Mr. Holmes

Sometime back, a T Shirt featuring Sir Ian McKellen created a minor ripple (http://weheartit.com/entry/group/100286).  It read, I AM GANDALF AND MAGNETO. GET OVER IT.  Sir I M can now change that T Shirt to read – I AM GANDALF, MAGNETO AND SHERLOCK – BEAT THAT!!!

X-Men: Days of Future Past

In 6 editions of the franchise, X Men has generated $2.31 billion at the box office.  That is billion with a “buh” as Alan Harper (2.5 men) would put it.  Now the sad part is that despite this massive level of success, it is still not in the top 10 franchises of all time.  Embarassingly below the Twilight series.  With Days of Future Past, they should easily surge ahead of the silly tweenage romance.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Several factors have contributed to this extremely later review of The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug.  Firstly, I saw the movie on a Sunday (15^th December 2013) as against the Thursday (12^th December 2013) preview that was organized @ PVR Juhu – Now that was on principle because it is nothing less than rank insulting to watch The Hobbit at any other screen but for an IMAX one.

The Hobbit – An Expected Journey

I wonder what the problem was last morning and surprisingly there is no coverage over the press about the delay in the screening of The Hobbit across Mumbai yesterday. That is the reason this blog has been delayed by nearly 24 hours. What should have gone up last afternoon @ the same time is going up today. Sorry folks. Some problem between the distributor and movie screens I am told. But no idea about the truth. Anyone?

Having said that, my joy knew no bounds when I walked upto the PVR counter in Mulund later last night and was told that the screening has started. Yipee!!! And although I did walk in a minute after the start, I was completely in awe of what I walked into as soon as I did. One would have thought that the magic that Peter Jackson have woven with LOTR would be difficult to continue with? You could not have been further from the truth!!!

The Hobbit (for those who are unaware), like LOTR is broken down into 3 parts – A Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and There & Back Again. It is (again for those who are unaware), a precursor to LOTR. If I were Peter Jackson, I would have probably made this before ;) :-p .

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) – a Hobbit, is smoking a pipe and blowing smoke rings in yet another laid back, lovely morning in the shire when a very tall person in a grey cloak with a long grey flowing beard and a grey pointy hat, wielding a staff that is as long, walks upto him asking if he is ready to go on an adventure. The tall man is of course Gandalf the Grey (Ian Mckellan). But, Baggins, being the Hobbit that he is declines – not so politely at that. You see Hobbits are not the adventurous kinds.

But the sly Gandalf ensures that the Dwarves led by Thorin (Richard Armitage), son of Thráin, son of Thrór, make themselves welcome @ Baggins’ place. They share with Baggins their plan to travel to The Lonely Mountain – the Dwarves erstwhile homeland – that is currently guarded by the deadly Dragon Smaug. If anything, Baggins, freaks out more and refuses to accompany them. But the Took (his mother) blood in him ensures that he joins the gang the next morning – The Unexpected Journey.

There are 2 kinds of people in the world. Those who love The Lord of The Rings & those who do not know about The Lord of The Rings – if you know about it, you cannot, not love it. The Hobbit falls into a similar category mix. And no one but for Peter Jackson could have bought this project to life with the same consistency. It is a visual treat and definitely in line for the top 10 of the year. It may not win because The Academy may want to pick something different.

One cannot help but have the same feeling that you had at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. This 3 part affair gets really irritating. You want to see all parts at one go. IMMEDIATELY. But then That’s Peter Jackson for you. So, if you want to watch the next 2 parts – 2013 and 2014 Christmas it will have to be. 8.5 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi650683417/

The Da Vinci Code

What can you get when you get together 3 people – one who has been widely regarded as the top 10 directors of all time if not the top 10. Another who is responsible for giving us one of the biggest block buster novels of the previous decade – probably the #1 bestseller other than the Harry Potter series and definitely THE most controversial of the lot. And the third who has been regarded by most people as one of the best actors ever to be born – one who is known for his “boy next door” looks and yet regarded as capable of taking up any role that is possible (I would like to see him play a villain though – haven’t seen that yet but I am certain he can and will give us the pleasure of that sooner than later). Well what you get is one of the best adaptations of a book into a movie – I would like to stick my neck out at this stage and call it the best after The Godfather and The Adventures of Tintin – Secret of the Unicorn.
Ron Howard would have been extremely challenged at the thought of directing The Da Vinci Code for certain but he smartly roped in Tom Hanks who is known to be an actor who eases the stress out from the director’s head immensely. And they had the support of Dan Brown to try and get this to life. The way Dan Brown has layered the book and keeps peeling it out like an onion is something which can be very difficult to get alive on the silver screen. I can only say that the team that created the movie should be really proud of what they got out eventually.

I cannot think of any scene that was badly executed or any aspect that was missed out from the book. Difficult sequences such as the point where Sophie (Audrey Tatou) and Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) figure out that a pope actually stands for Alexander Pope and the walk to Newton’s Tomb is superimposed with that of the actual funeral of Sir Isaac Newton. Or the casting for Silas (Paul Bettany) which is impeccable. But nearly not as impeccable as Bishop Aringarosa played by someone who I consider is probably more versatile (if there is something like that) that any other actor who I have seen till date – Alfred Molina. Time and again Alfred Molina has stunned the daylights out of me in the way that he gets into his character and makes you believe that the character in the book was created specifically with Molina in mind – simply scintillating I say.

True to the book as they say, The Da Vinci Code is a great movie to watch any given Sunday. It is edited well, has great cinematography, good solid performances and has a story that is great (apart from the ending where Dan Brown always screws up :p). You can watch it even if you haven’t read the book. 7 on 10 is what I say.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2369847833/