The legend ends. The legend ends, magnificently. The third and final installment of the Batman franchise masterminded by Christopher Nolan lives to its expectation. Nolan needs no proving further that he has one of the best minds when it comes to directing a movie. That said, i was tricked by him, again.
No worries, i won't be spoiling this movie here- because you have to watch it yourself. This movie sets of eight years after The Dark Knight ends. As Bane is villain, Bruce Wayne/Batman struggles to protect and save Gotham City from Bane as he brings unimaginable chaos, leading to a war of great magnitude- one of the best in the cinema. At nearly two hours and forty five minutes, this movie is long and lots of developments are being done throughout to rise to an amazing climax.
One of the greatest assemble of cast. I always like Bale as the Batman- and i think he is one of the best among all other Batman movies. Anne H who plays Selina Kyle is a good addition to the movie and her character does push plot. M Caine and Gary O who plays Alfred and Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Dr Fox, Marion C as Miranda, Joseph GL as Blake and definitely Tom Hardy as Bane show top-notch performances. Each character, given the movie length, was well developed and explored. The score and music by Hans Zimmer, as good as always.
Some scenes are mind-blowing like the collapsing of the field and the bridges. Element of suspense is surely present, keeping me on the edge of my seat. I felt the ZOMG factor at its climax. The missiles chasing after the Bat in the air, the awesome bike that can change direction so awesomely. Just how the movie fits its puzzles so perfectly is brilliant- so good that it kept me and my friends thinking even after the movie. We kept thinking on how this and how that, the twists, and the special effects of the scenes. Surely, Nolan concluded his spin of this Batman saga brilliantly.
There is nothing much i would want to add because i do not want to risk spoiling this movie. The title of this movie got me to think, why 'rises'? After the movie, i got what it means. It would be better if you have watched the Batman Begins and TDK as some references were made from the earlier two installments. Nevertheless, if not, watch it and be thoroughly entertained.
This TDKR has definitely put DC Comic movies back in the forefront. If the other superheroes of this DC universe is made on such level, or combined, it would certainly give Marvel a run for their money! A great cinematic experience felt and definitely a must-watch.
My rating: 8.8 / 10
Year: 2012
Genre: Drama, action, thriller
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
The trio is back with the fourth installment- or no? Ice Age 4 revisits Manny, Diego and Sid in an all new adventure with a geological flavour of event- the Continental Drift happening before their very eyes, comically caused by the ever-pursuing Scrat over the acorn. As years have passed, Peaches (Manny and Ellie's daughter mammoth) grows up into a young teen, Sid welcomes his family especially his grandma and Diego finds love in their quest. The Earth plates begin to move, resulting in the trio being separated from the rest of their community. Soon, they face pirates and must work together to survive and reunite with their loved ones. That's about it. Simple, direct and somewhat formulaic.
That's what Ice Age has been doing and the third (Dawn of the Dinosaur) paid well of as it becomes my favourite of this franchise. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the movie- how the Earth or land splits and moves with the graphics a wonder to watch and the hilarious scenes like the trio going through a storm. The ending falls rather flat and short. Unlike the Dawn of the Dinosaur (yes, i'm comparing with the third but i shouldn't), i didn't get the suspense and thrill when watching the climax of events. No doubt, this movie has everything done neat and clean but i personally did not find it memorable.
The characters remain an interesting herd to watch. Manny continues to be grumpy but apart from that, now he becomes a father figure. Sid's craziness and wackiness is one of the strongest points of the show, or franchise to be exact. He never stops to entertain with his awkwardness. And Diego, i guess every man would relate to him- being masculine and tough yet soft on the inside. Peaches and Louis cute friendship. Again, that's just it. I found this movie to lack characterization in the other characters. The granny introduced was a nice addition but sometimes, i find her to be a tad too annoying. The pirates were just pirates playing their roles as villains but nothing further.
This movie is ok may be because i had a high expectation of this movie since the third installment. Hopefully this is not the last of the Ice Age franchise because i am not thoroughly satisfied with an ending as such. Much said, it is still a good watch for a family outing because apart from the comical scenes and adventure, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift does have some values to learn and reminds you that you have each other.
My ratings: 6.8 / 10
Year: 2012
Genre: Animation, adventure
You'll like this if you like: animation, Ice Age franchise.
That's what Ice Age has been doing and the third (Dawn of the Dinosaur) paid well of as it becomes my favourite of this franchise. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the movie- how the Earth or land splits and moves with the graphics a wonder to watch and the hilarious scenes like the trio going through a storm. The ending falls rather flat and short. Unlike the Dawn of the Dinosaur (yes, i'm comparing with the third but i shouldn't), i didn't get the suspense and thrill when watching the climax of events. No doubt, this movie has everything done neat and clean but i personally did not find it memorable.
The characters remain an interesting herd to watch. Manny continues to be grumpy but apart from that, now he becomes a father figure. Sid's craziness and wackiness is one of the strongest points of the show, or franchise to be exact. He never stops to entertain with his awkwardness. And Diego, i guess every man would relate to him- being masculine and tough yet soft on the inside. Peaches and Louis cute friendship. Again, that's just it. I found this movie to lack characterization in the other characters. The granny introduced was a nice addition but sometimes, i find her to be a tad too annoying. The pirates were just pirates playing their roles as villains but nothing further.
This movie is ok may be because i had a high expectation of this movie since the third installment. Hopefully this is not the last of the Ice Age franchise because i am not thoroughly satisfied with an ending as such. Much said, it is still a good watch for a family outing because apart from the comical scenes and adventure, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift does have some values to learn and reminds you that you have each other.
My ratings: 6.8 / 10
Year: 2012
Genre: Animation, adventure
You'll like this if you like: animation, Ice Age franchise.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
A Dolphin's Tale
If there is one word to describe this movie, it's inspirational! The characters display great emotional depth with well developed story line. The link between Winter, the real life dolphin who suffers a damage and eventually removes the tail, and Sawyer's cousin, Kyle, who is injured during his time in the marines, is touching and uplifting simultaneously. The bond shared by Winter and Sawyer (who is, at the beginning of the movie, a reserved and almost friendless boy) is what every kid would want; the close bonding between Sawyer and Kyle shows that 'Family is Forever', and the friendship developed by Sawyer and Hazel is one to adore.
Struggling to keep up with the financial of the aquarium, at the same time helping Winter to swim normally again, sold this movie like none other, apart from the nicely done effects. Scenes that leave lasting impacts include when another handicapped child travels for hours just to visit Winter (how Winter inspires the many lives of human beings), and Sawyer and later Dr McCarthy's comments on Kyle's selfishness. Of course, great job to the cast for delivering an honest, believable and true performance. If the entire length of the movie is heart-warming enough, wait until the video clips of Winter at the end of the show- you will smile because you cannot cry.
I may be biased in this review, in such that i am passionate about the marine life- definitely, to swim with the dolphin, or Winter herself, is a reward. But putting that aside, this movie is one to watch, worth watching and worth remembering. I believe the rich values of this movie will propagate with great length- never give up! I felt uplifted after the movie, and i'm sure you will too.
Year: 2011
My ratings: 8.0 / 10
Genre: Drama, animal
You'll like this if you like: We Bought A Zoo, animals
Struggling to keep up with the financial of the aquarium, at the same time helping Winter to swim normally again, sold this movie like none other, apart from the nicely done effects. Scenes that leave lasting impacts include when another handicapped child travels for hours just to visit Winter (how Winter inspires the many lives of human beings), and Sawyer and later Dr McCarthy's comments on Kyle's selfishness. Of course, great job to the cast for delivering an honest, believable and true performance. If the entire length of the movie is heart-warming enough, wait until the video clips of Winter at the end of the show- you will smile because you cannot cry.
I may be biased in this review, in such that i am passionate about the marine life- definitely, to swim with the dolphin, or Winter herself, is a reward. But putting that aside, this movie is one to watch, worth watching and worth remembering. I believe the rich values of this movie will propagate with great length- never give up! I felt uplifted after the movie, and i'm sure you will too.
Year: 2011
My ratings: 8.0 / 10
Genre: Drama, animal
You'll like this if you like: We Bought A Zoo, animals
Friday, July 13, 2012
The Amazing Spiderman
When i first saw the trailer of this movie last year, i thought- another Spiderman movie?, and again earlier this year- seriously, another Spiderman move?. In all honesty, i was not compelled to watch the movie- may be it was the trailer or that thought of how far can a Spiderman movie be different than the one produced about a decade ago? How 'amazing' can it be, as its title suggests?
After going against the odds, i came out from the movie very pleased. In fact, i enjoyed the move thoroughly and felt very entertained. And i finally understood the word 'amazing' in the title- because it is really, pretty amazing!
It is not one of those movies with excessive ZOMG factor, for sure. The movie is amazingly captured with great use of CGI. The first half of the movie explores the dark side of Peter Parker's family history in a fairly comical manner. I got to know about Peter's father, which was not much explained in the previous trilogy and i don't exactly read the comics.Then there is his high school stories of his love. The next half of the movie was gripping and fast-paced, with well angled shots to make you feel like swinging from building to building and climbing up towers- i watched it in 2D and i could still feel the height! This part of the movie focuses on the transformation of Dr Connors as the Lizard, the villain of this movie, who happens to be Peter's father's working partner. His wish to regenerate his arm goes awry, leading him to produce a biological threat that forces Spiderman to a race to save the people in the city.
As i said, i was entertained. The movie was light hearted, like watching The Captain America, with brilliant cast. Andrew G performs magnificently as Peter Parker, to a certain extent, i felt him outshine Tobey M. He fits the character well. I enjoyed the scene where he first discovers of his special ability, particularly with the flipping of his skateboard. Much credits to Emma Stone, Sally Field, Martin Sheen and Rhys I, and director Marc Webb for taking the risk of rebooting this franchise. Watch out for Stan Lee in a show-stopper scene. Flash, played by Chris, gives me the feeling of a sequel where he will be featured in a bigger role- like Jacob in Twilight.
Give this Spiderman a try. For a two-hour movie, this movie does not fall short and does not feel long. And a sequel is pretty likely- stay for the post-credit (duh! almost all Marvel movies has this).
I have to say this one more time: The Amazing Spiderman is amazing.
Year: 2012
My ratings: 8.2 / 10
Genre: Action, drama, sci-fi
You'll like this if you like: Spiderman, The Captain America
After going against the odds, i came out from the movie very pleased. In fact, i enjoyed the move thoroughly and felt very entertained. And i finally understood the word 'amazing' in the title- because it is really, pretty amazing!
It is not one of those movies with excessive ZOMG factor, for sure. The movie is amazingly captured with great use of CGI. The first half of the movie explores the dark side of Peter Parker's family history in a fairly comical manner. I got to know about Peter's father, which was not much explained in the previous trilogy and i don't exactly read the comics.Then there is his high school stories of his love. The next half of the movie was gripping and fast-paced, with well angled shots to make you feel like swinging from building to building and climbing up towers- i watched it in 2D and i could still feel the height! This part of the movie focuses on the transformation of Dr Connors as the Lizard, the villain of this movie, who happens to be Peter's father's working partner. His wish to regenerate his arm goes awry, leading him to produce a biological threat that forces Spiderman to a race to save the people in the city.
As i said, i was entertained. The movie was light hearted, like watching The Captain America, with brilliant cast. Andrew G performs magnificently as Peter Parker, to a certain extent, i felt him outshine Tobey M. He fits the character well. I enjoyed the scene where he first discovers of his special ability, particularly with the flipping of his skateboard. Much credits to Emma Stone, Sally Field, Martin Sheen and Rhys I, and director Marc Webb for taking the risk of rebooting this franchise. Watch out for Stan Lee in a show-stopper scene. Flash, played by Chris, gives me the feeling of a sequel where he will be featured in a bigger role- like Jacob in Twilight.
Give this Spiderman a try. For a two-hour movie, this movie does not fall short and does not feel long. And a sequel is pretty likely- stay for the post-credit (duh! almost all Marvel movies has this).
I have to say this one more time: The Amazing Spiderman is amazing.
Year: 2012
My ratings: 8.2 / 10
Genre: Action, drama, sci-fi
You'll like this if you like: Spiderman, The Captain America
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