Star Wars The Last Jedi: Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Review

And so it begins. From the salty ashes of the old, rises a new fight. Welcome everyone to the review of the part which killed them all. Yeah, as you might’ve guessed- spoiler alert. And also, it did kill them all. Which is kind of odd for a movie which is supposed to be the middle part of a trilogy.

Usually we don’t see any new beginnings or endings sprouting through halfway a journey but to say it did not make things more interesting and worth looking forward to a strange final part would be unjust. Yet, I must say this wasn’t one of the stronger stories told in the realm of far far away. There were quite a few head scratchers and not in a good way but the thrill of action does outshine them. That is to say, most of the time. Let’s go over the fires and the fishes (large ones) one by one.

The story

The story was a bit refreshing considering what we are used to in a regular star-wars setup. We usually focus on the rebels trying to look for a way to outsmart the first order and end them or atleast land a big blow. All the while, the first order tries to annihilate whatever’s left of the rebellion fleet and hunt them down at all costs while reaffirming their stronghold over the galaxy. From the previous movie, we already had an idea that Rey was headed to Luke’s hideout in order to receive her Jedi training which mostly held true.

The film opens with an intense space battle where the First order has found the rebel base and they need to run away as soon as they can. But Poe Dameron tries to fight them head on and destroy a big executor. The rebels succeed in doing so and even in timely evacuation but incur heavy casualties. Finn comes back to life and is somewhat stressed out about it. Meanwhile Rey confronts Luke Skywalker on planet Aaahck-to. Things don’t go as planned (who would’ve thought) and Luke refuses to be of any help and just wants to sit back, enjoy his endless vacation and die comfortably when the time comes in 30-40 years or so. Pretty neat, huh? While the rebels are actively tracked by the empire (does it even matter what we call it?). Soon they run out of fuel and find themselves right in the clutches of evil (whatever). And yeah, Supreme Leader Snoke’s there amongst them too. Maybe he didn’t wanna watch it on screen far away at a safe distance so he decided to come as close as he can to watch it (on a screen).

So we have set stage for some Battlestar Galactica type evasion but it’s just a hundred times mellow. Throw in a coup d'état amongst the rebellion fleet while Leia is out of commission. Finn and Rose’s (a delightfully new childish addition) side quest to find the master codebreaker. Rey’s makeshift training by the grumpy old man skywalker is also happening on the side too.

All in all, a great new way for a star wars movie to branch out its stories and then converge at the end instead of having a streamlined structure. But all of it seems somewhat half-hearted as the viewer never finds itself much invested in any of the story arc. It does have some unexpected moments to keep you hooked and surprises which are genuinely good but some things are predictable and illogical too.

The characters

This part introduced some great characters and some not so. We have, DJ- played by Benicio Del Toro, a master codebreaker who can even hack into First Order security systems without alerting them but is a self-centered non-believer who turns tail at the first sign of trouble. Another one is Rose Tico played by Kelly Marie Tran, a plumber/engineer who works in the unpopular sectors of the rebel mother-ship. She’s also got a way more cool sister who sadly dies during Poe’s reckless hit and destroy plan. One major downer is the big reveal, Luke Skywalker himself. This time we see a rather unfamiliar side of Luke. One that many fans might not agree with; one that is neither heroic nor inspiring. We find Luke in isolation, pretty much doing nothing. When Rey appears, well he still does pretty much nothing. Some shots of Rey and Luke on that island might even remind some people of Samwise and Frodo at Mount Doom. Luke's only contribution is just the clever way he pisses off Ben Solo aka Kylo at the end. Finn was pretty much a prop just to flash around and help introduce side characters, otherwise holding little to no significance on the overall events of the main storyline. Even Rey seems to care less about him. Which finally brings us to Rey and Kylo. One could argue that this movie had a dual lead with those two last force sensitive youngsters. This time we saw a bond develop between them, quite literally. But Ben suddenly going soft was something hard to swallow considering how at the end of the last movie he killed the much fan favourite and long standing signature character of the series, his own dad, Han Solo. Though at the end, it is satisfying to know that he continues the First Order’s vision whether the Supreme Leader wishes so or not. My personal favourite appearance in the whole movie was Yoda (duh!). Yoda is as sassy as ever and it is such a pleasure to watch him treat Luke as his young padawan again. Another noteworthy point is how Yoda is created just like he was in the original trilogy. The makers have used CGI to recreate the same effect as that puppet-ty Yoda from back in the 80’s, unlike the total computer redux as in the prequel trilogy. Its like the present makers want to maintain as much distance as they can from the disastrous prequels. And yeah, the Porgs (smaller, cuter, less useful version of ewoks) are a very delightful addition too.

The music

Usually in terms of music, there isn’t much difference in a trilogy of movies like star wars. The original score by John Williams still work well. Other sounds, however meticulously crafted, don’t really stand out in our grand space opera saga. The Porgs, millennium falcon, warships, lightsabers, rebel fleet, throat hugs (force choke), chases through fields, etc. are all at their best. But if you’re looking for some other striking melody to give life to a new sort of adventure then you’d probably be let down.

The presentation

The direction and cinematography is good but nothing incredibly extraordinary. The build-ups aren’t all that profound and the emotional connect with any character is almost negligible. The twists and turns are equal amount surprising yet predictable. In the acting department, Domhall Gleeson as General Hux (hugs) and Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Haldo do a great job with their subtlety and the dubious nature of the characters. Either one is hard to trust and still an integral part of the whole setup on both sides. Others are just pretty much the same as they are always. It’s nice to see Mark Hamill play a grumpy old anti-hero-ish Jedi convincingly enough but poor character design lets the plot down.

The Verdict

All in all, a vanilla experience. It depends on you, really. If you like this flavour then fine and if you don’t then you still won’t be disappointed but probably won’t enjoy yourself much. And because we have a new Star Wars installment coming out almost every year as spin offs and whatnot, so there’s not much sentimental value for a single mid part of a trilogy for now. Although, it did have a minor obligation to live up to the benchmark of the Empire Strikes Back and more so to the Force Awakens but it successfully severed the ties with both of them in both good and bad ways. But after all is said, the movie is still a pretty good addition to the space samurai saga and is definitely destined to win hearts of fans all around the globe. 

Where is Lando Calrissian?

And the author was again late so he had to skip one show to reach on time for the next one.

Watch the video and see how far we've come from Spy Kids 3-D. 

Blade Runner 2049 (2017):- Review (or is it?)

Movie Review: Blade Runner 2049

The movie starts with…well we all know how it starts. Hello everyone and welcome to a movie review in a very long long time. I have some pretty important work to do but hell, how could I miss the sequel to one of the greatest sci-fi classics? So dust your minds and prepare to dive into the never-ending depths of existential crisis because this movie does just that. It asks the question, it confuses the viewer and it tries to stride as far away as it can from providing any actual answers. But fear not plebs!, this is in no way a bad thing. Infact, just as the original, this is what works in the favour of the movie most. So here we go!

The story

So none. Yeah none. Did the last one had any? Well it could be argued. Throughout my review I will try to talk less about the original but that’s very difficult because the new movie itself brings it up time and again. Last time we were initiated with a simple premise- there are some rogue androids and a man is assigned to kill them. From then on things took, surprisingly enough, a very philosophical and unexpectedly dark turn. In 2049, we know another blade runner is assigned to find and ‘retire’ some of the old replicant models which are deemed to be unnecessary and a potential threat. This time we know that the blade runner itself is a new model replicant. The new replicants are different than the older models as they can't rebel and obey 100%. But is that really true? When you design a sentient machine and explain it about its existence, how can it not be curiously inclined to human tendencies?

The search to find the answer about his own creation leads the protagonist of the story, played decently enough by Ryan Gosling as K/Joe, to the tracks left behind by some of the earlier characters and the truth hidden inside his own memory implants (or not). The story of the movie is much more convoluted than whatever can be surmised in a review. Much like its predecessor, the movie runs around in circles within its own established circumstances and does not intend to move in a straightforward direction. Well this is debatable as well. Some can say the movie poses questions and then tries to arrive at answers like any other regular story but in this case we don’t arrive at answers. Things are not purposefully hidden from the audience, but it was never the goal to reveal anything new. The whole point is to allow a rumination into the human psyche itself. We do have some very nice twists and laud worthy acts which deserve a standout mention but I refuse to do so because even then they do not lead us anywhere. Is it frustrating? Is it repetitive? There is no easy answer to that. Does it make the movie lag? That has a definitive answer and it is ‘no’. It depends heavily on the premise set up by the original blade runner but by no means lets it show as a burden. The movie is as bountiful in environmental richness as it predecessor. It takes all the right lessons and impeccably moulds them around a new story and a new hero. This is abstract storytelling at its best. Thanks to the writing talents of Michael Green and Hampton Fancher (the guy who wrote the original 1982 version)

The characters

The characters were particularly exceptional in this one (The last movie came out in bloody 1982! Don’t blame me for not remembering them all). The beauty of it is that the ones which are mentioned quite infrequently and those who occupy the least screen-time are the best. From Jared Leto’s Niander Wallace (who’s just a more maniacal version of Tyrell), to my personal favourite- Dave Bautista’s Dr. Sappy Morton. Sappy had little to do. Sappy had little to say. Sappy was a little emotional. But Sappy made it all possible. The whole movie stands on what Sappy buried underneath. And those of us who’ve seen the short films released prior, love Sappy all the more. Major characters included the protagonist- K (Ryan Gosling), a Blade Runner/Replicant; his boss Lt. Joshi (Robin Wright); the sort of main villain- Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) and a really really flawed holographic home AI/sex fantasy bot- Joi (Ana de Armas) (that woman loved humans more than sharks love blood, eh Claire).

All of these characters fit particularly well in the oeuvre crafted for them. But we do see the good is good, bad is bad trope here which was quite honestly unavoidable for a movie like Blade Runner. Despite that, none of their actions seem forced but bode rather well with the story and premise set to achieve their respective goals.

Themes

The movie is heavy (or high) on some really nerdy esoteric investigations. But isn’t that what makes it awesome? The movie deals with questions from the beyond. The ones we still ponder about. What makes us real? What does it mean to be human? How do we know we’re alive? Is it just the memories or our feelings? If they can be artificially replicated then how different are we from synthetic life forms created by our own hands?

Other than that, the movie explores the various other themes in conjunction to the ones stated above like the love, sexuality, desire and what it means to belong. Racism, slavery, abandonment, environmental blight accompanied by poverty and prejudice, are ubiquitous in this expansive dystopian future spectacle. Which forces us to confront the present and harmful repercussions of the actions in our own reality. With some fiery scenes to add to all that mysticism, we forget what we’re thinking and end up totally immersed in this one of a kind experience. (yeah! M-F-holoF threesome for the win!)

The presentation

Finally we come to my favourite part about the movie - The delivery. Honestly, I am a cynic. I didn’t believe anybody could pull off a sequel to blade runner. It would’ve been detrimental to keep it the same and even to do something new. And nobody asked for this. This movie wasn’t needed. I thought this is going to be just like another one of those Terminator sequels type of film which will imitate a classic, try to cash in on its success and fail miserably. But I was wrong. And thank god for that. Denis Villeneuve’s done a magnificent job as expected from the director of Prisoners and Arrival. Come to think of it, nobody was a better choice to helm this sequel. The movie impressively uses all the good elements and otherworldly feel of the previous movie and gives us something which is both new and refreshing as well as a solid link to the past. The movie is visually stunning and the immaculate variety of detail is unmatched. There are some Villeneuve trademark consistency issues in going from one scene to the other but that is easily overlooked. In my opinion, the movie runs in two parallels. One where people are talking, killing and taking story forward. And the other one which is just a beautiful view of our protagonist taking things one step at a time. Moving slowly through dilapidated streets, blinding dust storms and cities in rains (lots and lots of rain). That is the part which is a real treat to watch instead of whatever’s happening with other characters. That is the facet of the film which turns to the real theme of the whole story, “what it truly means to be human?”.

The background score by Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer is the true hero of everything. Not one moment of introspection is dull and no scene seems lethargic just because of the great music it has. This is going to be the one I expect to win this year’s Oscar. The loud distortions, the serene waterfalls, the moving vehicles- all portray perfectly the chaotic future and the insecurity that flows within the community. From acting on our base instincts to dealing with more metaphysical speculation, the music accompanies it all through deafening quiet till the explosive consequences.  

The Verdict

Visually riveting, emotionally exhaustive and visceral beyond bounds; the sequel to one the most thoughtful depictions of dystopian society leading to the uprising of new life is just as uncompromising and admittedly ground-breaking as its prequel. It is a sci-fi action artificial intelligence drama which invigorated an otherwise clichéd genre. Amazingly, it didn’t do anything new and very distinct from the 1982 version but now we must understand that’s how movies based on the future should be made. Futuristic in any present. It isn’t about the technology, it’s about creation and evolution. Should you watch it? Obviously. I mean did you even read a single word I wrote?  

The author was again late for the movie but it started 25 minutes late. He doesn't know if its a win or loss. He also regrettably whined about the uncomfortable seats as well on text. 

P.S.- This movie was a better live action version of ghost in the shell than the live action version of ghost in the shell. 

Big Little Lies- Initial Reaction

I just finished watching the final episode¡!!!
And i gotta say- this is was a bloody amazing show... Everything, every single trivial thing was nothing short of spectacular!
Yeah yeah, i found that out later that it was based on a book. Must've been a good book or maybe the execution and creation into the show was just fuckin awesome!!!!
I knew it by the way. I predicted it in episode 4 or 5 that maybe perry is ziggy's dad.... Back then i was assuming ziggy is a psycho and perry was the only other psycho... Something uncannily similar about them. And then how jane never met perry... I knew in the end it would all add up to something....
Jane, Celeste, and Madelin and Bonnie were just wonderful. So well defined characters, like somebody just created the perfect life.... And enacted just as well. And they have some major flaws which made them even more empathetic. At first i thought madelin is a fuckup but she is the most sane of them all...thatswhy i said maybe the book was pretty good too.
And the casting was awesome as well. How the women which were cast were so different than each other, even physically. And to show men don't matter much, they cast all hot men. I mean... I feel awkward saying this but really... All men were so hot in different ways.. each woman had her own... One that powerful, business man type, ed- the geeky bearded and her ex got a nice rough look going on...And all of them were so stupid though... How ed was a confused chump and madelien's ex had this fragile ego. And the biggest fuck of all- perry wright. I'm happy he died. He deserved that. Though it isn't right how the end made something like murder so justified but fuck it... The buildup was just so good.
Oh and how much i enjoyed seeing that in the end it was that fuckwad who died...
Classic males. I loved how the show played on classic negative male attributes to show how big fuckups we are. Everything was there- lust, insecurity, promiscuity, aggression, ego, possessiveness
Everytime he touched celeste, i was so disgusted and it was so frustrating to see that fuck abuse her.... I mean c'mon....
But then.... Oh my gooaawwwd!!!!..... Everything took the most unexpected turn at every point....


(ps- why don't i get to sell my virginity for a good cause?)

Logan (2017): Review

Another day, another marvel movie. I sometimes think there are just too many of those coming out now. Though X-men is a completely different franchise than The Avengers but its still an action movie, same with a hero and same old villains. Welcome people to the tiring review of wolverine’s last adventure- Logan.

This could be poster for Bajrangi Bhaijaan sequel

Well I guess Hugh Jackman does deserve a breather from the character certainly. He’s been playing it for 17 years now. Though its true, most of us can’t imagine anybody else being the wolverine. He is one of the greatest actors who have donned a superhero cape and fit in so perfectly as if right out of the pages of the graphic novel. So now its unlikely we will see wolverine again. Not just Hugh but the whole character. Most probably it is out of the franchise (for now).

Now let’s begin with the movie. The movie opens with a broke and ageing logan who’s just as agitated as always but this time he’s way more sombre than ever. Nothing about him seems remotely badass, about which the character is famous for. I guess herein lies the essence of the whole movie. The movie is in a way unique for the type of genres it covers. Its an action movie like all others but other than that it’s a serious drama. No there’s no humour, no witty comebacks, no cool ‘hero style’ moves. Its just a plain old send-off type film to a character (or two) very dear to the franchise. Logan goes quietly in the dark of night and with his death we are left some spare X-men. I don’t know if anybody realises this or not but Logan was a real big element in the X-men cinematic universe. To the point that its basically Wolverine and the X-men. Everybody else is a sidekick.

Talking about sidekicks, this movie introduces Laura, a young girl created with wolverine’s genetic material. She’s got the same healing powers and adamantium claws. She is lethal. She works very well as a new addition, for somebody who needs to mimic Logan himself.

lol what?

The music of the movie is great. Melancholia with a tinge of terror every now and then. Sometimes it blends perfectly with the other elements in the movie and sometimes it stands out. Other than that, the camera work and overall presentation isn’t much noteworthy. Yes, the film has its minor moments and some really sad goodbyes but overall it fails to connect with the audience and ends up being an emotional wreck in itself without touching anybody else’s sentiments.

what's he doing at To Kill a Mockingbird's set?

The Verdict

Now, I’m not gonna say much about the film. Mostly because there isn’t much to say. Except the many deaths which were more or less expected, the movie does not offer anything new. The action sequences are fun for a short while and moderately gruesome but nothing to marvel at. The movie tries to contain itself in a manageable plot but ends up being limited by it. For wolverine and X-men fans out there, this will be a tough ride to see our favourite characters being pushed out from a mainstream live action franchise. But in terms of entertainment quotient, the movie is still sure to keep people engrossed to the very last fight. Other than that, the plot and the pace are laggy. If you’re a fan of full-fledged blood and gore style action, which a movie like this can do but didn’t, you’ll feel like you’re watching a kids’ movie. Well, superhero movies aren’t much known for the plot anyway. So go ahead watch this for sure because however it is, whatever are the faults, this is the last Wolverine movie.

The author was again late for the movie and the company wasn't so much fun this time. And he's calling it Real Steel 2.

Moonlight (2016)- Review

Moonlight is a movie about subtlety. It is about what lies beneath. What happens in beyond. And who resides in the young impressionable mind. Now here we are, to the late review of 2017’s best picture academy award winner- Moonlight, name originating from a fable inside the movie itself.

The Plot
The movie illustrates the story of a boy who’s spent an entire life in fear. Fear etched into his very soul since early childhood due to being ‘different’. He infact first meets Juan (Mahershala Ali) while he’s being chased by a bunch of bullies. Ever since childhood he’s never seen much of love, tenderness and care which a regular child like that deserves if not all the privileges that the rest of us enjoy. His mother at the beginning seems like somebody who is overprotective of her child but is later revealed to be a junkie who exploits her own child for her needs. Add to that the children who make fun of him due to his sexuality which he himself seldom understands until very later in life. His childhood is turbulent indeed but its much like any average black male growing up in the 90s in a ghetto. But they are usually shown to form strong bonds to a particular person or group. Much like how Chiron finds solace in his only friend (and later love interest) Kevin. Though the adult life of the protagonist is not a cakewalk as he soon gets sucked into a life of crime. That’s pretty much about it for the plot. But this not at all a let-down, as the movie progresses in terms of character development and gorgeously circles around the titillating tales concerning most of our characters.

The Characters
The main character almost never speaks. He's got only a handful lines and is no more different than the protagonist in the movie Satya but that’s exactly the whole nucleus of the movie. Just as the main character, its filled with doubt, repulsion, uneasiness with very few lines or media to convey anything other than the hopelessness of the situation and the helplessness of the character. In such utter wistfulness, there are characters like Juan and Teresa (Janelle Monae). A couple which is an oasis in Chiron’s Sahara. They act as an adopted family to him only for the sake of humanity. Juan in particular is a character to long for, portrayed very convincingly by Mahershala Ali (no wonder he got an Oscar for it). He is a total father figure to Chiron and maybe the only one who ever taught him what matters in life and what is right. Chiron’s mother, played by Naomi Harris is a conflicted character in herself to say the least. After the initial years of Chiron she did not play much of a part in his life except becoming a burden on him, occasionally stealing money from him too to satisfy her drug addict lifestyle. She even asks her boy to leave the home as she’s got people coming over. Chiron’s only friend Kevin is also another audience favourite character but is a bit of a coward. He tells Chiron to stand up for himself but rarely does so himself even if somebody asks him to beat his friend. He is the protagonist’s only love interest and is the catalyst agent behind all of Chiron’s actions. Then there are the bullies and white people eating/ walking. Even Juan’s old lady is more important than them.

Presentation
The movie's score is top notch. All the sounds fit apty to the scenario and the silence works very well at especially melancholic frames. The editing could’ve been a bit more fluid but the use of effects and the overall direction with moving camera and irregular shots are done beautifully. Some fun shots are the POV ones where we are fixated to a place and a small action takes place. The movie is also divided into three chapters which illustrate three phases of the protagonist’s life. And they all begin and end in darkness. Lots and lots of empty darkness. The movie often utilizes elements which every once in a while illustrate how the childhood impacts an adult life of the person and how the abuse from childhood lingers on and have effects the whole life of the protagonist. Some scenes directly juxtapose Chiron in one place and at the same place in a different point of time. Scenes focusing only on him with minor movement are the most powerful ones which show true claustrophobia and how deep he is trapped inside his own life. Children as a symbol of innocence and gullibility are often used as well through a sneak scene randomly inserted in between of something else entirely.

Overall Appeal
The movie is filled with few great characters but all have very short span throughout the movie. Infact it can be said that the secondary characters are way more interesting than the primary character, who is the point of focus throughout the movie but is frustrating and dull. Maybe that is the only bug. But that was supposed to happen in order to make a character seemingly hollow but full of fear inside who barely hangs onto the thin threads which hold his entire existence together. The movie is also unique in its way that it blackouts every now and then and shows the helplessness and the darkness inside the life of the protagonist. Actually the movie is clichéd and unique in a rather mind boggling, confusing but exhilarating way. Well almost like any love story, he is united with his one true love but that is no happy ending and the protagonist does not find redemption. That is the thing I suppose with the movie despite its unreal elements and the fictional setting which keeps it grounded. It shows the movie in a very hard hitting and real life scenery but what makes the movie sail throughout its runtime of 1 hour 50 minutes is the great direction and cinematography even though the script is rather simple and straightforward. All the elements like the shots transitioning to blackness and the moving camera blend in nicely to give us a very surrealistic yet much believable version of love between ordinary individuals with troubled childhoods whose life turn out to be exactly how it should’ve been for any other ghetto kid- full of misery and loneliness. But at the end, love triumphs (sorta).

The Verdict
There are times when there is nothing happening on the screen and the movie successfully shows how nothingness is a powerful notion prevalent in the lives of our characters throughout. It forces the audience in a state of deep thought and symbolically indicates that rather much is happening. Following upon that, the movie can be moody and artsy at times which may not be everyone’s idea of fun. For a few seconds, just a few, it can be called boring as well. But that just depends on the audience. If somebody is totally engrossed in the moment and is half as invested as Chiron, then they are sure to enjoy this emotional drama about love, life, teenage troubles, conflict, and sexuality in a place crawling with drugs, dealers, junkies and juveniles. But don’t be conflicted in your decision and be sure to watch it while you can.

The author imagines Moana everytime Chiron's at the beach. 

 P.S.- She's officially his favourite disney princess now. Top spot. No competition.