varghesejunior Reviews

Irul (2021)

Worth a watch but predictable

[8/10 · 14 May 2024]

Horror and mystery fan that I am, watched Irul. I also like Fahad Faasil films.

Centres around a couple whose car breaks down on a desolate highway from the city in the rain, and they seek shelter in a desolate house in which lives a mysterious man..... Sounding familiar, doesn't it? The typical Indian horror mystery scenario....

Was not disappointing, had a good creepy build up, with great acting by all actors and effects and cinematography, though the storyline is predictable and so was the climax.... What's the fun if the film ends exactly as expected from the way it process in the very first half? It could have been better if some twists and turns were added... Though again some ideas may then appear borrowed from Hollywood ( Saw).

The film even leaves the possibility of a sequel, and I hope that will be made but with the necessary twists and essential turns.

Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega (2023– )

Such a bakwas series, wasted time and effort for everyone

[2/10 · 2 May 2024]

I am a Sunil shetty fan but this series is ridiculous.

Story is about a rookie cop who is accused of murdering an elderly lady and must fight all odds to prove his innocence.

Rahul Dev does well as an "I don't care , no nonsense cop" investigating the murder with eyes on shetty, but his role too is messed later. Suniel is impressive as a macho man and is probably the only reason why this series may have caught some attention.

The storyline is so weak, the action is unremarkable, this is just amateurish stuff which even kids will not find appealing today... Carrying ones own kidney in an idea box and getting it transplanted back later in the day! And the effects are too amateurish.

Makes you wonder why they even make these.

Don't watch.

Nonsense (2018)

Lives up to its name .... Utter Nonsense

[2/10 · 31 March 2024]

Typically a nonsense film.

Watched it with the premise that it would be like Notebook (2006) which was undoubtedly well made and gave nostalgic vibes while dealing with realities of school life.

Starts off portraying the life of a dull but kind hearted schoolboy, and the promos make the film appear as a school days based romantic story. But the film is full of coincidences that drag it from one scenario to a totally different one - school life to public strike to the struggle to save a child's life, interspersed with public violence and drama, to a discussion about medicine, interspersed with dialogue and drama and extra scenes that simply prolong this film for nearly 2.5 hours when it could have very well ended within 90 minutes.

And this is in no way a sports film, with the only sports scene being the hero cycling in his bmx bike at times to reach places. Neither is it a proper love story nor a film based on academics, or human relationships, etc.

Rinosh George and Vinay Fort's roles are the best and commendable, and the songs are melodious, but the direction and script looks messy, and all culminate into an unremarkable ending. And the hero's love interest barely has any role, except for eyeballing him and collecting his scribbles from the dustbins, which again betrays the promos of the film.

Perhaps the film could be compared to a recipe that went wrong due to wrong ingredients put in at the wrong time in wrong proportions.

One reality about the world is exemplified in the end (though it may not have been the moral of the film intended) - some people are truly ungrateful (Sheena miss), so decide wisely how much you should be willing to do for them at your expense (even if you are a so called 'good human being').

It certainly could have been better, even if had it been based on the simple lines of a school goer's life or a romantic tale.

Disappointing thoroughfare.

Mumbai Saga (2021)

Watchable but such a childish climax!

[5/10 · 25 February 2024]

The film is set in the 80s era of Mumbai and follows the story of Amirtya's rose as a crime boss under the aegis of Bhau, and with a diligent inspector trying to assasinate Amartya for a bounty reward.

Typical Don film plot of bollywood, like Shoot out at Wadala etc , John Abraham dons his role well, with Emraan too. There aren't many songs though.

The climax happens to be very childish though.... With one cop and one dangerous goon fighting using guns, trucks ,jeep etc like in the imagination of a kindergarten child fascinated by Bollywood action flicks, and with a very predictable ending.

Not surprising it didn't do well at the box office.

It can be watched ONLY ONCE.

Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets (2005)

Supposed to thrill, but l

[5/10 · 18 January 2024]

Thriller movie, apparently a rip off from a Hollywood one, The usual suspects.

A famous criminal lawyer investigates the case of two defendants, musicians accused in a robbery cum murder in London, with three of their counterparts missing.

The plot twists, turns and then is lost...followed by another new twist.

Anil Kapoor does well as a confident lawyer but loses it at times with excess display of unwanted emotion.

The others' performance is kind of stale Music is okay, unnecessarily vulgar scenes are there The climax is bogus and unrealistic.

Watched it with the hope of getting to the edge of my seat, but that didn't happen.

Not recommended.

By the People (2005)

Does no justice to the prequel

[3/10 · 13 March 2023]

Watched by the people, with the hope that it would emit the charm of 4 the people, but the film was a disappointment.

It does no justice to it's predecessor

The film takes off from where 4 the people end, with 4TP members in Jail and formation of an even deadlier team by a group of college band mates called By the people that carries the legacy of defunct 4TP. Soon S. P. Rajan is reinstated to nab them, but things take a turn when Rajan is sold out by his superiors while trying to expose a tycoon resulting in huge losses, and now he teams with By the people to avange himself.

There is nothing new in the film.

There are melodious songs and good dance sequences, for which I've given 3 stars, but none are coordinated well with the pace of the film, cropping up unexpectedly and irrelevantly.

The climax is mundane and too amateurish, unremarkable.

Perhaps the makers could have sat on the script and spent time to make a better dish before releasing it to the public. A total waste.

Race 3 (2018)

Such a shame to make such films nowadays

[2/10 · 11 March 2023]

What is the logic behind this film? It has no link with reality.

The film is a spin off from the prequels, but it does no justice to either.

How can a person fly like Superman from Cambodia to Abu Dhabi? In this era how can the makers expect even kids to believe this kind of stuff?

Just some fake action scenes, special effects, special effects, some sleaze, and above all some hype some songs don't make a good film. Much more goes into that.

There is of course some suspense and twists and turns, as in the prequels, but the effect of that is simply buffered by the nonsense protrayed otherwise. Just too many coincidences between the characters throughout the film !!

It's so true that all that glitters is not gold, and this film highlights that saying.

12 O'Clock (2021)

Immature and predictable, tasteless

[2/10 · 9 March 2023]

The film revolves around demonic possession of a girl by a serial killer and how it is dealt with by her loved ones.

There are certainly some thrills , which is appreciable.

But the title itself is misleading and has no connection with the plot. And how many demonic possession films have we already seen? What's new?

It's as though the ghost is everywhere and can do anything to anyone, just because it has possessed one person.... That doesn't make any sense.

The efforts of veteran actors like Mithun Chakraborty and Dalip Tahil is just wasted in this almost two hour flick.

Not worth a watch.

Jessabelle (2014)

Could have been better, significant goofs

[5/10 · 28 October 2020]

The storyline is good- A paraplegic girl on recovery goes to stay with her estranged father at his lone mansion in the woods, wherein strange happenings begin, with a presence that does not want Jesse, but then there's more to what meets the eye.

The film stars on a good note, has a few spooks and scares, and it could have been better but gets more illogical and meaningless towards the latter 1/4th.

One major goof towards the end is - it is shown that Jesse's angry father Leon kills his wife Kate's illegitimate baby born from Moses and throws it in the lake, but how then does Kate manage to conduct a voodoo ritual with Moses' African witch doctors and bury the same baby in a grave ????? Seriously this is too illogical.

The filming is commendable, ideal for a horror setup. Acting is good by all actors, but the ending.....nah... That was not ideal.

5* is fair enough a rating.

Evil Dead (2013)

Just fiction, full of grotesque and utter nonsense

[2/10 · 21 July 2019]

Watched it with the hope that it'll be better than the prequels, which I found to be more humorous than horrifying. But it turned out to be such a bore, that towards the end, leave alone hoping for a sequel, I wasn't even sure if I could sit through till the end.

The film revolves around 5 young people who decide to camp at a known but abandoned house in the woods, in order to rehabilitate David's dope sister Mia. Unfortunately they come across a book which Eric in the group tries to interpret, unleashing evil again that soon begins to terrorise them all.

What is good in this? perhaps the cinematography, the graphics, and costumes. everything else is just bogus. Only fiction, meaningless plot, and utter grotesque-blood and flesh everywhere. What is actually scary - Watching this or the ability to tolerate this?

If you're a real horror fan don't waste your time. It's not worth.

And please - HORROR does not equate BLOOD AND FLESH all the time.

Ek Anhonee (2010 Video)

Weak

[3/10 · 15 May 2015]

EK anhonee is the story of a real estate agent who goes to finalize a deal for sale of one of his bungalows with a lady client whom he has not seen, and soon the plot unfurls and he's in for more on the way.

There is nothing realistic in this film....the storyline is poor, its a very low budget film, some cheap stuff is there, acting is weak, the editing is also bad, lighting used is poor and does not have that gloom of a horror flick at all, the stuff is quite predictable really.

The film does have a few thrills though. It also throws light on some realities in society. And I must say the actor who acted as police inspector has really acted well. The ending is quite unexpected and noteworthy, but still kinda bogus.

Wouldn't recommend

Diamond Necklace (2012)

Dubai well explored

[7/10 · 21 March 2015]

This is a well directed film that is worth a watch. It also gives a glimpse into the life in Dubai for those who would be interested in that.

Playboy doctor Arun lives a lavish life on credit in Dubai, not regretting the past and no worrying about his future, until a time when he realizes that his style of living has cause problems for him and others,and he has to make his way out of them.

The reason for title of this film is evident only after half the film is done. The film talks about Pre Marital issues, explores the benefits of Positive thinking despite varying problems, the value of relationships in times of trouble, how a person's conscience can lead to difficulty in making decisions. It has pretty melodious songs.

The film is however too lengthy, and you need to have the patience to sit through it for over 2 and a half hours to enjoy it. All actors have played their respective roles well, and the depiction of Dubai is really natural.

Go for it

Gair (1999)

Not what was expected

[5/10 · 1 March 2015]

Watched Gair thinking it'd be a crime thriller or something on the likes, but was totally off that genre. It's more of a family story.

Entrepreneur C.K.Oberoi (Amrish Puri) raises a child as his own when it is found abandoned, and the child Vijay Kumar(Ajay Devgn)grows to live up to his expectations, but soon has to face the ire of the envious and power hungry relatives of Oberoi who do not want Vijay to prosper.

The weak points? The film script is Uncoordinated. There are quite a bit flaws, like giving Indian idol as Prize for a western dance. There is boring comedy, and an Unnecessary display of dialogues to show Devgan's acting. The film also turns dumb after 2 hours..It is revealed who the hero's mother is , and that even though she knew him and was always aversed to him, she had never realised till then that he was her son !

The strong points? The dialogs are really good, especially of Amrish Puri and PAresh Rawal does a fine job as the villain. The film also has melodious songs , which was a good thing about Hindi films of the 90s

Filmistaan (2012)

One of a kind !

[8/10 · 28 February 2015]

A really well made movie. Watched it first on an Air India flight from Bangalore to Delhi. Very contemporary, it describes the animosity between two nations and how cinema can act as a bride across this barrier between them, even among terrorists.

Aspiring wannabe actor Sunny travels from Mumbai to the Indo pak border for a foreign documentary shooting, where he alone is kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan when they mistake him for the foreigners. Sunny is now kept prisoner among them, where he soon gets along with the villagers across the border and being a cinema buff himself, makes use of cinema to bridge the gap between different cultures.

The concept is great, music is slow and melodious, all actors have played their parts well. The film is so natural that you feel you are in the desert areas among the actors. And the climax is really noteworthy, something you'd never expect.

Bhoot Returns (2012)

Not even half as good as Bhoot 1

[4/10 · 20 February 2015]

Watched this as a horror fan, but really there's nothing special in this film. They have tried to combine the features of a documentary + TV serial + horror film+ camera recording like Paranormal activity.

A family of 4 moves in to a house whose previous tenants have simply gone missing, and then their sweet little daughter starts to see things and hear things no one else can, and then you know how it goes .

The good? Maybe a few thrills, the acting of the actors at times.

The bad? The film is nothing NEW and is just a mix of ideas from paranormal activity, Poltergeist and even from RGV's own films like Phoonk 2. Acting gets weak at times, effects aren't that good really. The film is quite predictable – white figures at night, sudden blasts of music, swing moving by itself, mirror images not moving after the person has moved from the mirror, doll….we've seen it all before.

Perhaps this film was made on a very low budget. I wouldn't recommend watching this. Bhoot was much better

Aaghaaz (2000)

average film with ups and downs

[5/10 · 22 January 2015]

Newly arrived Govind Narang gets into the bad books of Mumbai underworld when he rescues a girl from being molested by them. Soon the goons are after him, and with this return people or Narang's past, the whole of which form Aaghaaz.

It is a film depicting the mafia nuisance in society. The film is a mix of comedy,romance to please everyone in the crowd, because of which the film deviates it from its social direction.

The ladies acting is weak. The camera work is poor, being fast and shaky. The editing is weak with rapid transition from scene to song.

It may have a been a high budget movie of those days, as evidenced by the huge star cast, especially serial actors, and shooting in exotic locales like Malaysia and Switzerland.

Sunil Shetty does well in the film

Deserves 5*

Jal (2013)

Meaningful but won't work out nowadays

[7/10 · 22 January 2015]

This film is meaningful but it probably won't work out nowadays on the big screen...people want stuff for excitement and entertainment nowadays....action, masala, etc.

Jal is the story of a diviner who helps the govt drill borewells to provide water for his village in Kutch, a place where water is so scarce that neighboring villages are always at loggerheads for it. But then things turn out bad because of greed.

It has a great concept but like I said, social films seldom do well.Maybe it's made just for awards, I donno...location is good, there is natural acting, you feel you're in the place itself seeing all the happenings. Songs are just OK according to me. Purab acts well, not like a modern young man that he usually acts as in films. This one is contemporary.

Should be worth a watch.

Poltergeist (1982)

A child's horror, not adult horror film

[5/10 · 22 January 2015]

I watched this as I'd heard that it was well acclaimed, and I'm a horror fan. Dint find it so impressive though.

A family of 5 is tormented by paranormal forces in their house, and they employ paranormal investigators to help them.

The film is good for the acting, the special effects and make up work especially in the end, and all this 30 years ago in cinema is noteworthy.

But it's hardly scary…with luck, maybe some kids will get scared nowadays. the film is slow paced for the first quarter and then picks up speed. It's more of an investigation thriller film initially, and then changes it's theme. But it's definitely better and not even comparable to Friday the 13th films, which are just nonsense.

5 stars...lemme see how part 2 is.

Taken 3 (2014)

Taken for a ride?

[7/10 · 15 January 2015]

I've liked the prequels and hence could not resist TAKEN 3, but though this film was exciting, I didn't find it as fast paced and dynamic as its prequels.

Bryan mills is faced with the challenge of his life when his ex wife is brutally murdered, and the blame is on him this time as he has been well implicated by his enemies. Now not only does he have to evade the law and prove his innocence, he also has to protect his only daughter who is under threat from the assailants.

Like mentioned, this is not as dynamic as the prequels.It also does not fall on similar lines...no one is really "taken" in the film. The action sequences are good, especially in the climax, and there are a pretty good number of twists and turns, some of which one wouldn't expect...well, at least I did not.

Forrest Whittaker and Liam Neeson are too good and noteworthy. There is some bit of unbelievable stuff, like coming out of explosions unscathed, but well, this is reel life, isn't it?

Liam Neeson fans like me will like this one

Crank (2006)

Worst film of Jason Statham I've ever seen.

[1/10 · 15 January 2015]

I've been really impressed by Jason Statham, for his roles in Transporter and Expendables, but this one was a shame! A hit-man is injected by his rivals with a Chinese poison that will kill him shortly if he does not keep his adrenaline levels high until an antidote is found, which means he should do just about anything - kill, steal, run, jump....I don't wanna say more.

The only thing I found enjoyable was some comedy, that's it.I cannot appreciate anything else Apart from that it's full of grotesque stuff, sex , adult comedy and unbelievable things, like a man coming to attack his assailant even after his whole hand has been completely cut off, instead of writhing in shock and pain. And the F*** word is used in almost every sentence the actors utter.

Didn't like and wouldn't recommend

Gambler (1995)

Name is kind of misnomer

[5/10 · 25 December 2014]

The name Gambler is kind of a misnomer for this film, which is kind of a remake of "Short time" and which also incorporates the Rambo character.

Cowardly but humorous and outgoing officer Dayashankar happens to nab notorious criminals by fluke, which wins him accolades but which also gets him into the bad books of the city gangs. Soon he less that he is ill and not going to live long; this and few other happenings transform Dayashankar completely, which is what forms the rest of the film.

There is good acting many a time, especially by Govinda, but which gets too overt occasionally. The editing work is poor, which I think was a major issue in many films of the 90s. Johnny Lever and Govinda put in their effort to make us laugh, which is at times successful. Dialogues are good. The film has a mix of comedy, action and drama. The portrayal of cop Dayashankar as a "Rambo" is however weak.

The Choreography of the film is excellent. And the songs are melodious and remarkable. It is the memory of the songs like the title one, Meri marzi and Stop that!! which made me wanna see this film.

At present this would be considered a childish film, but for the 90s, it should've been noteworthy.

Annabelle (I) (2014)

Never been scared like this before.

[8/10 · 23 December 2014]

A prequel of "The Conjuring", Annabelle starts off with a couple who bring home a mysterious looking doll in advance for the baby they are expecting soon, but along with it start to happen weird things, including an attempt of a cult couple to try to kill them, and paranormal phenomena wherever they go. It's upto them now to find out who or what is behind all this, and how the doll is related to it.

I got really scared in theater – more than Conjuring. The film could've definitely been made scarier but was quite scary even otherwise. All actors have plated their parts well; the music score fits with the film. Effects are remarkable for a horror flick. But all in all, ultimately it's almost the same old stereotypical ghost film – a ghost woman, ghost girl, ghost doll, paranormal phenomena and exorcism…only in a different form.

No harm watching

Rambo III (1988)

Intense

[10/10 · 23 December 2014]

Retired American commando John Rambo, now living in Thailand, sets out on yet another mission to rescue his only trusted friend Col Trautmann as the latter is captured by Russian forces invading Afghanistan when he tries to fight them off the land all by himself, when Rambo refuses to go on a mission with him. Rambo is assisted by the local Afghans and Pakistanis, to do all they can to rescue the colonel and the land from the ruthless Russians.

This film is more intense than its 2 predecessors , in terms of dialogue delivery, violence, effects, etc. Too bad it was Richard Crenna's last Rambo film-I had hoped he'd be in Rambo 4 too. Sylvester plays his part well as the courageous, confident and efficient Rambo.

Karam (2005)

Poor imitation of Hollywood films

[5/10 · 4 December 2014]

Karam is a poor imitation of Hollywood films. The elements of a Hollywood film revolving around crime have been used to not much avail.

A deadly hit-man decides to turn over a new leaf after he accidentally kills a child in an attempt to eliminate his boss' enemies, but his wicked boss will not hear of it, and even holds the protagonists' wife hostage until the job is complete.

The acting is immature many a time. The actors are not showing frustration and anger naturally. At times the film is play-like.

Initial portrayal of the protagonist as a handsome, efficient and smart hit-man is good and makes you wanna expect more, but then the role turns weak.

There are 2 catchy songs, and there are some remarkable stunts.

The editing is Weak. There are flaws in costumes also.

Grotesque stuff has been shown to give the film a punch of emotion, but its still a weak portrayal. Dialogues are not strong.

Shiny Ahuja probably has the best role.

But the film ultimately lives up to its title..karma.

Moral: crime never pays

Die Another Day (2002)

Roller coaster ride across the ice

[7/10 · 4 December 2014]

The last bond film with Brosnan as James Bond, Die another day definitely takes you a thrilling roller sci fi coaster ride all the way from the west to North Korea but it is just the typical type of Pierce Brosnan Bond film…nothing special except for 2 different women whom bond meets this time, yet again like in all bond films, the relationships don't last long LOL.

While on a mission in North Korea, Bond is betrayed by someone in the MI6 back in UK, and is kept captive in North Korea by the army, until he is set free in exchange for a criminal captured by the MI6. Now considered to be useless to them, MI6 decide not to entrust bond anymore, but he takes it on himself against all odds to complete his unfinished business with the Koreans and to find out who deceived him in the first place.

Brosnan is definitely appreciable in all his Bond films – they are all very thrilling, starting from Golden eye to Die another day. He also has an exceptional elegance – talk less, shoot more, smooth language, charming and seductive to any woman he meets, intelligent but not much of a fist fighter, as is seen in this film. Madonna's title song is quite beat tapping, especially the remixed version, and she also makes a special appearance in the film.

Worth a watch