srirammeera Reviews

The Florida Project (2017)

Enchanting, haunting and unforgettable............pure magic!!!!!

[10/10 · 28 April 2024]

Mind blowing !!! .....all of the accolades are accurate ..... joyful, heartwarming, heartbreaking.......and unforgettable.

This is the kind of movie that will send your mind into a tizzy in a thousand different directions while you are still processing what you just saw. And it's going to stay with you and haunt you for a long time.

Very briefly and without giving anything away it shows the seedy squalid side, the other side of the coin, behind Disneyworld both literally and figuratively, and how in the middle of this squalor and poverty, a 6-year old and her troop of friends manage to create moments of magic as they discover their own "enchanted land" even as the grownups around them struggle and fail to keep it together.

The acting talent is OFF the charts - if you thought child Dakota Fanning was talented, Brooklyn Prince as 6yr old Moonee and chief instigator of her troops, makes her look like a beginner and grips the viewer in a performance that is spirited, searing and one for the ages. The other actors especially the always reliable Willem Dafoe, are equally awesome .... so much so you would be forgiven for thinking you were watching a live documentary!!!!! .....kudos to the director and entire cast and crew 👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏

Great to see a movie that not only takes a page from Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali, that a of a child's magical world view in the midst of oppressive poverty, but does it one better .......Ray would have loved this!!!!!!

Run don't walk to see this scintillating haunting gem of a movie, it deserves even more love, accolades and acclaim than it has garnered so far .....

Ps - and don't worry, while it has heartbreaking moments, no characters die at the end of the movie.....😊

Lost (2004–2010)

Has to be a must watch TV serial on anyone's and everyone's TV bucket list

[9/10 · 17 April 2024]

One of those classic legendary serials across any era, the likes of which they don't make anymore, and definitely not these days (2024] when the model is binge watching or perish.

SciFi mystery ? Check. Crusoe-like adventure ? Check. Action? Check.

Romance ? Check. Mind bending mystery ? Check. Compelling actors and characters ? Check. Awesome emotionally gripping teary ending ? Heck, check !!!!!

One of the few series that nails it's landing perfectly emotionally.

Has to be a MUST WATCH serial on anyone's TV bucket list, especially those who love adventure action disaster movies that feature a large ensemble caught up together in the same thrilling adventure

Don't walk run to see this if you still have not!!!!!!

3 Body Problem (2024– )

Breathless and shallow but enjoyable......however no Game of Thrones this

[6/10 · 24 March 2024]

First let's be VERY VERY CLEAR about this - it's no Game of Thrones, whether you take the title music or richness of characters or the world building, or the powerful storylines etc etc it's not even close to being a shadow of the Game of Thrones.

The sad reality of how Netflix wants to drive streaming is short, punchy, rapid fire, binge streaming model in where there is no time to really develop anything, and if the viewer does not finish the series in one setting then that is taken as reason enough to cancel future seasons!!!!

Therefore without giving away any spoilers the show reveals everything at the end of episode 1, everything happens at breakneck speed, and no one is given any time to think or savor anything at all - just keep bingeing episode after episode.

The net result is perfect for the current ADD-infested social media driven generation, each scene makes its point in maybe 3-5 seconds, characters make superficially profound utterances in a few words, you unquestionably absorb whatever is presented, give your superficial thumbs up or whatever to the glossy exhibits presented to you and you move on.

This is shallow glitzy low brow entertainment at its best and the so-called veneer of science is laughable for anyone who has bothered to even spend more than a few minutes with abstract physics and philosophical questions.

For the rest of you - it's an awesomely shallow whoo-hoo roller coaster style entertainment that requires you to leave your brain and skepticism at home and breathlessly accept and enjoy it all - and for such a low bar it's great value for money and time .......enjoy!!!!!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Awesome adventure movie deserves to be more widely watched and loved, deserves to be in the Top 3 in the Indy series

[8/10 · 28 January 2024]

Absolute corker of a movie, smashingly fun, and a must-watch for all Indy adventure fans.

Ending is awesomely hearfelt and .....without giving anything away, safe to say a happy one in which Indy hangs up his hat, literally!!!!

Done with a lot of heart and emotions and a homage to all of the earlier Indiana Jones movies as well as the best rousing young boys' adventure stories one would have read from back when reading was an awesome pastime.....

Kudos to James Mangold and the entire movie team, and also, one can clearly see the influence all over this, of both Spielberg and Lucas who are Exec. Producers - so it's like the entire team gathered to bid Indy a happy send off (or is it?)

Harrison Ford the legend and flag bearer for the greatest mystery-action-adventure series of our times is top notch as always and does not let age or anything else for that matter, get in Dr Jones's way.

It's a pleasure to see Mads Mikkelsen as well convincingly essaying the role of a Nazi villain and probably the best villain in the entire franchise. Pity he never got a chance to become the Moriarty to Indy's Holmes in the entire series!!!!

And Phoebe Waller-Bridge ......wow!!!! She is the find and the real treasure in the movie, and fits the role of Indy's latest sidekick like a hand in a glove, in fact so perfectly that one cannot help but imagine it as an obvious next step for her to take the series forward in the 21st century as .....the god daughter of Indy Jones.

Who knows ..... Ford might reprise his role as an ageing Indy the advisor from the comfort of his study or library, mind as sharp as ever while the flesh may be weak while "Wombat" becomes his boots on the ground !!!!!!

A rousing hurrah and three cheers to the 2nd best mystery-action-adventure series our modern age, first obviously being Tintin to which Indiana Jones owes a lot of its inspiration and debt.....

Herge would be proud.....and that I guess would mean much more to Spielberg than all other toasts to Dr Jones !!!!!

Mission Raniganj (2023)

Watch it old Calcutta, the 70s, Chasnala mines disaster hero Gill, and of course Akshay the superstar

[7/10 · 10 December 2023]

For Akshay Kumar fans and to get a flashback to 70s Calcutta and the Chasnala Mines disaster and Gill who save many souls, a story that deserves to be shouted from the rooftops and not left forgotten in the footnotes of history.

Movie is sincere and Akshay does all the heavy lifting as usual but could have been much better and more authentic.

Kaala Paththar - the Yash Chopra 1979 commercial hit with Amitabh, Shashi and Shatru - while not exactly a disaster movie does the mines backdrop and authenticity much better and obviously commercial Bollywood drama value is much higher in KP thanks to the legendary Salim-Javed

Raniganj is well-intentioned but the hoo-aah jingoism, standard patriotic background music, stiff dialogues,some over the top dramatic moments that are not quite on the money etc etc - all make this a good effort but not a memorable great movie.

It is definitely sad that Gill simply gets a flickering 30 secs of old footage at the end with not even a good write-up.....unacceptable!!!!!

Worth a watch and as I mentioned above - for alll of us millions of Akshay fans......go Akshay !!!!! One more notch in your resume and screw the BO collections !!!!

Great addition by Netflix .......🙏🙏🙏🙏

Jawan (2023)

Atlee Badly Disastrous......Jawaan

[4/10 · 5 November 2023]

To borrow a page from Amul ads ...... Atlee Badly Disastrous, Jawan!!!

Watched this on Netflix, happy that I did not waste my money and time on this trash watching it in in theatres .... Jawan makes Pathaan and RRR look like the greatest works of cinematic genius in the history of the entire universe, so go figure....

Somehow suddenly the South Indian style of action movie making has become the greatest invention since sliced bread or the discovery of fire ?????

Laughable 😂😂😂😂😂

Somehow somewhere many years ago an actor called Shahrukh Khan who essayed characters like Rahul ("naam to suna hi hoga") with great warmth and wit and fine biting humor, got lost somewhere in the mists of time ....... and instead ..... We have directors and script writers creating cardboard cartoon or comics characters for whom finely talented actors like SRK can phone in their roles.

So .....as long as you want to hang out in theatres dancing, smiling and laughing just to have a good time hanging out with friends and family spending a few thousand rupees for a family outing in a premium theatre, like crores of people seem to be doing, leaving your brains behind at home, while the movie producers and cast have an equally good time smiling and laughing all the way to the Bank, ........well then I guess you cannot go wrong ....

Just hoping Raju Hirani restores and brings back the original Hindi film magic, warmth, mojo and soul with Dunki.

Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

The greatest TV show or movie you can ever watch

[10/10 · 28 September 2023]

Yup that's right!!!! GoT is hands down the greatest serial or movie that you can ever watch.

From the sheer breadth and scope of the production, to the huge ensemble casting, to some of the most amazing characters ever written, to some of the most epic battle scenes you can watch on screen, to some of the most dramatic and emotional confrontations, to some of the greatest production sets and sequences ever mounted, to some of the most authentic CGI ever created, to among the greatest music tracks ever, to the intricate, gripping and thrilling story line, to the impeccable acting... this is it, this is THE GOLD STANDARD to measure all movies and TV shows against, and ...... Not ONE comes close I have seen them all and I can guarantee first hand - not ONE comes close in terms of ALL THE CHECKBOXES that GoT checks and wins in each category handsomely.

Not one serial comes close whether it is Breaking Bad, or Last Kingdom or Band of Brothers or Sopranos or Chernobyl or Lost or Ozark or anyone.... NOT ONE comes close.

Everyone of the others is a gem but compared to GoT they are gems within a few categories while- GoT rules ALL categories This is THE ONLY SHOW which has left me pining for ever that it got over....... Just the Sansa Jon Snow Starks reunion is in itself worth the price of admission and there are dozens of such moments.... What a show!!!!!

Jailer (I) (2023)

Movie Starts like it's getting somewhere, ends like it's a damp squib

[4/10 · 15 September 2023]

4 stars one each for Ramya, Rajini, Mohanlal and Jackie Shroff each but that's it First half is briefly engaging with the production team ticking all the right Rajini mass checkboxes.

Mannerisms check, dialogue delivery check, swagger check, style check, entry moments check, chilling bad guy from the past moment check.

The villain also looks and sounds suitably menacing so all seems heading somewhere in somewhat ok fashion.

But then something happens in the 2nd half - looks like the team suddenly tore up the script, looks like it's heading into heist movie territory but that fizzles, the villain is reduced to a gibberish idiot most of the 2nd half, there is a twist in the end that makes ZERO sense, there is zero emotional resonance or connection with any of the characters in the 1st half, Tamanna is just window dressing in one song....so all in all a TOTAL mess.

Ramya Krishnan and the other girl who plays daughter in law have NOTHING to do in the movie except play hostages in their own home and watch baddies getting shot, stabbed or worse on their dinner table with half-dumb expressions on their faces.

The kid that looks like a major character in the 1st half just vanishes for the rest of the movie as does Yogi Babu.

Everything makes zero sense and there is no head or tail or semblance of a plot.

Some big/well-known names like Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff etc etc serve no purpose in the few mins. That they appear.

All in all nothing but a vehicle showcasing a fanboy service exercise in utter sycophantic nonsense!!!!

I have grown up watching Rajini movies and it's sad to see the talented star of genuine often meaningful entertainers like Aboorva Ragangal, Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu, Pathinaru Vayathinile, Thillu Mullu, Thalapathy, Annamalai, Padayappa, Sivaji, Robot etc....... Reduced to star in such trash cinema .....and THAT is the real twist of this movie, and also maybe the fact that he got a 300cr. Cheque and the latest & best Merc model for this .....go figure!!!!

Black Death (2010)

C for effort, and the GoT cast & vibe, but that's all, nothing much more to see here folks

[5/10 · 7 September 2023]

The premise and start are intriguing but then it all kind of fizzles out.

Movie is unable to decide whether it wants to be a medieval action adventure or mystery-horror or swords & sorcery epic or what?

The clearly low budget production does not help either.

Looks more like the team wanted to make a quick buck off of the GoT cast - Sean Bean, Carice van Houten both extending similar roles from GoT with kind of similar vibes - but it all feels flat, with nothing compelling to showcase on any front.

A clear lesson in the perils of movie making in which good intentions and ideas with a strong competent cast can still produce a boring result lacking any vision.

Watch if you have nothing better to do.

Batman Begins (2005)

Batman Begins - Nolan style !!!!!!!

[10/10 · 3 September 2023]

Absolute crackerjack version of Batman.

Nolan reboots the series and electrifies it by eliminating all of the superhero fantasy superpower elements and grounds the franchise deep into the basics of a thrilling, gripping pulse-pounding crime-fighting vigilante movie that while it pushes physics remains firmly grounded in the causal laws of the natural world.

A fantastic cast, solid script, terrifically moody dark cinematography, and awesome BGM that aids without intruding makes this not just the best Batman movie but arguably the best superhero movie and in many ways much beter than his own Batman parts 2 and 3 - although the consensus is part 2 (Dark Knight) is the best, but in my opinion this one as the origin story with all of the background and motivations that go into transforming Bruce Wayne into Batman, absolutely takes the cake especially the first hour which is beyond gripping.

The fact that the script and story and the packaging is so tight with absolutely no fluff, boast or bombast, puts this firmly in the Top 3 of Nolan's all time greatest movies - Oppie included !!!!

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Good very good CGI VFX SFX and wallpapers, great Nat Geo shots....ok that's it now move on.....

[5/10 · 12 June 2023]

Yup the CGI is good very good but that is pretty much it.

Does not feel like you are watch a real live action movie where you can emotionally root for the story and characters.

More like the world's best video game with the best CGI and SFX but you can only watch for 3 hours not play, and the dialogues are corny and laughable, and Pandora is like what the Panacea to all ills in the universe where all life lives in glorious peace spiritual communion with a divine mother water spirit or whatever ???

Really ??? ........gimme a break and reality any day or a solid full blooded live action movie with real actors doing real actor stuff please stop please stop this CGI VFX nonsense .....it's booooooring!!!!!

Faithfully Yours (2022)

Be warned - nothing is what it seems in this .......

[4/10 · 20 May 2023]

.......mostly bland and boring (mildly erotic)thriller - including the fact that it is neither erotic nor a thriller.

By the time it all ends, you are likely to have (a) kinda guessed what was coming and (b) pretty much lost interest

Two friends take a weekend vacation - plan being for one (the heroine) to act as an alibi for the other (gf) to go have a sexy time out with her sex buddy/lover, or so it seems.

Gf disappears, a dead body is found, heroine is forced to lie to everyone, police suspect her, blah blah blah....and obviously there are twists and turns, red herrings, everyone has something to hide ... all the usual tropes.... There are some heated encounters, some lesbian montages but no one really gets naked and it's all pretty bland and dull and a slow burn.... Like a wokier, wonkier version of Basic Instinct in a post me too world that is surely heading for a climate meltdown, with nothing that viewers can sink their teeth into.

Everyone goes around looking as guilty as hell, and as the movie miserably drags itself over the finish lining with the expected (gasp!) twist ending, you can't but help wonder what was the point of all this trouble, really??? And.....did I just waste 90m ??

So.....like I said at the beginning be warned .....sadly the movie is not what it seems or aspires to be......

Citadel (2023– )

This is Pathaan for Priyanka......go Priyanka, kick some ass!!!

[6/10 · 29 April 2023]

Mindless but a lot of fun elevated by the star and acting powers of Priyanka Chopra, Richard "Rob Stark" Madden and Stanley Tucci.

No-brainer winner for all Priyanka fans around the world, and for the rest - just get onboard for the nonstop action joyride, but remember to leave your brain behind ....lol!!!

It's a package deal if you want to watch all the fun from Bourne, Bond, 24, Jack Ryan, Pathaan, MI ......all in one place to save yourself some time ......😊😀😂 On a more serious note while the action scenes have good pop, pizzazz and impact it is difficult to see how Amazon spent almost 1/2 a billion on this one, that does not add up or show up well at least in the first two episodes, but then as long as you are willing to VERY ACTIVELY suspend disbelief, this is not bad entertainment for a rainy Friday night to pass the time with.

Ted Lasso: Smells Like Mean Spirit (2023) Season 3, Episode 1

More Ted Lasso and his merry gang what's not to like ??????

[7/10 · 25 March 2023]

More of the same with new drama, stories, twists - less about Lasso more about, well.....everyone!!!

So nothing trail blazing here, at least first 2 episodes.

The reason you watch is because TL is the rare show that hooked the audiences emotionally into the characters, made the characters weekly friends of the audience that the audience wants to hang out with and connect to, outside of their own real lives once a week, and NOT DO IT in the crazy binge watch model but once a week together with everyone else on Earth and talk about it, speculate about it and wait together for the next episode to land.

A lot of things have to come together perfectly to achieve the above most important being the casting and the acting - the leader here being obviously Jason Sudeikis who plays Lasso like he finally found and nailed the calling of his life he had been waiting for. The mix of vulnerability, humor yet personal anguish that he brings and switches effortlessly between - that in itself is worth the price of admission !!! (Look at it this way there is a reason why the Lasso team was invited to the White House podium to address everyone, right? Not every show gets to do that)

So you watch it not because TL-S3 has something new to say but because you want to keep watching what this cast and crew does really REALLY well again and again and again..... the same reason for which the world continues to watch Seinfeld reruns for the last 25 hrs or, old Federer match replays - they have become a part of the the comfort food of our lives!!!

Sex/Life (2021–2023)

Mildly entertains, buts that's about it

[6/10 · 2 March 2023]

Watch only if you are a Sarah Shahi fan or invested in that entire married and cheating story line of Billie and her merry characters.

Those looking for hot erotica will be disappointed - nothing here more than a mild R, all the erotica is, as they say, tastefully done - think darkness and shadows, quick edits and dissolves, tactful coverage, short scenes, etc - so move on if you are looking for really hot erotica - any number of other movies and shows or the rest of the internet will give you that, nothing much here.

For the rest of you- this is just mildly entertaining fare which like almost everything else these days is over-hyped and under delivers, all shine and gloss, a lot of corny predictable lines, mildly entertaining, in other words a modern-day streaming take in the post me-too world of what used to be Mills&Boon romance novels in the old days

No FOMO required here.

Glass Onion (2022)

Just like a Glass Onion all shiny and glossy outside nothing much to feast on inside

[6/10 · 26 December 2022]

A lot of shine and gloss on the outside not much on the inside. Movie seems more interested in colorful fashion conscious settings with beautiful people surrounded by chic props and costly furniture set pieces right out of the Ad pages of a thick year end Vogue edition. The only thing missing seems to be Faberge eggs from the Czar's court or the Queen's jewels from London.

Knives out was a hit because of the solid atmosphere of a locked room English country house mystery, Benoit Blanc was a fresh take on an overdone trope, Ana de Armas character was a really funny centerpiece character and the script was really tight.

While here the atmosphere is more gaudy, glossy and over the top and nothing more, an hour or so in it's pretty obvious who's the choice for murderer and the so called twist or red herring is not much really, and the script just meanders around with a lot of puffy dialogue, Daniel Craig looks more bored and wanting out than in it.

Finally the director and script just give up and everything just goes to hell, so not much here really.

So all sound and hype which is overdone, but not much else.

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021)

The Usain Bolt of High altitude mountaineering

[8/10 · 26 December 2022]

I am rating it NOT for his (& his team's) accomplishment which is BEYOND superhuman and this documentary is a testimony to that, but for the qualities of this documentary as an artifact of movie making, which falls short in key respects.

Most of the documentary is oriented towards motivation and only gives some "common man" or "plain English" flavor of the challenges. Pretty much the whole documentary is a checklist of the peaks with not much time spent on the technicalities of each climb.

There is ZERO information or data, sadly, on what must have been the enormous logistical challenges to plan and pace the whole thing. For eg., the team summits Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in 48 hrs but how exactly? Why in that order? What went into planning the order of the ascents? What was involved in quickly going from mountain to mountain?

The documentary is TOTALLY silent on all such questions.

It's pretty much 90% a series of photo ops on the peaks, 14 such, interspersed with pep talks emotional and family challenges in between, some background on Nims about his military career and a few mins on his strength and endurance training, with a couple of his closest circle and family providing the "talking heads" and Reinhold Messner throwing in some very generic diluted observations on how challenging it is etc etc So yes, the documentary provides a good glossy intro to Nims Purja and his unimaginable accomplishment, to the rest of the world thanks to Netflix but beyond that, there is not much info or meat here for an enthusiastic armchair mountain climber cum movie watcher to sink his teeth into and come away enlightened about how exactly was the whole thing planned and executed.

All 14 8-thousanders is something even dedicated mountaineers consider a lifetime's achievement, so completing it in 6 months boggles the mind and redefines the meaning of possible. While Nims provided the heart, soul, vision, belief and courage, there was a whole team of individuals along with Nims who made all of the details come together, work and succeed, and supported this crazy even suicidal project through thick and thin. Sadly the documentary is mostly silent about all such details.

As they say the devil lies in the details - but not in this documentary which takes an easier route to the top.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Only watch if you are a fan of Tom Cruise, Top Gun or aviation or airforce action or a combination of these, otherwise this movie may not be for you

[8/10 · 24 December 2022]

This movie is an unabashed love letter to Tom Cruise as well as to gung-ho hoo-aa style military action movies favored by the production houses of Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer (the movie is also dedicated to Tony Scott).

Tom Cruise is almost in every scene and the production goes overboard to ensure that everything - from the dialogue to the lighting to the dazzle of his smile to the whiteness of his teeth to the sun setting exactly so correctly behind him to the blackness of his hair to the agelessness of his physique - all of that continues to provide frame after picture perfect frame of more Tom Cruise than you can handle in a lifetime.

In short this is the Tom Cruise production fanboy equivalent of what the Hallmark Channel does for romantic Christmas movies.

You know exactly what you are going to get - there are ZERO twists in the story, no one gets so much as even a scratch, there is ZERO action on the ground, and there is not ONE villain you can see in the movie. All of the action takes place in the air, the climactic battle is a cakewalk for everyone and barely lasts 10 mins with just two enemy aircraft showing up to ignominiously bite the dust. And the ending is well....even romance movies could not come up with a better HEA ending!!!!!

The entire movie is a stringing together of Tom's greatest hits moments - with every scene setup so that he gets to have the last word with the best punch or emotional line. Of course almost everyone is against him but secretly worships the very ground he walks on and of course everyone hides a golden heart with eyes ready to turn moist. Dialogues are corny puffed up and cringeworthy or make for a good laugh.

So why did the movie work obviously? There is just one answer and it is the obvious one - because of Tom Cruise and because he is a superstar. THIS is what he does best and no one comes even close. He is the last great superstar from a forgotten era that no longer exists - that of the superstar action hero that the whole world immediately recognizes who channels macho action in a bloodless old fashioned Boys' adventure style movie making the way no one does. That is why Tom would never be in a movie like Braveheart or Saving Private Ryan.

No one probably remembers the Boys action hero Biggles book series anymore (by Capt WE Johns) but for those who do Tom is the Biggles avatar. He is also the Hardy Boys come to life - that is the era and image he speaks to.

And yes the Production has done a beyond awesome job of all the aviation and aerial action sequences and puts you INTO the aircraft - that is how good it is.

So go watch it for your love of aviation and for Tom ......go Tom, you got this!!!!!

Kantara (2022)

An awesome movie but reviews need to be more balanced. It is NOT the greatest movie in the history of cinema

[7/10 · 14 November 2022]

First off, I agree that Kantara is likely the most significant and important movie to emerge this year and that in itself is HUGE given the like of KGF, Pushpa, RRR, Kashmir Files etc. And in terms of impact and ROI (Return on Investment) it's probably the biggest after Dangal (let's not forget that Dangal collected more than 2K crores worldwide, so Kantara has a long way to go). Kantara has amazing cinematography, very original and rooted story, great music, and clearly Rishabh Shetty has vaulted into the top tier of Indian cinema with his multi-faceted effort (similar to what Vishal Bharadwaj did with Omkara).... So no arguments with any of that ....kudos to RS and the Kantara team....👏👏👏.

BUT, but ..... We need to stop idolizing this movie as if film history begins with this movie as lots of fans and reviewers seem to be doing. That is totally lopsided and unbalanced, in other words just fanatical mass hysteria - probably because (a) many many people have just started returning to theaters after Corona and (b) this current era coincides with both Bollywood and the Tamil industry hitting more or less rock bottom in creativity (with some exceptions of course).

Let's not forget that Indian cinema (and let's not even go to World cinema), in very era and decade has produced masterpieces that stunned and wowed those audiences and raised their goosebumps who were lucky to see the first releases in theaters. As part of our own process of discovery and personal experience we tend to overlook or forget that others have undergone similar arguably more profound experiences with cinema in the past.

It is our inability to imagine and live in their shoes that causes us to conclude ours must be the greatest. Just two examples will suffice (and there can be 100's of others....arguably almost all movies in the 8-10 range on IMDB, with more than 10,000 reviews).

1. Sholay - I dare anyone to challenge that there is a greater or more thrilling action sequence in Cinema done with real sets, no VFX than the opening train robbery sequence in Sholay, now imagine seeing that for the first time on 70mm in 1976.

2. Pulp Fiction by Tarantino - again it is difficult to imagine the impact this had on the whole cinema world on any level or category that you want - Story? Originality? Script? Editing? Dialogue? The movie is Gold. One can arguably divide world cinema history before and after Pulp Fiction So ....we need to be careful before declaring Kantara as the best thing to happen since sliced bread. It is damn good for sure, but let's all agree it is in Elite Company ....with many others ....(and oh btw.... HUGE shoutout to Tumbbad - in my opinion the most original movie from India in the last many years)

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

Glossy production values and some big horror auteur names but low on substance

[7/10 · 6 November 2022]

First off this is a collection of horror shorts each less than an hour. Not much room here for anything epic.

So don't go in with high expectations except some good glossy production values and some good atmospheric settings and build up.

The stories are mostly pedestrian with no jaw dropping surprises or twists that leave you with anything memorable. Although One episode - Graveyard Rats - is pretty well done, well written, well executed consistent and gripping - and the overall effect is impactful.

The others are all mostly a lot of atmosphere and building up with disappointingly flat results that throw in the towel and let standard horror tropes take over and drive the rest of the plot.

Al in all more hype than substance, no need for any FOMO with this one.

The Ghost (2022)

Meant ONLY FOR diehard Nagarjun fans, others keep away

[1/10 · 6 November 2022]

Do not waste your time unless you are a diehard and unapologetic fan of Nagarjun.

He burst on the scene in the early 90s with the mega hit action movie Shiva that forced all of India to take notice (and oh btw that had the awesome Raghuvaran who "appears" in this as well... a nice touch!) Sadly he is forced to continue that role in 2022 as well and it rings nothing but hollow now.

Unless you leave all expectations, common sense, your brains everything left behind when you watch this movie and agree to be insulted with the lowest intellectual expectations possible of the audience, this movie is unwatchable.

It borrows freely from John Wick (itself based on a comics character and meant only for Keanu fans) and ratchets up the outrageousness by several factors.

The production tries to paper it all over with some superficial gloss, editing, camera work, color palettes, what have you all of which only end up with egg on everyone's face including the hapless and trapped audience.

Neither Nagarjun, nor Gul Panag nor a Sonal Chauhan trying to be Lara Croft, can save this embarrassment and assault on common sense and basic expectations.

Do not watch, run in the opposite direction!!!

Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)

Good sincere effort that tries hard but fails to take off and soar

[6/10 · 12 October 2022]

A lot of sound, fury and music but fails to leave a lasting impression likely because it's just Part 1.

Karti, who pretty much carries the whole movie, is solidly entertaining and fun to watch so kudos to him, but the rest of the cast/characters fail to soar, and leave no lasting impressions... maybe they will have their spotlight moments in Part 2?

Given that the novel is a huge multi-volume major work of fiction in Tamil with dozens of key characters there are clearly challenges to bringing it to screen within 3 hrs, so a laudable attempt from the PS1 team - but - it fails to leave a lasting impact on the audience. Comparisons with Baahubali are inevitable as the latter is also a royal swords and sandals epic with set piece battlefield action etc etc but Baahubali had three major advantages 1. Simple focused story line in the movie and 2. A powerhouse trio in Prabhas, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan and 3. An absolute cliff hanger ending for BB-1 that had the whole country guessing.

PS-1 fizzles on all 3 counts (except for Karti who in any case is not the eponymous hero).

Music is good, song and picturization of Alaikadal is awesome and probably the high point of PS1, given the delicious romantic yet peaceful touch Karti brings to what is unfortunately too short a scene, but rest of the movie is just....a hook for PS2.

So overall just above average for a sincere effort.

Clearly this is one movie where a titan like MGR, tailor made for such roles, might have set the screen on fire... but alas the hole he left in the Tamil industry was never filled, just like there was and is, no replacement for Bahchchan as the Angry Young Man of Hindi cinema in more than 5 decades.

Stranger Things: Chapter Nine: The Piggyback (2022) Season 4, Episode 9

Not Stranger Things anymore......just Boring Things....bonkers, bloated and out of touch with reality.....

[2/10 · 17 July 2022]

Long long ago in a galaxy far far away, in a small town called Hawkins, 4 kids get caught up in an intriguing mystery when one of them suddenly vanishes, and thus began season 1 of one of Netflix's most famous tentpole shows that kept 10s of thousands of fans hooked and glued and paying for the service. And of course a lot of unknown kid actors became overnight stars, and millionaires in the process while the fans (or at least most of them) got poorer, shelling out more for less (at least those that survived the pandemic) - thanks to .......the pandemic, the recession and the tragic war in Ukraine.

ST was of course gripping for a couple of seasons - thanks to some good acting and a few good characterizations. The honeymoon started to get rapidly over and now the only reason I suspect fans are watching is to get it over with due to the emotional investment in some parts of the story and due to that "childhood" connection with Season 1 that seems now like a more innocent time on Planet Earth (worst thing was "only" Trump back then).

It is now bloated beyond all recognition with endless new characters, a totally bonkers storyline and TOTALLY UNHINGED from all common sense.

For eg., Eleven can lift a space capsule-like unit thru sheer mental power, crash a whole army helicopter etc etc....but she cannot unlock a collar around her neck ......?? Hmmmmm.... And why is Vecna only obsessed with Hawkins? Why limit himself to one small town when the entire planet is available or at least all of the US .....? And what is this whole Russian angle ? And where is the press anyway? No one is following this story ?

Like I said total crap and bonkers and for Netflix and the Production and Cast to mint and milk money out of suckers from a dying franchise.....!!!

Sad sad sad......

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Just 1 star because of Cumberbatch otherwise just another boring superhero movie in an endless line of such

[1/10 · 26 June 2022]

Sick and tired of watching superhero movies with special powers based on DC, Marvel etc. Maybe good for young kids and juveniles just discovering their superheroes but I think the rest of us adults are done after watching years and years of an endless parade of superhero movies, which have by now lost the ability to add anything new at all, except show the latest improvements in CGI.

I decided I had had enough when maybe 15 mins into the movie some one eyed octopus-like monster suddenly lands in NYC and starts destroying everything and everybody from out of nowhere, no head or tail, and Dr Strange flies in to save the day.

Really ???

If all these superheroes have such superpowers why can't they try make a movie where they try a hand at solving some real world problems, for a change?

And if they are such superheroes how come they allow such super villains to exist in the first place and not get rid of them ahead of time ? And if these villains are such super villains whose only intent is to destroy then how come they just don't drop a big 100X nuclear bomb and destroy Earth? Why painfully fight the heroes in scene after scene, and then let the hero win after what, exactly 2 hours ?

What's the point? What is the sense of these movies except of course like I said in the beginning for young children just discovering the super hero universe, and for the big movie companies to wring more millions from unthinking masses?

I am done with these senseless action movies, any thinking adult will prefer gripping movies anchored in reality.

'83 (2021)

8 stars for the movie and it's entire team, 1 thumbs up for Ranveer and 1 for the 83 Indian cricket team and Kapsi!!! ..... 10/10 hip hip hooray!!!

[10/10 · 26 March 2022]

8/10 for the movie, Kabir Khan and the entire production team for the heartwarming movie of the decade. 2 stars to Ranveer for inhabiting the role of Kapil Dev body and mind, and being the force that drives the movie. Unforgettable performance!!

A stellar job by the rest of the cast too with each actor investing their role with living breathing fire and personality especially Jeeva as the cheeky Cheeka !!

A total of 10/10 for the end result to everyone involved esp. The Indian 83 cricket team that produced the original magic in the first place and inspired India and South Asia on a journey of cricketing dominance that continues to this day and inspired a whole generation of youngsters to take up the Bat incl Sachin.

The movie

Must watch movie esp for cricket and Hindi movie fans esp those who followed the 83 World Cup live back then during the unforgettable days when radio was king and TV esp color TV was just starting to come into its own in India.

Yes there are corny dialogues and over the top moments and yes surely not every incident actually happened but it is accurate more than 90% of the time especially all of the matches, and the whole movie hangs together and works well at various levels - inspiring sports pic, buddy movie, tale of the underdog take your pick.

And a big thank you !!! For recreating and capturing on film Kapil's 175 no knock against Zimbabwe arguably the greatest solo captain's knock innings in one day cricket, given the dire straits India were in. The real knock was not captured on TV thanks to a cruel twist of fate BBC having gone on strike that day!!! Kapil Dev probably deserves a Bharat Ratna for that alone which helped rewrite sports history for India. Very few events even come close as a magical inspirational moment of someone single handedly snatching victory from the tightening jaws of defeat - yes the Gods decided to grant that day to Kapil as he himself said in a later interview.

Kudos once more to the 83 cricket team for achieving the unbelievable at Lords on a fine English summer day and kudos to the 83 production team for creating one straight from the heart with authenticity, verve, fire and most important, with emotion.