Ra.One: Brave and Almost Tolerable 5/10

Okay, If you are one of those who haven't seen the movie but are writing funny updates, crappy comments, are indulging in SRK bashing, please continue the same but would suggest you to watch the movie as well. Also, I am not at an SRK fan and believe that he should stick to his Rahul/Raj stints in KJo movies, but still its not AS BAD as you would have thought. It IS a bad movie with overdose of SuperSRKism all over, preaches throughout most length, runs amok all over, is not focused and is totally confused, bad acting, pathetic background score, is stuck in the 70s, tries very hard to make you laugh though is unsuccesful etc etc, BUT it is a very brave attempt and atleast on the technology front it doesn't disgrace us on an international platform. The movie had its soul in the right place, has a strong plot but honestly SRK screwed a 'could have been a decent' movie. Ignore the emotional drama, pathetic jokes and most importantly SRK himself, and you would be a bit less disappointed.

First and the foremost, Ii am not going to indulge in mindless criticism of the movie and would also discuss its positives as well, Yes Surprisingly the movie is not as bad as you would have heard and has some positives too.  Secondly, i must clarify that I had absolutely no plans to watch this movie, but was curious after reading soo many people criticizing it. It was as if it had become fashionable to criticize it suddenly (Just like it was fashionable to praise Salman after dabangg or to share Rajni Jokes), so i thought i must watch it to atleast make an informed call or atleast have a point of view that's mine rather than borrowed. 

The good part is that It is definitely a pretty decent attempt especially in the visual effects department. It is not comparable to the avatars of the world, but definitely is 'coming of age' for bollywood atleast in VFX part. When comparing with hollywood mainstream sci fi, you need to keep in mind that Avatar spend $250 million and Ra.One has spent less than 10% of the same and for that price, its definitely value for money. Though i do hope that SRK would have had a collaboration in hollywood for this project and had made a bigger hollywood movie rather than making it an 'Indian' movie. 

All of us are bashing it coz of its pathetic direction, SRK's over the top antics and boring narration, but may be we are making a very wrong assumption. May be the movie is ONLY about special effects, so that the VFX division of Red Chillies Entertainment, gets more business tomorrow. To ensure that every sci fi/action flick being planned in India, gives it business to them in the future given their quality of work in Ra.One. May be SRK didn't want to spend time/money/resources in making a work of art, but only show VFX prowess at this division. To me that's a successful attempt, in that case. 

Arjun Rampal is one of the meanest villains you would have seen in this decade in bollywood and absolutely rocks whenever he is on screen. Songs are catchy. (As already mentioned) Special Effects are definitely a plus given bollywood standards. Action and the overall production feel is at par with hollywood.

Now coming to the point, you all must be waiting for. The Bashing. The biggest problem with the movie is SRK himself. He just cannot get over his larger than life superstar image or get out of his Rahul/Raj comfort zone or even when he tries he just has his limitations as an actor, So even when he tries hard, it appears he is hamming. It seems as if he is always playing himself in every damn movie rather than being the 'character' and Ra.One is no different. Every scene he bends his knee, stretches his arm and you are like ''shit ya! not again, kya bakwaas hai'. You get irritated and the scene loses its relevance so you don't really bother about the movie. 

I heard SRK mentioning in an Interview, that he wanted to prove to hollywood that bollywood also is no less in terms of quality of movies and he wants bollywood to command some respect even on International front. I am afraid, that this does exactly the opposite for bollywood, I am sure most of you would already be aware of the numerous references to hollywood flicks. The Villain moves from a copy of Neo in Matrix to Darth Vader from Star Wars. Sticks to Pole like Spiderman, Saves like Batman, Enters and has a H.A.R.T like Iron man and so on and so forth. I'm sure hollywood biggies would be laughing their asses off, while watching these copy cat sequences. So What could have been a brave attempt suddenly looks like a cheap rip-off. Also, there is too much of emotional rona dhona, Mythological references, A robot developing the emotional connect and falling in love BS, which almost irritates you during the kick ass action sequences.

Overall: A Good Attempt gone bad due to overdose of SRK-ism and trying too hard to copy hollywood. But watchable for its coming of age (for Bollywood) Special Effects and Arjun Rampal's Darth Vader'ish villain act.

Feel-O-Meter: 5/10

Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster: Gareebon ki Omkara

First things first, Its not a bad movie, but it didn't do much for me atleast. It has its twists and turns but is predictable through most of its length. Dialogues are very good, Direction is okay okay, but not great acting, pathetic music+ background score, kinda slow narration made me not 'love it'. Infact, i was quite irritated with the resemblance to omkara, its like omkara's affordable remake.  Its a decent watch if you have spare time. But Nothing pathbreaking, Nothing new but not bad as well.

SBG revolves around an ex-nawab saheb (Jimmy) who has no money anymore and has to resort to petty government tender politics and killings. His wife (Mahie) is crazy (Though i'm not sure why. Whether its because of her husband has a mistress or her ex-lover was murdered earlier ! ) and survives through sudden bouts of outbursts full of hamming for no apparent reason. A Pseudo Gangster (Randeep) is sent by Saheb's enemy to give them his news so that he can be murdered. But he falls in love with the Biwi and has an affair with her. Some twists and turns later, The mistress is killed and saheb comes back to the biwi. Biwi is now suddenly alright and the gangster wants to kill the husband. Then comes the climax, two-three gunshots and Suddenly, the movie ends !!!

Let's talk about the good first. The Dialogues are amazing and the director also tries his hard to give that UP-ish look and feel to the setting. The actors are just about surviving their parts. The twists and turns are interesting and you seem to get a feeling that the movie is going somewhere in an interesting territory.

But that's where the goods end, You keep feeling something interesting would happen but doesn't. Repeat after Repeat of sex scene between the mistress and the saheb, biwi and the gangster. Since the actors fail to portray that passion onscreen, the sudden change of mind of biwi or the gangster's actually falling in love with the biwi is abrupt and you are like what!! really?? There are many 'WTF moments' especially when you realize that the enemy is not able to kill a single saheb with a body guard. So he had to rely on some outsider to provide him information !! Actors try too hard to look and act like pro-theater artists but Saheb is no omkara and Gangster is no Kesu Firangi. Songs are soooo bad that you can't tolerate even a single song for more than 10 seconds.

Overall, An Okay Okay Effort, suffers majorly from not great anything in the movie. Everywhere, its either average or below average. Can watch if you have nothing else to do this weekend.

Feel-O-Meter: 4/10

PS: I haven't seen the original Saheb, Biwi aur Ghulam so might have missed out something important. But still don't get it why some people were so gung-ho about it. Counter views welcomed

Mujhse Fraandship Karoge: Accept the Request

MFK is one of the most pleasant surprise that i've got amongst the movies released this year. I expected this movie to be one of those 'trying too hard to encash the youth appeal through facebook and trying too hard to be cool' kinda movies. But it is nothing close to that. Yes, Facebook provides the setting of the storyline but it doesn't seem forced. There is hardly anything that i didn't like the movie. It is definitely not cult/masterpiece material, but doesn't bore you throughout the length of the movie. It offers a light bubblegum romance packed with a youthful appeal, hummable music, good performances, fresh actors and not trying to be too preachy. Overall, a definite recommendation. Go and watch with your friends.

MFK is based in the facebook age in a college, where (predictably) the lead couple do not like each other in the beginning. They chat with each other online but as somebody else. They like the one they chat with but hate each other in real life. As expected in the end they realize they are actually in love with each other and live happily ever after types. Nothing new to offer on the plot front? Yes. But  the difference is in the 'treatment'. It has the same 'Wake up side' type youthful appeal, which doesn't let you get bored though the plot is as predictable as it could be.

As i said already, its not supposed to be a cult classic or a masterpiece material. What it offers is a very fresh way in which the the story has been told. The movie doesn't have breathtaking performances, amazing oneliners or path breaking narration, but it still connects with the audience, especially if you are under 30 and there is nothing which seems forceful.

No force feed of emotions, no sudden 'oh my god, poor guy/girl' moments, no preaching, no zabardasti ka rona dhona, no mushy mushy over the top romance, no double meaning dialogues. There are hardly any negatives that i could find overall. Both the lead actors do their bit with elan and it seems that you are actually one of their class mates and are living the movie. I'm sure they have a bright future ahead, only if some producers may have the balls to cast them in bigger movies/roles.

Music is refreshing, Songs are hummable, Direction crisp, Narration quick, Hardly any boring moments to allow you to go and grab a popcorn tub and coke. The best part is that the director does not lose any time in establishing characters, he just does everything quick and makes the overall pace of the movie pretty fast. The movie wraps up in under 2 hours and you don't walk out with a heavy head.

Overall: Nothing pathbreaking, but a light movie full of youthfulness and fresh appeal. A definite recommendation to watch with friends.

Feel-O-Meter: 8/10 (Yes, its EIGHT on TEN) ;)

Real Steel: Perfect Hollywood Masala

Imagine Wall-E's innocence, Rocky's will and courage, Transformers' Robots and Coolness, Pursuit of Happyness' Father Son Chemistry . Combine all this and you get Real Steel. Trust me, Without any exaggeration, Real Steel is this year's most promising masala flick. It has everything one could ask for. Awesome Background Score, Kick Ass Action Sequences, Love, Emotions, Coolness quotient, Sci-Fi, Cuteness everthing a masala hollywood movie could have. There was hardly anything you could complain about. Just forget everything that's going on in your life, Take the Kids along and immerse yourself in a roller coaster ride for 2 hours. Must Watch for purists and masala lovers alike.

Real Steel is set in not so distant future, where Robot Boxing is a popular sport. Hugh Jackman, an ex-boxer himself is a struggling promoter who one fine day finds out that his ex-wife is dead and he has a son. He has to keep the son with him for a month in exchange of 100 Gs. The kid is smarter than dad and they find an old Boxing robot and they start winning one fight after another which brings them closer. Well, the story is just a background, the soul of the movie actually lies in the adrenaline pumping-kick ass robot boxing matches.

Hugh jackman does well, but the son (Dakota Goyo) steals the cake. He is my pick of the lot as far as the performances go, though the role was more suited for a 15 something teenager rather than an 11 year old kid. In movies like this, it hardly matters. The only thing that matters is that the fighting sequences should pack a punch and in this case, they surely do. The sound track is full of Hip Hop thump and the Eminem Raps, and adds to the overall narrative and takes the boxing matches a notch higher. The cinematography is neat and the robots almost look absolutely mechanical and real like rather than computer generated. The direction and pace is fast and there are hardly any moments where you feel bored. 

Though there is some more than required dose of father-son relationship etc, but i guess you can't simply have robot boxing through out the length of the movie without having a 'story' in the middle or atleast in the background. Though you wait for the next fight but don't feel bored in between as well.

Overall: A Kick Ass Action-SciFi-Sports flick which sends your adrenaline up a few levels and leaves you wanting for more. Must Watch with friends or Kids. If you are a transformers' fan, I'm sure you'll love it more. 

Feel-O-Meter: 8/10

Love, Break ups, Zindagi: Bore, Headache and Death

Any Rom-Com's success is largely based upon two essential factors:1. The Awww, Funny, Cute, Lovey-Dovey 'moments' and 2. The Chemistry between the lead pair. LBZ fails on both and immensly. The movie is one of the most boring movies i have seen in a long time. Being more than 2 and a half hour long, its painfully looong. There are hardly any moments which excite you and you are left looking at your watch more often than the screen. The performances are one of the worst i have EVER seen.  The dialogues are so freakin cheesy that you feel like being trapped in a rat trap ! No sense of direction, as to what is happening, why it is happening and where is the movie going. The only saving grace is Salim Suleiman's Music. Absolute waste of time and resources. Download the songs and enjoy in your car. DO NOT WATCH even if paid a thousand bucks, rather send tickets to your frenemy :P

Let me clarify, I knew there is Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza in the movie and DESPITE that i went for the movie coz i thought of giving the poor guys a chance. A lot of people will not watch a movie because of the actors and last year Tum Mile (Emraan and Soha) was a pleasant surprise. I thought the same about LBZ after watching promos. They had nice songs playing in the background, some witty one liners by Cyrus sahukar, Dia Mirza looked kinda cute and i thought of giving it a shot. And Yes, It was a mistake. A BIIIG mistake. 

Though i am sure after reading through the first two paragraphs, you anyways won't watch the movie but still for formality's sake, the movie is about Zayed and Dia, who are dating different people. They meet at a wedding and realize they are not with the 'one'. The wedding is over, they separate, they meet again, realize their love and a sacrifice by the 'nice' boyfriend later, they live happily ever after. Anyways, there are tangential storylines as well, but i am sure you are not bothered. 

There is absolutely nothing in the movie that you take back. After an hour you are like what the f**k ya, Interval kyun nahi hua ab tak? There is a wedding happening in the movie, and there are bloody 10 people (max and including the extras) who are attending it. They are the only ones in every single bloody frame. Cheapness and Bhikhaaripanti ki haddh kar di. Cost cutting is one thing and bloody just not taking any people in the movie is other. Almost half the movie is shot in one bunglow with almost no cast. 

The Script is cliched and dialogues irritating. I mean, suddenly the hero says something to the girl and you reach for your shoe to be thrown at the screen. Trust me, a couple of times i actually went for my hair literally !! One of the most boring movies i have seen EVERR. The only saving grace for the movie is the music which is quite pleasing actually and though you might not want to purchase the CD, you may still download the songs online and listen for a week or so. Cyrus Sahukar tries his best to keep the movie's head above the water level and though gives a decent performance and IS funny in his sequences, but a oneliner every half hour ain't good enough.

Overall: An absolute No-No. Do not watch even if you get free passes. Send tickets to your frenemy and Enjoy watching HBO instead. 

Feel-O-Meter: 2/10 (1.5 for the Music, 0.5 for Cyrus, Zero for the movie)

Fact of Life: A Miss Walks the Isle and becomes a Missile.

If you actually think of it, Ram was among the first HEAD-hunters of the world ! #Happy Dussehra

Kuch Na Kar paane ki Frustration aur Bahot Kuch Karna Chahne ki Motivation ka ajab sa suroor chaa raha hai..
Growth De-Growth ka pata nahi, but career gaddhe mein zaroor ja raha hai..