Life As We Know It

This one is a cute RomCom. As cute as it can get I guess. But mind you the operative word is cute. Not good. Cute as defined in the OED and not as we define it these days. OED stands for the Oxford English Dictionary. And you can look up the definition of cute in the OED for further clarification. OK let me save you to pain and the torture of digging up the definition. Cute as defined in the OED is ugly but tolerable. You don’t believe me? Well now you are free to look it up. Google it. OED it. Do whatever pleases you. The definition is not going to change.
So Life As We Know It (LAWKI) is a cute RomCom. Boy and Girl are being set up by best friends. Boy lands up at girl’s place about an hour late and obviously scores a few 100 negative points. Next, he hasn’t shaved. Looks unkempt. And possibly even stinking. A few 1000 negative points. The graph isn’t looking very good at all. No. there seems to be no hope left. But the girl is magnanimous enough to walk out with him and realizes that he has got his bike and not a car – bad idea when the girl is dressed in a hot dress and cannot sit on a bike. Girl suggests that they should take her new smart car. Boy agrees. Boy gets phone call. Takes it coz girl insists. Turns out to be a booty call. Agrees to meet booty @ 2300 hrs…. wait 2230 hrs…. and the graphs goes negative. Girl suggests that the date was a mistake and that they should call it off. To girl’s surprise boy says she is right. Date ends. Mind you boy and girl are best friends with respective married boy and girl who set them up. A few years later, friends pass away in sudden road accident. All this while boy and girl have been bumping into each other and can barely tolerate each other. In their will, friends have left custody of their only daughter to boy and girl!!!! Aaaaaaaargh!!!!! Now what???? Watch to find out.

I will at the risk of sounding like a stuck record again say this. LAWKI is a cute movie. It is a sizzling movie thanks to Katherine Heigl who I am simply in love with and would probably keel over and die for if she were to ask. It falls back to being nearly ugly for the really bad looking and badly behaved Josh Duhamel. And some amount of sanity is restored by the civilized and well behaved Josh Lucas. There is not much left in terms of the support cast which is not quite there. The script is barely manageable. The story is different but then elements of the story are vastly predictable. Some of the scenes like baby diaper changing or eventually landing up in bed with each other despite girl seeing other guy who is much better settled than boy etc. etc. etc. all make up for a predictable but cute mixture. Enjoyable definitely. Worth a dekko for certain. 6 on 10 for this cute RomCom.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2623997721/

Transformers Dark of the Moon

Now that’s what you call a partnership!!! We are talking about Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay. And the reason I am gushing over this is because of the common sensical approach to making sequels which most people seem to have forgotten. Retain the director for all parts!!!! The same reason why an X Men turns out to be average is the reason why Transformers turns out to be executed with a significant amount of consistency. By now, Bay knows the concept of The Transformers so well that making one more would be a mechanical effort – almost robotic. One may argue that it gets boring for audiences but it would be quite contrary. A person who knows the concept inside out would be able to experiment equally well and do justice to the end product. On the other hand, someone who comes in fresh not only may struggle to do justice but also be working under the pressure of the performance of the previous movies. I take X Men as a classic example because it is just obvious. The last 3 directors have failed to get X Men upto the level that Bryan Singer took it to.

Transformers : Dark of the Moon, in all honesty has one of the corniest build ups that I have seen in cinema to date. It starts off on the premise that the mission to put man on the moon wasn’t driven by some desire to see the moon but more so because of an alien aircraft crashing into it. This was way back in the 60s. It also puts forward that the Russians could not get man on the moon but did get a camera which got some good shots of this space craft. The last corny part was that the Chernobyl disaster was caused by Aliens. Once we get these trivial parts of the build up out of the way, the movie picks up pace. And how. The space craft is actually an Autobot craft designed and piloted by the legendary Sentinel Prime (Leonard Nimoy) and the mission is initiated to retrieve the aircraft. It leads to the discovery of 5 pillars but when Sentinel awakes he informs the team that there were hundreds of these pillars. No wonder that Megatron is interested in the entire concept. Probably his last chance to take control of Earth or Cybertron.

Like the previous 2 movies, this one too is nearly 2.5 hours and the first 30 minutes is quite wasted in the long build up. As mentioned earlier, it does pick up pace but I personally believe that neither of the movies deserved more than 90 minutes of overall time. That Michael Bay can hold your attention for so long is credit to his directing capabilities. Also, I wonder what was the need to end the relationship that Sam (Shia Le Bouf) had with Mikaela (Megan Fox) and replace it with the fresh and “amazingly hot but don’t know whats wrong with her face” Rosie Huntington-Whiteley – don’t get me wrong folks, I think she is hot alright but was there a need to change the eye candy as such. Didn’t quite understand the reason. Overall, entertaining and as good as the first part, Transformers Dark of the Moon is a must watch @ 7 on 10

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi543989017/

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

It was quite obvious at the end of the first edition of Transformers in 2007 that the sequel was only a matter of time away. And 2 years from the original is near perfect timing for any sequel. Not a rocket scientist in these matters but it kind of gives enough runway for the movie to settle down in people’s minds and with the correct marketing that starts about 6 months before the sequel you have created a solid platform to cash in on the hype that is created. All of this of course on the back of a successful first movie of course. And Transformers 1 left quite a mark on most of its audiences with superb use of special effects and more importantly, a tech breed of super heroes which no one has seen before. And especially so in India where the Hasbro Toys probably went on sale only after the movie released. I am not sure if the comic books were in circulation before. I hadn’t heard about the Transformers till I saw the movie – probably a deprived childhood I guess ;).

Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen (TROTF) takes us back a few millennia where the ancestors of the current Transformers have been searching the universe for more sources of Energon - Energon is the life source of inhabitants of Cybertron in case you have forgotten, through something called the All Spark. The Dynasty of Primes as they are called – probably because they were the first few ones – built a machine that would go from planet to planet and harverst / drain the energy from the suns / stars of the respective planets and convert it to Energon which would power the All Spark. They also decide that all life bearing planets would not be used for this purpose. However, one Prime decided that it was a silly rule and constructed a harvester on earth. Needless to say, the rest of the Dynasty wasn’t too pleased with this and tried to stop him. Left with no choice, they take the Matrix of Leadership – the key to the harvester – and hide it in a secret location. To protect it further, they build a tomb around it with their own bodies thereby making it untraceable. The defector Prime has since been dubbed – The Fallen. The dynasty does leave some clues about its existence through some markings and that’s where our heroes Sam (Shia LeBouf) and Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) come in. The former to crack the code and find the matrix. The latter because only a Prime can kill The Fallen.

TROTF would make one believe that it has almost been inspired in Star Wars style where in Episode 5, The Empire Strikes Back. Also clearly indicating in Star Wars style that there will be another one to follow where the “Jedi Return” in all probability. One would not be too far away from the truth but the essence of the 2nd edition, I believe is to familiarize people with what happened before and more importantly set you all up for a fantastic 3rd edition. Not a movie with stellar performances in any way. Just brilliant effects on lines of the first edition. Continued emphasis on sound which was the hallmark of the first edition and continues to be so even in TROTF. Whether the 3rd one turns out to be as good as part 1 or better remains to be seen. Transformers – Dark of the Moon releases today in India. Considering that the combination of Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are still involved, I am betting on it being as good as the ones before. TROTF gets a 6 on 10 from my side. Little lower than the first part but quite solid.

Watch the trailer of TROTF at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2982019609/ and TDOTM at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi543989017/

Transformers

Four years since the first edition of Transformers too this world by storm if I were to put it very mildly. The world was introduced to characters which weren’t seen before and which were fascinating and unimaginable to say the least. Cars which converted themselves to robots which were larger than life itself and ditto for airplanes and cranes in fact anything to do with automobiles. We were introduced to the fascinating existence of Cybertron and its inhabitants – The Autobots led by Optimus Prime and The Decepticons led by the vicious Megatron. As the story goes, a war between the 2 major tribes or so to speak in a galaxy far far away leads the Autobots to flee with their immense source of power – the AllSpark – and hide it in our very own planet earth. The All Spark has the immense capability of giving life to all technology be it a mixer grinder or an air conditioner or a computer. All of this was over 150 years back. In the current day, the Autobots are back to claim what was rightfully theirs in the first place – The All Spark – and yet again, they are not alone coz the Decepticons have gladly joined the party. Fasten your seat belts folks cause if you haven’t seen this one then you have missed one of the best ever Sci Fi / Action movies made to date.

Steven Spielberg could not have picked up a better person to direct the first of his trilogy (to date and hopefully many many more to come). Michael Bay shot to fame with Bad Boys and then The Rock. It wasn’t surprising because not too often do you see a director of an action movie paying as much attention to detail as Michael Bay. He makes use of sound like very few other directors that I have seen – not that I have seen too many very honestly but the use of sound in Transformers especially when the Autobots actually Transform themselves is quite superb. The special effects with Michael Bay are unquestionable and without them it would obviously be impossible to get Transformers to life. All of this was from a bunch of toys which eventually got converted to a comic book series – Incredible!!!!

Don’t look out for much on the acting front although Shia Le Bouf is definitely quite solid. Wonder how they got Hugo Weaving’s voice to sound like it does through Megatron. Amazingly eerie. Megan Fox provides the required levels of eye candy (sizzling eye candy actually).

All in all, Transformers has shows right from the first release that there is room for a sequel and considering that Spielberg had the foresight to sign up Bay for 3 editions, we are on the verge of the release of Transformers Dark of the Moon tomorrow. Have a wonderful time folks. Transformers I gets a 7 on 10 from my side. Hope TDOM is as good.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi973209625/ and that of and TDOTM at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi543989017/

When in Rome

Beth (Kirsten Bell) is a workaholic curator @ the Gugenhiem in New York. Her life revolves around her job which she uses as an excuse for her singledom. For her apparent lack of faith in a concept called love. Although she secretly pines to find “the one”, she doesn’t have the courage to take the plunge. She is in for a not so pleasant surprise when her baby sister, Joan (Alexis Dziena) decides to tie the knot within 2 weeks of knowing Umberto (Luca Calvani), an average hot blooded, gorgeous Italian. Beth is shocked out of her wits because her rational side cannot accept the fact that her sister has decided to settle down within a time that is not even sufficient for a reasonable “credit check”.

Now Beth has an exhibition of art centred around the theme of “pain” coming up and her boss Celeste (Anjelica Houston) all but threatens to fire her if she is unable to ensure that the main exhibit reaches the venue on time. Assuring her of being on top of her job, she rushes to Rome for her sister’s wedding where she bumps into the clumsy best man Nick Beamon (Josh Duhamel). Nick and Umberto were together @ university where Nick was labeled “The Hit” thanks to being struck by lightning during a football game. That successfully ended his career in football and he finds himself now writing copy for the sports section in a local publication in New York.

There is an instant chemistry between Beth and Nick and despite her best efforts Beth cannot stop herself from making the first move. However, her excitement is short lived when she sees Nick kissing a hot chick in a red dress @ the famous fountain of love in Rome. Beth, yet again, is disappointed with love and spends the rest of the evening getting drunk @ the fountain. In her dismay, she also decides to pick up 5 coins from the fountain to prevent the 5 wishes from coming true. Whats the point of being in love anyways right? Wrong. Not when u try this stunt at the fountain of love. Legend has it that if you pick up a coin from the fountain then u have accepted the love of a person and therefore have cast a spell on the person who has thrown the coin into the fountain. The next thing you know, Beth has 4 men who are running after her in New York city. An unsuccessful Italian painter – Antonio (Will Arnet), A model who is a narcissist personified – Gale (Dax Shepherd), A street magician who doesn’t have the confidence in performing live – Lance (John Heder) and A Meat Baron who has recently broken up with his wife – Al Russo (Danny De Vito). Now wait a minute… who is the 5th person? Will Beth find true love? Will she be able to get rid of her 4 stalkers? You will need to watch WiR to find out!!!

Mark Steven Johnson’s first attempt @ a RomCom doesn’t come off too well. His previous efforts were with Dare Devil which flopped quite badly at the BO and Ghost Rider which did pretty well. The direction in these 2 was nothing close to stellar. With WiR he maintains the un-stellar direction. Must give him points for consistency. The story though is compact and well narrated. Not dragged around too unnecessarily. Finishes off in under 90 minutes. With some slapstick situational humour thrown in. Keeps one reasonably entertained. But nevertheless is not too inspiring in any ways. In a nut shell there is nothing too new really other than the fictional spell that is cast by the Fountain of Love. Acting is at best average with the exception of Danny De Vito who in his bit part continues to fascinate you with his ease of essaying any role that is given to him. Ditto for Angelica Houston. But it beats me why these 2 great actors chose to play a part in a below average movie like WiR. I had missed this out when it hit the screens a few months back. Would probably say it was worth the DVD but then I am an addict to movies. 4 on 10 for this one. Thoda disappointing.