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Mumbai Diaries (2021)
Tries to do too much and fails mostly
I will not delve into the accuracy of the facts depicted in the series. It's a fictional series that borrows heavily from an actual terrorist attack. However, the primary focus in this series is a Government hospital, its lack of infrastructure, and the overworked staff (by staff I mean just one doctor) during a national crisis.
The most painful thing while watching this series was the unfinished and unnecessary plotlines that at most times seemed forceful even. It reminded me of the Indian reality shows which show background stories for each participant. In fact, we could have cut down half the characters in the series and still the story would have worked.
Nowhere in the series do you actually care for any of the characters. The director tries really hard to explain the gravity of the situation by adding abuses after every other dialogue but this again feels forceful at times. I tried to look for some kind of salvation in this series and found very little.
While our hero, Mohit Raina, does most of the heavy-lifting (he's the only doctor attending to all the patients and we are talking this about a Government Hospital in Mumbai), the fellow actors have done a decent job in the limited roles that they have. Whatever character development that should have been present has been chopped off by poor editing and a mediocre storyline.
Overall, this series tries to fit a lot of pieces together but very few work, and those too are not compelling enough to create any interest for the viewers.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
#RestoreTheSnyderVerse
Comparing Snyder cut with the theatrical version, which went through two different directors who have completely different styles and visions, is absurd in my opinion. This movie clearly stands on its own. Abusing Joss Whedon for making changes to Snyder's script is not going to change the fact that HBO bought him to do exactly the same.
Coming to the performances, I especially liked Ezra Miller's Flash. He brings the kind of sincerity that we expect from the character. It's also good to see Wonder Woman in a much better role after the WW84 disappointment. Cyborg may be plagued by some bad CGI but ZSJL is completely weaved around his character which Ray Fisher executes brilliantly.
Now if I have to summarize,
Is this movie better than the 2017 theatrical version? Yes.
Is the storyline better? Not much but the extended scenes do provide some solid backstories to some of the characters.
Is it a tad too long? Definitely yes. A lot of unnecessary scenes and dialogues have been added that could have been skipped.
But whatever be its demerits, it is definitely the Justice League movie that we should have gotten in the first place. HBO needs to support Zack Snyder in restoring the Snyder verse.
Tamasha (2015)
Imperfection at its best
Well! This movie is not everyone's cup of tea. Especially, the Indian audience that is used to be spoonfed every emotion through dialogues. There is a lot going on that the main leads do not communicate verbally and in my opinion, that is the strongest suit of this movie.
To be frank, the concept itself is not new. How many times have we seen a lead actor or actress come to a realization and act upon the same without worrying about failure or societal banishment? Imtiaz Ali himself has done it himself in his past ventures. But the way Tamasha unfolds the story of an imaginative child fascinated by the fables to an obsequious adult lacking imagination is truly impressive.
In retrospect, Ranbir will probably feel a sense of accomplishment in doing this film (along with Rockstar and Barfi). The complex set of characters that he has portrayed now make him unparallel to any other actor of this generation.
Likewise, Deepika is amazing at how she portrays her character, although, sometimes you wish that you should get more of her story. Piyush Mishra is quirky as always (no complaints there).
Tamasha is in no way perfect but that's what the story is about - Embracing your imperfections and of the ones that you love.
Bard of Blood (2019)
Absolutely rubbish.
This show reminds us of the typical masala Bollywood movies where no matter how bad the storyline and dialogues are, the hero comes out unscathed. The character choices rarely make any sense. From editing to direction, everything looks amateurish. The BLF story arc is the most annoying and unbelievable part of the whole show.
No matter how many twists and turns, the stakes never seem high. The storyline tries to cover multiple topics at once and fails miserably to accomplish any of them convincingly.
This is a huge let down from Netflix. Overall, this TV show is only for those people who love Emraan Hashmi and whose acting is still bearable compared to the rest of the actors.
Carnival Row (2019)
First episode done. Looks pretty average.
Decent first episode but nothing that would excite you to watch the rest of the season. Will probably watch it just for the sake of it if there's nothing else on my plate.
Good Omens (2019)
Absolutely delightful!!
I haven't read the book on which this series is based but it definitely reminded me of the works of Douglas Adams - Everything is connected. The first couple of episodes are relatively slow but enjoyable.
The only negative I felt was that Adam and his friends' storyline was kind of rushed. Writers could have taken some time to chalk out his entire journey.
But overall the series is a great watch. Fantastic performances by David Tennant and Michael Sheen.
Supergirl: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1 (2017)
Could have done with a lot of editing.
Halfway into the episode you feel the boredom catching up to you. These crossovers are becoming cumbersome now with bad plot lines and no character development. Just because I watch Flash, I have to watch these other characters as well whose own shows are pathetic, to say the least. CW should stop imposing this burden on their viewers.
Arrow: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2 (2017)
As bad as it gets!!
Cliched story line and desperate attempts to stretch it to 4 episodes when it doesn't even deserve a single episode. Sure there are some good fights but the story is so predictable that it never holds your attention. DC/CW writers really need to level up.
P.S. Still can't understand the point of wearing the masks for the Earth X characters.
Golmaal Again (2017)
Hope it is the last movie in Golmaal series.
Attention! Beware! Golmaal Again is not a movie. It is 3 hours long strategically placed ad break with the humour the size of a needle tip. I can't think of a single reason that can justify why this movie was even conceived in the first place.
Parineeti Chopra, Tabu, Ajay Devgn & Arshad Warsi fall flat in a script which has little to offer to their characters while Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khema & Tushar Kapoor seem to be under Rohit Shetty Rozgaar Yojna which ensures that they get a movie once in a while to get their bank balance going. Even the talents of Sanjay Mishra and Johnny Lever have been wasted in this lacklustre comedy.
In reality, Golmaal Again's tagline 'Logic nahi only Magic', which is, by the way, repeated several times in the movie for no reason at all, makes you wonder how dumb do the directors think the audience is.
Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016)
This lipstick is definitely going to stick for a long time.
Oftentimes we take stature of women for granted in our lives. What have we not done to ensure that their freedom is transient and in some cases, non-existent? This movie takes a bold step in storytelling and in addition to showcasing the double standards prevalent in the society, lets out a very strong message on the aspirations (and/or fantasies) of these women. A would-be bride having an affair, an older woman falling for a younger man, a teenager wearing jeans, and a woman with a career - these are highly unacceptable in a patriarchal society after all.
During the course of this movie, the individual stories of these women meet, collide and eventually merge onto a singular course whose outcome is filled with embarrassment (reality not a cliché). But, instead of apologising, these women laugh at their future prospects and continue their 'Lipstick wale sapne'.
Let us hope to see many such gems from Bollywood in future and that the censor board does not try to hide them under any Burkha.
Castlevania (2017)
Amazing so far!!
There is a lot happening in Castlevania and not much of a backstory has been provided in the first season which works as a positive for the show and one of the reasons that make this show quite intriguing. The characters may not feel fresh to some viewers but the storytelling has been an absolute treat in this season.
On some research, I got to know that it is based on a horror fantasy video game series of the same name and I have a feeling that it will definitely be living up to the game's standards or may even surpass that.
P.S. - I'm not sure why the trivia mentions that 'The series is in the vein of Game of Thrones'. Just because there are monsters, witches and a trio trying to save humans? Isn't that Harry Potter too, then?
Iron Fist (2017)
Not a lost cause altogether.
Iron Fist regularly makes you question the decision to choose Finn Jones as the protagonist. His action scenes are dull and uninspiring while on the acting front he does not showcase anything worth remembering, unlike the other 3 Defenders.
The show builds up slowly during first few episodes (which is not at all bad considering it is an origin story) but gets to a nice finish that holds promise for the next season. However, compared to the overall plot, the surprise elements were handled rather poorly.
Even with all these shortcomings, the show does have its moments and a better direction would definitely benefit it in the longer run.
Wai Ching Ho as Madame Gao is brilliant while Jessica Henwick, Rosario Dawson & Tom Pelphrey prove a great supporting cast.
12 Monkeys (2015)
Hell of a show after season one.
Edited after watching season 3-
This show keeps getting better and better every season. Perhaps, if people stopped comparing it with the movie, it would have had a better rating. On the whole, brilliant story and character development after season 1 (which was a little drag).
To sum up this show by seasons (about time IMDb has this feature):
S1: 7
S2: 8
S3: 8.5
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Far from Amazing
While The Amazing Spiderman boasted a good storyline and well developed characters, the latest offering of the franchise has little to offer except for the number of villains.
The story is weak, the characters under-developed and at one point of time you are just waiting for the movie to finish.
The main villain, as portrayed in various posters and trailers, Electro has been provided with a weak background story and doesn't get the kind of screen presence a main villain should get. The main focus (intentionally or unintentionally) shifts to the other bad guy, Green Goblin played by Dane DeHaan who plays it quite convincingly. Paul Giamatti playing Rhino has been totally wasted.
It feels like Mark Webb wanted to send as many villains against Spiderman as possible without developing even a single one. If the movie had been any longer he might have added a dozen more villains.
The only plus point of the movie would be Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone's Chemistry and their scenes together provide the movie its much needed charm.
I watched the 3-D version and found it to be much better than many recent movies.
Overall The Amazing Spiderman 2 may have its moments but it fails to prove as 'Amazing' as promised by the title.