Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

[a sweet and charming tale about young love]

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
IMDB- 8.0
Rottentomatoes- 94%
RJG Ratings- 100

Sam & Suzy run away from their homes ,causing their caretakers to make a search party.

Starring- Jared Gilman,Kara Hayward,Bruce Willis ,Edward Norton
Director- Wes Anderson

The cast for Moonrise Kingdom is solid.The leads are played by Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward who play Sam & Suzy.Both do a wonderful job and give their characters the unique style often seen in Wes Anderson movies.The supporting cast includes all A listers ,such as Bruce Willis ,Edward Norton ,Bill Murray and Frances McDormand ,and they all do excellently.Bruce W & Edward N were just great.

The story is excellent.Its short but it holds a much deeper & meaningful tale.The subtle humour and Anderson's usual themes are ever present.The story doesnt rush off ,but slowly reveals its layers.Although the concept of young love ,has been tried plenty of times ,i think Wes Anderson's story is the one that really stands out from the rest.

Direction from Wes Anderson is brilliant.He brings to Moonrise Kingdom his trademark themes and visual styles that we end up loving.His presentation is wonderful and the simplicity of the entire movie ,is a heart warming experience.He once again brings the best out of his cast.The movie has a wacky setting but its all done in good taste.

Overall ,Moonrise Kingdom is a sweet romantic movie.A must watch if you are a Wes Anderson fan.

Acting- 5/5
Story- 5/5
Direction- 5/5
Romance- 5/5
Comedy- 4.5/5
Drama- 4.5/5

This Is The End trailer & Poster

Trailer for This Is The End

Trailer #1

This movie about 6 real life friends ,who are trapped in a house during the end of the world.Dont know how the movie will turn out ,but its great watching these guys !

Best Foreign Movie Contenders

he 9 Movies being considered for Best Foreign Movie Oscar:

Amour
War Witch
No
A Royal Affair
The Intouchables
The Deep
Kon-Tiki
Beyond the Hills
Sister

The main competition will be between Intouchables & Amour
Its great to know India's "copy paste" movie Barfi didnt make it through.

Looper (2012)

[an excellent mind teaser]

Looper (2012)
IMDB- 7.8
Rottentomatoes- 94%
RJG Rating -100

In a futuristic world ,Loopers are people who kill off victims sent from the future.

Starring -Joseph Gordon ,Bruce Willis
Director- Rian Johnson

The movie is powered by Joseph Gordon's performance.He has easily given yet another superb role of 2012 with Looper (the others being Premium Rush,TDKR,Lincoln).Joseph's acting is excellent and joining him is action star Bruce Willis.Bruce Willis plays the older version of Joseph's character.While hes pushed off to a supporting role character ,Bruce still leaves a strong impact on the movie.Emily Blunt's acting was good too but as long as Joseph's onscreen ,no one can or does overtake him.

The story for Looper is its unique factor.it deals with time travel which can be a very messy subject if not dealt with utmost care.But Looper does it with ease.The last movie that made me as intrigued and left me trying to fit the pieces together,as Looper , was Nolan's masterpiece Inception.And being compared to Inception is no small compliment.The story reveals itself layer by layer and gives the audience enough pointers for them to figure out whats happening.On the downside ,the rules arent exactly laid out which could lead to some doubts and confusion while seeing the movie.
Another excellent point was how well it portrayed the 'hero' 'villain' roles.Neither Joseph nor Bruce are the exact heroes ,but their characters are so dark & twisted, that at times we are left considering them as the real villains.All in all ,writing is solid.

Rian Johnson has done an excellent job as the director.Giving Earth's future a bleak look with just the right amount of technology made Looper well balanced in the reality scales.The pacing of the movie was intense from start to finish.And this might be a very minor point ,but i just loved how the title was shown.

How on earth can you envision Joseph Gordon as being Bruce Willis younger self?Well that was something you have to see the movie for.Rian Johnson aptly uses CGI for the transformation.But at times it sort of stands out too much and we are left with 2 Joseph's.One that looks like the real Joseph ,and the one with too much special effects on.But it doesnt matter,since Joseph from the start to finish mimics the famous grins and talking style of Bruce Willis to an A.

Overall ,Looper is not for the weak minded.Its an action movie with a very twisted yet sensible plot,and quite bloody too.Fans of movies like Inception ,Matrix will find Looper to be a quite wonderful ride.

Acting- 4.5/5
Story- 5/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Thriller- 5/5

The Great Gatsby Trailer #2

The Great Gatsby Trailer #2

Starring A list stars such as Leonardo ,Carey ,Tobey ,Great Gatsby looks amazing.Although it might just turn out to be an overdose of drama.

Kai Po Che! trailer

Trailer for Kai Po Che!

Kai Po Che! Trailer #1

Directed by Abhishek Kapoor (Rock On) ,and based on Chetan Bhagat's hit novel - 3 Mistakes of my Life!

Guest Review-The Hobbit (2012)

Special review by Arnab Goswami

The Hobbit (2012)

Peter Jackson's long awaited cinematic adaptation of JRR Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'.

AG Rating : 100

The film

After a really long time, we see middle earth back on the big screen and how ??!! Seeing middle earth in 3d made me really wanting more and wishing if The Lord of the Rings trilogy had come out in 3d too !! Peter Jackson's trademark helicopter shots, sweeping camera work and his epic cinematic grandeur were back with a BANG !!

While the LOTR trilogy was for the most part filled with doom and gloom ( and still amazingly immersive no doubt), this film adds the merriment and joy one encounters while reading Tolkien's books, especially 'The Hobbit'. The result is a delight to see as the dwarves are hilarious and even old Gandalf adds in a joke or two !!

While the pacing may appear to be an issue for some, nonetheless for Tolkien fans like me, it didn't seem to be an issue at all as it appropriately built up the anticipation and excitement for the adventure !!

The visual effects

3d seems to have improved a lot lately as this is the second film I have watched in which the 3d was amazingly immersive with the appropriate depths at the required places. The visual effects were even more vivid, realistic, spot on and coming from Weta, had an element of grandeur to them.

The background score

John Howard has used almost all of the cues of the previous trilogy and places appropriately to great effect. The score compliments Jackson's camera work excellently. Watch out for the lonely mountain song sung by the dwarves ! As in the trailer, this particular sequence was absolutely spell binding and soul stirring and literally gave me goosebumps !!

The direction

I feel that only Peter Jackson truly understands the vision of JRR Tolkien and no one can ever translate his book to the big screen better than he can !!

His camerawork is filled with to the brim with so much grandeur and energy that the viewer gets pulled in by him and I for one was fully energized throughout and not for once did I feel bored. Despite having seen several breathtaking sequences in his films before, I was still awed by many of the sequences he has filmed here : watch out for the battle of the stone giants in the 3rd half ! Now that was jaw dropping !!!

Though I didn't watch it so, I felt the film was made for 48 fps and hopefully in its next version, it will have resolved all of its current problems and will herald in the next generation of cinema !!

The acting

Martin freeman was born to play Bilbo Baggins ! There is absolutely nothing more that once can say. I cannot imagine anyone else on earth playing that role !! Richard Armitage excelled as Thorin Oakenshield. Gandalf was a delight as always. Hugo weaving as Elrond and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel were a delight too in their short roles. All the dwarves were excellent in their roles too !!

The AG verdict

A fitting and worthy addition to the middle earth universe envisioned by Tolkien though it will be enjoyed fully only by Tolkien fans !! A visual delight and a cinematic masterpiece !! I liked it even better than the LOTR trilogy !! ( though that might be because I was seeing a middle earth after a long time but I still feel I liked it much better !!)

Pain & Gain Trailer

And HES BACK ! MICHEAL BAY ! Trailer for the awesome Pain & GAIN ,starring Mark Wahlberg & The ROCK
Trailer1 Link #1

Trailer1 Link #2

just kidding about the excitement,the movie looks like another Trademark Bay flick- Explosions,Hot Chicks ,Male obsession (Last time transformer toys ,this time muscles),some running etc.
But this just might turn out to be a decent flick ,judging by the trailer.And Rock & Mark look great!

Lawless (2012)

[excellent acting powers this bloody movie]

Lawless (2012)
IMDB- 7.4
Rottentomatoes- 68%
RJG Rating- 100

The Bondurant brothers' illegal business is threatened by the new corrupt Deputy.

Starring- Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain,Guy Pearce
Director- John Hillcoat

Lawless has one of the best casting of 2012.The cast was just amazing and all give superb performances.Shia LaBeouf as Jack Bondurant was great.But the real show stealer was Tom Hardy as the Eldest brother ,Forrest Bondurant.Tom gives hardly a few lines but he gives off an amazing performance.Guy Pearce plays the villain, Charlie Rakes.Guy like the rest of the cast blends in perfectly and gives a menacing performance.Jessica Chastain is one of the best upcoming actresses of the recent years ,and once again she delivers an excellent performance.Supporting cast members ,Gary Oldman,Mia W,Jason Clarke were all noteworthy.

The story of Lawless is based on the novel " The Wettest County in the World " ,written by Matt Bondurant who was the grandson of teh lead character ,Jack Bondurant.Although the movie is much more violent than the book ,i felt it to be amazing and more apt.The movie could have been another one of those dull 'illegal smugglers' movie ,but the writers mix the legends with the real story giving off a pretty intense screenplay.

Direction was excellent.The start was a bit slow ,but we never expect it to suddenly turn into an intense crime war.Even at the halfway mark ,the movie glided smoothly without a hitch leaving a trail of blood and violence.Add to the fact the actors are just amazing ,you have in your hands a very interesting movie.

Overall ,Lawless will surprise you on how well its crafted and by the amazing cast.A must watch.

Acting- 5/5
Story- 5/5
Direction- 5/5
Drama- 5/5
Action- 4/5
Thriller- 5/5

Looper (2012) [Guest Review ]

Special Guest Review by Arnab Goswami

Looper (2012) (Spoilers ahead)
AG rating : 100

A mind bending tale about time travel in the near future and the highly intriguing prospect of a man meeting his future self whom he has to kill. What happens now ??!!

The film

After a long time, we at last see a film that can have the 'inception' effect on you as you watch it. With a strong emphasis on parallel timelines, it beautifully illustrates the cause and effect scenarios......that is if there is an effect, then there has to be a cause. As simple as it sounds, it can lead to some very paradoxical situations as is shown in a key sequence involving Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis.

The direction
Time travel is an extremely difficult topic to begin with and the director deserves applause for the way he has tackled it. He has managed to give us the 'inception' effect which is no small feat. The ending though wasn't so inception like.

The acting

With the help of a little CGI, JGL completely transforms himself into the younger Bruce Willis though this wouldn't have been possible without some terrific acting on his part. Bruce Willis was good too though I felt JGL outshone him.

The AG verdict

Despite the fact that the pace slows down significantly when the character of Emily blunt is introduced, it picks up again spectacularly in a jaw dropping sequence and the ending, though not totally unpredictable, still leaves you awestruck. All in all, one of the best sci-fi films ever !!! A must watch for all sci-fi fans !!!!

7 New FYC Ads

TDKR #7

TDKR hit another milestone,as it was honoured as one of the Top 10 movies of 2012 by AFI & TIME.Does this boost its chances to get nominated in the Best Picture Category?
I think TDKR increased its chances.Failure to nominate TDK, 2nd biggest blockbuster of the year ,Recognition for AFI, looks like TDKR has a 70% chance to make it through.

Les Miserables #2

The cinematography list will be a tight race.I think Les Miserables fate lies after its release.Right now i think it has a 30% chance to get nominated.

Lincoln #2-3

While its simple ,its still pretty much a bunch of lazy ads.Is it because Lincoln is guaranteed to make it Big at all the award ceremonies? Lincoln sweeped up 7 nominations at Golden Globes ,and i think its gonna sweep up the Oscar noms too!

Moonrise Kingdom #4

Moonrise will be aiming for the Picture & Writing noms.i dont think it has any chance at cinematography.Not that it was bad (the movie was amazing) ,its just that the race is very tight.

ParaNorman #4

Shockingly ParaNorma was snubbed at the Golden Globes.If you check the new ad, the new ad you can see a small note saying Lovingly made in The USA.Golden Globes is a British affair ,and ParaNorman is hoping the American Academy doesnt snub it. Still ,Paranorman deserves all the praise.Its the best animated movie of the year.

Skyfall #4

British movie ,Skyfall failed to get in at the Golden Globes (except Adele's Theme Song) ,and i think it will be ignored by the Americans as well.Although a Supporting Actor nom for Javier should be considered.

Zero Dark Thirty #3

This is the big movie that is expected to sweep the major awards at the Oscar.Kathryn has done it before with Hurt Locker and she has brought up another thriller with ZDT.Considering its the movie about America's biggest and victorious manhunt,ZDT has a large support behind it.

Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer

Awesome new trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5gdbUC9mWU 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

[an enjoyable return to Middle Earth]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
IMDB- 8.7 (Top 250: #88)
Rottentomatoes- 65%
RJG Ratings- 95

Gandalf,recruits Bilbo Baggins to accompany him & 13 dwarves on a grand adventure.

Starring- Martin Freeman,Ian McKellen,Richard Armitage
Director- Peter Jackson

Hobbit is a novel written by JRR Tolkien back in 1937 ,which is a prequel to the events that take place in The Lord of The Rings.Director Peter Jackson had first envisioned The Hobbit as a 2 part movie but as shooting progressed ,he realised the Hobbit could be expanded into 3 movies rather than 2.

Martin Freeman plays the central character ,Bilbo Baggins.Ian McKellen reprises his role as Gandalf.Richard Armitage plays the 3rd central character ,Thorin.These 3 do a wonderful job and give very strong performances.The supporting cast (the other 12 dwarves) do great ,but due to the large number, none manage to stand out.The chemistry between the cast is undeniable and it gives the movie a very strong emotional touch.Andy Serkis returns as Gollum ,but sadly its only a cameo.But he very much steals the show with his terrific acting!

The story for The Hobbit isnt a direct adaptation of the 1937 novel.Being just one short novel ,its division into 3 movies had the audiences wondering how Jackson could pull it off (comparatively ,Lord of The Rings Trilogy was based on 3 novels).Jackson added more story, referring to the appendixes of the Lord of the Rings ,and introduced more characters ,and gave the 13 dwarves more character development.
The result? The story for An Unexpected Journey is not only enough ,it overflows.It has plenty to run upon, but theres a catch to this.It makes Hobbit Part 1 completely dependent on the next two movies.Unlike Fellowship of the Ring (LOTR 1), An Unexpected Journey leaves almost every storyline open for the second movie to continue.Theres no proper conclusion to anything.
Another thing is that much of the depth of the story is only realisable to those who have watched Lord Of The Rings.There are many shots and items that directly relate to the LOTR movies ,and fans will love them.

Peter Jackson once again delivers justice to the material.Although he has altered much of it ,the story still brings you back into the magical world of Middle Earth.
But the major criticism is the length of the movie.An Unexpected Journey is around 2hr 40min long.The fans wont mind sitting and enjoying the whole movie, but the fact that the movie could have been shortened by atleast 20min is undeniable! Many scenes tend to drag on with talks on Middle Earth ,it wont bother the fans,but it might not be very interesting to casual movie audiences.Plus the fact that this movie is entirely dependent on Hobbit Part 2 ,dulls An Unexpected Journey's significance.
The pacing of the movie is average.It isnt fast paced nor dull ,and sticks to a very well balanced presentation.Jackson does brilliant directing and plays with illusions too well.His dedication to the movie ,can be clearly be seen onscreen.

Compared to LOTR ,Hobbit is not as intense ,but is a very enjoyable and light hearted movie.It has its set of brilliant action sequences ,and the extremely beautiful New Zealand landscape will just leave you spell bound.The music is uplifting and amazing.

Now to the technical side.Hobbit is the first movie to be shot entirely in 48fps (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=567947409898854).
I saw it in normal 2d version ,and based on the various shots and sequences i feel 48fps+3D will be an amazing experience.BUT the length of the movie is the major problem maker.At almost 3hrs long, i feel ,Hobbit is too long to watch at one stretch on 48fps and might cause headaches and strain since we arent used to such long duration of high frame rate movie watching.Better leave the 48fps experimentation for the DVD.

Overall,The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is an excellent fantasy movie ,that packs in much drama and fun and is guaranteed to not disappoint any fans of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.The movie is a great watch for families and all.Plus, it sets the grand stage for the next 2 movies.Cant wait for The Desolation of Smaug (2013) !

Acting- 4.5/5
Story- 4/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Drama- 4.5/5

Hobbit strikes Gold!

[Dec 14-16]

Hobbit strikes Gold!

1-The prequel to the epic Lord of The Rings Trilogy ,The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey ,made $84million ,which is a record debut for December.Although this is great ,it was slightly below expectations.Being the much anticipated plus being mainly a 3D movie ,it was expected to make over $100million.But the movie is strong and has already made $138million overseas ,bringing its worldwide collection to $223million!

Unfortunately,Hobbit did not manage to get universal praise like the LOTR trilogy.Many were unhappy about its length (2.45hr) ,and the 48fps failed to make the experience any better.The movie is rated 65%
My review-http://bit.ly/hob112RJG

2-Rise of The Guardians managed to make a stand ,and earn $7.4million.Although the movie had a disappointing debut ,its staying around to recollect its losses.The animated movie has made a worldwide gross of $190million so far.

3-Lincoln is turning out to be a grand hit.The historical drama made $7.2million to bring its total gross to $107million.Lincoln has not yet been released worldwide ,but its a guarantee to be a big hit after getting multiple nominations in major Award ceremonies for 2012.

4-Skyfall made $7million in its 6th week.The movie is the highest grossing movie of the entire James Bond.The movie has grosses $951million worldwide and is slowly nearing the 1billion milestone.Its currently #18 on the worldwide list.

5-Life of Pi came 5th for the 4th time.It made $5.4million bringing its domestic total to $69.5million.The movie's strong point is on its foreign collection.It has made $128 million overseas so far.

This week 2 movies will compete against the Hobbit for the top spot.Seth Rogen's comedy The Guilt Trip and Pixar's Monsters Inc 3D.This is Pixar's 4th re-release of its classics (previous ones being Toy Story 1&2 and Finding Nemo).
My pick of the week will be Guilt Trip.Im a fan of Seth Rogen and wont mind watching his latest flick.
I love Monsters Inc too and have watched it plenty of times ,but i would like to watch a new movie.Monsters Inc is recommended for the family audience.

Khiladi & Talaash hold on for their final week

Khiladi 786

Even though it has racked up horrible reviews ,Khiladi is still running nicely.With no strong release this week,Khiladi made Rs.11cr in its second weekend.The movie now has made Rs.62.5cr.

Talaash

Just like Khiladi ,there was no competition for Aamir's Talaash this week.The movie made Rs.5cr to bring its total to Rs.83.5cr.


With next weeks release,Dabangg 2 ,both Talaash & Khiladi is set to be eliminated from the business.Salman Khan is looking forward to outdo his own Ek Tha Tiger ,and any movies running presently will have no chance to make any more cash.


Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Shahrukh's latest JTHJ might have winded up its domestic business at Rs.120cr ,but its still a blockbuster overseas.JTHJ now has become the 3rd most grossing movie of all time overseas.
The movie has made $13million ,and is behind My Name Is Khan ($22.15million) and 3 Idiots ($23.9million).