The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)

.Genre: Crime/Action/Drama

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Xzibit, Tom Bower, Jennifer Coolidge, Val Kilmer

A New Orleans police sergeant rescues a prisoner when hurricane Katrina hit the city and the prison cells were fast filling with water. Terence McDonagh (Cage) was later promoted to Lieutenant for his act of bravery but also caused permanent damage to his spine whilst rescuing the prisoner. After having to go on life-long painkillers, Terence starts becoming a drug addict and a regular consumer of cocaine, crack and marijuana. His dope comes from a hooker, Frankie (Mendes) who is also his girlfriend and he is extremely protective of her. When five illegal immigrants from Senegal are executed, Terence is assigned to the case and find out who did the fateful murder. With Terence increasingly using his power to obtain drugs and bully people, he falls into more and more trouble which slowly starts interfering with his personal as well as professional life. The movie might come across as just another cop story, which it is, but it still has the edge that makes it different from the rest. A doped-up, corrupt and disrespectful cop whose life is in a mess and gets even more messier can make a decent storyline. The biggest let down in the movie was Nicholas Cage and his style of acting. He just seemed to take too much screen presence and after a point becomes difficult to watch. Although he does add the limp and hunchback, it seems to be inconsistent in appearance. The movie borrows its title from a 1992 film, although the makers of the movie do not classify it as a sequel or a re-make but a 're-thought' of how they think the movie should have been. Not a movie to be proud of but a decent cop story to watch, but only once.

Thumbs up: A bit different from the rest

Thumbs down: Nicholas Cage's extra screen presence

Rating: 6.0/10

Ladri di biciclette (1948)

Genre: Drama/Adventure

Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carrell

English title: Bicycle Thieves. In the lives of simple folk, there is often a single object that plays a very crucial role for the individual to carry out their daily activities.Without that object, one is handicapped and is unable to carry out his duties. For Antonio Ricci, that element was a bicycle which was essential for him to carry out his job as a poster boy. After being unemployed for a long time, Antonio finally managed to get this job, provided he have a bicycle. After pawning some family bedsheets, Antonio manages to get himself a bicycle for his first day of work. Unfortunately, the cycle gets stolen on his very first day and a distraught Antonio does not know what to do. With help from friends, his son Bruno (Staiola) and some confidence from his wife, Maria (Carrell), Antonio sets out to finding his bicycle the next day. Most of the movie involves Antonio's hunt for his bicycle and the adventures that come along with it. The movie is the critics' delight and is an example of how early cinema can have a contemporary treatment. Every aspect of this movie has a touch of finesse and it would be hard to find anything technically incorrect about it. Possibly the only drawback of the movie is the simple story that does not lead to an exceptional climax. If you seek entertainment then perhaps this movie may not be able to deliver but if you seek to watch a fine movie from the days of early cinema, then this movie will certainly fit the bill.

Thumbs up: An example of good movie-making from the older days

Thumbs down: Simple story that lacks an interesting climax

Rating: 7.3/10

Finding Fanny (2014)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Adventure

Starring: Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Arjun Kapoor

In Pocolim, a lazy town of Goa, India, time is an element that no one counts or cares about. Life is slow, easy and modern day problems do not haunt the residents of this village. One night, Ferdinand (Shah) a retired postman receives a letter returned to back to him, a letter that he had written to his lover 46 years ago and asking for her hand in marriage. He was always under the impression that Stephanie Fernandes aka Fanny was never really interested in him but is now distraught after knowing that his love for her never actually reached her to begin with. Angie (Padukone) takes pity on him and convinces him that they should go look for her so that he may confess her love for her. One thing leads to another and ultimately the road trip witnesses more passengers than expected. Don Pedro (Kapur), a celebrated artist seeking the right inspiration; Rosie (Kapadia) an old lady who has self-proclaimed herself as the 'lady' of Pocolim, Savio (Kapoor) a young man who has recently returned after making it big in Mumbai and Rosie's cat. The five odd-balls each have their own personal problems to deal with and this trip is not just about finding Fanny but discovering far more than what they expected they would. This movie is a classic example of something that was exceptionally over-hyped and failed to deliver or a movie whose trailer was more enjoyable to watch than the actual movie in itself. The movie does have some humour, albeit a bit urban and dark, that does the job of making you laugh. The movie in itself does not seem to have any character or objective and seems a little 'unrestrained'. The story foundation movies too fast, the climax is a complete letdown and some scenes just don't make sense and even if they do, it is far too profound for the average audience to understand and appreciate. A good entertainer that will give you a few laughs but if the movie had a more solid story, then this review would have been completely different.

Thumbs up: Good humour and cast

Thumbs down: Weak story

Rating: 6.5/10

Rogue Assassin (2007)

Genre: Action/Crime/Mystery

Starring: Jet Li, Jason Statham, John Lone, Devon Aoki, John Lone, Ryo Ishibashi

Whenever you see Jason Statham's name in the star cast for any movie, you know exactly what you are in for. A mind-less action movie with inhuman stunts and lots of things blowing up everywhere, pretty much. Crawford (Statham) is an FBI agent who is hunting down a mysterious assassin by the name of Rogue (Li) who was a former CIA agent and now works for the Japanese Yakuza. Rogue hunts down Crawford's partner and kills him along with his family and goes into hiding ever since. For three years Rogue has not made an appearance, and when he does it is for the Chinese Triads. Most of the movie is a cock and bull chase between Crawford and Rogue with some action sequences thrown in here and there. This could have actually been a very interesting movie had not the climax become too obvious halfway through. After that, the movie seemed far too overtly obvious and was trying too hard to look contemporary and amazing but ended up being another run-off-the-mill action movie. It is a decent entertainer for those action-loving fans but if you are looking for a story, then you wouldn't find anything sensible here.

Thumbs up: Some action sequences were not too bad

Thumbs down: Climax becomes quite obvious after a while and is not very innovative either

Rating: 5.8/10

 

Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)

Genre: Comedy/Adventure/Drama/Musical

Starring: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yashbeck, Dave Chappelle, Mark Blankfield, Eric Allan Kramer, Matthew Porretta

The legendary tale of Robin Hood has often been narrated by many, in book and in movies. Mel Brooks version of the mythical hero gives things a slightly different edge. Robin (Elwes) has escaped from Jerusalem and is swimming back all the way to England. Robin learns that Prince John (Lewis) has assumed power in England ever since King Richard, his elder brother, has been away at war. John has also seized Robin Hood's ancestral property of Loxley Hall and has left behind the families blind servant, Blinkin (Blankfield). In a bid to get his property back and to stand up against John's abuse of power, Robin decides to oust John from the throne and restore order. That was the more serious bit about the movie and here is the not-so-serious bit. Maid Marian has an Everlast branded chastity belt whose key Robin must obtain to make love to her. There is a Sheriff of Rottingham (Rees) (instead of Nottingham) a witch by the name of Latrine and Robin's sidekick whose name is Achchoo (Chappelle) son of Asneeze. The movie takes pot shots at the Robin Hood story as a whole and other movies which have centered around him. Although on the face of it the movie might seem corny and not quite hilarious, it actually is if you give it some time. There are constant modern day references and a complete disregard for the story simply to make the movie more interesting and funny. It is a decent comedy entertainer that probably won't throw you out of your seats but can still be funny at times.

Thumbs up: Good light-hearted comedy

Thumbs down: Not LOL funny

Rating: 6.6/10

Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Starring: Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Eric Christian Olsen, Mia Kirshner, Deon Richmond, Eric Jungmann, Cody McMains, Sam Huntington, Samm Levine, Ron Lester

Teenage comedy and romance movies are out there by the dozen. And more often than not, they usually feature around similar story lines. Jake Wyler (Evans) is the school hot shot with almost all the girls desiring him. A self-obsessed person, he believes he can have any girl he wants and can make anyone become prom queen. His friend, Austin (Olsen) decides to challenge Jake into this by making him date the ugliest girl in school and make her prom queen. Enter, Janey Briggs (Leigh), a geeky, bespectacled girl who has absolutely no fashion sense and whose father is far too busy getting drunk than bother about her life. Jake's sister, Catherine (Kirshner) is sexually attracted to Jake and promises to help him court Janey if she can get to spend a night with him in return. The movie spoofs on teen rom-com movies and highlights the typical stereotypes seen in almost all the movies. The sexually desperate teenage brother of the lead actor, the token black guy in the movie who is there to avoid racial discrimination debates, the uber-sexy foreign exchange student, the hard-hitting football coach and many others. Although the movie correctly picks on all the stereotypes and pokes fun at it, it is unable to make any impact on the movie without prior relevance to the movie being referred to. Most of the movies picked are lesser known ones and hence the audience might find it a tad difficult to relate to the jokes. There are moments of humour, unlike every other spoof movie, but not enough to make this a roll over the floor kind of comedy.

Thumbs up: Good references, some funny moments

Thumbs down: Audience needs familiarity with the movies being portrayed

Rating: 6.2/10

Jurassic Park III (2001)

Genre: Science-fiction/Action/Adventure

Starring: Same Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan

The dinosaurs are back once more in this third installment. Dr. Alan Grant (Neill) has become a famous individual after his visit to Jurassic Park but vows never to return to the island, ever. Paul Kirby (Macy) a wealthy businessman and his wife Amanda (Leoni) wish to do something special on their anniversary. Being a couple who enjoy the outdoors, they wish to visit Isla Sorna and get a view of the dinosaurs up-close. With the island being out of bounds, the Kirby's secure permission to fly over the island without landing and wish that Dr. Grant be their tour guide on the mission. When the Kirby's promise a handsome donation towards Dr. Grants research and the assurance of not landing on the island, he reluctantly agrees. All of the Jurassic Park movies have more or less focused on a group of individuals getting trapped on the island and ultimately finding a way out, with this movie being no better. At least the previous ones had some form of a story to narrate that made it remotely interesting, but this one does not. This movie is filled with moments of 'been there, done that' and lacks any kind of innovation or uniqueness. For someone who is watching this movie without watching the earlier ones might find it a bit more interesting, but for anybody else it just isn't. Even the same old bunch of dinosaurs are seen once more with only two exceptions. A Spinosaurus replacing the T-Rex as the primary dinosaur and a special focus on Pteranodon's is the only innovation the movie has come up with. The Velociraptor's are present yet again and so are a bunch of dinosaurs that were seen in the previous movies. It is a movie that you can multi-task with and not lose too much of the plot and wouldn't make you feel bored at any point. It has enough to keep your attention but that is never enough to make any movie a good movie. A disappointment for the series but that usually does happen when you're trying to make a 'trilogy'; the third one is the worst.

Thumbs up: Great special effects

Thumbs down: Nothing unique or different form the previous movies

Rating: 5.8/10