Haywire - Thoughts

Promo material for Haywire in 2011 quickly caught my attention, as it was to feature the acting debut of Gina Carano of MMA fame. Not that I'm big on MMA, but such crossover talent usually creates scope for the addition and introduction of interesting sport/art forms to cinema. Looking up her MMA stats, looks like Gina Carano had a string of victories, until she lost to Cris Cyborg Santos in 2009, and retired from MMA. In Haywire she plays a special ops mercenary, who is setup by her boss, and then is out on her own to exact revenge and set the record straight.

As expected, Haywire didn't play for very long in our theaters; and though it managed a worldwide gross in excess of its production budget, it wasn't a huge hit. My guess was that the international trailers and promo activity was limited, cause quite honestly it had an impressive cast including, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, and Michael Fassbender. Add to that the trusted direction of Steven Soderbergh, and it had all the elements for a big hit. From a plot perspective the movie is very reminiscent of the Bourne series, and as much as the pace is mostly slow, it’s gripping. The action sequences are quick, and feel exquisite, with some moves and intensity that was startling. Considering that Carano was allowed to work some of her MMA moves into the fight choreography, it made for some entertaining action. Another nice touch was the seemingly real feel to everything. Not only was the action quick and rough-edged, but the narrative process too was filled with realities, that showcased the setup and the struggle-after as real life events, versus heroic. If you enjoyed the Bourne trilogy and would like to see some gritty action sequence from a very capable female lead, Haywire will quite impress you.

It's easy to see why Gina Carano has got into movies, and will probably do well. For one she has actual martial arts experience, and her moves do look good on screen. The extra features on the DVD had a good deal of content wherein the fight choreographers and trainers praised Carano for her ability to have quickly picked stuff up and gotten into the action. Add to that, her screen friendly visage, and there you have it, the practicality and appeal for an action star. While I can't say her acting was great, it was okay. Being her first movie, and being from a sports background, perhaps it's understandable. She does do a good job of the Mallory Kane character though, thanks to her tough as nails portrayal, with little to no emotion, which would be expected of a highly trained special ops mercenary. Channing Tatum of G.I.Joe fame plays Aaron, and it was interesting to see him in a slightly different action star role. He comes across as a not so smart, take-orders sorta guy, versus his usual characters; gotta give him credit for pulling it off so convincingly.

I watched this movie on DVD, and as most often it was a Region 1 US release. Picture was good, and the color tone was dull, grayish, and yellowish, in line with the spy/thriller theme; there were no bright or vibrant colors. Sound complemented the movie well, and was presented by means of a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack. The extras on the DVD were worth checking out, to get some background on Gina Carano's entrance into Hollywood, and Steven Soderberg's vision for Haywire.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Gina Cerano, dishing it out… MMA Style)

RoboCop - Thoughts

The RoboCop reboot is easily my most anticipated movie in recent times; after all if I had to pick a favorite action star, it’s RoboCop. The world may love the likes of Superman and Batman, but to me, if there ever were a collectible model action figure I’d like to have, its RoboCop; would proudly have it displayed on the mantle atop the fireplace. The original RoboCop from 1987 is nothing short of a cult classic, with its legions of fans. Set in the not so distant future, in the crime capital of the world Detroit, fatally wounded office Alex Murphy is rebuilt as a cybernetic super-cop; a one of a kind experimental project. That said, the 2014 reboot changes a good deal of that, making Alex Murphy’s RoboCop avatar as the first half-human half-robot, in the companies struggle to change congresses’ opinion, of its robotic peace keeping force.

After much waiting, and many a trailer, RoboCop was finally released in theaters in Chennai, India in Feb 2014. True to its legacy, it opened directly with the movie, that too a television segment, before the title credits came up. Classic RoboCop! Some of the obvious changes that I was aware of from the trailer, was the agility of the new Robocop, as the original Robocop could not run. While this didn't sit well with me during the trailers, it seemed to go okay during the course of the movie. Not only has movie making magic changed considerably and improved in the last 2 decades, but so has expectations of cybernetics, and in keeping with those expectation, the all new Robocop is quick, nimble, and downright athletic. The changes though, don’t stop there. While the original RoboCop movie was violent, bloody, and set in a ruthless Detroit city, where crime was just outta control, now we see a lot more plausible future, more like today, with fancier gadgets, and more smart devices. Crime if far from chaotic, and though there are anti-social elements, the vision of the future isn't stretched as much. Thanks to this, and the addition of the deep family and emotional element, the 2014 reboot is a lot more polished, and softer as a package. I can totally see the family element, and the wife and son bond working with audiences looking for emotional depth. It seems like this new iteration is intended for a much wider target audience, versus its previous brethren. Last but not least is the change of the core plot, from a straight forward revenge story, to a complex game of corporate politics, and revenue play. Action and sci-fi fans will quite enjoy RoboCop, as will existing RoboCop fans who have an open and accepting mind to change. If you’re hell bent on every aspect of the original though, the reboot will be a bit of a letdown, as the movie is more real and suited for wider appeal, in turn losing out on the grit of the original.

The centerpiece and star of the  RoboCop franchise is the narrative delivery and the special effect, the performances are too, but not as much as traditional films. On that count, RoboCop certainly excels. Joel Kinnaman plays the role of Alex Murphy and RoboCop. Frankly I have not seen any of his work and this to me was pretty much like a first. He did a decent job, especially with a good deal of the acting being limited to facial expressions, which he seemed to nail all the time. Abbie Cornish played his wife Clara Murphy, who did an outstanding job as his loving wife. A good deal of the emotional intensity of the movie is carried by her and her deep portrayal of their love. Her filmography is a little more familiar as compared to Kinnaman, but nothing that I can specifically remember. But even going by just this one performance, she did admirably. The rest of the cast included heavyweights such as Gary Oldman, Samuel L Jackson, and the original Batman, Michael Keaton. Needless to say, they did justice to their characters, flawlessly. Michael K. Williams played his partner Lewis, only that in the original RoboCop, Murphy’s partner was Anne Lewis, and now it’s Jack Lewis. Beats me why they switched his female partner with a male Lewis. And if you were wondering, yes, RoboCop’s arch rival, the ED-209 (Enforcement Droid Series 209) is back too; only leaner and meaner!

As mentioned, I watched this one in the theater. Picture was clear, and the digital experience made for a sharp high definition viewing experience. A good part of the movie was during the day, so lighting was good, and even the scenes at night had good visibility. Positional sound was noticeable, but it was just complementary to the scenes, and didn't really blow me away. From a technical elements perspective, RoboCop delivered, but it wasn't ground breaking. The original theme score was present, with a slight new twist, and that was very welcome. Special effects and the near future of mankind were impressive, and desirable. 

My Recommendation: Watch It + (The new and improved, 2014 RoboCop)

Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa - Thoughts

I don’t think I paid much attention to the Madagascar movies when they released, just assuming that they were aimed at kids. In the years that followed, I had the opportunity to work on the content of parts 1 and 2, for a multimedia project, and that’s when I realized how truly awesome and funny they were, being fully suited for witty adult audiences. At the time, part 3 hadn’t released as yet, and I made a mental note to watch the first two parts. After watching the first part about 6 months before, I got around to part 2 last night, Escape 2 Africa, in which the 4 English speaking animal friends are off to yet another adventure, this time to Africa, where Alex the lion is reunited with his parents.

For starters, if anyone is of the belief that Madagascar is for kids, you need to change that opinion, as it’s incredibly funny and aimed at audience of all ages. With smart dialog, it’s guaranteed to be a hit with the older audiences, while comical animated characters will ensure the children are amused too. Hats off to directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, who have managed to blend the two so seamlessly, that it’s hard to notice them apart. Unlike some of the cartoons which have long musical pieces, like the Lion King and Aladdin, Madagascar manages to keep it crisp, with short musical bits, with influences from modern catchy pop music, and some classics, appropriately used to keep the momentum going and not stray off into musical genre territory. Simply put, the 1 and a half hour cartoon was non-stop entertainment, and the pace was fabulous, never dropping off or getting boring. To the contrary, there were so many gripping and standout moments that had me glued. Though the plot was simple, there were many touching, deep moments, which stirred emotion. Add to all that greatness, the incredible animation; the sights and sounds just looked awesome. Especially on a big screen in HD, Madagascar 2 proved to be a visual spectacle, with the animation quality and CGI rendering being breathtaking. It’s fair to say that as an experience overall I was just floored. If you need a movie that great for family or friends, that’s super funny an entertaining, and just great in all ways, Madagascar 2 is the way to go.  For me it was Goosebumps galore!

All the characters of Madagascar 2 are memorable and lovable. As much as Alex the lion is the center of the story, so many other supporting characters are meticulously planned, and then gloriously delivered to create a character sets that’s just super entertaining. For example, the penguins are cool as ever, and operate slick and smooth. In addition to being my favorite Madagascar characters, I think the elements they bring to the character matrix of the movie is superb, and speaks volumes of the detail and planning that went into the creation process. Similarly, King Julien is a total nut job, but also a key element and a solid addition to the cast. It’s worth noting that the voiceovers for the characters are done by an all-star cast including, Ben stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer (of Friends fame), Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen (of Borat fame), Alec Baldwin, Will I Am, and Andy Richter (of Late Night with Conan O’Brien fame).

The content I was watching was a 720p, HD rip from BlueRay. Video was incredible, and it was one of the few times I could not perceive any noticeable degradation, though it was a rip. That said, the BlueRay may take quality even higher. Colors were warm, and visuals were sharp and clear. I quite honestly loved the way it looked on a big screen, full HD, Plasma TV. Sound was presented by means of a 6 channel, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Dialog was clear, and in Madagascar, that’s very important, as the impact of the awesome humor is largely dialog dependent. Audio sequences were great, and many scenes were complemented with memorable music, including More Than a Feeling by Boston. The combination of a big screen and a well-endowed home theatre sound system, coupled with solid tech elements from the movie, ensured for an immersive adventure in an African reserve.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (An animated comedy extravaganza)

Joe Satriani: Unstoppable Momentum - Thoughts

When Joe Sat released his previous album Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards in 2010, I was very impressed and told myself it deserved a review. Right from the opening track I loved the classic Joe Sat sound, and felt right at home. Three years later in the first week of May 2013, I learnt of the impending release of his next studio album, Unstoppable Momentum. After eagerly waiting for a little over a week, I ensured to snag a copy for myself on the day of release, and give it a listen.

• Artist: Joe Satriani

• Album: Unstoppable Momentum

• Release Date: May 7, 2013

• Genre: Instrumental Rock / Guitar Rock

Key Credits:

Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards : Joe Satriani

Keyboards : Mike Keneally

Drums : Vinnie Colaiuta

Audio Mixer : Mike Fraser

As you hit play and the opening track kicks in, expect to be sucked in and enjoying the undeniably characteristic Joe Sat sound. It took me less than 10 seconds to be in love and in a place that felt familiar and fond. The opening track titled Unstoppable Momentum is lively, liberating and empowering. I can totally picture myself listening to it, and speedily driving into the horizon, to take on what the world had in store for me. If there ever were a sound or feeling to epitomize Unstoppable Momentum, this is indeed it.

Expect to hear a wide range of harmonies as the album plays out, with the more intense songs like Jumpin’ In, and the ballad sorta melodies like I’ll Put A Stone On Your Cairne. There are also a few which are a blend of casual and intense, like Three Sheets To The Wind; but irrespective you can safely assume to have fun with this album. Expect to be reminded of his past tracks from albums including his exceedingly popular The Extremist, and the more recent Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards.  That said, fear not as Unstoppable Momentum is neither repetitive nor replicative.

After listening to the album, I’ll have to admit that Satriani has once again proven that you don’t need an orchestra, band, or an engaging vocalist to create standout or memorable music. After hearing the closing tracks Weight Of The World and Celebration, if you aren't sold on the album, it’s probably time to get your ears checked. If you love Joe Satriani or just enjoy good instrumental guitar music, you’ll find Unstoppable Momentum to be a fabulous addition to your collection. It’s hard to find fault with the album, as there are no real weak tracks; what it is, is a collection of hits!

My Recommendation: Hear It + (Unstoppable Joe Sat… 4 decades and counting)

Riddick - Thoughts

Riddick is quite easily my most anticipated and awaited movie of 2013. There are several franchises I’m fond of and follow, but not having known there will be a third installment, and the sudden news of it a few months ago, made it that much more thrilling. Add to that, information about it being closer to the original Pitch Black from 2000, and starring Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Gallactica fame, took the excitement factor up several notches. In this third installation, Riddick finds himself again stuck on a planet, with little semblance of human presence beyond that of a deserted mercenary outpost. What follows is his battle with both the converging environmental elements, and the bounty hunters out for his head.  

Unlike the all-out commercial blockbuster that the second movie in the series was, Riddick starts of slow, and gradually gives away bits of information, letting audiences make connections and understand the current setting unhurriedly. Without giving away too much, let me just say that the way the world around him slowly goes from deserted with dangers, to nothing short of menacing, is pretty cool. The narrative does feel very similar to Pitch Black, sharing a lot of common elements; but an area the original did better was the final plot, and the various stages of complexity the characters had to deal with to overcome it. Though Riddick was similar, the end struggle just didn’t feel as daunting. Perhaps the slow build-up and character development of the new characters consumed way too much of its 2 hour runtime. That said, sci-fi action buffs will not be disappointed. Similarly franchise fans will also find enough here to relate to. Riddick is dark, and estranged like Pitch Black, only that Pitch Black shocked and awed audiences, while Riddick just mirrored Pitch Black. Being an R rated movie, as per the request of fans, expect some intense carnage, and some violent bloody body dismembering.  With the high expectations I had, I will admit that I was a little disappointed, but that’s not because the movie was bad, and probably was because I wanted to be blown away, as I was with Pitch Black.

It should come as no surprise that Vin Diesel owns and lives the Riddick character. After all, Vin Diesel is the face of the Riddick franchise, and the Fast & Furious franchise, and he plays pretty much himself in the lead roles of both franchises. So in his own skin, it’s no shocker that he totally does justice to the two characters. Lookup his filmography and you’ll notice that his primary focus has been these two projects. Katee Sackhoff plays Dahl, an oozing attitude, hard-ass, similar to her role as Starbuck in Battlestar Gallactica, only grittier. As in, now the punches get bloody, when before all there was, were punches. The rest of the talent was pretty decent, with Jordi Mollà and Matt Nable playing the heads of two bounty hunter crews, each coming with very specific traits and characteristics, and portraying them effectively; Dave Bautista of WWE fame played Diaz, also doing an okay job of his fairly limited role.  

With all the excitement and anticipation, I had to go see this one quick, which meant at the theatre. The presentation was good, a straight forward non-3D, non-Dolby Atmos, 35 mm experience. Picture was clear, with color tones clearly favoring dusty baked mustard of the desert during the day, and a dark bluish black in all the dark sequences. There are no brilliant, reds or greens, in keeping with the desolate and dark theme of the movie. There were a few scenes that were cut, which needless to say was a disappointment. Sound was good, and I did notice some positional sound in various sequences. From a tech perspective, the special effects were nice, and the CGI was totally believable. That said, it all worked, but I can’t speak of anything standout.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Old school Riddick, Pitch Black style)

The Conjuring - Thoughts

Though I’d seen the cover art for The Conjuring, owing to its not so popular cast, and its seemingly lackluster title and poster, I decided to skip checking out the trailer. Alas, there are so many good horror movies vying for our time, that some cuts need to be made. A few months later, closer to release date, people were talking about the movie; that’s about when it caught my attention. Post release, I heard additional feedback, along the lines of it being a solid horror flick, one that left the audience satisfied when they left the theater  Its somewhere around then that I decided to give it a watch. The Conjuring is based on a true story, wherein 2 paranormal investigators help a family deal with a demonic presence that haunts the house they've recently moved into.

Set in the 70’s, The Conjuring starts of slow and almost like a family drama. Though I’m not a fan or period depictions, they don’t go overboard with it, and frankly the setting just feels like a quiet town. As the plot unfolds, the possibility of the dark presence in the house is very gradually and realistically exposed, seemingly in parallel to the audience and the cast of the movie, in an extremely realistic manner. A good part of the success of The Conjuring is the fact that the plot builds momentum and gathers various bits and pieces before the true evil is finally exposed, which happens considerably late into the movie. Another aspect that makes it authentic is that unlike movies where cast members need to be singled out for the action to take place, things in The Conjuring happen as it would in real, be it two or a few, and with a level of science and thought applied to it. Add to this the fabulous characters, their development as the narrative proceeds, and the phenomenal sound effects, its obvious why The Conjuring is hard to fault, and easy to enjoy if horror is your thing. I have seen a few decent horror movies, Mama and Shutter being some of the recent ones, but rest assured The Conjuring is one of the best I have seen in a long time. Combining exorcism elements, demonic presences, and a level of reality, with an overall positive yet subtle note that faith has its benefits; expect to be satisfied like none other.

As much as I've said the cast didn't catch my attention, post the movie I stand corrected. A large part of the success can be attributed to the excellent performances from the cast members. Lili Taylor who played Carolyn Perron, though unfamiliar to me did splendidly, going through the motions of the loving and very normal homemaker, coming across as plain, yet fond as a mother would be; her progression through the course of the movie, including her portrayal of fear and aggression coming out exquisitely. Ron Livingston played Roger Perron, the head of the family, a loving father, barely making ends meet; clearly seeming in over his head with the things happening around him. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson play the roles of Lorraine Warren and Ed Warren respectively, the two paranormal investigators. Their bond is also portrayed well, with mutual love, contributing to their strength as a team. Vera Farmiga is pretty standout, in the compassion and emotion that she brings out in the Lorraine character.

The Conjuring released in theaters just recently in India; with all the positive buzz surrounding it, some friends and I decided to watch this in the theater  Owing to its success, it was being played in a large 70mm screen, as against the newer more common 35mm multiplex experiences. Picture was good throughout, with mild post processing color tones added to maximize the period and quiet setting. Even with all the dark scenes and eerie moments, visuals were clear. The sound effects deserve special mention, as the intense bass reverbs were used throughout the initial narrative build-up, to signify moments of paranormal presence. Though sound is usually more effective in smaller rooms, I felt the sound effects were great. As with all horror movies, the sound effects did a good job of ensuring constant thrills and chills.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (A very real, and possibly the best horror movie in recent years)

Dredd - Thoughts

I was a little surprised when I first heard of this movie, as it was near release day, and I’d have thought there’d be more pre release promo material and trailers. Though unfamiliar with the comic 2000 AD, I had watched the 1995 Judge Dredd movie with Sylvester Stallone, and remember liking it. The post apocalyptic future and the new hybrid law enforcement system of judge, juror and executioner rolled into one, quite appealing to me. In this iteration, Dredd, one of the toughest law enforcement Judges goes against a gang and their perverse leader Ma-Ma, in an effort to uphold the law.

The opening sequence of the movie with the narration, kinda sets the stage for the dystopian future, and aids in quickly involving the audiences with the theme at play. While you will hear of Mega Cities and Mega Structures, what you won’t hear is that Dredd is Mega Violent! There are several action sequences, some pretty intense ones, and a good deal of blood and carnage. I usually don’t care for extreme gore, and I find the likes of movies such as Hostel quite putting off; that said, I found the violence here in keeping with the theme of the movie, the state of decay of the society, and the limited value for life. So I can’t complain. The pace of the movie is nothing short of riveting, with no time to breath as the movie picks up. From the get go to the closing credits, the movie was non-stop, and that in some sense is synonymous to the relentless pursuit of justice that the Dredd character embodies. If like me you enjoy action; you’ll probably enjoy the 2012 iteration of Dredd. The action sequences are awesome, with the trio chain-gun scene being standout. The setting, the mega-city, and the mega-structure within which the bulk of the movie happens, has a mood, which coupled with the ambiance and sound enthralled me. Dredd is a dark, gripping, and gritty action extravaganza you’ll quite enjoy.

The lead role of Judge Dredd is played by Karl Urban, whose face you will incidentally never see, in keeping with the comic. So giving little weight to facial expression, and limiting the evaluation to dialog delivery, and body language, the performance was pretty good. Urban is cold and mechanical, which per the comic is the accurate representation of the Judge Dredd character. For this assignment Dredd is assigned a rookie partner, Anderson, played by Olivia Thirlby. She does an admirable job as the fresh out of the academy rookie, who is new to the grim violence of Mega City 1. Lena Headey performed the role of Ma-Ma, the head of the crime syndicate in control of the mega-structure, and is fabulous as the twisted, ruthless, psycho-vamp. She comes across as hardened and scorned, which is fitting based on her back-story. As an actress Lena Headey has phenomenal range, and usually does splendidly in intense and powerful roles; Ma-Ma being no exception to her filmography.

As much as I’d have liked to watch this one in the theatre, in 3D, due to its limited worldwide success, it exited the theatres quickly, and I had to wait to get my hands on the DVD and check it out. The DVD I sampled was an India spec Region 5 DVD, but thankfully there were no issues in terms of quality. Video was clear, and even in the dark scenes there was decent definition. The sound was unparalleled, giving life to the mood and ambience of the main mega-structure. Positional sound, and ambient sounds totally wowed me, and the gun fire as plentiful as it was, was well supported. Among the special features on the disk was a Dredd prequel motion comic which is worth the watch; it adds to the story and makes for a dark violent comic companion to the motion picture. .  

My Recommendation: Watch It + (Mega Action, Dredd Style, in Mega City 1)