Aj_Cheema Reviews

Raajneeti (2010)

Ambitious, engaging, pertinent, and well made, though clichéd and theatrical

[6/10 · 4 June 2010]

Rajneeti is an ambitious, engaging, entertaining, pertinent, and well made film, though at times clichéd and theatrical.

The ensemble cast delivers above expectation, especially the consummate performance by Ranbir Kapoor and aided by the adept ones by Manoj Bajpai, Ajay Devgan, and Nana Patekar ; Arjun Rampal is also surprisingly convincing, with the performances by the female cast ranging from the adequate to the weak.

Further, while the director and screenwriters do a skillful job of weaving the political commentary (mostly accurate albeit broadly generalizing), the moralizing (unwelcome and hackneyed), the scheming and vendettas, and the classical mythos (its main inspiration is the epic Mahabharata), into an entertaining and finely paced film; however, it's somewhat protracted and overly theatrical second half, lowers the intensity, with the generalizations and pauses detracting from its focus and the theatrical violence lowering its credibility, which coupled with an ending that's rather tame and platitudinous, the film falls short of the masterpiece category.

Nonetheless, in an industry where condescending, vapid and "timepass" movies are the rule, and political correctness construed as deference and social aloofness, Rajneeti is a relatively bold, refreshingly frank, and an entertaining exception.

Kudos to Prakash Jha and the production team for their ambitious, riveting, and fine piece of work.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Wasted potential

[5/10 · 29 December 2009]

With a furious and almost intransigent focus on special effects over story, the 'physical' over the emotional, and the appalling(and unnecessary) attempts at being 'contemporary' and 'humorous', not to mention the relentless pushing of a romantic angle where there wasn't one to be had, make this film a waste of time, money, and a potentially good experience. The director betrays complete disinterest in the(poorly written) human characters and in telling a story and yet expects us to not only relate to them, but to also care about the 'plot' and watch this drivel till the 'epic' finale. In addition, the pathetic soundtrack and the consistently weak acting don't help either. To top it off, rather predictably(and horrifyingly), room is left for yet another sequel! Avoidable.

Avatar (2009)

An enthralling spectacle

[9/10 · 21 December 2009]

An engaging, enthralling, well-written, inspiring, and thoroughly entertaining feature-film that is as intent on telling a story as it is on wowing you with spectacular images and special effects. A particularly endearing aspect of this movie is its thematic focus(environmentalism, mercenary corporations, and the downside of avarice) and its tasteful application of science-fiction clichés while inventing a few of its own. Its groundbreaking implementation of photo-realistic CGI and good-ole surround sound result in a truly immersive experience and just like the protagonist one's awareness of his surroundings is amplified and one's perception of the real is shaken. The only let-down is the score which while adequate, isn't as memorable as the rest of the film. And best of all is how these elements coalesce to make a sci-fi film that stays true to its genre by enthralling and raising pertinent questions, while also providing an engaging and cathartic story.

Antichrist (2009)

Potent and provocative, but unsatisfactory content-wise.

[7/10 · 2 November 2009]

My problem with this movie is neither the sex nor the violence, and nor the way in which it switches gears from art cinema to gross-out cinema, but its lack of meaning/content.

As other reviewers have noted everything from the cinematography to the score and of course, the acting, is superb; and even though the 'story' is engaging for the first half-hour or so, it is clear that the director has no intention of passing any sort of comment on the characters' behavior or advancing any 'message'.

If the director intended to provoke us and provide us with grotesque themes to contemplate, then he has achieved his goal. However, if he truly wanted to explore fear or the 'evil' of women, he has failed spectacularly.

He slyly indulges our desire for a catharsis till the very end, until we realize that their is no resolution, no grand commentary, just animal madness.

Chaos reigns alright, though one wishes story did as well.

The Hangover (2009)

Delivers the goods, though it could've been better.

[6/10 · 15 August 2009]

If you're looking for a movie to blow off some time and steam with, then you should give this is a watch; if you are looking for an innovative, witty film with pertinent social commentary, or satirical elements, this is probably not the movie for you. I watched it expecting a few laughs, some clichéd storyline, and a bit of fun, and that's exactly what I got, though it did feel a bit incomplete, and that's probably the room that they've left for the sequel. This is a fun film if you're that sort of person, but not as good as it could've been; if only they'd paid as much attention to story as they did to the gags.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

A middling adaptation

[6/10 · 19 July 2009]

Though I was rather disappointed with the tiresome attempts to make a optimistic yet serious book into a 'comedy for the family', and the pathetic acting in the initial stages of the film, and the fact that the filmmakers left out so many essential sub-plots and events that would otherwise render the movie incomprehensible to a non-reader; I was impressed with the special effects and the terrific latter half of the film. Even though the filmmakers chose to compress a lot of the core of the book in just a few moments, it's still executed well enough to warrant the 153 minute run-time.

For once, a Harry Potter adaptation does not feel rushed and incoherent, though it does feel awfully truncated.

My particular gripe with this film is the exclusion of Dumbledore's funeral, which was probably cut for being 'too heavy'. Overall, though, its a summer-movie worth the price of admission, which in the time of 'Transformers' and never-ending sequels, is saying a lot.

Verdict:7/10.

PS: do read the books if you haven't already, they have more depth, are infinitely more entertaining, and you will have improved your vocabulary if nothing else.

Ghajini (2008)

This Movie Sucks!

[4/10 · 17 January 2009]

Having seen Memento a while back, and liked it a lot, i was drawn into this movie because the "buzz" had it that Amir khan was releasing his latest 'project', and it was inspired by memento, and was going to be "BIG". I was rather enthused by the idea of a non-chronological, thought-provoking, and tight Hindi movie. Well, what to say? This movie was a complete fiasco! The action was over-the-top, Anterograde Amnesia was grossly misrepresented/depicted, the song and dance sequences were rather annoying, and the whole revenge plot was so overdone, that it was rather comical in a painful sort of way. The length was atrocious, the boy-girl thing was rather trite, and the numerous product placements, and attempts at humour, and social commentary were anachronistic and pathetic; thereby rendering this one of the worst movie-going experiences of my life. My problem is not with the 'unrealistic' elements, but with the hamming, the intransigently illogical plot, the hap-hazard and reprehensibly dumb way in which it was edited, and with the impunity with which this mess was promoted, lapped-up and hyped by the media, and was let loose upon the cine-goers without even the slightest of warnings, that they were going to get their minds f****d for the next THREE frigging HOURS! How do these people get away with insulting their audiences intelligence like this?

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Incredibly Awful

[5/10 · 23 June 2008]

The movie starts to basically fall apart after the initial 15-35 minutes and never quite recovers. The concept, and the initial storyline were rather promising, but they are never quite built upon, and the focus is, instead, on mind-numbingly dull, repetitive special effects that are neither aesthetically pleasing nor that revolutionary in terms of technical wizardry. The whole movie is basically about the hulk- running away from a military that acts as if it owns the planet, roaring loudly, and smashing things. Its yet another generic mindless action movie targeted at 12-15 yr olds; and indeed, if I was a twelve year-old I'd be in love with this movie..trouble is I ain't twelve years-old, and neither were my fellow cine-goers, who were laughing throughout the overdone action sequences and positively jeering by the end. the only redeeming quality about this movie is Edward Norton's performance, William Hurt is moderately tolerable, and everyone else, especially Liv Tyler, are wasted. besides, its 30 minutes too long. Conclusion: watchable, but barely so.

Batman Begins (2005)

wish WB would do the same with other franchises...

[7/10 · 22 June 2007]

nothing left to be said about the movie. it was pretty damn good!!!! Just hope Warner Bros will stop screwing the other great franchise:Harry Potter. they've made nothing but a parody/mockery/caricature of the books.

Lord Of The Rings is really not that great a book but a great movie. Harry Potter deserves to be made like that; seriously and true to the books.

and not like the insane action/comedy its made to be.

Here is to Hoping Warner Bros don't screw up the all-important 6th and 7th movies.

Because i bet they've already screwed the 5th one!!!!

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

See With Your Kids.......That Way at least someone will enjoy it....

[4/10 · 22 June 2007]

don't see it. mindless big-budget crap. but then again that goes for most of the movies released every summer. as technology gets smarter; are humans getting more dumber???? well, it would definitely seem so if you would check the returns the studios get for these kind of childish movies. just add one kg of CGI, 500 grams of insane stunts, a dash of good-looking people and a hint of acting. perfect recipe for a money-making machine of a movie . Don't blame the studios.Capitalism 101:Demand=supply. The studios wouldn't be making such mindless nonsense if their wasn't a demand for it.Indeed, humankind is getting a lot dumber.And Hollywood Is The happier for it.

Superman Returns (2006)

Man Of Steel's Return Disappoints

[4/10 · 20 August 2006]

After movies like Batman Begins, X-Men 3, and Spiderman-2 raised the bar for a movie based on comics; one had great expectations of Superman Returns. Not terrible, not terrific, Superman Returns lacks power. Newcomer Brandon Routh as the strapping, handsome hero is not the problem. Most everyone pretty much does their job, but director Bryan Singer's revival is one long slog through a movie we have seen before.Even the special effects are lousy. Taking a half hour to get its bearings, the cherry-picked story apparently takes place after Superman: The Movie and Superman II, when Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane and Superman finally had sex. An exciting flight rescue offers a glimpse of Superman's supreme confidence and puts us squarely in present-day Metropolis.

It also introduces Lois, miraculously younger than she was 26 years ago?and the age difference impairs her character's ability to get swept up by Supe. At the low end of twenty-something, Lois (Kate Bosworth) now drives a luxury car, has a child out of wedlock, lives in a mansion with her boss (James Marsden), to whom she is not married?sleeping with Perry White's (Frank Langella) nephew hasn't helped her afford a haircut or a sitter for the kid?and, by the way, she has a Pulitzer.

Nothing against Kate Bosworth, in stringy black hair, but Lois is too preoccupied being superwoman to pine convincingly for Superman, who has a vague role as the world's savior. Margot Kidder's tenacious reporter had yet to achieve her career highs and she was a bit of a mess, and the contrast with clean-cut Superman added a deeper dimension to the bond. Kidder and Christopher Reeve were magnetic.

Routh's Man of Steel lacks purpose. He returns to earth after trying to find his home planet Krypton. Barely speaking to his adoptive mother (Eva Marie Saint, looking lost), he randomly flashes back to boyhood (and teases his dog in a way that seems cruel) and he eventually shows up at the Daily Planet building as Clark Kent after an absence of years. When he tries to reconnect his relationship with Lois, she snaps: "what relationship?"

Lois is neither the best nor the brightest, leaving her son stranded, taking him on assignment, dragging the child along as she trespasses and delivering him into the company of a serial killer. How can Lois be the world's greatest reporter at 23 and as street savvy as a supermodel? Welcome to the strange new world of Superman, where the tongue is nowhere near the cheek.

With Lois and child in imminent danger at the hands of Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey), who plans to set up a new continent of jagged rocks with a band of speechless thugs and Parker Posey?go figure?Superman springs into high gear. In his finest moment, he rises from the earth to literally bask in the sun.

But there's precious little of Superman, the exalted, and too much of Superman as Christ, arms outstretched, looking down, suffering and depending on others to save him. That last bit is an overwhelmed subplot about reciprocity and the reality of truly super men and it might have worked, thanks to good scenes between Routh and Marsden.

Like his core principles, described here as truth, justice and something other than the American way, the Man of Steel is ultimately reduced to near-mortal status. Director Bryan Singer tried to have it every which way?soap opera, epic, modern relevance?and ended up with too much movie and not much to say. That Superman is downsized comes with today's cultural territory: he aches and he broods, the hero with hospitalized feet of clay?this is Superman, right?and, when he does take flight, he's a speck on the horizon; humbled, insignificant and noticeably smaller than life. The climax is very uninspiring, with superman lifting the continent created by Lex Luthor and carries it all the way into outer space. Oh,and it turns out that superman is the father of Lois's child who's powers aren't developed yet, and he is resistant to Kryptonite, but suffers from asthma.In this way, even though Superman nearly dies in the movie; there is room for a sequel. Bottomline:the movie lacks substance, a good script, and it doesn't even have a story. Suggested Alternative: TV show called Smallville.