Godzilla - When the Lizard comes calling, with Story and Spellbinding CGI.

We have all become accustomed with monster stories now. We have all assumed that monsters are there to be ass kicked, dropped bombs on and see the soldiers walking down the road in slo-mo with end credits rolling. However Gareth Edwards doesn't give a heck about it. He wants Godzilla to stay and stay big. Big as in all the pyramids put one on top of the other big. It is an ode to movie making in the genre of monsters. Aliens, Dinosaurs, Optimus Prime and The Kaijus can take the backseat now as here comes Gonjira which wipes them all out from our memories just as it wipes out a skyscraper with its tail.

To begin with, it is the most beautiful Lizard, in my opinion. Every part of the giant given utmost attention with the vertebral spikes standing out (A Million Kudos to the CGI team). The Godzilla's got blood shot sleep deprived eyes, a rampaging tail that thwarts everything in the way, including the Male Muto and the list goes on. If your jaws dropped at this Mutant, its ok. You're human. Damn Realistic!

The movie apart from portraying Godzilla as the boss, gives credit and realizes those little human emotions and traits so that the audience don't feel high and dry, a mistake most of the movies of the genre make. The hearbeat turmoil of the soldier about to jump from 40000 ft, the maternal feelings of a mother, the recognition of human value by the Navy chief and of course the criticism of over exploitation of nuclear resource by us to name a few.

VFX dept has already been enough praised. The progress of the movie never lags, credit to some slick scissor work that cuts enough awesome jaw dropping angles of Godzilla and provides terrific movie speed and the rocking BGM (Alexander Desplat). If you thought the Kaijus with the Jagers had seat shattering BGM, just experience this. At IMAX.

Few monster movies remain etched in our minds. Jurassic Park stands right up there. Next will be this Godzilla. With Spielberg at his dusk, its now up to the likes of Gareth Edwards and Guillermo del Torro to take this genre ahead.

All this said, I really couldn't understand how any primate/present organism can survive eating Radioactive Stuff. Just couldn't understand. With enough radioactivity happening around us, I might just will. Soon.

Godzilla *****/5

Starring: Ken Watanabe Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston 

Directed by Gareth Edwards

Original Score by Alexandre Desplat

Running Time: 123 Mins

Rush - Makes you fall flat for the sport.

I initially thought Rush was a documentary on Formula 1, until I found it out it was a full fledged, thrill a minute ride directed by Ron Howard. An ardent follower of F-1 till the time Schumi ruled the circuit, I' say Rush is one of the best movies made on sports and perhaps the greatest ever on racing.

It brings out the true spirit, the love of the sport, the rivalry that these drivers have, or rather had, now that the safety parameters are much much better and the circuits lesser raw to test the drivers. The fight and fear inside each driver to drive the 600 odd kg cars, facing death at every turn and corner of the circuit are portrayed unabashedly in the movie.

Technically the movie is brilliant. Amazing acting by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl. Great score again by Hans Zimmer. Its hard to see that such movies don't get the recognition they deserve at the big awards.

5/5 for this one from me. Perhaps a little late on the review part here, but hey, great movies deserve publicity. If you have not watched the movie, please do so.

American Hustle - A Throwback into the 80s' Fashion, Con and Twist.

The movie begins with Christian Bale trying to set his artificial hairs with glue on his head and with a big fat belly (Man! This guy changes physique every movie!) and shades. With that Director David O. Russel gives us clear indications about whats in store. The throwback is quite obvious. It won't escape you. The costume, sets and the production design deserves a huge mention. 

Most of us may find the movie utterly boring, the characters keep jabbering away.. Yadda yadda yadda.. And on. But in that jabbering, there is purpose. The style, the vocab, the tone, everything is a tribute keeping the base of the story, the biggest fraud of 80s to rock the US.

If you expected a high octane, pulsating con movie, you will be disappointed for its not the one where the leading guy makes everyone look like fool and takes home lot a money with his girlfriend by his side. Here the guy, played to perfection by Bale, takes a beating, does what the fed says, played (or gimmicked, I should say) by Brad Cooper who pushes Bale, Amy and Jennifer into the world of mafia and politicians, endangering his own reputation and puts in stake the lives of Irving, Rosalyn and Sydney. Cooper has come a long way from the Hangover days and truly deserves the nomination.

I don't wanna give anythin away here as usual, but all I would say is if you hold yourself for and couple and half hrs and LISTEN, you are in for a truly a gripping and capitivating comic con.

I wanted to give 3 on 5, but would just throw a star more for Amy and Jennifer.

Lone Survivor - Engaging at the beginning but fizzles out.

One of the main reasons to watch this movie today was Mark Whalberg. Having amazed the world with a terrific performance in The Shooter, one cannot be mistaken for expecting the same from MW in this similar Sniper-Lead movie. However, those who expected a Shooter like movie will feel disappointed.

Basically the movie is about a team of 4 Seals who are on a mission to take down a head of Taliban who has recently killed as many as 20 Seals and the Bargam US Base decides enough is enough and sends these 4 men to basically avenge their mates' deaths and of course eliminate a terror threat. But during a hideout they encounter a goat herd shepherded by the villagers, who are inbred with hate for Americans. The seals catches them, only to release them later on rules and human grounds and try to scale the highest peak and escape before getting caught. Fate thinks otherwise as those who are released blows the whistle about the Seals trekking in the hills. They are surrounded within half way by terrorists who begin ambush on the 4 seals. Movie goes into great details and explores the nook and corner of the brutal attack of the terrorists on the seals and their retaliation.

Based on true events and the book on the same title, The Lone Survivor is not a recount of the struggle to escape (say, Rescue Dawn) nor a heroic and single handed survival and escapist stint of a prisoner of war. Instead, the movie takes an unsung path of a mission gone haywire due to unexpected turn of events for the 4 Seals. The aghast, so near yet so far feeling of the seals waiting for rescue, only to see their own helicopter shot down, that follows are to be seen to be believed.

Technically the film is flawless. Superb cinematography capturing every sniper shot in great details, the aerial views, the slips down the mountains to name a few and The background and sound design, all three that will make you feel a part of the movie, that you are actually there with these soldiers, fighting.

Having said all that, the movie does drag a bit. The strength of the movie is its weakness too. It goes into details so specific that at times you feels the pace could have been much better.

On the whole The Lone Survivor is salute to all the Navy Seals, the Marines who risked their lives in the operation red wing. It is stunning and engaging mostly but fizzles out in the middle.