Ant-Man

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly(Hope),Michael Douglas(Hank Pynn),Corey Stoll(Darren),Michael Peña(Louis),Tip "T.I." Harris(Dave),David Dastmalchian(Kurt), Anthony Mackie(Falcon), Bobby Cannavale(Paxton) and Judy Greer(Lang's Ex-Wife)
Director: Peyton Reed
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure



A perfect entertainer for a weekend. Another creative addition to the pack of Marvel super heroes!




You may look forward to:

• Paul Rudd is the star of the movie. A not so known face who shot to recognition. His character doesn't speak class unlike 'Iron Man' or 'Captain America', but he has his own notorious charm. His suit may feel funny at once, but he does manage to pull off the role and never falls short in entertaining you :)
• I have always loved Evangeline Lilly. She always appears in bold roles. She has certain elegance which sets her apart. You can enjoy her in two different looks here like never seen before corporate someone and then the rock solid action avatar that of which is more familiar :)
• Michael Douglas is amazing as scientist 'Doctor Pynn'. He is one of the key personalities of this movie and i loved watching him
• Corey Stoll is a perfect villain. Alas! he had to die, but i wish he comes back. His personality as a villain in unmatched :)
• Michael Peña,Tip "T.I." Harris and David Dastmalchian constitutes the pack aiding 'Ant-Man'. Commendable support!
• Anthony Mackie, Bobby Cannavale and Judy Greer have brief appearances worth a mention
• Peyton Reed gives you a fresh package of entertainer with 'Ant-Man'. One movie you can enjoy with you entire family. This movie is less violent, more humorous and much less serious than other movies under Marvel series

What you can sleep over:

The advertisement of something like 'ANT-Man' before its launch seriously sounded funny to me, i had very less hopes from the movie. But do not let the trailer bog you down. You can have a good pass time watching it

The dampeners you should be aware of:

Do not expect much. This is a light headed flick. There is no hard hitting complex or world threatening story line. Its not a hard core male flick, but a family entertainer





My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Mr. Holmes

Cast: Ian McKellen,Laura Linney(Mrs. Munro),Milo Parker(Roger),Hattie Morahan(Ann Kelmot) and Hiroyuki Sanada(Matsuda Umezaki)
Director: Bill Condon
Genre: Drama, Mystery



You will enjoy this movie, provided you go with the right expectations. Not a young and vibrant Sherlock Holmes here solving cases :)



You may look forward to:

• Ian McKellen is an amazing actor. One for his age, an absolute genius. The efficacy with which he plays Mr. Holmes past retirement, makes him feel very real, nothing like a fictional character :) All due respects for an actor like Ian McKellen whom we have always loved on big screens :)
• The story of the movie is very carefully woven. Bill Condon takes special care in maintaining the curiosity in the flick as you are watching an otherwise non Sherlock centric Holmes. Amidst beautiful country side locations and a quiet life, he creates the magic of defining each and every role with his own time, unraveling slowly through the movie, keeping the essence of simplicity intact
• Laura Linney and Milo Parker, are lovely mother and son duo. Again kept very simple and subtle, they make up for the most important supporting characters of the movie
• Hattie Morahan and Hiroyuki Sanada, appear in bits and parts as part of Mr. Holmes tattered memories. Their respective roles create mysteries on different level
• I personally liked the conclusion. All the mysteries and happenings are beautifully put together as a defining moment for the character of Sherlock Holmes. You may choose to identify 3 cases in this one film. The unsolved case which took to his retirement, the mystery behind a lost father, a non criminal case solved at the end of the movie; as well the reason to his confinement in solitude and never marrying. Subtlety at its best!

What you can sleep over:

Slow pace of the film. The trailer never suggests any rush either

The dampeners you should be aware of:

Not for all audience. Strictly for those who do admire quality film making beyond weekend entertainment. If you are going for a weekend pass time, you are calling in boredom





My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Baahubali: The Beginning

Cast: Prabhas,Rana Daggubati,Tamannaah,Anushka Shetty(Devasena),Ramya Krishnan(Sivagami), Sathyaraj(Kattapa), Nassar(Bijjaldeva), Rohini(Sanga) and Sudeep(Aslam Khan)
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Genre: Period Drama, War, Adventure



One movie worth its hype. For all who are still wondering, must show up in the theaters :)




You may look forward to:

• What makes this movie worth a watch, are its real creditors: Director and Cinematographer. Splendid job done by both of them. Each and every frame is grand and spectacular in its own essence. Powerful rendition of the story. A story like an adventure tale from  childhood platformed on larger than life like sets, using competitive quality CGI, makes it every inch a theatrical watch. Downloading this one wont do a justice to its makers
• Prabhas and Rana Daggubati are equally competitive and very well fit into the respective roles given. The bad King doesn't look any bit less than the super hero equivalent lead.Though the number of songs credited to Daggubati is less compared to Prabhas :P Both of them look equally powerful and charismatic
• Supporting roles in movies today are equally strong. Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan and Sathyaraj are defining characters of the film
• Nassar and Rohini are amongst more mentionable supporting roles
• Hindi dub and music, both were of pretty acceptable quality. They don't look absolutely out of place, rather blends in pretty comfortably
• Thankfully there were not many typical filmy styling on the actors, nor many human flying in the air and over dramatic scenes(Barring that one scene of lifting the shiv ling :P), which spells a lot of quality for the film, at par with the standards of quality film making. Most commendable of all being the war scenes, very much at par with the international standards

What you can sleep over:

• Tamannaah starts with a valuable footing. I felt happy that she gets meatier role in South Indian movies than in Bollywood. Alas! That stood true only until she met her reel hero. Once Prabhas takes over, her role stands redundant
• Yes, this movie looks like many Bollywood and Hollywood movies clubbed together in one. This movie reminds you of many random scenes and visuals from multiple other flicks

The dampeners you should be aware of:

• The length of the movie is exhaustive. I felt i watched two movies in one, and yet incomplete. The story before interval and past interval are the length of one movie each with completely different storylines. One could easily divide Part I and Part II of Bahubali in 4 parts, say: 'Bahubali-The beginning', 'Bahubali- The Rise of an emperor', 'Bahubali- Fall of an emperor', 'Bahubali- A revengeful conclusion' :P
• Sudeep has this small cameo which simply doesn't suit him. He looks more of Ranjnikanth in the get up of a Pathan, quite on the funnier side to be honest :)

My Rating: 4/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor,Harshaali Malhotra(Shahida), Nawazuddin Siddiqui,Om Puri(Molana),Sharat Saxena(Rasika's Father) and Meher Vij(Shahida's Mother)
Director: Kabir Khan
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Family



A perfect Eid release coming from Bollywood. This movie is built keeping various sentiments in mind, cant go wrong :)



You may look forward to:

• Undoubtedly Salman Khan. He plays a grounded personality with his marketed role as someone who being a staunch Hindu has an unbiased outlook towards humanity in general. He justifies the title of the movie
• Harshaali Malhotra is the female lead in my eyes. She dons innocense throughout on her absolute pretty face with extra cute smile. She speaks nothing but expresses very well, most of the humor in the movie owes to her
• Nawazuddin Siddiqui has a benchmark of his own. His mere appearance is enough to get him many applauds :) He takes over quite a bit of the plot on his shoulders in the 2nd half of the movie
• Om Puri is a pleasant cameo to the flick
• Good support worth a mention from Sharat Saxena and Meher Vij
• Music of the movie is decent, may not be chart busters, but are soothing numbers
• Certain aspects of the movie throws some light to the inner depth of the sentiments of local citizens of both the neighboring countries, Viz., India and Pakistan. It also attempts to highlight that its the politics which is the major culprit and not the people in general. People tend to follow as they are directed. A good attempt to heal some old wounds, i must say. Commendable!

What you can sleep over:

Kareena Kapoor. She is a place holder only for an adult female lead against Salman Khan. As usual, her content of the movie has nothing to talk about. Besides, she looks every inch a Muslim girl in that get up than a staunch Hindu! How stupid!




The dampeners you should be aware of:

Over sentimentalization. You can see glimpses of 'Rajarshi Productions' in this film. :D Everyone is just way too decent, including patrolling officers of India as well Pakistan on the borders. Pretty unrealistic, but i let it go, for one reason that they didn't goof up the rest of the story





My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Pitch Perfect 2

Cast: Anna Kendrick(Beca), Rebel Wilson(Fat Amy),Hailee Steinfeld(Emily), Brittany Snow(Chloe), Alexis Knapp(Stacie), Hana Mae Lee(Lilly), Ester Dean(Cynthia), Chrissie Fit(Flo), Kelley Jakle(Jessica), Shelley Regner(Ashley), Skylar Astin(Beca's Boy Fren), Adam DeVine(Fat Amy's Boy Fren),Anna Camp(Aubrey), Ben Platt(Emily's guy), Birgitte Hjort Sørensen(Sound Machine's Leader), Flula Borg(Sound Machine-Pieter), John Michael Higgins(Commentator), Elizabeth Banks(Commentator) and Keegan-Michael Key(Beca's Boss)
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Genre: Music, Drama, Comedy



If you are aware of the various international bands and artists, you will enjoy this musical drama, for a weekend entertainer!




You may look forward to:

• The major credits of the movie goes to its Director: Elizabeth Banks, for successfully having managed a huge star cast into one movie and spaced them adequately. She has created a movie which is by the face of it very feminine, yet all kind of audience can enjoy for the musical influence in it. She has roped in many singing stars and actual bands have multiple cameos in the film
• Most of your time simply flies in guessing around the many cameos and various songs which are very familiar, and have once been chart busters. It was even educative for me, as i was never aware of certain bands like that of an actual Indian-American band 'Penn Masala'
• There is a huge line of credits for the huge star cast of the movie. To begin with the core 'Bella's', they were a team in essence and well balanced out roles for each, with some personal angles and comedy
• The chosen few men in the movie viz. Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine and Ben Platt were good supports, though very limited roles to them but pretty much omnipresent :) 
• Birgitte Hjort Sørensen and Flula Borg are tough competitors to 'Bella'. Loved their appearances from 'Sound Machine' with some rough looks
• The other strong supporting characters were: John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks and Keegan-Michael Key. Fun to watch :)

What you can sleep over:

This is a straight away chick flick :) Sleep over it or chuck it :D




The dampeners you should be aware of:

The pace of the movie is pretty much in  a straight line. It doesn't engage the audience as much. You don't feel the disappointment of these many suspensions of 'Bella' from performing, nor do you feel the heat of it in their final performance, the last chance to prove themselves. A flat steady pace of the movie, minus many emotions leaves it a tad bit bore




My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Max

Cast: Carlos(Max), Josh Wiggins(Justin),Dejon LaQuake(Chuy),Mia Xitlali(Carmen), Thomas Haden Church(Father), Luke Kleintank(Tyler), Lauren Graham(Pamella) and Robbie Amell(Kyle)
Director: Boaz Yakin
Genre: Action,Crime, Adventure, Family



One off beat commercial movie, quality watch for entire family!



You may look forward to:

• The marvelous heroic dog 'Max', this movie is all about him. Perfectly trained dog with a wonderful story written for him. Wish dogs could relish its own marketing and stardom :)
• Story has a lot more to offer than just a boy-dog relationship. I was delighted to see the content of the movie along with steady growth in the relationship with the dog and his chosen master. There is drama, adventure, crime and entertainment
• Josh Wiggins the parallel hero to Max in the film. Commendable job by him, without him the story of 'Max' is incomplete
• Dejon LaQuake and Mia Xitlali are awesome supporting characters to the leads. Specially 'Chuy' who adds onto impromptu humor in the film :)
• Thomas Haden Church, Luke Kleintank and Lauren Graham, are good additional supports, though their roles are very limited

The dampeners you should be aware of:

Robbie Amell is the bad guy of the film. I didn't expect him to be defeated this easy, he is a trained marine after all, there could be so much more action added with such a strong protagonist




My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Inside Out

Cast: Amy Poehler(Joy),Phyllis Smith(Sadness), Bill Hader(Fear), Lewis Black(Anger), Mindy Kaling (Disgust), Richard Kind(Bing Bong) Kaitlyn Dias(Riley), Diane Lane(Riley's Mom) and Kyle MacLachlan(Riley's Dad)
Director: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family



A must watch for all genre of people provided you like animations :) For those who do not like animation movies, this one can be a good start :)



You may look forward to:

• The concept of the movie is very distinctive and very thoughtful. As the movie progresses, it gives a very different perspective towards how we see our lives. De-complicate every complicated thing. The story makes you think and as well refreshes you. Exactly what you need in your weekends. Best if you have kids to go along :)
• The major characters of 'Joy' and 'Sadness' has innovative interpretations as joy and sadness are always together through out the movie, no matter what. And also why are both the emotions equally important to balance out the differences
• All the other characters are mostly constituting the rest of the emotions in a person's head and how do they interact with each other, sounds fascinating and close to reality than just another story :)
• All the voices given by various artists for the humans and the emotions alike are worth appreciations

What you can sleep over:

3D is strictly ok, nothing specific to be excited about

 The dampeners you should be aware of:

There were certain sections which feels draggy, as in, the entire movie is spent in the journey back for 'Joy' and 'Sadness'. I waited for some more events and not the journey back to headquarters to be the only event in the film. Since you also want to see and feel how in different scenarios joy affects our mindset and makes us happy, while this story had joy most of the time away :(




My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Demonic

Cast: Dustin Milligan(John),Maria Bello(Elizabeth), Frank Grillo(Detective Mark), Cody Horn(Michelle), Scott Mechlowicz(Bryan), Megan Park(Jules) and Aaron Yoo(Donnie)

Director: Will Canon

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Doesn't really manage to scare. Thumbs down!



You may look forward to:

• Dustin Milligan is the only interesting and suspicious character in the movie, who helps holding the grip on the flick till the end
• Unlike all horror movies whose climaxes are just too predictable and cliche, this one has a startling end. And i believe that's the only part of the movie which is scary :)
• Scott Mechlowicz has part better role than the rest. He raises part suspicion until he lasts

What you can sleep over:

Maria Bello and Frank Grillo, as the people investigating the case; do a good job, alas! there is only so much they can do




The dampeners you should be aware of:

• Cody Horn, Megan Park and Aaron Yoo hardly have any role to play
• The story is very cliche, except for the end. The entire movie does not have enough spooky elements to scare you, nor any gory content showing any of the killings. Thrilling aspect is very limited which makes this movie overall a stale watch

  

My Rating: 2/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Terminator Genisys

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger,Emilia Clarke(Sarah), Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke(John), Lee Byung-hun (Shape shifting terminator) and Matt Smith(Skynet)
Director: Alan Taylor
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure, Thriller


Complete entertainment- action package, just the way you may expect!



You may look forward to:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger in two different flavors, need you ask more :)
• The movie throws at you a complicated story back and forth with enough action to keep you engaged throughout. Action scenes are balanced out, not over done neither under. Sci-Fi explanations are mostly an upkeep, as long as you want to apply your brains
• Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney, are the leads of the movie. I guess i should as well add 'Romance' as one of the genres for this film :) Hard core action apart, good chemistry and some funny moments between the two
• Jason Clarke is by far the most interesting character to watch out for, in the movie
• While Lee Byung-hun is the most interesting terminator in the film :)
• Matt Smith is another interesting personality born out of Artificial Intelligence, nothing new, but he adds onto the bandwagon of superficial characters in the movie :)

The dampeners you should be aware of:

There are certain instances which are not really explained scientifically, which is sort of a dampener, since this is not one of those movie which mandates you to leave your brains at home. 

For instance, it was never explained how is it possible to have the character of 'Kyle' physically represent in two different ages in the same time frame and even interacting with each other. You may surely travel time, but how can you exist duplex in your physical form

My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Insidious: Chapter 3

Cast: Lin Shaye(Elise),Stefanie Scott(Quinn), Dermot Mulroney(Sean), Angus Sampson(Tucker), Leigh Whannell(Specs) and Michael Reid MacKay(Evil spirit)
Director: Leigh Whannell
Genre: Horror



Movie is worth its first half only. Second half isn't happening enough!



You may look forward to:

• Stefanie Scott is definitely the girl to look out for. She is very pretty to begin with :) And also is the victim to be rescued. She is good :)
• Dermot Mulroney doesnt have a lot of role, yet he is an important factor in the movie
• Michael Reid MacKay is pretty scary, specially in its 1st half, he becomes redundant only in the 2nd half. Nevertheless, his role and make up are much appreciated
• First half of the movie has many creepy incidences, after long. One horror movie which feels worth a watch. Alas that stands true only until interval

What you can sleep over:

• Lin Shaye gives her best, but it doesn't really work. Her method of resolving ghostly matters are less scary and more funny, eventless and boring. Her role needs more than just wandering around and act less like a super hero
• Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell, adds on to some unwanted comedy in a horror flick. Though they do make you laugh here and there, but their overall characters dont really add any value

The dampeners you should be aware of:

Insidious series, like all its series so far is dull in its 2nd half majorly. After the entire build up around the movie, the climax is just not eye catchy enough. You can watch the entire second half of the movie with eyes wide open looking at the spirits and yet not get scared, even an iota of it. The thrilling factor is largely missing past interval

 My Rating: 2.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Entourage

Cast: Adrian Grenier(Chase),Kevin Connolly(Eric), Kevin Dillon(Johnny), Jerry Ferrara(Turtle), Jeremy Piven(Ari Gold) and Haley Joel Osment(Travis)
Director: Doug Ellin
Genre: Comedy, Drama


A slightly different class of comedy, perhaps not for all audience



You may look forward to:

• This flick is woven around Adrian Grenier, a Hollywood star who only dreams to get bigger. He takes the center stage, although he is not necessarily the main figure. I do not really remember him from many movies, nevertheless, he plays a classic character who is a star based on opportunities, all good credits to him for the portrayal :)
• This movie is basically about various characters, and their caricatures. Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Pivena nd Haley Joel Osment, all of them have equal stakes, each one of them have a distinct personality and parallel lives running. Where some of them are aimlessly wandering, while others only understand money

What you can sleep over:

It is a subtle comedy, most of the audience may find the story headed directionless, no build up, no climax. Mostly an uncertain experimental take. Go to watch it minus any commercial comedy expectations

The dampeners you should be aware of:

Some more detailed elements could be added to make the film look more inviting. A little more details about 'Johnny's' character could have added a lot of value. There was no prominent background of the character 'Turtle' either
When there is a movie which is all about the individual characters and low on script, the characters better be detailed, that's definitely missing largely in the movie




My Rating: 2.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Spy

Cast: Melissa McCarthy,Jason Statham, Rose Byrne(Ryna), Jude Law, Miranda Hart(Nancy), Bobby Cannavale(Luca), Peter Serafinowicz(Aldo) and Nargis Fakhri
Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Action



Light hearted weekend watch. Entertainment guaranteed :)



You may look forward to:

• Melissa McCarthy surely does pull the subject mostly on her shoulders. :) A crime comedy with action on an outlook like hers may put many into questionable position whether to go ahead and spend in watching the movie or not. But she certainly outstands expectations of the audience :)
• Jason Statham is crazy awesome. The many times he comes on screen, you just cant stop laughing. This one hard core action hero can perfectly pull comedy in the same skin as he appears in most of the movies. Thumbs Up!
• The story in every sense stands true to its genre, it has it all: Primarily a comedy movie blending fine with action-crime scenes, Paul Fieg does a cool job. Not setting any high expectations help the movie deliver to its credits
• Rose Byrne and Jude Law are prime supporting casts of the movie. Jude Law looks unbelievably old now :( He used to be such a handsome hunk in his youth. Nevertheless, both of them deliver to their roles with credibility
• Miranda Hart and Peter Serafinowicz, help fill up some more humor in their presence. I personally loved the role of Peter :P
• Bobby Cannavale and Nargis Fakhri, though not very strong villains, had decent enough roles. Wish Nargis had some dialogues also to her :D

What you can sleep over:

Some part of the movie may give you a feminine touch, may get you a feel of a girly film, but thankfully that's only restricted to a few scenes



The dampeners you should be aware of:
There are no major eye sores, it does the job of entertaining the audience which is its sole purpose :)

My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Any Body Can Dance 2

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Lauren Gottlieb(Olive), Punit Pathak(Vinod), Dharmesh Yelande(D), Raghav Juyal(Raghu) and Sushant Pujari(Vernon)
Director: Remo D'Souza
Genre: Dance



Very few sequels do better than prequel. This one is worth a watch.



You may look forward to:

• Inexplicably Varun Dhawan. He can give some serious competition to the established dancers in Bollywood. He gives one performance after another throughout the movie. This film is worth checking out for him
• Shraddha Kapoor unexpectedly does perform. Wont say she is the best fit amongst all the dancers, specially in the presence of Lauren. But, she never feels like a misfit either. She is not much of a solo performer, but she has the potential to stand amidst all the good dancers and not make a mockery of self. Kudos to the new bee in dance club :)
• Prabhu Deva has a much better role than the first one in its series. He makes you laugh, he as well turns evil for a while. He is the reason why the movie has a story. No doubts about his potential in Hip Hop  + Ranjni fusion performances, as aptly put by 'Varun Dhawan' in the movie :D
• Punit Pathak, Dharmesh Yelande, Raghav Juyal and Sushant Pujari are fab dancers as much from its first series, however there are some old faces missing and new faces which are added
• What is better about ABCD2 than its prequel, is that this one has a better storyline, the choreography is at par the standards and the 3D is awesome quality, you almost feel you are on the stage. Remo does a good job!

What you can sleep over:

• Lauren Gottlieb is not utilized to her potential. She looks more of an item girl than a good dancer
• I expected a few more things from Remo's film. Unlike ABCD prequel, this one doesn't have amazing costumes or theme dances or amazing light and stage. Remo has the potential to bring in innovative themes, you don't see much of it in this one
• Music of the movie is fine, mostly fits in, but could have been better

The dampeners you should be aware of:

• One aspect of Indian dance movies i just cannot assimilate is the Indianised music in which they do hip hop. It ain't fusion, its just either patriotic or religious. May be it works from business perspective for smaller cities, but it absolutely dampens the spirit of hip hop. Specially, when internationally staged, it just doesn't fit in
• The many other special effects, flying and jumping are out right unnatural, again dampens the spirit of dancers, though looks good on screen
• There are even concepts copied from various American dance movies, uncool!

My Rating: 3.5/5 (For the genre- Dance)

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding