Movie Review - Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Another movie from the Excel Entertainment team. This time directed by Zoya Akhtar.

Since the time the promos of ZNMD have hit the air, it has been comapred to Farhan Akhtar's DCH. The feel, the look, the male bonding.....this time it was being directed by a woman. I was intrigued - what would it be like ? Another road trip / romance ? Something more maybe ?

Put your doubts to rest - the movie has a feel like DCH but it's not a copy of DCH. It's a mature DCH I say !

The movie is about a road trip that 3 friends undertake before one of them gets married, so it turns out to be his bachelor's party as well. So they head to Spain and start their journey. But there are issues to be sorted on the way. emotions to be unloaded, to be felt, to be experienced, life changing moments, love and men being boys - some really great male bonding and sillyness !

They encounter a few people on their journey who are instrumental in bringing about a change in the 3 distinct characters that they are.

Performances are great - the boys really bond well (Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay) and have loads of fun. Katrina looks like a million bucks and Kalki is good but wasted in a role like this. Abhay Deol walks away with the honours in the acting department while Farhan shows a lot of improvement in the acting department, the way he plays his character and Hrithik is good as usual.

The music is good - more so when watched with the movie progressing. The Tomatina festival song is really good.

The dialogues are funny, not in your face funny but subtle and the male bonding scenes will have you wanting to go silly with your best buds.

The direction is very assured and Spain makes for some very pretty locales and scenes.

Verdict - 3/5. It's a one time watch for sure.

The cons -

I felt the movie was a bit too long, could be trimmed by 20 minutes.

I feel it won't really connect with all the audience but the multiplex audience would surely lap it up.

The life changing moments do not really come across very cleanly - Hrithik's one being the main culprit. (The sky diving sequence is longer and the best - you really want to jump off into thin air and feel free)

Other than that all well.

Movie Review - Blue

Blue

The most expensive film in Bollywood to be made (apparently) is a complete downer. The movie is all about 2 friends and a younger bro of one friends who gets into trouble with the mafia. The only way the debt can be paid back is by finding a treasure that's lying in a drowned ship but the elder bro has some past with the treasure.....and then there is a twist.

Sanjay Dutt looks bored, Akshay has done this a thousand times, Katrina Kaif is wasted and Zayed Khan is his usual useless self. The screen comes sizzling to life with Lara Dutta but sadly she has only that one sensual song and a couple of totally idiotic dialogues :(

The story is a mish mash but the screenplay is pathetic. I have to say though the cinematography is absolutely wonderful and the under water scenes are superbly shot. The action scenes are well executed but the Torque rip off chase had me in splits. Also the twist in the tale is sooooo lame and the heroes find the treasure so calmly and easily - it's unbelievable .

Verdict - 1.5/5. Avoid at any cost.

Movie Review - Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahaani

Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani

Watched this movie yesterday and came back with a mild headache.

The production values of this movie are tacky to say the least - in 2009, 80% of the movie is shot on sets !! The songs are shot on outdoor locations.

The story is pretty lame and familiar - a guy falls in love with a orphan girl with her step-mom who is right out of the 80's. The girl loves some one else and how they realise their feelings for each other is the movie.

Ranbir is the heart and soul of the movie - puts in an earnest performance though he goes into his Sawaariya mode where he gets irritating. Overall he pulls off the performance of the movie. Kat is an Christian girl which suits her accent just fine and she looks stunning. Rest of the cast - including Ranbir's friends and support cast are third rate.

There are a few scenes where you will laugh your guts out (the dance sequence where Ranbir is SUPERB) is one of the highlights. The humour is forced and the director has tried to make a Andaz Apna Apna kind of movie (there are references all over in this movie). If you liked AAA, you would either love it this or hate this. I hated this one.

Verdict - 1.5/5

Movie Review - SIngh is Kinng

Singh is Kinng

Hmm - where do I start ? A movie with the story as thin as the "I" in Kinng with emotional comedy dramatic scenes and songs shot on exotic locales. Confused ?

Even the director was I feel !

Story is all about this OTT do gooder who goes to Ozzie land to get back a sardar turned underworld king who hails from his village. As is the norm he has to meet a girl whom he falls in love with and also by a twist of fate lands up in the chair of the underworld king..

Have you seen Namaste London ? If yes - don't bother watching this. It's 70 % of NL.

Akshay is good in the movie and Katrina is RAVISHING. The support cast is good.

Music - the title track wowed me - I hated the song when it played on TV but when I saw it in the hall - WOW ! Other than this all songs were ok - Snoop Dogg video was not upto the mark, music was fun.


The best scene in the movie - when all the guys use the wheel chair don to get their drinks and munching - I was rolling watching that - Hilarious.

Verdict - 2/5. If you guys miss this, don't worry you haven't missed much.

ps - the movie left me wondering why Sardars ? If it was a Christian, Hindu or a Muslim - the movie would still be the same.

Maybe the audience the producer is aiming at is the NRI punjabi crowd. And with Akshay in the movie playing a sardar, overseas success of this movie is going to be HUGE.