INSIDIOUS 3

Only the most successful horror movies like Omen and Exorcist have spawned sequels which went on to become franchises. Horror films are not generally considered franchise material, but Insidious has quietly crept up and become a noted franchise on its own; not hugely successfully, but having a unique marquee value. The challenge with a horror movie is to scare the audience in spite of the fact that they know that they are going to be spooked. That is, the director has to stay one step ahead of the audience. But, in a franchise like Insidious, the challenge becomes even bigger because the fundamental layout of the plot remains more or less the same. Therefore, Insidious 3 becomes a movie that relies more on the scenes and the moments that are created in these scenes rather than the storyline itself.

Much of the plot will not be revealed in this review because of two things. One, it could possibly

serve as a spoiler to a newcomer to the Insidious franchise, and second and more importantly because the plot seems to be of secondary importance to the way the scenes are set up in the movie. The entire movie is built around the few startling instances of haunting and the journeys that the protagonist makes to the other plane called ‘The Further’. To be fair to the director, he has managed to create enough adrenaline through these few scenes to make us sit through the movie without becoming indifferent.

Most of the good scares come in the first hour where we are not sure who are what exactly is responsible for the eerie happenings. But, the recent spate of horror films and paranormal terminology that they bring has ensured that we do not take too long to guess what or who is doing the damage. Having said that, the first hour has its jolts that keep us on the edge. Come the second hour and the fight begins between the entity and the protagonist. This is where Insidious 3 kind of strays away from its path. It is about retrieving the partially lost soul of a young girl, but it is also about a small personal fight that the protagonist has to endure. That would have been an interesting combination had we known the reasons behind all this. But, sadly, there seems to be none. The only explanation given is that once you go ‘Further’ and come back, there is a good chance that something might follow you. That’s a vague explanation and greatly dilutes the impact of the story. It is about one greedy entity.

Also, overuse of darkness kills the impact and one feels the second half has bit of overkill of scenes

in the ‘Further’, so much that we get kind of familiar with it, our hearts are no longer pumping as hard. And then, instead of delivering surprises out of corners, we are shown a bit of action. Yeah, you don’t need crosses and holy water and The Bible when the ‘entity’ can be shoved out of your way. However, the interesting imagery of the ‘Further’, the use of blue shades of light; these things keep us engaged on screen. And, the fag end has a bit of an emotional hook attached to it which you might like.

The movie really belongs to two people, Lin Shaye and the director Leigh Wannell. Lin as Elise brings the air of mystic and vulnerability that the script demands; apt casting. That apart, the cinematography department has done a good job, especially when spooky scenes have to be shot during the day.

Insidious 3 might not live up to the previous Insidious movies. It lives in its moments and scenes, but falls short in the overall outcome. But, a few good scares in the first hour and some interesting imagery in the second hour make it an interesting one time watch. And, one thinks that plans for a sequel are afoot!

A limited dose of spooks

2.5/5

JURASSIC WORLD

Well, this had to come. Such a lucrative and exciting franchise could not be put to sleep for so long. So we have dinosaurs walking the earth again in Jurassic World. The problem with making a movie like Jurassic World or a Godzilla is that everybody knows exactly what is going to happen. We know that the dinosaurs are going to break out of confinement and run amok. It is the ‘how’ of the process that should hold us in our seats. Has Colin Trevorrow succeeded in giving an engaging ‘how’ to Jurassic World.

Jurassic World takes us back to the same island where the entire saga started. What John Hammond

once dreamt of is now a reality. Jurassic World is open to public and it has been open for so long that it is now just another ‘amusement’ park that has dinosaurs as the main attraction. A decade into business and the public is far too familiar with all the ‘sauruses’, they want more. And, the makers of Jurassic Park, headed by Dr. Henry Wu who you will remember from 22 years back, decide to give them exactly that, more!

Just like in the original Jurassic Park, where unwittingly engineered frog DNA famously allowed ‘life

to find a way’ (nod to Jeff Goldblum), here a whole lot of inserted sequences make the Indominus Rex almost indestructible, and more importantly very very intelligent. As Wu puts it, “it is not possible to engineer a more dangerous predator without the accompanying behavioral enhancements”. The rest you know, or do I have to say that the Indominus Rex escapes and all hell breaks loose until Chris Pratt finds a way!

In a way, it is the predictability that is the most exciting part of Jurassic World. You know that something is definitely round the corner, you know that the Indominus is just about to make a thundering appearance, you know there is not going to be a dull moment. Trevorrow almost manages to do that. He quickly sets the stage with some very pleasing and aerial shots of Isle Nublar, lets us know exactly how huge it is, introduces the Indominus in some detail and then sets the adventure rolling. Of course, you miss the iconic lunch table debate from Jurassic Park where Attenborough and Goldblum did some excellent verbal jousting. That kind of stimulating conversation is missing in Jurassic World, though they try to make one between Dr. Wu and Simon Masrani (new owner of Jurasssic World, played by Irrfan Khan), which looks more like a pale comparison.

Just when you think that the movie is dipping into a slowish period in the second hour, in come a foursome to amp up the action and set up for a very exciting final confrontation. The foursome (I won’t tell you who they are, that would be a huge spoiler) are perhaps the most important part of the movie. And then, in the final minutes, there is a nod to the iconic scene from Jurassic Park where we learnt that a T Rex can see only moving objects. Yes, Jurassic World entertains without a doubt.

One only wonders why there were a few clichés! Why do Owen and Claire have to be shown as a pair who had just one date and then broke off? Is the casting of Irrfan Khan as Simon Masrani merely a bait for Indian audiences? After a while, the script doesn’t seem to know what to do with him, so they dump him into the middle of the aviary with a helicopter. And why, for heaven’s sake, do the parents of the two kids have to be going through a divorce? Will the movie have been any less effective if their parents were still in love?

One has to say that Bryce Edwards has done hard work for this movie. Running from a T Rex on high

heels should be one of the toughest tasks in the world! Chris is comfortable and looks every bit like the tough guy! Irrfan Khan is perhaps not on the button this time. His dialogue delivery is far too reminiscent of Piscine Molitor Patel. But, who cares, wee are in it to see the dinosaurs and they look as real as you want them to. For us, that is the generation tat saw Jurassic Park and Lost World in theaters, Jurassic World will be just another well made entertainer. But, for the kids of today, it is the moment to drop their jaws and be awed! It lacks the wit and intellect of the original, but it has the sense of adventure.

An exciting ride back to Jurassic Age!

3/5