ll get the two major elements that put this film on edge - Rajnikanth's acting as the android and the visual effects really stand out. Even though the entire plot basically was riding on his shoulders he gave a solid and engaging performance that really is extremely hard to pull off. Kudos to his commitment to bring stability to the two lead characters in the film and the contrast that he portrays between being a protagonist and antagonist was near perfection. The second important aspect of this film to be analyzed are definitely the visual effects . The prosthetics used here are a landmark in the Indian Film Industry - of course the models are reminiscent of i-robot n the t 800 . Nevertheless a lot of time and work has been done to make the visual effects really immersive and photo realistic- an excellent milestone. The climatic scenes definitely make the experience really memorable and the solid work of the visual effects artists were brilliant.

However much the hype of this film we have to look some other major elements which in my opinion fall apart . The story really is linear and predictable . I know even avatar did not have a strong story but at least it was executed with masterful skill - something that is visible missing in this film. S. Shankar's works have been brilliant in the past but in the age where a movie like Inception exists he needs to set the bar higher and focus more on cinematic perfection than crude commercialism. The acting was extremely sub standard except for the robot. The dialogs were laughable and were immature.I know its very hard to please the fans and give something that genuinely stands out but this opportunity was wasted and what came was a product of what has been selling in the market for years .Its time to take a step back and push for perfection. The editing was really bad. The abuse of the slow motion and close up shots really corrupt the experience.

Despite the setbacks this is definitely a must watch - at least once to appreciate that Indian films are entering the future landscape of Science Fiction and perhaps will make a much bigger impact in the coming years. However the industry has a lot to learn and this movie may be the first step in initiating it.

No Retreat, No Surrender (1985)

Unbalanced

[5/10 · 1 July 2010]

I saw this movie on cable just a couple of months back. Being a fan of the Karate Kid and a die hard Bruce Lee fan I had a level of decent expectations. I wasn't disappointed .

This movie delivers what it promises .A below average fighter n his father move to Seattle to pursue a new life and get roughed around by the local fighters of the dojo. So he trains to become nearly invincible and takes part in a tournament literally kicking Van Damme's ass in the final scene. Believable enough (Despite the fact that he's trained by the GHOST of Bruce Lee)

The fight choreography is incredible . It puts Karate Kid to shame. Some of the fights are intense and on the edge of extreme violence with broken bones ,brutal combat and insane accuracy in the techniques. Truly u can see that Van Damme would become a Hollywood sensation when u see the way he brutalizes half his opponents in the movies.

However thats it. Thats all that there is in this film. The story is clichéd to the core. Everything thats been done before is repeated . The underdog's humiliating beating, the training montage with the 80's music, the sidekick , the ultimate bad guy , the injured family member ...everything is textbook.

The last aspect which I very specifically want to mention is the acting. The acting is beyond horrible and its not Uwe Boll caliber acting...Its worse. The dialogs sound as if they were written by a 3 year old. None of the actors display any true emotion .In fact the only time I saw any emotion is when Van Damme was on the verge of breaking a guy's spine. Its like they had to shot every single line till the actors got it at least mediocre. Its THAT bad.

Bottomline..Get a few beers like one of the reviewers , sit down and forget anything thats rational or humanely logical and you'll have a fun Friday night

Ronin (1998)

One of the Greatest Movies I have ever seen

[10/10 · 19 August 2009]

The name says it all. Ronin holds a special place in the movie hall of fame not for the fact that it was backed up by the greatest car chases in Film History but the fact that everything from casting to scripting to orchestrated performances given by DeNiro and Reno all cement its legacy.

Frankenheimer's brilliance is noted here. There are roughly 4-5 car chases in the film. Each one is executed with utmost perfection . These days directors turn to green screen or to shaky angles OR to camera placement in awkward places to film their car chases .This leads to under par and really crappy and idiotic chases .However in Ronin each shot of a chase is cinematic . THe camera is placed at brilliant angles such that the audience can view and experience it while their adrenaline builds up. The final chase through the tunnels of Paris was a masterpiece that only frankenheimer can imagine.

Deniro and Jean Reno's performances were reminiscent of two screen veterans .I need not say more .Their mere presence speaks for how serious the casting was taken. Sean Bean and Stellan Skarsgard held the story together as sides kept shifting. Skarsgard should be given a special mention for his fantastic performance as a double agent.

On the whole if u haven't seen this movie u suck. If you don't like it you're either blind or stupid..

Watch it..it'll blow your mind

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Looks Like an Independent Film

[5/10 · 6 June 2009]

Being a Huge fan of the X-men Franchise from childhood , I was completely disappointed with the X-men Movies and in no sense is the feeling any different for X-men Origins. Perhaps the only reason I found any level of entertainment was the fact that Hugh Jackman carried the entire movie franchise as Wolverine -the only character that was given proper screen time and Jackman mastered his role so well that without him this movie would have been a financial failure.

Gavid Hood's direction is highly average. His lack of experience on commercial filmaking is shown here with small scenes where brilliant levels of cinematic creativity is shown. Apart from a couple of really well directed scenes this movie falls flat on its face. The main reason is that the story and screenplay is heavily altered as compared to its comic book counterpart. Many major marvel characters are not given enough screen time .Players like Deadpool and Gambit who are legendary marvel characters are portrayed in such a way that they are merely there to fill the frame. The screenplay itself when studied with detail reveals itself to be a mere story of redemption - a genre that was innovative 20 years back .

Another major ,major setback to this movie are the CGI scenes which look way too fake . Maybe the budget didn't allow high level of technical CGI but still Gavid Hood should have commissioned to take care of this situation .Instead we are left with green screen caliber stunts and digital adamantium claws.

In short this will seriously disappoint Wolverine fans but for the rest of the crowd its a no-brainer

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Editied Way Way too much !!!!!

[7/10 · 8 November 2008]

This movie will prove one tremendous rule. A good story is one thing. Executing it is something completely different. Martin Campbell who is a seasoned filmmaker did a wonderful job on bringing out the darker side of bond but with the same flair and enthusiasm that made Casino Royale a 'professional'and entertaining thrillfest.

Sadly what made the first movie great is missing excluding Daniel Craig's highly commedable performance. Those who think that Sean-Connery is the best in the bond business...you'll be reassured that its still true. But Craig is second best only to Connery and this film proves it. However the same cannot be said for the other actors. Some such as Judi Dench as 'M' and Giancarlo Giannini as Rene Mathias bring back some of the Casino Royale Charm . But addtions such as the new bond leading lady Olga Kurylenko and the new villain 'Dominic Greene' will not satisfy bond fans - especially those who are fans of classic bond villains such as Jaws ,Goldfinger and even The predecessor's Le Chiffre.

The story (something I will not divulge) is innovative but at the same time the way the plot thickens- it does not make the audience eager to see what happens. It is quite possible that using the same story director Marc Forster could have brought in more suspense. The trailer for example really made all of us (me included) eager to see the movie but the same level of anticipation is not brought out when watching the movie itself.

Now lets move on to the final leg and the only thing that feel was Quantum's MAJOR letdown. The Editing. I'm sure most of you who are eager to watch the movie are anticipating the death-defying ,nerve wrecking and heart stopping stunts that await you. You won't be disappointed. Death was defied. Nerves were wrecked but at what cost ? The Editing. The stunts were eagerly shown ..but not in the way you expect it. You have a whole stack of camera angles squeezed into one minute..and the includes the foot chases, the car chases ,the boat chases ,the plane chases...I could on and on.........And I will. Those who suffer from headaches.Be careful. The flair of the stunts of the predecessor is lost just because of the editing although some were taken at excellent angles with minimal changes (whew). The problem here is that its not easy to squeeze every aspect that makes a movie unique into 2 hours. But the director did it anyway.

In conclusion I would highly recommend to this bond and non-bond fans alike only for the reason that Casino Royale was incomplete.However don't go with you adrenaline pumped up into the theater.But still Daniel Craig is the best choice for this generation's Bond and I'm sure that he will be back for a lot more sequels.. I'm waiting for that.

Righteous Kill (2008)

They OWN the movie

[8/10 · 15 September 2008]

Most people (including yours truly) are anxious to see this film cause its been 13 years since the two screen legends have appeared in the same movie. First and Foremost the movie delivers on the hype. Deniro is there and Pacino is there n from the start till the end they OWN the movie.

The movie's strong point is that the two legends are back to the their roots .Witty wise cracks ,top notch swearing ,drugs and violence. Pacino is as brilliant as he was in his previous movies but when compared to heat he dosen't show the same energy that he did. DeNiro on the other hand was everything that made him what he is today . One of the immortals Deniro kicks a$$ and with Pacino there the duo literally tear the movie apart . Its superb.

As far as the story goes the plot was nothing new but the twists and turns are highly innovative . Its like a an old 70's crime story with more modern elements. Curtis Jackson surprisingly did an above average job despite the fact that I thought that he would screw up. However when talking about the other acting its just bland cause you know why.

Overall an enjoyable film. Definitely worth watching at least once. But I still feel that these guys have a lot left in them and I am eagerly waiting for them to team up again for another movie.

The Dark Knight (2008)

One of the best movies I have seen in my life

[10/10 · 27 July 2008]

The Dark Knight was certainly worth the wait. After the humongous success of Begins I had high expectations for this movie mainly cause I am a hardcore batman fan from the comics and before I saw TDK I felt that only begins made an effort to be THE batman movie.

First and foremost Heath Ledger's performance is to be highly commended. Although his career was short lived His spirit is seen in this movie through an incredible performance that not only captures your attention every time the joker comes on screen but also scares the crap out of you. This role is enough to put Ledger in the elite level of even Marlon Brando. THis particular joker will go on to become an iconic character in movie history. You can see the sadistic appeal that the Joker reflects and his portrayal is nothing short of genius.

Of Christian Bale also made an amazing impact .I would have to say that he fits perfectly into the shoes of Bruce Wayne and although the spotlight is stolen by the joker , Bale was still as brilliant as ever. Michael Caine on the other hand was downright fantastic. Words cannot express the kind of character that he portrayed. Aaron Eckart I would say although made a superb portrayal to the character of Harvey Dent/Two face I still feel he only gave 99% justice to the role. Morgan Freeman ,Gary Oldman also took their parts and came out great.

One very unique aspect that makes this film stand out from not only the rest of the batman franchise but also the rest of the superhero universe is that the story is nothing short of phenomenal .I have garnered a new respect for Christopher Nolan because not only did he fit elements of crime,corruption and public issues into a SUPERHERO film in a way where the chemistry between them worked but also he took the superhero genre and crafted a mature yet excellent story that not only would appeal to the fans but also to the masses. If you so as much find the story a little dragging enjoy the superb bat pod in action in what I can only say would be one of the most inventive chase scenes I have seen in any movie.

In the end I did feel maybe an inch of disappointment because the comic book element was missing in this film but that inch faded away in a matter of seconds replaced by what I can only say is'THE GODFATHER OF SUPERHERO FILMS'

Dasavatharam (2008)

Not up to the expectations !!!

[6/10 · 20 July 2008]

I've waited for this movie 6 months before it released with high expectations especially after the promotional posters .

When they released the trailer I was even more eager to see it. My expectations were that it would have an overt the top , incredible storyline , kamal's brilliance on screen n awesome vfx. Only one of those expectations were satisfied.

PROS Isn't it obvious ? Kamaal's portrayal of 10 DIFFERENT characters and 10 DIFFERENT personalities was brilliantly executed .I could easily make out the painstaking work that he had undergone in order to master each and every character and the time he spent perfecting it. The 12 th century priest ,RAW officer Balram Naidu and Christian Fletcher were the most memorable ones. He singly handedly took over the drama ,comic relief , protagonist and antagonist roles with nothing less that Godlike acting. This furthers strengthens his already superb career.

The first half hour of the movie was the definitely the highlight . The director and crew put some really amazing efforts in order to capture the feel of the 12 th century with amazing acting ,camera angles ,music ,vfx ,set design and the cinematic feel. It definitely fits the caliber of a Major Hollywood Film.

Sadly thats all that makes dasavatharam stand out.

CONS Story .

The entire story is based on the chaos theory .In paper its a fantastic concept and linking it with the sinking of the idol centuries before is something that would capture the attention of anyone. But the entire story is nothing more than an extended chase scenes. On screen the story is too simple and not very creative especially with a film of massive hype. But it worked OK.

Editing.

One thing which practically ruined the film was the editing which I can only say spoiled the feel of the film. Some car chases were childish ,some scenes were fast forwarded ,some were either WAY 2 long or 2 short and some editing was like an average kollywood film.It really irritated me.

VFX One thing that I had major expectations was the vfx .I had visualized masterful scenes especially the tsunami scene. But it let me down badly. The opening scene of the sinking was nicely done but some of the models like the sharks ,fish and especially the sinking was very amateurish. The rest of the vfx in the entire film was laughable. The objects underwater had poor lighting and easily could be made out as vfx models. The actual water scnenes were good but the tsunami was extremely poorly crafted. It looked cartoonish. As a vfx student I wanted this to be a very memorable vfx movie. Sadly it is ,but in the wrong way.

NUTSHELL Don't have extreme high expectations. The first 1/2 hr is definitely worth it but the rest just dosen't fit into the 'magnum opus' level.

The Bank Job (2008)

Crime ,Porn,Action ,Politics and Drama brilliantly executed !!!!

[8/10 · 22 June 2008]

This is perhaps one of the best and most brilliantly executed crime drama in the last 5 years. There have been a few which stand out and have a different genre of action ,comedy ,thrillers and such but the bank job combines all these elements and adds more to it in such a way that it keeps the audience gripped.

The entire story is based on real events that were undertaken on Baker street in 1971 . The setting is in London and London in the 70's was amazing. The entire movie is divided into 2 main parts (The heist and the aftermath). This is Jason Statham at his best. He delivers A+ acting for his character and as usual uses his tactics that he had previously used in movies like transporter and Italian job. The dialogs however turn bland once in a while and sometimes the story strays too often away from its main plot . However in the end it leaves the viewer satisfied.

The entire screenplay is over the top and innovative. Since it follows a true life incident sometimes it becomes unreal and sometimes a bit cartoony.Many parts of the movie is driven by corruption of politicians and the police and pornography and blackmail.It is an insane job to use all these elements based on a true story and bring a throughly entertaining and engrossing film-making experience.

This is definitely a must watch

Blade: Trinity (2004)

Welcome to the new world of Bullcrap

[2/10 · 21 June 2008]

What do Blade ,Batman ,Daredevil ,xxx and Tomb Raider have in common ? Besides being above average,enjoyable and sometimes outstanding flicks they have spawned at least 1 sequel which completely ignores the rules of the prequel and uses it to create a pile of slop that torments anyone who sees it.

Blade Trinity is a prime example . After watching Blade 1 and the even better Blade 2 I had high expectations for this thing especially after seeing that Ryan Reynolds was in it. God ! What did we do 2 deserve this ? The movies fails miserably in almost every category that its supposed to be strong on.

When and I ask again and again when will directors learn that a SCRIPT MATTERS? Here the main villain is Dracula. Brilliant. The story is so bland that I can say in one sentence .Blade has 2 kill Dracula with the help of 2 sidekicks. THe acting is laughable .The dialogs and the childish use of swearing would probably make a 8 year old smile. The action is a combination of overuse of Cgi + Lack of proper choreography + Really sloppy fight scenes (The final sword battle between Blade and Dracula made me cry). The directors have not made an effort to make this movie look realistic or even slightly watchable. The main reason for this movie 2 exist is to promote hhh (who Im a big fan of IN THE RING, not in a movie) , show some really weird scenes (a vampire dog) . The level of emotions ,character building and proper screenplay is completely torn 2 shreds in this movie

Nutshell This is not a good movie ,This is not a popcorn movie ,This is not an enjoyable movie and damn as hell its not a Blade movie...I don't know what the hell this is

3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)

10 reasons 2 WATCH this movie

[1/10 · 23 May 2008]

Here are ten reasons 2 watch this movie 1) You have done EVERYTHING in life so u are basically jobless.

2) You are an IMMESNSE fan of Hulk Hogan from his earliest days of wrestling n before u die u have 2 see whatever movie he's been in.

3) You want 2 know what is the meaning of 'gay'.

4) You always wanted see what a movie would look like if it was made by a 2 year old.

5) You have permanent brain damage n can swallow even the most disgusting piece of crap put in front of you.

6) You want 2 be a director and after watching this movie you have hope that if this piece of crap makes it , U have a better chance.

7) You hate yourself ( warning :After watching you'll hate urself more)

8) You love 2 point n curse at the TV

9) If you have the habit of crying at something funny n laughing at something serious.

10) If you're on he brink of suicide watching this movie will speed it up.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

The Worst of the Series with good CGI

[4/10 · 23 March 2008]

This is another example which shows why new directors today focus more on the box office than critical acclaim. The aliens n predator franchises have sprawled brilliant movies n sequels with some of the most critically acclaimed directors of all time n when avp surfaced the worst had yet to come.

AVPR is a movie that will completely offend hardcore alien n predator fans (moi included ) mainly because the directors feel obliged to throw whatever crap they want on screen and bend all the rules of the alien ,predator universe as an excuse to throw buckets of blood and guts on screen.

I will not write a spoiler but rest assured the story ....well there was no story at all. This time it dozen;t take place in space or a pyramid but in some town in America.

I ll give you 5 reasons 2 avoid this movie.

1) In aliens you had hardened marines fight aliens with futuristic hardcore weapons. In this movie you have townsfolk fighting them with some store guns. And worse the directors wanted to use an 'Ellen Ripley' like character like cameron did in aliens. They failed badly.

2) Basic rules. Predators don't harm unarmed ,pregnant or weakened humans. Only a facehugger can implant eggs into a living host ,not a full grown alien. chestbusters need to feed and take time 2 mature into an adult. All these rules are omitted.

3) Terrible ,Terrible story . Alien ,Aliens n Predator 1 n 2 had a main story which involved subjects ranging from excavation, industrialization, Rescue missions n Gang wars. This has NO story.

4)There Is ONE predator in the main movie and he's some sort of cleaner.

5)The aliens have been brought from gigantic spaceships ,labs,planet surfaces to hotel kitchens n people's house NUTSHELL We need a REAL avp movie.. THis is not that. Best avoided

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

An Incredible film !!

[10/10 · 3 March 2008]

I saw this film for the very first time a few days back. It was considered to be a landmark films amongst my parents as it was filmed during the 70's.

My first impression was that this was going to be a great film for one reason. Al Pacino...I was wrong.

Al pacino was amazing as ever in his role ,but also it was the story ,the plot, reflection of society on an individual and the human nature within the characters that really made the film amazing.

The story wasn't very complicated ,but it was still a very insightful story .It focuses on Sonny ,the protagonist and the kind of man he his .Sal was also great .

On the exterior it has a base for violence as a bank robbery is something that one cannot really relate to anything humane. On the interior it focuses on issues related with how an ordinary individual can make an impact and become a someone from a no one in a few hours (the ATTICA scene) ,homosexuality is a also a theme in this film and it is portrayed in way in which gay people are also human and have to accepted into society n most importantly the entire movie was not just carried by sonny but also by sal ,whose character I cannot forget.

This is an excellent film .See it .See it Again n again till u learn something about society was in the 70's n how it is now

The Wonderful World of Disney: Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House (2002) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

How 2 turn a Brillinat movie series into Horrible piece of crap

[1/10 · 27 January 2008]

Home Alone 1 n 2 were brilliant movies which even 2day are classics .3 was not as gud but still it was worth watching. Now we have 4 n only God knows what we did 2 deserve this..

First of all Kevin Mcallister returns but it ain't macauly culkin ,the creative 8 year old troublemaker n stratigic genius from the previous films (culkin waz 2 old) but instead a useless,spoiled ,brainless ,irritating n pretty much childish replacement whose name I don't even remember.

THe cast was entirely chaged xept for kevin's father. THe acting was horrible ,the plot stupid n more like sum 1950's plot n it is a complete letdown when compared 2 the original home alone's.

If ur a fan of the original u ll hate this .If ur nor u ll still hate this.

There is no reason for this movie 2 exist

xXx: State of the Union (2005)

Complete Mess!!!!!!

[1/10 · 18 December 2007]

The original XXX was totally awesome .Why? Realistic over the top stunts, fast paced action,aweseome sequences n diesel was good for the role.N it was a very ambitious movie cause it was filmed in different countries.

When I first saw this trailer I was disappointed that diesel did not return n worse he was killed off.I went into the movie theater with moderate expectations n came out ....utterly shocked.

First of all the script ,screenplay and story are in shambles n unoriginal.The plot line is this Agency attacked-> Hero ICe cube escapes from prison -> Gets in touch with his people -> some bullshit that I don't bother 2 write n finally saves the kidnapped president . Brillinat.

Here are a few n of the 100 reasons 2 NOT watch this movie.

1)Excessive CGI especially in the climax. Even a 5 year old can see through the bad visual effects.

2)Horrible acting .I m a bond fan so I have high expectations.Even Xander Cage was a superb agent. But this Ice cube guy can't act for nuts.With the use of horrible dialogs n bad acting also added he dosen't have the physique for an agent is unacceptable.

3)Stupid Story 4)Some sequences were way 2222 far fethced .I mean shavers hacking into the most sophisticated system in the United states n not even showing what he is hacking was dumb.

5)This is throwback 2 all Bond n Xander Cage fans.

After the commercial success of XXX we had high expectations for the sequel .Instead Lee Tamahori completely ruined it.

Batman & Robin (1997)

GARBAGE. nuff said

[1/10 · 1 December 2007]

I saw this film way back in 1997.I was 8 back then n was throughly entertained. Now looking back I curse myself infinite times for ever even having the hint of liking this mess.

TOP TEN REASONS WHY THIS MOVIE PUT THE FRANCHISE ON HIATUS FOR 8 YEARS.

1)Awful,Awful script.The story ,plotline are all a joke when compared with tim burton's brilliant adaptation.Worse they have absolutely no relation with the batman universe.It was more like a power rangers ripoff.

2)Killing the personalities .Mr Freeze does not have really stupid dialogues (eet ees a coold....).Bane is supposed 2 be an intelligent ,dangerous villain ,not poison ivy's manservant.Unnecessary addition + bad acting =batgirl.

3)Stunt- Whoa...what stunts. Batman jumping out of the batmoblie mid air n miraculously gliding down ,the skysurfing scene,bat ice skates r sum of the jokes which killed the series.

4)Stupid bat toys...bat skates,bat heater,robin mobile,robin signal,BAT CREDIT CARD....might as well have included the bat thermal underwear...

5)Unrealistic ending scene.

6)use of cartoonish sounds 7)BOOOORING 8)Its just a bad movie 9)Joel schumacher was not proud of his work 10)If u r a batman fan (Batman n robin will kill u but batman begins with bring u back 2 life) NUTSHELL Its just a BAD movie...nuff said.