X-Men First Class : A really First Class Experience

Wow what a movie. Though missed the long cadmium nails of Wolverine but what a movie. Real thrill from the beginning to the end and for the first time I felt that the antagonist should have been the protagonist. And the movie did manage to revive some memories of THE MATRIX. But way to go. An all round movie for mutant watchers.

The movie deals with the beginning of the end and what a way to introduce to where it all started. Charlese Xaviers to say does not seem to be quite a strong character. He has his own tricks but still he does not seem like the one capable of being in the lead. On the other hand we have Erik aka Magneto who in every sense is capable of being a superhero except for his hatred for humans. But he did deliver a performance worthy of X-Men. The movie tells the friendship that existed between Charles and Erik and how they ended up being against each other at the end. The point of difference being Humanity. But screw humanity when we have such a good movie to pass the time. The movie is quite steady introducing mutants as the movie proceeds. We even come across some characters who I don't remember featuring in earlier movies. But anyways who cares about that. The friendship between Charles and Mystique is another notable event in the franchise. The movie is all mutantization , very less human involvement and that is what makes the movie more appealing. And the last scene where Erik stops all the missiles thrown at the beach, reminded me of NEO from THE MATRIX who did all the same with bullets and many more things some 10 years back. But the particular scene was worth the movie. It summed up everything the movie was all about.


The acting was much of non existent. No emotional drama in the movie which was a real boon for me. Everybody did pitch in with their acts. But the real limelight was Erik and The Beast, both summing up varied performances but really fitting. Erik is magnetic, Frost is sexy in her outfit (I failed to notice her performance). The rest are noteworthy.


But surely a well paced thrilling insight into the world of mutants. Don't miss it. 4 Stars will be good for it.

Pirates of Carribean : Heralding a new Beginning

The Pirates series has yet been revitalised following the launch of the new installment in the POC triology oops quadrology now forth. The movie is all about Jack Sparrow..... sorry I forgot there should be a "Captain" somewhere. Johnny Depp continues from where he left in Public Enemies. His performance in one word Stellar. The movie is all about him right from the very start to the very last stroll on the carribean beach where we are still left pondering if a next Pirates is on the cards or not.

The movie is new start fresh with a new story and new characters put into place to appeal to the audience who have not even seen a single part of the so famous franchise. I dearly missed Keira Knightly but with Penelope in the picture we can forgot the British damsel. The movie is dark in comparison to the previous versions, there is a lot of mystery in the story. Questions popping up every now and then but the story is held together by the answers to many a puzzles. And the idea to revolve the story around the myth of the FOuntain of Youth was a masterstroke considering that every one has his own version. And being a fantasy movie we did not even expect anything logically sane. The movie has been wild locales (that is the precise word I would use). The rain forests, the snake and the weird surroundings do manage to seem creepy at times. Creepy, creepy and creepy but yeah gripping. The movie rolls on smoothly and I did not even realize that it was already intermission time when it actually came. And to top it all beautiful mermaids. Except for the part where they kill, elsewhere they just managed to grab my fantasy.

Coming to the acting scene, Johnny Depp runs the movie from beginning to end. Give him any role and he would not disappoint no matter what. Penelope is a pretty damsel who manages to fit into the scenario. Other characters form the integral part of the POC franchise and they did chip in with good performances. Keira and Orlando were missed but the Jack made sure the miss was not that huge and the movie did revive the franchise.

Go for it and watch it. I will give it a 4 star rating.

SmallVille - End of Clark Kent and Beginning of SuperMan

This is one series which has been close to my view for over last 4 years watching all the 10 seasons episode by episode, but as the curtains drew on it on 13 May 2011, I realized I was going to miss the series which I had started watching during college even going almost 21 hours at a stretch to watch some episodes. But yeah I have liked the series very much, especially Lana in the initial seasons and then it was Kara.

Smallville is the story of Clark Kent before he even became Superman. The first season really gets you knowing all the characters associated with the mega series especially Clark, Lana and Chloe with rest of the characters playing a side fiddle and oops how can I forget his arch rival Lex Luthor. Lex's was one character which grew the most over the 10 seasons finally becoming the nemesis he was supposed to be as a part of the Superman chronicles. As the series grew up in seasons, so did the characters adding more and more superheroes from the Justice League including the Green Arrow, Flash amongst the few. Villains also went on the rampage namely Braniac, Darkseid, Granny amongst the few. But all through out the series had kept me glued to it in spite of the occasional family dramas being added into the scene. As the series progresses Clark learns of his powers, weakness though he knew from the first episode itself. He learns his purpose which is reflected in the series finale.  We also get a lot of insight into the Superman world, learning about how it all began till the present situation. Overall the series did live up to the billing and delivered some actuals to the fans of Superman.

The series had some awesome soundtracks, twists and plots, crazy ideas of villanism and many other things. But all together it is a series to be watched slowly rather than spending sleepless nights on the trot trying to wrap it up.

Fast Five - Cruising along on Five Gears

Hi,

Back after a hiatus owing to some work overload but Fast Five made me forget all those extra hours of hard work. The movie did not disappoint at all as I had good expectations from it after the pevious failures. The movie was a high adrenaline action drama right from the word go and yeah it got both THE ROCK and DOM aka VIN in the same movie providing the battle of physique on screen and it was really something watch as they fought it out the old style.

The movie was really simple yet had the power to keep you glued to your seats not giving you a clue about whats gonna happen next. And the cineatic portrayal of Rio was something realistic going into the alleys and side paths to get a realistic approach to the concept of illegal street racing and the lives of people in it. The visuals have been stunning and the locations street like. The movie has some family drama but you can skip all that in a movie of such thrill and action. The movie does pose some questions to Newton's laws and earth's gravity, but in a such paisa vasool movie who cares of all that. And there is one scene where you can't help question how did that happen and I am not referring to the stunts. If you still want the answer you can ask me. And babes, come on I was unable to shut my mouth. Speed and sexy girls go hand in hand. The movie is an evidence to that. The fights have been hand-to-hand, with Dom and Rock you would not want stunts, no way. The humour in the movie is also really good with Roman taking all the accolades for making us tickle.

Now coming to the acting department, everybody has tried to keep it plain simple and thus sparking a new life to the Fast and Furious franchise. Rock is quite of an arrogant revelation who uses sheer raw power and brute force to get his job done. Vin does what he does best, muscles his way with the Mustang at the end. Paul Walker and Mia both give in a good performance, nothing out of the ordinary but a good one. And then we have Gal Gadot. My eyes' were stuck to her through out and oh boy she was hot hot hot. Rest of the crew were also chipped in with notable performances. Elena and Han were good at what they did.

And lets talk about the mean machines. The off terrain vehicle used in the initial part made me think, where the hell were such things were being made. Then we had Ford GT 40, the classic which was a phenomenon in its own time. Gurkha LAPV was a monster for sure matching the dimensions of The Rock, I wish I could lay my hands on one of them. Then we have the ever present 1970 Dodge Charger which belonged to Dom. Koenigsegg CCX, 2011 Dodge Charger Police Interceptor, Dodge Charger SRT, Nissan GT-R, Honda NSX, 2010 Lexus LFA, Dodge Challenger, Subaru STi, Nissan 370Z, Pantera Detomaso, 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport were some of the muscle and exotic and classic cars being filmed along with the Ducati Street Racer.

Overally the movie was a arenaline pumper from all possible angles. Do watch the movie if you are a racing buff. WIll give it a 4-star. A must watch.

Thor --- Please someone hammer the movie

I am back after a sleepy weekend and I bring on the plate THOR based on Norse mythology which turns out to be an utter disappointment. A long journey from my place to the multiplex, some amount of tiring walking and a not-upto-the-grade movie just made the Sunday like one to forget. The movie is like one Mahabharat but one brother against another instead of five pandavas against 100 kauravas. But the movie struggles to hold the plot together.

The movie did start off well cinematically. The visuals makes you open your mouth watching with your mouth wide open wondering the beauty the movie had to offer in the form of Asgard. The 3D effects even leave you wondering if such a place can exist or not. But lets move on, we have seen such things which let you down at the end. The before intermission part keeps you engrossed between an arrogant warrior going berserk with his Mjolnir wiping out a whole army of frost giants and the same person's comical indulgence into the human world. Things turn humorous after Norse culture and Human tendencies go for a romantic attraction. The first half's raw action keeps you waiting for more and the end is also quite intriguing considering the hammer is no more usable but we can guess it that Thor is going to use it. The father banishes the arrogant warrior son to earth to teach him the attributes to become a king but he still goes around fighting with SHIELD agents flooring everyone. So the intermission keeps you wondering whats gonna happen next.

The second half moves almost 1.5x times faster than the first half. I was pretty puzzled what was happening with the incidents happening in fast forward. Thor gets his power back, kills the destroyer as if it were some wooden plank. Here comes the evil brother who has been trying to keep the throne for himself. Whatsoever, they simply hurry through the script and the acting is non existent. The end is predictable, with the good brother seeing off the bad brother. Sacrificing love for home. The move is all so known to the watcher.

Coming to the acting class, Chris aka Thor is there for fighting not acting. Natalie Portman after Black Swan should not have done this movie, with she being almost next to non existent. Loki aka the bad brother is really good at being bad and I should say his acting is standout. The rest of the actors are average.

Cinematic the movie is splendid. Acting wise thumbs down. Ergonomically not worth spending 200 bucks at the multiplex for this movie. Raw action and no script gives it a 2 and half star.

Tendulkar vs Messi

You must be wondering what type of comparison is this considering both are different breed of players. But still when these 2 names crop up, people will still wish to listen what someone is saying about these two. Both are lion hearts taking the fight to the opposition irrespective of whoever it is and wherever it is. They strike fear into the opponent even in their own backyard. One has dominated the world for almost 22 years and left no records broken except one or two. The other has just started the period of dominance.

Sachin started of in Pakistan with a bloody nose but to be frank even the great Imran Khan said this boy will change the world of cricket. And literally, he did. The child prodigy simply changed the way cricket is viewed across the world. He became the GOD of Cricket. Leave the common man, even governments come to standstill when this Little Master is in complete control. People even have a saying "Commit your crimes when Sachin is playing because even God is busy watching him them". Such has been his dominance and foray into our lives that in India its almost impossible to imagine cricket without Sachin. Though new players have emerged, still Sachin is Sachin. On field, simply there is no one even close to him, no angers, no regrets. You sledge him and even the commentator won't stop remarking that the bowlers career is almost over. Off the field, he is the perfect gentleman you can find, no controversies, no sensational political statements, charity in the background. As Navjot Singh Sidhu said once "You can bring the PM to the courtroom in India, but you cannot point a finger at Sachin Tendulkar". He has been a class apart on the field conquering every ground there is starting from Perth on one end to the Port of Spain on the other end. People love to watch him irrespective of their nationality. Even sometimes the fielders just watch his strokes and later realize that they have to get him out. There won't be a second Sachin.

Messi started off in a similar fashion to Tendulkar. He was too short to pursue sports but determination brought him to Barca. Started off with rough clatters against Chelsea when Ronaldinho was making merry with the ball. Messi started from there gradually taking up the No 10 jersey finally. Sometimes it seems like he has stuck the ball using fevicol to his boots. He creates magic on the field never bowing down to any challenge. The more you tackle him, the more he comes back to you. Play acting is not his skill. His skill is the soccer ball with which he simply walks into the goal as if there is no one in front of him. Sometimes it resembles as if other players are mortals in front of him. But its still a long way before he can be even conferred the title GOD. But still he is breathtaking in his own aspect. He is like the baby faced assassin whom the opponents fear knowing that they can't stop him no matter what. Off the field, he lives a life far from any controversies.

Both these players have graced their respective sports with utmost respect and they have been well respected in return. They have their critics but they let their skills do the talking. They are embodiment of God's gift, hard work, brilliant execution, silent aggression and above all a never say die attitude.

League of Champions Semi Final First Leg

Oh boy, we had some serious football going on midweek with both the away teams establishing their complete dominance over the opponent. It was a joy to watch as Rooney and Messi both lived up to the No 10 performances expected of them, but in different ways. But all together it was a feast of some real soccer out there.

The first match between Manchester United and Schalke should have been actually billed Man Utd vs Manuel Neuer. Because the first 20 minutes really showed us a glimpse of the modern era reincarnation of Peter Schmeichel. Neuer was simply playing on a different planet altogether. The audacious cross from Rooney in the 3rd minute was met with an inhuman dive from the goalie to keep out a sure goal from Hernandez. That was just the beginning of what was to come. It seemed like the German resilience was a true thing. For the first half, Utd should have been 5-0 up but Neuer had different plans of his own. He kept out every single shot, cross, 1-on-1 thrown on him as if he can do all that in his sleep. But those 45 minutes he may not replicate again but what a performance. United were left scratching their heads and at half time it still read 0-0. Some respite but SAF was not your sit back and wait type manager. The tempo was raised and United were offensive from the word GO in the second half. But history (read first 45 minutes) does not repeat. Neuer was abandoned fighting a lone battle against Rooney and Co. Rooney was playing as if he were no mere mortal, he was everywhere and I would say the reverse pass to pick out Giggsy was simply breathtaking. From here on it was the usual for United , ending up 2-0 victorious on away grounds breaking the long standing German jinx. But it was a match where Rooney showed why is a bulldozer on the field, Neuer showed the German resilience and we got a perfect match.

The second match between Real Madrid and Barcelona was one of the most ill tempered El Classico's in recent history. It was Messi all the way playing silky sublime football as compared to Rooney's determined football. Messi was simply untouchable and the second goal of the night just showcased the gulf of class between him and the defenders on the pitch. The match did have its moments. Pepe getting a straight red, which I think should have been a yellow. The fight at the half time which saw Pinto get a red, Mourinho being banished into the stands. But again Mourinho has not been wrong as he had said earlier, he plays against Barcelona with 10 men and it seemed the referee obliged him. Real Madrid were not intended on playing any football other than physical football and Barcelona took it as a blessing in disguise crying like babies every time they are hit. Come on, you are playing football not some court games where the opponents don't touch each other. Pedro and Busquets in particular need to keep their crying at home. Look at Messi, what may come he still stands. Football wise, this match was boring I would say, tackles flying, cards being brandished (Ramos will miss the second leg) and Barcelona playing their possession football without even going forward. It is beautiful but boring. But yeah Messi did get what he deserved, 2 goals on the night to take an almost book their place at Wembley.

Both matches are poised at surety that its Man Utd vs Barca in the finale. But this is Football, next 90 minutes will decide who it is going to be. Raul will definitely like to feature in another finale while Mourinho would like to repeat what he did with Inter at Camp Nou. Next week decides the Wembley occupants.