Men In Black 3 (2012)

[another weak movie for MIB series]

Men In Black 3 (2012)
IMDB- 7.0
RottenTomatoes- 69%
RJG Rating- 30

Agent J travels to the past to save his partner from a time travelling criminal.

Starring- Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones ,Josh Brolin
Director- Barry Sonnenfeld

Will Smith & Tommy Lee return to the franchise after 10 years.As for Will Smith this is his first movie after 4 years.
Although its great to see the pair back again ,both look too tired and dull throughout this movie.Will Smith puts up an energetic performance but hes lost his touch and he drags himself through the movie.Tommy LJ is a complete wash out here, and somehow manages to mumble his lines.Fortunately he isnt there throughout the movie.Josh Brolin plays the younger version of Tommy ,Agent K.Hes the highlight of the movie and does a good job.If MIB plans to continue ,Josh Brolin better be there.

The story of MIB3 is average.Unlike the last 2 movies ,it doesnt explore much into the alien world.The movie enters the nonsensical area towards the end.But it does have an excellent climax involving the younger Agent K.

Direction by Barry was average.The pacing was average.While the original MIB had a thriller aspect ,this one doesnt.It just rambles on till the end

Overall ,MIB3 is a disappointment for fans of both the series as well as of Will Smith.

Acting- 2.5/5
Story- 2/5
Direction- 2/5
Action- 3/5
Comedy- 2/5

Pics from Hobbit 2 & 3

This pic is from Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug (Hobbit 2).In this we have Martin Freeman ,who plays the central character of Bilbo Baggins ,facing the terrifying dragon Smaug.Benedict Cumberbatch plays Smaug in motion capture (like Andy Serkis does for Gollum) and the image of Smaug is a much guarded secret as of now.
The second part to the Hobbit ,"The Desolation of Smaug" will release on December 13th, 2013.

This pic is from Hobbit:There and Back Again (Hobbit 3).In this we have Orlando Bloom ,reprising his role Legolas from the Lord of The Ring Trilogy , and Luke Evans who plays Bard the Bowmen.

The finale of the Hobbit trilogy ,"There and Back Again" will release on July 18th 2014.

Dark Knight Trilogy Fan Montage

One of the greatest series that has graced film history.Nolan's take on Batman will be remembered for all time.Heres a video by Syncopy ,which takes a look into the 3 epic movies of The Dark Knight Trilogy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s4aAp8OxGg

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

[an Epic conclusion ,bound to leave you speechless in awe]

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
IMDB- 8.8 (Top 250 - #30)
Rottentomatoes- 87%
RJG Rating- 100

8 years after Harvey Dent's death and Batman's disappearance ,a new evil ,in the form of Bane arrives at Gotham.

Starring- Christian Bale ,Tom Hardy ,Anne Hathaway ,Joseph Gordon
Director- Christopher Nolan
Written -Christopher & Jonathan Nolan (Story -Christopher Nolan & David Goyer)
Music - Hans Zimmer
Cinematography -Wally Pfister

4 years after the raging success of The Dark Knight,Christopher Nolan is back to end what he started.In 2005 ,he started with Batman Begins ,a movie about the birth of a hero.In 2008 ,he returned with The Dark Knight ,a movie about the hero's life at its peak and his fall from grace.In 2012 ,with The Dark Knight Rises ,he has given that hero a finale that changes your perception of what a 'superhero movie' is.

Acting
Christian Bale knocks it out of the park.He gives his best performance as Batman in TDKR.Shining not only as Batman ,but also the man behind the mask,Bruce Wayne.With each Batman movie, he gives a certain shade to each ones personality.With TDKR ,he plays a very matured character .
Tom Hardy.Even though he has to stand in the enormous shadow cast by Heath Ledger's Joker(from TDK) ,Tom plays a powerful role as Bane.His very presence is enough to send a chill up your spine.Just amazing.Tom Hardy's Bane is ruthless and just pure evil.His eyes is the only means of communication (with the mask covering 75%of his face) and he fully utilises them to deliver his dialogues.He has made Bane into one of the best villains of all time.
Joseph Gordon as Blake is yet another character that you wont easily forget after watching TDKR.Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle gives one of her best performances and does an excellent job.These two have been the result of perfect casting and direction, since usually with such a strong leads as Bale & Hardy ,the supporting actors are easily pushed out .But in TDKR ,the strong supporting cast share many major scenes giving their characters importance.
Returning to their previous roles are Morgan Freeman ,Micheal Caine and Gary Oldman.Morgan & Gary shines while Caine's role was short compared to Begins & TDK.

Story
The Nolan Brothers have come up with yet another Batman movie that makes you think and enjoy at the same time.Its a dark story ,but its something that was completely appropriate for the final chapter on The Dark Knight series.The success of the story lies on how well the brothers have developed the characters.They have also given nods to the characters comic book roots, and people who have knowledge on the comic background of the characters will notice how much the Nolans have tried to bring on screen.The story is deep and takes the final movie to a more larger stage.Reconnecting with the first movie (Begins) gives a sense of completion to this saga of The Dark Knight.The dialogues were excellent but doesnt match upto those of Begins & TDK.

Direction
Having 'Nolan' in a movie ,has now become a trademark for movie quality .Christopher Nolan doesnt disappoint one bit.With all the anticipation and hype about TDKR it would have been easy to get messed up ,but Nolan delivers yet another movie that not lives upto the expectation but also gives a fond farewell to a character that has redefined the superhero genre of the current generation.With TDKR he displays his skill for bringing reality onto the screen.The movie is an epic conclusion ,an end to a series that has battled with themes such as Fear & Chaos, Right & Wrong.With TDKR ,Nolan connects the themes of Batman Begins to the resulting events of TDK ,giving the viewers a satisfying conclusion.The movie is Nolan's longest movie (165min) ,and this might take a toll on some ,but every minute of the movie is pure intensity and importance.With TDKR ,Nolan crosses the lines of a standard superhero movie.At times its hard to consider this as a superhero movie.That itself speaks volumes on Nolan's work.

The cinematography from Wally Pfister is just magnificent.The cities ,the desert ,the underground,the fights,the Bat ,wow! The scenes will leave you short of breath!
The music from Hans Zimmer is grand and haunting.Although it isnt as great as TDK ,its still amazing.
The action sequences are brilliantly choreographed and executed perfectly.

Overall ,TDKR is perfection,another feather on Nolan's cap.Its not only the best movie of the year ,without doubt,its also one of the best of all time.A must watch.Thankyou Mr.Nolan.

Acting- 5/5
Story- 5/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Drama- 5/5
Thriller- 5/5

P.S my ranking of The Dark Knight Trilogy
1-TDKR
2-Begins
3-TDK

Toy Story 3 (2010)

[a touching tale ,a fitting end to the classic series]

Toy Story 3 (2010)
IMDB- 8.5 (Top 250: #48)
RottenTomatoes- 99
RJG Rating- 100

The toys are mistakenly sent to Sunnyside Daycare.

Starring- Tom Hanks ,Tim Allen ,Joan Cusack
Director- Lee Unkrich

Toy Story 3 is Pixar's 11th and the final part of the Toy Story trilogy.It reunites a major section of the main cast and brings along a large new cast of toys.Unlike the previous 2, Toy Story 3 was directed by Lee Unkrich (co-directer of Toy Story 2,Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc) ,since John Lasseter was busy with Cars 2.

Animation from Pixar was top notch.The beauty and detail can be clearly seen in each scene.During Toy Story 1 & 2,Pixar hadnt mastered human animation ,but after its success in Incredibles ,Up etc Pixar uses more human characters and gives them a major role in Toy Story3.With more toy characters animation looks absolutely fantastic.

Toy Story 3's story doesnt falter or disappoint.It has the same excitement and level of fun the previous 2 films had.In addition to this ,Toy Story 3 also increases the intensity of the story.The 3rd part takes on a much larger scale.Pixar's objective to please kids as well as grown ups is very much noticeable.Toy Story 3 spoofs heist movies this time ,and its done wonderfully.The way the story pans out is beautiful yet exciting.

Direction from Lee ,equals that of Lassetter and manages to keep Toy Story 3 running in the same vein as the previous movies.This part also increases the emotional content and there are plenty of heart touching scenes.The climax is emotionally charged and the movie signs out with perfection.Toy Story 3 reaches upto the classic levels of the first part and ends up completing one of Hollywoods rarities - A perfect trilogy.

On release ,the movie was a raging success worldwide.It was the highest grossing movie of the year 2010.And the only animated movie to make more than $1 billion making it the highest grossing animated movie of all time.
Toy Story also raked up universal praise ,and was nominated for Best Picture Oscar ,making it the 3rd animated movie ever in the history of Oscars to be nominated for a Best Picture Award.Toy Story 3 earned Pixar its 4th consecutive and 6th overall, Best Animated Movie Oscar.

Overall ,Toy Story 3 is an instant classic ,a must watch !

Animation- 5/5
Story- 5/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Drama- 5/5
Comedy- 5/5


Oscars
Nominated - 3
Best Picture
Best Sound Editing
Best Adapted Screenplay- Michael Arndt

Won - 2
Best Animated Film
Best Original Song- "We Belong Together" by Randy Newman

The Hobbit now a Trilogy !

Wonderful news from The Hobbit

Peter Jackson has announced that The Hobbit will be made into a trilogy rather than 2 parts.The first 2 parts are to be released on Dec 14 2012 and Dec 13 2013 .The third part is expected to be released in 2014.

This isnt the first time such a thing has happened with Peter.Lord of The Rings was initially expected to be released in 2 parts but due to the epic nature of the source material and in order to fully capture the richness of the journey ,LOTR was made into a trilogy.

Jackson has given the same explanation for the Hobbit.Heres his full letter to the fans:

"It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made. Recently Fran, Phil and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie - and a large chunk of the second. We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved ‘yes.'

We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.

It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, "a tale that grew in the telling."

Cheers,

Peter J"

What do you think ? Can Jackson really recreate the magic again ?

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

[cheesy and overburden with weak plot points]

Spider-Man 3 (2007)
IMDB- 6.3
Rottentomatoes- 63
RJG Rating- 30

Spiderman, now a big celebrity in NewYork, faces threats from new villains - Sandman & Venom.

Starring- Tobey Maguire,Kirsten Dunst,James Franco,Thomas Haden
Director- Sam Raimi

Every trilogy,especially ones that gives us a brilliant first and second part ,faces great anticipation and hype for the final part ,and with this great pressure it falters and disappoints big time.Very few have succeeded (Lord Of the Rings) ,while many of the greats fail (Godfather,X-Men etc).The Spiderman trilogy unfortunately fails to uphold the quality of the first and second part (though i didn like the 2nd part,its considered by many to be one of the best superhero movies).

Tobey once again dons the mask of Spiderman.Even though he still isnt the right choice to play the superhero ,but he does give his best performance as Peter Parker in Spiderman 3.The scenes in which he is affected with Venom ,is the sort of attitude Parker should have had ,a more carefree and smart-ass attitude.But still Tobey is too innocent to play this role.Kirsten has nothing special to do other than get depressed and kidnapped by the villain (as usual).James Franco has been the only good actor among the main cast.In Spiderman 3 he gets a bigger role ,and once again he gets it right.While the actors portraying the villain have been the highlights in the last 2 parts ,Thomas Haden as Sandman is a complete disappointment ,while Venom should have been given more priority.

The story of Spiderman 3 ,is more diverse and bigger than the previous 2.It brings a couple of important characters from the Spiderman Universe ,but then it fails to give a proper story to any of them.The story just rambles on and on and just doesnt stop.The finale is poor and doesnt bother to close all the loose ends.

Sam Raimi who tipped the scales on the cheesiness in Part 2 ,goes overboard on Part 3.The movie is too long and have too many unnecessary subplots.Raimi fails to connect many plot points leaving him too much to handle in the climax.And unlike the previous 2 ,part 3 is more dark in theme.

The visual effects have been more developed and blends in Sandman ,Venom & Spiderman smoothly.But unlike the previous 2 the movie doesnt have any great action sequences.And the finale fight was too corny.

On release ,Spiderman 3 was a raging box office success breaking all kinds of records.It set the opening weekend record (151million) ,among others.Even though it failed to beat the domestic collection of the first 2 parts,it did great business overseas.As of now ,it has earned the most ($890million) in the Spiderman Series (including the 2012 reboot).
But critics were not too happy and agreed that it was a disappointing sequel.Unlike the first 2 parts ,Spiderman 3 failed to get nominated for any awards at the Oscars.

Overall ,Spiderman 3 is just for the fans .The movie will generally be fun for kids ,but boring & cheesy for others.

Acting- 2/5
Story- 2.5/5
Direction- 1/5
Action- 4/5
Drama- 2/5

The Dark Knight Trilogy Trailer

The Dark Knight Trilogy Trailer

A fascinating trailer showcasing the 3 classic movies.A must watch !