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Sex Education (2019)
Relatable, funny and emotional
The series revolves around the sex lives and relationships of 16 year old Otis Milburn and his peers in the school of Moordale. I would say the series has succeeded in its aim, when some of the information on sex shared in the series was the first time I came to know about them. This series is at its strongest when it focus on relationships and weakest when it tries to be over the top. The weakest episode of the series is episode 23 where students plan to declare themselves as sex school in the rebranding event. With prior build ups to it in the previous episodes and Viv, the smartest of the bunch involved, I probably expected a much better presentation than a cringier ticktocky presentation. Fortunately, it is followed by the one of the strongest episodes of the series, season 3 finale where the students' action does result in big repercussions and series lead Asa Butterfield gives his best performance in the series. At the end of the finale, all characters have grown leaps and bounds but with a realistic touch, it is not sunshine for everyone. I usually don't binge watch but I watched entire 3 seasons in 6 days and can't wait for what season 4 has in the bag.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Pure fan service and Nostalgia!
As a child growing up watching Toby's Spiderman movies and as a teen when watching the Amazing Spiderman movies, this movie just hits nostalgia at all points. As trailers indicated, Peter Parker's spell with Doctor Strange goes awry when he tries to interfere with it after he's been outed. Unlike homecoming, thankfully they didn't make Peter as Strange's apprentice. It is more of a Spiderman movie than a Doctor Strange movie. The appearance of previous Spiderman movie characters gives much depth to the story and all the actors especially Dafoe did an incredible job. Of course, the open secret of the appearance of Spidermen is what makes it like an event like Infinity war and Endgame. The writers handled both characters very well and did them justice by having them in the extended cameo. The mid and post-credits scene are perhaps one of the most interesting ones in MCU. The movie's main drawback is its plot. Don't get me wrong, it was just average and unoriginal, partly inspired from Spider-man: into the Spiderverse movie but saved by engaging screenplay and amazing presence of actors. On the endnote, just go watch it in theatres when you still have the chance. It's been the event movie, we all waited since the starting of the pandemic.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
What if Love actually happened in an Indian background?
As an Indian I must say, this movie is one of the few western movies that's got to portray India accurately for the most part, not the stereotypical affirmation that Westerners have in their mind. Yes, India has become one of the largest economies of the world but I would be a liar if I don't acknowledge that still millions of Indians live under poverty and casteism is still rampant. The casting director hit the jackpot when it comes to casting. The back and forth dynamics between the characters were very enjoyable to watch and overshadows almost all the flaws within the movie. So what didn't work in the movie for me? Remember earlier I said that they got to portray India accurately for the most part. What they failed to get right are the Indian couple, the girl's brother and the boy's mother. You'll find it rather hard to come across an Indian family like that. Marriage and relationship in India are much more complicated so the above Indian characters are just caricatures of Westerner's thinking of Orthodox Indian family and easily the weakest parts of the movie. The other thing is you can predict the endings of all these characters quite early. But overall, it's a feel good movie and a pleasure to watch.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Got an headache after 15 mins into the movie
I know this movie came at a time when shaky camera effects and rapid cuts in action scenes were ubiquitous. But God, the action scenes in the beginning had too much going on and there was a cut for every second. I had to take a break and continue the movie later. The plot was fine for a Bond movie. The villain is not charismatic thus making bond look weaker. As usual, Daniel Craig was excellent as bond and Judi Dench provides much needed emotional aspect of the film. Special mention should be made for the excellent soundtrack and background score. Overall it was an okay Bond film, neither bad nor great. 6/10.
Just Mercy (2019)
Justice delayed is Justice denied
It's been a long time that a picture had left me moved and is thought provoking. The fact that this is a real life story and all characters are indeed real humans made me sad.
Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx gave incredible performances and their facial expressions alone delivered whatever dialogues cannot portray. Brie Larson did her part very well in the small space given to her. I was surprised how much similar, they look like their real life companions who were shown at the end of the film. Kudos to the casting director and director for picking out right people.
I believe people should see this film and understand how even after centuries, racism still exists and innocent people are at the end of the sword. It also helped me to know about a wonderful person Mr. Bryan Stevenson. 8/10.
The Woman in the Window (2021)
It's fine, I guess?
I am writing this review not having read the book on which the movie is based on. The movie follows the story of an agarophobic woman who happens to witness some sinister events taking place in the neighbour's house in the span of the week and pushes her into facing her own demons.
Amy Adams delivers a very convincing performance as an agarophobic woman and carries the movie from the beginning to the end. The climax twist was also a solid one. Even though the movie boasts an ensemble cast of Gary oldman, Anthony Mackie, Julianna Moore and Wyatt Russell, it makes a complete waste of them by giving them very few scenes to work with.
The runtime of the movie is short which might be a good thing for most movies but in this case, it handicaps the movie to rush through the scenes and not providing enough scenes to cement protagonist's family bond and confuse the protagonist (also viewers) of the potential antagonists.
Having read and seen both Harry Potter novels and movies, I can understand the frustration of the other viewers here. But I also understand the difficulties in adapting a source from another medium and love Harry Potter movies as is. As a standalone movie, this is fine, I guess. Enough for a solid 6.5/10.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
A Perfect Marvel Solo origin movie
The journey of a self doubting and traumatized person into confident saviour of the world. Now add in some loyal characters who always believe in the protagonist's ability and some humour, now you have Marvel's good old formula for Solo origin movies.
Marvel has perfected this formula and it works. It is fun to watch Simu Liu's Shang-Chi growing into the worthy hero to possess legendary ten rings. Tony Chiu-Wai Leung's Wen wu easily dominates the screen presence and leaves lasting impression on the viewers. Ageless Michelle yeoh does her part very well and Awkwafina is....there.
Besides the Captain America and the winter soldier, this movie has some of the best hand to hand combat scenes in the whole MCU. The Mid credits scene was a surprise and Marvel fans, Don't miss it.
While the movie is not boring, it doesn't take risks and doesn't venture into unique and bold story telling like GOTG, Infinity war and Endgame. If you have watched both trailers for this movie, you pretty much know what's gonna happen after spending 15 mins into the movie.
Overall, Shang-Chi is a worthy addition to the MCU (Or should I say MCM 😉? ) and a decent movie to visit theatres after two long years.
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
Yes, I hated the Chimera ant arc
I get it why it is top rated anime. It draws real life parallels to Nuclear weapons, human greed, global warming and many others. But the thing is the audience watch a series is to get entertained. If the series is thought provoking and talks about real life issues in addition to be entertaining, it does make them memorable. But such things shouldn't come at the cost of entertainment and storytelling. This is the exact problem, the chimera ant arc is suffering from. It talks big whilst being utterly boring. Since the chimera ant arc makes up for almost half of the anime series, it becomes a con for the series too.
My other problems with the arc are
1. Total deviation from established motives and followups to the goals of the protagonists.
2. The creator shows a big middle finger if you cared about protagonists. He leaves out 2 protagonists like they don't exist and makes other two protagonists as side characters in their own series.
3. Too much focus on secondary and rudimentary characters.
4. The ants' designs are ridiculous and silly. I mean these supposedly ants are humanoid animals born with helmet, tees, ear piercings and what not.
5. The complete devolution of a protagonist due to the loss of a character whom he had known for like few weeks is unbelievable.
6. I have few words for the narrator, " Jeez, just calm down".
This arc killed this series for me when I was binge watching the series up until this arc. The phantom troupe arc was the highest point of the series imo from which it never truly recovers. Hey, atleast the chairman election arc ends the series in a decent note.
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
Not a sure shot as the first, nevertheless a competent sequel
Yes, it suffers from the absence of John Krasinski sans the opening scene but never felt boring through out the film. There are more action scenes than the first one and kept me on the edge of the seat most of the time even though I was able to predict what's going to happen next. The characters make stupid decisions though it does match their personalities. Also the film managed to expand the universe with a new information that kinda hints what the next film might focus. The first one had a perfect mix of everything and set the bar high which the sequel almost reaches.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Entertaining one with charming Cavill
The spy thriller movie though has a simple plot and a mushy villain manages to entertain till the end of the movie thanks to the leading characters played by Henry Cavill, Armie hammer and Alicia vikander. But to me, Henry Cavill stole the show as the charming, crafty and intelligent Napoleon solo. He is way underused as an actor by making him play ever brooding OP Superman in DCEU. The bickering and outwitting each others between Cavill and Hammer and the eventual bromance was very fun to watch. Sad that this movie bombed in box office leaving less chances for the sequels. Nevertheless I enjoyed it, 8/10.
Black Widow (2021)
Weakest Marvel movie in recent times
I'm an avid marvel fan. I watched both infinity war and endgame thrice in theatres and have watched all Marvel movies countless times. So I was very excited to watch a Marvel movie after 2 years. But boy, it was disappointing. The plot was wafer thin with shallow characters and Limitless shaky camera action scenes. The saving grace of the movie are Scarlett and Florence Pugh. If you're a Marvel fan like me, it's going to be like watching a phase 1 movie. For others, you can pass it. It doesn't change anything in MCU.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Mindless fun watch!
It's like one of the fast and furious movies. The characters are all home made scientists cum soldier cum pilot cum geologists. Basically the hero and the team are like Swiss army knife of knowing things. Initially the movies had an established inuniverse science facts. But later on the movie rushes to the end with homemade science discovery and facts.
Chris Pratt carries the whole movie in one piece and easily gives the best performance of all the characters. Though having very few scenes, Ryan kiera as young Muri leaves a mark. It's very disappointing to see how utterly wasted J. K Simmons talent by giving him a minor role where he plays a major role only at the end. Other characters are mostly one dimensional and only serve as plot points.
At the end, it was a fun movie to watch on a family night. Maybe my rating would be even lower if I paid to see it in theatres.
The Wilds (2020)
Had the potential to be good
My main gripe with the series was the lack of tension and twist. The series makes the point to show which girls survived the island. So whenever something happens on the island, you know they all going to survive. Another gripe on my part was lack of suspension of disbelief. I know that suspension of disbelief is needed to watch any show or movie. But really, can you believe these girls are 16/17? If someone said some ladies are mother of a child, I would completely believe that. These supposedly young girls talking about love and sex all the time comes as forced feminist agenda instead of building strong female characters. Another negative was focus on the uninteresting characters especially Leah. The whole show I never rooted for Leah and Toni. Actually I thought they deserve atleast some of this. The twist on the end falls flat on the face and sets the plot for season 2
Now the positive things. The production value of the show is very good. It didn't look like some cheap budgeted TV skit. The locations, set props, cinematography and editing, all lifted the show to higher position. Though the show didn't focus on them for most part except at the later part of the series, I thoroughly liked the characters of Dot, Shelby, Nora and Martha. I wish the show had focused more on them.
Had the potential to be next Lost but settles for an okayish watch.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Not a convincing Oscar winner but neither the crap as some reviews here telling you
Negative things first, I hated that shaky camera very much. Either you do it documentary style or you don't. The film switches between cinematography styles frequently which took me out of the film. Next It's not as deep as you would think for an Oscar winner.
The positive aspects of the film are the performance of actors, engaging screenplay and portrayal of the reality of the war. The actors give a very convincing performance especially Anthony Mackie. I had a hard time to convince myself of watching it. But once I started watching it, the screenplay is engaging enough not to get bored easily. The main theme of the films is portrayal of effects of the war. On the one hand, there's a foreign army invading a very weak nation. They must be bad guys, right? No, the film makes the point in showing how US army soldiers are just normal guys ordered by their superiors. It also shows how Iraqis are badly affected by the war and their anti American sentiments. The film is not your run of the mill Michael bay's explosive film nor the Oscar masterpiece you would expect. It's somewhere within, a movie worth watching.
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Heads off to a strong start, ending almost laughably bad
The premise was interesting and cast selection was decent. The beginning of the movie has that eerie unsettling atmosphere and some jumpscares were good. But when the exposition begins, it becomes predictable and towards end leaves you exhausted. The exorcism scene which the director intended to create tension for the characters serves as a unintended comedic scene. The climatic twist is so bad that you can see it coming half way through the movie. The gross factor though initially unsettling, it was overused to the point which made it look like a parody attempt. The CGI and VFX looks straight from a fifty thousand dollars movie, makes you wondering where the 30 million dollars were spent. The cast members Alison Lohman and Lorna raver must be credited for carrying this movie and making it watchable. Overall, an average movie that can be seen in leisure times in these corona pandemic times.
Superman vs. The Elite (2012)
Loved it..
Honestly, I wasn't interested much in seeing this one. I thought that it would be a regular superman beating the new villain gang but I was suprised by this movie. It explores what makes him the superman and ending was suprising. Definitely a good watch.
Kanchana 3 (2019)
Undeniably bad movie with great box office run
If you just planned to watch this movie, please turn off your brain during runtime. Incredibly chiched, misgyonistic, trash movie with over the top performances. If you are hell bent on watching this movie, you would be better off with previous installments in the franchise. Because the plot is same and at the same time enjoyable. I am glad that I didn't spent money to watch it in theatres.
Super Deluxe (2019)
Excellent movie!
The movie touches on the topics of theism, sexuality, society's treatment of transgenders, corruption etc. I enjoyed the movie when the above said things are subletly hinted and touched. But that weird climax and direct preaching about life which was completely opposite to subletiness of the movie prevents me from giving 10 stars. Overall new experience from Tamil cinema.
The Boss Baby (2017)
Hyperboring
I can't believe how people give 10/10 to this boring film. Better not watch it
Game of Thrones: The Bells (2019)
Not as bad as many telling here
Honestly Season 8 is a disappointment as a whole. However, production values are best even when compared to Hollywood productions. After the terrible episode 4, this episode features the best battle scene and many characters got rid of plot armour. This is the original ending that George Martin always envisioned as confirmed by himself. Sure, the makers got here in a sloppy storyline. However, they are here. Even after these mishaps, game of thrones remains as one of the best TV series ever made. Is this best episode of game of thrones? Definitely no. But is this best episode of GOT season 8 till episode 5? Definitely yes.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
End of the infinity saga!
The endgame satisfies the humongous expectations after infinity war. It's also poetic that infinity saga begins with Ironman and end with him. Captain America finally gets to dance with Peggy. Final confrontation between Thanos and whole MCU characters alone is enough to satisfy the Marvel fans. Russo brothers did an excellent job in bringing all the characters to share same screen space. Will we get another interconnected huge movie series like infinity saga? I think it would be difficult.
Overlord (2018)
Trash!
The protagonist is simply annoying due to his high moral character. Except for some gory effects, decent cinematography this movie deserves to be in trash.