Real Steel is the real deal

Reviewed by Debolina Sengupta

Confession first. I went to watch Real Steel only and only for Hugh Jackman (girly reasons completely). And 15 minutes into the movie I was slightly bored. It looked all too obvious. I half thought that it would be one of those emotional drama movies with robots in it, but with the movie's progression, I started enjoying it. Jackman is to die for as a father, lover and a robo-boxing freak while his on screen son Max, played by Dakota Goyo is believable.

Won't give out too much of the movie since the last complaint that I have been typing out spoilers, but this is one movie you can't miss if you are looking for a complete package. Most of the moments in the movie are guessable, but the way they are treated makes them perfect in every sense. You will cry with the characters, be on the edge and pray for the "little guy" to win over the powerful and you will also be completely involved in every step of their journey.

In an age of 3D cinema, Real Steel proves that it's the story that makes a film a winner. The robot part of the movie is carefully intertwined in the narrative without making it jarring while the father-son bonding is given more preference. Perfect combo of acting, special affects and post production. This movie is a winner staying true to its tagline- courage is stronger than steel.

In case you are someone who loves spending time and money on a movie that gives you a good feeling in your heart, Real Steel is the real deal.

Rating: 4/5

Where's the Game?

Reviewed by Sab Khan

Game is the Bollywood’s latest release by debut director Abhinay Deo. He has unfortunately failed to come up with a sizzling hot thriller. He may have tried to make a fashionable by signing in an apparently "hot" cast, but the plot of his movie needed thawing. The script was simply uninspiring and weak. Kabir Malthora (Anupum Kher) is the billionaire who owns an island in Greece, Sia Agnihotri (Kangna Ranaut) is a detective and Neil Menon (Abhishek Bachchan) is a casino owner. There's Boman Irani in the film too as a politician, Jimmy Shergill as an actor and Shahana Goswami as a journalist.

Four people are suspects in Kabir's daugther's murder case. But before the father can start investigating the murder, he dies. Apparently, this is a suicide attempt, but the four currently suspected are again arrested, for Kabir's death.

Too many unanswered questions and high predictability makes it a chore to watch the film. The direction is amateurish and is unable to extract the best from the actors involved. The first half of the movie is painfully slow, which the director tries to make up for in the second half, which looks mindless. But Alas! The thrill was still not gripping enough to control the audiences’ mind.

The movie tries to sell itself with the "trendy stuff" like people from different professions, a sexy police officer and views of beautiful Greece, but it all gets murdered by the script. Save your time by avoiding it, unless you are a huge fan of any actor involved.

Rating:2/5

Drive Angry Drives Me Crazy

Drive Angry

Reviewed by Adam Minor

There are, in essence, two types of films. The ones that attempt thought-provoking devices aimed at making you think, and those thoughtless action romps that are just there to make you have fun. Both films have their place in the world of entertainment.

That being said, Drive Angry is neither, though it was striving for the latter. People seem to think that fun, action-packed, “grind house” movies are simply fast cars, loose women and lots of guns. There is still a place for story in these films. Just because you aim to ramp up action, doesn’t mean you can put the story, plot and characters on the backseat. Going into Drive Angry, you expect to see an insane Nicholas Cage attacking the gas pedal with a beautiful Amber Heard sitting next to him. What you see instead is an aimless and shallow mould of an action movie.

The film focuses on John Milton (I’ll give you a second to get your sense back after that slap-in-the-face reference). John’s daughter was murdered by a group of Satanists, and his granddaughter was kidnapped in order to be sacrificed at the next full moon. John literally escapes from Hell in an effort to save the remainder of his family while being hunted by a man called “The Accountant”.

What’s missing most here is Cage’s lapse into a psychotic tantrum ala Bad Lieutenant. Cage seems to merely phone it in here and not fully commit to the role. An issue he’s never really faced before. Typically, he over-commits (See: Wicker Man). Heard was able to ramp up the action with her badass chick routine, but the character really brought nothing new to the table. The big winner here is William Fichtner who plays The Accountant. His on-screen presence amps the film to the action-fuelled flick it ought to be.

With a name like Drive Angry, the action is not as rampant as you might expect. In fact, there is actually very little angry driving. 

Rating: 1/5

Utt Pataang Review

Utt Pataang

Reviewed by Sab Khan

Srikanth V. Velagaleti’s Utt Pataang is an exciting attempt to chronicle events occurring in one night just like in the movie Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin. Though the latter was a tense and grave movie, the former is much lighter.

Utt Pataang does not focus singularly on any one character, but rather on incidents which drag the movie at a snail's pace towards the so-called climax. The story revolves around a mysterious bag full of money, and how each character ends up in the same room (where the money bag is) for the whole night. Vinay Pathak, the popular hero of non-popular movies, plays a double role; one is Ram and the other is Lucky.

Ram, who has just broken up with his girlfriend Sanjana (Mahie Gill), meets Koyal (Mona Singh), who has also been ditched by her boyfriend, in a restaurant. Nandu (Saurabh Shukla) is the guy who sets up their rendezvous. He is a detective and Ram’s best friend. Sanjana’s latest boyfriend is Lucky, the gangster with an awful French accent, which reminded me of one of my most favourite characters Detective Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin). There are no details as such provided for his French connections but I guess the director wanted to bring in the laughter in some ways. :) Well, somehow all the characters manage to assemble in the same house where the glue of the movie is.

The flashbacks in the story make the movie slower and less intriguing. But gradually the story shifts gears upward. The language is slightly open which (in my opinion) has been used to bring about the flavour of comedy amid drama. But the purpose has remained unfulfilled. Yet, there were scenes which made me laugh out loud in the silence of the cinema house.

Altogether, the movie is not a “must watch” but a nice time pass for quenching your thirst of a novelty release. Utt Pataang is one of a kind with its own unique way of keeping the audience involved for three hours.

Rating: 3/5

Yeh Saali Zindagi Review

Yeh Saali Zindagi

Reviewed by staff reviewer

Let me get this straight first. I absolutely love Chitrangada Singh and the fact that she left the film industry right after something like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi left me wondering what went wrong. But then one fine morning while on a flight I got to see her in Onir's Sorry Bhai and actually believed she did the right thing by leaving. But now after joining hands with Sudhir Mishra and coming out with something as twisted as Yeh Saali Zindagi, I am left to wonder again, "Why did she leave again?"

I don’t know whether it’s about me not trying hard enough for details or the film makers not revealing enough, but I had little idea about Yeh Saali Zindagi, except for the fact that it managed to outdo Mallika Sherawat’s record number of onscreen kisses (17 for Khwahish). Well, in 2011, that didn’t make it a big deal for me. I mean I do watch enough English movies and TV shows to be immune to any passionate or slobbering kisses. What intrigued me was the pairing of Irrfan Khan and Chitrangada Singh. While Khan has his own macho manliness without the good looks, Singh is hotness at a different level.

The entire movie is quite dark and probably shadily funny in the sense that majority of characters are rogue businessmen, criminals or corrupt politicians and policemen. But don’t think Ram Gopal Verma dark and shady- Mishra manages to make a dark plot stylish as well. It’s a Delhi based movie and the last one I saw (No One Killed Jessica) left my mother struggling to believe curse words had become “normal”. Yeh Saali Zindagi has its own liberal share of curse words as well. With the kind of characters in the movie, it probably would have looked weird if they talked in Gulzar Hindi in the first place.

Calling Chitrangada Singh only the love interest in the film would probably be wrong, but you watch and you decide. With the amount of plots, sub plots and maybe sub sub plots as well, you tend to lose track once in a while but Mishra’s films are seldom no-brainers and you need to be alert for Yeh Saali Zindagi as well. I wish the movie was either a little more tightly edited or the characters defined more. Still would like to know what Irrfan Khan’s business was in Yeh Saali Zindagi. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Who is Salt?

Salt

Reviewed by Sab Khan

Jolie – akin to all her movies –  has portrayed a multi-dimensional character in the movie Salt. The first observation you make about this thriller is, “Who is Salt?” This rocking action-thriller with a complete cohesiveness of suspense and mystery won’t let your thoughts roam about even for a split second. Although the plot is not so very well-built in any way (rather there are a few very silly notions), but the action of Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is so eye-catching and heart throbbing that it will not give you the time to ponder upon the basic plot.

This has now become an open secret to all that the director of the movie (Phillip Noyce) sought to cast Tom Cruise in the role of “Salt”, but when Cruise found no novelty in the role (given MI and MI ii), he did not accept the offer. But I must say that this was a blessing in disguise for Noyce because the movie wouldn’t be the same unless a gorgeous beauty-with-brains like Jolie wouldn’t be climbing the building with her bare feet.

The movie begins with an allegation against Salt that she is a Russian spy. She is persistent in refusing the accusation but it seems like her bosses Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Winter (Liev Schreiber) don’t believe her. On the other hand, her very beloved German-born husband Mike (August Diehl) is abducted and now she is off to find her hubby at any cost. Meanwhile, the evolution of the Russian spy angle continues. The constant switch over of Jolie’s character creates a delicious mystery and confusion in the mind of the audience. Is Salt a protagonist or an antagonist? Kurt Wimmer’s script is definitely appropriate and mitigating. “They took everything away from me” is the crux line to identify with Salt.

The movie is not a complete waste of time. If you are a movie-addict or Jolie’s die-hard fan, then it’s a must watch. It leaves you with satisfactory answers for all the questions which must have risen in your mind during this action drama of 100 minutes. 

Rating: 3/5.