Movie Audit
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Expendables 3
-Makes you shoot yourself
There are not many movies that make you want to get inside the screen, borrow one of the many guns in the movie, and shoot yourself. But the third installment of the “Expendables” franchise is, and I’m being nice here, just painful to watch.
After some meaningless action sequences (surprise surprise), the movie revolves around the discovery that former friend-turned-foe Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), long presumed dead, is alive and kicking and dealing in arms. Determined to go after the former Expendable, but unwilling to risk the lives of his ageing friends, Barney recruits a new set of younger “expendables” to accomplish the mission.
The movie brings a number of A-listers together in one frame – Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Antanio Banderas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford and Jet Liamongst others, but even these names couldn’t save the film with its randomly-inserted action sequences and flimsy plot. Although there are some commendable performances from Gibson as the quientessential bad guy and Banderas as the comic relief the movie so desperately needed, the film still turns out to be an exhausting experience with too many bullets flying around and buildings being blown up. Perhaps the writers could have focused more on developing a better storyline. Watch “Expendables 3” only if you want to return home with a headache.
By Priyanka Rajagopalan
Guardians of the Galaxy
Hands down, Guardians of the galaxy has to be one of the most refreshing movies that have come out this year. Marvel studios introduce us to yet another group of superheroes who come together under extremely odd circumstances and fight evil, except this time the situations are not gory but hilarious. After the death of his mother, young Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is abducted from earth by a group of space pirates called, Ravagers. Cut to 26 years later, on the orders of the Ravagers leader Yondu, Quill steals an orb that is also wanted by the dreadful Kree, Ronan (Lee Pace). He flees with the orb, forcing Yondu to issue a bounty on his name while Ronan sends his aid, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to kill him. She finds Quill in the Xandar world and tries to take the orb away from him but is interrupted by a genetically engineered racoon, Rocket and a tree-like humanoid, Groot who want the bounty amount. All four of them are arrested by the law-enforcing Nova Corps and put in jail. Here they meet Drax, the destroyer (Dave Bautista) whose family was murdered by Ronan. He attempts to kill Gamora but later discovers that she plans to betray Ronan and knows a buyer for the orb. The group escape and agree to share the money that comes out of selling the orb. Meanwhile, Yondu’s space pirates and Ronan who wants the orb in order to destroy Xandar are in the lookout for them. The rest of the story follows the fight between the good and the evil. Apart from eye-catching visual effects, this movie’s got some great humour. We have Groot, whose line of communication extends to only ‘I am Groot’ and Quill who listens to retro music and wants to be called star-lord. Then there is poor Rocket who is referred to as several different animals throughout the course of the movie. The story line is very interesting, we have got the occasional emotional moments but even that is incorporated in a very engaging manner. The cast have been chosen well and there are not many flaws we can ponder upon. This movie is a must-watch. It will definitely leave you in splits. What more, there is a sequel coming up soon. So folks, make sure you book your tickets for the weekend. Happy watching!
By Priyanka Parthasarathi
How to train your Dragon 2
A TREAT FOR ALL AGES
Ever been looking forward to the sequel of a splendid animated movie, only to be disappointed? Ever felt like the sequel was half-hearted and plot-less, just a shallow continuation of the previous movie? How to Train Your Dragon 2 is NOT that movie. Right from the opening lines to the climax, it is a whirlwind of amazing visuals backed by a strong storyline, every bit as engaging and lovable as the first movie, if not more. It does not let down the expectations stemming from the popularity of How to Train Your Dragon and sets the perfect premise for the next part of the series.
The movie starts five years after the first one ended, in the village of Berk, where dragons are now beloved pets. Hiccup and his faithful dragon, Toothless, embark on explorations where they chance upon a plot being hatched by a mysterious madman, Drago, to take control of all dragons. On the way, they find Hiccup’s long lost mother, which lends some beautiful moments to the story. How they unite to defeat the mad Drago, along with Hiccup’s friends and their loyal dragons forms the crux of the story.
Though Hiccup’s family reunion makes for an emotional joyride, it is the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless that is the heart and soul of this movie. There are many poignant scenes that are sure to bring a tear or two to your eyes, particularly the scene where Toothless’ loyalty is tested. The scenes leading to the climax and the climax itself are pumped and high on adrenaline, sure to keep you completely riveted. Not being a big fan of animated movies, I found myself wishing the movie would never end; the only fault I could find was that the dialogues were a little too emotional in a few places.
The movie has many moments of hilarity due to wonderful secondary characters. All in all, it is a complete feel-good entertainer, sure to appeal to audiences of all ages. Go watch it and join the rest of us wishing desperately for our own Toothless, the dragon!
By Sanjana Gautham
Edge of Tomorrow
"You see this isn't the first time that we've had this conversation."
Déjà vu. Heard of it? Edge of tomorrow is one movie that gives us a glimpse of what it can be like. This well-paced Tom Cruise sci-fi action thriller leaves you on the edge. It gives you exactly what you come into the theatre for - entertainment, humor, drama and some good action.
The introduction explains that humanity is battling an alien force known as the "Mimics" who have swiftly swallowed most of Europe and Russia. Tom Cruise plays William Cage, a wimpy PR strategist for the United Defense Force, who has never seen a day of combat in his life and is content to sit out as American troops pour into England to assist the fight as mankind gather for one last stand on the beaches of Normandy. After upsetting the top ranking officer, Cage finds himself cast into the frontline of battle in a metal exo-suit and loses his battles. The film then goes into a loop of live-die-repeat mode that Cage finds himself into. Thereon, he battles through his recurring situations and along with Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), he sets out on an eventful journey to destroy the source of the Mimics, the Omega.
A concept such as this one can often make a movie predictably repetitive. However, Doug Liman leaves no scope for boredom each time a situation repeats with his fast-paced action sequences and gives something new every time the day repeats. The considerable change in Cage’s attitude and emotion when he finds himself being drawn into familiar scenes even act as elements of subtle humor. Little details of changes in the scenery, how Cage modifies his behavior both to convince others and to find an answer, and how events unfold thereafter are put forth excellently. Cage and Rita’s chemistry click a chord and keep everyone engaged. The action sequences are paired with stunning special effects which strike terror at moments when they ought to.
It’s got the whole package of a tightly written story and an engaging edge-of-the-seat plot. One of the most “must-watch” movies of the year.
By Disha Munoth
Planes-2 : Fire and Rescue
-A Special kind of Plane
Planes-2: Fire and Rescue puts out a disclaimer a little after the beginning. To be a heroic firefighter, it takes a special kind of plane. Is Dusty Crophopper, the superfast racer from Planes (the first movie in the franchise), that special plane?
When Dusty’s gearbox malfunctions, he must look for another career option. A freak fire accident causes his town airport’s licence, which is where all the planes takeoff from, to be threatened, in the eventuality of not finding a second firefighter in addition to the veteran firefighter, Mayday. Dusty volunteers and must get himself trained and certified by toughie instructor Blade. What follows is a feel-good tale of Dusty’s downfalls and subsequent triumphs.
Planes 2 has splendid animation; the visuals are stunning and the 3D effect wonderfully complements them, making for an enjoyable watch. Though the story is slightly insipid in parts, and the narrative drags a little now and then, the vivid colours and sheer motion deserve to be commended. The firefighters and their missions are mildly thrilling and you can’t help but cheer them on, at least silently. The images of fires and the destruction caused by them are very realistic and engaging. What is missing is the adrenaline rush, or the thrill of a chase. The absence of a villain makes the landing very safe, which people expecting a rough ride might be disappointed or bored with.
Touted to be a tribute to valiant firefighters, Planes 2 shows us how firemen (or fireplanes) risk their lives to save the lives of million others, and how dedicated they are in doing their duty. There are also a couple of songs thrown in, which aren’t very memorable. The movie (quite like Planes), shows us automobiles in a world of their own, which lends to some moments of comedy and at times, even adorableness.
Planes 2 is, however, not a movie that will be enjoyed by the masses. Kids and hardcore animation film lovers will like it for the visuals but it might very well lose others out to the recent epic animation, How to Train Your Dragon 2, which is still running.
By Sanjana Gautham
Dawn of the planet of the apes
A visual masterpiece that rises beyond the apes
The apes are back in town and this time they’ve improved in every aspect from their 2011 version. Matt Reeves’ sequel to ‘Rise of the planet of the apes’: ‘Dawn of the planet of the apes’ comes as a surprise and is a rare case where it does even better than its predecessor in terms of realism as well as direction and absolutely brilliant visual effects.
The storyline picks up ten years after we saw Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his fellow simian escapees seek refuge in the woods near San Francisco. The apes with the leadership of Caesar on one hand have progressed much in few years, they have started to read and write, establish laws, live together as a family, hunt together using weapons and tools and even domesticate animals founding a fledging civilization in the woods of San Francisco. On the other hand, the virus which was being tested on the apes in the previous movie has actually caused the ‘Siman flu’ on humans causing a worldwide pandemic in which most of humanity has perished and just a few of them remain immune who survive in the human tower built in vicinity of the home of Caesar and his tribe. Tensions build up between the apes and the humans (played by Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell) which is the central plot of the story. What follows is a showcase of betrayal, trust, power, humanity and the basic need to survive.
The visual appeal brought in by the impeccable use of CGI mainly made the film commendably realistic. One would tend to forget that the apes are digitally crafted and naturally gets attached to the characters that they play; especially their expressions can be emotionally devastating that stay long with the viewer even after the movie. But the core of this film - and also the reason why the action scenes really do have an impact and all the mayhem really gets to you - is the intelligent, skillfully told story with its well-drawn, believable characters (portrayed by equally believable actors). The tragic simian/human conflicts mirrors our very human past and present day wars and social frictions in a very realistic way and thus makes this film resonate.
Not only does it deliver that rare sequel that explores its world and characters further, but it's also richly told, beautifully and hauntingly portrayed and truly exciting and terrifying in equal measures. It is possibly one of the best films of 2014.
By Disha Munoth
Into the Storm
-SLEEPING THROUGH THE STORM
At one point in the movie, one of the characters asks, “Is that it? Is it over?” I lost count of the number of times I asked myself this question in the course of this movie. Into the Storm is a disaster movie, which just ends up as a bad lesson in disaster management, but with splendid visuals.
The plot is fairly simple. A high school principal and his two sons are preparing for the school’s graduation where a tornado is about to strike and in the aftermath, meet a documentary filming crew. One of the sons is trapped with a friend underground and more tornadoes strike. How they are rescued and how they all attempt to escape the onslaught of a giant tornado (resulting from the convergence of two big tornadoes) forms the rest of the plot.
The film would have been a lot more bearable if there were more of special effects and images of the tornadoes and the destruction it causes instead of badly made emotional scenes or lame attempts at comedy. The actors (if you can call them that) appear forced and too rehearsed. The dialogues are straight out of High School Musical songs and the characters all seem to have a compulsive need to state the obvious again and again. For example, “Oh nooo! It’s heading straight for us!” (When the tornado is almost in his face) or “We need to escape this!” and the like.Such a cast and such dialogues can kind of cause you to stop caring about who lives and who dies.
But if it’s a visual splendour that you are expecting, then Into the Storm will not disappoint you. The special effects are compelling and impressive; it is after all a big bad tornado. There are some valid points the movie tries to make, like how the YouTube generation has little regard for life when it comes to making a video that will get a lot of hits. Into the Storm is a forgettable movie that you can catch for biding your time. If I had a penny for every time someone said “Hang on!” in this movie……
By Sanjana Gautham