Assassins (1995)

Genre: Crime/Action/Drama/Thriller

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Antonia Banderas, Julianne Moore

Hit men movies are not uncommon to Hollywood and that too having two assassins is not going to make things any different. Robert Rath (Stallone) is an accomplished assassin and is said to be the best in the business. His daily routine is shattered when he discovers that his targets are being stolen by another assassin, Miguel Bain (Banderas). Bain is an over-enthusiastic newcomer to the business and looks up to Rath and has made him his mentor. Rath once had a Russian friend, Nicoli, whom he killed to become the best assassin available, a technique that Bain now wishes to apply. Rath befriends a target Electra (Moore) whom he agreed to team with to defeat Bain for mutual benefit. The movie plot is quite average with predictable results and some scenes make you think, 'Wait, how did that happen again?' The things to watch out for is the entertaining action and Banderas' psychotic performance to an extent. There really is nothing in the movie for any viewer except for raw action sequences with added flavours of Stallone and Banderas fighting it out.

Thumbs up: Entertaining action, Banderas

Thumbs down: Story

Rating: 6.5/10

Another Day in Paradise (1998)

Genre: Crime/Drama

Starring: James Woods, Melanie Griffith, Vincent Kartheiser, Natasha Gregson Wagner

A small time crook, Bobbie (Kartheiser), mugged people and broke into slot machines to get money for his daily dose of dope for him and his girlfriend Rosie (Wagner). Not even of age yet, the two are complete junkies and are a waste in life. Mel (Woods), a more accomplished criminal, discovers Bobbie and decides to introduce him to bigger loots, and along with his live-in girlfriend Sid (Griffith), start to train him. Life is good, money is good and everyone is having a good time when suddenly things start to get very ugly and the 'kids' Bobbie and Rosie start to realise that this might not be what they actually wanted in life. Near death experiences, differences, fights all start eating into their lives and what seemed to be gold on the outside turned out to be ugly rotten filth on the inside. The movie starts on a decently high note but development is slow, boring, predictable and not all that entertaining. Performances are mediocre and there are far better movies on speed-junkies and crime that the world has seen.

Thumbs up: Good start

Thumbs down: Bad plot development, boring and predictable

Rating: 6.2/10

Cars 2 (2011)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Animation/Comedy/Sports/Drama

Starring (voice): Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro

A sequel to the first Cars movie, British industrialist Sir Miles Axlerod (Izzard) launches a new bio fuel after realising that fossil fuels are quickly degrading the world. To launch this fuel he is holding a World Grand Prix, a race that would see the top drivers from various motor sports battle it out on three different locations to prove the reliability of the fuel. Lightning McQueen (Wilson) is on the race and this time he decides to bring Mater (Cable Guy) along for the race. Finn McMissile (Caine), James Bond's Aston Martin DB5, is a British spy who is investigating a TV camera and its hidden functionality. Along with his sidekick, Holley Shiftwell (Mortimer) they are to rendezvous with an American spy at the World Grand Prix launch party, who has further information on the case. The American gets cornered and in an act of desperation, plants the device, holding the information, on Mater. McMissile and Shitwell track the device and assume Mater to be a very well disguised spy which according to Mater becomes the adventure of his life. The movie replicates human life very interestingly on cars. It's fun to hunt for the finer details and get amused at the thought process that went behind it. The only let down in the movie was the lack of good humour and comedy. Sure the movie is enticing and would definitely grasp the attention of kids, especially if its your kid brother, but it still lacks the ability to make you roll over with laughter.

Thumbs up: Superb animation, extremely gripping

Thumbs down: Not funny enough although it is entertainment-packed

Rating: 7.0/10

The Wrestler (2008)

Genre: Drama/Sports


Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood

As children, we all grew up watching hard-bodied, tough men wring it out in the wrestling arena. We all once harboured ambitions to be like them and be as hardcore as possible. And we all knew somewhere in the back of our minds that it is all fake and made up but never wanted to listen to that voice in our head. Randy 'The Ram' (Rourke) is a professional wrestler whose glory days were in the '80's but inspite his old age and illness he continues to wrestle. He doesn't lead the life like we would all imagine wrestlers to lead and lives off a trailer park, makes measly money in the fights, and is like just another average person in the showbiz. He tries to romance a stripper Cassidy (Tomei) and get back to his estranged daughter Stephanie (Wood) in a bid to redeem his life and mistakes. The movie mostly revolves around the life of Randy and Cassidy, both in the show business with demanding skills. In Randy's life people within his show love him but in the real world he is a nobody and people don't care for him. For Cassidy it is the exact opposite who isn't cared or loved for in the club but has a family and children with people around her to love and care for her. The movie shows the true world of wrestling and the skill demands some jobs have on people just so that the average person is entertained.

Thumbs up: Fabulous performance, good paradoxical story
Thumbs down: Slow, would have been more interesting had it been based on a true life incident

Rating: 7.8/10

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988)

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Action/Adventure

Starring: Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, Marion Ramsey, Janet Jones, Lance Kinsey, Matt McCoy, G.W. Bailey, George Gaynes, Rene Auberjonois

The fifth installment of the Police Academy series shifts base to the exotic Miami when Comdt. Eris Lassard (Gaynes) gets kidnapped. Captain Harris (Bailey) is as usual trying to overthrow Lassard and take over his position and has learnt that Lassard has crossed the state mandatory retirement age and is overdue to vacate the post. Lassard is always being awarded the police officer of the decade at Miami and he invites his trusted officers to accompany him for the ceremony. Tony (Auberjonois) is a thief who recently stole some diamonds but accidentally managed to switch bags with Lassard at the airport. With his diamonds with Lassard, he decides to kidnap him to extract them with Lassard's team hot on his trail. The movies in this series were never really high on entertainment with average humour, predictable plot and weak acting. A lot of the actors and characters were subject to shuffling, with the latest being Steve Guttenberg who played the lead role of Carrey Mahoney and was absent from this movie. An avoidable movie only to watch if you really need something light and simplistic.

Thumbs up: Nothing exceptional

Thumbs down: Humour and acting

Rating: 4.6/10

Biutiful (2010)

Genre: Drama

Starring: Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez, Hanna Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Eduard Fernandez, Diaryatou Daff, Cheng Tai Shen

Set in Barcelona, Spain, the plot revolves around Uxbal (Bardem) a man with an unstable and weak income who would do just about anything to make some money. From talking to the dead, selling replicated designer wear and trafficking Chinese labourers, Uxbal is the man you would want to approach if your stuck in the mud. Uxbal seperated from his wife Marambra (Alvarez) due to her mental condition and her inability to look after their two children Ana (Bouchaib) and Mateo (Estrella). Uxbal is suffering from cancer and has only a few months to survive. In these few months he needs to sort many things in his life out to make sure that his children have a safe and happy future. Mambra is desperate to get back to him and with no other person to trust his children with, Uxbal is forced to accept her in his life once more much to his despise. His worries seem to be endless with his children's future being the pinnacle of the lot. The movie seems to be a bit 'arty' and may not be the conventional movie one wold come across in theatres. The performances of Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez and everyone else is simply outstanding and merits those endless awards the movie has received. The only reason to watch this movie is to enjoy the fabulous acting and the fine plot execution that it enjoys. Yes, it is slow and can get a bit boring for some but that is how one would expect a movie of this particular genre to turn out to be. Sheer brilliance I tell you!

Thumbs up: Great performances

Thumbs down: Slow for some

Rating: 7.7/10

Ra.One (2011)

Genre: Action/Drama/Romance/Science-fiction

Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Tom Wu, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami

Time and again I have said that Bollywood lacks recipe and in spite of rapid evolutions in movie-making, ideas still seemed to be ripped out of Hollywood blockbusters. Shekhar Subramanium (Khan) is a game developer for Barron Industries but does not appear to be cool enough in the eyes of his son Prateek (Verma). In a bid to get into his sons good books and make an outstanding video game, Shekhar develops the ultimate super villain, Ra.One (Rampal & Wu). Ra.One is equipped with artificial intelligence where he quickly learns the moves of his players and gets smarter and hence tougher. Things start going haywire and Ra.One from the game comes to life and wrecks havoc. He is out to hunt for Prateek whom he has learnt is his most formidable opponent and decides to hunt him down. In order to stop Ra.One, the good guy, G.One (Khan) is brought to life and to bring an end to this mutiny. Shekhar's wife Sonia (Kapoor) and Prateek are in danger of being killed and it is up to G.One to save them. The movie is a rip-off of Hollywood's best superheroes all in one. Ra.One and G.One share the same suit design as Iron Man, especially the HART which is a direct copy of the same device on Iron Man. Many fight scenes are copied from Terminator including the one from Terminator 2 where T-1000 rebuilds itself after getting disintegrated by liquid nitrogen. The movie has supposedly tried to use the most advanced special effects to date but yet many scenes seem be hopeless and look tacky even for 20-year-old graphics technology standard. The movie is a total washout and a case study of 'How to create too much buzz for an entirely worthless product'. It still kills me on how G.One managed to come back to life after being killed, any answers?

Thumbs up: Arjun Rampal filled Ra.One's character well with some scenes being executed with finesse

Thumbs down: Copied plot, very poor special effects.

Rating: 4.8/10

The Three Musketeers (3D)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Crime/History/Romance

Starring: Matthew Macfayden, Milla Jovovich, Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, Orlando Bloom, Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz, Gabriella Wilde, Mads Mikkelsen, Freddie Fox, Juno Temple

Based on the famous French novel, the story is set in 17th century France which was then under the reign of King Louis XIII (Fox). The kings Three Musketeers, Athos (Macfayden), Porthos (Stevenson) and Aramis (Evans) serve the king and hence serve France. A young country lad D'Artagnan (Lerman) is anxious to join the Musketeers and comes to Paris to realise his dreams. He meets his mentors who are impressed with his skills and D'Artagnan soon becomes friends with the trio. Milady (Jovovich) Athos' ex-wife who earlier betrayed him, is hired by the Duke of Buckingham (Bloom) and the French Cardinal Richelieu (Waltz) to steal Queen Anne's (Temple) diamonds from Paris and bring it to Buckingham. The Queen is framed with having an affair with Buckingham and the King gets word of it. To test her loyaly and the truth of the accusation, he orders the Queen to wear the diamonds to the ball in five days, if she fails to wear them then Buckingham and the Queen's fate would be sealed. The novel has been made into a movie a countless number of times with this movie being the latest so far. The movie in general has nothing to write home about with action and performances being mediocre. The visual effects though are quite nice with the 3D effect being very life like. An average entertainer that could have been far better if the plot and action was moulded in a slightly different manner.

Thumbs up: 3D experience

Thumbs down: Average action and plot

Rating: 6.5/10

Hole in One (2010)

Genre: Comedy/Sport/Drama/Romance

Starring: Steve Talley, David Ellison, Dean Cameron, Christopher Showerman, Sandy Modic

Sex sells? At least that is what the makers of this movie believe in. Here is our recipe; get a young famous actor, get some gorgeous skimpy clothed woman, add some considerable nudity, sprinkle some slap-stick humour and if you really wish, add a plot to it. Eric (Talley) is an amateur golfer who hustles people at golf and makes a living. His best friend Tyler (Ellison) runs a store that sells golf apparel and the two are enjoying their life the way it is. On one eventful day, Eric makes a bet with two plastic surgeons at golf and loses, or rather gained, something he wish he never had. Steve Talley has emerged as the new god of sex-comedy movies after his success with American Pie and Van Wilder and is poised to become the next Sean Williamson Scott of the industry. The movie is a mindless comic with no laughable humour or entertaining plot outline. If loads of topless woman is what defines your style of entertainment then this movie is definitely up to the mark else it is a pure waste of precious time. Watch at your own risk.

Thumbs up: Does the moon have water?

Thumbs down: Bad plot, worse humour

Rating: 4.8/10

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2010)

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama

Starring: Christopher Gorham, Alyssa Milano, Michael Landes, Tom Lenk

An aspiring writer, Ethan (Gorham) is tired of facing rejection and listening to his editor saying that his stories lack inspiration. Just when he is about to give up, he meets a waitress Jessie (Milano) and the two immediately become really great friends. Ethan starts to fall in love with her but little does he know that Jessie is dating an advertising executive, Troy (Landes). Jessie seems to love both, Troy and Ethan and neither of the men know about each other. Jessie soon realises that her life cannot go on like this and one fine day she would have to bring out the truth and select one over the other. The movie starts out being very interesting and progress is smooth and catchy. The only downfall of the movie is its climax which is not understandable, downright weird and not what one would expect from this movie. It somehow changes the entire plot with what you have been watching all this while to something completely different and what some might call it, lame. It seemed like a hurried option just to end the movie and brings down an otherwise decent watch.

Thumbs up: A good romance to watch with your lover

Thumbs down: Horrible climax

Rating: 5.7/10

The Lost City (2005)

Genre: History/Action/Romance/Drama

Starring: Andy Garcia, Enrique Murciano, Nestor Carbonell, Tomas Millian, Jsu Garcia, Ines Sastre, Richard Bradford, Bill Murray

Batista, the dictator of Cuba was hated by his people for the lack of freedom and his never-ending oppression. Federico (Milian) is a highly respected university professor who has brought up his three sons with strict virtues and good ideologies. He wants to use constitutional means to remove Batista from power and make Cuba a democracy. His son Ricardo (Murciano) does not agree with his democratic future and becomes a Communist by joining hands with Che Guevara (Jsu Garcia). His second son Luis (Carbonell) joins the democratic revolution who attempts to storm into the Presidential Palace and kill Batista but gets killed in the shootout. His third son Fico (Andy Garcia) owns a nightclub who loves dance and music and simply wants to make a peaceful living. Fico promised Luis that he would look after his wife Aurora (Sastre) should anything happen to him and, upon insistence from his mother, he starts spending time with her only to fall in love. The movie reflects the love between Fico and Aurora against the hard times of Cuban dictatorship and eventual Communism by Fidel Castro. It picks up on a good note but the consequent developments are slow and at times become a bore. Romance and drama movies tend to be slow and the long pointless conversations only add to the dragged outline of the plot. Certain performances are commendable especially the unnecessary character of The Writer (Murray) who has no name who simply appears where Fico is and adds the tinge of humour to the movie. Nothing special, just a history lesson with a romance.

Thumbs up: Bill Murray and other performances

Thumbs down: Slow and dragged

Rating: 6.4/10

Thor (2011)

Genre: Action/Science-fiction/Fantasy/Adventure

Starring: Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Colm Feore

According to ancient Nordic mythology, the god of gods, Odin (Hopkins) had two sons Loki (Hiddleston) and Thor (Hemsworth). Thor was the heir-apparent to the throne of Odin's kingdom much to the despise of Loki. Loki, God of Mischief, was known for his trickery and lies and Thor, God of Thunder, for his rage and arrogance. The movie blends the old mythical story with new-age science to narrate the story of King Odin, ruler of the planet Asgard who once waged war against the Frost Giants and their leader King Laufey (Feore) and seized their prized Casket of Ancient Winter, their only source of power. Thor eventually ascends the throne and in order to celebrate his new accession, wages war once again with the Frost Giants in order to prove his might. Angered, his father banishes him to Earth and casts a spell on his Hammer which would only answer to a person worthy of wielding it. Jane Foster (Portman) an astrophysicist rescues Thor upon his arrival and aids him in whatever way she can. Thor wants to retrieve his hammer and return to Asgard but mischievous Loki has other secret plans for him. The movie is a good blend of mythology and science and is a seamless and convincing blend that does not seem awkward or out of place. For anyone familiar with Nordic mythology or for someone who has played the very famous PC game Age of Mythology would be familiar with the gods featured in the movie and their powers and characters. A good adventure and fantasy watch that ticks the right boxes.

Thumbs up: Good graphics, great seamless blending of stories

Thumbs down: Nothing really, ticks the right boxes to be a decent entertainer

Rating: 7.5/10

Dude, Where's My Car (2000)

Genre: Comedy/Adventure/Science-fiction/Mystery

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Sean William Scott, Jennifer Garner, Marla Sokoloff, Hal Sparks

Two pot-heads have a crazy night and the next day, they don't remember a thing. Jesse (Kutcher) and Chester (Scott) cannot remember where they went and what they did but all they know is that they might have had a really good time. The two forgot their anniversary with the twins, Wanda (Garner) and Wilma (Sokoloff), forgot where they kept their gifts, forgot why a transsexual is demanding $200,000 from them, forgot why two Nordic dudes, a group of girls calling themselves 'hot chicks' and a team of very geeky cult members are asking them for the 'Continuum Transfunctioner', a device that can destroy the entire universe, and also forgot where they parked Jesse's car. They realised that if they find the car most of their questions about last night would be solved, but that is if they can find out where the car is. Since this movie preceded The Hangover one can say that it might have been the source of inspiration for the modern epic laugh riot. This movie, however, was not all that funny but just plain stupid. Its the very typical slap-stick humour that you sit and enjoy with friends and simply erase it from your memory later. Stupid and funny but don't expect too much out of it.

Thumbs up: Stupid humour, a sex-comedy with a plot

Thumbs down: Not funny enough

Rating: 6.2/10

Hors la Loi (2010)

Genre: Crime/History/Action/Drama

Starring: Jamel Debouzze, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, Bernard Blancan, Sabrina Seyvecou

English title: Outside the Law. Like most modern countries in Africa and Asia, Algeria too was a colony of a European Empire and in this case it was France. The Algerians were made to fight in World War II against Germany and soon after the war ended, a revolution for independence ensued. Three Algerian brothers were forced to leave their motherland and start a new life, each in their own direction. Said (Debouzze) the youngest, was an entrepreneur and wanted to become a boxing manager and did not believe in the revolution. Making money was his only ambition, be it by hook or by crook. Abdelkader (Bouajila) was the second eldest and the revolutionist who started his own political party that would fight against the French and gain freedom. Messaoud (Zem) the eldest, served the French Army but got tired of war and left it to join Abdelkader and his fight for freedom. The characters portrayed by the brothers are fictionalised and only the backdrop of the Algerian struggle is historically accurate. The performances executed are exceptional and exactly what one would expect from such a movie. The only flaw in an otherwise decent movie is its over-stretched and slow developing plot which perhaps if faster, would have made the movie far more interesting.

Thumbs up: Exceptional performances, great adaptation

Thumbs down: Stretched and slow-developing plot

Rating: 7.0/10

Jo Dooba So Paar: It's Love in Bihaar (2011)

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Adventure

Starring: Vinay Pathak, Anand Tiwari, Rajat Kapoor, Pitobash Tripathy, Dadhi Raj, Sita Ragoine Spada

When a white woman walks into India with extremely ambitious plans to tour the country and further her knowledge, everyone knows the hurdles she will have to cross and Sapna's (Spada) story is no different. Sapna comes to India to pursue her M. Phil research in paintings of India and wants to travel all over Bihar. Kishu (Tiwari) is a local youth who dropped out of school and now spends his days travelling in his fathers truck, transporting goods from one city to another. He glances upon Sapna in the streets one morning and instantly falls in love with her. Day in and day out he tirelessly tries win her heart only to find that it belonged to someone else. The movie is set against Bihar's rural life and most of the humour comes from their style of talking and the sarcasm that comes along with it. To someone who is familiar with the dialect, the humour would be more than appreciated compared to anyone else who might just laugh without getting its true meaning. The performances and good and its worth that one watch to enjoy and go home.

Thumbs up: Sarcastic humour, performances

Thumbs down: Not LOL funny

Rating: 6.6/10

Despicable Me (2010)

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Drama/Science-fiction/Action

Starring (voice): Steve Carell, Jason Segal, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher

How I love a good, humourous and fun-to-watch animation! It is indeed pleasing when every now and then there comes a comedy that you can watch over and over again and enjoy it just as you did when you saw it the very first time. Gru (Carell) a master conman has a falling reputation that he needs to improve. Vector (Segal) a new thief in the business has managed to steal the Pyramid of Giza putting Gru's thefts, the Times Square Jumbotron, The Statue of Liberty (from Vegas) and the Eiffel Tower (also from Vegas) to shame. Gru comes up with one large theft that will change the way the world looks at him, but for that he needs the Shrink Ray, which is currently in Vector's possession. Three orphaned girls, Margo (Cosgrove), Edith (Gaier) and Agnes (Fisher) have easy access to Vector's facility because he loves the cookies they sell to him. Gru plans to adopt them to gain entry to Vector's facility, not knowing that his evil, cunning, stone-cold and selfish heart will change forever. The best thing about the movie is its subtle humour that would make people of all ages roll over with laughter and guarantee a great time. Agnes' character is extremely cute and is made to appeal to young kids and Gru's minion's take the cake when it comes to idiotic and enjoyable humour. The movie can promptly shift from being a comedy to an action sequence and can suddenly bring out all the emotions from within you in a flash. A definite watch and a sure shot entertainer. I'm lovin' it!

Thumbs up: Great humour, brilliant entertainer, fabulous character creation

Thumbs done: None at all

Rating: 8.5/10

Beowulf (2007)

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Animation

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright, Ray Winstone, John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Angelina Jolie

Based on an ancient Scandinavian poem set in Denmark, Beowulf (Winstone) is a mighty hero who arrives to the aid of King Hrothgar (Hopkins) when his royal halls are being constantly plagued by a beast called Grendel. Beowulf wounds the beast without armour and with his bare hands and leaves him to scamper to his mother (Jolie) where he dies. The Danes rejoice but Grendels mother wants revenge and she attacks and kills all of Beowulf's warriors save him. Beowulf now has to finish Grendel's mother too, a task far more challenging than he ever imagined. Her beauty is astonishing and enticing, seductive and luscious, tempting and mesmerising, so much so, that any warrior would willingly give in to her. The movie has been shot on a motion capture technology where simply the motion of the act is captured on film with all other entities such as background and effects being digitally created and added. The visual aspects and special effects may not be all that stunning or ground-breaking, yet the detailing and specifications are spot-on. The movie is a reproduction of the poem with its own pieces of modifications and alterations which make it a good, interesting and action-packed piece of entertainment.

Thumbs up: Good plot execution and adaptation

Thumbs down: Weak special effects and animation

Rating: 7.3/10

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Genre: Drama/Sports

Starring: Hillary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel

Clint Eastwood always has something special on offer and when you have Morgan Freeman and Hillary Swank on the same boat, one can expect fireworks. Boxing manager cum trainer cum gym owner Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) has a strong career record behind him and has trained lots of boxing champions. The only kind of people he doesn't train are girls and that is exactly what knocks on his door one fine morning. Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) is a waitress who aspires to be a boxer and insists that only Frankie train him. After refusing too many times, Frankie is forced to give in after being persuaded by his friend and gym janitor Eddie (Freeman). He realises that Maggie indeed has potential and when she consistently knocks out her opponents in the first round. The movie displays the hardships of life that each of the characters is facing in the movie. Each and every one of them learn their mistakes through a different way, react in a different way and get over them in a different way. The story that appears to be slow has been crafted and executed in a fine manner which does not make it look as slow. A beautiful movie and some lovely performances make it a smooth as butter watch.

Thumbs up: Fabulous acting

Thumbs down: Maybe some more boxing action?

Rating: 8.0/10

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Adventure/Drama

Starring (voice): Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Tom McGrath

The hilarious story of four animal friends from the New York zoo who land up in Madagascar, Africa continues. Alex, the egoistic Lion (Stiller), his best friend Marty the Zebra (Rock), Melman the extra-hygienic Giraffe (Schwimmer) and Glorio the Hippo (Smith) are finally hatching a plan to leave Madagascar and go back to NYC for good. However, their make shift and tacky aircraft gives away just after the journey starts and the entire team find themselves in the heart of Africa, within the Kalahari. The four friends realised that they all came from this exact same place and Alex even meets his real parents. The challenge comes when Alex has to prove he is a true lion by engaging another lion in combat and securing a place for himself in the pride. For someone who always been a performance lion and never knew how to fight, Alex has a difficult task ahead of him. The first part of the movie was an ultimate laugh-riot with King Julian (Cohen) stealing the show along with Skipper the Penguin (McGrath) and his team of dim-witted side-kicks. The movie does not entirely fail to live up to expectations but is not exactly as funny either. King Julian and Skipper still entertain but the entire comedy rests solely on their shoulders with almost no support coming from any other character. A good family entertainer and is still worth the watch.

Thumbs up: King Julian all the way

Thumbs down: Not as funny as the earlier movie

Rating: 6.7/10

Revolver (2005)

Genre: Crime/Drama/Action/Mystery

Starring: Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore, Andre Benjamin, Terence Maynard

Ego is something which we cannot live with; we all want to win it, build it, garner it and do exactly what it tells you to do. Jake Green (Statham) is a conman who specialises in gaining your confidence and eventually conning you. He served seven years in prison in solitary confinement where his neighbours was a master conman and the other, a chess master. The chess master and the conman used to communicate with each other by writing at the back of books on quantum mechanics along with their secret formulas to success. Jake intercepts and learns of these formulas which can be applied to any game to make the player win against any opponent under any situation. When Jake gets out of prison he uses this formula in casinos to quickly make a lot of money and earn himself a reputation of being unbeatable. Dorothy Macha (Liotta) is a crooked casino owner who had once forced Jake to play on his behalf. When all of Jake's winnings mysteriously disappeared, Macha framed him and sent him to prison. Now Jake wants revenge but two loan sharks, Avi (Benjamin) and Zach (Pastore) tell him that he suffers from a rare blood disease due to which he would die in three days. They offer to protect him and help him survive for as long as he can in return of all of Jake's money. The movie starts on an extremely promising note and with the reputation of Guy Ritchie riding on it along with Jason Statham, one definitely expects fireworks. However, the movie focuses deeply on ego, greed, power and over-riding the inner thoughts. It gets highly philosophical and starts to represent a very emotion-laden art movie. Its just the end and the philosophical nature of an otherwise good movie that does not make it worth the watch.

Thumbs up: Good promising start, good performances

Thumbs down: Complicated plot, bad ending

Rating: 5.8/10

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zoey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend

Summer Finn (Deschanel) is the average next door girl with average looks and an almost average personality. Yet, there is something inside her that attracts each and everyone around her. Whatever she does and wherever she goes, there is always a mass of people doing the exact same thing behind her. Tom (Gordon-Levitt) is an architect who is working as a cartoonist in a greeting card manufacturing company. When Summer joins the company as the bosses assistant, Tom falls in love. Summer and Tom get along as good friends and things start to progress rapidly when suddenly Summer mentions that she is not looking at anything serious but its too late since Tom already is. The movie might appear to be the average run-of-the-mill love story but it actually isn't. Its less of a fictional romance and more of a practical love story which almost every other person experiences. Even though the plot might not be as interesting, the form in which the movie is narrated with the constant back and forth in time has made it unique and interesting. Its this back-and-forth formula which can blow your mind away and the vast effort that might have gone behind it to give a positive outcome should be appreciated. Good performances coupled with a good plot execution has made this a great movie for lovers to watch together.

Thumbs up: Great way of narrating a plot

Thumbs down: Average storyline

Rating: 7.3/10

Singham (2011)

Genre: Crime/Action/Drama

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Kajal Agarwal, Prakash Raj, Sonali Kulkarni

Corruption and crime are known to influence Indian politics, so much so that if an honest person tries to wipe it clean, he would get wiped clean. Bajirao Singham (Devgn) is an honest police inspector in a small town of Goa. Jaykant Shikre (Raj) is a notorious crook known for extortion, murder, money laundering and the likes. He is ordered by court to report to a specific police station every few days and mark his attendance. That very police station which is under the authority of Bajirao Singham. Shikre disregards the law and tries to send a nominee on his behalf, much to the ire of Singham who demands that Shikre himself appear. This does not go down well with him and enmity sparks with each side swearing to take down the other. Singham later learns of inspector Rakesh Kadam who shot himself because he too was a good cop and wanted to expose Shikre but was unable to do so. His wife Megha (Kulkarni) approaches Singham and demands justice for her dead husband. The lion is out in the forest to hunt for the dear and when the lion goes hunting, he never returns empty-handed. The movie is filled with the angry Devgn smashing everything that comes in his way. Over-the-top action sequences are rampant throughout the movie which is what makes it hugely interesting. The only let downs was the forced romance angle that was added and the not-so-climaxing climax scene. All in all, a great action movie and a must watch for die hard fans.

Thumbs up: Good performances, entertaining action

Thumbs down: Forced romance and drama sequences that breaks the movies momentum

Rating: 7.2/10

La Ley de Herodes (1999)

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama

Starring: Damian Alcazar, Pedro Armendariz Jr., Alex Cox, Leticia Huijara, Eduardo Lopez Rojas, Isela Vega, Salvador Sanchez

English title: Herod's Law. The Mexican PRI political party was notorious for its corrupt party members and shady dealings. Lopez (Armendariz Jr.) a PRI party leader appoints a janitor Juan Vargas (Alcazar) as the Mayor of a run-down Mexican village after its previous Mayor was murdered by locals due to his corrupt dealings. Lopez wanted someone stupid and insignificant to run the post until the new elections came so that the party does not lose ground. Juan is over-joyed that he has finally managed to taste success but his joy soon evaporates after he sees the dismal condition of the town. He tries hard to stay away from corruption and wrong-doings and tries to take the honest path in turning the town around. He soon realises that its a job that is not going to be very easy without the power of money and the force of a pistol. The movie has a very interesting start and promises a good two hours of entertainment. Juan's tireless struggle is definitely fun to watch but after a while can feel a little dragged. The genre takes a sudden twist around the half-way mark and it sheds the comic for crime and murder, a shift which seemed a bit too drastic and sudden. Fabulous performances and all in a all a nice neat watch.

Thumbs up: Great performances, good story

Thumbs down: Sudden shift of genre

Rating: 7.3/10

Bodyguard (2011)

Genre: Action/Crime/Romance/Drama

Starring: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Reema Debnath, Rajat Rawail, Rose Dawn, Asrani

Every actor has its own panache which makes him/her different from the crowd and can manage to create a niche for themselves. Salman Khan is one such man whose rapidly swelling fan-following comprises of those individuals who love his over-the-top aggressive attitude, slapstick humour and unrealistic action. This character or style may not be loved by all but it is the image the actor has created. Bodyguard Lovely Singh (Khan) has owned himself a name for being the most safest man to be around you. Single-handily thrashing twenty goons, jumping off running trains, throwing people six feet in the air is no big deal for this macho man. Sartaj Rana (Babbar) is a rich elite man who once saved Lovely's life when he was a child and as a mark of respect, Lovely diligently works for him whenever the need be. Divya (Kapoor) the daughter of Sartaj is going to university and Sartaj's enemies are plotting to attack her in order to get even with him. Lovely has been appointed as Divya's bodyguard and must follow her everywhere she goes, much to her despise. Divya hatches a plan to get Lovely off her back, a plan that would later have disastrous consequences. If one simply accepts Salman the way he is, the movie is actually quite entertaining to watch. The last 45 minutes seemed dragged and a last minute addition to an otherwise decently evolving plot line. The biggest let down in Salman's character was the lack of any interesting action sequences. All the action seemed like the same punches, jumps, kicks and throws with no interesting variations. That coupled with the end scene was probably the only two things that pulled an otherwise decent movie.

Thumbs up: The macho Salman and his flamboyant attitude

Thumbs down: Uninteresting action and poorly developed ending

Rating: 6.3/10

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)

Genre: Crime/Comedy/Drama

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Baswani, Satish Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Kaushik, Neena Gupta, Deepak Qazir, Bhakti Barve

The classic Indian laugh-riot lives till this day and is loved by many; for a very valid reason. Vinod (Naseeruddin Shah) and Sudhir (Baswani) are two friends who have decided to open a photo studio. Business is not going very well for them despite all their crazy attempts at garnering business. Mr. Tarneja (Kapur) is a rich and influential industrialist who bribes government officers to twist the law in his favour. He is trying to secure a deal to construct flyovers across Mumbai city by bribing the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. D'Mello (Satish Shah) to hand over the contract to his company. Shobha Sen (Barve) is the editor of Khabardaar magazine and has got wind of Tarneja and his doings and wishes to put him behind bars once and for all. She hires Vinod and Sudhir to spy on the meeting and take photographs as evidence. Mr. Ahuja (Puri) is Tarneja's rival who too wishes to secure the flyover contract and offers a double bribe. Tarneja is furious when he doesn't get the deal and decides to murder D'Mello and make his confidant the new Muncipal Commissioner. Vinod and Sudhir stumble upon some evidence of D'Mello's murder and decide to find and excavate his body and put Tarneja behind bars. Tarneja gets wind of Vinod and Sudhir's attempts and tries to save his skin by destroying the evidence, Shoba wants to blackmail Tarneja with the evidence and earn money, Ahuja wants to deface Tarneja by exposing the evidence. Each with their own motive are on a cock and bull chase to take D'Mello's dead body and fulfill their ambitions. The movie might not come across as being technically sound and one can easily find multiple loopholes and flaws. The only thing that makes the movie stand out is the 'Mahabharat' scene right at the end which can make you roll over in laughter. That is probably the only reason why people love and watch this movie so much and the reason why you should be watching it too.

Thumbs up: Mahabharat scene

Thumbs down: Loosely made, lacks consistent humour

Rating: 6.9/10

King Arthur (2004)

Genre: History/Biography/War/Action/Adventure

Starring: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Joel Edgerton, Hugh Dancy, Ray Winstone, Ray Stevenson, Keira Knightly, Stephen Dillaine, Stellan Skarsgard

King Arthur (Owen) was a legendary hero that served the cause of the Britons. The genuineness of Arthur is unknown with many people attributing it to be based on the story of other unknown heroes. The Roman Empire covered most of Europe and stretched till Hadrian's Wall, a border that divides modern England and Scotland. This wall is guarded by Arthur and his elite knights with rumours having that they have never lost a battle. The knights are Roman by birth and loyal to Rome and are due to receive their freedom from active military service when Rome suddenly backs out on its initial agreement and orders Arthur and his knights to undertake one last perilous journey, to go north of the wall and rescue an important Roman family from being captured by the invading Saxons. The Saxons, headed by Cerdic (Skarsgard) were a barbaric tribe who wish to denounce the Romans out of their land. The knights reluctantly agree to undertake the mission in order to win their much awaited freedom. On the face of it, the plot looks much like any other medieval war movie of good being victorious over evil. The lines and dialogues are very typically over-dramatic, almost Shakespearean which makes the movie a tad boring and annoying. True, that might have been the prevailing language and style used but its over-emphasis and extra usage is what makes it annoying. Nothing exceptional in this one but nothing too bad either.

Thumbs up: Good gripping climaxes and war scenes

Thumbs down: Boring dialogues and lines

Rating: 6.9/10

The Mask (1994)

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Action/Fantasy

Starring: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene

Bright-coloured suits, over-the-top acting, slapstick humour, irritatingly stupid and laugh out loud funny, that is how you describe Jim Carrey. The Mask defines Carrey's every acting style and the role seems to be perfectly tailor-made for him. Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey) is a bank clerk who receives a hot and sexy new client Tina Carlyle (Diaz) who wants to open a new account. In reality, Tina is working for Dorian (Greene) one of the cities top criminals who is scouting the bank and is hatching a plot to rob it. On a night when everything seems to be going bad, Stan stumbles upon The Mask and discovers its unique powers. The Mask converts a person into a green-faced individual and makes that person everything they always wanted to be but never could be. Stan turns into a goofy, funny, cartoon-ish and over-romantic guy and decides to go around town getting some revenge. The movie stands for epic Jim Carrey humour, and is outrageously funny. Sure, the slapstick and stupid comedy may not appeal to all but there is no denying that the movie is a really amazing watch. Somebody stop him!

Thumbs up: Jim Carrey's nonsense all the way

Thumbs down: The kind of humour that all may not appreciate

Rating: 7.4/10

The Devil's Double (2011)

Genre: Action/Crime/History/Biography/War/Drama

Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast

Every world-renowned leader had to look after his own life and the best way to do so was to have body doubles. Exact twins right up to every small feature in order to deceive assassins. Uday Saddam Hussein (Cooper), the son of the Iraqi dictator too created body doubles to save his own precious life. Latif Yahia (Cooper) an Iraqi soldier and Uday's classmate back in school was forced to accept the proposition to become Uday's double. Uday Hussein was perhaps the most arrogant, shameless, immature and perverted person in all of Iraq. He kept multiple women as servants and slept with whomsoever he wished, regularly shot and killed people simply for the fun of it and raped and murdered school girls because he fancied doing it. Sarrab (Sagneir) one of Uday's whores, took a fancy for Latif and they both together shared their hatred for Uday and his behaviour. The movie solely stands on Dominic Cooper and his astounding, perfect and fine piece of acting. He fulfills two roles out of which one role is to play the part of learning how to play the other role.This precise combination is what should have won him accolades and awards. Its just what the doctor ordered for, my bet for at least one Oscar nominee this year.

Thumbs up: Dominic Cooper

Thumbs down: Story could be slightly more vibrant, its just too simple

Rating: 8.2/10

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Genre: Science-fiction/Action/Drama

Starring: James Franco, Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow, David Oyelowo

As the name suggests, this movies comes as a prequel to the 1968 original Planet of the Apes series of movies, although the movie is not the genuine prequel to the original series and only supposes what could be the beginning. Will Rodman (Franco) is a medical scientist working for a drug manufacturing company looking for a cure to Alzheimer's disease. Will develops a drug and tests it on a chimpanzee and is amazed to find the form in which the drug boosts the mental capability of the animal. The chimpanzee, Bright Eyes, is accidentally killed and leaves behind a young child that Will raises and decides to take care of. The drug gets passed on to young Caesar, who soon grows up to become a very smart chimpanzee. Will decides to try the drug on his dying father (Lithgow) and obtains marvelous results. He meets and falls in love with Caroline (Pinto) a vet and just as everything was going good, the adverse effects of the drug started creeping up. The movie starts with a very interesting bang but unfortunately progress is extremely slow with too much focus on the growth of Caesar and the development of the drug. The stunts and actions being performed by the chimpanzees is outrageous and unbelievable; it seems more like an ape version of James Bond. Although I haven't seen the original Planet of the Apes series, I am told that this movie does not come even close in matching the classic.

Thumbs up: Graphics and special effects

Thumbs down: Over-the-top action especially for a monkey

Rating: 7.0/10

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama/Romance/Adventure

Starring: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane

Bloom (Brody) and Stephen (Ruffalo) are brothers with Stephen being the elder one. Since kids, the two have been orphans getting thrown out of every house they get adopted in for misbehaviour. Stephen made stories which were acted out by his brother and in this process they started to con people and soon became con men. Years later, the adult Bloom realises that Stephen and his stories control his life and he has no freedom or say in anything to do with himself and hence decides to quit. Stephen gets a new sidekick Bang Bang (Kikuchi) an Oriental girl who knows little English and wants Bloom to come back for one last con. He introduces him to Penelope (Weisz) a very rich, lonely and single girl who has lived in solitary confinement for most of her life and knows no one beyond the boundaries of her house. Bloom, as per the con, is to befriend her and the two brothers plan to swindle her wealth until Bloom falls in love. The movie has a very promising start with the two brothers being con men and you hope to see an interesting plot development. Sadly, the movie moves at a very slow place and there comes a point where the cons seem impractical, hard to believe and just outrageous. Perhaps if the cons were made more interesting with a better twist, it might have been able to improve things. Its not your regular con movie but its nothing exceptional either.

Thumbs up: Good performances

Thumbs down: Slow plot, unrealistic

Rating: 6.6/10

Andaz Apna Apna (1994)

Genre: Comedy/Action/Crime/Romance/Drama

Starring: Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Karishma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Viju Khote, Shehzad Khan

The epic laugh riot movie of Indian cinema is still loved and watched by young and old to this day. The comedy of errors of Amar (Aamir Khan) and Prem (Salman Khan) both in pursuit of charming Raveena (Tandon) a young and beautiful girl who is looking for a smart young man to fall in love with and marry. Amar and Prem, the two good for nothing Casanova's want to marry her for the money and are at constant war to outdo the other in winning Raveena's heart. Meanwhile, Teja (Rawal) a criminal who just got out of jail wants to get even with his twin brother Ram Gopal Bajaj (Rawal) who is also the father of Raveena. Along with his two stupid side kicks, he tries to kidnap Raveena but in vain. Enter Crime Master Gogo (Shakti Kapoor), a failed and idiotic criminal who is continuing the 'family business' of looting and plundering. The movie enjoys a cult following with many dialogues and moves becoming epic statements today. The performances may seem to be extremely over-acted but that was more or less the norm of those days and to some extent the movie becomes enjoyable simply due to the over-the-top acting. The movie plays tributes and jokes about many other famous Bollywood movies throughout. Funny and an amazing stress buster.

Thumbs up: Awesome laugh riot

Thumbs down: Hugely over-acted

Rating: 7.3/10

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Genre: Crime/Drama

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown

Touted as one of the worlds most epic movie, it truly deserves all the praise people shower upon it. Narrating the story of Andy Dufresne (Robbins), an investment bank's Vice-President who gets convicted for murdering his cheating wife and lover, the movie displays determination, commitment and the hardships of prison life. Red (Freeman) is the prison smuggler and trader and can get you almost anything and everything you want. Red and Andy soon become good friends and Red realises that Andy is not the average prison in-mate. Andy soon garners respect with the warden, Mr. Norton (Gunton) and starts keeping his accounts, files tax returns for all the prison guards and initiates to revamp the prison library. The movie may have a very simple and easy story but its the entire plot execution and eventual twist in the tale that steals the show. Half-way through the movie might just seem to be a slight drag but this eventually moves on to something far more interesting. A fine movie that displays the harvest of hard-work, patience and perseverance and a must-watch movie for each and everyone.

Thumbs up: Amazing performance, very good plot execution

Thumbs down: Just a bit slow at the half-way mark

Rating: 9.3/10

Wild Things: Foursome (2010)

Genre: Crime/Romance/Drama/Mystery

Starring: Jillian Murray, Marnette Patterson, Ashley Parker, John Schneider, Ethan S. Smith, Jessie Nickson, Josh Randall

The fourth version of the sexual murder mystery is here; and you wonder why. The first Wild Things was something else. The twisted and unpredictable plot along with the sizzling Denise Richards' love scene gave the movie a different credibility. The subsequent movies have tried to utilise the same format, with different actors with a lot more emphasis on the sexuality, which has failed miserably. In spite of the second and third movies not doing very well, the fourth installment has come out with no exceptional differences. Carson Wheetly (Parker) is the son of one of Florida's richest men and becomes a rich heir when his father dies in a car crash. Brandi Cox (Murray) a colleague of Carson's arch enemy Shane (Randall) accuses Carson of raping her and demands a large sum of money as settlement. Double-crossing becomes a ritual and relations get bloody as everyone now wants a part of the money. Detective Frank Walker (Schneider) smells a rat and realises that everything is not as simple as it seems and boldly decides to dig a little further. The movie has its own bit of twists and turns but each and every one of them is more or less predictable along with being stupid and lame. The performances are hopeless and the movie is only trying to sell sex and nothing at all. Probably if some more high-profile actors were selected along with a more improved and modified plot line, the movie would have been a whole lot better and the franchise would have done well.

Thumbs up: There is no shortage of chicks of hunks

Thumbs down: Bad plot, weak performances

Rating: 4.9/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3D) (2011)

Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Adventure, Action

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Helena Bonham Carter

The final movie of one of the worlds largest selling books is finally here. The epic ending of the Harry Potter series is here, and how! Harry (Radcliffe) along with his two best friends, Hermione (Watson) and Ronald Weasley (Grint) are in the quest for 7 Horcruxes, a magical device in which the dark lord, Lord Voldemort (Fiennes) has held a part of his soul. Until and unless these seven horcruxes are destroyed, Harry cannot kill Voldemort once and for all. The quest makes him go into the depths of the darkest and most dangerous of places, a chance he must take. He learns about secrets and mysteries about his life and his past, some which shock and others that mystify him even further. The saving grace about the movie was that it wasn't a random mixture of erratic events stuck together by super glue but a good narration of constant developments. The movie sadly does not refer to the previous movie or refresh the audience's mind about the previous movie, an aspect which I believe is essential since the audience would have more or less forgotten about it in the past few months. The visuals and graphics are stunning, especially in 3D which make it a thrilling and entertaining watch. All in all, the movie is a fabulous treat for Harry Potter fans and would make you leave awe-struck. To know more about 'How to messy up a movie ending big-time', please watch the last bit of the movie.

Thumbs up: Brilliant special effects, good sequence of events
Thumbs down: Horrible ending

Rating: 7.1/10

Bridesmaids (2011)

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama

Starring: Kirsten Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Rosie Byrne, Chris O'Dowd, Melissa McCarthy

A middle-aged unmarried lady, Annie (Wiig) is not enjoying her life since she cant find a partner to settle down with, cant get a steady income and is simply frustrated with herself. Her best friend Lillian (Rudolph) is getting married and Annie is extremely excited to plan the entire wedding. Lillian's bosses wife, Helen (Byrne) has recently become good friends with Lillian which Annie cant seem to accept. Helen at every step is trying to put down Annie and vice-versa, with a cat fight erupting every now and then. It's a battle between the bridesmaids to see which one emerges as the winner. Annie has a brush with the law and finds respite in Officer Rhodes (O'Dowd) who hears her every misery out and becomes close friends with her. The movie is a very typical chic-flick when it comes to the acting style and the overall plot development. That said, the movie is quite funny and highly entertaining even if your not into watching these kinds of movies. Its a well-made movie which does what it set out to do, entertain. Would appeal mostly to the fairer sex but can be watched by others too.

Thumbs up: Good humour

Thumbs down: Nothing different or outstanding, plain and simple

Rating: 6.8/10

Jackass Number Two (2006)

Genre: Comedy/Documentary/Action

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Jason 'Wee-Man' Acuna, Preston Lacy, Dave England

The most outrageous TV show on the planet returns in its movie format with a second installment. Fancy getting leaches put in your eyes, or enjoy a swim with a bleeding cheek in the midst of a shark, or does getting a cow brand on your butt appeal to you or would you rather play with an anaconda? If you replied 'yes' to any of the above, please contact the Jackass team. The movie is a compilation of the teams crazy, insane, daring and what some may call stupid, stunts and antics. Most of them are highly dangerous which can cause serious damage to yourself and others around you but many are funny at the same time. The movie is not very different from the first installment when it comes to the quality and level of stunts. Its not any MORE crazy, stupid, insane or daring but more or less on the same level. The format and structure of the movie too remains pretty much the same but that may not be a point of argument for a Jackass fan. As long as the insanity continues, that is all that matters. Its crazy, but if you're a fan you would love it.

Thumbs up: The guts to perform such daring stunts

Thumbs down: Some very gross and graphic scenes

Rating: 5.7/10

Delhi Belly (2011)

Genre: Crime/Drama/Comedy/Action

Starring: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Shenaz Treasury, Poorna Jagannathan, Vijay Raaz

Once in a while Bollywood churns out a decent movie and the man behind it is most of the times, the one and only, Aamir Khan. Delhi Belly is the story of three friends sharing a flat, each with their own personal problems and their encounter with crime. Tashi (Khan) is a journalist who is engaged to his air hostess girlfriend, Sonia (Treasury). Sonia does a favour for a friend by smuggling a 'package' by an unknown Russian at the airport. She knows little of what the package contains and gets Tashi to deliver it for her. Nitin (Kapoor) is Tashi's photographer who gets the Delhi Belly by eating unhygienic street food and needs to rush to the toilet every half-minute. Tashi passes the package onto Nitin for delivery who subsequently gets Arup (Das), a frustrated cartoonist, to do it for him. Confusion occurs and Somayajulu (Raaz) the gangster for whom the package is for gets shit, literally. The movie is an ultimate laugh riot all the way with each and every performer contributing with a fabulous performance. Vijay Raaz particularly stands out due to the finesse in which he throws out every swear word from his mouth. I don't think any amount of praise would be good enough, just go watch a zillion times and laugh each time!

Thumbs up: Hilarious, perfect acting

Thumbs down: A been there, done that story

Rating: 9.2/10