Star Trek: Into Darkness - Thoughts

The 2009 reboot of Star Trek was incredibly well received, by both sci-fi fans, and general audiences. So the news of the sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, was music to the ears of many an avid moviegoer. The trailer was action packed, and unlike the origins theme of its predecessor, added a veil of mystery and made things look intense. In Into Darkness, the Enterprise crew, after a big shake up in the Starfleet ranks, set off to pursue a rogue officer, in unsafe Klingon space.

After a pretty long runtime by English movie standards, I’d say that if you sat through it, watched it, and enjoyed it, you’re probably a Star Trek junkie or a sci-fi aficionado. While the first movie was aimed at general audiences, and favored pop culture and entertainment, the second is clearly for the strongly sci-fi inclined. If you don’t believe me, the folks fast asleep in the theater when the credits rolled, with their 3D glassed still on, will need to serve as proof. Star Trek Into Darkness has a strong story, and requires for you to follow it fairly seriously. The plot has its share of twists, and knowledge of the 1982 Star Trek movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan adds to the overall story-line. Personally I have not seen it, so I don’t believe it’s mandatory. There’s a good deal of action, and the grey super starship that audiences are exposed to is pretty cool. Character development from the first movie is evident, and seems gradual and realistic. At over 2 hours, the movie is engaging as the plot unfolds, coupled with the action, but only if sci-fi is your thing.  As someone who enjoys Star Trek, I did, and I’m sure most others like me will; but if you don’t follow Star Trek and aren't into sci-fi, I fear that you will find Star Trek Into Darkness a tad boring. Overall story evolution is excellent though, with the movie ending on a note that sets the stage for the original Star Trek TV serial.

Pretty much the entire cast from the 2009 movie is back. They have all grown into their roles well, seeming like fitting modern day representations of their counterparts from a generation before. Chekov played by Anton Yelchin is one such example, and interestingly a not so key role, that was yet convincingly portrayed; the situational humor surrounding his character coming out well. All the actors, including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, have grown into the more developed characters well, coming across a lot more sure footed in their ways. It’s hard though to watch Zachary Quinto and not be reminded of the TV show Heroes. While he might make an okay Spock, much of the Star Trek audiences are partial to the legendary Leonard Nimoy. A notable addition to the cast is Peter Weller who stars as Marcus. Famous for his performance as RoboCop, it was interesting to see him in a senior and very human role.

Since I was keen to check this one out, I decided to hit the theater.  I was lucky to get a nice 3D and Dolby Atmos combo. Video was good, looking clear and stylized; in the sense that blueish whites were noticeably stronger, reminding us all that this was the future aboard a Starship. This was my second Atmos experience, and was very immersive. The sound truly felt like it was all around, and I didn't get the feeling that the sound was originating from any specific source; rather I felt enveloped in it. From 2 experiences so far, I personally feel that Dolby Atmos is not going to wow you, but it will give you an extremely immersive experience.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A fair progression to the Star Trek reboot)

The Incredible Hulk - Thoughts

As part of my run up to The Avengers, I figured I should quickly catch-up on the individual Marvel superhero movies I’d missed. While I’d seen the 2003 Hulk movie with Eric Bana, I was yet to see the 2008 The Incredible Hulk movie. From what I was told it did tie into The Avengers movie, but only very minimally. In this second iteration of the Hulk, which served as a reboot owing to the mixed reception of the 2003 edition, Bruce Banner is part of a military program; which goes wrong forcing him to flee the United States. In an attempt to cure himself he returns 5 years later, and is now forced to battle the demons he once fled.

The opening sequences of the movie where a good part of the back-story is explained using the opening credits, was quite unique and interesting. It related well to the comic origins of the Hulk character, and contributed to a charged beginning. The movie was relatively long, with plenty of slow story evolution and deep drama moments. That said there were multiple action sequences, where the sheer brute strength of the mammoth Hulk was at large and for the audiences to enjoy. Unlike many other superhero movies, Bruce Banner is clearly consumed by darkness and pain. Due to this The Incredible Hulk is nothing like the loud and wacky Iron Man franchise. Whether you’re a comic book freak or a die-hard action movie buff, The Incredible Hulk is worth the watch. Thanks to its strong narrative elements, it has more depth than most random action flicks. I personally felt that the final battle was weaker than what I’d have liked, but that might just be me. Truth be told, it did feel like a comic book ending. Though it isn't necessary to see this movie before other movies in the marvel series, it does tie in well into the overall story-line.

Edward Norton who played Bruce Banner and The Hulk was perfect, as the distraught man who had fled the US Army special project, and was living in hiding. He wasn't the typical superhero, and his portrayal of Bruce Banner did justice to the reality and hardship of a man cut off from his past, and living a lonely sad life. Liv Tyler played Betty Ross, Bruce’s love interest, and someone he had to let go of when he was forced to flee. She too did well as the caring, ever understanding companion, who had missed him dearly, and was ready to take him back and help him, even after the cut off for several years. Tim Roth plays Emil Blonsky, the special ops soldier who unlike most other soldiers develops a vendetta to battle the Hulk, and goes about it, round after round, mercilessly. His low on values, ruthless ways lent itself well towards the  general’s almost mercenary agenda.

Being unable to place my hands on a Region 1 US DVD, I was forced to acquire and sample an HD rip of the movie. The source for the rip was a Blueray, and the rip resolution was 720p. Colors were vivid, but the tone was a tad dark, especially in the non-daylight scenes. This was probably intentional and to do with the darker narrative elements of the Bruce / Hulk character. Sound was presented by means of a DTS 5.1 soundtrack, and was pretty on point. Action sequences were loud and had impact, while dialog was clear, and the general ambiance calm in places, in keeping with plot elements.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A dark retelling of the Hulk story)

Sathi Leelavathi - Thoughts

Having just recently started reviewing Tamil movies, Sathi Leelavathi was an interesting addition to the mix, as it was the first non-blockbuster, being a drama comedy at the core. It was brought to my attention by a friend who said it was an older comedy, worth watching, as it starred Kamal Hassan in an impressive comedy role. Going into it I had very little in terms of expectations, assuming it would be a run of the mill comedy.

As the movie opened and things kicked off, the first thing that hit me was the dated look the movie had. Not having watched an older Tamil movie like this in ages, it quite stood out. Also worth mention was the seemingly low budget feel, a clear contrast to recent blockbusters I had watched, and the non mega-star status surrounding Kamal Hassan. In fact, his role was more in the form of a supporting actor, providing comic relief to the plot. The bulk of the movie focuses on a married mans interest in a younger unmarried girl, who in turn is in pursuit of a wealthy man. The plot is very simple, and the execution is also pretty straight forward and almost stereotype. Don’t expect twists and complexity; Sathi Leelavathi is indeed quite simplistic. While some parts of the narrative are not intended to be funny, sophisticated audience groups will find scenes funny, due to its almost laughable dialog and execution. This is very apparent in the opening sequences of the movie, where the lead character makes an effort to pursue his lady interest. The quality comedy really kicks in wherever Kamal Hasan is present, and is at its peak towards the closing of the movie. The humor is largely situational in nature. If you’re in the mood for a casual watch, which is fun and somewhat dated, Sathi Leelavathi is worth checking out; just don’t expect something standout. Listen to it like it were on the radio while doing something else and you’ll still have watched the movie.

In short most of the performances are poor to average at best, with Kamal Hassan being the only exception, who is undoubtedly in a different league. He plays Shaktivel, a doctor who is the college classmate of the lead character. As usual his character portrayal is remarkable and Kamal Hassan lives the Shaktivel character; bringing to life the nuances and animation in a manner that perhaps even the real Shaktivel, if there were one, would not be able to outdo. Ramesh Aravind plays Arunachalam, the married lead in pursuit of the younger pretty girl Priya, played by Heera Rajgopal. Ramesh does an okay job, his performance often leaning towards overdone. Heera’s performance for most part was below average; though going by memory I have seen her do better. So I’d think that this was one of her early movies, where her inexperience was evident.

The content I was sampling was a lossy DivX rip, of medium bitrate, weighing in at around 1 gig for a 2 and a half hour movie. Video looked dated, with colors looking dull and severely lacking vibrancy. Clarity again was poor to average, especially in today’s day and age of high-definition. My guess would be that the original content in itself was not of superior grade, with the DivX compression further degrading it. Sound was presented by means of a 2 channel stereo soundtrack. Dialog which was vital was clearly audible, but nowhere near the fidelity of a modern 5.1 dedicated center channel presentation.

My Recommendation: Dicey (A comic Kamal Hassan from the mid 90’s)

Unnaipol Oruvan - Thoughts

Unnaipol Oruvan (Someone Like You) is certainly worth mention, as it’s the first ever Tamil movie I’ve decided to review. While I wasn’t keeping track of it around its release in 2009, I got my first whiff of it a few months ago when I saw bits of it on cable TV while having dinner. Realizing that it came across as quite sophisticated and interesting, I decided to get a hold of it and check it out. In Unnaipol Oruvan an individual of unknown origin or connections makes threats to the I G of police regarding bombs placed across the city. In exchange for details on their locations, he requires the release of 4 specific terrorists. His agenda and his motive remain key questions as the plot unfolds. Interestingly online research pointed to the fact that Unnaipol Oruvan is a remake of the 2008 Bollywood / Hindi movie, A Wednesday.

To those familiar with Tamil movies, expect to be shocked; there are no song and dance sequences, and similarly there are no fight sequences either. Yes, at this point most average Tamil movie goers would be in a state of alarm. In short Unnaipol Oruvan is aimed at advanced audiences, who are looking for something intellectual. In my opinion from a narrative perspective Unnaipol Oruvan is near perfect, with the plot being strong, and the execution and delivery being faultless. Even without the usual drama by means of songs, fights, and special effects the movie is immensely gripping, and carries its weight flawlessly. In addition the movie has a very real and everyday feel to it, which audiences should be able to relate to easily. It feels modern, current, and not over the top like many blockbuster movies. The level of detail given to every scene, and the strong dialogues are memorable. If you aren’t in the mood for a serious movie experience, you should save Unnaipol Oruvan for another day. That said, it is one of the best Tamil movies I have ever seen, and though it’s a gripping suspense crime drama, it’s not gruesome in anyway, and should appeal to a wide audience, as long as they are looking for substance.

The success of Unnaipol Oruvan largely rests on the excellent performances all round. Leading the ensemble is Kamal Hassan, who is known for his stellar performances. Whether it be emotion, or dictating terms, he does it with a level of realism that’s unquestionable. Pay attention and you will wonder whether he lives his roles or just acts them. Mohanlal plays the I G of Police, also doing very well, coming across as fair, grounded, and logical. He is so convincing that Id go out on a limb and say that if the Chennai police force were in his able hands, I’d rest easier every night. The supporting roles of Arif and Inspector Sethu are played by Ganesh Venkatraman and Bharath Reddy respectively. Though those are unfamiliar names, their performances are impressive, and the way their individual characters develop through the course of the plot is commendable.

I was lucky to get my hands on a solid HD 1080p rip of Unnaipol Oruvan, from a Blueray source. Video was clear and sharp. Colors were bright, and on a widescreen HD TV, it was a crisp enjoyable presentation. Facial detail was phenomenal in the close-ups, but some outdoor scene looked slightly over exposed. Sound was presented by means of a 6 channel 5.1 DTS surround soundtrack. Dialog was perfectly delivered through the center channel, and there was suitable use of the surround stage in multiple scenes. Technically Unnaipol Oruvan was just right, leaving literally nothing to be wanted, while not being overdone.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A near perfect crime drama that sets the bar for Tamil cinema)

Mama - Thoughts

Mama is a 2013 horror movie that somehow slipped through my radar. I wasn’t aware of it till I was told of it playing at a popular multiplex by a friend. I looked up the trailer, found it fairly interesting and decided to go check it out, especially considering that it’s been ages since I’ve seen a decent horror flick. Following an accident two young children are stranded in the woods, being forced to live alone. 5 years later they are found and joined with their uncle, who tries to raise them with his girlfriend. The question is, have the little girls come alone, and is everything as straightforward as it seems, and therein lies the premise of Mama.

After the recent slew of slasher movies and other reality-esque horror movies, it was nice to come back to something solid, which reminded me of The Ring. I felt that I could draw a lot of parallels between Mama and The Ring, with Mama successfully using some of The Rings strengths. The mysterious backstory adds a layer of intrigue that keeps the audience glued, while pacing is also managed well to avoid any boring moments. I don’t recall any instances during the movies 110 minute runtime when my mind briefly wandered away.  In terms of the sheer chills, Mama worked well, showing just enough, teasing just right, and slowly building up to the eventual ghastliness of the Mama character. What was unique were the traits associated to Mama, which made sense as the plot evolved, and can also be related to by the audiences. A clear theme all throughout is the mother and child bond; be it to do with the Mama character or Annabel. While there are some stereotypes, and cliché’s, nothing that was laughable. Some of the editing and scene planning was predictable, but personally I did not find the horror cheesy, and quite liked the movie. Was Mama scary? Indeed it was! If you’re in the mood for a good horror flick, I’d certainly recommend this one.

The cast of Mama was largely new to me. Jessica Chastain plays the lead role of Annabel. Between the makeup, dressing, and the look she totally fit the ‘rock band girlfriend’ part, which interestingly plays into the story, as the narrative forces her character to develop, and she does justice to this forced situational transition. Isabelle Nélisse plays Lilly, the younger of the two children, and does fabulously as the misguided confused kid, too young to discern the difference between normal and strange. She excels in the area of facial expressions, to a point where her capability in relation to her age astounds me. Other notable roles include Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Lucas and Megan Charpentier as Victoria, the two girls’ uncle and the elder girl respectively. Both do decently well in their roles. Interestingly the demonic Mama character, whom by narrative is of female origin is played by Javier Botet. If anything this just surprised me in afterthought.

I checked this one out in the theatre, and interestingly this was my first ever Dolby Atmos experience. To the uninitiated, Dolby Atmos is the next big sound technology after 5.1/7.1 surround. In simple terms, think several speakers spread across the roof overhead, some behind the wide screen, and pretty much all along the sides, with up to 64 independent channels of sound.  The intent being to provide a more immersive listening experience, with ultra-realistic pans, beyond the front to back, and left to right that we are traditionally used to. Sadly I don’t have too much in terms of specific feedback on the new Atmos technology, but I will admit that I did feel superbly enveloped by the sound. There was frankly no escaping the eeriness. I will need to watch more movies, and perhaps experience both regular and Atmos versions to tell the difference better. Picture quality was good, as can be expected nowadays with digital theatre presentations. The movie had a noticeable dull tone, favoring darker browns. There were no vibrant colors used. Picture was sharp, with no grain or blur effects.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Never underestimate a mother’s love)

Star Trek: First Contact - Thoughts

I recall watching the trailer for Star Trek: First Contact back in 1996, around the time of the movie’s release. Seeing the trailer you’d expect to the see the Star Trek Next Generation crew in battle with the alien Borg, in mammoth galactic space combat. The movie also comes across as a hardcore action flick, with Data being in the midst of the Borg’s capture, assimilate, and transform plan.  Though I was very keen on watching the movie at the time, I don’t recall what stopped me. I finally got around to watching it last night, a good 16 years after its release.

Perhaps the most obvious observation will be the dated look that the movie has, especially in the Sci-fi space. The spaceship CGI is acceptable but lacking by today’s standards, and the sets don’t look as cool as we’d expect the 24^th century to be. The rest is probably in keeping with Star Trek Next Generation standards, as the movie feels a lot like the TV serial. All the familiar faces are back, and the plot has the usual exploration – entanglement – plan – twist – climax – resolution, formula. There are hardly any space battle sequences, and the trailer probably showcases more than 70% of the spaceship battles. There are plenty of slower moments with the earths inhabitants set in the late 21^st century.  If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll quite enjoy the big clash with the Borg; but on the flip side if you’re just looking for some Sci-fi action Star Trek: First Contact is dated and limited in its scope.

In terms of performances, you’ll find that it’s quite the mixed bag. Captain Picard played by Patrick Stewart is quite impressive, and is the grounding force to the movie. He drives the narrative, and carries the plot through from start to end. Brent Spiner plays Data, the android crew member, and also a key character in the Star Trek: First Contact plot. He does particularly well in playing the android, experiencing physical emotion and stimulation for the first time. The third and possibly only other notable performance comes from James Cromwell who stars as Zefram Cochran. He does surprisingly well in portraying the eccentric scientist with a love for alcohol. Many of the other crew members put in pretty average performances. Jonathan Frakes plays Commander Riker, and is annoying for most part with his lousy grin. Also silly and forgettable is Troi, played by Marina Sirtis. I used to watch this show, but since it was so long ago I don’t specifically remember the quality of the performances very well; my guess is that it must have been average all along.

The content I was sampling was a high definition 720p BlueRay rip. Video was clear, but there was a slightly faded look, which if my memory serves me right is how the TV show looked. It can partially be attributed to degradation during lossy compression as well probably. Sound was presented by means of a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Dialog was perfect, and with a good part of the movie being slower dialog moments, this worked. There was some noticeable surround usage, but it wasn’t anything spectacular.

My Recommendation: Watch It – (The Next Generation Crew’s first big Borg face-off)

Resident Evil: Retribution - Thoughts

While the Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers were perhaps 2012’s most anticipated movies, Resident Evil: Retribution is what I was truly waiting for. Considering my home theatre screening preference, I’d have been okay seeing the others on DVD with a delay, but for Resident Evil: Retribution, noway hosay! I actually gave thought to tickets on the first day. As it is, I was unhappy that the India release was about 2 weeks after the world release. Honestly I cannot think of any other movie that I’ve wanted to see as bad in the recent years. In this fifth installment of the franchise, Alice needs to form new alliances, to take on the all-consuming T-virus threat, and the Umbrella Corporation

 

I love sci-fi action movies, but I think the Resident Evil franchise is at a level of appreciation that trumps most others. The concept of an enormous private corporation with seemingly surplus funding and resources, that has fantabulous underground facilities all over the world, poses a threat that shadows all else. Add to that the action and the thriller/horror elements, and what we have is a winner in my eyes. Interestingly the trailer didn’t give away too much, and most audiences were going into installment 5 just expecting to see the ongoing struggle further escalate and take new shape. It truly was a case of, ‘What’s in store for Alice next?’ Since I don’t want to give away too much, let me just say that the plot development is both interesting and realistic; in the sense that it’s a plausible next step to Resident Evil: Afterlife. The action sequences are simply stellar, making good use of bullet time, thus slowing down the action and amplifying its magnitude. The combination of hand to hand and projectile combat is superb and meshed together beautifully. The narrative process was quite riveting, and except for the interval never did I look at my phone, or notice my mind wander off. Even with high expectations for the already impressive franchise, Paul W S Anderson has done a remarkable job with Resident Evil: Retribution. If you’re familiar with the series, this installment is similar to the first, which is set largely within one of Umbrella Corps mega facilities. Assuming you like the theme/premise or are a fan of the franchise, you will not be disappointed. Even if you’re just in the mood for a good stand-alone sci-fi action movie, you’ll probably like it.

With the franchise having traversed as long, Alice’s character played by Milla Jovovich has probably seen a good deal of character development, not to mention physical change over the years. At this point it’s fair to say that the Alice character and actress Milla have largely merged, with Alice’s character adapting to Milla’s reality, and not just vice versa. Milla Jovovich brings to screen her usual ‘A’ game, comprising incredible and totally believable action, with the usual survival horror sorta drama. It’s fair to ask at this point if Milla Jovovich has been typecast.  Welcome back to the action Jill Valentine played by Sienna Guillory, in her new blonde and evil avatar. Her performance is acceptable, and she does justice to the fight sequences. New to the movie franchise is Ada Wong, played by Bingbing Li. She lives up to her video game persona, and joins the ranks of other Resident Evil women who can successfully pull of over the top action and stunt sequences in a dress that certainly isn’t meant for it. For those familiar with Lost, expect to see Kevin Durand, who plays the role of Barry Burton, one of the mercenaries who fights the Umbrella Corporation alongside Alice.

Since I was pretty frantic about seeing Resident Evil: Retribution, it was sampled at the theatre. The screen setup was 35mm, and the sound acoustics were good thanks to the smaller room dimensions. Predominant colors in true Resident Evil fashion were dark blue, red, and white. Most of the sequences were indoors, and there were contrasting dark hues, and white; the later mostly being artificially lit indoor areas. Picture was pretty good, and the use of 3D was quite a bit, with elements from the action sequences regularly flying into the audiences. Editing and the technical elements were used effectively to add a sense of intensity to the action sequences. Similarly the positional sound worked well with the movie and its action to add to the level of audience immersion. The score composed by tomandandy made the action uber enjoyable, and was very impressive. The same goes for the end credits song Hexes produced by Bassnectar featuring Chino Moreno (of the Deftones) on vocals; totally loved the music!

My Recommendation: Watch It + (New fights with old foes and deadlier viruses!)