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Reviews
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Disappointed
That's a very big Harry Potter fan for years I was eagerly awaiting this next installment in the franchise. I love the first movie but the next two movies have been such a let down. I didn't enjoy the second movie unlike most people, but at least it wasn't boring. This one was almost a snooze fest, with no real plot line, an awful script and meandering direction. The only good takeaway for me was Mads Mikkelsen as Grindelwald- he played the part well. I don't understand why Depp fans are spamming here just because he isn't in the role. What happened to him is sad, but pls don't take it out on the movie and evaluate it objectively! Mads is a far better Grindelwald than Depp, who is a good actor no doubt.
Jude Law was okay, but wasn't given much to work with. A lot of characters such as Credence are wasted here. Also, it seems JKR just used the same concept as the 7 Potters- just with suitcases. Yawn.
I have no issue with the casting, it was fine. I saw that JKR wrote the script, but maybe she's more of an author than a scriptwriter, and they could've gone with her story but with someone who could adapt it for the big screen.
If they do make a 4th movie, I hope they redeem themselves. I believe the focus should've been the magical creatures as originally intended, but with each movie, it moves away from the core subject. I believe they just made this movie for the sake of it.
The Batman (2022)
Surprisingly incredible!
This is the darkest Batman movie ever (so far)- even more so than the Joker. Overall, it's a great movie, even after all those iterations of the past. It's about the younger version of Batman, who is new to the role so you get to see a different kind of young Batman.
If it weren't for the long run time of 3 hrs, I would have given it 10 stars- its way too long and they could've cut at least 10 minutes from the film.
The casting is almost perfect - and they've all played their roles well enough. I didn't recognise Collin Ferrell (haha) so great makeup and costumes too. The cinematography is excellent, it plays well into the ultra dark theme and the macabre setting.
Most of all, I have to hand it to Robert Pattinson. The guy is a really good actor, even better than the ones who came before and his take on Batman is just so good. Especially because his Batman is the youngest of all - so he gets to play the insecurities, a little bit of näiveté, confusion, shock, horror and respect - the whole gamut. I loved his chemistry with Zoe too- hadn't expected that, and I love how his eyes show deep respect for her character in the movie. Great stuff.
Durgamati: The Myth (2020)
Awful
Bollywood needs to stop trying so hard - barring a few, most horror movies and action movies Bollywood gets out are terrible. They just blindly try to copy Hollywood- speaking in different languages, all the typical horror movements. Ugh. It looks so fake if you can't execute it.
This movie is not even a one time watch.
-Awful acting by everyone, including Bhumi
- Not scary at all
- same old Nari Shakti plot
- Get a tantrum/psychiatrist to deal with things crap
- Caricaturish body movements.
What a waste of my time.
Jalsa (2022)
Thoughtful but not the best
Good performances by both lead actresses. But I loved the child actors the most !
There's not much in the story, nor is there a message- for this I must cut some brownie points. However, not every movie has to have those things and this one is an introspection of bonds and life.
To be honest I did not find the movie to be very realistic, yet it's very touching at times. Trifle things such as the wealth the journalist has (they don't make this kind of money), the way too many coincidences (that don't happen in real life) and the overly convoluted police story. The director seemed like he was lost in the mêlée!
Nevertheless, the self introspective nature of the film and the performances carry it through.
Badhaai Do (2022)
Fun but unrealistic
If you're here for a fun time and a great script with not a dull moment, this movie is great. Performances are adequate too - enjoyed it thoroughly!
However, don't expect this to be path breaking - even the concept itself is repetitive and old. It's also unrealistic, most families in semi urban India will not support LGBTQ- that's the unfortunate truth. Even though this movie shows the family's opposition, some of them come around - this doesn't really happen. Even in cities, people discriminate. But yes, it is important to keep making films that deal with discrimination.
Good watch.
A Thursday (2022)
Predictable and similar, but important
This movie isn't great, but it's definitely better than the first movie A Wednesday. I always found the 1st movie somewhat overrated- the concept was nice and unexpected, but otherwise I didn't find the execution exceptional.
This one is the same concept- that of an ordinary person taking the law in their own hands because nothing gets done in India otherwise. So it's not surprising - and you figure out Yami's character was attacked in the past. I also guessed she hadn't killed the first kid Aakash, and when she let the maid go, I figured she kept the driver inside because he was one of the rapists (he was the rapist but that's not the point).
The fact that it's predictable doesn't take away much from the film though - I am just mentioning that because Indian audiences like the shock value.
Obviously, the main point is the movie's message about how women are treated and nothing gets done about it. But that has been rehashed several times in the last 10 years on celluloid- it's not exactly a new concept. Nevertheless, I liked the movie because it keeps carrying forward that legacy of reminding people about the plight of women in this country- yes "plight". It's not just about rape and crimes, it's also about misogyny and toxic masculinity.
Apart from that, the acting was okay throughout. Atul Kulkarni was great as always, but the rest were okay at best (Yami is gorgeous but okay in terms of her acting prowess).
On the whole, an above average movie by Indian standards (such movies got made in Hollywood long before, but there's no point in comparisons because we have a different culture and evolution as a country). I am not saying Indian movies are subpar, just that we seem to be aping the West in making such "thrillers with messages", but they're not exactly path breaking.
Worth one watch.
Inventing Anna (2022)
Awful - glorifies the criminal and blames the victim
What a terrible world we live in - one where criminals and *** are given admiration and respect, and real hard working people are villified. That's what this show is- just a defense of Anna and villifying Rachel and everyone else who became a victim. Sure the friends were dumb to trust someone like that, but it's ultimately their trust that was broken.
It's not just that - all the characters are terrible, except a few. Neff was honestly the most irritating character. The journalist was hard to like, with her unreal obsession. Not to mention, the show isn't authentic but highly dramatised and way over the top. Anna isn't some hifi criminal, most of her crimes aren't worthy of getting the attention they did. The only character I liked was Kacy.
Shonda show sucked, as did Bridgerton- load of trash to feed gen Z. At least Grey's was better than this.
Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (2022)
Fantastic one
I like how hard hitting this documentary, and that it covers all aspects of the case. Because it deals with people safety, it's even more essential that this got made - and everyone should watch it to become aware and prevent similar situations in the future.
Sing 2 (2021)
Surprisingly good
I rarely rate movies this high, let alone animated ones- especially with the number of animated movies coming out one after another. This one was special. I ddn't think it'd be as good as the first Sing movie, but it is. Obviously the sequel would be the same concept on a much bigger scale, yet the movie finds ways to surprise you and most of all, uplift you. Throughout the movie, I had a smile on my face and it made me feel good.
The characters were developed further and the animation was incredible. I really loved the whole concept of the space show, it would be a good musical even if it were real humans who did that show. Finally, I loved the soundtrack- especially how they chose popular songs for the right moments and how they symbolized more than what the original song did.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Overrated
Cinematically, this is a very run-of-the-mill movie and overrated.i do admire the sacrifice of veterans, but as a movie, it's not a very good one. Overly nationalistic, riddled with tropes, I ddn't find it realistic. The first half an hour, however, was excellent and I wish they could've maintained that. The plot is so weak, too- sending in so many soldiers to save one person isn't something that would've been done, especially on D Day. It was just okay overall.
Chhorii (2021)
Bad copy of Kali Khuhi
This movie isn't really scary and it's essentially the same as Kali Khuhi, just with more twists to engage the Indian audience. Actually, Kali Khuhi is a better movie- it is original and simple. This one meanders too much, more twists added for no reason- what's the need for showing 3 wives being murdered and then circling over the same thing again ? If they had kept it simple, then it would've felt the same as the other movie.
Bdw Kali Khuhi has lower ratings because people want to bash the Akhtar family for their opinions. FYI.
Midnight Mass (2021)
So gooood
A great horror series after a long, long time. It's very rare that I give anything 10 stars but this one deserves it. Recent horror series on streaming platforms have been okay at best, so I really hope they bring a season 2 for this one.
The build up is extremely slow, so be patient for the first couple of episodes. Once the story starts, it's great going. The characters are engaging and well written - I enjoyed the relationships portrayed and the sweet island backdrop. Love it!
Bhoot Police (2021)
Average
I think they tried but failed to execute it properly.
Issues:
- Same old genre that's been rehashed too many times since Stree
- Predictable storyline seen in many movies before
- Poor acting from most actors such as Jacqueline
- Literal copy of scenes from Hollywood horror movies - the spider walk, the weeds coming out of mouth, the puking green goo...do something original for once!
I only enjoyed the filler stuff such as the banter etc, which was also predictable but still good to watch because of the shooting locations.
Fractured (2019)
Too disappointing and predictable
I like the idea but the execution is terrible. Furthermore, this same idea has been used in many movies, so it's very predictable.
The worst thing is that the movie takes so many twists and turns & meanders so much, only to have the most disappointing and predictable end -that too which they already told during the course of the movie. I hate anti climaxes. No point wasting your time.
Scream (2015)
Can't say how horrible this show is..even my phone gave up
Bad acting, unrealistic plot, fake scenes...yikes.
Don't waste your time with this trashy teen drama.
Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020)
Overrated
Anything remotely realistic and Indians will overreact and give it 9+ stars- probably because our shows and movies were mediocre for so long.
This show is nowhere near 9 stars. Pratik Gandhi's acting was good, but nothing extraordinary. Being a Gujarati helps with the phrases, mannerisms etc.
Another flaw is that the show glorifies Harshad Mehta. No matter how many people were involved, he wasn't innocent. He should've gone to jail much before.
I also don't like how many of the locations they chose look like settings today- apart from overarching shots of 90s roads and Bombay, a lot of it looks fake. The offices shown in the show had computers in 1991! Computers weren't widely available in India back then. I could see modern lights in office ceilings, sun roofs in cars which were supposed to be old Fiat cars they are sitting in. People back then ddn't say "This is not done yaaa" That's the language of today's youth.
All this might seem trivial but it makes a big difference between authenticity and cinema. I guess this is all one can expect from Indian productions.
The Evil Dead (1981)
Yikes!
I understand how this might have been scary in 1981 but even back then, there were better horror movies like the Howling. I think this one is bad because it is directed and acted by amateurs, plus the spécial Effects are really bad- even by the standards of movies back then.
If you look at the Howling, they had a small budget too but still managed to pull of an ENTIRE werewolf transformation.
One time watch but forget about it.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The Devil made them make this movie
Awful, just awful. This movie is the worst movie of the entire Conjuring universe. The screenplay puts you to sleep, and there's not much horror in it. The few jump scares don't amount to much.
It drags on and on, meandering only to be predictable. The acting wasn't even convincing. James Wan hasn't directed this one and we can see the huge difference in quality. Meh.
Greenland (2020)
Boring, stupid and predictable
First off, this isn't really a disaster movie. It's just a family drama.
Second issue is- all they do is go from one place to another in the whole movie. That's it. And that too because they make stupid decisions.
Also, There is no real story here..it just rambles on and on.
Fourth, there is not much action happening apart from random pieces of the asteroid dropping here and there.
It's so boring, predictable and pointless.
The Visit (2015)
So predictable!
I predicted everything 20 minutes into the movie. Not just that, it wasn't really scary except for one or two shots. Lots of illogical stuff too, kids could've left sooner.
Also what kids can't take on an old couple? Instead of jumping from the back she could be just hit them from the back.
Ragnarok (2020)
Truer to Norse mythology than Marvel
I love this show- more for its scenic location than anything else. That alone is enough to watch it.
The concept is also good- representing Norse mythology in modern times with teenage characters. Unlike Marvel which just uses Norse mythology and twists it and does not even show all the characters from the mythology, this show has a lot of the Old arch enemies of the gods.
My only complaint is that the other gods are shown to be weak and don't amount to much - just so Thor can appear stronger and take centre stage. Even the casting for the other gods is bad- it wasn't that way- they each held their own in battle.
I am hoping they do introduce Fenrir the wolf and Hela (both of whom were also Loki's children) in future seasons. That will take it to the next level.
Tudor Monastery Farm (2013)
The best by far!
I love the farm series that chronicles farm life in different periods of history. But this season was by far my favourite because Tudor era life is the most different from ours- the simplest yet the most fascinating!
I did miss Alex but it was still so interesting to learn how things, machines and techniques developed- as well as linguistic phrases. Ruth is a delight as always- enthusiastic, positive and cheerful. I wish they did this in more periods of history.
Knowing (2009)
Snooze fest
The first 20 minutes started great and I thought this world be really good...but then it just dragged on on and on..without revealing anything until the end..It was so slow that it put me to sleep..
In fact, the end is also very predictable...you can pretty much guess things at the start of the movie, even though you hope it will be better.
Things Heard & Seen (2021)
People have missed the point
Surprised at the low ratings here- I think a lot of people missed out on the symbolism in the movie- that's what makes it good.
People are rating it because it's low on actual scares- but this isn't a movie that's based on pure horror. It's more about the story and spiritual concepts.
Marco Polo (2014)
Terrible
Why does this have a high IMDb rating? It's terrible- they have twisted history, shown Mongols and especially Kublai as good people - as "good" as Mongols can possibly be. They've shown Marco to be a bootlicker of Kublai's- and its just terrible and he is annoying.b Season 1 was fine but Season 2 is horrible- it's like a soap opera.
Yuck.