Mission Impossible-Fallout review: "Your mission, should you choose to watch it is absolutely exhilarating!!!"

Whenever we talk about franchise movies, the first thing we think about are the actors who made those protagonists memorable. More of than not, such characters becomes the USP of the actor & he is known for that role irrespective of the plethora of other movies he must have acted in. We have been witness to numerous franchise movies such as Stallone's "Rocky & Rambo", Arnold's "Terminator", Harrison Ford's "Indiana Jones", Johnny Depp's "Pirates of the Caribbean" to name a few. Another hugely popular franchise & one of my personal favourite apart from "Rocky" is Tom Cruise's "Mission Impossible" series. This weekend we had the sixth edition of MI, "Mission: Impossible-Fallout" hitting the screens & as always, the trailer was just awesome. So can Cruise still pull off Ethan Hunt convincingly or is it the desperation of the star to remain relevant on the back of his past MI glory???

A couple of years has passed after the capture of Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), but his organisation "The Syndicate" was still very much functional & had transformed itself into a terrorist group known as "The Apostles". Their latest mission was to acquire three plutonium cores for a client named John Lark, who intended to blow it up in religious sites such as Rome, Jerusalem & Mecca. This was where Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) came into the picture as he was entrusted with the task of ensuring that the plutonium didnt go into the wrong hands. However, the Apostles were a couple of steps ahead of him & outsmarted him by forcing him to choose his friend's life over the plutonium procurement. As one would expect, Ethan & his team were back in their elements in quick time, but how high were the stakes if they had to save the world yet again???

The MI series began in 1996 & the first five movies were helmed by five different directors. However, this time around they decided to persist with Christopher McQuarrie who had done a decent job with the previous installment "Rogue Nation". Scripted by McQuarrie himself, the story is pretty much standard affair though unlike the previous editions there was a certain degree of continuity from the previous movie. As always, the highlight of the series are the breath taking action sequences & it is no different this time as well. The fist fight in the restroom, the rooftop chase in London, the bike chase in Paris, the helicopter stunt in supposed to be Kashmir (though it is New Zealand) etc., each of them were brilliantly choreographed by stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood. All of them were exquisitely captured by Rob Hardy & the the impact of the scenes were elevated by Lorne Balfe's apt choice of music.

What do I say about Tom Cruise??? He is absolutely brilliant & the backbone as to why this series is relevant even after 22 years. His utmost dedication to his craft & insistence to perform those unbelievable stunts that we have witnessed over the years be it the one in Burj Khalifa, Tarzan swing in Shanghai or dangling outside Air A400M, by himself without the use of CGI is what makes this series all the more endearing & thrilling to us. As far for the rest of the cast, all of them have done their parts well be it Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson etc. 

Verdict: Without doubt, one of the finest action movies to have ever released & definitely one of the best MI movies to date. What is all the more incredible is the fact that Cruise is 56 years old. Oh yes, you dont have to think twice, I didnt get his age wrong . His dedication to daredevilry & the ease with which he pulls off stunts would make anyone develop an inferiority complex, not to mention his iconic straight backed running (my personal favourite) is something you just cant afford to miss. In short, rush to a theatre near you!!!

Rating: 4.25/5

Regards...Ben

Dhadak review: "Fails to realize the potential of the thread that could have made us miss a dhadak!!!"

It's been a rather busy week on the professional front that I wasnt able to pen my thoughts about "Dhadak" that I had watched last weekend. I was rather interested to check it out after all it was the launch of Sridevi's daughter, Janhvi Kapoor & Shahid's brother, Ishaan Khatter. The trailer was quite good & the songs were rather catchy. giving indications that it had the substance to earn a decent initial. But will it be able to break even???

The film unfolds in Rajasthan where we have Madhukar (Ishaan) & Parthavi (Janhvi) fall for each other, oblivious of the fact her family were against their union since he belonged to an inferior caste. Parthavi's father Ratan Singh (Ashutosh Rana) uses his influence to register a fake rape attempt case on Madhu & his friends. However, Parthavi manages to turn the tables & rescues Madhu from the clutches of the police. But will the lovers be able to ever live in peace???

Karan Johar had bought the rights for the Marathi blockbuster "Sairat" & entrusted Shashank Khaitan to remake it in Hindi. This was the latter's third movie after the "Dulhania" series & definitely a challenge to match upto Nagraj Manjule's efforts. Well it seemed as if Shashank was in a dilemma whether to attempt something truly original or make a glossy version on the assumption that the audience wouldn't be able to digest the harsh reality portrayed in the Marathi version. Anywaz Shashank was rather too mellow in his screenplay & execution , which kinda denied the movie the impact that it could have made if he was faithful to the original script. On the technical side, both Ajay-Atul & John Stewart have done a praise worthy job with the music & BGM while Vishnu Rao's visuals were fine.

Both Ishaan & Janhvi have done a decent job in their debut outing. Ishaan oozes charm & innocence and was an apt choice for the role. It would be unfair to compare Janhvi to her illustrious mother, the incomparable Sridevi. But even then Janhvi has done no harm to her name & has given a reasonably decent performance. There is no doubt that they are far from the finished product, but for starters they deserve an applause. The rest of the cast were average & didnt have much to do.

Verdict: Even if you haven't watched "Sairat", you will still feel that Shashank definitely missed the opportunity to make a memorable love story along the lines of "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak". As per box office figures, it has managed to make a profit. In short, it's rather predictable; which means that the story as such might not interest you but the newbies has done a decent job.

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Soorma review: "Flick doesn't drag but fails to score the goal convincingly!!!"

It's been an exciting month for sports lovers with many high profile tournaments happening across the globe such as the World Cup, Wimbledon, Champions Trophy etc. Even the film industry have sought inspiration from such athletes over the years & have made biopics on them such as "Mary Kom", "M.S Dhoni", "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" etc. The latest to join this list is "Soorma" which is based on our ace drag flicker, Sandeep Singh who went through a career ending accident & rose from the ashes like a phoenix. With another biopic "Sanju" going great guns at the box office, it remains to be seen whether this will evoke similar reactions from the audience.

Over the years, we have had some incredible hockey players & a significant number of them hailed from Punjab & Haryana. Sandeep Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) was also from the same region & thrust into the game pretty young to follow in the footsteps of his brother Bikram (Angad Bedi). However, he didnt pursue it for long as he detested his coach Kartar Singh (Danish Hussain), who was an extremely tough task master. But he decided to take up his hockey stick many years later, in order to impress Harpreet (Tapsee Pannu), a fellow player; rather than love for the game. It so turned out that he gets moulded into a brilliant player under the watchful eyes of Coach Harry (Vijay Raaz) & attracts the attention of the Hockey Federation who inducts him into the national team without fail. But even before he could make a significant mark, his career was cut short by an accidental gun shot into his spine which left him hemiplegic. The rest of the movie tracks his journey from the bed to the pinnacle of the game.

Biopics has been one of the most favoured genres in our industry in recent times & Shaad Ali, known for movies like "Saathiya", "Bunty Aur Babli", "Ok Jaanu" etc., decided to give it a try. The first half was fine as it basically tracked Sandeep's journey from childhood to the time he began to make a name for himself. It's the latter half which actually get us invested in the story & steadily builds to the climax. The highlight of the movie is the excellent star cast, each of whom was perfect for the role & gave a sincere performance. However, it does have its share of pitfalls as well & that's primarily coz of the lack of exciting moments on the hockey field, the rather ordinary manner in which the games were choreographed, team dynamics & Tapsee reduced to merely a muse rather than the talented player that she is portrayed as. The music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy was praise worthy & in sync with the mood while Chirantan Das's visuals were fine.

As mentioned earlier, each & every artist has done an impressive job. Diljit was perfect as the protagonist who exudes charm & conveys all range of emotions with utter ease. It was hard to believe that he isnt a hockey player as his body language, aggression etc all seemed natural. Angad Bedi had me stumped with his excellent act & hopefully, more film makers will give him meaty roles. The same amount of praise applies to the rest as well such as Tapsee, Vijay Raaz, Sathish Kaushik, Seema Kaushal etc.

Verdict: Sandeep Singh was instrumental in India winning the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2009 & played a significant role in getting the team qualified for the 2012 Olympics. However, his biopic is unlikely to make as much of an impact despite the excellent & sincere performances by the artists. It is nowhere near the league of "Chak De" even though the core story that it conveys is equally as intense. There is no doubt that "Sanju" made matters tough but if more thought had gone into the screenplay, it would have done much better business at the box-office. Anywaz, it's still worth a one time-watch!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Sanju review: "Flawed protagonist enacted by a flawless Ranbir!!!"

It's a well known fact that it is no mean task to perform when one is burdened by the weight of expectations. We have numerous examples of individuals/teams failing to give their best performances due to the pressure that mounts on them. The film industry & the sports arena are perfect examples for that where we have the children of superstars, struggling to make their mark. One such personality is Sanjay Dutt, who though made it big went through quite a turmoil in his life courtesy of the horrible choices he made to live upto the legacy that was bestowed on him. So when Rajkumar Hirani announced his decision to make a biopic on him titled "Sanju", the expectations & hype were understandably much more than any other movie. But will it be an unbiased take on the superstar's life or something just to glorify him???

The film unfolds with Sanju being sentenced by the Bombay High Court for five years of imprisonment under TADA. With the media weaving malicious and outrageous fake tales about him, he decides to seek the services of a biographer who could tell his side of the story to the public. Eventually, his wife Manyata (Dia Mirza) approaches Winnie Diaz, a much sought after biographer to pen Sanju's version. Though reluctant initially, she agrees to take up the challenge after she came to realize that he was indeed a much misunderstood individual & nothing like what the media had portrayed him as. So who was the real Sanju & how much truth was there in the image that media had created of him???

Among the numerous Bollywood directors, Rajkumar Hirani is undoubtedly my favourite as I am a huge fan of his brand of film-making which is a concoction of drama, humour & sentiments. The template remains the same here as well with Hirani having scripted it along with Abhijat Joshi. It's surely an engaging tale which focuses on two main incidents in Sanju's life such as his addiction & arms case. However, being a biopic we naturally expect a much more detailed depiction of events but it doesnt happen so & there are numerous incidents that barely gets a mention such as his first wife, child, career etc. On the technical side, pretty much everything was from the top drawer be it the music by Sanjay Wandrekar & Atul Raninga; the make up dept as Ranbir pretty much looked like Sanju in many sequences etc.

Ranbir Kapoor is beyond doubt one of the finest actors in Bollywood but even then I was skeptical when he was chosen to play Sanjay Dutt as he didnt seem anything like him. But Ranbir absolutely blew my mind with his body language, dialogue delivery & mannerisms as it seemed like Sanju himself was playing the role (especially the young long haired avatar). Equally impressive & at times, even better than Ranbir was Vicky Kaushal as Kamlesh and I cant wait to watch more of his movies. Paresh Rawal rocks whichever role he takes up & it holds true here as well while Jim Sarbh also attracts attention. All the females have done their parts aptly be it Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma & Manisha Koirala.

Verdict: As expected, the movie has done roaring business in its opening weekend with collections touching 120 C by Sunday. It also broke the highest single day collection held by "Baahubali 2" & seems poised to match the gargantuan collections garnered by other Hirani movies. It's an excellent biopic which is performed superlatively by Ranbir & well supported by the rest. In short, definitely check it out!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

Race 3 review: "Same old formula but with a bigger star & more ways to bust money!!!"

The eagerly anticipated World Cup is finally here & we have already witnessed a couple of high quality matches. With Eid ul Fitr also celebrated leading to the weekend, it has been an entertaining weekend. To add to the festivities, we have the customary Salman Khan movie hitting the screens & this time it happens to be "Race 3" which promises to be an all out action entertainer. So will it claim the numero uno spot in the box office just like how Federer achieved the No.1 ranking at Stuttgart???

Shamsher Singh (Anil Kapoor) was one of the leading arms & narcotics dealer in the world and ran his empire in the Middle East. He was assisted in his endeavours by his nephew Sikandar (Salman Khan) whom he trusted more than his own twin children, Sanjana (Daisy Shah) & Suraj (Saqib Saleem). This naturally makes them harbour bad blood towards Sikander & plots his downfall. However, Sikander were always a step ahead of them & kept them in check with the help of his trusted lieutenant, Yash (Bobby Deol). At around this juncture, Shamsher gets wind of a hard disk that contained sexual adventures of top Indian politicians & decides to blackmail them in exchange for favours to establish his empire in the country. However, the twins found it as an opportunity to eliminate Sikander. But it was much easier said than done.

Believe it or not, but it's been a decade since the "Race" franchise began with the director duo Abbas-Mustan having directed the first two installments. However, unlike the previous ventures; the latest movie has no connection with the others except for the title. It is helmed by Remo D'Souza, who in my opinion is an excellent choreographer but a mediocre director. For the audience who have followed the "Race" series, they will be aware that the basic template is a potpourri of style, glamour, double crossing & pulsating action sequences & that pattern is religiously maintained (or rather taken up a couple of notches) by Shiraz Ahmed. No one expects logic in such movies but even then it doesnt offer anything that captivates us. The action sequences choreographed by Tom Struthers (of "Inception", "Dark Knight" & "Dunkirk" fame, was top notch while Ayanika Bose deserves praise for the visuals but Salim Sulaiman's music was average.

It's an all out Salman movie & he has given the masses what they needed with a power packed action flick. Anil Kapoor is the only one who has survived from the beginning & has given an earnest performance. Bobby Deol makes a comeback from wilderness with a toned physique but seems like he forgot to flex his facial muscles. As for the rest, none of the performances deserves mention but kudos to Jacqueline & Daisy for the effort they invested in combat scenes. 

Verdict: Despite being panned by the critics, the movie galloped to the 100C club in just 3 days. With "Sanju", still a fortnight away, it should race itself to some mind boggling numbers. If you are in for some cool action sequences, then you wont be disappointed but dont expect an iota of logic. In short, it offers nothing new apart from exotic locations, fancy cars & Salman!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben

Kaala review: "Ranjith's brilliance shines through as he utilizes Rajini, the actor & superstar in apt measure!!!"

Monsoon has hit the coast of India & it has unleashed its fury in various parts of the country. Hoping to create a similar impact on the box office is Pa Ranjith's "Kaala", one of the biggest release of the year. How often is the director of the movie that stars Rajinikant, the baap of superstars mentioned in the same breath??? Quite rare unless ofcourse the director is Shankar & hence it is credit to Ranjith's credentials that he has managed to achieve that so early in his career. So will the collections of this highly anticipated movie (for various reasons) be as eventful as Nadal's "La UnDecima"???

Mumbai, the financial capital of the country & one of the most expensive cities in the world is home to the rich and famous. Ironically, it also houses Dharavi, the biggest slum in the world with skyscrapers around it which is a stark reality of the economic divide among the citizens. It is here that the movie is based where a significant percentage of the population are Tamilians. Over the years, the gangster Hari Dhadha (Nana Patekar) had tried to wreck havoc in the area in the hope of seizing the land. Even after becoming the Union Minister, his aim remained the same though he presented it to the masses as government schemes which would change their lives for the better. However, all his efforts were thwarted by Kaala/Karikaalan (Rajini), the leader of Dharavi who saw through his devious plans. With power & money at his disposal, Hari Dhadha was hell bent on realizing his dream at any cost & what would it take for Kaala to stop him forms the crux of the movie. 

This is the second time that Ranjith had collaborated with the Superstar, with the previous "Kabali" giving us an idea about his directorial style. It was a commercial blockbuster, though it would be fair to admit that many werent quite satisfied in the manner that Thalaiva was portrayed. So naturally the responsibility to satiate the masses and critics alike in his latest venture had increased manifold. To be frank, the basic plot as such wasnt novel but the thought that has gone into many of the sequences deserves praise be it the colours used for the main characters, portraits in the background, his views on religion, gender etc. It had undoubtedly one of the finest climaxes that I have seen in a while. If at all there was a dampener, that was in the amount of time that it took to set pace in the first half. Most of  the technical aspects were top notch be it Murali G's visuals, art direction & Santhosh Narayanan's music with Kannamma being my personal favourite. 

In the performance department, first & foremost hats off to Ranjith for choosing Nana Patekar who as expected was mesmerising. The evil charm that Nana exuded was a delight to watch & that in turn elevated Rajini's performance. It's not so often that the legend manages to display his acting skills & that's what makes both "Kabali" & "Kaala" special. As Karikaalan, Rajini was brilliant & the scenes between him & Nana were the highlights. Equally brilliant were Easwari Rao & Anjali Patel, with the former's chemistry with the superstar making us yearn for more interactions between the two. As for the rest, Samuthirakani was fantastic, while Huma Qureshi & the actors who essayed the role of Rajini's son have done their parts aptly.

Verdict: As expected, it has set the box office on fire with 100 C being crossed in the global market in just 3 days. Records are expected to tumble as the movie is a mix of class & mass which will have most people sing praises about it. In short, dont miss it!!! (P.S: Aravind Akash's name in the movie was Shivaji Rao Gaekwad which happens to be Rajini's real name)

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran review: "Earnest effort though it lacks detail & intensity!!!"

Over the 70 odd years of Indian Independence, our nation have achieved numerous feats such as Green Revolution, White Revolution, ISRO's exploits etc. One such notable achievement was India's nuclear power capabilities which was accomplished on the back of the nuclear tests conducted in Pokhran in 1998. Apart from the fact it was a crowning moment for India, it is also one of the biggest failures of the CIA which had no clue about it despite the numerous satellites spying in the region. Though the events are well documented in print, Abhishek Sharma decided to re-create it on celluloid. So did he stick to the actual details or is it just merely fiction with an over dosage of patriotism???

It's 1995 & China has just conducted 43 nuclear tests which had sent our politicians into a frenzy due to the increasing might of its neighbours. Among the numerous nonsensical retaliation suggestions  that are floated at the PM's Office, Ashwat Raina (John Abraham), a IAS Officer proposes the idea that India also needs to conduct nuclear tests. His suggestion is met with ridicule & though the PM's secretary takes up the idea, Ashwat is sidelined & it reflects in the eventual planning as the nueclear test turned out to be a failure. As one would expect, Ashwat is made the scapegoat which breaks his confidence. However, three years later he gets a shot at redemption when Himanshu Malik, the new Principal Secretary to the PM puts him in charge of the nuclear mission. How Ashwat & his team accomplishes the task under the nose of the US spy satellites forms the crux of the movie.

Abhishek Sharma made quite a few look up & take notice of him with his debut venture "Tere Bin Laden" which released close to a decade back. However, "Parmanu" will be his first major movie in terms of budget & canvas on offer. Based on the Pokhran nuclear tests, masterminded by APJ & Co.; Abhishek in the company of Saiwyn Quadras & Sanyukta Chawla Sheikh (of "Neerja" & "Mary Kom" fame) has created a story that is more fictional than the actual truth. The whole mission seemed rather too simplistic though the tension built up towards the climax was credible. None of the technical aspects deserves a special mention as it average at best.

John Abraham has given a sincere effort & fitted the role of the protagonist. Boman Irani was impressive in his brief role while the rest of the cast were fine as well though I felt Diana Penty wasnt quite the right choice for her role.

Verdict: With not much competition in the first week, "Parmanu" was able to break even without breaking much sweat. However, with "Veere Di Wedding" having hit the screens this weekend; it remains to be seen how much more it will be able to collect. There is no doubt that the movie is decently crafted, but I felt it could have been more impactful. In short, you can give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben