Fireman review: "Decent tribute but could have been a whole lot better!!!"

After numerous postponements, Mammookka's "Fireman" has finally released this weekend just as the World Cup fever is slowly catching up. With the board exams also in the next few weeks, it was imperative that it was released as soon as possible if it harboured any hopes of making some collection at the box office. The film's USP is surely the Kerala Fire Force, which incidentally hasn't been made the central theme in our movies as far as I know. So was this movie a worthy tribute for for our fire brigade???

Life was as usual at the fire force but this was a special day for them as their senior officer, Lakshmanan Pillai (P Sreekumar)  after having served 30 years had come in to take charge for one last time. Elsewhere in the city, a father (Salim Kumar) in visible distress was frantically searching for his missing daughter. The lukewarm reception that he received from the Police made him hysterical which eventually led him to an accident with a LPG tanker that overturns with dire consequences. The fire brigade is called in but their initial efforts to secure the tanker backfires & it claims the life of Pillai. As the Police Force also makes their presence felt, a  clash of egos issues but better sense prevails as the commanding officer of the fire brigade, Vijay (Mammookka) is made in charge of the mission. So can Vijay save the day before it claimed more lives as the situation worsened by the second???

This venture was helmed by Deepu Karunakaran whose past track record hasn't been particularly impressive with movies like "Winter", "Crazy Gopalan" etc. However, the subject that he has chosen for this movie deserves praise & to a certain extent he has done justice to it as well. Though the basic plot seems fine, it's the manner in which it is being resolved that juts out clumsily. But credit to Deepu that inspite of amateurishness in many frames of the rescue mission; it still doesn't bore the audience completely. As for the technical aspects, the special effects showcased in the movie was downright pathetic & one cant help wonder as to why more attention wasn't paid to it. Saajan has done a credible job with the editing while Rahul Raj's BGM was fine.

Mammookka has done a decent job as the protagonist but it couldnt be deemed challenging apart from maybe lifting the weights. Both Nyla Usha & Siddique has done justice to their roles while Unni Mukundan could have been better. Salim Kumar who handles an important role looks quite emancipated & doesnt quite deliver the goods that we know he is capable of. 

Verdict: Mammookka hasn't had a major release since "Varsham" & so there is bound to be a sense of expectation apart from the fact that the theme is pretty novel. Deepu has done a decent job in the direction but there are some serious lapses in the script which will hamper its chances at the box office. It's surely not a tribute of the highest quality that the fire brigade richly deserves for their selfless service, but it's still worth a watch for its noble intentions!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Mili review: "Hits the right notes!!!"

The quadrennial cricket tournament got off to a roaring start & with Team India prevailing over the arch rivals yet again to make it 6-0 in World Cups, it meant films will have to take a back seat for the next few weeks. However, this weekend saw the release of "Mili" in Bangalore almost a fortnight after it was released (only God knows as to why the distributors had released it so late here). Well since the movie had already garnered positive responses it naturally coaxed me to check it out.

Mili (Amala Paul) was a person who suffered from low self esteem which stemmed from the fact that she lacked confidence in whatever she pursued. It wasn't as if this happened over night but rather it was the culmination of years of frustration due to her inability to shine & rise upto the expectations of her father. Being an introvert & submissive, Mili failed to gel with her hostel mates & before long she also lost her job as a kindergarten teacher. As always, she sought the help of Nancy (Praveena), a family friend & former student of Mili's father, to help her out of the mess. Things take a turn when Nancy's brother, Naveen (Nivin Pauly), a HR trainer instills in Mili the confidence to sort out her problems & take on the life's challenges by the scruff. But did she have it in her to practically execute his advice???

It's been almost 4 years since Rajeev Pillai's "Traffic" had released, a movie which started the trend of the so called "new generation" movies (both good & bad) or more appropriately movies with fresh creative scripts. So when "Mili" was announced, there was a palpable sense of hype & all the more so, thanks to the catchy promotional video. As expected, he has come up with an impressive movie which was scripted by Mahesh Narayanan, who deserves the accolades coming his way. Though the film concludes in a predictable manner with a sermon by the protagonist, the build up towards it had the audience interested. Gopi Sundar deserves credit for some soothing numbers with Manppathamey rendered by Shaan Rehman being my personal favourite. As for other technical aspects, it seemed apt.

Amala Paul has done a brilliant job as the protagonist & this will surely rank as one of the best in her career along with "Myna". Nivin Pauly has done a fine job in a supporting role without going over the top & belongs to those rare category of actors who seems at ease (& also acceptable for the audience) be it as the lead or as the supporting cast. As for the rest, all of them have done a fine job be it Saikumar (who as always rocks), Praveena, Ambika, Sanuja etc.

Verdict: There is no surprise as to why this movie is still racking in decent numbers at the box office as it endears to the audience. It doesnt have a "wow' factor, but there is something about the script which keeps us entertained. So in case you have missed it, dont hesitate to check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Yennai Arindhaal review: "Entertaining albeit with an unmistakable sense of dejavu!!!"

Among the various Indian cop films that I had watched, the ones that had really impressed me were "Kaakha Kaakha" & "Vettayadu Vilayadu" both of which were directed by Gautham Menon. So when he had announced his latest venture & that too with the charismatic "Thala" Ajith in the lead; the expectations had sky rocketed. Well it's kinda hard to always live upto expectations but the initial signs has been more than promising with some captivating promos & posters. Hmm, seems like he has hit the bull's eye or has he???

Satyadev (Ajith) is an upright tough cop who had gone through a lot in his life & though his losses made him question his choices, there was no denying that it strengthened his resolve to bring the outlaws to justice. It all began with the death of his father by a gangster, who meant the world to him. Though he sought to seek revenge, he decided to do so by being part of the law. His latest mission involved protecting Thenmozhi (Anushka Shetty), a co-passenger he had met on a flight. As Satyadev tries to crack the case, it becomes evident that it was linked to his past as well. So who were they & what were they after???

It's been quite some time since Gautham Menon had a serious hit & so it was imperative that "Yennai Arindhaal" bring his hey days back. There is no doubt that the film is engaging as it takes a look into the life of the protagonist right from his formative years as opposed to just an episode from his life. However, there are unmistakable resemblances with his other cops movies with regard to his love life, the significance of his father & how that portion eventually pans out. So in effect, it gives you a sense of dejavu & makes you impatiently move around in your seat. But inspite of that we still feel entertained & the whole credit for that goes to "Thala" & the antagonist essayed by Arun Vijay. As for other technical aspects, Harris Jayaraj doesn't quite rediscover his form with an average sound track though the BGM was damn good. The stunt choreography was well executed while Dan Macarthur has done a fine job with the visuals; however, Antony ought to have done a better job with his editing as it lags at many sequences.

The presence of "Thala" has taken the film to a whole new level, coz if it wasn't for him, Gautham would have really struggled at the box office. Ajith was brilliant in the all the different avatars that he appears be it the lover, father, cop or gangster & he seemed at ease projecting the emotions, keeping the star in him at check. Standing upto a charismatic star like Ajith is no mean task, but Arun Vijay has done a wonderful job & leaves a lasting impression. Even though Trisha had a limited screen space lasting maybe 10 mins or so, she really made it count with an impressive performance while Anushka Shetty's role didnt quite have the depth for her to shine. As for the rest, all of them have done an apt job.

Verdict: "Thala" is known to be the king of initials & the story will be the same here as well as the box-office bells are bound to ring like crazy for some time. The performances has been brilliant from both Ajith & Arun, however the script doesnt quite provide the twists that we were accustomed to in Gautham's other flicks. In short, it's definitely entertaining but as the title says "If you know Gautham"...you know what's going to happen!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Shamitabh review: "Impressive performances let down by a mediocre latter half!!!"

Big B's appearance on the 70 mm screen has been far & few, so it was quite natural that there is a tremendous deal of hype & anticipation surrounding his latest release "Shamitabh". The promos has been awesome as the Amitabh-Danush combo seemed quite interesting & with Balki calling the shots, it seemed like a recipe for success. So were the promos a true reflection of the final product???

The film unfolds with the premiere of "Lifebuoy", the debut release of Shamitabh alias Daanish (Danush) the latest sensation in Bollywood. So how did a bus conductor from a small village manage to make his mark in the film industry??? If that was astonishing enough, Daanish had a much bigger secret which the media didn't know & that he was mute. Daanish's obsession for films began right from his childhood & his dreams landed him in Mumbai, but as expected his handicap proved to be his stumbling block. One of his altercations with the studio people caught the eye of the assistant director, Akshara (Akshara Hasan) who seeing the potential in him, promises to help him out. With the help of medical technology, Daanish was able to speak but it required the help of another individual. Eventually their search for an apt voice led them to Amitabh Sinha (Big B), an irritable drunkard with a formidable baritone who lived in a cemetery. Their combination was an absolute winner as the audience lapped it up, but their bloated egos was getting in the way of their success. So will they be able to keep their egos in check???

R Balki had enthralled the audience with his previous ventures be it "Cheeni Kum" or "Paa", the latter even winning Big B his 3rd National Award (which I felt Lalettan deserved more for "Thanmatra"). Even in his latest endeavour, the film starts off in a promising manner with the master stroke being the interactions between Danush & Big B which were hilarious. However after that initial buildup, the script just meanders along aimlessly offering nothing new before culminating in a rather predictable climax. The legend, Illayaraja had composed the music which interestingly happened to be his 999th album & to be frank, it wasn't great though I absolutely loved the title track rendered by Caralisa Monteiro. P. C Sreeram has done a fine job with the visuals while Hemanti Sarkar could have done a better job with the editing.

The legend, Big B has done a brilliant job & will be in pole position to sweep all the awards once this year comes to an end. Danush has done a fine job as he has been really effective in conveying his emotions without his voice. Add to that, it's quite difficult to match upto a doyen like AB & he has done that with elan. Inspite of being a debutant, Akshara Hasan has done a decent job & augurs well for the future. 

Verdict: With no major releases in the horizon, "Shamitabh" should be able to rake in a decent amount of moolah. The film does have its share of flaws with a rather mediocre & repetitive latter half, which will surely hamper the viewing experience. However, it is still worth a watch for Big B's performance!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Baby review: "Slickly executed espionage thriller with an average plot!!!"

The Republic Day on a Monday inevitably meant that the film makers had an extended weekend to take advantage of & Neeraj Pandey's "Baby", which deals with espionage seemed an apt choice. There was a palpable sense of anticipation after all Neeraj had wowed the audience previously with "A Wednesday" & "Special Chabbis". Even the promos of his latest aroused curiosity, as it seemed like a slickly executed movie. So will it live upto the standard of its predecessors???

Baby is an undercover intelligence agency that was formed with the intention to curb the rising acts of terrorism. Ever since its inception, it's highly skilled agents have foiled countless attempts of the militants who were keen to unleash a reign of terror across the nation. Feroze Ali Khan (Danny Denzongpa) was the Chief of Baby & Ajay (Akshay Kumar) was his ace among the agents. The film unfolds with Ajay negating the threat posed by a double agent & in the process, unearths the truth that the dreaded terrorist, Bilaal (Kay Kay Menon) facing trial in the Indian jail was likely to be rescued. All of this was done under the orders of the Pakistan's terror outfit, Lashkar whose leader was Maulana Mohammad Rehman (Rashid Naz). So can Ajay & his fellow agents rise to the biggest challenge that they had ever faced???

Neeraj Pandey credentials needs no introduction as he has already proved it beyond doubt with his previous two ventures. In his latest offing, he has gone for a much larger scale as the characters trot across the globe in their mission to bring the offenders to justice with some impressively executed stunt sequences. However, unlike his other movies; the plot lacks the tautness or reality that you would expect from him as some of the scenes seem too far fetched be it Bilaal's escape or the rather lack of professionalism on the part of the terrorists.. But even then, I thoroughly enjoyed it as the latter half really hooks the audience with some edge of the seat sequences which kinda reminded me of "Argo". As for the technical aspects, the visuals by Sudeep Chatterjee was fantastic along with the action sequences choreographed by Cyril Raffaelli and Abbas Ali Moghul. Even the BGM by Sanjay Chowdhury deserves praise while the editing by Shree Narayan Singh was crisp.

Akki was fantastic as the undercover agent & seemed every bit convincing be it with his stunts or his suave nature. Danny Denzongpa imparted the sense of seriousness that you would associate with such a character. Inspite of appearing towards the latter half of the movie, Anupam Kher provides the hilarious moments in his own characteristic manner. Rashid Naz was menacing while Kay Kay Menon didnt have much to do. Among the rest, Rana Duggabatti was imposing with his bulky frame while Tapsee Pannu steals the scene in her brief appearance. 

Verdict: The previous track record of Neeraj would ensure a credible initial, however it wont cater to the masses as such. The plot is pretty average as it does have some notable loopholes & seems far fetched at times, but still it was brilliantly executed & keeps you hooked for sure. In short, check it out !!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

Picket 43: "Worth getting a ticket!!!"

After the disappointing "Mariyam Mukku, I was wondering whether to head back home as I didn't want to spoil it further. However, the posters of Prithvi's "Picket 43" enticed me to stick around, though I was kinda apprehensive since it was helmed by Major Ravi. Since Prithvi has rarely made a wrong choice in the recent past, I decided to check out his latest venture in the very next show itself. So will it be yet another trite war movie from the Major???

Picket 43 was a dreaded outpost along the LOC which was the site of frequent militant infiltrations and unrest. Much to the dismay of our Armed Forces, none of our jawans posted there has made it back alive with the previous one also mercilessly slaughtered. The latest recruit to the outpost was Havildar Harindran (Prithviraj) who was accompanied by the sniffer dog, Bacardi. No sooner had he landed there, he was greeted by a barrage of gun shots from across the border. But this hostile scenario seemed to change, when the Pak forces recruited a replacement in the form of Ranger Musharaff (Javed Jaffrey). With time, Hari & Mushraff develops a bond of friendship but will it be able to resist the test of political instability which invariably rears its ugly head coz of the frequent ceasefire violations???

It's been quite some time since Major Ravi has proved his worth behind the camera & so to be frank, many wouldn't have laid much hopes on him. However, I am glad that he has proved us wrong with a pretty decent script which focused on friendship between two unlikely characters such as the Jawan & the Ranger. But still, the story seemed pretty superficial as it didn't quite delve into the details of their relationship & the hostile environment that they were part of. On the contrary, I felt more emphasis or rather screen space was given to the relation between Prithvi & Bacardi. Whatever said, I absolutely liked the climax which brought the attention back to the core matter. The technical aspects were pretty impressive be it Jomon's delectable visuals, the BGM by Rex & Ratheesh Vega's music.

Prithvi was brilliant as the protagonist who showcases a myriad of emotions both physical and mental with elan. Javed Jaffrey was aptly cast & he has done utmost justice to his character. Bacardi being a trained canine didnt seem to be perturbed by the cameras while Renji Panicker also has done a fine job as the Officer in Charge. As for the rest, the heroine cast opposite to Prithvi was pathetic as she struggled to emote in the few scenes she appeared.

Verdict: Prithvi's brand value will ensure that the film has an impressive initial. In addition, he has once again reposed our faith that his choice of movies are something that we can bank on as his latest venture also had a decent story to convey. In short, it's definitely worth getting a ticket for this one!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Mariyam Mukku review: "James Albert's script dampens his directorial debut!!!"

Last year's X'mas would surely rank as one of the worst seasons in the recent past for a movie buff as it played host to some pathetic Malayalam releases. Well whatever might be the reason for the neglect of the holiday season by the film-makers, it seems all of that has come to a close as 4 major releases has hit the screens this weekend. Among these, the one that I had wanted to check out first was Fahad Fazil's "Mariyam Mukku", for the simple reason that it was shot at Tangasseri, just a couple of kms from my home. So apart from the familiar locales, will the script also bring a smile to me???

Felix (Fahad Fazil) was the the henchman of Mariyanasan (Manoj K Jayan), the prominent gangster in the coastal village of Mariyam Mukku.  After having lost his parents in his childhood, Felix was taken under the wings of Mariyanasan, who had trained him for his selfish means. However, the misdeeds that he committed hardly mattered to Felix after all his boss's wish was his command. But his attitude takes a turns for the better, when he gets smitten by his childhood friend Salomi (Sana Althaf). Naturally, this irks his boss & he comes down hard on Felix. So will Felix be able to stand up for his love for Salomi???

At the turn of the new millennium, there was a fear that there was a steady decline in the quality of scripts that were being churned out. However, the entry of James Albert into the industry with "Classmates" instilled hopes that we need not worry much as long as people like him are around. Unfortunately, his recent exploits with the pen such as "Venicile Vyapari", "Ezhu Sundara Rathrikal" etc., had all bit the dust. It was at this juncture that he decided to try his hand in direction with "Mariyam Mukku". It's definitely a decent effort, but his script yet again fails to convey any sort of uniqueness. It seems that he kinda got confused as to give importance to which aspect of the tale...the romantic part or the drama which unfolds subsequently & in the process he did justice to neither.

Girish Gangadharan has done a fine job with the visuals as the scenic beauty of Tangasseri was exquisitely shot. The music by Vidyasagar was disappointing though I liked the chorus part of "Kavil" rendered by Najim Arshad & Kavalam Sreekumar. None of the other aspects deserves much of a mention. Fahad has done a decent job though it didnt offer him much of a challenge. Sana Althaf was average & I didnt quite see the spark between the lead pairs. Aju Varghese's character could have been a credible one, but he was simply wasted. As for the rest, they did their parts aptly.

Verdict: With a host of releases on offer, the viewers are spoilt for choice; but even then Fahad Fazil's name should attract quite a decent initial. However, there is no doubt that the mediocre script will impact the collections that it would garner. In short, unless the other releases mess up pretty bad, I dont see this making much of a mark!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben