Its time for the round up of new trailers..once again.

X-Men Origins:Wolverine
To start off the brand new trailer of X-Men Origins has hit the internet. I get the feeling that this one is going to be epic. There is also a flash of young Cyclops in there. Wonder how thats gonna turn out.

Plot: Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.


Star Trek
A new trailer of Star Trek has been released. I've never been a Star Trek fan and as a matter opf fact I positively hated the only movie I've seen(Star Trek: Nemesis). But from the looks of this trailer I may like this one.

Plot: A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.



Public Enemies
Johnny Depp and Christian Bale- Do I need to say more? May be the director Michael Mann(The Heat, The Insider, The Last oh the Mohicans) ring a bell.

Plot: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.



17 again
A new trailer of 17 again is up at YouTube. This sounds pretty similar to "13 going on 30" but just the reverse. But from the trailer this can be entertaining. A good family entertainer I guess.

Plot: About a guy whose life didn't quite turn out how he wanted it to and wishes he could go back to high school and change it. He wakes up one day and is seventeen again and gets the chance to rewrite his life.

Judd Apatow's Funny People
I think nobody needs an introduction to Judd Apatow. The guy who brought us Knocked Up, Pineapple Express and The 40 year old virgin comes a new movie with Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler as the lead actors.

Plot:George is a very successful stand up comedian who learns that he has an untreatable blood disorder and is given less than a year to live. Ira is a struggling up-and-coming stand up comedian who works at a deli and has yet to figure out his onstage persona. One night, these two perform at the same club and George takes notice of Ira. George hires Ira to be his semi-personal assistant as well as his friend.



Chocolate HD Trailer
I don't know if any of you have heard about Tony Jaa. I'm not really a martial arts kind of guy but this guy made me watch all his films even though they had like zero plot. The action of this guy is something else. No strings, no stunt doubles and 100 % real action. Chocolate is along the similar thread and by the same guy who made Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong, but with a female lead. From the trailer this one also promises a load of action- Muay Thai style.

Plot: An autistic woman with powerful martial art skills looks to settle her ailing mother's debts by seeking out the ruthless gangs that owe her family money



12 Rounds HD Trailer
Have any of you seen "The Marine", the action film by John Cena. I laughed so much that I was on the floor watching that. Well, after that disaster John Cena is starring in another "action" movie 12 rounds. The only consolation is that the director of this movie is a pretty decent one who gave us Die Hard 2, and an array of mediocre films. Atleast this won't be as bad as The Marine. From the trailer the movie sounds like a mix of Die Hard action and Die Hard 3 style "chasing after the clues".

Plot: Detective Danny Baxter (Cena) discovers his girlfriend (Scott) has been kidnapped by a ex-con tied to Baxter's past, and he'll have to successfully complete 12 challenges in order to secure her safe release.

Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen
A new very short teaser trailer aired yesterday and from the looks of it Transformers 2 will be one hell of an action packed movie with things getting blown up and destroyed right and left. Oh man!!!

Plot:Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.



Up
From the makers of Incredibles, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, Monsters.Inc and many more thoroughly enjoyable animation movies comes a new movie "Up" made exclusively by Pixar and distributed by Disney.

Plot:By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.



G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra
Just saw the sneak peek of G.I Joe:Rise of the Cobra and I'm stumped. I thought G.I Joe was gonna be one of those "shoot all you want with your guns" movies but I wasn't prepared for this. This looks awesome and I'm sure to catch this movie in the theater. I live in India and G.I Joe is not that popular here; may be that's why I'm unfamiliar with it.

Plot:An elite military unit comprised of special operatives known as G.I. Joe, operating out of The Pit, takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.


Angels and Demons
I have posted a trailer of this movie earler, but this one has something more I guess. Anyways check it out.



Race to Witch Mountain
I've always been amazed at how well Dwayne Johnson or "Rock" as we all know him do comedy. Looks like Disney has adopted him for its "tough guy part" in their Family movies. This one looks interesting and funny and coming from Disney I'll probably love it.

Plot: A UFO expert enlists the help of a cabbie to protect two siblings with paranormal powers from the clutches of an organization that wants to use the kids for their nefarious plans.



Land of the Lost
The name Will Ferrel definitely scares me and approach this movie with caution. But from the trailer it looks pretty decent. But you know what they say-"Never judge a movie by the trailer".

Plot: Three adults inadvertently stumble into a mysterious land populated by dinosaurs and other creatures, including the mysterious and dangerous race of Sleestak.



Monsters vs Aliens
I have posted another trailer for this movie too over here. But this is a new one and I'm sure you all will enjoy.



Star Trek
Looks like a Star Trek movie I will finally love. The new trailer gives us much more of the much awaited Star Trek and teases us with incredible visual effects and action.

Plot:A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.

If you know Guy Ritchie only as Madonna's husband, then you probably won't have seen Lock,Stock and Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. Guy Ritchie is known for his quirky lines, convoluted plot lines and stylish cinematography. But he went wrong somewhere down the line and ended up with Swept Away which is as low as one could go. But with the new movie Rock'n'Rolla Guy Ritchie is on a comeback. This movie is a definite step in the right direction.

Plot: In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, naturally attraction the attention of some of the city's scrappiest tough guys (Butler, Elba) its more established underworld players (Wilkinson), and others -- all of whom are looking to get rich quick.

Review: You have to be in a certain kind of mood to view a Guy Ritchie movie. I was in that mood the other day and couldn't resist Rock'n'Rolla. This movie is the same kind of frenzied whacked out hyper-plotted adventure through the darker side of London. As usual, the cast of characters is huge. And everyone is screwing everyone else. I won't even try to synopsize the plot. Just know you can expect a lot of twists and shady characters. This was a bit tamer than the previous two movies mentioned above. It was a little more cerebral.

Rock'n'Rolla is pretty much Guy Ritchie showing us all that he hasn't lost it. One thing that's instantly improved to his Swept Away piece is the fact that he's got a flawless casting this time, a plot that is untouchable as is the script and a killer Soundtrack that had me bobbing my head in rhythm to it. His stylish direction (using freeze-frames, voice-over, captions and snappy editing) expertly juggles the different characters and story lines until everything begins to fall into place for the final act. That is exactly what Guy Ritchie is good at and he is at his best in this movie. There's a dance scene between Thandie & Gerard that's one of the coolest segments within the film, using Graphic Novel-esque subtitles as they talk and dance, pure genius.

Rock'n'Rolla is not a film for everyone and forget understanding the movie if you don't have subtitles or you understand the very British accent well. But no harm in trying, you may as well fall in love with Guy Ritchie's movies- I know I did. There may be many instances that you won't get the British argot(some of them are hilarious) but unless you are a really passive viewer you can figure out what they mean in a minute.

The performances are excellent but the ones that standout is Toby Kebbell, who steals the entire film with a terrific turn as Johnny, the Rock'n'Rolla of the title and Mark Strong as Archie. I mean this actor(Archie)seems to have something cheeky about him that always produces a wry smile with me. And he carries himself in that dignified manner but yet radiate an amount of cockiness. The performances are also a testament to Ritchie's direction that he manages to get decent performances out of three of cinema's most irritating actors(Gerard Butler, Tom Hardy and Thandie Newton).

My Verdict: Rock'n'Rolla is a nonstop parade of improbable dastardly characters, assorted incompetent criminals, burned-out rockers, wigged-out junkies, criminal masterminds and dimwitted hoods—and that’s not even taking into account "unkillable" Russians, an ice queen of a duplicitous accountant, gay gangsters and the gangsters they make nervous. Its a joy to find Guy Ritchie at the top of his game and this makes me look forward to "The Real Rock'n'Rolla" the sequel to this movie. It's class, it's violent, it's funny and more importantly it's dark, rich and satisfying.

The Sequel:
The Real Rock'n'Rolla is the sequel to "Rock'n'Rolla", Ritchie has implied it has already been written and it's ready to go as soon as his next project is over with. Also depending on the box office of the first movie it could have many more installments. Without giving too much away from the first film part two will include Johnny Quid, Archie and the Wild Bunch. This may not be as funny as Snatch and Lock Stock but these characters are just as lovable.

When it comes to 3D nothing beats Pixar, or so I thought. When I saw the promo of Bolt I was not that impressed, and hence deferred watching the movie till now. But since it was Disney's first try at 3D animation without the help of Pixar I was interested to see what they come up with, and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. Bolt won me over right from the opening scene.

Plot: Bolt, an American White Shepherd, has lived his whole life on the set of his action TV show, where he believes he has superpowers and he has to protect his co-star Penny from the villains. When separated from the studio, thus Penny, by accident, he meets a female alley cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. The threesome starts a cross-country journey to find Penny. Along the way, Bolt learns that he doesn't have superpowers but realises one doesn't need superpowers to be a hero.

Before we start a little history(I promise its not boring :D) (Courtesy:411mania)

Everyone knows that for the longest time, Disney “presented” such Pixar classics as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. That all changed at the onset of 2006 when Disney announced that it was buying the 3D animation powerhouse, doing so in May of the same year to the tune of 7.4 billion dollars. This entire hullabaloo was a result of behind-the-scenes disagreements between upper management at both companies over distribution plans, most famously for the film Toy Story 2 which was originally slated for direct-to-DVD release by Disney, which therefore according to the megalomaniacal mouse did not count towards a three-picture deal between themselves and Pixar even when the decision to go ahead with a full theatrical release was made. After further cat-fighting and bloody noses over issues like these and other creative control concerns, Mickey and company decided to throw a bunch of money at Pixar stockholders and go on with the newly-acquired studio under their umbrella, marching on in the hyphenated form of “Disney-Pixar.” Many Pixar purists probably still decry this merger and even casual fans may smell something a little stank in the air when considering the business venture but the new “Disney-Pixar” did manage to create one of the best 3D computer-animated films ever, which arrived last year with the introduction of a lonely little robot named Wall-E, so it can’t be all bad. Disney, however, does not seem to be content to simply sit back and let their 2006 acquisition pump out the hits for them.

Review: First of all, I saw this movie with mediocre expectations and ended up totally in love with it. We've seen attempts at a "dog movie" for a couple of years now(Air Buddies) and finally one got it absolutely right. Bolt is undoubtedly the Dog movie for this generation( ok .. ok .. This decade). Its been quite sometime since I have seen an absolute feel good animation movie since adorable Wall-E. I have to say Madagascar:Escape to Africa was kind of a letdown.

The movie starts out with the cutest animated puppies I've ever seen playing with a carrot puppet, chasing his tail and doing all kinds of normal doggie stuff. (Can it get any cuter than this?) A small girl, called Penny(Miley Cyrus) comes in and chooses him and says he is her good doggie and plays with him. Now we cut into an intense action scene, which lasted a bit too long in my opinion, but thoroughly enjoyable. It made me wonder about the possibility of such a film, which was instantly snubbed by my brain. But if a such a movie comes out I'll be sure to watch it.

The animation is really good and the level of realism just blew me away(I'm scared to use the word flawless lest some animation expert jump on me). The heartwarming story has a simple enough plot for the kids to understand, but doesn't seem too simple enough to insult the so-called developed adult brain. The movie taps into that part of our mind that wishes the dog sleeping at our foot were as loyal, brave, noble and unrelenting as we think him to be.

My Verdict: I'm not much of a dog person, but still I loved the film. The film got an engagingly dynamic cast and some incredible voice acting. The alley-cat Mittens and the hamster Rhino absolutely rocked the party. There were many points where I actually laughed out loud. I dare say the perfect family entertainment for the holiday season. The movie will be taken to heart by kids as well as adults and that is an achievement in itself. The wit of their lines was sharp and laugh inducing. Go see this movie. Even if you don’t have a kid to make it look like you have to.

I saw this movie yesterday, and quite unlike Bolt, with high expectations. The latest installment of Madagascar didn't impress me at all. One could safely say Disney won this round by a huge margin. This movie has nothing new to offer and tries to pass off tried and tired jokes as enjoyable ones.

Plot: The sequel to 2005's "Madagascar", in which New York Zoo animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, are still stranded on Madagascar. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane--sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all--the vast plains of Africa. They meet Alex's long lost family and the rest of the movie is about how they adjust to the new surrounding.

Review: The movie opens with a flashback of Alex in his toddler days being taken away from his parents.(Hmm wonder where I have heard that?). After the wacky scheme of flying to New York fails and they crash land in Africa, Alex is reunited with his family. His Dad is still the alpha male and the leader of the pack and Alex becomes the natural choice for succession. But before that he has to pass some kind of test top get accepted into the herd. Alex's Dad's long standing rival wants his throne and thus use Alex to get them both kicked out of the herd.(Now this definitely founds familiar). Soon a crisis strikes the herd and Alex,inevitably, rises to the occasion and save the day and thus made he and his father accepted into the herd reinstated as the leaders. If you haven't guessed it already, this all sounds strikingly similar to Disney's classic Lion King.

Marty finds himself multiplied by the hundreds and enjoys the running and tricks he shares with his fellow zebras. Melman becomes the witch doctor and begins to care for others, putting his own health worries to rest for the time being, as Gloria begins to search for a fellow hippo to become her mate. The group of zoo animals find themselves loving Africa, but each in their own way. They do find their friendships tested as time goes on.

My Verdict: The animation of the movie was a step up from the first movie, but a letdown in almost every other department. The trio isn't funny enough to make us adults laugh, the plot is "borrowed" and unoriginal and the dialogues and one liners are not hitting the mark. The only good parts come from the supporting characters like King Julien and the Penguins. Once again the Penguins steal the show with their quirky one-liners and Military manner. This is definitely one movie exclusively for the kids and rely solely on the success of the first installment of the movie to get a ground with adults. Take your kids to this movie. They might enjoy this, not you. Or even better take them to Bolt.



The two stars solely for the Penguins, The Chimps and King Julien.

Dance Flick - Releasing on 14 August 2009
The plot is simple- A satirical jab at musical/dance films focusing on a naive girl who uses dance to achieve her dreams, and the street smart guy who helps her along the way.

As if we don't have enough really bad spoofs already, Wayans Brothers are back with another spoof Dance Flick. And to think anyone will give money to the guys who brought us Little Man and White Chicks to make a movie in the spoof genre which is already cluttered with garbage. I just hope its not as bad as some of the spoof movies that has been releasing lately.



Dragonball Evolution- Releasing on 8 April 2009
Plot-"Dragonball Evolution" is adapted from the manga created by Akira Toriyama; the work was also turned into a Japanese anime series that played all over the world. It tells the story of an alien sent to destroy Earth, who has a change of heart and decides to join the humans in their fight against various aliens and bad guys

I don't expect anyone except the fans of the manga will look forward to watching this one, especially after seeing the trailers. The cgi effects looks pretty decent but thats not a movie is all about is it. Cheezy acting, horrible lines and even the martial arts doesn't look convincing in some of the scenes. Lets just hope the die hard fans won't be disappointed with the movie rendering of the manga.



Fired up - Releasing on 20 February 2009
Plot- Shawn Colfax (Nicholas D'Agosto) and Nick Brady (Eric Christian Olsen), the stars of the Gerald R. Ford High School football team, are dreading the prospect of another summer at football camp. After Nick hatches a scheme for the two to join their schools cheerleaders at cheer camp instead, they find themselves awash in a sea of gorgeous young women. It all goes great until Shawn falls for Carly (Sarah Roemer), the beautiful head cheerleader who sees right through them.

Of the three movies listed here, this one is by far the most decent looking and have a high probability of turning out to be a "one time throw away" type of enjoyment. The plot looks interesting, some of the jokes got me chuckling, and the acting doesn't seem to be so bad. But at the same time looking at the debut writer and director this premise, that is in no way original, can well be rendered into a mess that many like to call comedy these days. We'll have to wait and see.

I'll come clean right from the start. I saw this movie expecting an all out comedy that gives no respect to story but just fun. I had no idea who were behind this movie, just saw Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly and with their reputation I expected another "Employee of the Month". I was in for a surprise, which I came to know only after finishing the movie, that the movie was written and directed by Steve Conrad(yeah that's right Pursuit of Happyness).

Plot
At 33, Doug Stauber is ready for a promotion. He's married, wants to buy a house, and is assistant manager at a Chicago supermarket that's building a new store in his neighborhood. His boss tells him he's a shoe in to manage the new store, then, a rival appears - Richard Wehlner, transferred from Canada. Richard has a deeper resume than Doug, is really nice, has a wife and daughter, and wants the promotion to manager, too. How should Doug behave toward Richard - as a friend, a colleague, a competitor, or an enemy? Richard, it seems, has demons and a past, but with the help of motivational tapes, he's resolved to succeed. Corporate and personal tests await the two men

Review
Do not watch this movie expecting another "Pursuit of Happyness" but instead go in with no expectations whatsoever and you may well like this movie, as I did. This movie had all the ingredients to make a silly one-upmanship no better than Employee of the Month, but writer/director chooses a totally alternate and much more lovable path. Its a fresh change to see a movie that satires something but still keep in touch with the reality of the world.

In the movie both the characters have their own problems and situations to compete for the new job. Doug(Sean William Scott) with his dream of moving out of their cramped apartment with paper-thin walls and into a new house and Richard(John C. Reilly) a recovering drug addict who has moved from Canada with his wife and daughter to make a living. Both of them are nice guys who are forced into a game of one-upmanship for the sole spot as the full manager at the new store. The writer shows both the character treading on the grey area but still we find ourselves rooting for Doug, who is a painfully nice guy who really needs the promotion.

Sean William Scott, the guy who made Stifler famous, is a totally different character altogether. Ever since American Pie, I've loved this guy though he didn't get many good roles after American Pie(Evolution is one of his better roles). But this is a role in which he could show off his subtle comedic talents and he is great. I can almost say this is his career best outing yet. Scott reins his goofy grin into something slightly rigid and almost panicked. John C. Reilly, whom I absolutely hated after watching Step Brothers, regained some points in my book with a complicated role which he played with subtlety. We feel sorry for both the characters and forgive their antics with a warm hearted nod of the head. Some of the most funny bits come from Jenna Fischer, Doug's incredibly sweet and supportive wife in the movie, with her one line remarks about their neighbor's "banjo" playing

Steve Conrad is definitely a better writer than a Director. The movie's writing and acting was pretty good but the direction was pretty ordinary. There is not one scene that impressed me visually. He stumbles a bit but still doesn't drop the ball delivering a fine ending. If someone other than him directed the movie this would have been a much more enjoyable experience than it is now.

My Verdict- It's been a long time since I've seen a comedy that balances broad farce and actual humanity with such wit, warmth, and weirdness. It's not as raunchy as the (awesome) stuff from the Apatow crew, and it's not as endearingly artsy as Wes Anderson's (also awesome) films, but The Promotion is a supremely satisfying little mixture of festival-flick "smallness" and big-budget "funny". When it comes to comedies about corporate gamesmanship and career assassination, The Promotion doesn't blaze any trails. What makes this film worthwhile is its willingness to display the protagonists as decent human beings despite their dog-eat-dog circumstances. There are enough laughs to justify it being labeled as a comedy but a stronger storyline than one normally associates with this kind of film. It's an enjoyable diversion amidst the big guns of summer.



DVDs are available to buy at Amazon. Get it now

Day 2
The second day at the festival was a slow one too with me ending up seeing only one documentary that day- Bob Marley: Exodus 77 .

In this documentary, we witness the tumultuous events of 1977 through Bob Marley's songs and archival footage. It explores why Bob Marley and his music have become synonymous with struggle for freedom and resistance to oppression across the globe. The heart was in the right place for the documentary, but the execution was plain right boring and at times incoherent. A series of disjointed visuals are shown with the backdrop of Bob Marley's songs. At times I almost wished the Exodus Album was a bit smaller. After watching this one I didn't have the heart to go for any other movies that day and returned home.

Day 3
With 3 movies, Music Box, Caramel and Listening to silence, Day 3 was pretty satisfactory.

Caramel(Sukkar Banat)(2007) - Caramel is a Lebanese movie directed by Nadine Labaki, who also stars as a lead role, about the lives of five women in Beirut who meet up at a beauty salon where they discuss subjects like sex, man and motherhood. It is a plce to openly discuss their thoughts and confess private sins and pleasures: Layale is in love with a married man. Nisrine is a Muslim and getting married- but she isn't a virgin. Rima finds herself attracted to women. Jamale is not allowing herself to grow old. Rose is looking after her sister instead of herself.

Nadine Labaki, the director, shows us a city with normal people or more appropriately, normal women whose day-to-day existence makes us smile, laugh, cry, sigh or weep. And therein lies the greatness of the film. Nadine has carefully scripted a tale where she succeeds in keeping the viewer hooked from the first shot.

The beauty parlour is a middle-class location where lighting has been used skillfully and the subtle changes in lighting convey moods effectively. Close-ups of hair being snipped and the routine chore of waxing convey the beautician’s mood. Dialogues are minimal, a shrug of the shoulders, discarding a tissue, the sniping of hair every gesture every close-up manages to convey a whole gamut of emotions. No preachiness, no moralising, just a group of women, each one who’s struggling to come to terms with her life.Only two or three men figure in the whole film, Layale’s married boyfriend, Nisrine’s fiancé and Rose’s elderly suitor. They appear briefly on screen and disappear. There is no place for men in this film. It’s a women’s perspective shown by a woman and again revolves around women.

Labaki steals the show in every scene she is in with that natural charm she has and her stricking good looks. The senile and eccentric sister of Rose is, perhaps, the character which provided the most laughs in the movie. Rose breaks our heart with a performance juggling her only chance at love(so late in her life) and finally throwing it away to look after her crazy sister.

My Verdict - To fully understand the undertones of the movie one must know something about the culture in Lebanon, the oppression women there are facing. If you see the movie with a western backdrop this is just another chick-flick(though a pretty good one at that). The struggle of the five women to go through their lives are rendered as a bittersweet ordeal by making us laugh and cry at the same time. The movie takes us through a journey of self discovery and liberation of the five women in their own unique ways. The Lesbianism, extra marital affair, sex before marriage, all of it are against the customs in Lebanon and yet we find them in the movie which rebels against established customs. The movie ends with the love interest of Rima cuts her hair short symbolizing the liberation women in Lebanon are craving. The movie rightly deserves its 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The year is coming to an end and its time for the top ten lists which are bound to pop up in almost every niche. On the risk of being left out, I decided to join the party with a top ten list with a difference(or so I think). This year a lot of really good as well as bad movies released. Some movies with apparently unknown cast and crew turned out to be great and at the same time some movies with a promising crew turned out to be disasters. Here is a list of those movies.

Top 10 Bad Movies with Great Star Power(that I have had the misfortune to see.)

10. What Happens in Vegas (IMDB)
At the number 10 spot its the Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher starrer "What Happened in Las Vegas". A full length sitcom which begs us to take it seriously as a film. Two outrageously stupid and selfish characters whom you can't get to like no matter how hard you try. It does have its moments here and there but no definitely worth a watch in the theaters.Its not a horrible movie but better rent it in a DVD and watch it when you have nothing else to do.

9. 10,000 B.C.(IMDB)
Snatching the number 9 spot is the epic(or supposed to be epic) movie set in 10,000 B.C with woolly mammoths, saber toothed tigers, cavemen, and what nots. The director of Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow had a lot to live upto and fell flat on his face trying to do so. The plot and screenplay was too silly for a movie of that scale. The visual effects and costumes, one of the plus points of the movie, along with some moments here and there saved the movie from a fatal drop to the forgetful chasm of Hollywood crap.

8. The Happening(IMDB)
The number 8 slot is adorned by M. Night Shyamalan's latest "scary thriller" ,The Happening. A strange, horrible and unprecedented crisis begins in Central Park. A high school science teacher, his wife and a young girl do what they can to survive it and so do we. The tagline for the movie says "We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs. Now... It's Happening". That is absolutely spot on about Shyamalan's film-making abilities. We sensed it with "Village", We've seen the signs in "Lady in the Water". And now its Happening. How ironic ?

7. Rambo(IMDB)
Rambo snatched the no. 7 spot with Sylvester Stallone returning as Rambo to bring out the worst movie(to date?) in the series. I am not a big fan of Rambo movies except for First Blood which I loved. After First Blood it became just another American Hero blowing up foreign "terrorists" by hundreds. Rambo only needs a patch of ground where evil men terrorise women, children and hard-working peasants, before his damaged hero blows them away by the truckload. But the new Rambo sunk to even lower levels by making the movie into something that is nothing more than a mindless shoot-fest. Forget the story, forget the character, forget emotions, hell,even forget excitement. This movie got nothing except a couple of moments(one of which is a flashback to First Blood) which gave it a place ahead of Mummy 3. Little more than a cartoon, Rambo caters only for those still smitten by the rat-a-tat of continuous gunfire

6. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor(IMDB)
The latest installment of the Mummy franchise settled for the number 6 spot after fighting with Babylon A.D fiercely. In the Far East, trouble-seeking father-and-son duo Rick and Alex O'Connell unearth the mummy of the first Emperor of Qin - a shape-shifting entity who was cursed by a wizard centuries ago. How many times have we seen that before? Isn't is time fictional character Rick O'Connel learned not to mess around with Mummies? Isn't it time for Brendan Fraser to say no to such movies? Rachel Weiz said no and good for her. The third Mummy entry is a headache-inducing mess that piles on unimpressive special effects to stretch a slight and often incomprehensible storyline. The only good thing in the movie is the performance by Jet-Li who absolutely sizzles the screen playing sinister emperor and saving the movie from a no. 5 spot in my list.

5. Babylon A.D.(IMDB)
The latest sci-fi action thriller from Vin Diesel, Babylon A.D, well deservedly gets the no. 5 spot. Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to America. Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah. I can name a couple of movies that this movie borrows from right off the top of my head- Children of Men, Minority Report. There may be many more. The plot makes absolutely no sense rendering a nihilistic nonsense with no particular plus points. The ending is more incomprehensible than the "meaning of life". I strongly suspect the editing team screwed up and accidentally deleted the last part of the movie. Vin Diesel should really choose better projects if he wants to stay in Hollywood.

4. Righteous Kill(IMDB)
Righteous Kill bags the no. 4 spot with some really uninspiring screenplay, direction, acting, and anything that's left in making a film. Russel Gewirtz, the writer, should be ashamed of himself for bringing out such a work, especially after he has written a brilliant Inside Man. I have just one question for two of the greatest actors of all time- Why oh why did you take this project? Didn't you at least leaf through the screenplay before signing up? The movie tries to inflate itself on the iconic star power of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro but falls flat on its face.

3. You Don't Mess With the Zohan(IMDB)
Adam Sandler with his latest juvenile comedy "You Don't mess with Zohan" bags the no. 3 spot. I've never really liked him nor hated him. This movie has given me a really strong motivation to hate him.A comment at Rotten Tomatoes says it all-"The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine isn’t exactly the obvious choice of topic for a comedy – which is perhaps why this film is about as funny as a suicide bombing". I saw Judd Apatow's name was on the writers list and I was like- What is a guy who has written 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Pineapple Express doing in this film?You don't mess with Zohan, You don't even mess with the film. Just leave it alone.

2. The Love Guru(IMDB)
Mike Myers, the voice behind Shrek, the irresistibly funny Austin Powers, brings out Love Guru which quite easily grabbed the no. 2 spot. Mr. Myers, a writer and producer as well as the star, seems to have lost his touch, his jokes not funny anymore some bordering on obnoxious. It did get a couple of laughs at the first but soon it became a pain that I endured only cause I was with a friend and we were making fun of the movie. There is a part where Pitka(Myers) and his arch rival is shown to be in a fight with urine soaked mops, and that too as part of some Indian spiritual teaching lesson. If you find that funny, be my guest. I found the movie as a whole un-funny, and even offensive to my Indian psyche.

and finally... the movie that topped the list
1. Step Brothers(IMDB)
At the no. 1 spot we find "Step Brothers" lying on the gross and repulsive shoulders of Will Ferrel and John C. Reilly with all its disgusting glory. One cannot consider Will Ferrel to be star power, but the hype it got and the popularity surely counts for something. I can't understand what made critics give this piece of (for lack of a better word) crap a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. Who really wants to see the unbearably repulsive antics of two 40 year old adolescents who are given a leash-free romp in the movie? This is not anything remotely like 40 year old Virgin, which was a movie I enjoyed. I cannot find even one reason why anyone would enjoy the film, but still many do. If you can somehow overlook the disgusting antics of the lead characters, then comes an unimaginative plot that is so predictable that you will slap yourselves for even thinking something different can be expected.

If you have any more movies that should have been introduced in the list feel free to post a comment about it.

After the immensely funny "Clerks" and an equally enjoyable follow up "Clerks 2" Kevin Smith comes back with a new movie "Zack and Miri make a Porno" starring foul mouthed Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. Its no surprise that the movie is about two friends, Zack and Miri, who decides to make a porno to pay their bills and keep a roof over their head.

The plot is pretty simple. Zack, who is played by Seth Rogen, is a decent enough guy with minimal ambitions for his Life(its what Seth Rogen does best). Miri is his friend since 1st grade and his roommate. They got months of bills to be payed which is made clear by the huge heap of envelopes in a box labeled "Unpaid Bills" and an empty box labeled "Paid Bills". Eventually their debt catches up with them resulting in the disconnection of their water supply and electricity. When it becomes clear that to keep a roof above their head they need to make some money and fast, Zack suggests making a porno movie. What follows is what happens to the strictly platonic (or what they thought was platonic) relationship between Zack and Miri illustrated through a series of wildly comical and offensive antics by Zack, Miri and the crew they chose for shooting the porno.

One of the first film I saw of Kevin Smith, was Chasing Amy and I loved the movie with its mix of sweet romance and crude humor. At that time I have not even heard the name,Kevin Smith. He came to my attention with the film "Clerks" which I absolutely loved. I laughed so much that tears came to my eyes watching that. Smith didn't disappoint me with Clerks 2 either. And with this latest venture "Zack and Miri make a Porno" he has proved himself again. A great mix of soft hearted RomCom and offensive humor which actually makes you laugh. Smith loves to shock his audience using the four letter word and other obscenities. Roger Ebert put it rightly when he said

"This is sort of endearing. It gives his potty-mouth routines a certain freshness; we've heard these words over and over again, but never so many of them so closely jammed together. If you bleeped this movie for broadcast TV, it would sound like a conga line of Iron Men going through a metal detector"

Seth Rogen, whom I have begun to like with a series of great films, is in his own turf in this movie. He plays Zack the way only Seth Rogen can. When I first saw him in "40-year Old Virgin" I was actually offended by most of the things he said. Then I saw "Knocked Up" and began to tolerate his obscenities.With Super Bad I started to like the guy and by the time I finished seeing Pineapple Exress the guy has grown on me so much that I actually loved him and his brand of obscene humor. In "Zack and Miri make a Porno" he is classic Seth Rogen and I love it.

Elizabeth Banks(I just love to just look at her) also was excellent in the movie. She matched Seth Rogen in the "bleep language" and yet kept her charm intact. The chemistry between them is absolutely brilliant. It was so evident in the scene where they were supposed to do "it" in front of the camera for the porno and ended up making passionate love. Zack's friend and the producer of the porno, Delaney, also deserves a mention.

(Children and those who are easily offended skip this paragraph, or rather the whole movie)
Smith is an absolutely hilarious writer.Zack and Miri tries to come up with a name for their amateur porn and with hilarious results with names like Fuckback Mountain, Dawn of the Dick, and many others I can not even write here. For me the most funny one was Delaney's suggestion to sequels of "Star Whores", "The Revenge of the Shit - the full anal final chapter". In Smith's hands amateur porn is not sexy, but hilarious. With a lot of nudity(even male nudity which is the latest trend it seems) and foul language, the movie is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can overlook the obvious obscenities, you got a great movie underneath that.

My Verdict- "Zack and Miri makes a Porno" got many things straight right from the hilariously funny poster to a very satisfying movie but still lacked when it came to an ending. Smith is an absolutely hilarious writer and it can be seen all throughout the movie except for the last ten minutes or so. He succeeds in getting genuine laughs from most of his writing even though they are offensive. But I thought he was at a loss on how to end the movie after Zack storming out of the porno shoot. The ending seemed forced, somehow unsatisfying, or cliched. But the movie is very worth watching if you can forgive the director for the last few minutes. A great mix of soft hearted RomCom and offensive humor which actually makes you laugh.Smith is an absolutely hilarious writer.With a lot of nudity(even male nudity which is the latest trend it seems) and foul language, the movie is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can overlook the obvious obscenities, you got a great movie underneath that.



The hilariously funny movie poster is available to buy at Amazon


And the soundtrack top the movie is available at Amazon for those of who want it (I have not heard the soundtrack though a couple of tracks are good)

As a major fan of the Shrek series, I had to get a look at the Christmas TV special by Shrek- Shrek The Halls. Those who don't know who Shrek is, stop reading now.

Anyways, the whole fun cast of Shrek is back for a half-hour TV special with all the voice actors reprising their much loved roles. The whole plot is about Shrek learning the real meaning of Christmas. After Donkey's persistent bugging and Princess' inclination to celebrating Christmas Shrek decides to have the perfect christmas but he has no clue how to do it. He buys a book on how to do christmas perfectly and everything is going well, until donkey and gang decide to intrude . The Shrek house becomes Christmas Central on Christmas Eve with Donkey, Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) and the rest of the cast of characters, including the German Three Little Pigs and the Gingerbread Man, showing up uninvited to dance, sing and wreck the joint.

Even though the target audience is mainly children, there area a lot of things adults can enjoy making this a perfect family entertainer. The highlight of the whole ordeal is the part when everybody explains their own version of Christmas. The best one was by Puss, who explains Santa as a "suave latin cat" who engraves "S" on walls. Puss, as always, is simply adorable and funny. He is my favorite of the cast of Shrek. The makers also made it a point to refrain from becoming the whole thing too warm and gooey. They do this efficiently by Gingerbread Man's narrative of a christmas when his Gingerbread Woman was eaten by Santa. I loved that perspective of Christmas.

My Verdict - Shrek the Halls is simple, fun if not exactly memorable. The CGI work is top notch. It provides some really enjoyable moments with Shrek, Donkey(annoying as ever) and Puss making it impossible for the audience to not like the venture. With elements which propagate the message of Christmas, the TV special will be definitely be a hit among children, and adults making it a perfect family entertainer. I think Puss steals his show with his adorable cute and stylish "Cat Santa". Look out for Puss in Boots.



Do you have a kid at home who loves Shrek?. Are you wondering what to watch on Christmas eve with your family?. Think no further. Shrek the Halls is the answer.
Buy the DVD over at Amazon

Burn After Reading is the follow up to the Oscar winning "No Country for Old Men" by the Oscar winning writer-directors ,Coen Brothers, starring Oscar winners-George Clooney, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton and Oscar nominated actors- Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. With so many Oscar talents lying around one would expect another Oscar winner in the making, instead we get a darkly humorous crime thriller(if we can call it that) that doesn't take itself seriously.

The movie begins with a satellite image of the USA and zooms in to Washington D.C and to CIA Headquarters, Langley. We are presented with an ever scowling John Malkovich who is laid off from his job as a CIA analyst. Tilda Swinton plays his wife, who is oozing cold contempt enough to start a new Ice Age. Soon George Clooney, a guy who works in a treasury, appears as a friend to Tilda and her secret lover. Francis McDormand plays a woman who is in her middle age and still single, thus depressed. We are introduced to her Fat ass, tummy and other parts as a cosmetic surgeon examines her for a full body rejuvenation. Soon the bouncy, lovable Brad Pitt appears as a fitness trainer and best buddy of McDormand.

The real story starts when a worker at the Gym discovers a CD which contains (as Brad Pitt describes) "Secret shit". What follows is a story in which the plots intertwine dizzily in a goofy but enjoyable way. The writer-directors, Coen Brothers, gleefully kills off half of their star studded cast by the time the movie ends. Does the dark humor work?.. Does the Coen Brothers pull off yet another masterpiece?. The answer would be debatable. For me it was nothing close to a masterpiece. The dark humor did work for me at times and i can't sy i was bored all through the 95 minutes.

The movie is, at best, average. We don't feel any sympathy to any of the characters except for Brad Pitt and Richard Jenkins(who plays the owner of the Gym, and loves McDormand which is clear to everybody but her).George Clooney also evokes an inkling of a sympathy when he discovers some truths about his wife. But dark comedy is laced all through those scenes and we wont have much time to sympathize with anyone. The movie doesn't harm the Coen Brothers' position as the darlings of both Hollywood A-List and the Festival Circuit. The movie doesn't improve that too. This can be considered as a movie in which all the Oscar actor had fun, goofed around, and died merrily. The audience can also have some fun, but nothing worth remembering.

My Verdict- With so many Oscar talents lying around one would expect another Oscar winner in the making, instead we get a darkly humorous crime thriller(if we can call it that) that doesn't take itself seriously. The movie is, at best, average. The movie doesn't harm the Coen Brothers' position as the darlings of both Hollywood A-List and the Festival Circuit. The movie doesn't improve that too. The audience can also have some fun, but nothing worth remembering.

My Rating- 2.5/5

Download it here if you want.

Before you start, i am about three months late in knowing this, but still its Harry Potter. I'm a big fan of both the book and movie franchise. Since the book got over been trying to fill its void, but to no use. I just came across this trailer and couldn't resist a post.


Half-Blood Prince in one of my favorites in the book series( Goblet of fire and Deathly Hallows being the other two). I think it would be great a great movie. Its a lot, lot darker than the previous books, and there is scope for some spectacular visual effects in the story too(as you can see in the Trailer). The video states that HBP will be released on 21st November 2008 but the date has been pushed back to 17th July 2009. Be at a theatre then. I know I'll be.

Simon Pegg in his latest outing-"How to Lose Friends and Alienate People"- hits the mark again. I don't know how many of you have seen "Shaun of the Dead" or "Hot Fuzz", both outrageously funny. Shaun of the Dead is a spoof of the famous George A. Romero's Zombie movies. Those of you who dont know what a Zombie is stop reading now and skip to the next paragraph :D. Simon Pegg's first introduction to me was Shaun of the Dead. I loved that movie and been looking forward to his next film since then. Then came "Hot Fuzz"- a story of a top London Cop transferred to Country side because of professional jealousy and teamed up with a witless new partner. Hot Fuzz was kind of a serious comedy, not a spoof-different, not as funny as Shaun of the Dead, but still very likeable. So i was in high hopes when i heard about his new movie "How to Lose People and Alienate People".


Based on the memoir of the journalist Toby Young, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is the hilarious account of the fall and rise of Sidney Young (Simon Pegg), a hapless English hack on the make in New York’s media jungle. Sidney Young is a disillusioned intellectual who both adores and despises the world of celebrity, fame and glamour. His alternative magazine, Post Modern Review, pokes fun at the media obsessed stars and bucks trends, and so when Young is offered a job at the diametrically opposed conservative New York based Sharps magazine all hell breaks loose. Sidney Young was a nobody in Britain. He is in love with the magical place where celebrities live. As he puts it: “When I was a kid, I used to think there was a special place where all the movie stars lived, a kind of Shangri-la. And if you could just get inside there, you’d be happy for ever.” In one of his numerous attempts to get close to that "magical world" he tries to get into BAFTA awards with a pig, who as he says is Babe. Eventually he ends up inan after award party hosted by Sharps Magazine and he ruins the party. Sharps editor Clayton Harding notices him and offers him a job in Sharps Magazine and he finally gets to that "Shangri-La". The adventures and romantic excursions and revelations of Sidney Young is portrayed all through the film.

If you haven't read the book then you'll love this movie. It is quite a deviation from the book. So die-hard fans of the books may find it hard to digest. Simon Pegg's sense of humour can be seen throughout the film. Unlike what the trailers project this movie is not a comedy with no narrative or storyline. As the story goes on you get engrossed in the narrative and the rise and fall of Sidney Young. The story line gets a little fuzzy towards the end but still it is a very enjoyable movie.This is an intelligent, deftly scripted, well directed and acted film which tickles your funny bones. If this is not enough reason for you, see it just to see Megan Fox(if you know what i mean):D.
The movie, unlike what the title says, is not about loosing friends and alienating people. It is about loosing principles and getting alienated from your better self and the problems they may cause.

My Rating : 3.5/5

Here is another Design perfect to wear on T-shirts. The combination of yellow on black is eye catching. I drew the smiley completely in photoshop. Imagine walking around with a T-shirt with a cute 3-d smiley with an OMG expression. Thats definitely going to get attention. Attitude just oozes out of this T-shirt.