The Wolverine (2013)

[the wolverine movie you all have been waiting for]

The Wolverine (2013)

IMDB- 7.1

Rottentomatoes- 68%

RJG Rating- 80

The immortal mutant ,Wolverine ,is invited by a soldier who he had rescued in World War 2.

Starring- Huge Jackman

Director- James Mangold

First of all ,The Wolverine is a sequel to 2006's XMen:The Last Stand (aka XMen3).

Huge Jackman is the heart and sole of this movie.He was born to play Wolverine and it doesnt matter even if everything fails ,Jackman would still be able to shine as Wolverine.But fortunately ,this isnt like XMen Origins (which was a colossal failure).Jackman gives one of his best performances as Wolverine.The movie has some good supporting actresses,Rila Fukushima (Yukio) and Tao Okamoto (Mariko) help keep the story running.

The story tries to pack enough drama and action into its 2hr duration.While this is a good approach ,i felt there was a bit too much drama that dragged a bit.The story focuses entirely on Wolverine and theres little time wasted on anyone else.The concept behind making him a mortal was a bit fuzzy ,but thanks to Jackman ,this isnt a big deal for the audience.From start to finish Jackman carries the movie with style and total power.

The villains were a bit of a disappointment.Viper, the Ninjas nor the Silver Samurai were of the same league as Wolverine and just seemed way too inferior.

Having Jackman go topless for majority of the movie was a clever trick by director,James Mangold.He knew exactly what the fans want and delivers it.Direction was good.Pacing was a bit slow generally ,but it picks up with the brilliant action scenes.All the action scenes were fast and intense and gave the movie the much needed adrenaline.The dramatic scenes are not meaningless and do have some depth in them.

Setting the movie in Japan was another great idea to infuse fresh blood into the superhero franchise.Since the movie is a standalone chapter in the XMen franchise ,not much memory of the previous movies are needed.Watching the movie was like reading a comic book, and at the end of the day ,thats what matters.

And do watch out for the end credits scene ! It does send a chill up your spine!

Overall ,fans wont be disappointed with Wolverine.Its one of the best superhero movies of this year.A must watch!

Acting- 4/5

Story- 3.5/5

Direction- 3.5/5

Action- 4.5/5

Drama- 4/5

Thriller- 4/5

PS:My ranking of the XMen series

1-First Class

2-Wolverine

3-XMen

4-XMen2

5-Origins:Wolverine

6-XMen3

Now You See Me (2013)

[over the top , empty vessel]

Now You See Me (2013) 

IMDB- 7.3

Rottentomatoes- 49%

RJG Rating- 20

4 magicians use their audience to rob a bank.Is it real or just a trick?

Starring- Mark Ruffalo,Jesse Eisenberg,Woody Harrelson

Director- Louis Leterrier

Now You See Me has one of the best cast of recent times.Mark Ruffalo (Hulk from Avengers) ,Jesse Eisenberg & Woody Harrelson (Social Network and Zombieland),Morgan Freeman & Michael Caine (Dark Knight) ,Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) ,Isla Fisher and Dave Franco. And what happens when you pile up so many good actors? You fall flat on your face.

All these actors go so over the top ,that at a point its unbearable to watch the movie.Jesse was the most annoying.His only talent here was to talk fast and thats all he does.Its time he selects more diverse roles.Woody & Mark play characters that are so poorly drawn up that they just end up acting below par.Morgan & Caine can be excused for sleep walking their way through this movie.Isla Fisher is another wasted actress in this movie.The only one that is worth watching is Dave Franco.

The story is one that fills up the crazy plot with really fantastical magic tricks.The problem here is that the writers dont know what the difference between magic tricks and actual magic are.Much of the plot is progressed with the help of real magic ,which is quite baffling since this is a movie about 4 street magicians.Well one of them atleast is a hypnotist who seems to have actual powers at times.

The story has trouble defining what it really is.At times its about magic ,at others its about a heist.And its better we dont talk about the heist, because thats another totally lame idea.Character development is utterly pathetic.While focusing on the 4 magicians at the start of the movie,it leaves them all of a sudden and focuses on the cop played by Mark Ruffalo.

The logic behind actions is completely missing and its extremely hard to connect with any of these low IQ characters.The movie tries so hard to act like a very intelligent magic movie ,without doubt it fails!

Direction was poor.Louis Leterrier does make a stylish movie with a well established cast, but the poor story and direction wastes the potential.On a positive note ,the action sequences were fun and the fight/chase scene between Ruffalo and Franco is a big highlight.

My frustration with the movie reached a peak with the finale and the twist.Both which were completely idiotic.The entire movie leaves you with plenty of questions ,for which finding answers will be a vain attempt.

Overall ,Now You See Me is plain nonsense and crap ,but its a timepass watch if you can switch your brains off.

Acting- 1/5

Story- 0.5/5

Direction- 1/5

Action- 3/5

Drama- 1.5/5

Suspense- 2/5

BEN AFFLECK IS BATMAN!!

Well this is definitely one of the biggest news items of the year.After being considered to direct a Justice League Movie, Ben Affleck has been CONFIRMED to play BATMAN in 2015's highly anticipated Man Of Steel sequel.

Early speculations had actors from Josh Brolin ,Ryan Gosling for the coveted role after Christian Bale stepped down from the mantle.

Ben's not new to the superhero gig ,and has played Daredevil in 2003.He was an upcoming star ,with movies like Armageddon, Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting.But after a series of movies that brought down his career in 2003-06 period ,he made a strong comeback as a director with 2007's Gone Baby Gone and 2010's Town.He later on swept the awards for Best Director this year with his movie ,Argo.
So it has to be seen how well he can shine in a movie like Batman/Superman.The sequel will pair him up with Henry Cavill and director Zack Snyder ,and the movie is set to be released on July 17, 2015.

Ben's selection is a good one but i still have my doubts on his ability to play Batman.Lets wait and watch

My opinion on Affleck being Batman.

Heres a pic showing the comments posted after it was announced that Heath Ledger would play the Joker.Yep! Its quite shocking how much stuff was told ,before Heath immortalized himself as the Joker!

As for Christian Bale ,as much as i love him to play Batman again ,its better if he doesnt return.Its bittersweet ,but thats what needs to happen.

What Nolan & Bale have created is one of the BEST movie trilogy in the history of cinema.I really dont want Zack Snyder to come up and continue telling the tale of Nolan's Batman.
Its quite admirable to see both ,Nolan & Bale ,refusing to return to the series even when they have been offered so much money!That shows their integrity to the the TDK trilogy.

This brings us to Affleck.While i was equally shocked and disappointed as the rest of the world with his casting ,we mustnt just write him off before the cameras even have started rolling.

Even though he attained quite a star status in the start,majority of his movies were below average stuff.He then hit rock bottom ,when his mindless movies failed to get the cash registers running.

But he rose up once again with 3 amazing directorial ventures ,a good selection of movies to act in,and now hes finally ready to be in a big budget movie once again.He isnt a bad actor ,and his performances has improved 10 fold in recent years.

So lets just give this guy a chance to show that he can redeem himself once again.

Madras Café (2013) Guest Review

Guest Review-

Madras Café (2013)

AG Rating : 100

Plot one liner:

Set in the 1980s , 'Madras Café ' is an intelligent political thriller that tells the story of an assassination which has never ever been told before in any cinema.

The AG analysis:

First off, the makers of this film need to be saluted by every Indian for the courage they had to make such a film in India. And believe me when I say that such films don't get made in India. It is a miracle therefore that this film even got to see the light of day.

Let me get to the film now. 'Madras Café' tells the story behind the alleged conspiracy of the assassination of a very prominent personality. It is fictional of course but the viewer will immediately get to know what it is actually about after first laying eyes on the screen. It tells the story of how despite doing everything we can we still lose out to those elusive and powerful tycoons who pulls the strings and rule the world. It tells the story of how a man, despite losing everything he has, never loses faith in the system and keeps on trying to do his job. It gives a very rare insight into how the way things work in real life covert operations which, I am sorry to say to Salman Khan fans, does not involve Salman Khan blasting away cars as a RAW agent!!

The Film:

It is an intelligent and fast paced film with a tad slow first half but the second half more than compensates. It begins with John Abraham (in a standout performance) narrating his tale to the church priest in a confession and gives a chilling effect when he says, “Its’ all a big conspiracy. Its’ all a big game to them!” And then film doesn’t waste any time and gets on with the proceedings and shows us a world in which no one can really be trusted, a world where everyone is a potential double crosser. To say the least, ‘Madras Café ‘ is the boldest film in the history of Indian cinema and is at par or even better than the best of Hollywood in such genre, for example ‘Argo’.

The Direction:

Shoojit Sircar handles the camera very competently and is utterly fearless in his portrayal of the shadowy world of conspiracies. He needs to be commended simply for his utter fearlessness. Other than that, he does a stupendous job and the result is spell binding!!

The Acting:

John Abraham is the man!!! He stretches himself as an actor tremendously and uses his intensity and physical presence to great effect. He makes a damn good RAW agent and please, Salman Khan as a RAW agent was one big JOKE!!

Nargis Fakhri gave an okay performance but special mention must go to Siddharta Basu who played the role of Robin Dutta and to Prakash Belwadai who played John’s superior in Jaffna.

The background score:

Shantanu Maitra creates a very compelling score and even seems to be slightly inspired from Hans Zimmers ‘Inception’ towards the end but that’s all right!!

The AG Verdict:

“Madras Café “ is a film that must be watched by every Indian just because of the fact that they are Indian!!

Butler dominates on slow week ,JURASSIC PARK enters the BILLION CLUB!

Butler dominates on slow week ,JURASSIC PARK enters the BILLION CLUB!

#1- Even with 3 new entries this week ,Butler had no issue on staying on top.With $17million ,the movie continued its good run and has now earned $52million from domestic markets alone.This is similir to 2011's Help ,which we nt on to become a huge success.

#2- One of the biggest surprises of August ,We're the Millers ,came second for the 3rd week in a row!Making $13.5million this weekend ,the movie has now made a world wide gross of $114million ,80% of which is solely from domestic ,which in turn shows that the movie has enough potential to hit huge once it opens to more markets overseas.

#3- The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones ,the latest teenage romance/fantasy ,opened to just $14million.The Twilight wannabe crashed hard as it failed to draw in the fans of the novel its adapted on.Not helping its cause was the horrible reviews it racked up.Scoring 13% ,critics thrashed the movie for being unimaginative ,and ridiculous.With a budget of $60million ,Mortal Instruments better pray the overseas helps it or else its another huge flop.

#4- World's End too didnt find a grand debut ,but its predecessors (Shaun & Hot Fuzz) didnt have big debuts as well.So an opening of just $8.9million is a high for the series.Worlds End is undoubtedly one of the best comedies of this year ,and critics have been praising it all week.With a score of 90% ,its a must watch.

With a small budget of $20million Worlds End had no issue in recovering it ,as it already has made a worldwide total of $25million.

#5- Planes made a decent $8.5million.The animated movie recovered its budget of $50million ,with a worldwide gross of $77million.

Youre Next ,the 3rd new release of the week ,missed the Top 5 ,even though it was widely thought it would debut at #1.The horror thriller has been tagged as one of the best horror movies of this year ,and critics have given it 80% as well.Being a small budget movie its sure to recover soon.

The big news of the week was the new entry to the BILLION DOLLAR CLUB!It took it around 20 years to do so ,but Jurassic Park has finally made it! With $1.004 billion ,its now the 17th highest grossing movie of all time.Thanks to the 3D release back in April ,Jurassic Park needed around $80million to reach the milestone,and in 4months it did.

2013 Top 5

#5-Man Of Steel -$649million

#4-Monsters University -$686million

#3-Fast & Furious 6- $786million

#2-Despicable Me 2-$805million

#1-Iron Man 3 -$1.213 billion (#5 on all time grossing list)

On the Top5 ,Despicable Me2 finally overtook Fast6 to become the #2 movie of the year!Meanwhile Monsters is a $100short of Fast 6 ,can it beat it?

This is another slow week for movie goers.Opening this week are 2 movies that dont look any good.

One Direction- The movie that takes a look at the teenage band's instant rise to success is definitely just for fans.Others can SKIP IT.

Getaway- Starring Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez ,this movie seems to be a rip off other time based thrillers.But chances of it being truly good is very  very low.Skip it till you get some reviews.

Remember to check out my 2013 Movie Guide

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Chennai Records

SRK has finally made his way back to the top!! After smashing records in its opening week ,Chennai Express has now become the HIGHEST GROSSING DOMESTIC MOVIE (India) beating 3 Idiots' 4 year record.Making Rs.203.3cr Chennai is now on top ,and still going strong despite new releases.

At this rate ,its just a matter of days ,before Chennai takes down 3 Idiots in the matter of worldwide gross too.

Pirates of the Caribbean 5 Title

Title for Pirates of the Caribbean 5 announced!The movie is currently titled.....Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

POTC5 will release on July 15, 2015.

Arkham Origins Trailer

Amazing new trailer for Arkham Origins! Must Watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks4tY8dXaVU

Pic from XMen Days of future Past

Nicholas Hoult (Hank/Beast) ,James McAvoy (Professor X) and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine)

Butler kicks Ass and others

Butler kicks Ass and others

[AUG16-18]

#1- Lee Daniels' The Butler ,made a good debut with $25million.The dramatic movie about the African-Americans during 1960's.The true story got positive reviews and was praised mostly for its star cast ,which includes ,Forest Whitaker,Oprah Winfrey,Terrence Howard and more.The acting was able to cover up the uneven story.The movie currently has a rating of 72%.

With a budget of just $30million ,Butler is already clear from danger.

#2- We're the Millers ,made a strong hold ,falling just by 35% ,making $17.7million.The movie has so far made $69.5million ,which is double its budget of just #37million.

#3- Elysium had a bad week crashing by 55% ,to making just $13.6million.This is not too good for the movie as its way short of its budget of $115million even with the overseas collection.So far the movie has made $93.6million ,and with new releases piling up ,Elysium will find it hard to recover.

#4- Kick-Ass 2 had a good first day ,but crashed immediately.The movie struggled with just $13.5million ,and with a budget of $28million ,Kick Ass 2 will have to really rise up in order to avert another disaster.

The first movie was a near flop ,but somehow managed to recover its costs.The good reviews helped it attain a cult status which later led to the sequel.

But now the sequel is performing poorer than the first part ,and with negative reviews pouring in ,its possible that this could be the end of the Kick Ass series.The movie is currently rated 28%.

#5- Planes braved through the tough week and managed to stay within the Top 5 ,making $13.1million.The animated movie managed to recover its $50million budget this week.

The rest of the movies on the Top 10 ,all suffered as well.Percy Jackson 2 continued to fall ,and is still $15million off from its budget.

Jobs ,the hyped Steve Jobs biopic ,failed to rally enthusiasm ,making just $6.7million.The movie was met with negative reviews ,and is rated 25%.Complains ranged from over the top scenes to poor direction.

The 4th release of the week ,Paranoia bombed at the box office ,barely managing to make #3.5million.The movie was universally panned getting just 04%.The surprising thing is its powerful cast which includes Gary Oldman & Harrison Ford.

2013 Top 5

#5-Man Of Steel -$648million

#4-Monsters University -$658million

#3-Despicable Me 2-$781million

#2-Fast & Furious 6- $785million

#1-Iron Man 3 -$1.212 billion (#5 on all time grossing list)

The animated movies are making a huge takeover on the Top5!While Monsters University overtook Man Of Steel for #4 ,Despicable is just a couple million away from overtaking Fast 6 to become the #2 movie of the year!

This week we have one teen movie ,one horror ,and one comedy.....

Youre Next- This horror movie has been gaining a lot of hype since its release it movie festivals some years back.The movie is about a house invasion.The movie has gotten good reviews ,and is currently rated 87%

RJG says WATCH IT ,if you like horror movies with plenty of gore and torture.

The Mortal Instruments:City of Bones- This is a teen fantasy movie, about a girl who finds she is a descends from a line of magical warriors.Although reviews arent out ,i dont think this is worth a watch unless you are a fan of the novels its based upon.

RJG says SKIP IT

And that brings us to RJG PICK OF THE WEEK----

The World's End- AUG23

story- 5 childhood friends have a reunion and go on a long pub run.

+ The brilliant team of Edgar Wright ,Simon Pegg & Nick Frost are back after Hot Fuzz & Shaun Of the Dead.The movie has got really good reviews and is rated at 93%.

So whats your pick of the week?

Remember to check out my 2013 Movie Guide

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Pacific Rim (2013)

[a monstrous movie of gigantic proportions]

Pacific Rim (2013)

IMDB- 7.6

RottenTomatoes- 71%

RJG Rating- 95

As monsters rise up from the pacific floor ,humans build robots to defend themselves.

Starring- Charlie Hunnam,Idris Elba,Rinko Kikuchi

Director- Guillermo del Toro

The cast is led by Charlie Hunnam ,who plays the lead role.He is most famous for his Sons of Anarchy TV show role.Charlie does a good job and is convincing enough to carry the movie forward.Idris Elba delivers a solid supporting role.His dialogues are powerful and it raises the level of certain scenes.Rinko Kikuchi as Mako is another great addition.It takes some getting used to with the lead actors ,as they werent easy to connect to in the beginning.But over the duration of the movie ,every single character ends up impressing you.

The story for Pacific Rim is wild.Its one thats deeply rooted into the stereotypical Hollywood monster movies.Large Monsters vs Robots sounds something so kiddish.But thats where you have to wake up and actually see whats being served.This isnt one of the usual crap CGI movies.This is something really really great.The concept is one thats pretty heavy.In the span of 5-10 min ,a prologue is given.The prologue is so interesting that in my opinion they can easily make 2 prequels to Pacific Rim.The story for Pacific Rim is like the closing chapter of the futuristic world Toro has created.

Guillermo Del Toro does a fantastic job with Pacific Rim.The movie was intense from start to finish and literally had me at the edge of my seat.The world he created is amazing.He brings the best out of the cast ,giving everyone a chance to shine.The pacing of the movie was fast from start to finish.Toro is well known for creating monsters and his work on Pacific Rim is another feather to his cap.

The visual effects were...MIND BLOWING! This is how you should create monster movies.Wow! The sight of these HUGE creatures and the equally large Robots were visually stunning.And when you have them fight each other?Jaw Dropping!The action sequences were truly superb.Supported by a solid score by Ramin Djawadi and the excellent cinematography ,every scene creates an impact.

Pacific Rim isnt a movie that has some big message or will change the way you think.Its not that type of movie.Its the type of movie thats all about satisfying you with action packed scenes ,this is the core pillar of a summer blockbuster.But still ,it has a very good story to support these epic fights and it gives you a sense of wonder ,watching all this.

Overall ,Pacific Rim is a MUST WATCH ,for action lovers.Its definitely one of my favorite movies of this year!

Acting- 4/5

Story- 4.5/5

Direction- 5/5

Action- 5/5

Visual Effects- 5/5

Thriller- 5/5

Pain & Gain (2013)

[a dark ,dark comedy]

Pain & Gain (2013)

IMDB- 6.7

Rottentomatoes- 45%

RJG Rating- 70

3 bodybuilders get tangled up with some truly unbelivable stuff as they enter a world of drugs and kidnapping.

Starring- Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Rock Johnson, Anthony Mackie

Director- Michael Bay

Mark Wahlberg leads the trio ,and hes pretty much good at what he does.Dwayne ROCK Johnson ,continues his streak of action roles ,and he once again delivers ,this time with his "strong body-soft heart" type role.Anthony Mackie gives a good balancing act to the two stars and manages to find a place amongst Mark & Dwayne.The acting here isnt anything exceptional ,the main requirement here was to build up their bodies ,which the trio have done quite remarkably.But they step up in the final part of the movie ,where things get really wacky.

Pain & Gain is based on a true story ,which in Hollywood means it has around 10% resemblance to the actual event.Pain & Gain is one heck of a story.The story completely goes nuts towards the end ,and at times its really unbelievable thats its true.Its a wild movie ,which could have been a thrilling dramatic movie ,but somehow is presented as a comedy.And thats where P&G succeeds.The story at start might not get a grip on you ,but once it does ,you are hooked on till the end.

Another highlight are the characters.None are heroes or good guys.They are all bad.And this isnt one of those movies that make the bad guys look so cool that you end up supporting them.P&G's strange sense of humour helps with the transition from "boring" to "likeable" to "wtf".

Ill admit it,Michael Bay has finally come out with something good.Or atleast something thats better than all his previous movies.The pacing was a bit slow at the start ,but it catches up towards the middle and goes steady towards the end ,reaching a high with the climax.The music ,and action scenes were well implemented.With P&G ,Bay actually delivers a good movie.It could have become just another crime drama ,but the way Bay handles the material ,the story is given one heck of a presentation that so easily covers up the gruesome stuff thats actually happening.

Overall ,Pain & Gain is a fun movie if you dont mind some violence.And you shouldnt miss this ,just because its directed by Bay.Its actually his best movie so far.

Acting- 2.5/5

Story- 3/5

Direction- 3.5/5

Comedy- 3.5/5

Action- 3.5/5

Drama- 3/5

Bale for MoSES

Bale confirmed to play MOSES!

It has been confirmed that Christian Bale will play the role of Moses in Ridley Scott's Exodus.

The movie which will be based on the epic Biblical tale of Moses will soon announce more stars and hopefully a more specific synopsis.

This will be the first time that the Dark Knight star ,Christian Bale ,will team up with Ridley Scott ,the director behind cult sci-fi classics such as Blade Runner and Alien ,and also of epic dramas such as Gladiator.

Teaming up with Bale ,is Joel Edgerton who will play the Egyptian Pharaoh ,Ramses.The Australian star, has gained fame for his roles in Animal Kingdom and Warrior.He also recently appeared in this year's Great Gatsby.

Exodus is set to be released next year on December 12th 2014.

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CHENNAI EXPRESS SMASHES RECORDS!!!

CHENNAI EXPRESS SMASHES RECORDS!!!

The success of Chennai is no small one!Its a big victory for Shahrukh ,Rohit & Deepika.After being #2 to Salman Khan for the last many years ,Shahrukh made a triumphant entry into the BoxOffice with Chennai.The movie broke several records in the opening day itself and now has become the FASTEST movie to make Rs.100cr in INDIA ,and thats in 3.5 DAYS!For a close comparison .the second and third place are Salman movies ,Ek Tha Tiger & Dabangg2 which took 6 days to make 100cr.

As usual SRK is still king of the overseas.Chennai became the biggest debut for a Bollywood movie to open in American Box office.It made a fantastic $2.2million.In UAE itself ,the movie made $0.5million ,which is the highest debut for a Indian movie.

This was SRK's 4th consecutive 100cr movie ,the others being Ra.One,Don2,Jab Tak.

Also its Rohit Shetty's 4th consecutive 100cr movie as well ,the others being Golmaal 3, Singham and Bol Bachchan.

But the biggest winner was for Deepika for whom its her 3rd consecutive 100cr movie ,all which has been in this year itself! Yeh Jawaani and Race2 were her other movies.

How strong the movie will continue to run is doubtful though,average reviews and a strong competition next week in the form of Once Upon A Time2 ,will decide Chennai's final fate.As for now ,the Express is running at full speed!

Read my Review -https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=705619616131632

Elysium takes a narrow lead ,Chennai creates a storm

Elysium takes a narrow lead ,Chennai creates a storm

[Aug9-11]

#1- It was a crowded weekend as 4 new movies went head to head.Elysium came on top with $30million.This is a moderate start for the scifi thriller and it might head towards disaster if its overseas collection doesnt brighten up.Elysium has so far made a worldwide gross of $41million ,and still has a long way to go to recover its $115million budget.

Starring Matt Damon and directed by Neill Blomkamp of District 9 fame ,the movie failed to get the critical and the financial love of District9.Elysium which is about a futuristic Earth separated by the rich and the poor ,managed to get above average reviews.Most were disappointed that it didnt match upto District9's potential ,but also agreed that its a good scifi movie on its own.Its rated 65%.

#2-The real winner of the week was the R-rated comedy ,We're The Millers ,which made $26.5million in the weekend.With a small budget of just $37million ,the movie easily can recover its budget.Starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis ,the movie has been getting below average reviews ,currently rated at 41%.

The movie which is about a fake family trying to smuggle drugs was mainly criticized for its poor jokes.

#3-The animated movie ,Planes made a satisfying debut with $22.5million.The movie which is a spinoff from the Pixar's Cars series ,had no problem getting the kids into the theaters ,even with competition from last weeks Smurfs2.With a budget of $50million ,Planes wont have much trouble recovering its cost ,and considering this was a movie that was supposed to go straight to DVD ,Disney is pretty happy with its success.A sequel is on its way!

The movie however was universally panned.Critics pointed out that the movie had poor concepts and ideas disguised under the colourful world of talking Planes.The movie has a rating of 24%.

#4-Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters crashed making just $14.6million.The sequel to the 2010 movie ,Percy 2 couldnt improve the series any better.Although,Percy 1 was critically panned and a moderate success at the box office ,a sequel was green lit.With Percy 2's poor response ,Fox Studios might learn from their mistake.The sequel was critically panned with a 34% rating.The critics blamed the poor story structure and the overload of characters.The movie has a budget of $90million ,and has already recovered $33million worldwide ,but it looks like it will take a miracle for Percy 2 to escape from being a Flop.

#5-making way for the 4 new releases ,last weeks #1 ,2 Guns slipped to #5 ,making $11million.The action comedy has made $48million so far from the domestic market.

Bollywood's Chennai Express had a solid start in the American Box Office.The movie opened with $2.2million ,which is the highest debut for an Indian movie.Chennai Express is a big hit both in and outside India.The movie easily collected over Rs.60crores in a matter of 2 days ,and is headed to the Rs.100cr club with lightening speed.

2013 Top 5

#5-Monsters University -$637million

#4-Man Of Steel -$647million

#3-Despicable Me 2-$745million

#2-Fast & Furious 6- $782million

#1-Iron Man 3 -$1.212 billion (#5 on all time grossing list)

This week 4 more movie go head to head,heres my quick analysis:

Paranoia-The movie boasts of actors such as Harrison Ford & Gary Oldman ,but i think its just another recipe for a flop.The movie is lead by Liam Hemsworth.The movie is about corporate spying and such stuff.

RJG says SKIP IT

Lee Daniels' The Butler-The historical drama is about a butler at the White House who serves 8  American Presidents over the course of 30 years.The trailer looked good and seemed to be selling what looks like Oscar potential movie.Reviews have been positive ,currently rated at 85%.But from what i hear ,its a good movie although its not exactly a cheerful one.This movie has a strong chance to win next weekend.

RJG says WATCH IT if you like drama

JOBS-An indie movie thats got a lot of publicity over Ashton Kutcher playing...Steve Jobs!His performance has been said to be satisfactory but the movie has not been RJG says WAIT for the DVD

And this brings us to the 4th movie and my PICK OF THE WEEK--KICK ASS 2

Kick Ass 2- AUG16

story-More costumed vigilantes hit the street ,and Kick Ass joins a group in order to take down Red Mist.

+ The first part has turned into a cult movie ,and with its type of action and comedy ,the sequel is a hot movie of this year.Trailers looks great.Jim Carrey's inclusion is a major positive!

- Following up on a critical movie is a hard task.The trailers dont have that spark the first movie had.

So whats your pick?

Remember to check out the 2013 Movie Guide

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Chennai Express (2013)

[a masala movie for the SRK fans]

Chennai Express (2013)

IMDB- 6.8

RJG Rating- 65

Rahul gets on the wrong train taking him through an adventure of a lifetime.

Starring- Shahrukh Khan,Deepika Padukone

Director- Rohit Shetty

Shahrukh leads the movie with his usual charm.But at most times he goes a bit over the top.But this can be ignored as the movie requires him to spoof himself and his past characters for comic relief.SRK is great at comedy and he hits the notes at the right times.Deepika Padukone gives a good performance as well.She gives a much more controlled take on the role than SRK.Both have a good chemistry which gives the movie the much needed push.

The story for Chennai Express is nothing great.It has some new elements but the proceedings are the old usual ways.The story is predictable and mostly leans on SRK to carry the movie forward.The comedy was entertaining in the first half and dry up in the second giving way to romance and some drama.The second half pales in comparison ,but somehow manages to take the movie to the end.It doesnt take itself too seriously and knows its a masala movie at heart.So expecting a deep story is a bad idea.

The music was surprisingly average.The constant crooning "Chennai ai ai ai Express" was irritating and there was a song overload in the second half.The songs were all good and the sequences were colourful and fun.

Direction by Rohit is below average.Chennai is just like his previous movies ,predictable and over the top.The movie skips through various scenes ,and some shots look very amateurish.Some scenes are plain time fillers and have no real purpose than to dish an odd joke or two.The movie even suddenly sprouted some message/moral from nowhere at the climax.

The main attraction to Chennai is definitely Shahrukh.It isnt his best but its sort of a new type of role and he makes the movie bearable for his fans.Rohit has made Chennai Express with the sole intention to market the movie for the huge SRK fan base.

Overall ,Chennai Express is ONLY for Shahrukh fans, others might not enjoy this one bit.Its a one time watch ,a timepass movie.

Acting -3/5

Story- 2/5

Direction- 2/5

Comedy- 4/5

Romance- 4/5

Drama- 3/5

Chennai Express (2013) Arnab Review

Chennai Express (2013)

(Guest Review by Arnab Goswami)

AG Rating: 70

The Basics

A Rohit Shetty brand of cinema almost all the way with a unique SRK touch!!

Plot one liner:

A 40 year old mans journey from Mumbai to Rameswaram and all that ensues!!

The AG analysis:

The signs of a Rohit Shetty film were all there: the scorpios, the tom and jerry cartoonish antics, the one liner plot, the abundant pool of one liners and the over the top action sequences. And yet, in many ways, Chennai Express isn't really a Rohit Shetty film in the way the Golmaal series and Bol Bacchan were. The combination of SRK and Rohit Shetty had been creating buzz right from the start of the project and rightly so, because believe it or not Rohit Shetty for once had to adapt to the filming technique off the star he was filming and not just simply go ahead with his usual brand of tomfoolery. Several scenes of the film are shot with such finesse that I had a bit of difficulty in believing that this indeed a Rohit Shetty film. Of course, I am not saying that the film doesn't have its annoyances. Rohit just cant seem to help himself with many of the sequences but a majority of them are saved by the magnetic SRK.

The Film:

It starts off quite nicely and chugs along relatively smoothly until the end of the 1st half. Some one in the rohit shetty team must have pulled the chain for as the second half begins, things start to look a bit forced and even SRK is not able to save some sequences. Then it thankfully picks up speed and the last 30 mins of the film turn the film into unexpectedly a non-Rohit Shetty for believe it or not, this film does seem to have a message after all unlike any of the past Rohit Shetty films. And then came the climax which I must say is a treat for SRK and Rohit Shetty fans. The combo does live upto the hype at the end.

The Acting:

SRK is back!! well, almost!! SRK attempts to do something very new and different for the first time in his career and for that alone the film is worth watching once. He does comedy, woos the girl and kicks some serious ass as the 40 year old Rahul. Also, I must say that he has to be commended for doing something which no other actor I think has ever had the guts to do. I leave that something for you to find!!

Also, SRK fans who were disappointed with his romantic avatar in Jab Tak Hai Jaan will be relieved to see him back with his arms outstretched crooning Titli, Kashmir Main and One two three four. Also, don't forget to stay back for Lungi Dance, SRK looks very reminiscent of his younger self in this one.

Equally commendable is Deepika Padukone for her accent and her performance. Fans of Deepika will see her do a very different role.

The music and score:

The presence of Vishal-Shekhar ensures that the score actually resonates with you and the music is peppy, catchy with all the usual Rohit Shetty trademarks and yet they stick!! Watch out for One two three four, Titli, Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari and of course Lungi Dance (though this one wasn't composed by the duo).

The Direction:

For once, Rohit Shetty has made a film with a message and for that he must be commended.

The AG Verdict:

A Rohit Shetty film brushed energetically by SRK and also happened to have an actual message!! AG recommends that you watch it once!!!

VHS-2 (2013)

[much better than the first part]

VHS-2 (2013)

IMDB- 6.4

Rottentomatoes- 69%

RJG Rating- 65

story- 5 Directors ,5 Horror Stories

Directors - Adam Wingard,Eduardo Sánchez&Gregg Hale,Gareth Evans,Jason Eisener,Simon Barrett

Acting overall is below average.All are newbies and first timers ,so nothing much can be expected of them.And plus ,being a horror movie ,all they need to do is scream and die.The worst of the lot ,was Phase1:Clinical Trials.Acting was just completely horrible.

VHS 1 was horrible,but managed to make enough profits to get a sequel.Even though i didnt expect anything from the sequel ,i was surprised at the quality.

Phase1:Clinical Trials-This one is about a guy who gets an eye fitted with a camera for an experiment.It had a good concept ,but thanks to the horrible acting and stupid gimmicks ,the story completely unwinds towards the end.The movie was directed and acted by Adam Wingard (VHS1).It had a slow start and an absurd end.

(story-1.5 ,direction- 2, horror- 3/5)

Ride In the Park -This one was about a cyclist who encounters Zombies.Concept wise it wasnt too clever and it seemed to be trying to get scares just through the gore aspect.The ending was vague and didnt make much sense, but somehow it did wrap up the story nicely.It wasnt scary and had a bit of a tiring repetitiveness to it ,initially.It was directed by Eduardo Sánchez and Gregg Hale (of The Blair Witch Project).

(story-2 ,direction- 2, horror-0/5, gore-3.5/5)

Safe Haven -Now this one was the BEST.This segment was about a group of reporters interviewing a cult leader.From start to finish it was exciting and the end was chilling.Made by Gareth Evans (director of the brilliant Raid Redemption) ,he nicely balanced the cheap aspect of the movie ,vagueness ,and delivered a story that was really horrifying.The camera settings were good and wasnt a hindrance.

(story-4.5 ,direction- 5 ,horror- 4/5, gore-4/5)

Slumber Party/Alien Abduction -This one is what the title is about...Slumber Party ,Alien Abduction.It was ok.The shaky cam was horrible ,and so was the cheap costumes.But it had the scare factor and concept wise was pretty ok.It was directed by Jason Eisener (director of Hobo With a Shotgun).It had bit of a slow start but thankfully it gets rolling quickly

(story-3.5 ,direction-3.5 ,horror- 3.5/5)

Tape 49-This is the main story ,which has 2 investigators ,checking an abandoned house full of tapes.The start was slow ,but it had a good punch at the end.Its directed by Simon Barrett (VHS1).It had a slow start but was much better than the main story of VHS1.The twist at the end was pretty solid too.

(story-3 ,direction- 3, horror- 3/5, gore-2/5)

Overall ,VHS2 is much better than its predecessor in terms of quality.It might not be the best horror movie you might have seen ,but its worth a watch if you are horror fans ,especially the segment Safe Haven.

Acting- 2/5

Story- rating given above

Direction- rating given above

Horror-rating given above

Gore- rating given above

VHS1-https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=526558104037785

Latest Trailers

Beautiful Trailer for Secret Life of Walter Mitty

This is Ben Stiller's next directorial venture after his superhit 2008 movie ,Tropic Thunder.The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is based on a famous short story written by James Thurber.The movie is about a photo manager of Times Magazine ,who has vivid imaginations and daydreams that cover up his timid character in real life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6yZzLWGFM

The trailer looks amazing and being a Ben Stiller fan ill be awaiting this one!The movie releases on December 25th 2013!

 Fantasy and Action blend in the trailer for 47 Ronin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_-pqoPDVQ

Starring Keanu Reeves ,47 Ronin is about a group of samurais who unite to avenge their master's death.The trailer looks fun ,but theres something cheesy about it.Keanu Reeves gives his usual wooden looks and that itself drains some fun.But the visuals are beautiful.

Christmas Season is packed with very powerful movies,heres a quick look at the lineup.

Dec 13- Hobbit2
Dec 18- The Monument’s Men (George Clooney & Jean Dujardin)
Dec 20- Anchorman 2 (Will Farrell)
Dec 20- Saving Mr.Banks (Tom Hanks)
Dec 25- 47 Ronin (Keanu Reeves)
Dec 25- American Hustle (Christian Bale)
Dec 25- Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller)

Its going to be a bloody battle ,and im sure many are going to pull out of this fight!

First Trailer for Star Studded THE COUNSELOR

Trailer #1

Directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator,Prometheus,Alien,Blade Runner and more) ,and starring Micheal Fassbender ,Javier Bardem ,Penelope Cruz ,Cameron Diaz ,Brad Pitt! If you dont know atleast one of these actors ,you must be newbies to Hollywood!

The trailer looks good ,but im not too excited for this one.What do you think?

To be released on October 25, 2013

A guy falls in love with his computer......literally,fall in LOVE...Give this trailer a watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV6mXIOVl4

Spike Jones who has directed some really thought provoking movies such as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation ,returns to make "HER".The trailer looks beautiful ,and really intriguing.
Starring acclaimed actors such as Joaquin Phoenix,Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams and Rooney Mara ,this movie looks interesting with a really unique concept.Hope they get this right!

Thor :The Dark World Poster & Trailer

Action packed Awesomeness in new Thor 2 Trailer 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KTvjFGgGkk

Thor,Loki and the entire gang returns in what seems to be one fun movie!Its nice to see Thor enjoying a bit more freedom in its trailers.Especially after Thor & Avengers ,Thor 2 has enough confidence to become a blockbuster

2 Guns & Smurf make dull debuts

2 Guns & Smurf make dull debuts

[AUG 2-4]

#1- 2Guns made $27million ,which was a bit short of initial expectations.Starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg ,the action comedy was supposed to open with around $35million ,especially considering the huge popularity of the lead stars.The $61million movie ,is about two crooked cops who unknowingly investigate each other.The movie got average reviews with most saying its a movie that sticks to the usual formula ,and is predictable.The movie has a score of 58%.

#2-Wolverine had a steep fall of over 60% ,as it made just $21.7million.But the movie has been doing extremely well overseas.Wolverine has already made $254million worldwide ,and still has plenty of markets to release in.It has yet to overtake any of the other XMen movies in terms of collection.

#3-The Smurfs 2 crashed with just $18.2million which is way below expectations.The first part was a big hit and it was expected Smurfs2 would utilize this advantage but unfortunately many say its under performance was due to the presence of strong family movies such as Monsters University and the currently running Despicable Me 2.But luckily Smurfs 2 is saving face with its overseas collection.So far the movie has made a worldwide total of $80million from a budget of $105million.

Smurfs 2 as predicted turned to be a rotten movie in terms of critics as it was critically panned worldwide.With just 12% ,critics were of the opinion that the movie would only be amusing to young kids.

#4-Conjuring made an excellent stand once again and it made $13million.The horror movie has been a huge success so far making over $108million just from domestic markets.Conjuring is close to becoming the highest grossing horror movie of the past couple years soon.

#5-Despicable Me 2 fell to 5th spot but was was least affected by the new releases.It made $10million even with direct competition from Smurfs2.The movie has been a gigantic hit for Universal Studios ,making $713million worldwide from just a small budget of $76million!The movie is still running strongly and with not much competition it has a chance to cross the $800million mark.

2013 Top 5

#5-Monsters University -$613million

#4-Man Of Steel -$644million

#3-Despicable Me 2-$713million

#2-Fast & Furious 6- $771million

#1-Iron Man 3 -$1.212 billion (#5 on all time grossing list)

Monsters University made a leap over The Croods ,to become the 5th highest grossing movie of 2013 (so far).

This week we have more new movies but most are worthless.

Percy Jackson2 -the first one was horrible and judging by the trailers ,this one doesnt seem to be any better -

RJG says SKIP IT

We're the Millers- Trailers show it to be a fun type of movie with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis leading the way.But i suspect it to be predictable with lame jokes.

RJG says WAIT FOR THE REVIEWS

Planes -Yet another animated movie ,Planes is a spinoff Pixar's Cars series.Again it looks predictable and cheesy.

RJG says SKIP IT

Last is one of my anticipated movies....

Elysium- AUG9

story- In a futuristic world ,the wealthy live on space stations,while the rest live on a ruined Earth.

+ The brilliant director of District 9 , Neill Blomkamp ,is directing this one.Plus theres a solid cast of Matt Damon & Sharlto Copley.

- it looks like District9 and it could be just the same thing plus an over the top story

Reviews have been mixed ,but most say its a fun sci-fi movie.

ELYSIUM is RJG's PICK OF THE WEEK!

Whats your pick?

Avatar Updates

AVATAR...The highest grossing movie of all time and the one that single handedly made studios go crazy for 3D will be returning with not one nor two ,but 3more sequels!

James Cameron has been working on the sequel since 2009 ,and now news is that he has approached couple of writers to help him complete the stories of the 3 remaining movies.

Cameron who has told that the Avatar movies will be his last set of films he will be directing ,is planning to shoot all 3 simultaneously ,that is back to back ,and have them release one year at a time.

Fox Studios announced the supposed released dates for the upcoming sequels.

AVATAR 2- Dec 2016

AVATAR 3- Dec 2017

AVATAR 4 (prequel)* - 2018

*Avatar 2&3 will be continuing the story of the first movie ,but Avatar 4 ,is said to be a prequel movie ,telling the story of how Pandora was colonized.

Any Avatar fans excited?

First Trailer & Pics for American Hustle

First trailer for American Hustle!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhB6o3Dtwjs

Bale & gang look almost unrecognizable in their 80's getup!Does this movie look good?Will it be another critical hit for David O Russel & Bale?

David Russell will be reuniting with Bale& Amy Adams after FIGHTER ,and with Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence after last years Silver Lining Playbook.

The cast as you can see is power packed and will also include Jeremy Renner.The movie is based on a true story ,in which a Con-Artist (Bale) works with the FBI (Bradley) ,to uncover corruption in the Congress.

Bale looks completely different from his OUT OF THE FURNACE look.American Hustle is set to release on December 25th ,and Out of The Furnace on December 6th! December is gonna be one heck of a month for Bale Fans!

Jackass4:Bad Grandpa Trailer

Believe it or not ,but im a Jackass Fan! I enjoyed their TV Show and the 3 movies.So heres Jackass4:Bad Grandpa Trailer!

For those of you who dont know about Jackass ,it was a reality show of a group of friends who do the most ridiculous and dangerous stunts for fun.Most are hilarious ,and most are really gross!The TV show ran for 3 seasons ,and later produced spinoffs and 3 Movies.

One of the characters the Jackass guys created was -Bad Grandpa ,acted by Johnny Knoxville in makeup.The main idea was to just shock the public by having Grandpa do stupid things.And here we are with an actual movie based on him.Check the trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MSrAwfagG4

Unlike the other Jackass movies ,which were comprised of various unrelated stunts and skits ,this one has an actual story.Its about Bad Grandpa taking his grandson on a road trip.It looks fun!

The movie is set for October 25,2013

4 Biggies of AUGUST!

July was a bit of a downer after power packed May & June ,and August marks the end of the action movie season.Unfortunately theres just 4 anticipated movies ,and its hard to place much hope on these.

Europa-AUG2

story-a group of astronauts land on Europa ,one of Jupiter's moons.As usual something goes wrong.

+The trailer was amazing.The realistic feel of the movie is also another attraction.

-Found footage is on the decline.The story might take a cliched route as other space movies.

FINAL VERDICT= 60 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=683680348325559

Elysium- AUG9

story- In a futuristic world ,the wealthy live on space stations,while the rest live on a ruined Earth.

+ The brilliant director of District 9 , Neill Blomkamp ,is directing this one.Plus theres a solid cast of Matt Damon & Sharlto Copley.

- it looks like District9 and it could be just the same thing plus an over the top story

Kick Ass 2- AUG16

story-More costumed vigilantes hit the street ,and Kick Ass joins a group in order to take down Red Mist aka The Mother F**ker.

+ The first part has turned into a cult movie ,and with its type of action and comedy ,the sequel is a hot movie of this year.Trailers looks great.Jim Carrey's inclusion is a major positive!

- Following up on a critical movie is a hard task.The trailers dont have that spark ,the first movie had.

The World's End- AUG23

story- 5 childhood friends have a reunion and go on a long pub run.

+ The brilliant team of Edgar Wright ,Simon Pegg & Nick Frost are back after Hot Fuzz & Shaun Of the Dead.

- none so far.

If i had to pick one out of the 4 ,it would be-----At Worlds End.What are your anticipated movies of August?