Ittefaq (Movie Rating:8/10)

Ittefaq (Movie Rating:8.0/10)

Akshaye Khanna does a Hercule(an) Poirot with Sid - Sonakshi in this potboiler of murders, deceit and storytelling. 

Crisp wry humour and wit on point dialogues leave you latched onto every word of this powerplay. 

Captured beautifully is the lack of empathy of police, shabby handling of crime scene, all on a funny bone and a masterful performance by Akshaye Khanna. 

The end leaves you wishing for more... My surmise, it's catered for a sequel... Already 

Geostorm (Movie Rating :6.5/10)

Geostorm (Movie Rating :6.5/10)

Climafiction, US Presidency, United Nations, Father-Daughter, Siblings and Mother Nature,  all backed into a 3D dough.... and a meaty loaf of sci-fi treatise. 

The story motif may be a repeat, nevertheless the gravity of global warming and chilling, alike is palpable. 

Gerald Butler, as the protagonist is remarkable. 

Sterling Jerins, as his on screen daughter emotes immaculately... Delightfully. 

Worth every penny of yours. Downside is the story is yet predictable. 

Rukh (Movie Rating:5.0/10)

Rukh (Movie Rating:5.0/10)

Dull 105 minutes of nothing really happening. The story is weak,  dialogues mediocre and screenplay is pathetic. Cinematography has zero score in here. One would expect Manoj B to be much better. Smita Tambe as the distraught wife-mother is akin to a lost ghost. 

Gourav, the boy can't act or emote..his personality is zilch. 

The social message of money laundering and it's domino effect is the saving grace. 

If you've NOTHING left to be done,  then  go for this movie 

Golmaal 4 (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Golmaal 4 (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Hilarious 131 minutes (out of 151)...the end is strrrrrreched. Ajay Devgn as the Good Goonda is childlike and vulnerable in love and darkness. His cronies are as usual gold dust, albeit with a dusty role, except Arshad Warsi, who still keeps you entertained. Tabu carries her age rawther well and looks an ageless beauty.

Its Parineeti Chopra who captures the frame, screen and holds your nerve ends with her cherubic visage and drop dead gorgeous smile. Her role isn't meaty,  he demeanor though as a ghost is Ducky. The leitmotif of the plot is ghosts and human reactions to them. 

Dialogues and slapstick comedy is fun, except the last - overstretched denouement. Still worth a watch anytime you want to feel light hearted.

Secret Superstar (Movie Rating:5.5/10)

Secret Superstar (Movie Rating:5.5/10)

Damp squib 140 minutes with a cheesy take on Opportunities for 'girls' ... Zaira Wasim may know how to emote well in front of the camera - yet shes not ready for a lead role. Her dialogues are repetitive (Hamming like SRK) with a below average music-lyrics score (which supposedly is the linchpin of the plot). Aamir as Ego-Star is weird (cant find a more suitable depiction). The Muslim male depiction is  probably the only close-to-reality aspect of the move. Its not entertainment you're up to watch..its a specter of tension you're waiting to get over and step out of the movie hall...

Victoria & Abdul (Movie Rating: 7.0/10)

Victoria & Abdul (Movie Rating: 7.0/10)

Notwithstanding the historical revisionism attempt by the movie makers, the art embedded within is marvelous. Stitching together Taj Mahal-PeacockThrone - Buckingham Palace and the sworn enemies of Crusades as best friends does merit applause. Correctness to the T, where Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria pens on a journal marked with VRI (Victoria Regina Imperatrix for the uninitiated), and the oh so Scottish kilts, tap dances, and everything the British Monarchy stands for...from the House of Tudor. Abdul played by Ali Fazal, has a limited 2 dimensional role, albeit interesting portrayal of his 'Munshi' isms ... 

If you are the brown sahib kind, you'll love the Queens' English, the crisp Tudor impact & a sprinkling of  Shahenshah of Romance - ShahJehan woven into.

Now for the critique...Bertie ( King Edward VII) shown as an arse, was in actual history a King loved by the Brits. The portrayal of Victoria as unlinked to the macabre of the British Empire is simply unbelievable - an attempt to whitewash history. Is the funding for this movie the final  revenge of Dodi Al-Fayd? 

Despite all that, its a good watch, but not if you're the Dilli-ki-Barfi types...

A Gentleman (Movie Rating :7.0 /10)

A Gentleman (Movie Rating:7.0 /10)

Spicy 132 minutes. Innovative technique used by the director to portray twins... Opposites, played by the eye candy, SidM. Substantial screen time. 

The story isn't much except for the time-warp technique. Action is stock Bollywood. Miami background screenplay juxtaposed with Mumbai is stark. 

Jaquiline Fernández, smoulders with *legs-of-Betty-grable* sculpted beyond perfection. Battle stations - Charm offensive.

Glimpses of Mission Impossible on a poor grade disappoint... The closure wasn't electric.... Nevertheless it's an interesting watch 

Annabelle Creation (Movie Rating: 3.5/10)

Annabelle Creation (Movie Rating:3.5/10)

Very tight script executed diligently. Smash through 108 minutes without an interval (odd).

Poor conceptualisation and extremely lacklustre screenplay. Sad after what Conjuring was worth. 

Fails to evoke fear through its roughest scenes. Excess of startling effect to supplant fear psychosis fails badly. 

Horror is not even comical,a drag at best. Avoidable at all costs... Go burn calories at the Elliptical instead... 

Atomic Blonde (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Atomic Blonde (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Apart from the Lesbian twist 🔀 given to Charlize Theron in this action saga set in Divided Berlin, most of 112 minutes are pure gunfight, veins ripped off, gizzards spilled open and guts wrenched out. 

The plot unfolds via the interrogation room dialogues, so you need to be riveted or you'll miss the plot... Which is rawther simple.

Charlize is blitzkrieg both sides of Berlin Wall, her lesbian amour notwithstanding. The apparent puppeteers, MI and CIA sit back and watch Berlin explode as their Atomic Bomb 💣 Blonde sets off Berlin to achieve Critical Mass... 

Move over BadAsses, She's here. 

Toilet Ek Prem Katha (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Toilet Ek Prem Katha (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Love story woven around the Water Closet... On getting the rural mindset out of their archaic closets.

Sana Khan sizzles in a 2 minute role. 

Akshay carries the plot with asymmetric ease portraying a 30s male who colours black a greying moustache, romancing a 20s erudite non-feminazi, Bhumi Pednekar. 

Her movie character is wee bit 'pakau', though she's worth the John.And a pretty lass she is.

The political-ese shows up towards the denouement, though not distasteful. 

A fun movie with lots of rural romantic mornings... Ah yes! The director plays with your mind,  whence the protagonist can't go to the Loo and the urge mounts... Rawther lot of Poo-tential.

Jab Harry Met Sejal (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Jab Harry Met Sejal (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

143 minutes of a slow moving love story necessitate Aspirin alongwith the ticket. A plot without a plot moving in beautiful locales of Europe make you sit up and take notice of them. SRK and Anoushka, both have mastered the art of hamming. 

Now the positives. It's about love, and it's beautiful. Discovery of his own good inner self and her journey from iron facade to *despacito* for love grows. The chemistry is great mostly, in a few scenes though it wavers. 

Great Expectations of DDLJisms will run aground.

 It's a serious love Kahani. 

Munna Michael (Movie Rating: 7.0 /10)

Munna Michael (Movie Rating: 7.0 /10)

Nidhhi Agerwal (yes, she spells it this way) is the pyt this Sabbir Khan production. She grows on you as the movie moves. Nothing spectacular, has potential though. Dances well except the heel balance step she looks funny in.

Tiger Shroff, looks every bit Jackie Dada with a chiseled physique. His tribute to MJ is spirited and dextrous. The final dance routine after his injured leg gets stepped upon is electric, watch out you don't miss that. He can't act of course. 

Enter, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Sets the scene ablaze with humour, love, cheap dancing, action and his signature eyeballing. He steals the thunder, lightening and cloud. Virtuoso performance. 

Watch only if you are a dance enthusiast. 

Raag Desh (Movie Rating:6.0/10)

Raag Desh (Movie Rating:6.0/10)

Technically apt & correct in the depiction of a military court martial,with allowances for a commercial movie. Period movie 🎥 with Army vehicles of number plates of 1940 were impressive in maintaining detail. 

Kunal Kapoor and Co did a swell job. Kudos. 

The political-ese flowing out from the story is the coup... It's Congress vs Alkali vs Muslim League vying for ascendancy in public view, readying for post independence hasty pudding 🍰 

Subhash C Bose has finally been acknowledged

So what's the catch... 

It's the timing of release... a counter to Indu Sarkar. One's a pro Congress movie and the others a pro BJP movie... Quid pro quo... 

Cinematography is good at places, flaccid at others. A genuine tribute to Laxmi Sehgal in the story is worth acknowledging. And yes, it's a serious movie. If you're not,it's not your cuppa... 

Mubarakan (Movie Rating: 7.5 /10)

Mubarakan (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Entertainment dense food for movie 🎥 lovers. This laugh riot is the classic comedy of errors, unfolding a hilarious one after another. Anees Bazmi masters making you laugh and cry simultaneously with aplomb. 

Ileana is simply too gorgeous and with her cute shenanigans is loveable. Athiya Shetty has a small role, she'll emerge eventually, the dad like strong jawline hinders her stardom. It's Neha Sharma, who looks and emotes extra cute.. 

Arjun in double role does a superb performance... Kudos. Pavan Malhotra and Ratna Pathak are absolutely masters of their character. 

The supremo is still Anil Kapoor... is unsurpassable in his performances... It's a treat to watch him. 

Songs are faar too much Punjaabi for pan india acceptance and average score. 

The strength of the movie is in its pure unadulterated entertainment.. 

Jagga Jasoos (Movie Rating: 3.5 /10)

Jagga Jasoos (Movie Rating: 3.5/10)

Torture lasting 161 minutes and your first question.. Has Anurag Basu lost it?  The saga of a stammering-stuttering face painted overgrown school boy set out to search for his foster father. Wrapped about the Purulia arms drop case and set in Urban Ukhrul, the narrative style story telling weaves a plot full of boredom. 

Katrina is cute and bares legs throughout. That she attracts bad luck akin to Ranbirs foster father is the Leitmotif... 

Everything in the movie 🎥 is below mediocre. Dialogues from RK are like mumm....ttttt....kkkk and irritating at best.  Katrina entertains...Nothing else in there. The theatre public comments speak volumes about the disaster this movie is 

Spiderman(Movie Rating: 6.0/10)

Spiderman : Homecoming (Movie Rating: 6.0/10)

Tom Holland as Spidey.... Is arm candy 🍬... Expect no more from this tumbling through.. bumbling through saga of what is not Spiderman. Nothing is convincing in the Spidey act. 

Marisa Tomie is brilliant as usual. So is JrRobert Downey as Ironman charming.  Michael Keaton, is hard, masterful and spot on as the antagonist. 

The stunts are good, though become uninteresting as time goes by. And the politically correct story with a black girlfriend is completely bogus... Doesn't fit the storyline. 

Disappointed. Avoidable. 

Transformers : The Last Knight (Movie Rating :5.5/10)

Transformers : The Last Knight(Movie Rating :5.5/10)

Clang clang clang....a tale of tungsten v/s steel v/s carborundum v/s clang clang... Optimus Prime, the Robot with the Halo has sped off to his planet whilst the evil, Sorceress executes capture -annihilation of the earth plan....

Amalgamation of the Transformers bit to King Arthur and his Knights, along-with Merlin is done in a most enigmatic way...with the Excalibur personified as a Talisman...a bridge between Earth Knights and Galactic Knights - Transformers...

Clearly the day belongs to Sir Antony Hopkins, with his inimitable style. Mark Wahlberg, renegade and own master is impressive. Isabella Moner, well -  is present. 

Easily an interesting story, albeit stretched beyond. Avoidable

1 Haseena thi, 1 Deewana tha (Movie Review:4.0/10)

1 Haseena thi, 1 Deewana tha (Movie Review:4.0/10)

Arses of Baskerville... Set in Dartmouth, attempting few Holmes-against-skyline-atop-cliff scenes, albeit set in a love-reincarnation-murder-plot saga... 

The Hero, ShivDarshan,with Orangutan lips painted rouge and UpenPatel, both are sad. Poetry by Shiv is both mediocre and overdose. 

NatashaFernandez, the newbie looks old, has tyres on her waist and is zero on acting... 

Mostly the plot meanders lacustrine... Literally. 

The one powerful screenplay dynamic is the horseriding love making scene - without showing anything, hovers you on the skirt being ripped off under the hoof... 

Rest of the movie is a downright waste of time, popcorn and macciato...

Wonder Woman (Movie Rating :8.0/10)

Wonder Woman (Movie Rating : 8.0/10)

Girls, Pine for Chris 

T'is Gadot of Gal, we Supermen share the front with... 

Screenplay and Cinematography of the Order of Greek Gods. 

Set in an era of chimera, our Goddess, Diane, of Zeus, scorches out that which is bad. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman is convincingly strong in her character. She emotes very subtle with her eyebrows and frowns... Even her attractions. 

Of course you will fall for her. That's meant to be. Her attractiveness is embedded in that rank simplicity. Amazon skills, special effects and a world war ravaged London depicted rawther korrevtly... Covfeve 

{small blunders in french.. Oops}

Aircraft warnings in French are probably the faux pas, in an otherwise German war camp... 

End credits are surreal with Gal as Demi God... and Greek... Sigh 

The exhilaration of good triumphs over evil is explosive in the denouement. 

Please fall out of love with Gal as you deposit your 3D glasses 👓... 

Once upon a time, very long ago... 

Hindi Medium (Movie Rating: 7.5 /10)

Hindi Medium (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Saba Qamar, as the wife is charming and expressive explosive 💣... with a good script to go. 

Irfaan, though has a muted roles this time round, nevertheless rolls out effortlessly. His magic works like Gogia Pasha... As the cloth merchant from Chandni Chowk, torn between his wife's drag towards English medium schools for their daughter and his affinity for their natural upbringing... 

Social message mantra, woven to expose the education-consultamcy industry's farcical existence, Irfaan does a swell job. 

Most part of the movie is a laugh riot with a preachy end. 

Allusions to schools for the rich and undeserving and overrated and unscrupulous are tessellated all the way. 

Enjoy the bedroom banter betwixt Irfaan and Saba... with AR (algorithm... intended) 

Alien Covenant (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Alien Covenant (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Fassbender wrenching with creation, albeit the *wanna-cry-try-to-be-God* part seemed unconvincing. Spaceship life, travails of intergalactic hibernation and the quintessential chain of command ripped off with casualties. 

The alien 👽 seemed less evil than the ~Synthetic~ experimenter. 

Lowbrow if you've seen Prometheus. The internalised dialogues between creator and created eat up screen time, with less of Alien 👽 breeding fiction,  which was the USP of Prometheus. The intelligence of the creatures remains unsung. 

Average fare with an unconvincing end,  tailored for a sequel. Callie Hernandez, the only pretty face. Rest of the cast looks ghoulish. 

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (Movie Rating: 8.0/10)

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword  (Movie Rating:8.0/10)

Camelot before King Arthur and Merlins' gift of the Excalibur... right upto the carving of the Table of the Knights. 

Jude Law as the evil king exudes charm in his shining armour.. and as the fire villain.... 

Charlie Hunan, grows on you as Arthur, the King to be, resisting the Excalibur initially. Welding it very well then. 

The depiction of Camelot, fights, archers, gigantic animals and octopus ladies... is  lacustrine, and embodies Inverness Lochness... 

This period film is every bit authentic and brilliant in its cut. Screenplay remains etched post credits. Eric Bana,  David Beckham and many more are seen. The magical Excalibur enchants.. 

Sarkar 3 (Movie Rating:6.0/10)

Sarkar 3  (Movie Rating:6.0/10)

Power pack of Big B is palpable from the opening scene unto the close. His eyes 👀 have their own vocabulary.... And it's unmistakably unambiguous. 

Yami G unglamorous with a negative role is wasted. Ronit Roy and Manoj B have a short yet meaningful part. 

The powerplay unfolds every minute of Sarkar 3. It's meant to keep you chewing nails on who will survive and be the next power broker. 

Jackie Dada does it well, albeit tad bit too much of botox and collagen...

The Sadh, character is irritable and definitely a bad selection. 

The music and song over Ganapati sung by Bacchan gives goosebumps. 

Very slow pace and too serious for entertainment. There are no comic relief moments either. Wish they'd balanced it better 

Meri Pyaari Bindu (Rating: 7.0/10)

Meri Pyaari Bindu (Movie Rating: 7.0 /10)

Ambiguous storyline, wrenching your emotions squeezed to dry cry glands. 

AyushmanK is gloved in performance, shrouded in his bearded visage, with above average fare. 

Kolkata and Baabu Moshai are palpable and beautifully. Song and dance are catchy with that zing... 

Parineeti... what screen presence. She dwarfs AyushKhurr like DivyaBharti did ShahrukhKhan and many others heroes. 

Parineeti has that WestEnd Swagger with a smile paralleled only by icons like Madhubala-Madhuri. Joy, disappointment, infatuation,  love and hatred - she emotes them masterfully. 

The rendition of the plot is a bit ambiguous, leaving you vacillating until the end on whether it's a happy ending...

She leaves him and goes away to Australia.... Only to come back.. And go away again and.... 

'Maana ke hum yaar nahin... '

Baahubali 2 (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Baahubali 2 (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Negatives first. Artificial sets, CGI animals and stentorian tones, with stunts beyond limits of belief. Plastic face acting by too many heads. 

Positives. Adrenaline for the Gods. Action puts Achilees to heel and screenplay extraordinare. Katappa mystery unfolds with edge of the seat 💺 drama. Thoroughly enjoyable. Prabhas as Baahubali hogs light & lime with limited screen time for Rana. Anushka Shetty, the Southern Belle comes knocking at your senses. Pretty lass with that twinkle in them eyes 👀 

Unrealistic stunt scenes become fun with the adrenaline they pump up. None of the sub-routines are a drag, they're like crispy wafers... exploding afresh in your palate. 

Suspend reality, enjoy the catharsis of good over evil and ferret the Mahabharat and Ramayana woven into. 

Overall, a pain... with pleasure. 

Ghost in a Shell (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Ghost in a Shell (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Scarlett Johanson in a Cyborg Avataar. Depiction of future day Japan with VR and AI embedded in everything. The CGI usage in every frame gets randomly irritating. The depiction of ScarJo as the human brain + robot body is though provoking as is the simili to our Consciousness in a framework of calcium and proteins. The frame can damage and repair, yet the mind is unparallelled. That consciousness is what holds ScarJo, aka Major as one of a kind. The movie is a remake of its older cousin, with the basic setting unchanged. Juliet Binoche, has a small but good presence. 

The sensuality of ScarJo in her bare robot is palpable. Sci-fi concepts are bold and futuristic. 

The computer-game feel screenplay is a definitive down... Watchable on your laptop at home 🏡 

Colossal (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Colossal (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Breathtaking Belle Hathaway Anne... as the alcoholic castaway 

She's come a long way since Princess Diaries... Many a wrinkle she doth collect in them years. But marvellous acting 🎭 for sure. Jason Sudekis, is just ok. Anyone could've replaced him. 

The plot unfurls in a Surreal -Science fiction combine.. Totally different. The monstrous monster is hilariously cute and toys can be demons becomes the leitmotif inching closer to the denouement. 

Open to interpretation, you see the end your way.. My way was, when someone troubles you on your ground, you settle by return of the favour on their ground. 

Mix of hilarious and ponder-to-point... 

AnneH is soooo pretty 

Boss Baby (Movie Rating: 7.0/10)

Boss Baby (Movie Rating: 7.0/10)

Delightful animation of histrionics, set in sibling rivalry, played out from the eyes of a 7 year old. Alec Baldwin, as the Super Baby, out to do outdo super MBAs iin his fight against Puppies who manage to take away love from Babies... plot is a bit simplistic-weird, yet enjoyable. The wild imagination of a child is portrayed with wonderful graphics and the most awesome gestures of a Baby, rgown to be a boss...and alternates being a regular goo-goo gaa-gaa baby.

Great Stress Buster time in a movie hall. Social messages are embedded galore, but in a interesting manner of sorts. 

A very politically correct bedtime story. 

Naam Shabaana (Movie Rating:6.9/10)

Naam Shabaana (Movie Rating:6.9/10)

Frenetic pace all through its 142 minutes. When it comes to the final denouement you wonder if there's yet another ending... Bit of a climax-anti... 

Guest appearance of Akshay Kumar and Elli Avram will give you an extra thrill. 

Manoj Bajpayee gets to play M, Q and MoneyPenny all rolled into one. He's good.  

Tapsee Pannu, as the badass female agent with eleventeen lives emotes natural, though her left eye seems injured throughout the movie... Or is it some opthal-deformity. Her demeanour is 'Khunnas' and a pyt on top. 

The villian is just a prop, sadly... Hasn't much build up to make his villany palpable, and his cronies mimic comic.

The plot, simple and quick, yet unimpressive. What's great about the movie is its pace... Breakneck. What's missed is a heroine because Tapsee is in an androgynous avatar... Something missing in there... 

Phillauri (Movie Rating: 6.33/10)

Phillauri (Movie Rating:6.33/10)

Empty your bladder before you enter 'who killed phillauri' parts 1,2&3 stitched together with a terribly placed interval. 

Steady pace upto the interval and you begin to believe this will be a crisp direction... Alas, the ghostly apparitions exceed your popcorn megabucket. Anushka is brilliant with those expressive eyes. DiljeetD has a meaty role with above average performance. 

Life of Pi, fame, Suraj with bee-stung lips and a 'champu' personality as the groom to be is irritable. MehreenKPeerZ, the pretty face bride has a small role.period. 

Back and forth in time technique drives the story and multiple plots very well until the interval which is much before half time. The drag then starts until the end credits. 

Two love stories,a tree-ghost and  the inking of poetic transformation  is noteworthy yet. Punjab with its rich cultural folk content is resplendent. 

Avoidable if you can. 

Anarkali of Aarah (Movie Rating:8.0/10)

Anarkali of Aarah (Movie Rating:8.0/10)

Angst of a nautch girl, the breathtakingly beautiful Swara Bhaskar, emotes this erotic singer-dancer lifestyle with razor sharp exactitude. Sanjay Mishra as the powerful, corrupt, lascivious politician is convincing and effective. Swara, with shades of Madhuri Dixit in her looks is femme fatale for her detractors... The plot of revenge is played out penultimate with a song and a dance to decimate her rival. The message goes clear, when a woman says no or she doesn't say a yes, keep your dirty hands to yourself... 

Set in Ara, the lingua franca is Bihar-va and the double-entendre songs are *raunchy-edge-of-rural-erotica*... 

To those uninitiated,Nautch Girls have in the yesteryears been, dancers and not whores... the screenplay justifies this every bit... 

A must watch for those with a conscience and polished taste...

Badrinath ki Dulhaniya (Movie Rating : 6.75 /10)

Badrinath ki Dulhaniya (Movie Rating : 6.75 /10) 

Electric performances, by Varun Dhawan. Plural because he emotes small town badass, waxes tremens delirium in bewafa love and ups the ante in his new age machismo.. 

Alia Bhatt is Scoville content 10 and spices to go with the 'mirchi' role she carries off effortlessly... The Bhatt panache. 

Social message movie, with the script wandering to the edge of boring in a few scenes, is otherwise a racy track of romance-rama... 

The end credits song is hummable to home and the next morning... And more 

Overall an above average fare.... Could have been a bit tighter 

Commando 2 (Movie Rating: 7.5 /10)

Commando 2 (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Action stations on richter scale of 9.99 with VidJam in his ripped muscle avatar beating the intestines out of bad guys in amazing fight scenes. The opening scene fight sequence makes your legs twitch in sync as he pastes the hooded goons with unbelievable momentum. 

Other character artists add spice to pepper budding lust-romance. A tangy twist halfway alters the flavours of this Comman-d(o)rama.

Adah Sharma, plays a sexy southern siren policewaali, and her performance gets better with advancing minutes. 

Esha Gupta must be doing right things to bag the meaty role.... Lustrous locks, sashaying dresses and seduct-intelligent. 

The plot unfurls post de-monitisation and the edge-of-seat viewing brings you from the National Anthem to the interval to the denouement before you can say 'Wow'. 

The ending, though beautiful is a sudden shift from glamorous, sheen, outdoor-indoor to the realistic, rural-bereft-of shiny-floors Indian setting. Could have been shade less grey. 

VidJam is eye 👁 candy for the ladies, so floss up and stare. 

Logan (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Logan (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, both give a stellar performance in their X-Men Swan song episode. Action scenes remain captivating. The ageing and slowing down of an erstwhile great Wolverine is shown with deliberation. 

Failing invincibility and a probable daughter, whom he's avoiding warming up to for fear of her being targeted later. Professor X,aka Patrick Stewart similarly heads up to his exit with display of immense power hours mind. 

Pace is slow and may test your patience. The end has surprises waiting for.

Not the best of the X-Men series. 

Jolly LLB 2 (Movie Rating :7.02999/10)

Jolly LLB 2 (Movie Rating :7.02999/10)

Saurabh Shukla,aka Judge saahib is the darling of this sequel with his histrionics, hiccup stances and extension of home-to-courtroom lifestyle. He's the man on whom the balance is errr.. Balanced. 

HumaQ, the gorgeous face-large-base lady has fewer minutes, but the choice of a mother with a fat 8 year old is apt-baby ko base pasand hai. 

AkshayK is lucid, convincing and masterful in his depiction of the 'Kanpur-ka-lawyer' who can't be roughshod once a soul awakens his. 

Annu Kapoor as the defence lawyer is marvellous. His demeanour and theatrics leave you asking for more. 

Many a social messages embed in the courtroom jog. Weak is the courtroom playoff... Could have sizzled.. Alas it's a bit of a drag.. With a bit of good luck the hero nails it. Not expected of an Akshay Kumar genre. 

Nevertheless, it's entertaining 2.25 hours. The musical score is pathetic. 

Resident Evil:Final (movie Rating:5.5/10)

Resident Evil:Final (movie Rating:5.5/10)

Milla Jovovich, in her element as the industrious vanquisher of the un-dead is impressive. Her blades and eyes glaze with devilish intensity, and her action stunts would leave Vin Diesel a toddler.

The plot is fairly simple, save humanity. It's the rich versus the hoi polloi and loads of bad guys. Milla, led by an augmented reality image leads her pack to an underground 'hive' to retrieve the magic anti-virus... 

All too dark a movie with overloading of killing. The CGI for computer games enthusiasts seems the reason for creating this genre of movies. What a waste of Milla and her laser eyes. 

The Great Wall (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

The Great Wall (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Legend of a fantasy, set in the environs of the Great Wall of China. Matt Damon, the white man, saves the Chinese civilization... Sounds familiar.

 The breathtakingly beautiful, Tian Jing, as the Army General, adorning the most beautiful battledress is very impressive from the first scene unto the end. 

Matt Damon wins the screen with his iconic archery skills and never say die attitude. Other actors don't really have much screentime. The chemistry between Tian and Damon is very subtle and underplayed. 

The battle scenes are the best part of the movie. The assiduous sequencing, ancient metallurgy, design innovation and ingenuity in the face of the enemy are breathtaking. Screenplay is deadly. The animation of the enemy creatures,their intellect in battle and manoeuvres are interesting as they unfold. 

The airborne lanterns on mourning are a scene for posterity. 

You walk out pleasant. 

Raees (Movie Rating: 6.5/10)

Raees (Movie Rating:6.5/10)

Mahira long-nose khan, who came from Pakistan, was pasted in a few scenes.....

Alas they forgot to cut that nose,from her barely long cast... 

Arguably, a very average score in all the spheres. Finally the antagonist (in this movie the Hero) runs out of luck... And his Robinhood travails run flat... Because he's doing dhandha... So what if it's illegal liquor, or gold or a few murders... Unpalatable story. 

Nawazuddin is a breath of fresh air. His dialogues and acting are a treatise. You wait for his entry everytime. And it's worth it. Sunny Leone with her item song 'laila..akela' is just right.. Though wish it was longer than 2.5 minutes. 

Nothing to take home from this feature. If you're an SRK fan, you feel sad he's doing this kind of work. In a comparison of simultaneous releases,  Kaabil scores heads and shoulders above. 

Kaabil (Movie Rating: 8.0/10)

The Kaabil (Movie Rating: 8.0/10)

You don't want to leave the hall once its over. such is the impact of this thriller dipped in braille. Ronit Roy with a small screen time leaves the impact desired of a mean corporator, whilst Rohit Roy as the high priest of  villainy does give you the sleaze ball eel - feel. 

YaamiG is stellar, with her cherubic visage, exuding freshness. Hritik does the blind man performance with perfection. Research gone in would be the understatement. Brilliant in each scene. The surprise package was  Narendra Jha as a Police SHO. Understated yet powerful countenance. Downside was the remixed song as item song "Saara zamaan haseeno ka dewaana', presented in a vulgar cabaret by item girl doing  'frog-leg' squats (should've let this iconic Bacchan song be).

The plot itself has so much to edge (egg) you on, so no hints about how its elementary dear. Once the revenge begins, its payback time...The social message is clear...proof or not, justice requires none. Tit bits are culled from here and there, but in a unique manner..aka Sherlock Holmes versus Moriarty. 

....and you can hum anytime...Clamavi de Profundis

The Crew (Movie Rating:8.5/10)

The Crew (Movie Rating:8.5/10)

Danila, Vladimir, Agne (Hero young,hero old, heroine)... Russian actors 

Adrenaline like you've never experienced 'afore. Maverick Air Force pilot with a no nonsense attitude, Danila and a well worn out commercial pilot, Vladimir, both on a hazardous rescue mission... with Vladimirs' rebel son and Second Pilot (additional)  Agne with whom Danila has a lovers Spat... And mother nature unleashes her fury. 

Move over Tom Hanks and Hudson Bay, these 2 hours are on the edge of razor. Cockpit chutzpah with a attractive cabin crew and love triangle calculus taking two airborne machines on die-to-live mission. Draws a parallel to life.. you need cooperation as a team.. Or perish up there. 

Remarkable screenplay with the molten lava and airliner crash scenes... You will dream of the movie the night you watch. Sleep with your seat-belts on...The Crew 

Haraamkhor (Movie Rating:8.0/10)

Haraamkhor (Movie Rating:8.0/10)

Low budget social message 94 minutes with the impeccable Nawazuddin Siddiqui doing what he does very well.. He gets into the character of the small village -town teacher act with the evil of child molestation. He takes advantage of the girl student, who is in love with him because of her domestic circumstances... Shweta Tripathi, plays the role of this 15 year old school girl with finesse. The plot unfurls as from the eyes of two teenage boys who are upto no good,  with one of them besotted with Shweta...

Nawazuddin would be one of the very few daring actors to acquiesce to such a negative role... It requires chutzpah. And kudos to Shweta for doing a role half her actual age...remember Masaan. She's rightly been chosen to depict the role. Once again, Nawazuddin puts any Oscars to shame... He's marvellous. 

A clear social message to look after the emotional aspects of growing children. 

XXX-Xander Cage (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

XXX-Xander Cage (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Deepika Padukone does get her 15 minutes of fame.. and she's feline fatale... But the heat is turned up with Hermione Corfield, small screentime but scorching. Nina Dobrev as the cute nerd is devastating, both on and off the keyboard. Loads of Panama style dressed belles increase the haute... But then it's Vin Diesel with his machismo engine in overdrive that makes the sound barrier into symphony... Action stations from all degrees of freedom...Donnie packs a mean punch worth his time. And yes Deepika locks lips with Vin...for your cathartic pleasure.

The plot is all about too much power in one hand is dangerous... and the triple X is there to watch the watchers.. And to look after its own..(moral.. Look after your own).

OK Jaanu (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

OK Jaanu (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Naseeruddin Shah is subtle and brilliant as the retired judge looking after his Alzheimer stricken Wife(Leela Damson), in whose house Aditya and Shraddha Kapoor begin to live-in... And are sworn to enjoy each other - only carnal pleasures.. Marriage is for idiots.. 

ARK is handsome fresh and natural. ShrKap is marvellously beautiful. The camera angles so well in close up shots that you feel her lips quiver... and when she adores ARK, as remarkable I suppose. Leela Sampson sparkles in her minute ministrations as a patient. 

The treatment of their plan to eventual disengagement leads them to a path... 

The story grows on you in a timeless way. 'Humma humma... ' is ok, not mind-blowing. What is mind-blowing is their chemistry... Her expressions... Both are eye candy. A must watch 

Live by Night (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Live by Night (Movie Rating:7.0/10)

Devilishly handsome Affleck Ben around, done that and more killings than Dunkirk. Suave 1917 gangster with a soul and a heart. The mafia, rum trade and Ku Klux Klan, come calling his time... The pulchritude of Elle Fanning is in your face, though nothing more. Sienna Miller has a short dysfunctional role and Zoe Saldana gets the meaty part.. though sadly she's bereft of any... 

The draw up of power between the Italian mafioso, KKK, South America influence, Boston badasses and local police is a peek into the dynamics of drug Lords war mongering... 

 Pinstripe suits, Gatsby black - white brogues, suspenders, hats, Cuban cigars rolled in thighs and drum automatics...

Only the end is a tad bit drag.. Slow after an otherwise swift movie 🎥 

Passengers (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Passengers (Movie Rating:7.5/10)

Space odyssey....an Interstellar travel with all the high technology trappings of state of the art spaceship...an asteroid belt collision alters the course of life for Chris... Cryogenic hibernation is undone and... 

Jennifer Lawrence is breathtaking in her blood-red gown and golden-yellow tresses...Watch out for the pool scene when the water lifts without artificial gravity.. it's a never before one. The bartender is loveable. What's appealing is the scrubbed clean feel of this spaceship. And the moist eyes of JenLaw... she's so 'take home forever'... 

A small excess for togetherness begets love..