Monsoon Shootout and The Problem With Mainstream Desi Movie Critics

Uncharted territory. It's not something we always consider when it comes to reading reviews, whether it's a book or a movie or a game, we just assume the site put an appropriate critic for the work of fiction at hand, or forgot to consider the fact a single person can't judge everything properly. It's not exactly hard to find patterns in a critic, sooner or later, and you can often see signs of them simply not being the right person. So what do most people do internationally in this case? Find an appropriate person to review the type of work that's being reviewed.

It's another case when it comes to websites found in countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. They expect the same critic to be able to review everything in one category. They'd review the 1200th generic 'masala' film where the protagonist is a normal human but punches someone through the ozone layer and harasses a girl into falling in love with him, as well as that indie film with Academy Award winning performances and themes of philosophy and the exploits of human nature.

This results in people reviewing things that are completely out of their comfort zone, and the results are often grave. I'll give an example with something that's been plaguing my mind recently, Monsoon Shootout and its treatment by the mainstream critique.

When I got my first impression of Monsoon Shootout, I was expecting a hit and, mostly miss type of indie flick that tries to set itself apart but fails to deliver and just ends up being one of the not-as-bad movies that fall onto the pile of Bollywood. Which is why I took ages to actually watch it, too. However, once I eventually started watching it, the movie instantly stood out as something better than average at the very least. I went in blind so I was completely surprised by its artistic style, the noir atmosphere, themes of morality, choices and consequences and as soon as the first choice of the protagonist was explored I was hooked into it, and it surprised me with how well it executes its ideas of having different choices with different outcomes for the protagonist to choose from and how it does not fall short of its intriguing plot and characters. The unconventional-for-Indian-cinema 1 hour and 26 minute run time was a welcome decision and the filmmakers did not make it any longer than it should have been.

To put it briefly without spoiling anything, the movie is a raw and gritty story about a new police officer who is thrown into the dark depths of his city as he is put on cases involving gangsters, and the turning point of the movie is when he comes face to face with Nawazuddin Siddiqui's character, and is faced with three decisions: the option he considers right, the option he considers wrong, and the option that comes inbetween. The entire movie is packed with intriguing decisions, consequences and raw performances from the cast, mainly Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Varma who prove that with the right cast, script, and direction, the Indian cinema is not lacking as we are often mistaken into believing by the mainstream 'formula' movies. Although I haven't formally reviewed it, I definitely recommend it to everyone reading this.

The movie was first screened in the Cannes Film Festival, and was very positively received with international praise towards the acting, direction and artistic execution of the entire plot and how it does not fail to deliver, with some even assuming it would be a box office success when released in India. However, what really happened when it was released in India was quite the opposite.

It received mostly subpar-to-average reviews, with some even calling it a failure. Going through most of the reviews, one thing you see present in almost all of them is the complaint that the movie 'fails to execute its concept'. Which brings us back to where this article started; uncharted territory. These critics have given high scores to the mainstream movies such as 'Main Tera Hero'. Monsoon Shootout is not a perfect movie, but one thing it did not do, whether you enjoy it in general or not, is fail its execution. It takes its concept, its script, its artistic direction, and it combines them all beautifully and makes the best out of what it could do. Whether you enjoy the final result or not, it's undeniable that it did execute what it had in mind and that too beautifully. The thing is, when you review something you're not really too familiar with you can't deny what you're hired for. What comes out of this is that the critic tries their best to fit into this new world and can be rather pretentious in reviewing said film because they judge it with unrealistic standards and use words they think would be appropriate to criticize it with even if it does not work in the context.

At the end of the day, reviews are of course something we read and either agree with or dismiss, no one loses anything and we go onto the next site to see what the other person said. However, it's not so simple for the people who actually make these films, and such critique can cause the movie to be a box office failure, shooing off an entire breed of people who may have loved it and prevents it from paving the way to a new, more mature cinema where bold movies don't mean films that just add more sexuality than considered normal; but movies that take risks and execute them into beautifully crafted movies that more people understand.

It's no insult for a critic to know their territory, and for one person to judge every genre, the quality and credibility of their criticism is lowered regardless.

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Movie Review: Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe based on the comic book character of the same name, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, with Joe Robert Cole being a co-writer. The movie has a rich cast featuring Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, along with Michael B. Jordan, Martin Freeman, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Lupita Amondi Nyong'o, Danai Jekesai Gurira, and Letitia Michelle Wright in the main roles, with others also serving their purpose in the plot. Surprisingly despite a long cast of 'main' characters and other notable actors also in place, it does not really feel like anyone is 'just there', every character has been given a decent role in the plot as well as given good screen time which makes you feel like 'they do have a point for being there'.

The plot of the movie is well structured and one of the better ones we've seen from MCU, like Spiderman: Homecoming, the character of T'Challa was already introduced in Captain America: Civil War and was not exactly given an origin story, instead we get into right when he is about to be crowned king after the death of his father(which we see here as a news report and a flashback, which happened to be a vital scene in Captain America: Civil War) and then we see his life move onward as king and the threat he would eventually struggle against, in the face of Erik Killmonger, a person who is a worthy antagonist for someone as powerful as Black Panther. Erik's character is being seen as a massive improvement for the MCU in terms of villains, a part where they tend to fall short. And while the character itself is nothing groundbreaking(and nor is the overall plot of the movie), he definitely is a marvel in the world of comic book movies which more than offer have lacking antagonists(something the Netflix Marvel shows arguably has been consistently doing better) and is one of the most solid villains you'll be seeing in a long time. He's a badass, he's got a vibe and he has a backstory which makes you think twice before outright labeling him as a bad guy, with a lot of the audience actually siding with him. There's also a twist or two here and there which, if may be predictable, still works and makes the plot more intriguing than it already works. The only character I felt, while not useless, was not really entirely necessary either, was Martin Freeman's. To roughly quote a friend of mine who watched the movie, 'I guess they just needed a good white character for the sake of it'.

The atmosphere of the movie is one of the most important bits, whether it's visual, in the writing, or the music. Speaking of which, it seems like Marvel is finally hiring people to do their OST this time, because we have been seeing an improvement with the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor Ragnarok and now Black Panther. Black Panther is full of rich soundtracks that are perfect for the atmosphere of the movie and make it all even better, and some of the characters have their individual tracks which is music you can actually listen to without the movie and enjoy, such as Erik Killmonger's theme for example. And it really differs for the themes linked to the characters themselves not just the scene, like more native characters to Wakanda would have more atmospheric tunes to their homeland while someone like Killmonger has a more ghetto feel due to his upbringing in the states.

Final Verdict:

Black Panther is a 9 out of 10. 

The movie also finds the right balance of seriousness and a small touch of MCU comedy, not overdoing either of the elements unlike some of the previous films. While Thor Ragnarok felt like an outright comedy film, Black Panther feels very serious and intense, while also giving human personalities to the characters which can be quite humorous at times. Whereas when it's time for action there's no joking around, and the movie has some of the best directed action sequences in the MCU, which have just the right touch of intensity and cool visuals and keep you interested in more. The 3D is also very well utilized and isn't distracting, but rather something that improves on an experience that is already a visual treat.

There's no complaints with Black Panther, it's worth the hype you've seen around. The movie is absolutely solid and delivers well in every regard, whether it's story, action, acting, visuals or music, it does not fall short in any way. You should definitely go ahead and watch it and it might end up being a movie you revisit the theater for because you can't have enough of it.

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Movie Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming is the the sixteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie is directed by Jon Watts and while the story is by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. It's produced by Marvel Studios, Columbia Pictures and Pascal Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.

The movie features a cast of Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, Donald Glover, Zendaya, and Marisa Tomei in leading roles, with other actors such as Tyne Daly and Michael Mando making shorter appearances.

After the original Spider-Man trilogy got rebooted, and we had one good movie after the mixed feelings Spider-Man 3 left us with, things were looking up. But unfortunately, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 went downhill, and we eventually had another Spider-Man getting it's sequel canned. With Sony not left with much to do rather than another reboot that may or may not have worked, things looked grim for the movie career of the web slinger. We'd watch more and more MCU movies and hope Spider-Man pops up in the next Avengers. Then we had Captain America: Civil War(which is technically an Avengers movie anyway), and we were all shocked to see our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in it's comic accuracy glory. And like a dream come true, Sony and Marvel struck up a deal and we finally got the Spider-Man movie we deserved since the Spider-Man 2 in the Sam Raimi trilogy.

I have to say, I was excited and had a nerdgasm seeing one of my most favourite superheroes finally get the adaption he deserved, one of the rare times I actually said 'whoa' and repeated lines of characters in awe while watching the movie(before you lynch me, I wasn't remotely loud) and I knew I had to take a little break before I write the review to avoid any bias under the hype of watching the best Spider-Man movie I had been waiting for since years.

Without wasting more of your time, lets get onto the review.

Spider-Man: Homecoming, despite being a reboot, is actually not an origin story, taking place before and after Captain America: Civil War. In the MCU chronology, it is set in present time and while it's advised to watch Civil War before getting into this one, it also wont make *too much* of a difference if you watched this first instead as the movie is pretty self explanatory, also featuring a short 'recap' recorded by Peter Parker himself.

As stated above, the movie does not waste time making you watch Uncle Ben die yet again and takes you into the life of a high school Peter Parker who has been Spider-Man for quite a while now, struggling to maintain his grades as well as his life as a hero and impressing Tony Stark(also correcting his posture when confronting criminals so he can finally be somewhat intimidating). Things take a different turn when Peter figures out that a group of men have started making and selling new weaponry with alien technology and tries to confront the gang, but not long until he realizes their leader Vulture is not one to be taken lightly.


It's honestly amazing that we are living in a time when superhero movies can actually afford to have characters from other movies intervening in the plot and making an impact. Iron-Man in a Spider-Man movie? Sign me up. A common concern was raised regarding Tony's appearances in the movie, fearing he may be emphasized on. But the movie managed the character perfectly, not overdoing it by any means. Not just Stark, all characters fit in perfectly like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle and have a fair time of role, while also not holding onto cliches from the previous 5 Spider-Man movies we've had and giving a new touch to every character, giving us an amazing Spider-Man that is comic-accurate in his wit, intellect and overall personality, and giving us the version we really deserved. Speaking of characters, the Vulture is one bad-ass antagonist that actually makes you acknowledge his presence. You don't think 'yeah another guy Spider-Man's going to send to jail', rather you feel like 'holy -, how's Peter gonna take on this guy?', and to make it better the character is not one-dimensional and has been given good depth, which makes him an interesting yet fearsome foe that Spider-Man really is challenged by in the movie.

The story of the movie is well structured(but do not use your phone on this one, or you'll have no idea where it's going for the first half) and isn't too much to take in for a first Spider-Man film in the new trilogy, while also keeping you wondering what happens next, being packed with a couple of surprises you might not expect and a large arsenal of easter-eggs and references to catch up on. The movie also incorporates more comedy than you'd expect after watching the previous Spider-Man films, but it also has it's serious moments to balance that, giving you the experience you've been hoping for being a fan of the comics. Speaking of it's moments, while the fights are good, you might feel slightly lackey there because if you were expecting a long fist fight against Vulture, I gotta say you'd be slightly disappointed as they went for more story-telling than beat em ups in the film(it is something I believe should be more balanced in the sequel). But, it's all made up by the rescue scenes of the movie which are really well written, acted and shot and the ship sequence gives you a slight nostalgia with the train sequence of Spider-Man 2, while also not being a cliche and having it's own touch.

The 3D of the movie was well made, it wasn't overdone yet it really bring out some parts of the movie, especially with the Vulture. It was eye candy looking at that suit design and the animation, and only left me wanting more of it after I was done. The soundtrack of the movie was also pretty good and fit every part of the movie very well, equally establishing a tone of intensity while also having it's teen moments, and the sound effects really made every scene standout and made you feel the heat of the moment.

On an unrelated note which does not affect the movie directly, Marvel should have advertised the movie a bit better. Like I expressed my dismay with Captain America: Civil War, Marvel showed too much footage of Spider-Man: Homecoming in promotional content to the point watching the movie feels quite like you have already seen it. This is something the DCEU is recently doing better, such as with Wonder Woman, as well as Fox with Logan where you could not even tell who the antagonist was. So Marvel should really start being more clever with the reveals.

Final Verdict:

Spider-Man: Homecoming is an 8.5 out of 10. 

Living up to the hype and expectations, Spider-Man: Homecoming is the amazing Spider-Man film we've all been waiting for, and is the single best Spider-Man movie we've had since Spider-Man 2. A well made story, a perfect Peter Parker *and* Spider-Man(that's right, we don't have to pick one actor for playing one part of the role better anymore), and setting up it's own identity while also paying homage to the previous ones, it becomes a dream come true for every fan of the comic and will leave you shooting webs in your dream.

The movie is definitely recommended and I will go myself for a rewatch. Only thing keeping it from a straight 9 out of 10 is the lack of better fight scenes, but do not be fooled by that lack of a .5 because Spider-Man: Homecoming is a great film and most definitely everything you've been waiting for.

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Movie Review: Logan (2017)

Logan is the tenth installment in the X-Men film series, and the third film to be solely focused on the Wolverine character. The movie is directed by James Mangold, and written by
James Mangold, Scott Frank and Michael Green.

The movie stars Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor X, both reprising their role since the very first X-Men movie adaption, as well as Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, and Stephen Merchant in main roles.

Logan does not particularly follow a specific comic book or story arc, instead it takes several elements from the X-Men comic books and creates its own story, while staying close to the original origin story that we had for Laura (X-23). While the movie takes place in a future setting, farther than any X-Men movie we've had so far, its story is not in the same continuity as the previous X-Men movies which were all connected. So that means even if you haven't watched some of the X-Men movies, or even X-Men Origins: Wolverine or The Wolverine that came afterwards, you can still drop into Logan and not really miss much, as it is pretty self explanatory and does not rely on references or plot points from the previous movies. I would, however, personally recommend having seen some of them anyway as they're entertaining films, although some of them were pretty disappointing.


The movie starts off by taking us into the life of an old Logan(Logan being old is not to be confused for an Old Man Logan adaption, the movie does not follow that storyline), who has grown weaker and lives day to day without a purpose, being a cab for hire in a future where nearly all mutants except a few are extinct, and lives with a mutant called Caliban, with whom he takes care of Professor Charles Xavier who is dying due to a neurodegenerative disease and has lost control over his abilities.

Soon after, everything changes for the three mutants as Laura comes along, a little girl mutated using the genes of Wolverine, which causes her to have claws and regenerative abilities just like Wolverine himself. She is being haunted by the same people who created her, and they will stop at nothing and kill everyone in their way. Eventually Logan decides to help her survive and escape the evil corporation, and we go through a rollercoaster of a journey with the characters who must journey to North Dakota where it is believed that Laura can be safe.

The movie and its story are very well structured, nothing is unnecessarily dragged on or undermined, no relying on shock-value or over-dramatizing a segment. The R rating really gives the movie the feel it needed and stays true to the Wolverine character, something the previous ones have lacked. This was one of Hugh Jackman's best performances, and 'the' best performance of his as the character of Wolverine, and the rest of the cast certainly keeps up, with even Dafne Keen(Laura) playing the role perfectly and delivering a good performance. The movie's soundtrack is just as it should be, with a good choice of songs and a fitting background score by Marco Beltrami. The sound effects are also very well done, as expected from a high cost production.

The movie does not try to fit in too much and keeps a rather simple but engaging plot, and has a surprise antagonist that wasn't revealed in the trailers; something I absolutely love Marvel for; as opposed to DC which reveals a bit...too much in its promotional content. The movie has a very serious, and as expected with a solo Wolverine movie, a dark tone. But that also does not mean it tries to take itself more seriously than it should; there is a little humor cleverly added, which does not ruin the moment or feel out of the place but manages to give you a good chuckle every now and then.

Logan is not only one of best superhero movies of all time, it is also an amazing movie as a whole, comparing to any genre. The direction, plot and acting of the movie are all very well done, as well as keeping a perfect pace without either rushing or dragging it, and delivering the action and stylish violence that you would come to expect out of the R rating, but not overdoing it either. Logan is the absolutely perfect exit for both Hugh Jackamn and Patrick Stewart's characters as their last performance, and is worthy of the 17 years of the X-men movie franchise, while also definitely topping every movie in the franchise to date, as well as countless other superhero movies around. The movie perfectly executes all the emotions you'd come to expect as it is, after all, the end of an era, and left audience all over the world heartbroken and in tears(in a good way). Dafne Keen is a very welcome addition to the franchise as Laura and delivers a performance as good as the movie deserved, and the rest of the cast also catches up, making the movie perfect. From the beginning to the very end, the movie does not disappoint and holds a few surprises, and the final moments of the movie were perfection.



Final Verdict:


Logan is a 10 out of 10.

You may think I'm jumping the gun making it the first superhero movie that I've reviewed to get a whopping straight 10 rating, but once you watch the movie for yourself you will see that I am not overrating it by any means, and it deserves every one of those digits as an amazing superhero movie that has topped most movies in the genre with an great plotline, direction and acting from the entire crew, as well as being a perfect see-off for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in his last performance, and is without a doubt satisfactory for the fans of the franchise.

If you are yet to watch the movie, you are certainly in a minority, and should buckle up the seatbelt because the movie is a rollercoaster of entertainment all the way to the end.

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Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

John Wick: Chapter 2 is a 2017 movie, which is a sequel to the 2014 action film simply titled 'John Wick'. It is directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad.

The movie stars Keanu Reeves as John Wick, reprising the role of the ex-hitman, Riccardo Scamarcio, Common, Laurence Fishburne, Ruby Rose, and Ian McShane in main roles.

John Wick: Chapter 2 starts off where the first movie left off. Starting with a stylish prologue that reminds you of what you're getting into, it later takes you to a John that is still keen on retirement and avoiding trouble. John has a new dog and is trying to adjust back into his life, but everything goes south when he is forced to do another task back in the assassin world due to a dept unpaid to a powerful Italian crime lord, and afterwards, a bounty is put on John's head that makes every assassin that can find him attempt to murder him. John Wick is then left with no choice but to fight for his life on every corner, and get revenge on the person who put the bounty on him.

The story of the movie; much like the first one, is not a strong point. It's there, it makes sense and it works out. Not poorly written, and nothing you haven't seen before. But it's the atmosphere it sets for the movie, as well as the fact how beautifully it's executed, does not make you feel that it's lacking at all.

The movie is very well structured, and it only expands on everything that the first movie set up. The lore increases further, and the action is even better this time around, featuring longer fight scenes instead of quickies, all the while maintaining the atmosphere set up for the franchise, although arguably it's slightly toned down this time as it aims more for faster progression rather than the sometimes slow but stylized progression of the first film, but it is not a drawback and actually provides a fresher feel for the movie that makes it stand out as a worthwhile experience of it's own. The serious tone of the movie is not compromised for humor; but there's sly hints of moments that would make you laugh; as it did with me and the audience I was watching with.

The acting of the movie is definitely no Oscar-runner, but is regardless solid with good performances with the entire cast. The new additions to the cast really lighten up with movie, with Common as Cassian, Ruby Rose as Ares and Lawrence Fishburne finally appearing on the screen at the same time as Keanu Reeves for the first time since The Matrix trilogy. Speaking of Common's character Cassian, the first fight scene that John Wick has with Cassian is perhaps my most favourite part of the movie.

The soundtrack, composed by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard, is just as good as the first one, although it may not be every person's cup of tea. But for John Wick, it is perfect and blends in beautifully, setting up a sense of intensity and 'shit going down' for every scene, while providing a more calmed feel for the scenes that call for it. The sound effects of the movie in general were very good, and every shot was music to my ears, while the sound of John Wick's ride burning through the road just ceases to get old.

The action of the movie is very well choreographed and fun to watch, taking on the standard set up by the first movie, and made it even better and longer, making you feel that John Wick really is getting challenged, no longer against people he'd easily have a cakewalk through. More hand-to-hand is added to match up with the gun-fu, and it is such a welcomed addition. As I mentioned earlier, the fight scene with Cassian was my favourite part of the movie, and absolutely I loved the intensity to the fact that John is fighting against someone who appears to be of equal skill to him; and that is something that was extremely entertaining to watch because John's other kills tend to be very quick. That is not to say that the others were not entertaining, the entire movie is full of beautifully choreographed action and every scene makes you subconsciously want to be kicking some assassin ass.



Final Verdict:

John Wick: Chapter 2 is a 9 out of 10.

The movie most definitely lives up to the hype created by the first movie, and if anything, expands on that experience featuring action on an even larger scale, while expanding the lore as well and setting up more opportunities for future films.

If you haven't watched it already, you shouldn't wait any longer and jump into it right away, it's worth more than every dollar you'd be spending on it.

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Movie Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Note:

Minor spoilers should be expected.



Doctor Strange is the the fourteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie is directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Scott Derrickson, Jon Spaihts and C. Robert Cargill. It's produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney.

The movie features an ensemble cast of Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg and Benjamin Bratt, with Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as Thor in a short cameo.

Doctor Strange is an origin story for the Marvel character of the same name and is a comic-accurate portrayal(with minor changes, as to be expected) and it's been presumed to have taken place in the present time of the MCU chronology, possibly after the events of Captain America: Civil War, but the previous movies did not seem to have made an impact to the story of Doctor Strange and you can drop into it without having watched the others and not have any issues understanding what's going on. I would, however, definitely suggest you watch those as anyway because some of them are great movies. I'd even go as far as to say you can take some pals who don't watch superhero movies to this one because it does not really put an emphasis to that, it does well off as a movie of it's own.

The movie starts off by taking us inside the life of Stephen Strange(Benedict Cumberbatch), an acclaimed and exceptional neurosurgeon with a great life, who has an accident while texting and driving(don't text and drive folks, not even superheroes are safe to it) and loses proper control of his hands which render him useless as a neurosurgeon. After many failed attempts at experimental surgeries to fix himself, he finally decides to go to the Kamar-Taj after learning of, and meeting a paraplegic who was miraculously able to walk again despite being a hopeless cause. There, he is found by the sorcerer Mordo(Chiwetel Ejiofor) and is taken under the guidance of 'The Ancient One' (Tilda Swinton), who shows Strange her power, and while a bit hesitantly at first, begins training him. But soon Strange learns that it's bigger than just himself and has to fight a massive threat without being ready, which comes under the face of Kaecilius(Mads Mikkelsen), a rogue sorcerer who had also trained under The Ancient One but had given into darkness along with his devout followers, who threaten the existence of the world itself in their plans. 

The story of the movie is quite simple and has been seen before, with a lost man finding himself a new purpose in life, getting trained in arts and devoting himself to a purpose larger than himself. But the way the movie presents this rather simple tale, is absolutely fresh and gives it new life.

The movie is well structured, story progression is great, all the actors portray the roles well with, to no surprise, Benedict Cumberbatch stealing the show. Benedict as Doctor Strange is without a doubt one of the best comic-book portrayals in live action, he is perfect as the character and it feels like Doctor Strange himself is the one we're watching on-screen rather than an actor. While the random diversity was unnecessary(Asian male to a white female, for example), it does not make any difference at all and all supporting actors acted well and were surprisingly given good screen time and felt a part of the main story rather than just being there.

The movie also incorporates humor into the plot without making it look comedic, forced or unnecessary. Every joke is executed cleverly and does not affect the flow of the moment. And if anyone was wondering, yes. Marvel is well aware of the Sherlock fandom and even added a clever yet hard to miss easter-egg in the movie. And with Benedict playing another exceptional-at-what-he-does character with an ego, fans of Sherlock will feel right at home with the character.

Perhaps one of the strongest points of the movie(and I would really recommend the movie to be watched in 3D for the full experience), are the visuals. The movie is absolute eye candy. Seeing the characters transcend between the realities and dimensions, the spells, the entire environment shifting, changing and molding to the mercy of the sorcerers, was a visual treat and one of the strongest points of the movie that make it such a rich and fresh experience to watch, taking you to a psychedelic trip that you'd be hooked on. The 3D only makes it all even better and Doctor Strange is one of the better movies I've seen that optimize the potential of 3D without over or misusing it.

The soundtrack of the movie was good, and fairly different(thankfully) than the usual tunes you'd hear in a typical superhero flick from Marvel, although it kind of has a Star Trek vibe to it(not in a bad way), unsurprisingly since they both have score from Michael Giacchino. It fits in perfectly with the movie's atmosphere and the sound effects themselves worked beautifully with the mystic arts and reality shaping as it happens, catching up perfectly with the quality of the amazing visuals.

The movie overall, is very well made. The story, although simple, is decent, the visuals are fantastic, the music fits in perfectly, the acting is good, even the post-credit scenes expanded the story. The movie hardly gives you anything to pick on, but I do have one thing to discuss.

I, and many others, felt that Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius was perhaps not the best choice. He portrayed the character well, as was to be expected of him, but the character itself was not that special. It was a generic baddie who serves a bigger bad and threatens the world's peace, no special personality to him and did not have any special impact. So an actor as good as him should've been saved for a role that had a deeper impact.

As well as casting Scott Adkins as a simple bad guy(yeah, he was actually in the movie if you look close enough). Scott Adkins may not be an Oscar winner but he's criminally underrated. He's a great martial artist and has worked in tons of movies(Undisputed 3 being his rise to fame), and I really believe they should've kept him for a bigger role in another movie. He is a great fighter and a recognized face, and I would've loved to see him have a longer, more serious role than just a bad guy Doctor Strange encounters and wouldn't be returning again.


That said, the casting was great otherwise and everyone had a fair relevancy to the plot.



Final Verdict:

Doctor Strange is an 8 out of 10. 

Living up to the hype and expectations, Doctor Strange is an excellent and entertaining movie, and a worthy addition to the live-action superhero movies pile-up of this year.

I would specifically recommend Doctor Strange to be viewed in 3D to completely experience it's amazing visuals, and you'll be getting lost into a psychedelic ride that will keep you hooked until the screen goes blank.

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Movie Review: Suicide Squad (2016)

Note:

Minor spoilers should be expected.


Suicide Squad is the third movie in the DC Extended Universe, based on the DC comic series of the same name. The movie is written and directed by David Ayer, while produced by Charles Roven and Richard Suckle and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The movie takes place after 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', which took place after 'Man of Steel', chronologically being the third installment in the cinematic universe of DC.

The movie features an assemble cast of Will Smith as 'Deadshot', Jared Leto as 'Joker', Margot Robbie as 'Harley Quinn', Joel Kinnaman as 'Rick Flag', Viola Davis as 'Amanda Waller', Jai Courtney as 'Captain Boomerang', Jay Hernandez as 'El Diablo', Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as 'Killer Croc', Cara Delevingne as 'June Moone/Enchantress', Karen Fukuhara as 'Katana', and Adam Beach as 'Slipknot' in the main roles, while Ben Affleck and Ezra Miller reprise their roles as Batman and Flash for short cameos, respectively.

The movie does not specifically adapt any of the existing Suicide Squad comics, but take characters from it in a new story. The basic premise of the story is that after the death of Superman at the end of 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', Amanda Waller decides to assemble a task force of world's most criminally dangerous metahumans so they can protect themselves from threats. This includes the world's most accurate hitman, Deadshot(Floyd Lawton), an insane criminal that once used to be a psychiatrist and is also the girlfriend of the Joker, Harleen Quinzel(Harley Quinn), skilled thief who uses utilizes boomerangs as an accurate weapon, Digger Harkness(Captain Boomerang), a cannibal that has a skin condition that turns him reptilian Waylon Jones(Killer Croc), A retired gang member that can summon flames, Chato Santana(El Diablo) and a criminal who can 'climb anything', Christopher Weiss(Slipknot). Accompanying them are Rick Flag, who is to lead them to the mission and to make sure they do not stray away from it, and Katana, who is to guard Rick Flag and make sure none of the criminals kill him.

Threat ensues when one of the intended members for the squad, archaeologist June Moone who accidentally unleashed an ancient evil force called 'Enchantress' in the past and was possessed by it, can no longer control the entity inside her and it establishes itself as an antagonist, eventually planning a full scale destruction of the world. The rest of the squad is then assembled and forced to defeat the threat. The Joker also makes brief visits in the movie, in flash backs and in the present time, focusing on freeing Harley Quinn.

The story is as simple as it sounds, and there's no complexity to it, nor any twists in the plot that may provide it depth. The movie does a decent job in managing some of the characters, with the primary focus being on Deadshot and Harley Quinn, with El Diablo having the most development after those two(although one can argue he had more development than Deadshot), but the other characters are mostly 'just there', such as Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and Katana. The acting, however, was on-point for all the characters and the portrayals were decent as well. El Diablo stole the show for many with surprising back-plot that appears on the second half of the movie rather than how the others had an introduction at the start(except for Slipknot, he isn't established at all). The character was well developed, most sympathetic out of the rest of the squad and had a decent back-story, with Margot pulling off a very good portrayal of Harley Quinn as well as Will Smith being a good Deadshot(with no surprise given his record of being a good actor). That leaves us Captain Boomerang, who is, although a fun character, does not have much focus, and Killer Croc is just there to be occasionally funny and sometimes munch someone's neck. Then we have Rick Flag(decent but generic character), Katana(who also has no development), and random soldiers which includes Scott Eastwood as a side character with very small screen-time which kind of makes you wonder why he was cast to begin with.

I'd talk more about the story but honestly it's very plain, so doing that would spoil it and I really don't want to go there. 

Now, of course, the big question. How well did Jared Leto pull The Joker off? Well. For starting off it is of course very necessary to state that this is not an adaption of any existing Joker, and is rather a new modern-gangster-ish take to the character. Jared Leto is a good actor, which is without any doubt, and he did a decent job with the character given to him. But was the character in itself any good? That is a tough question. And it's tougher to answer given the fact most of his role, including footage scene in behind-the-scene reveals as well as some trailers, was cut out, leaving us with only a few minutes of his presence which makes it very hard to judge the character. It's certainly not the Joker that we know, and that does not mean it's a bad one. However, I also can't say it's a good one given that I've always been a fan of the comic portrayal of the Joker, as well as the animated ones which are voiced by the legendary Mark Hamill. So unless we see him as an actual regular character it's hard to truly judge, but from what I was able to see of him I have to say I'm disappointed.

Why? Is it a bad character? Not necessarily. But the problem lies in the overhyping of the character as well as showing footage that wasn't even in the movie later. WB once again pulls shit on their advertising aspect and overhypes something that wasn't remotely as good or important in the movie, so it definitely disappointed me that not only did we not get to a see an accurate Joker adaption even after DC is making those movies themselves, but we didn't get to see the new Joker much anyways.

He's not very Joker-like in the screen-time he had, but he's not too different/inaccurate either because we did not see him do anything that the original Joker would do so we could compare, nor did he find himself in any situation in the movie where we could've expected Joker to act in a signature manner.

So I'm hoping they make up for it in his next appearance, and STOP overhyping things that wont pull it off.

Moving on from the main cast, the movie features a short cameo from Ben Affleck's Batman as well as his Bruce Wayne, and also Ezra Miller's Flash cameo that lasts a few seconds.

While the plot is very simple and cliche as I mentioned earlier, it is well constructed as a movie. The movie does a decent job with taking a simple plot and making use of the characters, and while the movie is not a masterpiece, it is certainly a fun ride that keeps you entertained and the characters do not fall flat, nor does the story feel bad. Perhaps one of the reasons the plot is so simple was to avoid risks that BvS took(and failed in) with having a complex plot the general audience didn't understand. And it did work, as the general audience had a better time watching the movie as compared to what happened with BvS.


The soundtrack of the movie is pretty good, ranging from a very large numbers of artists contributing to it and featuring songs of different genres, one for everyone. Originals such as 'Sucker for Pain' and 'Heathens' are great, as well as existing songs featured had a decent selection as well, such as 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Seven Nation Army' to name examples. The songs you hear in the trailers show up in the movie, even if for a few seconds, however, 'Sucker for Pain' cut out the verse by the singer 'Logic' when it plays in the character for some reason.

Final Verdict:

Suicide Squad is a 7 out of 10. 

While Suicide Squad does not really live up to the hype, it does a decent job in pulling off something that hasn't been done before and it's an absolutely fun experience that I would call good.

It's an entertaining movie that does not get boring at any point, neither does it lose it's pace.

A simple story, but a well crafted movie. Recommended for comic fans, however, if you're looking for pin-point adaptions, this is not for you. And for those who only want to watch top-notch movies in the theater, you should wait for the disc release on this one.

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