Iron Man 3

AWESOME is how I would like to start the review. The much awaited sequel of the Iron Man series has released ......and with a Bang!!! Iron Man 3 has some high octane action sequences which are worth a watch. This time Tony Stark has more to him than his usual self. He is emotionally evolved, worried and shares his fears with Pepper Pots. Robert Downey Jr is hands down the Iron Man. No one other than him could have essayed the role of Iron Man with such ease and finesse. He is witty, charming and an undisputed superhero.

The movie starts with a flashback of New Year's Eve in 1999, where Tony Stark is with his scientist girlfriend Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) and arrogantly avoids scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), who wants Stark's backing for his research - Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM). The story moves to present day America where Stark is settled in his Malibu Mansion and has created many Iron Man suits - which causes many debates between Stark and Pepper. A series of attacks on America by the terrorist Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), who is the head of a terrorist organisation called The Ten Rings, leaves the intelligence agencies worried and bewildered. When Stark Industries security chief Happy Hogan (Stark's former bodyguard and loyalist) is caught in one such attack, Stark revives himself from his trance and issues a threat to the Mandarin....... who promptly responds by destroying Stark's home with helicopter gunships. Stark survives and finds himself in rural Tennessee. Due to lack of sufficient power in his suit he is unable to return and the world believes him to be dead. Meanwhile, Aldrich has not forgotten Stark's arrogance and rejection and is set to make him repay. Then comes a twist in the tale which only makes the movie more interesting. Who exactly is Mandarin? Who is helping him in these attacks? All the questions eventually get answered......and how!!!

Iron Man 3 is a well executed and a fast paced movie with some great performances. Every character has a well etched role. Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce have enacted their role well and are great to watch. It is interesting to watch how Tony Stark is able to control his different Iron Man suits with the help of Jarvis, his computer. I enjoyed the movie and would certainly recommend it. A word of caution - one can't help but feel that the story is more about Stark's own dilemmas rather than the Iron Man. Purists may be a little dissappointed. But, overall a good entertainer with lots of action, drama and some witty one liners. This one is surely to be watched in the theatres.


Nidhi

Oblivion

It may be a little late for the review but I think it would still be worth sharing the story. Oblivion is an innovative movie which is likely to appeal to science fiction fans. The movie rides on Tom Cruise’s performance and he does not disappoint…. and also looks appealing. The concept of the movie is interesting and one that I have not seen before. It depicts an Earth which was ravaged by an alien attack more than 60yrs ago.
It is 2077: Earth was attacked by aliens known to humans as the Scavengers, or "scavs" for short. In the war, the Moon was destroyed and the resulting upheaval and the use of nuclear weapons had ruined the Earth's ability to support life. Fortunately the surviving human beings managed to move to Titan, Saturn’s Moon. Tom Cruise plays Jack Harper, a drone repair man who also helps harvesting natural resources from Earth for people living in Titan . He lives in a work tower thousands of feet above the surface along with his communications officer Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). Jack and Victoria had undergone a security wipe five years prior, which erased their memories. They maintain contact with their boss Sally (Melissa Leo), via a video link and have two weeks left of their duty after which they will be joining the rest of humanity on Titan. While on operation, Jack suffers from recurring dreams and flashbacks of New York before the invasion and of an unknown woman. John and Victoria are nearly at the end of their mission and are ready to leave but things start to change with the arrival of Julia (Olga Kurylenko). It also appears a few people stayed behind to harvest the remaining resources and watch out for leftover “Scavs” which is unkown to John and Victoria. It leaves us with the question who are these people and what is their mission? And most importantly who is John Harper?

The movie has an interesting plot but is slow and lengthy in its approach. The story mainly revolves around Tom Cruise ( not that we are complaining) and Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurylenko make appearances only post the halfway mark. Morgan Freeman has a small role and Olga Kurylenko brings with her the necessary mystery to the plot. The movie also has its share of breath-taking visuals of snow-capped mountains, crystal clear lakes and pristine deserts thrown in for a good measure. I would say this one is purely for Sci-fi fans. Make sure to watch this movie, if not in theatres, then may be on a DVD.

Nidhi

Ek Thi Daayan

Ek Thi Daayan is an impressive supernatural thriller potraying the dark world of witchcraft and black magic. The narrative feels believable and is executed with slick audio visual effects. There are some really spooky scenes which will leave an impact on the audience.
The story goes like this....

Bobo (Emraan Hashmi) is a successful magician, who performs illusions on stage. But one day, while performing, something strange happens that reminds him of his tragic past which was unknown even to his girlfriend Tamara (Huma Qureshi). A terrifying childhood story resurfaces in which a supernatural power, in the form of a daayan destroys Bobo's family - his father and younger sister, leaving him orphaned and alone. This is not all, the daayan promises to return to haunt him forever. Just when Bobo feels he has moved out of the shadow of his past, things take a turn for the worse.

He feels the presence of a Daayan in his surroundings and thus begin the hallucinations. These hallucinations become a subject of many an altercations between him and Tamara. Things reach a stage where he starts questioning his own beliefs and visions. He then seeks psychiatric help from his childhood psychiatrist Dr. Palit who puts him under regression hypnosis and makes him relive his distant past. This begins his quest to unravel the mystery that has haunted him since childhood. The unexpected entry of a Lisa Dutt (Kalki Koechlin) only makes his belief stronger in the presence of some supernatural powers around him.

The entire movie is well crafted, however, the first half is more well defined and gripping. Wish the climax of the movie had more spooky scenes, like in the first half. Overall the movie is enjoyable and all the actors have done a great job. Emraan Hashmi and Konkana Sen look really convincing and deserve a special mention. The child actors who have portrayed young Bobo and his sister Misha look convincing and are successful in making the audience feel the fear that they go through. Would recommend this movie as it a good weekend entertainer, though not necessarily for the faint hearted.


Nidhi

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is a sci - fi action movie, sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra. It includes new star cast and some new characters. All those who have been waiting for the sequel the wait is over...so, here goes...

The G.I. Joes are framed for stealing nuclear warheads from Pakistan by Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), a cobra operative. The team is assaulted by their own people and are turned away by their own government. A military strike is planed against the Joes and many are killed in this unseen military strike with Duke (Channing Tatum) as one of the casualties. Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) are the only survivors.On the other hand, Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) and ex-Joe Firefly (Ray Stevenson) rescue Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey) from Germany. To avenge the assault on their team Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye return to the United States and set up a base of operations in a rundown gym.
Roadblock leads them to retired General Joe Colton (Bruce Willis) who provides them with weapons and helps them to infiltrate a fundraising event that the President will be attending. The Joes begin their investigations here, taking them on a roller-coaster ride and twists in the plot.

The movie has some weak points in the storyline but earns a big score in terms of execution and high end action sequences, especially with the mountain fight between Ninjas and the Snake Eye. It's a treat to watch Bruce Willis fighting the bad guys (again) but one only wishes there were more scenes for him. Dwayne Johnson gives a brilliant performance and justifies his role. Jonathan Pryce has a pivotal role in the movie. The 3D effect is great and the movie is visually appealing. Would recommend this movie to action lovers and to those who have been fans of the G.I Joe series or action figures.


Nidhi