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Reviews
Firefox (1982)
Forgettable movie!!
Clint Eastwood is one of my favorite actors, however as I watched this movie I began to realize that this is not his genre by any strech of imagination. Instead of Eastwood's usual confidence and swagger there was a constant confused look on Clint Eastwood's face like he was trying to keep pace with all the technology. Clint experimented in the spy genre in Eiger Sanction and in this one, both of which didn't do great àt the box office. I feel Harrison Ford might have suited better in this movie. As for as the plot, it seems ludicrous even for a 80s movie, not upto the usual standards of Eastwood movies.
Trap (2024)
Waste of 1 hour 45 minutes....
Night Shyamalan seems to be mooching off the respect he earned from "The Sixth sense". Ever since, his movies seem to be sinking to new lows. The music concert at the beginning of the movie was too long drawn. You were hoping something exciting to happen, never does. This movie just meanders on and never picks up the pace. Josh Hartnett was definitely a miscast in this role. He constantly had a constipated look throughout the movie, so wasn't just unconvincing but definitely grew more irritating. Throughout the movie Josh appears to be Houdini like, appearing and disappearing at will which after a while took believability out of the movie. The end was anti climatic and rounded off the disappointment of the viewer.
Turbo (2024)
Typical masla film !!
A masala film more associated with Tamil/Telugu movies, where logic left town in a hurry. The story and treatment is at least 15 years old, so the plot gets pretty much predictable. Fights are outlandish, seen in hundreds of movies, despite the villains getting beaten with a fire extinguisher, rifle butt, chain links or other weapons they keep bouncing back. Really !!!
Mammotty needs to pick more realistic storyline, as these type of movies don't do justice to the caliber of actor he is.
Coming to the villain. A scrawny bald guy with an anorexic personality, no matter how menacing he was made out to be, isn't very convincing.
Vysakh is quickly using up all the goodwill he had built with movies like Pulimurgan. He is turning out to be just another director out to make a quick buck at the expense of the viewer. If you expect to see something new in this movie, you will not find it here.
Mann (1999)
A Classic !!
Strange how the same story is received vastly different over time. In 1957 when "Affair to Remember" was released it was considered amongst the most romantic films of all time. Mann's story was made from that movie. Reading other reviews, people don't seem to be too impressed with the movie. My advise to future viewers, "Mann se dekho" to fully appreciate this movie. Songs are beautiful, dialogues heart rendering. Aamir Khan played his part to the hilt as no other actor could. Manisha Koirala was very pretty and she made you feel her pain. Anil Kapoor and Neeraj Vora were integral part of the story and they did justice to their respective roles. This is a movie to watch and remember as very few movies are made for the ages.
Hum Dono (1995)
Unimpressive !!!
Talk about a hodgepodge of a story and to make it worse a miscast of epic proportions. You have Nana Patekar playing the son, who is 5 years older than the father Alok Nath, and he looks it. Rumor has it that Raaj kumar 69 years old at that time was considered to play Nana Patekar role. Hilarious !! Next there is a visibly aging and overweight Rishi Kapoor courting Pooja Bhatt in her 20s which doesn't sit well with the viewer. The chemistry between Rishi Kapoor and Nana Patekar is jarring at best. This movie was made after 1992 Angaar and some of its influence, including the background music is visible. Comedy is forced, songs forgettable, dialogues are pedestrian at best. In short there is nothing, except serious boredom that will keep you watching this movie.
Welcome Back (2015)
Welcome Headache, goodbye entertainment
Comedy is not John Abraham's forte, for a good reason. He must steer clear of any comedy movies as he does not have any comic timing nor the expression to pull it off. Naseerudin who takes pride in his acting skills seems to be out of sorts. It looks like money was the deciding factor in accepting this garbage role. Shiney Ahuja was ridiculous in his stupid role. Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor weren't as funny as in the first edition. Dimple went unnoticed in this nondescript role. Shruti Hasan just added to the miscast. The new actress Ankita overacted to irritating levels. There was no mirth in the dialogues, so calling this a comedic movie would be a shame. This seems to be a hurriedly made movie without much thought only to encash on the popularity of the first edition "Welcome". This movie shows how to kill a promising series.
Bhaiyya Ji (2024)
Underwhelming movie !!!
This type of revenge stories has been viewed dozens of times since 80s, so nothing new. A power crazy Bahubali and his violent prone son doing harm to the hero's family member, awakening a retired Bahubali to avenge the wrong. This kind of movie is not suited to an actor of Manoj Bajpai's caliber. The slow motion single handed fighting effect, leaping great distance in a single bound seen in numerous Sunny Deol/Salman Khan or south indian type masala films. Usually the hero facing adversity, is isolated and supposedly weaker than the villain, you than have the thrill of a David vs Goliath battle. Here it seems the hero has lots of support from all around so he is by no means the proverbial underdog.
Talk about a miscast. The main villain looked like somebody's munimji close to retiring from his job. No personality whatsoever. There was no build up of his character either to portray his power, just the standard violence that comes with a gangster movie. So, it felt like you are in the middle of the story right from the beginning. Dialogues were pedestrian at best. In short, run of the mill masala film without the mainstream star cast.
Makan Ente Makan (1985)
Pointless movie !!
You wouldn't call this a movie that will be liked in today's time. Mammotty and Radhika are a happily married couple. Mammotty finds an abandoned baby in the train who he gets attached to and brings home. Due to misunderstandings and doubts instigated by wife's relatives, the couple separate. She is then convinced to get married to a rich guy who has ulterior motives. He sexually and physically abuses Radhika as revenge to have been rejected initially. Final straw is when he brings home a woman he is having affair with and beats and humiliates Radhika badly. Mammotty shows up beats him up and asks Radhika to be his wife again. Disjointed story where none of the actors get a chance to shine in their respective roles. Overall a limited and underwhelming story that seems to go nowhere.
Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka (1975)
Average 70s movie
Too many things were happening in a short time as if the Director was given a time limit to finish the movie. I believe Sholay movie shooting was running concurrently and time for this movie had to be squeezed in. Due to this the film feels emotionally disjointed. Leena Chandavarkar didn't have any kind of chemistry with Dharmendra. The songs were ok not memorable. Dharmendra was his dashing self, as he was in the 70s, but there wasn't much depth in the role so it felt one dimensional. Sharmila Tagore was ok not great as emotional aspect of the character was cut short. I always like Deven Verma, but his presence seems pointless as if he was an afterthought when casting the movie. Similarly the marriage arrangement between Sharmila and Ashok kumar felt weird on many levels. Then Ashok kumar was conveniently killed off. Last but not the least, when you cast Jagdish Raj, a known henchman of the 70s, as the main villain there isn't much more to say. Though this movie might not be of high standards, if you get overly nostalgic you could watch it. Just don't go in expecting too much.
Shaitaan (2024)
Not impressed !!!
The plot was a bit too convenient for me. Thrills were constantly being manufactured by showing the hero being overly helpless. This started getting predictable as the movie progressed on.
Dialogues were very basic especially from Mahadevan as if movie makers were trying to reach non hindi speaking audience.
My suspicion the reason why Mahadevan was left alive in the dungeon is to give way to a sequel where they will show him somehow escaping, improvising his mind control methods and starting all over again until he is killed finally. Why just make money from a single film when you can stretch the script and make two films. This is common ploy by movie makers these day.
If you consider yourself a matured and evolved viewer this movie will not impress you.
Dil Tera Aashiq (1993)
Unoriginal movie !!!
If you watch this movie hoping to see something different you would be disappointed. There are some elements of 1972 Parichay you could see in this movie. Madhuri was pretty and competently did her role/s. Salman khan seemed a mismatch as he looked young, immature and unconvincing in his role. It was apparent the makers didn't invest too much in the songs dept, as they were below par by any standards. Anupam Kher and Kader Khan were upto their usual tomfoolery so nothing new there either. Anyone in 90s going to watch this movie would have done due to the craze of Madhuri, the rest of the cast were there just for the ambiance. Safely skip this one.
Crimes Aaj Kal (2023)
Crime Patrol Redux
This series has brought back memories of the classic Crime patrol. The quality of acting is visible and dialogues even more impressive. I hope it doesn't end the way Crime Patrol did. The makers need to build on the goodwill they have earned with this series. The cases covered were more individual in nature, they need to expand it to social and national level crimes to increase the scope and to get a wider audience base. The good thing is that most of crime patrol veterans are seen in this series so we don't need to waste time getting familiar with most of the actors. I would go out on a limb and say this series in some episodes are better than Crime Patrol. It has a more sophisticated look to it. I eagerly await the second season.
Apurva (2023)
Poor man's NH10
The whole premise of the kidnapping was weak. Secondly, 3 comedians don't make great villainous characters. Rajpal Yadav with his diminutive stature and personality wasn't convincing as a bad guy. As for the rest of the gang, at any point they didn't seem threatening enough to overpower the victim. Dialogues were pedestrian at best. If you have seen NH10 you wouldn't be overly impressed with this version. Tara was no Anushka, you required a bit more mature personality to pull off this role. Some scenes were obviously manufactured just for thrills. There is a whole wilderness for the bad guys to search for their escaped victim, but inspite of not having any clue, they always seemed to be in the vicinity of the victim. They surely must have some kind of extra sensory perception. The frantic fiance always seemed to be a day late in his rescue attempt so was basically useless to the plot. The good thing about the movie is that the director knew the limitation of the script and the actors and didn't prolong it unnecessarily.
Sanak (2021)
Die Hard wannabe !!
Jackie Chan comes to India in this Indian version of Die Hard movie. The villain was small in stature, looked and sounded weak. Definitely a miscast. There were some good moments especially in the fight scenes, but scenes which requires some bonafide acting, Vidhyut as always is found wanting. You could see in the action department Vidhyut emulating Jackie Chan down to his frenzied expressions. The rest of the cast were just spectators on a roller coaster ride. If gymnastics and action is all you are looking for than this would be your movie. If you a bit more mature audience than you might find your interest waning as the movie progresses.
Chaalbaaz (1989)
Average entertainer !!
I watched Seeta aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz but found the former had a better flow to the story, better calibre of acting, songs were melodious. Over and above that you have the classic beauty of Hema malini. Sunny Deol was decent, while Rajnikanth's comedy was good in parts. The fights especially Sridevi 's did evolve since the 70s. Sridevi's acting though was a bit exaggerated and over the top. If you watched this movie in the 80s you wouldn't mind it, but if you are watching it in this century you might not appreciate it as much. Anupam Kher and Shakti had their moments of laughter. There was a scene where Anu Kapoor's dark hair was clearly seen peeking from underneath his white wig. The shot changed but the director did not bother to correct the error. The authenticity of the scene was totally compromised. There were other scenes where the disparity in the quality of direction was apparent between Ramesh Sippy and Pankaj Parashar. There is some entertainment value but don't expect too much.
Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout (2024)
An average investigative movie !!
Movie is let down by the acting calibre of the supporting cast. Loud reactions and overacting are the fallback of every average actor. This was abundantly evident as the movie progressed. Though the Directors tried to hide the possible murder suspect, but if you have watched enough Bollywood movies there are ample clues to zero in on the possible culprit. Manoj Bajpaye has his familiar eccentric style of acting, so you could say he was his efficient self. The direction and the narrative wasn't taut enough to keep the audience captivated. This is the kind of movie you could watch on a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon, where you have nowhere to go and nothing to watch.
Humjoli (1970)
No to this nostalgia !!
The brand of comedy employed in this movie is fine around the decade it was made, right now they would call it hamming or overacting. Even kids of this day and age would be rolling their eyes watching some of the over the top comedy. Story was stale and predictable. Growing up Mehmood was the king of comedy, but with time you outgrow his stereotypical physical comedy style of acting. The action sequences could be described as awkward at best, as was prevalent in the 60s movies. Jumping Jack was decent in his role, while Leena Chandavarkar was the required eye candy of the movie though she seemed rough at the edges. Pran was impressive in a patriarchal role. He carried the same personality in the 1972 "Parichay" too. Some of the evergreen songs were the only saving grace of the movie. My advice, this movie is best left in the memories of those who lived through that era.
Vandanam (1989)
Good movie that could have done lot better !!!
I am not sure what's Priyadarshan's obsession with sad/tragic ending. Most of the 90s and early 2000 he drags a perfectly happy ending into a sad ending. This ploy starts getting predictable after you watch half a dozen of his movies from that decade. This movie is no exception. A comedic, happy go lucky love story, for no foreseeable reason suddenly turns sad, which is irritating. Mohanlal looked energetic and convincing as a dedicated cop. Girija was decent as his love interest. Nedu mudi Venu played a different role as a crazed avenger and did well too. Jagathy as usual played an irritating buffoon. The movie was good, except for the ending. That's the reason why the movie didn't perform well when it was released in 89.
Crakk: Jeetega... Toh Jiyegaa (2024)
Mediocre!!
We could have done without the Gully boy act, which made Vidhyut's character look fake and sound phony. Vidhyut needs to pick scripts which does not require much acting, as that is his Achilles heel. He excels in the action & stunt dept and should stick to that. Amy Jackson and Nora Fatehi were just eye candies, picked solely for the glamour and attitude aspect. Arjun Rampal acting skill has always been mediocre and amply displayed it in this movie. He too was picked solely for looks. The Death Race scenario has been done to death in Hollywood, and in the Bollywood movie "Luck". For stunt junkies this movie would be perfect, for the more mature and discerning viewers not so much.
Rang Birangi (1983)
Non existent comedy !!
There was an attempt to re create comedy of Chupke Chupke but the magic was just not there. The plot was ridiculous with no witty dialogues to keep the audience entertained. The comedy seemed to be forced without the natural flow. Om Prakash, Utpal Dutt key characters in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's previous projects had nothing noteworthy to do except hamming it. The script was so weak that despite Amol Pakekar, Deven Verma, Farooq Shaikh, Parceen Babi & Deepti trying their best to raise the movie failed to generate any mirth. I wouldn't even call it mildly funny, just a bland set of scenes stitched together. Disappointing as Hrishikesh was one of my favorite directors in the light hearted movie genres. What a waste of time.
Manikyakallu (2011)
Age old story!!
An idealistic movie with shades of melodrama. Even though it fell short of being inspirational but still a worthwhile watch. Prithviraj traded his usual over the top acting for a more down to earth acting, which was a relief. The director did his best to give the movie a mainstream look rather than a art film about a school in a village. Attempts to edify Prithviraj at every given chance seemed cheesy at times. Samyukta played her part well with crisp dialogues to go with it. Jagathy did what he does best playing a negative character, not the villain. Nedumudi and Jagdeesh were decent comic reliefs. Salim for a change played a more serious character. The age old story has been told in many languages about a teacher who transforms a bunch of under performing students to winners. Good for a one time watch.
Road House (2024)
Outdated story !!!
Some movies/stories are best left in the 80s & 90s. This is one of them. Compound that with a total wrong casting which includes the main cast Jake Gyllehaal. He was no Patrick Swazye by a long shot. This was not his kind of genre, he just went through the motions to earn the pay cheque. Ryan Gosling could have done a little better as he has a natural quiet, unassuming personality which the audiences might have gone for. The rest of the cast were pedestrian at best, looks like they were grabbed off the street without an audition. No personality, no acting skills, no screen presence just filling in for screen time. The bad guy wasn't intimidating at all while his antics just irritated the hell out of you.
Jake giving out medical diagnosis while beating up a guy might seem cool the first time but when you keep repeating it through out the movie it gets tiring.
There was nothing new in the story to hold your attention for a few minutes; You can safely skip this one.
Fighter (2024)
Souless action flick !!
A Top Gun wannabe where Hritik slaps on way too much style and attitude, it looked like he was hamming it rather than acting. Bollywood movie makers still employ the old tactics of surrounding a bunch of sycophants around the hero, whose sole job is to constantly edify the hero and raise him on a pedestal. Hollywood phased it out in the 90s and early 2000, yet Bollywood persist to massage the hero's ego, instead of providing the audience with a realistic hero as shown in Uri. Anil Kapoor was decent with his down to earth attitude. The ubiquitous Deepika is found again in another mindless action flick reprising a similar type of role. Besides the action sequence there wasn't much to like about the movie, much less the story or acting.
Koode (2018)
Excellent film !!!
Rarely do I give an 8* for a film, but this one deserves it. A quiet love story with none of the loud boisterous dialogues or over the top fight scenes Prithviraj is usually associated with. This has all to do with genuine love. Nazriya Nazin was refreshing in her role as Prithviraj's sister, her cuteness injected life in the proceedings. Parvathy as Prithviraj love interest was very touching. When the Director make you feel the pain and love of the characters, that's when they succeed in truly reaching the audience. Well done Anjali Menon !! Hope you make more such great movies in your career !! The support cast played their role to the hilt. The ending too stirred at your heart. Recommend to watch this movie, especially when you feel melancholic.
Arappatta Kettiya Graamathil (1986)
OK movie
One thing about the 80s is that directors were not afraid to experiment with different types of stories, even if it ended up being a success or not. National recognition would be good enough even if it didn't translate into s commercial success. Today's legends of malyalam cinema were just starting off so they didn't have to worry about their star image either. This kind of movie would be unthinkable in today's time and even if it was released it would be considered an art film. Sukumari was in a non typical role as a brothel madam and did well in it. Mammotty unlike today, did not have lion share of the on screen time; it was equally shared by all the supporting actors. Basically a one dimensional book story surrounding a brothel and rescue of a girl from forced prostitution, stretched to 1 hr 45 minutes of movie time. Fight scenes were awkward like two drunks trying to wrestle with each other. The end was anti climatic. Though the movie won a few state awards it did not do well commercially as it did not have a mass appeal to it.