Terminator Salvation - Thoughts

Considering Terminator 2 – The Judgment Day is probably my all time favorite movie, it’s no surprise that Terminator Salvation was probably the movie I most wanted to check out this Summer. Though the 3rd installation in the Terminator franchise wasn’t very well received, with mixed thoughts, I quite enjoyed it. The trailers of Salvation I’ve seen over the past months have been nothing short of amazing, and I was quite looking forward to the movie.


The first thing that stood out about the movie was the feel of desolation and vast nothingness. Unlike the vivid color of the Terminator 3 – Rise Of The Machines, Terminator Salvation had a feeling of dry, and barren lands. The feeling of an almost lost war, and the near extinction of the human race, came through well. There were no neon lights or bright colors, just the beige of the desert and dust. While the movie had its slower deeper moments, it maintained a constant pulse that was gripping and kept all keenly focused. The action sequences were excellent, but not overdone or unbelievable. The plot and narrative deep and solid (certainly not a movie built around the action and effects). Seeing that the franchise seemed complete with the previous installation, it was a beautifully woven story that fit in well, and answered many questions of the overall Terminator timeline; a sequel and a prequel all in one. In short an excellent addition to the Terminator franchise.

Though Christian Bale played the lead role as John Conner, Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright had a stronger and more binding role. The female co-stars had very passable lackluster parts to play; needless to say the story was strong enough to carry itself without hot skimpily clad women. Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Conner was well cast in the sense that she did seem like an older version of Claire Danes who played Kate in T3. Michael Ironside as General Ashdown reminded me of his similar role in Starship Troopers. If anything, id have probably liked to see Skynet portrayed more menacingly, but perhaps the completely autopilot mode is what truly best signifies a machine world of the future. For those who love bikes and slick intense bike action, the Moto-Terminators will satisfy in a dreamy unreal sorta way.

From a technical elements standpoint, this is gonna be a little different as I watched this movie in the theatre and not on DVD. The presentation was in the form of digital data from HDD, projected via digital video projector. Video quality was very good, with detail being consistently sharp. There were a lot of daytime scenes, and thus shadows were kept to a minimum. As mentioned, colors were not vibrant, but this was intentional. The ambience was well created, with the sense of despondency being so imminent. Sound was also impressive, with the 3D space being used well, but not overdone. The elements all came together well, creating the post apocalyptic earth of 2018 well.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (For anyone who loves Terminator as much as me, this was a given even before they started work on the movie)

Edit (Added in July 2015): After recently watching this movie again, its worth adding that what makes the Terminator Salvation narrative work so well, is the unique new plot/story that's added to the existing Terminator saga.  The Marcus character, his background, and his role is central to the overall premise, and makes for an interesting new dimension to the otherwise ongoing humanity-Skynet battle.

Air Force One - Thoughts

I’m not quite sure why I missed out on watching this movie sooner. It was quite popular at the time of release, was quite well received by the general public, and certainly is my kinda movie. So all that said I’m puzzled. Anyways, it’s one of the movies I picked up when I went to the video store recently. I was looking forward to seeing it as it promised to be a good action flick, and also featured a DTS soundtrack. What’s the big deal about DTS you might ask? Well, most commercially released DVD’s almost always have a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, but DTS 5.1 is less common. DTS in comparison to Dolby is usually of a higher bitrate, and thus should theoretically mean better quality (though usually not discernable). Lastly, and this is something most who have watched DTS soundtracks will be able to verify, the overall volume levels are significantly higher than Dolby.


It’s no surprise that the movie was quite good; the plot was impressive, the acting was excellent, and the action well planned and showcased. While the story was pretty straight forward and didn’t leave much to ponder, it was pretty good in all. Almost the entire 2 hours were gripping, with very few slow moments. The plot twists were realistic and not farfetched. Special effects were good for most part, though there were a few obviously dated effects (the scene where the plane crashed into the sea).

Harrison Ford as always put in an exceptional performance, satisfying all needs, including that of the president of the United States, and that of the loving father. His role was such that it would be hard not to like him. A man focused on doing the right thing, placing ideals in front of personal benefit, a loving family man, with a warm fun personality, and the honor & courage of a soldier. Gary Oldman as the leader of the terrorist group came across convincingly as a terrorist extremist. Glen Close was the perfect fit for the power role of Vice President. William H Macy was also worth mentioning.

Video quality was good, but didn’t have the vibrance of more recent films. Considering the movie was made in 1997, perhaps that’s excusable. Acceptable overall, but nothing over the top. The base colors were warm tones of red and brown. Certain scenes had considerable shadows, but nothing to complain about. Video was presented in 16:9 widescreen, and was a better fit to widescreen home TV sets that most theatrical presentations (minimal widescreen letterboxing was present). Sound was quite good and it fit the requirements of the movie well. While the use of 3 dimensional space was limited, when required it was used well. The scene where the F-15 fighter jets were flying around Air Force One was captured in surround very well. The DVD I was watching was a standard region 1 US DVD.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (I would assume that replay value is pretty good)

Transporter 2 - Thoughts

I stopped by the video store a couple of days ago and told myself as I walked in, no more comedy, time for some action or thriller flicks. Transporter 2, though not recent, wasn’t something I’d seen as of yet. I only saw Transporter 1 recently, and having quite enjoyed it, Transporter 2 made sense. Action and cars, what’s not to like?


The plot was average, and without much thought it was obvious that the story was built around the action and not the other way around. But keeping in mind that the action was the focus, the movie was pretty solid. Both the car action sequences, and Franks action sequences were well depicted. Special Effect were average, and in some scenes did look dated or low budget; the police chopper being blown up was one of them. What didn’t work were a few of the action sequences in the car that were obviously unrealistic and exaggerated. This is probably where the first succeeded better, as most of what was depicted came across as on the edge yet believable.

Jason Statham played his regular ‘don’t mess with the suit, and I won’t smile’ role. While it was predictable, it was what most people expected and wanted, so there wasn’t much to complain about. Amber Valletta (What Lies Beneath) did a very good job, and honestly I was pleasantly surprised. While my expectation of her portrayal of the kidnapped boy’s mother wasn’t very high, she far surpassed it, and that too quite convincingly for a mainstream American model. Alessandro Gassman played the stereotype rich Latin American drug lord sorts; nothing to write home about though. Kate Nauta was his lead henchman, lover who had a sense of cold ruthlessness to her that was very convincing. François Berléand who was also in the first part served as the comic relief.

Video quality was pretty good, and the black Audi glistened brilliantly throughout. Yellow seemed to be slightly overemphasized, especially in skin tones. Sound was good, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 English soundtrack did perfect justice to the movie. The movie was presented in 16:9 widescreen. Though unable to decipher the exact region code, it’s safe to say that the DVD was meant for APAC (Asia Pacific) circulation, and could have probably been region free or multi-region compatible.

My Recommendation: Watch It – (if you haven’t already and love a good action flick; replay value is questionable though)

Going Overboard - Thoughts

Considering I’ve been watching relatively newer movies these past weeks, I figured let’s try something a little older. The movie of choice was Going Overboard, from 1989 with Adam Sandler. I expected for it to be in keeping with comedies from the 80’s, like Ski School and Miracle Beach. While it had a lot of the same elements, including an interesting location (that being a cruise ship), beauty pageant contestants on board, and plenty of bikini clad women, it seemed to fail where others have succeeded.


Interestingly this movie was Adam Sandler’s first ever feature appearance. Noticeably younger, it became imminent that his humor had a long way to go, as often times it came off as annoying and not necessarily funny. What succeeded were the crazy and unexpected that things would happen from time to time, which seems to have over the years become expected of spoofs. If handled better, it could have saved the movie. I’d attribute the movies overall insignificance to the weak plot, and similarly weak characters. Sandler’s role as an aspiring comedian alone was insufficient to keep the movie afloat, and over a duration of 99 minutes it just felt like a drag.

Considering the age of the movie and the low budget it’s understandable that the quality overall was lackluster. Though I was watching a Region 1 US release, the video lacked color vibrancy. That said the picture quality was surely acceptable. Sound was presented in 2.0 Dolby Stereo, and was sufficient to hear and understand dialog properly. The aspect ratio was 4:3 standard/fullscreen Pan and Scan. Since I was watching it on a widescreen TV, there was letterboxing on the sides (left/right)

My Recommendation: Skip It

Beowulf - Thoughts

I saw the trailer of Beowulf a while ago, and was moderately interested. I rented the DVD about 6 months later when I saw the DVD at the video store. Since then it’s been lying around and I’ve been putting off watching it. For some reason I wasn’t dying to. I finally got around to it a couple of nights ago, and was pleasantly surprised. I’m not usually into medieval tales, and magic to me often feels synonymous to silliness.


Though I’d expected the movie to be boring in a monsters and demons, period sorta way, to the contrary it was quite gripping. I’d go a step further and say that it’s certainly not for the faint hearted. The story is intense, and the characters are deep. Some of the action sequences are violent, but in a necessary sorta way. What requires big mention is the fact that the movie is entirely CG. The CG is simply amazing, with enormous depth; it’s interesting to imagine the number of texture layers that would have been required for such a look and feel. For the unaware, the story of Beowulf is based on myth recorded between the 8th and 11th century.

Though all the characters were CG, the accurate motion capture and recreation along with the strong dialog made the performances stand-out. Ray Winstone as Beowulf was obviously the centerpiece, with Anthony Hopkins role as king being quite pivotal as well. Robin Wright Penn as Queen Wealthow was well cast and fitting, as was Angelina Jolie playing the role of the Grendel’s Mother and the key character of the plot. The feeling of years gone by, and the cold lifeless in the later years were well portrayed by King Beowulf and Queen Wealthow in the latter part of the movie.

As mentioned the CG was brilliant, and arguably the best to date. The DVD mastering was good, and video quality was impressive. A lot of the movie was at night, and while that contributed beneficially to the dark element of the narrative process, it also meant a lot of shadows and dull sequences. But I do believe that it was more important to have it this way, than sacrifice it lieu of daylight shots. The soundtrack was perfect for the movie, with the strong dialogues really standing out. The use of surround was limited, but nothing to complain about. I was listening to the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and the aspect ratio was widescreen 16:9, with the regular widescreen letterboxing. The DVD was a Region 1 US release DVD.

My Recommendation: Watch It (If you’re into the sorta thing, and the likes appeal to you)

Aliens vs Predator Requiem - Thoughts

It all started in 1979, with Sigourney Weaver in the very first Alien movie. Almost a decade later came Predator, with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 1994 both these iconic sci-fi characters were brought together and made to pit it out against each other in the first Alien versus Predator Super Nintendo video game. In 1999 a first person shooter variant of the game came to the PC; followed 2 years later by a sequel with vastly improved graphics - Aliens versus Predator 2. Finally in 2004 the first Alien vs. Predator movie was released; though critics complained of cardboard characters and weak dialogues, the movie was financially successful grossing over $172 million against its $60 million production budget. The film's success led to a sequel in 2007 titled Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (AVPR).


The Alien is certainly a primitive race, parasitic in nature; they’re only focus being reproduction and procreation of the species. The Predator on the other hand is a highly evolved warrior race. Exhibiting traits of Valor, Sportsmanship, Judgment, Ownership, and the likes. In the first movie the 2 races battled as part of a regular ‘coming of age’ sort of periodic ritual. In Requiem a rogue alien infestation aboard a Predator vessel calls for a ‘hunt and clean-up’ sort of response from a monitoring Predator. The action sequences are pretty decent, and the mood and ambience of a small town in over its head is quite apparent. The sheer helplessness of the human race is depicted well. Also effective is the intent in the thoughts and actions of the Predator without any form of subtitles, narration, or reference to it by human characters.

AVPR is obviously a very niche sci-fi film, appealing to AVP franchise lovers, Sci-Fi fanatics, and perhaps hardcore action and special effects freaks. Don’t expect intense character development, or a plot with a great deal of depth. In fact, the human race, and the associated characters are merely collateral who are caught in the cross fire. It just so happens that the Alien and Predator are battling on Earth. The secret to enjoying this movie is going in with the right expectations. While there were some scenes which were obvious and stereotype in nature, overall it was a decent action flick.

Video quality was good, but quite dark in keeping with the mood of the movie. Skin tones were average and not extremely clear. Sound was brilliant, possibly thanks to the DTS 5.1 soundtrack. Dialogue between characters was crystal clear, echoes in the sewer resonating with realism, and all ambient everyday sounds reproduced remarkably. Surround stage usage was minimal but sufficient. The score was well matched to the action, aiding in maintaining the pulse and tempo of the movie. The DVD I was watching was a Region 1 US release, which was presented in regular 16:9 widescreen; being the Unrated edition, it had some additional content as compared to the theatrical release.

My Recommendation: Watch It - (For those of you who either love Sci-Fi, or the AVP franchise)

Max Payne - Thoughts

I remember playing Max Payne in 2001 – 2002. As a game it was outstanding; the story line was intensely gripping, and far superior to most game narratives. Bullet Time was something that Max Payne introduced to gaming. For the unaware, Bullet Time was the ability to slow down time, and play in a sorta slow motion; similar to the special effect from Matrix, where Keanu Reaves would avoid bullets flying at him. From having seen several movies based on games, some good and some average, it was questionable as to how satisfying Max Payne would end up.


The initial titles had an interesting game n’ guns kinda feel to it; at first I thought it a tad cheesy, but it grew on to me. Along with the positional sound mix, it was actually quite cool. A few scenes into the movie it was easy to tell that the movie was staying true to the game. The cold winter in New York was accurately recreated; watching the snow and the dimly lit city that was almost dormant, so reminded me of the game. It was almost like walking around the chilly winter streets as Max Payne in the game. Similarly further into the movie, the locations, including the warehouses, the club (Ragnarock), the docks, and the Aesir building with its helipad on the top, were brilliantly recreated. The trippy hallucinatory sequences were also done impressively, with the effects of the mystery drug translating well onto the big screen. Needless to say, if you’re someone who’s played the game you’ll undoubtedly enjoy the movie. I found myself relating the various scenes and elements to the game.

Mark Whalberg as Max Payne did a decent job, though I believe someone a little older and more serious would have done a better job; perhaps a Ted Danson. Mila Kunis has come a long way since her piece in that 70’s show. Again, I believe an older lighter skinned actress would have fit the bill of Mona Sax better. It was surprising that Chris O'Donnell would take on a small insignificant role as Jason Colvin; perhaps the recession has hit him hard. While I can think of better fits, the characters and their portrayal was pretty decent; no issues per se. The story was modified a little, with the cult twist being taken out all together, but id believe that it was necessary to keep it real enough for a feature film. There was a slight cliffhanger ending, I guess making room for a sequel. Considering the movie did okay financially, grossing 5 million over and above its production budget domestically in the US, id think the possibility of a sequel may not be a stretch.

I saw this movie just last night in the theatre; yes for some strange reason this movie’s release in Chennai was delayed. The theatrical presentation was pretty good; my only complaint being the obvious editing/cutting of portions of scenes. The movie was a tad violent, but I don’t think that was the reason for the cuts. Perhaps I should rent the Unrated DVD and check it out when time permits. The snow was a constant, and most of the movie transpired at night; the video and colors were good and just sufficient. Ambient sounds and the atmosphere again were just right. The only possible way for intensifying the feeling of snow and cold would have been to turn up the air-conditioning in the theatre! The sound and effects were key in the creation of the hallucination sequences; the intensity was gripping.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Especially if you’ve played the game and enjoy the Max Payne franchise)

The Number 23 - Thoughts

During the random course of my routine movie research I came across this movie which had Jim Carrey in a rather different role. For once he wasn’t the funny man, and the thought of him playing the lead in a suspense thriller intrigued me enough to give the movie a whirl.


Approximately 100 minutes after popping the DVD into the player, I was left quite satisfied, and for some reason a little surprised. Perhaps my expectations were lesser, considering the movie isn’t very popular, but The Number 23 turned out to be quite gripping. While not fast paced, there was never a slow moment. The life of a seemingly average man takes an interesting turn, and descends into turmoil with every additional minute he spends reading the book he received as a birthday gift. As his obsession for the number 23 grows and slowly drives him over the edge, his wife Agatha helps keep him grounded and sane. Impressive editing techniques coupled with visual lighting effects helped add to the overall feel of paranoia. For those not looking for a somewhat mind-bending experience, I suggest you give this one a miss.

Jim Carrey though not in his usual comedy element, was able to bring the character of Walter Sparrow to life with the level a passion that is usually expected of him. Virginia Madsen as his wife Agatha Sparrow was smart, sensible, and fit perfectly as the strong force in his life that helped keep him rooted. Perhaps with an exception of Logan Lerman his son Robin Sparrow, most other characters have limited roles. Rhona Mitra though mentioned prominently both on the DVD cover and other movie promotional content, had very limited screen time.

The DVD I was watching was a standard US Region 1 DVD. Video and Picture were nearly flawless, and colors were clear and vivid. The movie was a little dark, but this could be corrected by upping the brightness on the TV set. Video was presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Being a New Line Home Entertainment DVD, it had Infinifilm enhancements, which means that if you watch the film with this option on a symbol will pop up during the film and lead you to extra features while you’re watching the film. I didn’t bother with this though. The DVD had both the Unrated and Theatrical versions; I opted to watch the Unrated version which had about 4 minutes of additional content. Sound was good , fitting the mood and thrilling as necessary. The soundtrack was a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround track.

My Recommendation: Watch It (If Suspense Thrillers that keep you intently watching till the last minute when things finally fall into place are you’re sorta thing)

Quick Gun Murugan - Thoughts

I wasn’t really aware of this movie up until it was released and one of my friends told me that it was a must see. I was still somewhat skeptical and not bowled over. I hadn’t seen any promo material and thus wasn’t sure of what to expect. I just got back from the theatre a few minutes ago post watching it, and I must affirm that without doubt it is certainly a must watch for all spoof lovers.


Though most Indian movies, with the exception of a rare few, end up seeming like comical rip offs of Hollywood counterparts, there aren’t any spoofs worth mentioning. Quick Gun Murugan is an interesting spin on a well known Indian comic-hero; a desi Clint Eastwood per se. Think completely casual, think no holds barred, and think downright silly, and that’s Quick Gun Murugan for you. What made it brilliant was its truly wide reaching appeal with the inclusion of several Indian languages (English off course being primary), and the use of various Indian regional stars. The corny yet catchy dialogues were classic, and amplified costume and color is guaranteed to leave you in splits. What brought the entire comedy routine to life was the over-exaggerated sounds effects; with that it sealed the deal. Probably one of the best all time Indian spoofs. Pay attention (not too much required though) and you will find some remarkable Hollywood-eske moments; Thank you ‘The Terminator, The Matrix, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ for your valuable contributions to the world of cinema.

The key element that ensured that actors were in perfect sync with their on-screen characters was the obvious use of exaggerated dramatization, with a good measure of stereo-typing. Dr. Rajendra Prasad playing the lead character couldn’t have been better; a ludicrously funny man dressed in a combination of Pink, Green, and Yellow, though completely unaware of his obnoxious demeanor. Nasser as the bad man through the ages, a simply unblemished portrayal. Raju Sundaram as Rowdy MBA, ideal as the henchman of a now senior and aged corporate villain. Rambha, playing Mango Dolly, the love interest of QG, also the keep of the super villain, and the chubby glam queen…. Again, a role written for her.

The theatrical presentation was good; colors were vivid and picture was clear. I’d expect the DVD version to be similar. Sound being very key in the overall charm of the movie was outstanding. Don’t have the volume turned down while watching this movie; consider yourself warned. The score was hilarious, especially the Rowdy MBA piece. Effects were cheap and corny, and was exactly what was required to make this movie a blast.

My Recommendation: Watch It (If you enjoy Spoofs, are in the mood for entertainment n’ laughs, and can enjoy desi style humor. Mind It!)

G.I.Joe - Thoughts

Late in 08 when I was looking at the list of blockbuster releases targeted for the summer of 09, the one that left me the sense of, ‘I can’t wait’ was G.I.Joe. As someone who’s staged countless battles in my garden with my collection of action figures, and watched all the cartoons, its appeal is obvious. Needless to say I’m not unique in any sense here, as there must be legions of children who have grown up with G.I.Joe. So the fact that the movie had its audience cut out was a given; its appeal to the remainder of the world was the question.


After sitting through 2 hours of extremely face paced action, I was left with a feeling of ‘When can I watch this again’. The mood was light, the plot pretty straight forward, and the action sequences were fun and entertaining. When I said fast paced I meant fast paced; you’ll need to stay focused to keep track of what’s happening, as some sequences are extremely quick, though comprising a certain level of complexity to the action elements therewith. The way events unfold and the terrorist organization that is Cobra takes form is interesting. While there were few deviations from the cartoon and the original storyline, I’d assume that they were necessary to keep things real. In that sense I’d have to say that the director Stephen Sommer was successful in pleasing the fans while not alienating the general public. A friend of mine who watched the movie with me, quite enjoyed it, though she had no prior knowledge of anything G.I.Joe.

The characterization was perhaps the most vital piece of G.I.Joe’s success. While costume and effects would help connect the dots, fitting personalities were required to complete the circle. Christopher Eccleston who played the role of James McCullen, the head of M.A.R.S. industries, and also the eventual source of direction at Cobra fit the role well. While his cartoon counterpart seemed more capable of physical combat, he did a fine job in seeming focused, tactically adept, well thought out, and very believing in his own ways. Sienna Miller as the Baroness looked great in black and portrayed the head of a specialized unit well; cold and deadly indeed. Dennis Quaid as General Hawk was brilliant; the senior war veteran acting as the head of ops, and liaising with the NATO as the voice of G.I.Joe. Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans as Duke and Ripcord respectively were the main characters in the movie; with the events being tracked mostly focusing on them. Marlon Wayans contributed to the comic element, and helped keep things light. Rachel Nichols playing the redhead scarlet was fitting; true to her cartoon counterpart she was tough, went toe to toe with the men, and had a sarcastic sense of humor. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje of Lost fame (Mr. Eko), fit the bill of Heavy Duty; the big beefy afro American. But his role was limited for most part. I’ll stop here as there are way too many characters to go over.

This movie has been in the theatres in Chennai for a few weeks now. I only finally managed to see it this week. Color tone was rich and natural; bright red’s, blue’s and greens. No specific filter was applied. I’d expect the DVD to be similar. Sound was good, and there was ample use of the 3D sound stage. That said, with transitions being as quick, it’s hard to mention anything specifically, but nothing seemed off. Expect long action sequences and special effects galore.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (A fun, action, blockbuster – possibly the best movie out this year)

The Hangover - Thoughts

As part of my usual routine I downloaded and watched the High-Def trailer of The Hangover a couple of months ago. It seemed like quite a fun movie, with all the usual comic elements. I finally went for the movie late in July and found it to be refreshingly impressive.


While a lot of the elements were a rehash of similar movies in the recent years (as most comedies usually are), it was handled overall a lot more efficiently. As a base concept it was like The Bachelor Party movies, and the total obliviousness of the previous nights events, and the hunt to meet people and retrace their steps reminded me of Dude Where’s My Car. It had the best elements of those before it, but wasn’t as lame as Dude Where’s My Car, or as lackluster as The Bachelor Party. FYI – Lame isn’t bad, it’s just a different funny that I can still respect and enjoy.

The characters had enough depth, and development of the story was just right. It didn’t focus on any particular piece too much, wherein the pace slowed down; nor was it extremely superficial, resulting in a random casual entertainment sorta movie. The 4 core characters with their unique personalities were a perfect mix to keep the story alive. Heather Graham not being the stereotype escort was a pleasant change; and Mike Tyson being a little paranoid seemed to sit well with the general audience. The happy ending and the various additions to each person’s life for the better was predictable, but presented well to create a nice sense of well being.

Technically speaking the movie was quite good; there was no special tone applied and pictures remained clear consistently. I would expect the DVD transfer to stay true to the theatrical release. The Soundtrack was good, and was in keeping with what you’d expect from a comedy movie; scene transitions being handled well with the sound setting the mood and pace for the new scene being brought in. Sound didn’t leave much to complain about, but certainly did nothing over the top worth mentioning.

My Recommendation: Watch It (An entertaining comedy, a cut above the rest)

Hellboy - Thoughts

Though I’ve seen Hellboy way back in 2004 in the theatre when it was released, I figured it was time to watch it again; especially considering I couldn’t remember it all. This was perhaps brought on by the release of the sequel, Hellboy II – The Golden Army. Remembering it was a decent watch; I rented the DVD and gave it a whirl.


As expected, it was worth the revisit, and was quite entertaining. About 5 minutes into the movie and it was pretty evident that this is based on a comic book. While there was a lot of action, and some pretty yucky creatures, the movie maintained a fantasy genre sorta feel throughout. Special mention must be made of Guillermo Navarro, the Director of Photography, as the look & feel of the individual scenes were quite unique, and visually impressive. In all it’s not very serious, and has a very standard plot; the forces of good who have specific special powers take on the forces of evil to battle for the destiny of earth. The rest of mankind oblivious to this, go on with their daily lives uninterrupted.

Ron Perlman who plays Hellboy is not obviously recognizable owing to the red skin makeup and other accessories. That said his brand of humor is quite obvious throughout, and also serves as the comedy element of the film. Selma Blair who plays his love interest as Liz Sherman is again very well cast, beautifully portraying a sense of being lost and confused by the powers that she possesses. The course of the movie is a sorta self realization/coming of age for her; though unwilling at first, she realizes that she needs to step up to the role that is required of her, and perhaps her destiny. Rupert Evans as John Myers, fit in perfectly with his mild mannered ways, completing the mosaic of personality traits required to keep the character development and story moving.

The DVD I was watching was a special edition 2 disk set (Region 1 US release). Video had been reformatted for viewing at home and exactly fit the 16:9 widescreen plasma TV. This made for an excellent viewing experience. The colors were rich, and red was certainly more emphasized. Besides the sets, costumes, and other tangible elements, red tones might have been amplified during post processing. Certain scenes were a little dark with limited lighting, but it wasn’t too much of a concern. Sound was sufficient and as expected from an action flick. Surround usage was moderate, and the mood/ambience was well recreated in a home-theatre environment. The audio presentation was a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The second disk contained a lot of additional movie making and behind the scenes footage. Storyboards and several other elements were included. For the collector this would probably be bliss.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Great for Comic book buffs, Hellboy fanboys, and lovers of the fantasy action genre)

Doomsday - Thoughts

Publicity and promotional activities for Doomsday was limited, and if my memory serves me right this movie was never released in the theatres in Chennai. I came across the High-Def trailer about a year ago and since have been meaning to watch it. Adding appeal to it was the fact that it starred Rhona Mitra in the lead. For the unacquainted, Rhona Mitra was the first ever Eidos Lara Croft model, who has subsequently starred in TV serials such as Boston Legal and The Practice.


The movie wasn’t too serious and was generally a fun ride. Don’t go into it with the expectation of something intense and meaningful. The introduction and first 10 minutes reminded me of Resident Evil. Being a fan of that franchise my appreciation was instant. As the movie progressed there were Madmax elements; and just when I thought I had it all figured out, some knights and horses were thrown in to completely mix things up. While there was a lot of action, and some intense violence in certain scenes, there was enough comic relief to still keep things light. The one constant question I kept asking myself was under the proposed circumstances, what was the impact of the rest of the world on such a situation in Europe?

Rhona Mitra as Major Eden Sinclair portrayed the role of a hardened Special Forces agent well. She looked the part and the fight sequences were believable. Adrian Lester as Sergeant Norton played a good supporting role and probably would grow onto the audience over the course of the movie. Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Marcus Kane was perfect as the senile old man who believed that it was time for change and a new world order. Sol the leader of the crazed post apocalyptic biker gang did a good job of being Sol, and couldn’t have come off any more crazy. David O’Hara as Michael Canaris was perfect as a politician, who didn’t so much care about the people, as seeming to pose as though he cared for the people. As opposed to Sgt. Lester, over the course of the movie the audience would have slowly developed a sense of disgust towards his character.

The DVD I was watching was a Region 1 US release. Picture quality was good, and very sharp. Skin textures were quite clear throughout. Most of the movie was either indoors or at night, and thus dull scenes comprised the bulk of the footage. The predominant tones were yellow and mustard brown; some of night scenes having blue and grey tones. There were never any vibrant reds or greens. The audio was a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, and was ample throughout.

My Recommendation: Watch It (If you’re in the mood for some wacky action or are a fan of Rhona Mitra)

Battlefield Earth - Thoughts

I’m gonna have to go into this one in more detail than usual, as it’s not the most popular. Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000, was released in 2000. The movie did horribly at the box office, grossing a worldwide total of 23.7 million, against its production budget of 73 million. The premise being that earth is overrun by a superior alien race called the Psycholo’s; their intent being to harvest all of earth’s natural resources and send it back to their home-world. A thousand years later, the human race is nearing extinction; evolution has gone full circle, with the remaining survivors being ignorant cavemen who relate everything to the gods. It’s obvious why I’ve kept away from this one as long, but being a diehard Sci-Fi fan I decided to finally check it out.


After watching it last night, and expecting so very little, I must say it wasn’t a complete waste. The sci-fi element was decent, and the movie overall, acceptable. For a hardcore sci-fi fan this should make for average entertainment. Special effects looked poor and I’m assuming that’s owing to budget constraints. The air battle sequence was particularly limited; don’t expect intense Top Gun style dogfights. The runtime is nearly 2 hours, and it does tend to get slow at some points. The one element that really stood out was that the nearly savage humans were able to grasp geometry and high IQ concepts including nuclear explosives, cameras, aviation and the likes in a mere few days.

Thanks to John Travolta who played Terl, the head of Psycholo security on Earth, the narrative process was decently strong. Supported by Forest Whitaker, Ker, his second in command, together they brought to life the Psycholo ideals and way of life. The Psycholo’s I must say are very similar to any human dictatorial corrupt setup. Barry Pepper who played Johnny did a pretty decent job; I don’t think it’s his fault that he was asked to portray a slightly unimaginable script. In the initial parts he portrayed warrior fashion bravery, and then graduated to primitive understanding, finally going on to be a strategic planner.

There’s a good reason for me keeping away from India region release (non-pirated) DVDs; in most cases quality is not as great as the original release. If it wasn’t bad enough trying to go into Battlefield Earth without a bias, the DVD made things harder. Sadly I wasn’t able to place my hands on a Region 1 US release. Picture was average; most standard lighting scenes were decent, but anything that was in dim light or had either a blue night hue, or a yellow dusk/dawn hue was poor. In those scene sharpness was sacrificed. There was moderate use of blue and yellow during the course of the movie as a post processing filter. The audio track was a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, and was good for most part. The musical score was pretty good, adding a good suspense element in various scenes and helping maintain the pace.

My Recommendation: Dicey (If you love Sci-Fi, and can’t be too bothered with the specifics, give it a shot)

2012 - Thoughts

Roland Emmerich for some time now has been known to set the bar when it comes to special effects. His favorite theme being disaster movies, wherein the earth and the human civilization takes beating after beating, with the entire process being depicted as visually splendorous as possible. This time around, an Indian scientist discovers that the radiation from unprecedented solar storms causes the earth’s core to heat to a point that its crust starts getting dangerously unstable. The US president is alerted of this, and he in turn talks to other world leaders, and they set out to formulate a plan to save at least a fraction of humanity. Also key to the story is writer Jackson Curtis who stumbles onto this information and then battles the odds to save his family.


The movie was quite long, weighing in at a little over 2 and a half hours; a time line more expected of our Indian movies. Thankfully the pace was well managed, with vital scenes placed back to back, to keep the audience glued. When the lights came on for the interval, it was the first time I had a chance to tune-out and think of a Coke. The effects were simply spectacular, and I don’t think there’s any movie out to date, to surpass 2012. The plot had elements that most should be used to, after watching movies like Independence Day, and The Day After Tomorrow: The world’s nations coming together, fighting unimaginable odds, human values, greed and pettiness, and the likes. On the whole 2012 had the right mix of effects, story, and actors to make it a worthwhile watch to pretty much any movie goers. Commercially the movie has been very successful; grossing over 3.5 times its production budget of 200 million USD.

There are several diverse smaller stories, connected to the main story, by means of government characters involved with the mission to save humanity. The only other large parallel was that of Jackson Curtis and his family. John Cusack performed admirably in this role; he came off as a man still partially living as a bachelor from his failed marriage, while very much in love with his wife and crazy about his kids. For Amanda Peet, playing the mom was possibly a first, as I’m more used to seeing her in lighter, more casual zany fun roles. That said, she did a decent job too. Looking back now I have no complaints. Chiwetel Ejiofor who played Adrian Helmsley the lead scientist liaising with the American president, depicted beautifully a man of science who was still driven by his heart; his conversation with his jazz player dad being one of the most intense and moving scenes in the movie. Woody Harrelson as Charlie Frost was brilliant; portraying outstandingly the crazy radio man, personally covering and broadcasting his chaos theory. Though there was a lot of star power, and strong characterizations, don’t expect too much character development from the smaller pieces. Considering the length of the movie, its focus and pace, I think the blend was just right.

I watched this movie in the theatre on a large 70mm screen. The large screen size did justice to the scale of the effects and destruction. Video was clear and sharp, with no post processing color tones applied. I’d expect the DVD release to be similar. Sound was good, and the surround stage was used very well. This was noticeable even in simple day to day scenes, and then in the more important visually intense scenes where it helped bring natures mutiny to life.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (Though the recommendation could drop with time and the release of other movies that might take special effects up a notch higher)

Hellboy II : The Golden Army - Thoughts

I got around to watching Hellboy II – The Golden Army last night. Released in 2008, it was a modest wait for Hellboy fans, coming about 4 years after the original. In this installment, the prince of the elves and the underworld breaks an ancient pact between humans and creatures, and declares war. Without the support of his father the king, he is in pursuit of the golden army, an indestructible legion of giant soldiers capable of destroying mankind. It’s up to Hellboy and the Paranormal team to save humanity.


While the first movie focused on Hellboy, his background, his destiny, and his love for the fiery Liz, the sequel opens with the established sense of him being the demon hero, ever present to fight for mankind when the need may arise. While his romance with Liz is taken to the next level, critter slaughter looks to be part of the day’s schedule. The villains were bigger, the scale of the action sequences gargantuan, and the special effects galore. But that said the movie turned out to be a bit of a drag for the casual moviegoer. It failed to grip the audience and keep them waiting for the climax. Probably a good watch for a Hellboy junkie, and a moderate flick for an action / special effects connoisseur.

Nothing new from Ron Perlman this time around; his portrayal was good and everything you’ve come to expect of Hellboy. Liz Sherman’s character was a lot more fleshed out; Selma Blair did a good job of the caring, fond and supportive girlfriend. She seemed more mature, though still showing signs of internal conflict. Doug Jones as Abe Sapien had a more prominent role in this installment, being featured almost throughout the movie. Jeffrey Tambor as Tom Manning, the head of the FBI and institute for paranormal research added comic relief and was adept in his supporting role.

The DVD I sampled was a Region 1 US release DVD. Video was clear and crisp throughout; certain colors being overemphasized during post production on purpose. Most cityscape scenes had a shiny dark blue tone, and the underworld sequences had a gold haze to it. Though there were a lot of dark scenes, as most of the movie was at night, visibility remained good. Sound by means of the Dolby Digital 5.1 track was good, adding a fine sense of realism to the action sequences, and never faltering or leaving much to miss. Extra content included the usual handful of movie previews, blueray promos, deleted movie scenes, a walkthrough some of the sets with the director Guillermo del Toro, and the short yet very impressive comic strip of the epilogue to Hellboy II

My Recommendation: Dicey (Visually Wonderful, Mentally Mediocre)

Seven - Thoughts

I’ve seen this movie way back on Star Movies (cable), but viewing was hampered by intermittent power cuts and scenes being edited out by the TV broadcast channel. It’s always been on my mind to rent and watch the DVD. That finally materialized earlier this week. Released in 1995, the plot revolves around 2 detectives and their investigation of a sociopathic serial killer who believes that the world needs reconciliation for its transgressions. Promo material was promising, making Seven seem like an intense mystery, crime, thriller.


After a little over 2 hours of gripping drama, I must say that though 14 years old, the plot is solid. The gruesome and mastermind murders are graphically depicted in a dark film noir sorta style. The city has a similarly murky mood of corruption. The detailed crime scene investigation employed by the detectives, particularly Somerset led me to believe that several modern day successes perhaps have their roots in Seven. Aside from the hit TV serial CSI, even the Saw movies I believe are inspired by Seven. As the narrative unfolds, expect to be intrigued and glued to your seat. There are several memorable scenes, punctuated by intricate new revelations, outdoing those before them. If all facets of a movie are directly relational to the directors efforts, then David Fincher has achieved perfection with this masterpiece.

Detective Lt. William Somerset played by Morgan Freeman was possibly one of the best character portrayals of all time. In addition to the script being strong, and the character matrix being complex, Freeman’s delivery is flawless. His portrayal of the veteran cop, calm and collected in his ways, and somewhat of a recluse, was faultless to the point that from time to time I had to remind myself that it was a character being played by another actor. The dinner scene at Mills residence being a striking example; genuine hilarity depicted in its truest raw form. Detective David Mills played by Brad Pitt was also quite good. The young yet moderately well accomplished cop who’s rather edgy and quick to throw the punches. With contrasting character sets, Somerset and Mills make an unlikely but perfectly balanced team. Gwyneth Paltrow as Tracy Mills was again very well cast. Though her role was limited in comparison to that of the male leads, the little she did, she did very well. The soft natured wife, having trouble settling into the city, with no friends, no work, and the platonic connection with her husband’s police partner, was original and believable.

The DVD I was watching was as always a US Region 1 release. Video quality was good for most part, though there were some signs of grain at times. This is probably owing to the dated DVD transfer. With constant improvements in technology nowadays and HD content everyone is accustomed to transfers that are crystal clear. In keeping with the theme of the movie a shadowy tone might have been added during post processing. The soundtrack was DTS ES 5.1 and was brilliant; dialogue delivery was clear, and the ambience of the cityscape in various scenes were balanced and realistic. Gun shots had impact, and emphasis was added to scenes by means of priority given to certain sounds; for example the tick tock of Somerset’s clock. The score was good, and did its bit in the overall scheme of things, and especially in the moments of suspense upsurge.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (One of the all time best Crime, Mystery, Thrillers)

Desperately Seeking Susan - Thoughts

Released way back in 1985, I’ve seen trailers of Desperately Seeking Susan, and told myself that I should at some point see the movie. About 2 weeks ago a friend recommended it to me saying it was a fun watch; with that I got around to renting the DVD and watching it last night. Desperately Seeking Susan is the title of the personal ad that Susan and Jim use to keep in touch with each other as they travel across the United States. Oblivious to them is Roberta a bored housewife who follows’ their communications and is in awe of their romantic lives. What starts as innocent admiration, turns into a case of mistaken identities, thanks to a random set of events and a bump on the head.


While predictable and silly at times, Desperately Seeking Susan is a fun and amusing romantic comedy all through. Captured beautifully is the spirit of the 80’s and the vibe of New York city at the time. To those familiar with comedies from the 80’s such as After Hours, you will perceive a certain sense of similarity. While simple for most part, the plot has a few twists and the characters are sufficiently diverse to keep things going. The movie rests very heavily on the characters and their sometimes stereotyped personalities; thanks to good performances all round Desperately Seeking Susan is pleasantly entertaining.

At the time of release Madonna was 27 years old, and was pretty much playing herself, in the Susan role. So on that note, it’s obvious as to why her character portrayal was watertight. Susan is a free spirited drifter who travels around the United States, forging new relationships with new people. In her hand was her funky suitcase and on her back was her trademark jacket. Madonna’s performance was brilliant and I can’t think of anyone else who might have been able pull off Susan’s carefree unattached role as well. Rosanna Arquette as Roberta also performed admirably; the innocent and idealistic dreaminess coming through in her eyes, expressions, moods and behavior well. For Aidan Quinn this was one of his very first major roles. Though a newcomer at the time, his portrayal of Dez was quite proficient. A very average man, already having to deal with a complicated break-up, forced to help out his friend, and in the entire process falling for Susan…. Or is it Susan? Gary Glass the stereotype spa and bathtub dealer played by Mark Blum was pretty good as well. Watching him would give the audience a good feel of why Roberta would be bored in her wealthy yet empty marriage.

Though the DVD I was watching was as US Region 1 release, owing to the early production date of the movie, specs were lesser than normal. Provided on the dual sided DVD disc were Standard and Widescreen variants of the movie. I watched the Widescreen version which was obviously formatted for home TV, and fit the screen perfectly with no letterboxing. Video was good, but don’t expect a crystal clear transfer; while moderately sharp for most part the picture quite lacked smoothness. Scenes shot at night in the dark alleyways etc. lacked definition quite a bit. All of this including the Mono Dolby Digital soundtrack are probably only owing to the dated release of the movie. Also being low budget it probably wasn’t digitally re-mastered recently. Unless watching a further degraded version of the movie, such as a pirated DVD or a DivX, the quality of this movie is sufficiently above acceptable.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A refreshing and funny look at the 80’s)

Impulse - Thoughts

As part of my pursuit to cover all kinds of movies, not just the obviously familiar owing to large scale promotional activities, I recently watched Impulse. It’s a made for TV movie, starring Angus Macfadyen, and Willa Ford, that was released in April 2008. A hot young manager of an ad agency is married to an older accomplished psychologist. Their life is almost perfect, but the age difference proposes problems. Jonathan is preoccupied with his work, and Claire needs passion and excitement. Based on the suggestions of her colleague, Claire puts into play a fantasy, which ends with more than a few loose ends.


Going into the movie I set my expectations low. An unknown crew, an amateur cast, and a probably limited budget restricted the possibilities of the outcome. Without giving away too much, it’s a pretty straight forward case of mistaken identities and a psychopathic doppelganger. There was a good measure of seduction and promiscuity to ensure that the movie didn’t sink altogether. Though classified as a mystery thriller, it was never over the edge or extremely intense. The pace of the movie was slow, and at times it was hard to believe that this was set in LA. While the movie didn’t bring anything new to the table, what it set out to do, it did decently well. The plot was okay, performances believable, and there were no glaring errors or gaps in the narrative process.

Angus Macfadyen did a surprisingly good job of playing the somewhat lost, always preoccupied Jonathan Dennison. His mannerisms, expressions and body language were just perfect. To those trying to place him, he’s played recurring roles in the Saw movies, and been a routine guest star on season 2 of Californication. Willa Ford’s acting career has been very limited, but you may recall her from her hit single I Wanna Be Bad released in 2001.

Considering I was unable to place my hands on a DVD, I was forced to watch and review an XviD rip. I religiously keep away from DivX and Xvid movies, as they’re lossy compressed video formats, good for sharing movies on the internet, but lacking the ability to maintain high color vibrancy and other similarly splendorous video characteristics. That said it was a high bitrate rip, with AC3 sound intact; so it wasn’t a complete loss. The DVD is available in the US, but the movie’s unheard of elsewhere. Video was good for most part, and was pretty clear. Being a recent release I’d expect for the DVD release to be near flawless US TV release grade. No post production color filters were used; color tones and lighting remaining standard for most part. The audio track was a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, and for a movie of this type I must say I couldn’t think of anything that was missing. Dialogue was clear, the general mood and ambience acceptable, and the use of a musical score sufficient.

My Recommendation: Dicey (Worth the watch as long as you don’t go in expecting Fatal Attraction)

Star Trek - Thoughts

The initial trailers of Star Trek in Q4 of 08 showed promise. Whether an ardent fan follower or just a regular action blockbuster buff, it looked to have elements to please all. I’ll have to admit that this was one of my most anticipated movies of 2009. For those unfamiliar with Star Trek, it’s the sci-fi saga of the starship USS Enterprise and its crew members. Over the years they have travelled to strange new worlds, interacted with different life forms, and essentially gone where no one has gone before. Though this is the 11th motion picture to bear the Star Trek name, it tells the story of the early days of the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Think of it as where the future begins.


For starters, those who felt alienated because they weren’t followers of the original Star Trek need not worry. This iteration starts even before the original Gene Roddenberry TV serial from 1966. J.J.Abrams of TV serial Lost fame has done an excellent job of making the new 2009 Star Trek, entertaining, action packed, and true to the original in many ways. It has sufficient comic elements and flirtatious dialog in keeping with modern day cinema. So as a general movie goer, expect a fun summer blockbuster. For all you Star Trek junkies, expect to feel goosebumps when you see new characters in familiar roles, reciting previously epic dialog. The action sequences are impressive, the plot intriguing, and the scale of sci-fi adventure in line with that to be expected from Star Trek. Those who are not too fond of sci-fi be warned, as some concepts like the space time continuum may seem confusing.

Performances overall were pretty decent. Chris Pine was in the lead role as James T Kirk; think of the role as your stereotype ‘break all the rules’ sorta bad boy. It’s interesting to imagine that this very character later went on to become the legendary William Shatner, Captain James T Kirk. Zachary Quinto, of Heroes fame played Spock, and was very convincing as the younger logic driven yet somewhat emotionally confused teenager. The rivalry between Spock and Jim was somewhat unexpected, as there isn’t too much of a reason to believe so, going by the original Star Trek from the 60’s. Nevertheless it played a vital role in the plot and kept things exciting. Moving on to Uhura, I must say that in all the years of Star Trek, Uhura has never looked so good. Kudos to Zoe Saldana for adding some finesse to the role while keeping it real. Karl Urban as Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy, added comic relief while playing chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise quite credibly.

As much as I’d intended to catch this one at the theatre, work timings didn’t permit for it. That said, the DVD I was watching was as global release Paramount DVD, distributed in India. Though sold in India, I do believe that all the content was intact, and also that the quality conformed to global specs. Video quality was good, remaining sharp and clear throughout. There were a lot of dark sequences, with light flashes, but visibility was good for most part. Aboard the USS Enterprise lighting was white yet soft and pleasing; post processing filters were probably used a little. Sound was a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, which was sufficient and ensured that all the action sequences were well supported.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A must for any Sci-fi buff or Star Trek aficionado)

Anacond 3: The Offspring - Thoughts

Much against the advice of my friends I decided to watch Anaconda 3 – The Offspring, a direct to video release. Direct to video movies typically are sequels to big name movies, and are made with lower budgets, featuring B grade or C grade amateur actors. The only way to get your hands on these movies is to buy or rent the DVD; they don’t get screened at the theatres. General opinion is that they are cheesy and worthless, but from time to time there are a few decent ones. In The Offspring, a pharmaceutical firm owned by a billionaire with a personal agenda, is on the verge of a medical breakthrough. If successful they will possibly find a cure to many terminal illnesses including cancer. Their means though is questionable, with their key research being based on a giant drug modified Anaconda.


Though the movie was just a mere 91 minutes in length it was an excessive drag. Pretty much all the suspense scenes were boring, and lacked punch. I found myself checking for text messages on my mobile phone. Action sequences were weak, with fast shot changes and jerky editing. It was hard to tell what was happening, and there was very poor focus on individual scene content. Sound again was poorly used, and during action sequences the viewer was left feeling lost. Expect a lot of gore and dismembered bodies, but nothing well executed. What worked were the locations and some of the long shots; such as the opening forest overview scene and closing dusk skyline scene. Equipment used was above average and the look and feel of the shots were good. What made an already weak plot sink altogether was miserable visual effects. The Anaconda looked ridiculous and was laughable. Considering the movie is built around the Anaconda, it feel flat primarily owing to this.

Performances were again weak. The only performance worth mentioning was that of David Hasselhoff. He handled the role of Hammett the mercenary for hire with a cool swagger that made it believable. Crystal Allen who was playing the lead role in the movie was average, though noticeably amateurish. One of her key contributions to the movie was to prance through the entire movie in her white racer back top. This duty she fulfilled convincingly. Most other performances were quite obviously stereotyped and unrealistic.

I watched a high bitrate DivX rip with AC3 Dolby Digital 5.1 sound intact and untouched. Picture was clear and good; with the expected loss of color vibrancy owing to lossy DivX video compression. I’d expect the DVD to be quite good. This I’m assuming is thanks to modern cameras and movie equipment. Being a made for TV, direct to video release the aspect ratio perfectly fit widescreen 16:9 home television sets. Though the soundtrack was a 5.1 surround, coupled with the messy action sequences it made very little sense. So in short there was no perceivable benefit to the surround stage usage.

My Recommendation: Skip It (you’re better off watching reruns of the first installment, but don’t bother with this one)

The Hole - Thoughts

I’d heard about this British made Psychological Thriller a couple of years ago, and have had it on my list of to watch movies since. Being rather unpopular it was hard to find a DVD. Not being priority it kept getting put off up until a few days ago when I downloaded and watched it. It tells the story of 3 rebellious teenagers, who with the help of the school nerd Martin, get access to a war bunker which they stay in while the school makes a field trip to Wales. Martin facilitates this in exchange for money and the condition that his friend Liz joins them. The 4 have a great time initially, but then the 3 days pass and Martin doesn’t return for them. With no one knowing their whereabouts, all they can do is wait and hope that someone finds them.


The movie is true to its genre and has some dark psychological elements to it. It’s quite slow, and at times lacks the required thrill elements to keep viewers engaged. My assumption would be that it was low budget, especially with the limited shooting environments. What’s pleasant was that the plot was unique and different from the usual group of teens, out on holiday, getting knocked off one by one. The story is based on a novel by Guy Burt, which I suppose should also be good. Most of the story is exposed by means of flashbacks; a retelling of events by the main character Liz. Some of the events need to be covered again, and story elements change with each iteration. If you’re one for slow suspenseful thrillers, and can gradually enjoy it as it gets bizarre and bordering evil you’ll appreciate The Hole. As the movie progresses you’ll come to understand some unexpected turns and changes. Towards the latter part, scenes inside the bunker get moderately gruesome; be warned.

The 4 main characters are Elizabeth Dunn (Thora Birch), Frances Almond Smith a.k.a. Frankie (Keira Knightley), Mike Steel (Desmond Harrington), and Geoff Bingham (Laurence Fox). Frankie and Geoff have an existing intimate relationship, when the story starts. Liz has a crush on Mike, who is American and the son of a rock star. Mike was recently dumped by his model girlfriend, and Liz sees this as her best opportunity to make a play for Mike. Her extreme need to be with and be noticed by Mike, is what fuels and drives the entire story. As the narrative progresses, with each retelling of the events, the 4 characters personalities and behaviors keep changing. All 4 actors adapt quite well, and play multiple variations of their role very convincingly. For Keira Knightley this was one of her early movies, prior to her fame from Bend It Like Beckham, and The Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy. For Thora Birch, this was subsequent to her role from the hugely successful American Beauty. As for the male leads, this was their first appearance on screen, and the only one to date.

The movie I was watching was a DivX rip. I was unable to place my hands on an original DVD, and purchasing a copy off Amazon and having it shipped seemed like too much trouble. The video rip quality was average to good. Greens and Blue’s seemed prominent and the original DVD should be decently vibrant (as expected of most DivX rips, this was lost in part during the rip downgrade). Many scenes inside the hole were dark, and shadowy grays made viewing definition poor. This should be better on the original DVD. Sound was good; though limited it added the right mood and ambience to create a suitably eerie feel. There was a single theme score that kept playing, which again was daunting and fit well. Unfortunately the rip only had stereo audio and thus surround could not be tested. Needless to say watching and further reviewing a DivX rip saddens me deeply, but such is life and its limitations sometimes!

My Recommendation: Dicey (Not for those who enjoy straightforward plots, and conventionally happy endings)

Grey's Anatomy: Season 1 - Thoughts

I remember first having a conversation about Grey’s Anatomy way back in 2006. My friend who was telling me about it, said that it was worth the watch, was quite popular, that his girlfriend loved it, and that it had some hot women. As much as I’ve been putting it off, sometime mid-March 2010, I figured it’s about time I get around to it. The show follows the lives of interns, and resident doctors practicing at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. It’s currently in its 6th season and rumors have it that it’s gonna be around till the 8th season at least.


Look for reviews online and you’ll mostly hear good things. Check for viewing statistics and you’ll see that it’s hugely popular, and is one of the most watched primetime TV shows. So what is the deal with Grey’s Anatomy? I watched the pilot episode, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, and surprisingly liked it more than I’d expected to. As much as it was set in a hospital, and thus had tones of death and suffering, it also had a sense of energy to it. Thanks to effective characterization a sense of pep was brought into the mix. While I will admit that the drive to watch additional episodes back to back has dropped some, I wouldn’t tag it mediocre in the least. I’d expect that the level of appeal amongst women to be quite high, with the show being narrated from the point of view of the female lead, Meredith Grey. As you get into it, you’ll notice a ‘Sex And The City’ sort of narration style to the episodes. The attempted cliffhanger ending at the end of the first season was weak; far lesser than what viewers have probably come to expect for TV serials.

As I’d mentioned earlier, the success of Grey’s Anatomy rests primarily in its strong and dynamic characters. Ellen Pompeo as Meredit Grey is brilliant; expect to be in love with her character in very little time. Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang is dislikable yet likable; don’t be surprised if you feel like taking a jab at her every now and then. Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens plays the hot ex-model turned surgeon; interestingly she’s not as stereotypically annoying as you’d expect her to be. She adds to the mix, just like George O’Malley played by T.R. Knight; the geeky ‘girls best girl friend’ sorta guy. Derek Shepherd played by Patrick Dempsey has an interesting dreamy excellence, and Preston Burke played by Isaiah Washington helps to keep the show serious. All together its one tightly wound, well oiled machine; it works well together, answering efficiently to many entertainment necessities.

From a tech analysis perspective there isn’t much to say. I was watching a lossy DivX rip, which was average to acceptable in quality. Sound was audible, but nothing special. The soundtrack was good, and added a lot of soul to the show. Technically speaking, Grey’s Anatomy is nothing outstanding, just everyday television.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Better than most hospital dramas)

Quantum Of Solace - Thoughts

The second in the series of Daniel Craig Bond movies. Following an assassination attempt on M, Bond tracks a network of corrupt and powerful individuals unknown to most. The chase leads him to Dominic Green, a supposed environmental entrepreneur. While it’s obvious that there’s more to Green Enterprises than meets the eye, what is their interest in what seems to be barren land in Bolivia? While the CIA and the rest of the world choose to turn their eyes away from Green’s activities, Bond, the vengeance that drives him, and his beautiful friend Camille are all that stands in Green’s way.


If Bond is about fast cars, blazing guns, and pretty girls, the opening sequence alone will do justice to the Bond legacy. The movie is interesting and fun to watch throughout. Action sequences are explosive, and the technology showcased is unreal. The debrief sessions with M at the MI6 office are out of this world; the tech setup they work off is just unimaginably slick. The bulk of the movie was shot in South America (Mexico, Panama City, etc) and partially in Madrid. There are a lot of visually beautiful ocean drives, canyon shots and long marine views. For most part the movie is enjoyable, the only negative being that its perhaps forgettable.

Daniel Craig is settling into the Bond role well, portraying effectively traits of stubborn relentlessness. Olga Kurylenko as Camille Montes, a Russian-Bolivian agent with her own vendetta seemed like a perfect fit for a Bond girl. With her model features and foreign accent its clear why she was chosen from the 400 others who auditioned for the part. Judi Dench as M, as always was powerful and commanding. Compared to previous Bond movies her involvement in the plot of Quantum Of Solace was considerably more. Gemma Arterton playing the MI6 agent Strawberry Fields who works at the British consulate in Bolivia is worth mention, because she was chosen by director Marc Forster who thought she was witty, from 7000 others. Though her role was limited, it was efficient in a Bond women sorta way. Alas, a Bond movie wouldn’t be complete without its many woman!

The DVD I was sampling was a Region 1 US DVD, and the picture was flawless. While color tones were not the most vibrant, the movie was intentionally presented that way. The shimmer of the oceans and the daylight sequences were breathtaking. Two 5.1 surround soundtracks were available; both Dolby Digital and DTS. I selected the DTS variant which was excellent; action sequences had impact and the various locales travelled to had suitable ambience.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A good action / Bond movie, but not the most memorable)

Jersey Shore: Season 1 - Thoughts

I only heard of this show recently, and from my online research learnt that it was a new MTV reality show. Reviews and comments weren’t really rave, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to waste my time on this. The premise of the show is quite simple; 8 Italian-American cast members in their 20’s are vacationing at the Jersey Shore. While there, they need to work part time in exchange for their living arrangement. The show basically follows their lives for a month, as they party, make plans to hook-up, pursue serious relationships, and build friendships.


As you can tell from my introduction, I wasn’t big on this show in the first place. The premise was somewhat lame, and the show didn’t really head towards any perceivable goal. Most reality shows have eliminations and winners; but Jersey Shore didn’t. What sealed the deal for me was the fact that it was a short season with just 9 episodes, and that it had been a while since I’d watched any reality sorta entertainment. If you’ve watched reality shows you’ll know that much of the story and drama is built by means of smart and suggestive editing. Overemphasizing certain things and skipping others puts a spin on reality that almost makes it entertaining. Ironically this controlled presentation system ensures that the reality if anything is only partial. In short, Jersey Shore in no different; expect repetitive suggestion. Off the top of the bat, if you’re looking for an ending, forget about it, Jersey Shore doesn’t have one. The show tends to drag from time to time, so watching this show while checking your email would work. All my negative comments aside, there was one thing that I realized. There were some life lessons and truths that were showcased on the show. While it wasn’t necessarily obvious, analyzing the episodes and trying to relate to it helped me realize this. For that particular aspect, I believe the show is successful.

Character portrayal analysis is somewhat skewed in a reality show. Any comments made would only reflect on an actual person, or how they were presented. So read this with a pinch of salt as necessary. There was a lot of attention on Mike ‘The Situation’; and while the presentation made him out to be the selfish thoughtless jerk, he was one of the more mature cast members. Additionally, though it wasn’t obvious, some of his stronger positive character traits do become evident close to the end of the show. JWoww, though initially portrayed as a hardcore crazy person, is by the far the least crazy of the lot, and if anything just likes to have fun. She had a sense of real to her that many others lacked. Ronnie was okay, a straight forward fun guy; someone who certainly didn’t deserve to put up with Sammie’s nonsense. Which brings us to Sammie, who is possibly the most fake and annoying person on the show. Stupid people like her deserve to live in a bubble; certainly not the real world. Vinny was okay, a decent guy overall, and a little more subdued than the others. Snookie was a silly annoying little person; too much drama if you asked me. Pauly was pretty cool, and though he wasn’t the center of any particular story, he was a good ingredient to have in the cast. As for Angelina, thank god she left early. She would have sunk the already weak show early on.

The content I was watching was a very average DivX rip. While not a fan of DivX, I have seen some decent/acceptable DivX video. The stuff I was watching was below that mark. I don’t think the show video quality can be faulted though; the compression was probably average/poor. There were a lot of dark outdoor scenes with poor lighting. Pixilation was a regular feature, with some occasional video stutter. Sound was average, but what you’d normally expect with reality TV shows. Ambient sounds helped keep the environments real, and the soundtrack was average.

My Recommendation: Dicey (Worth the watch if you love reality TV and want to get a feel of the Jersey Shore lifestyle)

Avatar - Thoughts

This one probably needs no introduction; sitting happy after having grossed 2.71 billion (and still counting), it is by far the most commercially successful movie ever. Thanks to Avatar James Cameron now holds the title of having directed the two highest grossing movies of all time (Titanic being in position 2). In Avatar, Jake a paraplegic war veteran is sent to Pandora for a mission, where he is to continue his recently deceased brothers work. The planet is inhabited by an indigenous life form called the Na-vi, who have a strong bond with the nature that surrounds them. Jake’s mission being to infiltrate the Na-vi, learn their ways, strike a deal with them keeping in mind the wants of his capitalist bosses, or provide the military intel required for a hostile takeover.


I’m sure most have seen the trailers and promo material by now; Avatar is visually stunning, and awe-inspiring. Both the technological prowess of the humans showcased, and the sheer magnificence of the alien fauna and flora are breathtaking. While I was initially thinking to myself, wow just about everything here is CGI; the actors must have spent pretty much their entire shoot in a room with a green screen background. I later realized that this wasn’t new, and that George Lucas had already done this with Star Wars years ago. The plot is simple, but very well executed. Besides getting a grasp of the Avatar consciousness-transference technology, there isn’t much to wrap your head around. This probably makes the movie suitable for a wider audience including children of some ages. The main theme in play here is that of supposed modernization leading to the destruction and extinction of tribes, civilizations and their beliefs. Overall an entertaining and scenic movie; feel free to take the kids along, but don’t expect to be intrigued.

Sam Worthington starring as Jake Sully did a pretty good job, both as himself and his Na-vi counterpart. The scenes where he found himself having renewed abilities were realistically portrayed with delight and energy. Zoe Saldana as Neytiri was well cast; she came across as warm and loving, in a simple yet warrior way. Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace was perfect in her lead scientist role; of the cast hers was perhaps one of the best performances. Finally, Michelle Rodriguez was at home in her usual tough gal routine. While it might be a stereotype role, why the hell not when she’s so damn good at it.

I actually saw this movie in the theatre and that too in 3D, with the awkward plastic 3D glasses. Initial adjusting aside, the 3D experience is awesome. The depth of field in the sequences is truly enjoyable. One of the opening scenes where the hordes of sleeping marines on the space ship come out of their cryostasis is amazing. The picture was good all through, and had a noticeably rendered CGI feel to it. Visibility was good throughout though. The regular 2D DVD should be quite good. Sound was decent and served the movie well, with the surround space being used sufficiently to make the imagery come to life.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (Primarily for the visual splendor, though just a Watch It for most other purposes)