Captain America-The First Avenger-And also the worst!!!

Now looking at the title of this review, I firstly want to let you know that I am not going to bash this movie and demean it. But you have to keep in mind that I am comparing this film with the other individual Avenger movies and this one along with the first movie of Hulk is the worst of the lot.

Now Captain America has been one of the biggest comic books for Marvel, so the expectation to film was always going to be high. Secondly, I feel, that the biggest challenge that was faced by the makers was that he was a superhero from the past, and therefore it is not only a superhero film, but a period film as well!...And when it cam to the comic-The Avengers, he was the lead avenger as well..but that is only in the comic world...

Now coming to the movie, Bases around the times of the World War 2, Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers, a sickly thin malnutritioned boy who aspires to get into the US Army(amazing VFX work to make him look like that though), but has failed numerous times to do so. His brother being a part of the US forces obviously caused him jealousy but also triggered the aspiration even more. Eventually they pass him through a test only to find out that he is actually a part of a Government Experiment-which lucky for him, goes right and he becomes the real Chris Evans with the muscles et all. The same experiment was later tried by Hulk as we know which went horribly wrong. Now after this he becomes a mascot to promote war bonds, more than a real war hero-which is quite lame actually.
Now there needs to be a villian in order for the hero within to come out, and that is HYDRA from Europe which is actually an organisation that is after the 'Tesseract' and use it to fuel their 'World-Ending' inventions, and you'll know what I am talking about if you've seen avengers. How Captain America rises to the occasion and save the world is obviously what the rest of the movie is about.

There is a love interest as well in the form of Ms.Peggy carter played by the beautiful Hayley Atwell and their scenes together are among the better parts of the movie. There's familiar names in form of Stark Senior a.k.a Iron Man's dad who is quite prominent throughout the film.
Hugo Weaving makes his best villian outing since The Matrix and is one of the reasons you are able to sit through the movie.
Now my major issue with the movie is that firstly, it's very slow for a superhero film. It doesn't ever feel like one to be honest because of the pace of a World War kind of film which also makes the action very limited and the special effects at a minimal. Apart from that, Captain America itself is quite sad. He doesn't seem to have any super powers except that he can use his shield really well and that too the shield is a STARK product. So you know what I' talking about. It's not ebtirely unwatchable and is necessary for the continuity to The Avengers most definitely but I hope the sequel which is planned is more fast-paced and has something new to offer.

I'm going with 2 out of 5 for Captain America!...
P.S. Don't forget to watch the credits...

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THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN-4 MINUTE PREVIEW!

THOR-A Superhero like no other!!

The Latest Marvel Superhero to hit the screens last year was Thor, and he is a superhero like no other. Reason: he is a GOD, the god of thunder actually who is strong and powerful but also arrogant of his own abilities.He definitely looks like he could take a pack of supervillians and destroy them but like all superheroes, you have to take the fall before you rise up, and Thor is no different.

This was actually made as a build up movie for the Avengers and it could easily been just another movie. But this movie delivered BIG TIME. So much so that they have 2 sequels planned already and trust me, I am really excited about it.The biggest reason is because of Chris Hemsworth who brings out the character to an absolute connect in both, the action scenes as well as the scenes where he is just another muscular guy.

Now coming to the premise-Thor is from Asgard, another 'Realm' altogether. He is a God and is the heir to the throne of Asgard but is banished to earth by his father due to his arrogance of wanting to attack Jotenheim, home of their enemies, The Frost Giants. Now his brother, Loki, like you'll would know if you'll have seen Avengers is no sweet guy. And in this movie too, it's Loki who is behind the downfall of his brother. How Thor manages to live on Earth, strike a friendship with the beautiful Natalie Portman who finds him on Earth and ofcourse returns to Asgard to save it from sure destruction is what the rest of the movie is all about.

It's a typical ending, but the continuation to Avengers and the prospect of Thor 2 and 3 makes it really exciting. The scene that strikes you the most is when he wants to get his hammer out of a rock on earth and fails. It's a scene where you awe at Chris' performance and his muscles at the same time. It's what these movies are made for, emotional connect with the super fun factor.

Natalie plays the role of a girl next door to perfection and looks the part too. I was seriously disappointed that she wasn't there in Avengers but I'm glad that she's going to come back for the sequels. Loki though, will have lost respect in the upcoming movie especially after what Hulk did to him :-p Haha...

All in all, it's among the better Marvel Superhero movies and you will definitely find it a treat to watch!!

I'm going with 3.5 out of 5 for Thor...

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The Avengers-Lives up to the Hype!!

The wait is over!!One of the most Hyped movies in Superhero Film History opened up for viewers 2 weeks back in India and just a week back in the US to a thunderous Box Office record and some rave reviews as well...So does this movie live up to the hype, or is it just cashing in on fans of the various films..well, just like Marvel's most movies are-This one does not disappoint....

Bringing together an ensemble like this, is no easy task, not only am I referring to the number of Actors on Screen but the sheer scale of the characters...While you have the more recent, Captain America and Thor of last year on one hand, you have modern day idols like Bruce Banner aka The Hulk and ofcourse the Genius, Flambuoyant and Super Awesome Tony Stark aka Iron Man!!....Hawkeye and Black Widow, although vital, seem to be add-ons in the film, but don't make you feel like they have no role to play...I particularly liked Scarlett's opening scene where she speaks Russian and it sounds so good that you don't care what it means...this one's for the guys out there I'm afraid.

For the girls ofcourse, there's plenty options...

Now the premise would make total sense to you, if you have seen ALL of the movies related to the characters, especially Captain America and Thor as it released just last year as a purpose for a build up to this movie. The Super Villian is non other than Loki-Thor's half brother who he let go off but who comes to Earth to destroy the world(nothing new there I know)...but it does not feel like you've seen the premise before...

The presentation is fresh, and each character gets an equal amount of attention. Mark Ruffalo takes over from Edward Norton and although his caracter as Bruce is average, THE HULK itself is the best you've ever seen...He's funny and ultimately takes away all the applause of the audience. I particularly liked him in one scene where Loki seriously is trying to make him understand the implications of harming him,. and HULK just starts smashing him all around the room...It's a scene that will not go out of your mind easily....
Captain America is boring again! I don't particularly like him, but he does manage to fit in as a part of the ensemble.
Thor is definitely one of my favorite superheroes as of now. He has carried on brilliant form from his individual movie as well(More on that in my review of Thor).
But the one man, who you cannot stop loving is TONY STARK-Robert Downey Jr. has ensured that he will play Iron Man forever and any other person even trying to do so in the future will be doomed!!...He's as good as ever....

The best bits of this movie is ofcourse in the last half hour where all hell breaks loose...These 30 minutes are the reason to watch this movie in 3D, or else the experience just isn't complete.

It's a visual delight, and the story is not compromised in anyway. There's definitely an Avengers 2 coming(don't walk out even when the credits are rolling), and we have Iron Man 3, Thor 2 & even Captain America 2 planned for...So it's just the beginning of what could be one of the best superhero franchises ever....

I'm going with 3.5 out of 5 for The Avengers!!!!!Watch it in 3D!!!!!!

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The Descendants-Clooney all the way!!!

5 Oscar nominations:

Jim Burke,Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor-Best Picture
George Clooney-Best Actor
Alexander Payne-Best Director
Kevin Tent-Best Editing
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash-Best Adapted Screenplay(Winner)

It's not rare at the Oscars that the movie that you like the most does not end up winning, or gets ignored altogether.It's not rare that an Actor who you have grown up seeing acting more brilliantly with each passing movie is shunned for the one category he most deserves to win. It's not at all rare at the Oscars.
The Oscars have always been funny in a way. They definitely recogise gems and most deservedly award the statue to the most eligible. But shouldn't it be given to the most capable??
I'm sorry for beginning on such a negative note on the credibility of the Oscars, but when you see gems like these, it's tough to understand the Academy sometimes. Anyway let's get down to the review..
Nominated for 5 Oscars and Winner of 1, The Descendants is Alexander Payne's best work yet, with my previous favorite being Sideways ( again an Oscar Nominated Film).
Matt King, george Clooney's character in the movie is a Land Baron in Hawaii who is planning to sell of a huge chunk of Paradise that he and his siblings had inherited and are going to cash in on the biggest deal of their lives. Meanwhile, Matt King's wife, Elizabeth meets with a boating accident and is is Coma. Having not exactly been close to his 2 daughters, Matt now faces the daunting task of taking care of them and breaking the seriousness of their Mum's condition pone step at a time. In the meanwhile they discover things from Elizabeth's past and reveal more of themselves to each other as well. It;s the perfect family comedy drama without actually beinhg over the top. It's subtle and it's smart and that's what works best for the film.
Nominated for Best Actor and probably the most deserving, George Clooney delivers what could be his best performance yet and although he was wearing hawaiin flowery shirts tucked into his cotton trousers...The girls around me were still drooling over him(Dont Ask Me Why).the girls who play his daughters have done a fairly decent job too.
Now coming to the Oscar they actually won-Best Adapted Screenplay-Well, The Descendants is actually based on a novel of the same name which was written by Kaui Hart Hemmings. I have not read it and I don't know how much of the dialogue is actually from the book, but the screenplay is absolutely amazing-it's funny and it's quick. Extremely well written.
The descendants is the kind of movie you can see without the aura of being an OSCAR nomination movie. It's breezy and light and when it gets heavy, it does hit you..just the way a good movie should.
I'm going with 4.5 out of 5 fot The Descendants.

Dont Miss This One!!!

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The Iron Lady-Not Related to Robert Downey Jr!!



2 Oscar nominations:

Mark Coulier-Best Makeup(Winner)
Meryll Streep-Best Actress(Winner)

It's not often that movies win in every category that they are nominated for. But indeed for The Iron Lady it was exactly that. While Streep was the clear choice in the Best Actress category, Mark Coulier surprised even the makeup artists of Harry Potter to bag the award. So it was a good Oscar Night for them indeed.But why would a movie with such acting prowess not even be nominated for Best Film and many such categories..Well Read on.

The Iron Lady, for those who are unaware, is a biopic on the life of UK's First Female Prime minister-Margaret Thatcher. She was known as a lady who had a very controversial term at office and also an equally controversial personal life. Now, the movie is basically based in the present where she is an aged old lady living alone and suffering from Alzheimers. She is constantly imagining and speaking  to her dead husband, but those are the scenes that probably have the deepest effect on the viewers. The rest of her story-the younger life are all in flashbacks and althogh it is extremely interesting and a delight to watch with Streep at her best, it does not give you an insightful look into her life like a biopic should. Nevertheless, it definitelytells you a bit about how life was for a female prime minister who had to even compromise to the extent of letting her husband go for what shw wanted to achieve. She is ambitious and ruthless and NEVER takes no for an answer. It's definitely a character that will etch in your mind.

Now both the Oscars won are so well deserving and complement each other so much as well. How??..>Well The make up is brilliant. Streep is practically Thatcher herself.The look is so damn realistic. And beneath all that make up the real Streep manages to express herself in so many ways with not only her prosthetic makeup but also her body language. it's my favorite performance of hers since The Devil wears Prada.

Overall it's a movie that is surely worth watching, but only for the brilliant brilliant acting of Streep.
I'm going with 3 out of 5 for The Iron Lady.

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Bridesmaids-A Serious Comedy!!

2 Oscar Nominations:

Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo-Best Original Screenplay

Melissa McCarthy-Best Supproting Actress

It's not an unknown fact that comedies or rather chick flicks do not stand a chance at the Oscars. Forget winning, even securing a nomination is nearly impossible. But last year's hillarious and serious movie-Bridesmaids was taken seriously enough for atleast 2 nominations. Some might argue that they didn;t get nominated for the top awards, but what the hell..It's not like they stood a chance against the more 'Oscar-Like' movies anyway.But the fact that this film secured these two nominations shows that atleast a part of the Academy is coming of age.

Predictably not winning either of the awards in their respective categories(Best Original Screenplay Winner-Woody Allen,Midnight in Paris & Best Supporting Actress Winner-Octavia Spencer,The Help) this movie is still probably among the most entertaining movies of last year. And I don't just mean 'Leave your brains behind' kinda thing...This genuinely makes you laugh and genuinely involves you in the seriousness of it.

The movie is about 6 friends, one of who is getting married(Lilian) and the disastrous lead up to her wedding. The misfortune ofcourse centers around our central character(Annie) who is played by Kristen Wiig, the oscar nominated writer of this very film. That is probably the best thing that worked for this film as she knew exactly how to express her writing. It's a twisted turmoil where in scenes you don't know whether to laugh or cry. And that's not because you would be confused. it's because all these emotions flow through you at the same time!!...Anyway coming back to the story, Annie has a rival who wants to be the maid of honor, Lilian's new best friend-Helen who upstages and sabbotages everything that Annie does. this involves everything from catfights to screaming wars to even creating a situation where everyone is shitting in the basin of a bridal store!!...Sounds gross, yes...but this is a ride that you have got to take. And all the other bridesmaids do serve as main elements at different stages in the movie but nothing that I'd like to get into the details of. Ofcourse I can't help but mention Melissa Mccarthy's Oscar nominated role of Megan who is the future sister in law of our bride-to-be Lilian. She is absolutely hillarious in every scene that she comes and she makes sure that the smile stays on for long. Definitely a nomination well deserved.

Overall I would say there are two ways of looking at this film:

1. It's a Comedy with a lot of Serious moments.

2. It's a Serious Movie that's way too funny..

However you see it, I'm going with 4 out of 5 for Bridesmaids.

This is One Oscar Nominated Movie that should not be missed!!!

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