Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa- It Really Makes you Move it, Move it!

By Gowtham and Arunan

WE almost died laughing folks. Rarely have we seen sequels at par or even better than it’s original. Madagascar part two delivers, & does it with its inimitable style. The movie is a total scream. Right from the production credits, where the penguins dethrone the boy fishing from the moon (logo of DreamWorks, made us sit upright n take notice of it), you’ll laugh your wits out. So Alex gets to unite with his family. Marty finds his herd, Gloria and Melmann find each other as their partners (o my, what a pair!!).

The movie takes off from the first part, where Skipper (what a voice this pingu has!!!!) and co, promises the four mates to take them back to New York Central Zoo. But things go, well very funnily haywire when they crash land in Central Africa after they run outta fuel. From the quote on the plane (New York or Bust!!) to the adult jokes and the fights between the nanny and the penguins, the sequences has been fit in superbly by writers. The movie takes you on a fun ride. Yet again, the penguins and Sacha Baron Cohen steal every scene they are in, no matter how mediocre the previous scene was. Cohen (as Julien) has an obvious knack for comedy, and delivers every line perfectly for two movies in a row; not bad at all. Ben Stiller (Alex) had fewer chances at being funny, as they had to handle all the major slower moments. Chris Rock's role (Marty) was surprisingly limited, especially for someone who did so well in the original.

The animation was brilliant, in fact much better than the original. Though not comparable to Wall-E standards, it was smooth and fluid. New villain is Makunga (wow!! Wat a name) who is very jealous that he is not named the king, the position occupied by Alex’s dad. Though we get to see the same family values, bonding and plundering of relationships, this movie delivers on multiple fronts. The comedy which got piled up here managed to work through the punch lines, leading to a number of characters like the monkeys and even the tough-cookie granny to steal some limelight from the lovable penguins. If you liked the original, then you're likely to fall in love with this one. In a thoroughly comic adventure the director somehow manages to showcase his ability to make a “pun” on Human ideas about the environment. Every scene of the movie is well thought of and is substantiated extremely well!!

Once again the IMDB is not with us on this one too.

It does resemble a bit of the anytime watch,”The Lion King”, but still resorts to originality in its screenplay and story. It's a great family film and is fun for both the kids and the adults as well. It will surely change your mood if you are depressed.

I like to move it movie it!! We both love it, love it!! Hope you all will like it, like it!!

Madagascar: 2 Escape to Africa-4/5

The International – Exquisitely Shot But Unpredictable.

I did not have lotta expectations about this movie. The reviews said the movie was not that great and I was beginning to think half way in to the movie that it’s a simple case of whodunnit, a.k.a who is the assassin. Yeah yeah, now we let out a big yawn. But movie surprisingly took a new turn but faltered in the climax. Come on, can’t watch a movie with an anti climax every now and then??? So when Clive Owen (Agent Salinger) takes a shot and the villain, you expect something else to happen. But something else happens. Aww, I can’t explain (cz u guys have to see it!!!!!!). But I found the picture intense and gripping right through. It helps that Clive Owen is believable as the protagonist and is highly watchable. A lesser actor in the role would have made the film much less effective. No further proof is needed beyond this film to show Clive Owen would've been a superior James Bond. But Naomi Watts (read The Ring), as agent Eleanor Whitman, whats she doing in the movie? Makes you wonder why she took up such a useless role. She just keeps on following Clive in the movie (wherever he travels,…I mean).

But something in the movie really made me look up and take notice. In a modern movie world where thrillers are currently regulated to the pulse-pounding non-stop movement or the gruesome thrillers, it's refreshing to see a film of this ilk built in such a classical way. "The International" begins "in medias res" with one of those clichéd secret meetings gone wrong, then delves into a series of expository scenes that lead to a masterfully staged assassination attempt in Milan that leads to rising action culminating in the Guggenheim museum’s shoot-em-up that leads to falling action that ends with a roof-top chase over the lively markets of Istanbul.

The highest point of the movie is its cinematography. The movie is told via camera more than dialogues. There are a lot of scenes wherein the director speaks through the lens. No kinetic hand-held camera action, but smooth visually appealing cinematic exposition the way Hitchcock did it in his prime. Here Tykwer's (Director) vistas are architectural landmarks from around the world that serve as picture-perfect set-pieces and back-drops for the carefully stacked plot and action.

The plot, as we come to conclude at half time, doesn’t seem to lighten you up, mostly cz we have seen the stalemate stuff stereotyped over and over again in Bond movies. An international bank, IBBC (whta's the expansion??), funding for low grade weapons in third world countries, they in turn causing mayhem. But surprisingly the movie isn’t bout one man saving the world and stops the bomb exactly one second before it’s gonna explode. Instead it is the hunt for a source to take the corporation, i.e. the bank’s president. It is about seeking retribution for humans who sacrificed their lives for what they thought was morally right; and those my friend are stakes I can get behind. A movie not to miss despite its minor flaws. The movie’s releasing this Friday in Satyam Cinemas. Ahh, at last a review of a holly movie that’s releasing in India 

The International – Very Intense. 3.5/5

The Interpreter – Keeps you guessing till the end!!

By Arunan & Gowtham


Well here i am after a break reviewing a movie with a friend of mine, Gowtham. This is about The Interpreter, that was released in 2005, a vastly underrated movie. We actually saw this movie recently, and the storyline was so down to earth yet explosive, demanded us to review it. We decided to review this movie and we never had an idea where to begin with!! This is Sidney Pollack’s masterpiece- according to us.

This movie is all about an UN Interpreter (Nicole Kidman) overhearing a Motoban (An African country) conversation taking place in the UN assembly, which deals with a ploy to kill the Motoban President Zuwanie. She passes on the information to the UN Security Council members, who passes the investigation to Secret Service and that is exactly where Sean Penn comes into the picture of events. Can the Interpreter be relied upon what she says?? What is her background?? What about her history?? How is she involved in this?? Is she really involved in this?? If she isn’t then who is running the ht on the President?? Nobody has ever dared to enter into the UN with ammo except the security personnel; does that mean that it involves someone from the security providers itself?? Why is Nicole Kidman maintaining a Low Profile?? What is she actually hiding or rather trying to hide from Sean Penn?? Who would want the president to be killed even after the death of the president’s two most important rivals?? These are a just few questions which will rise in your minds when you watch the movie carefully!! And every 5 minutes one question is answered and the other is asked!! The screenplay is taut and keeps you Interpreting the entire Mystery till the end!! A special mention about the dialogues has to be made. The director has made use of the dialogues only when the situation demands it. And even when used they convey a lot of meaning than the screen space which the dialogues occupy!! The dialogues serve two purposes: they help in moving the scenes cohesively & teach us what Living life is all about when most of us simply EXIST rather than LIVING!! The climax is surprising and is one of the best.




The BGM is appropriate. The man behind the music department, James Newton Howard (read the sixth sense, blood diamond) has put in excellent efforts. It’s slow, gripping and most of all absorbing. Silence is often the best tune which we never listen to!!
It’s exactly a 118 minutes Drama/Thriller which is a must watch for every movie fan. This movie happens to be the first to be filmed in the UN assembly!!

Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman along with the director should have at least got an OSCAR nomination for their roles but then some where the Motion Picture Committee over looked them. Well who is perfect on earth (our take on the OSCARS)!!
This is a highly under rated movie in the IMDB website, but then please do not always rely on IMDB alone. We liked it, and are sure that you also will!!

This movie has to be watched, experienced and feels satisfied at the end of the day, rather being content with just knowing the story.

Scores are Nicole Kidman- 1, Sean Penn- 1, Sidney Pollack- 1, entire Unit work- 1, Bonus- 0.5 (cos we were so IMPRESSED) & a Negative 0.25 for keeping Nicole Kidman undercover for nearly 110 minutes in the movie..
The Interpreter - 4.25/5

Bolt – Thunderous Animation!

Ever an animation movie made you feel that you are watching a slam bang action movie? That is what you get in this Walt Disney production. The opening scenes, the highway chase, will take you through what you saw in The Matrix. Solid stuff we’ve got here people. The story is about a dog, Bolt (voice-John Travolta), who believes that he has supernatural powers, like head-butting a fast moving car for example. But it’s all doctored, as he is the hero in a popular TV series, named Bolt.

He has to save his owner, Penny (Voice- Miley Cyrus), every time she gets into trouble or kidnapped by the Green Eyed man. So as this routine unfolds, one day Bolt gets accidentally separated from the studio in cargo while enacting one scene and gets shipped to New York. Now he gets to see the real outer world and gets to meet a cat, Mittens (cute!!), whom he thinks knows where the Green-Eyed man is, as he too has a similar cat. So he asks her to take him to the Green-Eyed man, but she doesn’t know what to do. He threatens to kill her as she loves his owner too much. So she agrees to take him to Hollywood.

Thus, they embark on the journey to Hollywood to find her. It is beautifully told. The realization that he is not a super hero, the bonding they make on the journey along with Rhino (the animal is smaller than its name), who believes Bolt, is really a super hero. Sometimes you will laugh; some times you will have wet eyes as his disbelief of his abilities being non existent fuels a lot of different emotional changes, in him, and equally in us, and eventually comes to a reality of who he really is. This all culminates when he finds his owner and reunites with her in the action packed climax of the movie. The graphic design is awesome and well thought out, making Bolt as one of the best animation movies in recent times. New generation 3-D stuff is great. You really get into the movie after first ten minutes and the reason is the extraordinary special effects. No wonder Bolt was nominated for the Oscars.

Bolt won’t be released in India, unless the distributors know how to make profit. (LOL)

Get the DVD folks. Not a movie to miss. This is a movie for all ages.

Bolt-4/5

Taken – A Rollercoaster Ride

The Transporter story writer, Luc Besson sure knows how to produce an edge of the seat thriller with a run off the mill story. We admired the Transporter series for the sheer pace of the movie and the seriously funny dialogues. But the writer’s capabilities came into the picture and together with a macho Jason Statham we got to see the Transporter. Taken is a more serious story in Luc’s standards. And the writer, who is French, does not leave out the beautiful Marseille and the awesome chase sequences that have always been the hallmark of his movies. He is one of my favorite writers (Taxi, Transporter, Lyon).
Taken is about an ex CIA spy, Bryan Mills, played by Liam Neeson(WOW!!), wants to be with her estranged daughter, Kim, (Maggie Grace), who is an aspiring singer and is living with her mother and a rich step father. She wants to go to Paris with her friend for a vacation but Bryan is very circumspect about her leaving. But she goes, only after he approves for it. Bryan’s fears about Kim going alone come to life as she’s kidnapped there for ransom. But, his CIA skills still intact, he records the conversation with the kidnapper and sends it to his friend who identifies them. The story does seem to be a ‘heard before one’, but the screenplay is so fast that you feel it is all new.



Bryan goes to Paris to save his daughter and there begins the one-man up against the big mob. The rest of the movie is about how Bryan finds about the underworld activities and how he saves his daughter. The chase sequences, especially the one involving near the airport are awesome. The tactics used by Bryan, are both instinctive and explosive. The fighting art, which impressed me so much, is Shinsai Goshin Kai, and you won’t believe, he is 54 years old and makes you wonder why he has not acted more movies of this genre. Only Liam could have done this. The movie moves so fast that you want to watch it again just in case if you have missed out some of the extraordinary scenes.


The camera work is top quality(Michel Abramowicz) and editing is professional, especially in the stunt and chase sequences. It is hard to believe that the movie’s run time is only 93 minutes, but those 93 minutes will surely be the fastest of your lives.


Go get the DVD and grab a Popcorn. Settle in your couch with a 5.1 around you.


Taken-4/5

!3 B - Where haunting takes a new turn.

What happens when you know what lies beneath? 13 B or (Yaavarum Nalam) is a giant step forward in the horror genre in Indian film industry. It has got India’s best cinematographer, P.C.Sreeram, who instills every drop of fear in you and leaves you spell bound. Be it the door step shots or the long eerie shots of the bungalow, the maverick proves why he is the best even though this is the first time he is handling the camera for a horror movie.

Director Vikram Kumar’s new approach to horror is laudable. None of us can ever think of our own TV sets being possessed by spirits. There are just enough twists in the screenplay that makes you actually get involved with the family around which the movie revolves. The flashback which shows the reason for the unfortunate events is well told. So are the incidents that happen in the house 13 B. the climax is stunning and no horror movie has produced such an interesting ending. Even films like The Grudge and The Ring have not concluded this well.

Madhavan, as the family guy who has his own responsibilities to shoulder and as the haunted who hides to himself all the happenings is wonderful. We feel for him when he could not bring himself out with his family members or in the case where he gets so irritated when the nail does not penetrate the wall. After ayutha ezhuthu, this is another face of Madhavan unknown to us. The supporting cast does justice to their roles.

Though one may get the feeling the movie is bit too long for a horror genre, director Vikram Kumar explains all the questions that circles around in our mind while we watch the movie for answers. Shankar Ehsan Loy’s re-recording and background score are top notch. The troop strikes the right chord required for a horror movie. The lift and the phone camera scenes are new and are creepy. I did let out a whew! when the movie was over..(LOL). Sexy mama…song in the end credits is sure is sexy!!

Watch the movie for the technical brilliance and the new dimension it gives to horror.

13 B – 4/5

To get haunted visit www.13b.in

Ayan – Stunning!

The maverick cinematographer, K.V.Anand works magic as director with a la Shankar style movie in AVM productions’ AYAN. The pace of the movie keeps you glued to the seats with all proportions intact to make it a hit. After a straight forward, message-telling film in Kanaa Kanden, one would have expected Anand to meddle his way in the same path. But, with Ayan the ace cinematographer enthralls you with a Rock N Rolla style, kickass entertainer. The story is about drug peddling and diamond smuggling in the international market, where Chennai is shown as a friendly hub. Just when you thought the movie was taking a “yea I know what’s gonna happen “path, a twist in the tail awaits.

Suriya, well, the actor does flaunt his muscle mountains ever so frequently, but carries the movie on him with finesse. Be it in the romance sequences or his funny and emotional encounters with his mother, played by renuka, the actor excels. Charming and vibrant than ever, Suriya proves himself why he is one of the best in the industry. The actor sure knows how to get good movies in his kitty. He has put in extra effort in the stunt sequences (Take a bow, Kanal kannan), which does appear to have been lifted off from Bourne series and Casino Royale, are imaginable yet makes your jaw drop! The opening sequence in airport is a laugh riot. The pillair strength of the movie is the actor who carries off the Chennai slang and the chocolate boy look at ease.

Casting is great but for the villain, Akashdeep Saigal ( aren't there any good villain materials around in south??). Prabhu as Suriya’s godfather is majestic. But he can do better by not repeating similar roles(read Silambattam). As a loving mother who condemns her son for his wrong acts, Renuka excels in her role. Tamannah has improved her skills a lot but can’t get much screen space though she bails out the hero when he is in crisis. The actress has to get her jigs right.

But the stereotype does not evade even though the approach is new. For example, the item number and the duet in the second half could have been dropped. May be the item song could have been place at end credits. It has become a ritual that the hero should find something about the villain in an item song!!


A commercial movie like Ayan must look slick and stylish so that audiences won’t mind the loopholes. Cinematographer M.S.Prabhu and editor Antony takes care of it. Sequences are captured superbly and scissored masterfully. The film moves at a frenetic pace, thanks to these two. Terrains in Africa and the desert song are a treat to eyes.. Harris Jeyaraj’s re-recording is tremendous. The background scores during the chase sequences are mind blowing. The musician’s work has paid off. Analadikira…. Honey honey..songs are good.


The movie does not disappoint your expectations. Watch it in the big screen. Go, get your ticket!! You will enjoy this riveting thriller.

Ayan – 3.5/5

Watch the trailer here. http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/trailer/10092.html

Intro

Cinema is a part of our lives. We enjoy, love and hate the big flicks that we watch. Only few movies remain within ourselves even after years and we still rave about them whenever the topic arises. We will never forget the character names, the dialogues, the scenes and the music of those movies. Me and my friends will go gaga over Dr.Kamal Haasan's movies whenever we get the time. Such is the effect cinema has on us. So to count on the craze, i would like to share my views about the movies i watch in this blog.


WelCome to rendezvous with movies.

Do visit this site regularly for more reviews in the coming days. Please comment.



so for the starters i am writing about AYAN...