The Croods Movie Review

The Croods Movie Review

Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Rajeev Masand  Site:CNN IBN (IBNLive)

Set in prehistoric times, The Croods is what you might describe as “Ice Age with Humans”. The film’s message – that being adaptable is the key to one’s survival – is conveyed through the story of a close-knit family of cave dwellers. Yet it helps that the film’s pacing is brisk, the candy-colored animation first-rate, and most set-pieces exhilarating…particularly a terrific early sequence in which the family makes a furious and coordinated chase for breakfast, dodging the predators that loom over their heads. Simplistic, yet funny in generous doses and even occasionally moving, The Croods has enough to entertain young audiences. I’m going with three out of five and a recommendation to take the kids.

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Bryan Durham  Site:Times of India (TOI)

The film grabs you as early as the action-packed opening hunt sequence with a quick character introduction along with a gander at other prehistoric creatures that could only have come out of someone's imagination. A fresh, fun and mostly footloose feature, you wish there was more to the story than just a race 'into the light'. The premise's inherent simplicity is just as easily its only undoing. Note: You will not like this movie if you don't like animation films with simple stories.

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Anupama Chopra  Site:Star World ( Hindustan Times )

There’s nothing here that you haven’t seen before but writer-directors Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders create a sweet, sunny movie that you can enjoy with the kids. There are some very funny moments as the cave family discovers things for the first time – my favorite is Eep, screaming loudly, when she wears her first pair of shoes. I love them, she says. Along with the colorful 3D visuals, we also get several life lessons – on the importance of change, the importance of ideas and most of all, the importance of family. I think all families have a bit of the Croods in them. Really what’s not to like here? I’m going with three stars.

Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Sukanya Verma  Site:Rediff

Though The Croods doesn’t have the visual delicacy or detailing of the aforementioned films, it does sufficiently well in shifting from grim landscapes to vibrant colours while putting up a constant spectacle of imaginative fauna and creative creature mash-ups, akin to a low-budget Avatar. Whether it’s a prehistoric time or modern, the parent-child equation hardly alters. At least that’s what DreamWorks’ latest animation in 3D would like you to believe. Zany, zippy, meaningful and sweet, there is never a single dull moment in The Croods.

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The Host Movie Review

The Host Movie Review

Ratings:1/5  Review By:  Rajeev Masand  Site:CNN IBN (IBNLive) 

Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight books, recycles the same love triangle formula, only replacing vampires and werewolves with a sci-fi spin. To be fair, it isn't just Meyer's asinine story, but also director Andrew Niccol's sterile execution of the plot that makes 'The Host' such a challenge to sit through. I'm going with one out of five for 'The Host'. At best it's unintentionally hilarious. How do you not crack up when two voices in one head argue with each other over kissing a boy?

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Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Renuka Vyavahare  Site:Times of India (TOI)

From folkloric romance to science-fiction fantasy, Stephenie Meyer sticks to her typical imagination to give us 'The Host', which is a soppier, mushier, disengaging version of the 'Twilight saga'. If Twilight was made for teens, The Host may appeal to the sensibilities of the tweens. Wonder why it's 'A' rated! The dialogues are annoyingly mushy and romance terribly random. The film lacks proper structure, making it look like a never-ending episode of a television series! There is no humour in the film either, unlike Twilight. Though one can draw parallels between The Host and Twilight, the 'kind' aliens lack the charisma of the good-looking vampires!

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Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Anupama Chopra  Site:Star World ( Hindustan Times ) 

But The Host makes Twilight seem like The Godfather. This film is staggeringly boring and laughably foolish. Saoirse Ronan is an actress with talent, beauty and a steely intelligence. She strives to imbue this inane plot with emotion but it’s just too tough. When I wasn’t bored, I was laughing. Even die-hard Meyer fans will find The Host tough to sit through. I’m going with one and a half stars. I say bring the vampires and werewolves back!

Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Kanika Rajani  Site:Bookmyshow

As if the film’s theme and trailer are not enough to make you want to roll your eyes and giggle, `The Host’ begins on a creepy note with close-up shots of blue-eyed humans who have been taken over by an `external species`. Barely minutes into the film and you can’t help wondering if Stephenie Meyer herself was occupied by a ‘host ‘ while writing this novel. To add salt to injury, you’re anyway saturated by the umpteen films being made about the end of the world and the human race nearing extinction, but this film has a larger problem and that is its highly ambiguous genre. There are times you feel like you’re watching a teenybopper romance and others when you feel like you’re watching a fantasy flick. One thing is certain, the film will primarily appeal to teenagers and Stephenie Meyer fans or perhaps fans of the fantasy genre. However, there’s no guarantee that if you’ve liked the Twilight series, you’ll like `The Host`. Yes, that’s precisely how disastrous the film is.

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Actor Sanjay Dutt seeks more time from Supreme Court to surrender

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt has appealed to the Supreme Court asking for more time before serving the remainder of his prison term in a case linked to the 1993 Mumbai bombings, the actor's lawyer said on Monday.

Dutt, 53, has been on bail since 2007 when he appealed against an original sentence of six years for the illegal possession of weapons in a case linked to the attacks that killed 257 people.

In March, the Supreme Court rejected the actor's final appeal against his conviction but reduced his sentence to five years and ordered him to return to custody within four weeks. The actor was to surrender before April 18.

Dutt's lawyer Harish Salve told Reuters on Monday that he had filed the actor's plea but said he could not comment as the case was sub judice. The court is expected to respond on Tuesday.

Dutt had already spent 18 months in prison before being released on bail so he is expected to serve another 3-1/2 years.

The actor was the most high profile of 100 people involved in the Mumbai bombings trial. In 2007, he was cleared of conspiracy charges in the attacks but found guilty of illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle and a pistol which he claimed were to protect him and his family during a period of rioting in Mumbai.

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When Kangna Ranaut refused to pose with dacoits of Chambal…

The Fashion babe, who is shooting her forthcoming release Revolver Rani in Chambal Valley, had a narrow escape as dacoits stopped her car midway and insisted on clicking pictures with her

Kangna Ranaut is a courageous soul. The 26-year-old beauty recently showed that she is made of steel and doesn’t kowtow…even if the demands are made by deadly dacoits all equipped with knives and guns. It so happened that Kangy was shooting in the Chambal Valley for her next film, Revolver Rani.

She was returning to Gwalior with the movie’s director, Sai Kabir and the crew in a convoy of about four-five cars and a police van. Suddenly they were stopped by about 12 armed dacoits, who insisted on clicking pictures with Kangna, refusing to let her car pass. However, in the end, the film’s director Kabir, who had lived in the dangerous area for over 15 years, succeeded in reasoning it out with them.

We also hear that in spite of a heated argument, the babe didn’t meet them or take pictures. Luckily the crew had a police van for security who were equipped with machine guns.

But we wonder why Kangy turned down such a humble request. Had she clicked a picture or two, there wouldn’t have been any scope for altercation in the first place. Our khufiya khabroo who witnessed this encounter told us that Kangy was sitting in her car sans make-up. She could not step out of her comfy vehicle because her no-make-up-avatar would have scared the dacoits to death and they would have started shooting randomly out of self-defense.

Goodness gracious Kangy used her grey matter and stood hidden (face covered) in her car!

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Why is Farah Khan comparing herself to Pran?

The filmmaker felt that a recent parlor disaster left her looking bizarre and almost like one of Bollywood’s most iconic characters

Of late, especially after Farah Khan made her acting debut with Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, she has been very particular about her looks. From weight loss to designer threads, the filmmaker is leaving no stone unturned in becoming a diva! But recently, a small accident at the hands of an overenthusiastic hair stylist had Farah sit back and take stock of her brief journey in fashion!

On Sunday, Farah went to a local salon to get her hair done all prim and proper. Soon after her hair treatment, the filmmaker tweeted, “New colorist at my parlor got over enthu! Am now looking like a cross between salma agha n sonika gill of ram lakhan!” The filmmaker, who apparently was undecided as to what the new lighter hair colour made her look like, later made up her mind as she tweeted, “Just saw my hair color in daylight!! Definitely Pran frm zanjeer. Now get that pathan suit and sing yaari hai…just easier 2 go n darken it 2mrrow na!”

No sooner did Farah post the tweet that good friend Karan Johar almost begged her to show him her current avatar, “Can u send me a pic please…will make my decade!!” replied Karan on Twitter. But seems like Farah didn’t listen to her best friend and went ahead with the sane decision of colouring her hair again, and this time a darker shade so as to eliminate any comparisons to Pran’s iconic character!

Well, that was quite hilarious. And we love the fact that the choreographer was sport enough to share her fashion disaster with the entire world!

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Pran honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Veteran Bollywood actor Pran will be bestowed with the highest honour in India cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for the year 2013.

Pran, who was a popular villain in the films of the 1960s and 1970s had starred in countless Hindi films in his glorious career. 

Awarded annually by the Indian government, the award consists of the Swara Kamal medal, a shawl and a cash prize. 

Reacting to the news, the 93-year-old actor's son Sunil Sikand told a national news channel: "It is an amazing moment." 

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar congratulated Pran for the achievement and wrote on micro-blogging site: "Congratulations Pran saab for the Dadasaheb Phalke award. This is much deserved!!!!" 

Pran Krishan Sikand, who won multiple Filmfare and BFJA awards, is often referred as the 'Villain of the Millennium'. 

Born on Feb 12, 1920, Pran played the leading man in films like KHANDAAN (1942), PILPILI SAHEB (1954), HALAKU (1956), AURAT (1967 film), DHARMA (1973), JANGAL MEIN MANGAL (1972), GADDAR (1973) and EK KUNWARI EK KUNWARA (1973). 


His pivotal roles in the films such as BARI BEHEN (1949), BAHAR (1951), AZAAD (1955), JIS DESH MEN GANGA BEHTI HAI (1960), AURAT (1967), JOHNY MERA NAAM (1970), VICTORIA NO. 203,ZANJEER (1973), DON (1978), MAAN GAYE USTAAD (1981) and DUNIYA (1984) are considered to be among his best performances. 

In 2010, he was named on the list of CNN's Top 25 Asian actors of all time. 

He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 1967, 1969 and 1972 and was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 1997. 

In 2001, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the government of India for his contribution to Indian cinema. 

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Nautanki Saala! Review

Nautanki Saala Movie Review

Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Taran Adarsh  Site:Bollywood Hungama 

An official remake of the French film APRES VOUS [2003], NAUTANKI SAALA! is *not* another slapstick comedy that uses every trick in the book to make you laugh. On the contrary, the humor here is tailored for spectators who love new-age cinema. Rohan steps into a new terrain with NAUTANKI SAALA!, but the plot as well as the situations are so unfussy and uncomplicated and the characters so convincing [and timid too!] that you start taking to the goings-on without much struggle. On the whole, NAUTANKI SAALA! is uncontaminated, witty and amusing, offers an interesting premise with plenty of good laughs. A lightweight fare that caters to cineastes with an appetite for contemporary cinema, this movie ought to be on your 'to watch' list for sure!

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Madhureeta Mukherjee  Site:Times Of India (TOI)

The story is refreshing; the theater-like treatment (sets, props, costumes) is dramatically different. The background score blends smoothly and the quirky humour comes alive in the irony of situations and performances (unlike the monotony of hammy slapstick). The second half slows down with predictable acts, and Ram's godliness is too unreal, yet making you guffaw like Raavan on steroids.This is no Shakespearean act, but there's enough drama, demons and devtaas to rival our desi phantoms of the operas.

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Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Sukanya Verma  Site:Rediff

Nautanki Saala never really takes off as a full-bodied story. The basic problem here, despite the potential, is the script progresses too slowly.True, there are moments of genuine laughter but this fleeting gratification demands extensive wait and endurance. Sippy punctuates his scenes with too many pauses resulting in a dawdling pace and delayed conflicts, which makes its 130 minutes running time lengthier than it should.Rohan Sippy’s creation shows so much promise and has several moments (even if most of them are featured in its trailer). But the plot seems better-suited for a sitcom episode. As a film the nautanki stretches for too long, saala.

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Ratings:3/5  Review By:  Saibal Chaterjee  Site:NDTV

here is a Mumbai film that is nothing if not different. Nautanki Saala! is character and dialogue-driven rather than action-oriented. The humour flows from the core of the situations and the verbal exchanges. It does not have to fall back on meaningless gags for effect. Even when the pace tends to be sluggish, which is quite often, and the drama appears to flag a bit, the film is never less than interesting in its own genteel way. The film deserves full marks for intention, if not for execution. But give me Nautanki Saala! any day after the merciless assault of Himmatwala and Chashme Baddoor!.

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Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Shubhra Gupta Site:Indian Express

the best part about this absurdist lad com by Rohan Sippy, that he is trying something different, and within that, some of it feels fresh and fizzy. But this film is weighed down by its pace and the length. It starts slow and stays slow for much too long. Also, the tonal switches from the absurd to the real make it inconsistent. Sippy has a feel for staging scenes, and some are laugh-out-loud. The idea that true love can be found through such a random route is also nice, and lends the film a pleasing slightness. But the nautanki in this film is an on-off thing. I wish there was much more of it. Two and a half stars.

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Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Koimoi Site:Koimoi

What’s Good: Its comic set pieces, acting performances and the visual treats given by its artistic environments. What’s Bad: The film’s failed attempts at evoking the audience’s emotions, some flat scenes, cheesy dialogues. Loo Break: During the second half, before the climax. Watch or Not? The issue with Nautanki Saala is that it is enjoyable in bits, and in parts wherein it isn’t fun, it gets kind of bothering. Ayushmann and Kunaal Roy Kapur pull off superb performances in their respective bids to try and make the film a pleasing experience for all.

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Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Resham Sengar  Site:Zee News

If you put together an absurd and a predictable storyline, adapted by director Ramesh Sippy from Pierre Salvadori’s French play `Apres Vous`, good actors (minus Pooja Salvi) and Abhishek Bachchan in a cameo for some added star attraction, you get a something that can be called `Nautaki Saala`, pegged as a comedy of errors by its makers. True, a `comedy of errors` it is, but the errors outnumber the logic (if any) the film has. By the time the film moves to its climax, you can easily guess what you can see next. Seriously, the climax is downright predictable. Watch ‘Nautanki Saala` only if you really want to.

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Ratings:--  Review By:  Sneha May Francis  Site:Emirates24by7

Rohan Sippy’s ‘Nautanki Saala!’ tweaks our sensibilities and treats us to incredibly clever theatrics. Evidently, reiterating our faith that good humour does not necessarily translate into shameful buffoonery. Rohan layers it with side-splitting comedy, some great lines and incredible performances. It’s no ‘Delhi Belly’ or ‘Vicky Donor’, yet it holds its own with some striking performers and wickedly clever humour If, it’s clean, intelligent fun that you are looking for, then ‘Nautanki Saala!’ is where you need to be headed.

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Commando Hindi Movie Review (A One Man Army)

Commando Hindi Movie Review

Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Taran Adarsh  Site:Bollywood Hungama

COMMANDO attempts to encompass every stunt possible to entice the Indian viewer, which Vidyut implements as dexterously and effortlessly as Tony Jaa or Johnny Tri Nguyen. Nonetheless, films that focus on chase and action should stick to the core issue, hence the romance between the lead pair [in the first half of the film], the mandatory songs [especially the one filmed in Kutch, again the first hour] and the political interference [in the second hour] appear completely forced in the scheme of things. But these shortcomings are pardonable, to a large extent, for the reason that the action sequences keep you mesmerized largely. On the whole, COMMANDO is vintage good versus evil saga in a strikingly new avatar. A high-voltage action fare that's racy, pulsating and packed with some adrenaline-pumping stunts. Watch it!

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Ratings:3.5/5  Review By:  Meena Iyer  Site:Times Of India (TOI)

Dilip Ghosh's Commando has a linear narrative. Set in North India, the story can even be termed archaic. It's got a hero, a heroine and a villain. Enter South African action director Franz Sphilhaus. The director hands over his hero Vidyut to him and the combination is pure magic. Perhaps one of India's best martial arts exponents (at least in the films); Vidyut is terrific.For the first time in eons, the action scenes are totally convincing...and you can digest the fact that one man can kill them all and come back alone. If you are an action junkie and if you have peaked on Sylvester Stallone's Rambo-series, then our desi Commando, is what you will term paisa-vasool entertainment. Note: You may not like the film, if pure action, is not your staple at the movies.

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Ratings:1.5/5  Review By:  Raja Sen  Site:Rediff

It's a very bare-bones plot, clearly meant only as backdrop for Jamwal to display admittedly impressive stunt work and physical dexterity. The fight scenes, however, aren't shot engagingly enough and, given the unending dhishoomery prevalent in films of this type, look equally bland. And he never looks defeated or distressed, which is a shame.Make no mistake, Commando is a poor film. The thrills are never quite there and, all of Janwal's eagerness and leapfrog-skills aside, it must be remembered that a Bowie knife does not Rambo make. Especially when he gives it away to a stupid girl.

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Ratings:2/5  Review By:  Saibal Chaterjee  Site:NDTV

A strapping, beefy soldier on a mission takes on a particularly repugnant small-town rogue to keep a pretty damsel out of harm’s way in this predictably visceral action flick that plays out more like a violent cut-and-thrust computer game than a movie about real, believable people. While the stunt scenes are impressively staged and filmed, the good versus evil confrontation is as old as the stunning peaks and vales around which the action unfolds. The adrenaline-pumping Commando – A One Man Army arouses about as much emotion as an early morning jog on a treadmill. .Despite all the bravura technical effort that has clearly been put into Commando, the end result simply isn’t compelling enough to merit more than two stars.

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Ratings:2.5/5  Review By:  Koimoi Team  Site:Koimoi

What’s Good: The brilliantly choreographed action sequences, Vidyut Jamwal, some faaru one liners and Jaideep Ahlawat’s villainous act. What’s Bad: Debutante Pooja Chopra’s gibberish ‘bak bak’, the loose plot, the lack luster treatment to the underlying story and an unnecessary item song dashed in just for the sake of it. Loo break: Not one, if you love action but once, maybe if you aren’t much of an action fanatic! Watch or Not?: Commando is an out and out Vidyut Jamwal film that provides him with the platform to showcase his martial arts genius with immense aplomb and in full volumes! So its definitely worth a watch.

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