KungFu Panda

Re-viewed By Dark Defender.
In February 2008, when Steven Spielberg decided to withdraw as the artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics, he wouldn't have thought of the repercussions on his then forthcoming release, KungFu Panda. Ironically, Spielberg had managed to upset the very founders of the martial art which his movie was going to be based on. China called for a boycott of the film and it looked as if the movie was heading for a slow start.

KungFu Panda, though, has surprised one and all with it's humour and universal appeal to people of all ages.

Po (Jack Black) is a clumsy panda who always dreamed of meeting the furious five-the masters at Po’s favorite pastime - KungFu. In a twist of events he gets chosen as the dragon warrior, the only person who can defeat the terrifying Tai Lung (Ian McShane) who escapes from the highest secured prison. The rest of the story is about how Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) goes about training Po in order to become a master in KungFu and help him fulfill his destiny.

Other than the obvious positives like amazing animation by DreamWorks, superb storyline, mind blowing screenplay and superb background music, the reason why the movie is such a huge hit could well become "a classic" is its appeal for people of all ages. Some parts make an 8-year old and 60-year old laugh, thereby clearly bridging the divide of age.

The slow motion animation in this particular movie was put to superb use, making sure that every time it was used we break into splits of laughter. Even though the protagonist is a panda, the emotions are depicted so beautifully in the movie that one might feel an immediate connection with him.

In my opinion, it’s a must watch for anyone who is ready to let go of logic, wants to watch some awesome animation or just to have fun.

EYE CATCHER:
The scene involving Po’s training where he fights his master for a piece of chow with chopsticks.

WATCH OUT FOR:
Try as I may, am drawing a blank for this section. You guys feel anything is wrong with this movie do let me know.

IMDB RATING: 8 ON 10

You’re hot then you’re cold..

A review of vinnaithaandi varuvaaya By Moondust.

          

The song you’re hot then you’re cold by Katy Perry would probably describe Trisha best in this movie. The story is about a fickle minded girl, Jessie(Trisha), who doesn’t know what she wants in life but what she does know is, she doesn’t want to go against her parents’ wishes; and a straightforward guy, Karthik(Silambarasan) who does everything in his capabilities to make sure he gets what he wants.  This is a very realistic and a modern take on a relationship between two people, not like movies where love is over dramatized and made into something totally unbelievable. The dialogues weren’t over the top, the ‘family sentiment’ wasn’t overplayed and never once did I find myself thinking during the movie –‘does that ever happen in real life?!’ Although, one thing that director Gautham Menon seems to have forgotten is that too much of talking in the movie can make people go to sleep, however good the dialogues are, especially since this movie goes on for about 160 minutes unlike all other dialogue-filled films.

                In my opinion, VTV is a huge improvement over Vaaranam Aayiram. The movie has good acting (by both Trisha and Silambarasan, which is very surprising to say the least), great cinematography, mellifluent music complemented by good visuals and not to forget, good comedic support by Ganesh (Karthik’s friend) and K.S.Ravikumar.

                The movie is about how Jessie and Karthik fall in love, with great reluctance from Jessie who is pessimistic about the success of their relationship in fear of her parents’ opposition; and how after they do fall in love, they face problems in concurrence to Jessie’s fears and struggle to get past them. The movie does have its highs and lows and hence this makes it a good one time watch.

My Rating: 7.5/10

The day that never comes

A review of The Hurt Locker By Moondust.
The hurt locker, a movie that has been nominated for 9 Oscars this year is a treat for all the Counter Strike fans out there. The movie is based on the life of 3 people on war zone at Iraq – SSG William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Spc. Owen Elridge (Brian Geraghty); the trio is part of a team that defuses bombs that get planted unpredictably throughout the territory. James is the tech. team leader who thrives on the adrenaline rush he gets while disarming bombs whereas Sanborn is in-charge of the support team, one who prioritizes his team’s survival over the success of his mission and Elridge is a dedicated soldier who becomes jaded after the death of James’ predecessor.

                At first, James and Sanborn clash due to their opposing methods and ideas, with James acting instinctively and Sanborn working by the books. As the movie progresses, the director Kathryn Bigelow skilfully shows how their antagonistic relationship morphs into one with camaraderie, thus justifying her Oscar nomination.  The cinematography throughout the movie has been breathtaking, and has complimented the story so well that this is one of the key reasons why the movie had me on the edge of my seat.  But for an action movie, this movie is on the slower side.

                This flick tells a lot to the people, not only about how crazy war zone can get and how paranoid it can make the soldiers working there, it also makes us realize how fleeting life is. To quote Elridge- ‘One minute he’s there and then he isn’t!’  In the beginning, one may think that James is nothing but a reckless individual who cares more about his success than anything else, but one’s opinion is sure to change as he is revealed to be a compassionate person whose desire to help people is what fuels him to put his life on the line as he defuses bombs. James has been portrayed exquisitely by Renner and the same can be said for Mackie and Geraghty with respect to their own characters.

The movie opens with the saying that war is a drug and this holds on true till the end. This is a must watch for all the war movie buffs out there, and for those who aren’t, this is a great start!

My Rating: 8.2/10

Dark Defender's Rating: 9/10

PS: I think the song – the day that never comes by Metallica is perfect for this movie, do watch the movie and let me know what you think!

  

OSCAR WATCH


Nominated for:

• ·    Best Achievement in Cinematography
• ·    Best Achievement in Directing
• ·    Best Achievement in Editing
• ·    Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
• ·    Best Achievement in Sound
• ·    Best Achievement in Sound Editing
• ·    Best Motion Picture of the Year
• ·    Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
• ·    Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen