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Reviews
The Happening (2008)
Education over Entertainment
The happening is an average film with a good premise. Among all the possible causes that could exterminate the human race, few would have given trees and plants a chance to wreck havoc on (by far) its greatest enemy - the human race. This sudden u-turn humbles citizens in the North East of the US (amongst the worst sinners when it comes to the environment), and brings them to their knees - literally. People just drop dead, and this confuses everyone - the actors, the audience, and seemingly, even the director. This is where the movie falls - because nobody knows how to react during this 'act of war'. The actors are always in a state of shock and/or awe, and even the writer/director does not commit to emotions whole-heartedly. It's as if M. Night Shyamalan threw a stone into a pond and then ran, not bothering to take the movie to places where it could have gone. Alas, this is what ultimately leaves an unfulfilled taste in our mouths. If only....this and if only...that. There are so many different ways the screenplay could have gone, and we are dissatisfied by the fact that the director asks us to sit on what seems to be a roller-coaster ride, and it ends up like a pram-ride. Shyamalan, with his brilliant imagination, once again puts an interesting issue on the table, and everything can be summed up by Wahlberg's great monologue with the plants - "All this while I have been talking with a plastic plant." We expected the real thing Night.
300 (2006)
A Fresh Perspective
One of the greatest challenges facing filmmakers in our time is how to offer a fresh perspective with every subsequent film. How does one go about doing something that appears different, and novel? This is exactly what Zack Snyder achieves with 300. He manages to re-tell an old story, with done-to-death plot elements, and special effects that are on par with other 'war' movies, to stand out from the crowd like a pretty girl. 300, simply put, is a sight for sore eyes.
Gerard Butler does a terrific job as king and leader, and there isn't a single moment in the film in which you feel otherwise (maybe except when his abs are in more focus!). And, his 300 men do not disappoint in giving the impression that they really were the 300 Spartans, and it would be really unwise to make them angry.
The villains in this case (the Persians) are not only vast in number (which is nothing new), but they are over the top as well. So you have a mix of Alexander and Lord of the Rings, but with a greater reality.
The cinematography and editing deserves special mention too, and the movie shows how different elements of film-making, when put together in new and creative ways, almost always manages to do the trick - create a breath of fresh air.
And how!
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
You don't impress every time you swing
If the Spiderman series is to continuously rake in profits, it must try to emulate movies like Harry Potter, where the character is developed with each installment.
This is the main thorn in the latest edition of Spiderman, in which we learn nothing new about Peter Parker except that he can be bad (but only if an alien invades his body). Mary Jane continues all the expressions that come under 'wishful thinking' and 'frustration'.
The Villains are all good guys-turned evil. I wonder why the producers of Spiderman have forsaken really evil villains. It is easy to see the pattern: Spiderman gets invaded by an alien - he becomes bad - then becomes good. The Sandman gets turned into sand - he becomes bad - then becomes good. The Green Goblin still gets haunted by this father - he is bad - but then gets bumped in the head and turns good. Brock just happens to turn bad, and gets unlucky.
And there is only so much swinging you can take. After a while, like a roller coaster ride, it loses its charm. In my opinion, the worst in the series so far.
Death Proof (2007)
Good for one ride
There is nothing complicated about Death Proof. A crazy stuntman in a crazy car just loves killing women he picks up, until he runs into (behind?) the wrong bunch of women. Straight story, straightforward ending, and one long car chase which is well shot. The first half of the movie is just a build-up to the second half. The stuntman's character is built up in the first half, and Kurt Russell does a good job of acting spooky. The girls in the second half are kick-ass, and along with slick camera work and editing, the film manages to hold your attention till the end. That's about it; like I said: Good enough for just one ride, no more. Not one of Tarantino's finest.
Kaal (2005)
The worst NAT GEO feature is much much better than this trash...
Pride is what caused Kaal. I could somehow feel Karan Johar in each and every shot, and the forced acting, the worst use of the wide angle, funny jungle sounds you could buy on a cheap CD, and of course, Shah Rukh Khan and Mallaika. For a moment it seemed more like a Pepsi Commercial, and a badly directed one at that. Strangers meet in jungle, hacked one by one, until they come upon the big secret, something that you'll guess anyway within the first fifteen minutes of the movie. the only person it might fool is someone sleeping through the movie. The Director must have really begged to get this chance, and Karan Johar must have been desperately bored. Some claim this film is a hit. Of course it will be. That's why Shah Rukh appears at the beginning, to tell us: "it's all right! this kind of crap is endorsed by me, see?" The movie is an insult to the paying-public. Of course, only a Karan Johar can get away with such blatant disrespect, with his already immoral films setting the trends for today's youngsters. while aditya chopra strives for morals, karan johar exploits the lack of it. True, he does vibe well with the public. But for how long?