STOLEN: Do we need this mundane flick?

What do you do on a regular day at work, when nothing special is happening, everything seems as normal and mundane as it can get? You go through the motions with a numbness that only an often repeated routine can bring. That exactly seems to be what has happened with the entire team of Stolen. Just another outing for the crew who planned nothing novel or exciting; a mish-mashed repeat of what most of them have been doing for quite a number of years. The results show very clearly on screen – a kidnapping drama that never gets the adrenaline flowing, the actors walking through the frames without conviction and action popping up every now and then in the form of a speeding car or a few gun shots. It is really difficult to remember a scene in the entire 96-minute duration which you could call unique.

Stolen is another one of those kidnap stories, the kind that Hollywood churns out when it is short of ideas. The protagonist could be a cop, a marine, a commoner, a moron, or a career criminal. Enemies of the past come back to haunt the present and kidnap the wife, girlfriend, brother, sister, daughter. Then the protagonist has to pay up or shoot the bad guy up. Well, you have the variables; throw them together and pick a combination. Stolen’s combination is one where the protagonist is a criminal, enemy from the past is a former accomplice, the one kidnapped is his daughter and the protagonist tries to pay up but ends up shooting up the kidnapper. Maybe the only shred of imagination that the makers have shown in here seems to be in the form of two cops who are constantly on the tail of the protagonist because they think he is up to something.

This is the kind of movie that you can call a ‘no-sweat movie’, because no one seems to have broken sweat over its making. The script seems to have been knocked together in a hurry and the cast assembled on a ‘whoever-is-available-besides-Nicholas Cage’ basis. Dialogues hardly stay with you for a minute after they have been spoken, the performances disappear from the mind the moment the credits begin to roll. You don’t have to try to forget Stolen, it vanishes from your mind altogether.

The one thing you want to say about this movie with conviction – clearly not enough thought or effort went into it and it reflects poorly on an A-list crew. You might be able to pardon this if you are a die hard Nicholas Cage fan, but that is an endangered species at the moment. Cage, you don’t need this half-hearted hotch-potch, it only damages your legacy. Stolen seems to be a movie made because a lot of people had nothing better to do, its not downright bad or boring, just so mundane and predictable that you would have preferred some innovative nonsense in its place. A better name for the Stolen would have been Lost, the team clearly Lost the plot.

Verdict: As mundane a kidnap drama as it can get!

skyfall

Skyfall

Bond is back. The pure nostalgia and adrenaline that the name provides is good enough for you to get to the theatre. Every Bond film is a piece of history. One of the oldest surviving franchises in world cinema, more than 50 years, and still having a huge following, Bond is indeed one of the biggest on screen icons we have. But, once you are past that nostalgia and thrill, which last for around 10 seconds when that trademark soundtrack plays for the first time, then it is the movie per se that has to hold your attention. Bond has your attention, no doubt; he has held it for 50 years. But, does Skyfall have your attention?

Skyfall begins with a bang. It’s a breathtaking chase along the streets, roads, market, malls and rails of Turkey. Bond’s at his best in this relentless pursuit, especially with a bulldozer on a train in one of the most daring ‘carriage-changing’ manoeuvres of all time; the nonchalance during this outrageous stunt is so signature of Bond! But, then M gives an order that sends Bond flying off the roof and into the abyss. His mission incomplete, his life in the balance and her Majesty’s Secret Service one man short – Bond has to resurrect!

Bond’s mission and his resurrection have a far more personal connection this time; he’s defending his own department, his own people, his own boss! And to begin with, he doesn’t even know what he’s dealing with, besides being in the worst physical shape we’ve ever seen him in. You might think that the initial 10 minutes sets the pace for the film; but, prepare for a drastic drop in momentum right afterwards, as the director opts to go for a brick-by-brick approach to constructing his premise. It’s a plan that seems to get bigger and more sinister every time you look at it, revealing itself in layers, each one darker than the other. The fairly engaging return to action of Bond takes us to Shanghai and then to an abandoned island where we get one of the most long-drawn sequences of the movie. You may have to stifle a few yawns through this passage of the script as the director takes his time with the characters, allowing them lengthy lines, glares and long walks.

What follows after this episode can however be described as one long action sequence, as Bond is back on home turf with the adversary trying to create havoc in London, with a personal account to settle. The finale takes us ‘back in time’, as Bond himself puts it, where nothing new-age really exists. In the midst of a Scottish bog, Bond crosses swords with the enemy; and guess who comes out on top.

Skyfall is more about Bond, the person, than the agent. Its more about him than any fancy gadget. In fact, a personal palm-print activated gun is as sophisticated as gadgets get here. No fancy cars, just one that is straight out of the 60s. No speedboats, exploding pens or watches that double up as transmitters. As Bond remarks about his equipment, ‘It’s not exactly Christmas’.

The one thing you might find different about Bond is that it tries to be more classy than any Bond film has ever been. He is not portrayed as the super-confident man who cannot get anything wrong. He takes a fall, he does look weak, but he doesn’t give up. That’s something that Daniel Craig has brought to the Bond franchise – closer to reality. But, whether you prefer that to the unmatched charisma of the earlier Bonds is entirely your take. But, poetry, in a Bond movie, as the set up lines for a shootout? The director sure has some nerve to try that. Sadly, it falls short of what he would’ve liked it to be. Clearly, not everyone can be as good as Nolan in using inspirational lines in propping up their heroes. This goes against the general associations that we have with Bond films. There was never anything poetic about a Bond film, it was all style and panache; Skyfall tries to walk the poetic road without too much success.

Skyfall is a first in the Bond franchise for quite a few reasons. It’s the first time we get personal with Bond, it’s also the first time where M is more than just a fleeting presence and a commanding voice. Its also the first Bond film where he actually turns away from technology to get an edge over his adversary. Sometimes, you think he is more Bourne less Bond. There are also strange similarities to The Dark Knight Rises if you look closely. Bond’s adversary was once a man on his side, knows the ways of the secret service inside out, has a disfigured face and outwits the entire system – tangential, yet undeniable similarities to the Batman movie.

As far as the action goes, the first 10 minutes set the bar so high that the rest of the action looks a bit dilute. The amount of firepower in the final face off could have been reduced, too much noise. But, the ingenuity of Bond and his team in booby-trapping the place can be enjoyed. One thing, the bad guys in the movie need advice from Clint Eastwood; ‘when you want to shoot, shoot, don’t talk’. They would’ve won if only they had talked less and shot promptly. The director needs to understand that dialogues at gun point are a thing of the past. But, the man-to-man fisticuffs are really well executed.

Daniel Craig is intense as usual. We’ve got used to his kind of Bond portrayals and he does not disappoint. Judi Dench is ever reliable as M in a role that is more extended than usual. Javier Bardem brings out wrath and sadism in his portrayal, while Ralph Fiennes walks through a role that really does not challenge him. It’s good to see Moneypenny return to the fray, though Naomie Harris doesn’t get too much to do than a ‘close shave’.

Skyfall is not the typical Bond film. Maybe we are seeing a change in the way Bond will be portrayed in future films; perhaps the time of the ice-cool 007 is over. The new guy is more practical, more fallible, more human – more James than Bond. Watch Skyfall without the baggage of the previous Bonds, you’ll find it interesting, though a bit patchy and slow at times.

Skyfall – a paradigm shift for Bond; go with an open mind!

The Expendables 2

 

A barrage of bullets!

What do you expect when all the men who have ever thrown a punch or held a gun in Hollywood are assembled for one film? Mayhem, from the first frame to the last. That’s what the Expendables 2 is all about. If you have seen the first part of this franchise, you might know exactly what to expect. If not, you can still have a fair idea of the kind of things that will happen on screen, because the makers have not really stretched their imagination as much as the budget. The only thing different in Expendables 2 from its predecessor is that two men who had just one scene, Bruce and Arnold, have around 4 scenes here, and there is double the number of bullets, bombs, planes and tailor-made entry scenes. Otherwise, the formula remains intact.

The plot is as simple and straight as the plan that Sylvester stylishly puts it in his one liner: ‘Track them, find them, kill them’. The script too seems to have been written along those lines, ‘get all the actors in one frame, give them guns and ask them to fire’. The first few minutes sets the pace and the mood of the film. ‘Bang bang bang’, that’s the only thing you can hear as bullets fly at astounding rates with our men moving around in heavily armoured trucks. Its one easy operation to start with as they rescue the most unlikely of people from a hellhole in Nepal; that is a surprise, even though it is connected to the plot in only the most tangential of ways. Then comes the usual bonding part followed by the real mission which forms the plot. Good thing that the writers have chosen an unsettled score from the first part and used it to form the reason behind the job in the second, gives a minimum credibility to a script that doesn’t seem to care about anything except action set pieces.

The plot is as simple as this: a job that was supposed to be a ‘walk in the park’ goes wrong; apparently because the team was not fully aware of what they were walking into. Now, they want vengeance against the adversary who messed up their mission and killed on of them. That’s how the ‘track them, find them, kill them’ stuff begins. It is all straight shooting from then on; not just straight, but in all directions. Of course, to make the plot thicker – they throw in some plutonium deposits which was left behind by the USSR after the Cold War (about time Hollywood movies stopped having a ‘USSR weapons of mass destruction’ angle) that gives a ‘saving the world’ color to the movie. Also, liberating a village happens in the midst of all this. You have shooting from trucks, from treetops, houses, churches, airports and conceivably every place you can think of. You also have the customary set-up action sequence for Jason Statham who does his stylish stuff with the knives – of course you have to overlook the fact that he could have used guns and saved a lot of trouble. And, in Expendables 2, you have an almost Bollywoodish climax where Sylvester and van Damme man-up against each other. The punches that Sylvester throws in this encounter remind us of someone known as Rocky Balboa; especially when he works it to the body of van Damme. Also, watch out for the ‘crash course’ in crashing a plane into a building without scratching yourself.

And, you cannot forget the dialogues in an Expendables movie! You have Stallone and Statham exchanging their usual round of statements; sometimes about girlfriends, sometimes about fighting and sometimes about things they call ‘classics’. Some of them are funny, some fall flat. With Arnold in the fray, you cannot help but have lines like ‘Terminated’ and ‘I’ll be back’. If you’re an Arnie fan, you’ll enjoy them. Bruce joins in with a few wisecraks. These lines pep up the mood when you are tired of all the bangs and blasts that have been going on.

There is nothing much to say about the cast here. Simply put; this is the most complete action ensemble you could have asked for. That is the biggest advantage of the movie and perhaps also its biggest liability; because, with so many stars around, you just cannot pack enough action for all of them. But, in spite of all the stars, the movie remains the property of Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham who get all the big chunks of action.

Don’t look for sense, sensibility or credibility here. This is all about knives, bullets and bombs. If you are the kind that just cannot get enough of them, then Expendables 2 is your cup of tea. But, if you are the kind who looks for reasons behind the action on screen, if you want intelligence and credibility, then chances are that you will be tired by the time the movie enters its second hour. This one is for those who never get tired of firing away.

Verdict: Biff, bang, blast – nothing else!!

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift - Review

The most unusual herd ever seen on screen is back. Well, this seems to be superhit sequels month; we had Batman hitting us with his final chapter last week, and now comes Ice Age with its fourth instalment. Over this decade-long franchise, we have developed a real liking and understanding of its characters. We know what to expect from them and the franchise.

As you would expect with any Ice Age movie, the start and the finish have to be orchestrated by one man – Scrat. He is once again up to what he has been doing ever since the Ice Age franchise began – chasing the acorn. This time his antics spark off a turn of events that, as per the film makers, is the reason why the whole world (that was one landmass) is now split into continents. The first few minutes of the film should make you wonder about the bountiful imagination and sense of humor of the people behind Ice Age. In a minute, they show how the world cracked up into continents, show you how the pyramids in Egypt, Mount Rushmore and many other historic landmarks came into being – all courtesy Scrat’s sojourn to the earth’s core. That one minute sets the tone for a movie that should be full of moments of fun and mirth.

That’s how it begins. Its all fun, as you are reintroduced to the strangest herd ever. Manny is as solid and reliable as before, Diego still has the ‘devil may care attitude’, Ellie still hangs upside down from a branch at night and everybody’s favourite, Sid, has not gotten over his juvenile stupid ways, which by the way everyone loves. Ice Age is the only occasion where you will see the arrival of a sloth on screen being cheered. And, there is a new addition to the herd, we had seen her as a baby in the last instalment, now she’s all grown up and ready to have a boyfriend much to Manny’s dismay. Who are we talking about? Peaches, the daughter of Manny and Ellie. Sid is reunited with his family, even though if its only for a few seconds and is then saddled with his granny. Diego as usual is trying in vain to be considerate without knowing the meaning of the word. That is when the action starts, the crack up rather. Earth cracks, pulling asunder the family that was once together. Soon you have Manny, Diego and Sid floating away on the ocean on a piece of ice. It looks as if the world has to come to and end!

How does the family get back together? In an adventure that has pirate ships made entirely of ice, a monkey pirate king who likes to sing, a crew so heterogenous you would think it would make the protagonists look like a perfectly normal herd, narwhals, battling  hyraxes and a huge whale – the family is finally together again. You don’t want to miss this adventure.

Ice Age 4 does not have the same fun quotient as its predecessors. You don’t get as many Sid moments as you would have liked and the camaraderie of the herd has not been given enough space to really set the house on fire. The focus of this instalment is more on the adventure part, with well-planned villainy making a return to this franchise after it was last seen in the first instalment. With a major portion of the story taking place at sea, the canvas of the herd’s adventure seems to have been compensated. But, this holds true only for a brief period of time. Also, the fact that none of the characters aboard the pirate ship, except Captain Gutt and his first mate Shira, make an impression dampens the movie a bit. And, the frequent cuts between the sea and the mainland (where Ellie and Peaches are) robs some momentum away from the adventure. Many would say that it is expectations that end up killing a movie or a franchise because they are so hard to match. But, curiously, in the case of Ice Age, at least in the fourth instalment, it is the expectations and the already existing familiarity with its characters that make the movie worth watching. It is as if you know, on cue, who’s lines are going to be funny, when to expect the next joke and what unbelievable idiocy Sid will be up to next. In fact, it is this impending sense of fun that is about to happen that keeps the movie afloat on many occasions. But, the good thing is that the impending fun does happen, more often than not.

Ice Age is a whole lot of fun. The dialogues, which have always been the best thing about this franchise do not disappoint this time, especially the lines given to Sid; you will simply love the different guesses he makes about the ‘L’ word. The visuals are splendid, at times exhilarating, especially the bobsleigh ride by Sid’s family and the storm sequence (this portion makes the extra money spent on the 3-D glasses worth it). And, of course, there is the amazing imagination of the creative talent behind Ice Age that never ceases to surprise you. You must watch the battle scenes to really appreciate the details. Also, do not miss the Scratlantis part right towards the end. You get to laugh quite a lot, heartily at that. You will not at all be disappointed. It may be the weakest film of the Ice Age franchise, but its still does enough to stand on its own merit as a light hearted entertainer which you will you not regret watching. The 3-D might be an enhancement that has done little to help, except on a couple of occasions, but it is still worth a try.

Above all, if you have watched Ice Age before and have loved the characters that have been so beautifully sketched, then there is no way that you will find this movie uninteresting. It’s like meeting old friends once again; fun is guaranteed, especially when Sid dances!

Verdict: Plain sailing at times - but mostly hilarious!

The Dark Knight Rises: Review

More Bruce and Bane than Batman!

‘If you want peace, prepare for war’, goes a saying. Gotham is at peace, but they are not preparing for war. Harry Dent is an immortalized hero. Bruce Wayne is a recluse in his mansion and Batman is an evil who has been forgotten as history by the people of Gotham. Eight years after he was last seen, the Dark Knight Rises again. One last time for Gotham, for his people, but more than everything because this is the only way he can reclaim his life.

The Dark Knight Rises; the way the legend ends (as they claim it does) is as grim and serious as a Batman movie has ever got. A constant feeling of numb brooding, of intense agony, of pain, and the search for one’s redemption or salvation. The Dark Knight is more about the Batman’s internal conflicts than it is about the dangers that face Gotham city; which are pretty immense by the way. That is what is good and bad about the movie at the same time. Almost everyone can connect to Bruce Wayne and the identity crisis that he faces, the pain he feels and his wish to be rid of the weight on his shoulders, to have a life for himself. But, we are in here to see an action movie aren’t we? Yes, we are Batman fans and want to see the Batman. In the end, you have seen more of Bruce than Batman.

The premise is pretty simple. Another dark force, this time appropriately called ‘Bane’, has set his sights on Gotham. But, he is no ordinary thug; he is out to fulfil what he calls the destiny of Rah’s Al Gul, Bruce Wayne’s mentor. So, we know that the Batman is up against a force that is perhaps as strong as him. Add to it the fact that ‘Bane’ is backed by some big power and an underground army; not to forget that Bruce Wayne has remained shut indoors for eight years. He is not as agile as he was, even though he is not willing to admit it.  But, underestimating Bane comes at a heavy price. Batman finds himself in the gallows and Gotham is at the mercy of Bane. Will the Dark Knight Rise again? Sure, we know he will! But, what does it take and what does it cost?

We know that the Batman franchise, especially under Nolan, has not been the usual superhero type movies. Its not all about one powerful villain after another coming and launching a series of attacks and the superhero always arriving on time to save the day. We know that Nolan thinks above that level. But, this time, maybe he stretched it a bit too much. Well, you can give the first hour for solidly establishing the premise. But then, you want to see Batman. He makes a couple of fleeting appearances before disappearing for another hour. Meanwhile, an anarchy is set up in Gotham, all order is overthrown. It is around here that the tedium begins to set in. While Gotham struggles to stand on its feet, so does Batman. Having an entire city on tenterhooks, establishing a parallel law and order system, carrying out executions and preparing for ultimate destruction; all this are shown in so much detail that makes you stifle a few yawns. And, in the middle of that you also have to see Bruce Wayne taking push ups, waiting for his chance in some prison. Legends about Rah’s Al Gul, a child, Bane are all thrown into the mix. All the while, you know how this is going to end, almost! The dank, almost depressing mood in these portions makes The Dark Knight Rises unlike any superhero movie we have seen.

Of course, there are things that are immensely enjoyable too. You get the ever-likeable Morgan Freeman bringing his demeanour and elegant humor into play as Lucius Fox, you have Michael Caine as the butler, the Batpod and assorted paraphernalia, including a car that is not just a car, that have always been Batman specialties. It is these familiar things about the Batman franchise that you enjoy most. Unfortunately, they are overshadowed by other elements, like Bane, the legend of the child who made the great leap and all details of an anarchist occupation. That we don’t see as much of the Batpod as we would like is in itself a big drawback for the movie. The action really doesn’t thrill you, nor does Bane (really no match for the Joker). It’s a plot that could have made for some racy, gripping action. But, Nolan chooses to plod through it, giving us glimpses into the character’s minds and hearts, compromising for pace, holding a few aces for the end, building up to a culmination that leaves no room for questions.

Of course, Nolan succeeds in emotionally connecting us to Bruce Wayne. As his butler puts it, even you want him to drop the cape and find a life of his own. But, the routes Nolan takes to establish the emotional connect spoils the fun of what could have been a superhero entertainer. You will, however, enjoy the wit that occurs in flashes in a few lines, the dramatic entry of The Dark Knight on his Batpod and the adrenaline that accompanies it. You will also remember some of the inspirational lines placed here and there, like, ‘allowing fear to find you once again’. And, most of all you will love the way the movie ends.

Nolan has chosen perhaps the most poetic of endings for the franchise. But, which Hollywood studio in its right mind would end a successful franchise without giving a hint that its not over yet. Where one legend ends, another begins. As the lady at the desk says to the cop who has just resigned, ‘I like your name. You should use it more often, Robin!’ The Dark Knight will rise again.

Verdict: The Dark Knight Rises – but doesn’t fly high!

The Really Tough Movie Crossword - III

 

1		2		3		4		5		6		7
										8
9
							10
					11							12
		13
							14			15
16
									17	18
19
						20

Across

1. Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins in this 2012 movie (4, 7)

8. A Bug’s Life showed the life of this insect (3)

9. The man who played Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (4, 7)

10. Prometheus is a prequel to this franchise (5)

13, 4(down). When Kevin McAllister was left behind for the Christmas vacation (4,5)

15, 18 (down). Nicholas Cage in this on-flight action flick (3,3)

16, 20. Federico Fellini’s classic film about a prostitute’s life (6,2,7)

17, 14(down) Travolta and Cage in a game of identities (4,3)

19. Pierce Brosnan as a dad fighting for his children’s custody (6)

Down

1. Tom Cruise as daredevil racer and Nicole as his doctor (4,2,7)

3. Michael Jordan and Looney Toons play basketball (5,3)

5. Kaliyattam (Malayalam) and Omkara (Hindi) were adaptations of this Shakespearean classic (7)

6. Dirty Dancing star (6)

7,2. Arnold and Sharon’s sci-fi flick (5, 6)

11,12. Freeman played this peace icon in Invictus (6,7)

13. Scorsese film on this multifaceted American tycoon (6)