The Majestic - Movie Review

THE MAJESTIC - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

What a movie! Set against the backdrop of the McCarthy witch hunts, it portrays a beautiful tale of mistaken identity changing a man and through him helping a community torn by losses of young men to the war. America is the only country in the world built on an idea. It is all the more poignant to watch this movie now in 2006, where Bush and his right-wing bullies have once again proved that through might, it is possible to destroy the idea of America.

Who would have thought that within Jim Carrey existed such depth of acting ability? What a performance! Martin Landau as the aging father of the war hero, who is blinded by desperate need to believe that his son has returned after being lost for nine and a half years, is amazing!

The beauty of the film lies in its ability in capturing the mood of a nation that is trying to recover from a war, the McCarthy trials, Jazz and the sense of new hope. It is very rare for Art to capture a sense of a nation.

A strong must see.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a resounding 8.

SHE SAID:

I enjoyed the movie, although it was slow, almost like a documentary. It was confusing at times. It does not play like a commercial movie, but more like a Art house movie.

Good acting by all the actors involved.

I would see it once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a resounding 5.

The Polar Express - Movie Review

THE POLAR EXPRESS - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Wow! I would say that actors all around the world need to start shivering in their boots. This movie has definitively proved that it is not necessary to have live actors to make a gripping movie. Animators with their computers can do the job. Techies have even been experimenting with using long dead actors in brand new movies. Now imagine, if we could have any actor act in our movie, without having to worry about tempers, ego, tantrums etc.

An amazing movie that is as good as, or better than a live action movie. Even you are not a Christian like me, you will still enjoy it and treasure it's message.

Definitely worth watching and owning.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 8.

SHE SAID:

A highly enjoyable movie. I hate cartoons, but movies like this convince me otherwise. A lovely story that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It has a message of hope.

Worth watching for sure.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 7.

Astronauts Wife - Movie Review

ASTRONAUTS WIFE - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Am I the only one seeing this or what? Does anyone else find that the weirdest dude in Hollywood is Johnny Depp? The moment you find out that he is in a film, you can immediately expect things to get strange. Charlize Theron is increasingly becoming the female Johnny Depp. So what do you get when you put them both together? One weird movie.

While the story of an astronaut picking up an alien life form in space, is not new, this movie handles this theme very well with good special effects thrown in. There are quite a few sequences that run as if the cameraman was on an acid trip.

Definitely worth watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 6.

SHE SAID:

While I like Johnny Depp very much, I do not like the weirdness of his roles. That goes for this movie too. Charlize Theron was ok.

Overall, a very forgettable movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.

Cheaper by the Dozen - Movie Review

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

A romp in the park! Funny while tackling a serious issue affecting all of us. It is about work-life balance, in a family where both the parents are working. Ultimately it is about a question of what is important, money or family. How much money is enough?

Steve Martin is one of my favourites. He can play just about any part and make it look effortless. This movie is a walk in the park for him. Numerous directors have used his comedy to display weighty issues.

Bonnie Hunt is excellent. She has always been under rated. She is a very good actress who can prove herself given half the chance. The kids are numerous and quite good.

A very interesting sidebar. The main actor who plays Superman in the TV series Smallville - Tom Welling, is the eldest son of the Bakers in this movie. To make a ever bigger coincidence, on of the brothers, who are the heros in the hit TV series Supernatural - Jared Padalecki, is the kid in school, giving Superman a hard time. Talk about coincidences.

Definitely worth a look. A light breezy look at a big emotional issue.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 7.

SHE SAID:

A good family movie. Other than that I am not too sure that they are dealing with any issue in the movie. Most of the time it is a big confused mess of kids running in and out of frames.

Steve Martin has class. This is as clear as daylight.

A good movie to watch if you had no other choice.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

Bruce Almighty - Movie Review

BRUCE ALMIGHTY - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

What an absolutely delightful movie with a powerful message. Even God himself cannot mess with man's free will. Even He cannot make somebody fall in love.

Opens up a whole new can of worms. What is free will? Is there really such an animal? It really goes back to the existence of God.

Anyway, a highly entertaining movie with a very amusing what if. Jim Carrey has out done himself. Morgan Freeman is a very convincing God with a quirky sense of humour. Jennifer Anniston is vapid and not fully there in her role.

I would almost say that this is one for the collection.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 8.

SHE SAID:

A very entertaining movie that can be enjoyed by the entire family. This type of movie is getting to a rarity these days with movies targeting niche audiences.

I would say don't over think the movie but just go along for the ride. Jim Carrey makes the movie very funny and pretty much carries it on his shoulders.

Worth a watch.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 6.

Stitch the Movie - Movie Review

STITCH THE MOVIE - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

An absolute blast! What fun! I love cartoons and I just can't get enough of Lilo & Stitch. The zany humour is absolutely great. Disney has done it again! The thing about Lilo & Stitch is that adults have as many delights as kids.

This movie continues the adventures of Lilo and Stitch as they try to get Stitch to connect with all his cousins - the other 625 experiments.

This is one for the collection.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 8.

SHE SAID:

I hate cartoons. I think they are bad even for kids let alone for adults. So I did not fancy this movie much.

I would not give this one even a look.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 1.

Thambi - Movie review

THAMBI - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

This movie is a perfect example of the premise that, even if the message is good, if it is presented badly, it will not get through to the audience. The message is a perfectly good one, but the poor handling of the movie leaves one doubting that there ever was a point to this movie.

The message is, that the pointless vendetta and revenge have to stop some where and that the most effective way to deal with an enemy is by being kind to him.

Madhavan has shot himself in the foot with this role. He has made such a fool of himself with his antics that there is no need for Vadivel. Too bad that his efforts at building a good physique and performing the action sequences very well have been overshadowed by his mannerisms.

His dialogue delivery is horrible. One can hardly understand his speech. Our advice to Madhavan is "Stick to the kadhal hero roles, leave the action roles to others better suited for it".

Pooja does a good job, although her diction leaves a lot to be desired. The rest of the cast is adequate.

Worth seeing once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 4.

SHE SAID:

Madhavan has acted very well. He is very effective in getting the message across. Although initially, his mannerisms are a bit funny, as the movie progresses, he gets better. Pooja has done well.

What really got me was, that I had read somewhere that this movie was advertised as a family movie. Nothing could be further from the truth. The sheer violence will scar any children viewing this movie.

Definitely worth seeing.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 7.

Fida - Movie Review

FIDA - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

A really slick movie, which plays out like a Hollywood action blockbuster. However there is something missing. The movie is soul less. The actors perform very well. Fardeen Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor all redeem themselves well.

The locales are exotic. At an instinctual level, the film fall way short of being a good movie.

Worth watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 6.

SHE SAID:

A very enjoyable movie, although I did not fancy the heroine being one of the bad guys. Something about that portrayal rubs me the wrong way.

Otherwise worth watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 7.

Madrasi - Movie review

MADRASI - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Here is the surprising thing about this movie. One would normally dismiss an Arjun movie as action masala. But stop! This one is actually good. Is it because of Jegapathy Babu? Or is it because maybe this movie is a remake? Whatever the reason, Arjun has woken up and finally given us a good quality action movie.

It looks like Arjun has joined the long line of actors who want to make it big in politics. It is fairly evident in the dialogue and in aping MGR in a song.

The story is crisp and evokes anticipation in the viewer as to what will occur next. Jegapathy Babu is fantastic! He demonstrates the reason why he is a top hero in Telugu movies. The villains are more than caricatures and actually display normal human tendencies.

All in all a good action flick, definitely worth watching.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

SHE SAID:

I like Arjun quite a bit. So I enjoyed this movie. The added bonus was Jegapathy Babu, who has spoken the Tamil dialogues very well. The new heroine looks pretty. Gajala has improved her acting.

A good movie definitely worth watching.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 7.

June R - Movie review

JUNE R - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Hmmmmm. With Saritha, Khushboo and Jyotika in the movie one would expect it to be a feminist propaganda vehicle. However, it turns out to be low on propaganda and high on entertainment. It is a good story although a bit predictable. If Saritha was any fatter, she would be a hot-air balloon. Khushboo looks all lawerly and in command. Maybe she is the next person to start running for the Chief Ministership of tamil Nadu after Arjun. Jyotika is bubbly and emotional when called for. It is amazing how she continues to do well, when she is not beautiful in the conventional sense.

What is the big deal with Surya doing a guest appearance? Once his name appears in the titles as a guest role, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that he is the mysterious suitor of Jyotika.

Not bad. Worth a look.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

SHE SAID:

I loved the movie. It was totally enjoyable. A very emotional story of an orphan finding a mother who is ignored by her own son.

I have always been a big fan of Khushboo. So I thoroughly enjoyed her masterly performance. Saritha is excellent in her role as the long suffering mother. Jyothika is absolutely fabulous.

This movie is a definite must see, maybe even a keeper for the home movie collection.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 9.

Kalvanin Kadhali - Movie review

KALVANIN KADHALI - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

How can someone so ugly be a hero in Tamil cinema? Are there no minimum standards? How do persons like Dhanush, S.J. Surya and so on become heros? And worse how do they get a fan following? Just goes to show that the population in India, especially in Tamil Nadu is large enough that any entertainer no matter how good or bad they are can get a fan following. The Tamil people are that hard up for entertainment. At the same time they will stay away from movies that have a different formula from the usual. It is very difficult to gauge the likes and dislikes of the Tamil cinema going public.

To be fair to SJ Surya, he was not a bad director. His "Khushi" was quite good. Why did he not stick to doing what he was good at instead of being something he could never hope to be? This seems to be the trend these days in Tamil cinema. Producers wanting to act, actors wanting to sing or direct and so on.

What is up with Vivek. He too tried to change from a comedian to a hero and did not do too well. Although he has great potential as a comedian, he wastes his time in bashing a particular community all the time. Wake up Vivek! Whatever injustices done by that community were a long time ago and they have paid for them many times over. Focus on what is holding the nation back from achieving its potential.

Finally coming to the movie itself, it is a piece of crap. No matter who the heroine is, or how glamorous the songs are, the bottom line is that the story is worthless. Nayanthara is wasting her time. Given time she can be a good actor, but the funny thing is that given time a donkey can be a good actor too.

I would give this movie a complete miss.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 1.

SHE SAID:

I enjoyed the movie. SJ Surya is continuing to make vulgar movies. Nayanthara is quite good. Vivek is not bad.

Definitely worth seeing once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

Hostel - Movie Review

HOSTEL - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Can you say "YUCK"? Every time there is a successful film, it is immediately followed by clones expecting to cash in. I cannot quite identify the original in this case, but there has been a whole raft of movies like WolfCreek, Saw I & II, Creep and so on and on and on.....

Hostel just continues this trend of cutting up people for amusement. Although there was a lot of hype surrounding this movie, if one carefully checked the credits, one would see that Quentin Tarrantino is the presenter. What does that even mean? This is just another way that Hollywood tries to cash in on famous people.

The other side of the story is that Slovakia has been absolutely trashed and they have expressed strong resentment at being portrayed in an unflattering manner.

I am big horror aficionado and I have to say that this one stinks up the big one.

A must miss movie, if there was ever one.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 1.

SHE SAID:

I generally stay away from horror movies and I hated this one. It was completely horrible. From what little I know of the horror genre, the best kind of horror is the one where very little happens on screen but a lot happens in the mind of the viewer. Which was why Blair Witch Project was such a good horror movie.

By that count, this movie leaves nothing to the imagination. There is only so much blood and gore that a mind can take. We become desensitised after a while and the intention of the makers to shock just fall flat.

I would recommend that this movie be given a wide berth.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 2.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Movie Review

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

I have not read the famous book of the same name from which the movie was made. But I can tell you that, if the movie is so good, then the book must be superb indeed. The movie is a rich visual treat with heart stopping panoramas of Japan on the brink of war. The colours are bright and make you thankful for your eyesight. It is a magnificent opus similar to movies like THE LAST EMPEROR.

Ziyi Zhang as Sayuri the protagonist of the movie is brilliant. She has finally arrived in Hollywood. She is not just the girl doing gravity-defying martial art stunts in foreign movies. She has proved that she has got what it takes to be a star.

The rest of the cast is excellent as well. All the controversy about non-Japanese actors playing Japanese characters is just irrelevant as the end result is so appealing.

One for the collection! Not to be missed.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 9.

SHE SAID:

Nothing to write home about. Nice visuals but the story was so so. I have not read the book either, but to me it does not matter if the film remains faithful to the book, as I was not impressed with the film anyway.

Why should Asian actors conform to Hollywood? Why can't the Asians have their own Hollywood and come up with magnificent movies which can then be aped by the rest of the world?

Worth a look.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.

Kalabha Kadhalan - Movie review

KALABHA KADHALAN - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Another weird story after Vaali. This time it is the sister-in-law lusting after her brother-in-law. Arya, Akshaya and Renuka Menon as the husband, sister-in-law and the wife are adequate. There is nothing spectacular from their performances that stands out in your mind.

Another lacklustre movie although one with an unusual plot.

Worth seeing once, barely.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.

SHE SAID:

A good movie with well done performances by Arya and Akshaya. Akshaya as the sister-in-law with a big ego, who is lusting for her brother-in-law, does a decent job. In this day and age, such a thing happening is not far fetched.

Arya is coming along very nicely and maturing as an actor.

Overall an enjoyable movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 6.

Amirtham - Movie review

AMIRTHAM - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Although this movie feels like a documentary, it is sufficiently different from the run of the mill Tamil movie for us to sit up and take note.

There are some very good words of advice from the characters played by Girish Karnad and Rajeev. They have both done excellently.

This is one of those rare Tamil movies where everything is not about the love story and there is actually an issue here that is worth fighting for. The oil find in the village has the government wanting to relocate the population of the village. We have seen this happen time and again in real life, where rich corporations or governments want to move people out of their ancestral homes for various selfish reasons.

Navya Nair who plays the eponymous heroine is adequate in spite of her not so conventional facial features.

Ganesh who plays the hero, once again proves that one does not need any good looks to be a hero in the Tamil film industry.

Overall, a nice change of pace from masala. Can be seen once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

SHE SAID:

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Navya Nair is great. The story is different. In spite of the documentary feel to it the movie is definitely worth watching.

Once again, let us support filmmakers who do different movies and help create an environment where it is financially viable to do different movies, rather than loudly proclaiming the need for something different and then going out to see masala movies.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 7.

Idhaya Thirudan - Movie review

IDHAYA THIRUDAN - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Here's another movie that masquerades as a "different" movie. What is "different" anyway? Is it having a completely new story? There is no such thing.

Anyway this movie has a heroine, who is pretty much the villain. She is an egotistic, rich, spoilt girl who makes a game of getting people in trouble. The hero Ravi becomes a prey to her machinations and instead of hating her, falls in love with her.

Throw in the powerful mother, the corrupt/ambitious cop and the bad guy related to the hero, you have Idhaya Thirudan. Yet another brilliant piece of acting by Prakash Raj and Nasser. These two are part of the group of actors who are excellent, who act in all movies and who are never remarked upon. They are the work horses on whose broad shoulders the Tamil movie industry rests squarely.

A forgettable movie not worth even watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a weak 2.

SHE SAID:

A new approach to the old love story formula. Fast paced movie. Jeyam Ravi has matured as an actor. Kamna Jethmalani as the heroine has a long way to go. Vani Viswanath as the heroine's powerful mother is making a good come back. Prakash Raj and Nasser are their usual best.

Worth watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

Dishoom - Movie review

DISHOOM - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Looks like a good movie for Jeeva to do after Raam. He handles the role of stuntman very well. It is not his fault, if the story line is not very strong. However due credit must be given to the makers for trying something new.

Kadhal Sandya is mediocre as the friend who very reluctantly turns into a lover.

Jeeva has clearly demonstrated that he can act and that he did not get the job just because his father is a producer.

We need more movies that break the mould and are different.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

SHE SAID:

I liked Jeeva's performance. It was classy. And I most definitely liked the story. It was different. People keep saying that Tamil movies are boring. That they are the same over and over again. But when something new is tried out, these same people refuse to lend their support to the makers. How then do they expect new things to come out when the same old stories keep making money at the box office?

Definitely must see movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 8.

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl - Movie Review

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

A delicious romp, a meal comprised of just dessert. An awesome film. It has all the ingredients to make it a great movie.

Johnny Depp has got to be the best and most eccentric actor ever to come out of Hollywood. He shines in his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, whose complete focus is on getting his ship back from the mutineers.

Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth Swann has done a fair job of playing a girl fighting her inner demons as she falls for Will Turner.

Will Turner is played by an effeminate Orlando Bloom, who looks like he will break into pieces during the rigorous action sequences.

Geoggrey Rush as Captain Barbossa proves yet again that he has a villainous streak in his real life persona. He makes a superlative bad guy. You can see the delight he takes in doing bad shining through.

All in all, a strong story, beautiful locales, great graphics and a strong cast makes this a movie not to be missed. Pure entertainment all the way.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 9.

SHE SAID:

What's with all the fantastic pirates and curse routine? It's a bit too strong for my taste. I prefer films rooted in reality.

I would have to say that this is must miss movie for me. I could barely sit through all of it.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 1.

The Haunted Mansion - Movie Review

THE HAUNTED MANSION - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

It is yet another movie with no substantial story trying to ride the coat tails of a big name - Eddy Murphy in this case. We have seen graphics evolve to such a high level of excellence that we have become blase about it. So if you take away Eddie Murphy and the great graphics, you are left with nothing but fluff.

I do have to agree that it was fun to watch and entertaining. It cannot be classified as a horror movie by any stretch, which is probably why it is rated PG.

Eddie Murphy is his usual funny self, although he is starting to look a bit tired of it all.

I would say that this movie is one of the numberless many that you would rent if you had nothing else to see.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.

SHE SAID:

This was a fun movie that I could watch with my kid without having worry about what might come up on screen that a child should not see.

Eddie Murphy is hilarious as one half of a driven real estate agent couple.

This is great family movie, definitely worth watching.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 8.

Raam - Movie Review

RAAM - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Just when you thought that this movie was going to be the one, the one that would be different from all the other Tamil movies, the one that would break the mould, the one that would end the curse of the Tamil movie formula, you are totally, utterly let down yet again.

You are gripped by the start of the movie. There is a distinct Hollywood thriller feel to it. The location is misty and dark. The shots are crisp. The opening is a shocking aftermath of a gruesome murder. You grab on to your seat as you slide to the edge. Maybe, you tell yourself, this would be the movie that is going to show the world, that we too can make world-class quality movies and that we will not be the laughing stock of the movie world anymore with our five songs, two rapes and six fights formulae.

You are not disappointed for the first half hour. The viewer is taken on a dark, Sherlock Holmes whodunit. You ask yourself along with the movie, what happened to this kid, who looks normal enough, to make him snap and kill the woman lying in a pool of blood on the floor.

The makers of Raam slowly, inexorably lose control of the plot and the movie ends up being a confused hodge-podge of efforts to make the hero out as a mentally disturbed person with a very simple view of what is right and wrong. Too bad they could not maintain the taut screenplay of the initial half hour throughout.
This movie created a lot of expectation for Jeeva. Too bad for him that it backfired. He has shown unexpected depths to his acting that one would not have suspected from watching his efforts up to now.
Charanya as Raam's mother has done an outstanding job. It is amazing how she attracts such weird offbeat roles and aces them. She should keep doing such roles.

I would recommend seeing this movie once as a lesson for what not to do, if you want to make a different movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 4.

SHE SAID:

I like Jeeva in this unconventional role. Although I did not like the story line, Jeeva should be commended for trying something new. He has definitively answered the question of whether he had any talent with a resounding YES!

Why should we resort to blood and gore violence to be different? Is there no other genre that can be tapped?

Anyway, this movie is worth watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.