Reviews

Its not perfect. Don't expect a Ripley from an Elodie.

But if it's a string female character that Hollywood is dying to reproduce, then it's a step in the right direction.

The hint should be from the title - "Damsel"

Which means that the Princess is supposed to be a Damsel - helpless unless a Prince or someone else will come to save her. And there-in lies the genius of the title.

Everyone underestimates her. Especially the Dragon, who toys with her thinking that she will meet her end like all the others. But Elodie is smart and realizes from her's and other's mistakes that she can escape.

Although her survival is contingent on a Deus Ex where her Father appears to try to save her but we can excuse that to enjoy the rest of the movie.

Mille Bobby Brown is excellent in this role. She goes from crying, squealing and crying in agony and almost giving up to full on Khaleesi near the end.

The transformation isn't as easy as it is for the usual Disney princess. She is burnt, bruised from multiple falls, hurting and desperate. But she applies herself in a difficult situation to survive. She doesn't gain superpower. She doesn't gain magical powers. She applies her wit to survive a tough situation.

In the end, you are rooting for her character as she gains an unexpected ally to exact justice for being wronged.

I'm surprised that Netflix released it on OTT, I would have readily paid money to see it in the hall. Millie is a capable actress and I always like to see her bring her own into each role she gets.

Don't get swayed by negative reviews of the movie. Its a 100 times better than Disney Schlock and worth a watch.

If you are expecting a poignant and riveting narrative then you would be watching the wrong movie. If you are looking to laugh and enjoy yourself and think you can get most of the jokes then you are going to love it. I quite love and appreciate the fact that at no point does the movie take itself seriously and neither is the viewer supposed to. The jokes are clever, not all of them are good but where they land, they will have you rolling on the floor laughing.

This movie is a satire on how everything is becoming weird these days - right is wrong and wrong is right. When there is a murder attempt on a 'corrupt' politician's life, three friends from a small village who are struggling to make it in the big city become the prime suspects. (The plot isn't important btw). In their search for evidence to prove their innocence some downright hilarious shenanigans ensue. The end is the least of the what you would expect. Instead of a hard hitting message, the movie replaces it with inane dialog that has the desired effect as is the case in today's day and age.

The trio's innocence is proven in the most silliest of ways imaginable and that there is the beauty of this movie.

DO not miss it for anything. Haven't laughed this hard since 'Hera Pheri'.

Right, well right of the bat I'd like to say this movie definitely deserved more than 7 stars. The acting is almost top notch, the camera angles and cinematography is decent and the story, although not unique is very different from the usual fare. Not getting into spoiler territory, the movie starts by introducing Jess who has an autistic child and being a single parent, she has her hands full. She decides to take a day off from parenting and go on a trip with a friend on a boat named Triangle. Some other people join (people she doesn't know who are friends to Greg, the boat's owner. The trip goes horribly wrong when a storm comes out of nowhere and seemingly maroons them. Just when all seems lost, a mysterious ship called the Aeolian comes to their rescue. But when they board the ships, Jess feels a sense of Deja Vu and a sense of foreboding. This is where things get interesting and confusing. Triangle is definitely a movie worth watching and if you haven't seen it, you are missing out on a decent movie.

After having seen the defenders I would like to get those hours of my life back. Fairly generic villains with generic motivations who serve as cannon fodder for the protagonists, coupled with weak dialog and a wafer thin plot make this show one of the dumbest things I have seen on the small screen in a long long time. The first thing that rankles me is people's inability to believe that people have abilities - this in a universe where they have acknowledged the presence of the Avengers and aliens. The sheer ineptitude of the cops in this show baffles me. The Hand being a crime syndicate has somehow escaped the purview of the FBI but a day of investigating by a street level PI is enough to expose them. My second problem is with Jessica Jones whose powers seem to come and go as and when the plot demands it. She has superhuman strength in patches and the only time she uses her powers is when she has to move stuff around or block doorways. She can fly but she uses that ability once in her first season and then the writers must have yawned and decided that it was too much so she never uses that ability again. Luke trying to 'protect' the police force by not giving them details about the Hand is beguiling. I mean, sure it would have been helpful if he would have told them more but they are cops and just having a name and a location - Midland Circle should have been enough for them to find out for themselves what the defenders knew. And its laughable that they don't believe in the concept of resurrection - in a universe where Loki exists and Thor exists and super soldiers exist - and the list goes on. I mean these must the most ignorant idiots on the face of the planet. This is a ridiculous cash grab effort and I notice that the seasons are getting progressively worse along with the villians' ineptitude. Daredevil Season 1 was amazing, Jessica Jones season 1 was watchable particularly because of the villain. Luke Cage season 1 was terrible and don't even get me started on Iron Fist. And now we keep getting these generic brain dead seasons and I think its time to give up on the franchise because its too dumb and it makes my brain numb. Please avoid this show like the plague because time is precious and you dont want to be wasting it on this bilge. That cop - Misty is so dumb, I'm surprised she survived the first season of Luke Cage. I guess she's called Misty because she has really clouded judgement.

Though of course, people would not agree with my assessment, I believe that train to Busan is a well adjusted film with elements of suspense, longing, tension, tragedy, sacrifice and terror thrown into the mix. It is a well rounded movie and the acting performances are above par. This I say when comparing it to movies belonging to the same genre. There is nothing here that hasn't been done before but the way it has been shot is commendable. The ride starts early and the tension does not let up for a single moment. Especially heart rending is the scene towards the end where the father sacrifices himself to save his daughter. It is the sort of movie that stays with you long after the credits role because you start to think - what would you do when you face such insurmountable odds. Again, not something that is unique to this movie but the way it has been done is unique and appealing. Altogether an excellent movie. Now let's wait for Hollywood to butcher it with a remake.

It starts out very promisingly in the first season. Phill is the last man on Earth until he isn't. He's just a regular red blooded male looking for company to so that he can finally have s@x. When he does find somebody, she is far from ideal. Carol is the sort of woman who can get on your nerves just by talking. And so it is that Phill settles with Carol. Until Melissa shows up. And this is where the show really gets interesting. Phill's desperate attempts to be with Melissa even though he is married to Carol are hilarious. And then Todd shows up and then Gail and Erica show up and things start to go downhill for Phill. The final nail in the coffin is when stud muffin Phill 2 shows up. Eventually Phill's situation becomes so bad, he is left in the desert to die by Phill 2. And that is where you can stop watching the show. Afterwards, Carol chooses to leave with Phill to roam around the country and Phill (or Tandy at this point) turns over a new leaf. But Carol wants to go back. So Phill makes the sacrifice for Carol even though he knows he is not wanted in the group. And then a huge opportunity is missed as Will Ferrel is killed off in his first scene. They should have at least kept him around for a couple of episodes. Thereafter, the show becomes a dramedy, something like watching a satire of the show 'Big Boss'. This show is only worth watching for the first season. Then it becomes cringe worthy and clichéd. Hats off to Will Forte though, he is funny and I feel that he is going places.

One cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness when the end credits role for this movie. The realization that we will never get to see Hugh Jackman in this role again will set in when the screen fades for the final time on the role that Hugh Jackman has made so iconic over the years. What also pains me is the fact that we will never see Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's wolverine pair up on screen. Hugh Jackman was always the perfect choice to play the Wolverine and it will be hard for anyone to fill out those shoes. The movie itself though might not be perfect or novel, the performances by the cast are excellent. Sad to see Professor X go too. The violence in the movie was graphic but it wasn't a distraction, it helped build up the tension. Added to the fact that Logan cannot heal as quickly as he used to, every action sequence adds an element of vulnerability to his character. Hugh Jackman as always has acted very well and I feel that he should be felicitated for this effort. For die hard X-MEN fans this movie is a must see. It might be a little confusing for people who haven't been following the series but on its own as well it is a powerful movie.

Right off the bat I think I can safely say that Passengers is not a groundbreaking sci fi movie. There are no new horizons being explored in this venture, rather a lot of things have been borrowed from various movies based in space and jumbled up to create Passengers. Lonely passenger stranded on space station - check, falling in love - check, betrayed by the one you love - check, disaster in space - check, lead pair saves the day - check, rogue AI - check. It's as if somebody saw a lot of sci fi movies over the ages and came up with a checklist of things to cover in Passenger. What's going for this movie then? 1. Good performances by our lead pair, esp. Chris Pratt who is getting better with each movie. 2. Visual effects And that's about it. It definitely does not qualify as a blockbuster movie and there is nothing to set it apart. It may work as a love story but not enough time was given for the lead pair to grow on you. the ending is kind off abrupt and I felt that they could have done away with the whole disaster angle and instead concentrated on the relationship issues one might face in isolation. That would have worked. 6 stars from me only for the acting.

Luke Cage is probably the weakest link in the current crop of Marvel's made for TV superhero shows. The writing is weak, the acting subpar in most places and the premise is flimsy. The villains chosen to go up against Luke Cage are probably the dumbest bad guys I have ever seen. Diamondback and Cottonmouth are as much a threat to Luke Cage as an ant would be to an elephant. But an ant can be a nuisance for the elephant if it crawls into its ear. Or something like that. Here the villains instead chose to toy with him even though they understand that he is bulletproof, crazy strong and has the best kind of luck any person can have. There were at least 3 occasions where the bad guy has Luke Cage dead to rights but instead chose to walk away assuming that he will die. Probably of boredom. Bad writing. The stakes are very low and the drama is forced. I really don't see why they had to stretch it to 13 episodes, they could have easily wrapped it up in 9 maybe 10. I think that I can safely say that Luke Cage is comparable to what DC is doing with its properties these days. Flushing them down the toilet. Moreover, I am surprised that people in this marvelverse are surprised to see people with powers. I mean, they keep referring to the incident where a God, a Demon, a Supersoldier, a genius, a superspy and a guy who never misses come together to stop an alien invasion. Surely seeing a superpowered individual after that should not be such a revelation. Luke Cage is an escaped convict who gets his powers due to an experiment gone wrong when he is in prison. He is chosen as a candidate for the experiment for the flimsiest of reasons (apparently he is strong and he is educated, go figure). With his new powers Luke Cage chooses to do.. nothing. Yes he is quite content sweeping floors, working as a dishwasher for the better part of 3 episodes. The only reason he decides to do something about Cottonmouth's murdering ways is because Cottonmouth murders his mentor. Well not really Cottonmouth but one of his employees. So here is Luke Cage trying to bust Cottonmouth's chops by remaining within the confines of the law, the usual tropes and clichés follow till Diamondback (who is his Luke's stepbrother) comes after him because his father loved Luke more (which is not the case, his Father is equally averse to Luke Cage). Now Diamondback has special bullets that can pierce Luke Cage's skin and kill him. And it is quite evident that he hates Luke enough to want to kill him. So how does he go about killing Luke Cage? Over the course of 7 episodes he shoots cage twice and lets him go both times. There is no explanation for this. If I were a ruthless hit-man hellbent on killing my stepbrother, I would make sure that the job is done. But Diamondback is too stupid to finish the job. The silliest thing is that even though people know that Luke is powerful and impregnable, they still go up against him with guns and fists. I mean how stupid do you have to be to become a gangster. The whole blaxploitation angle has been tacked on unnecessarily. The track with Cottonmouth's sister, that whiny politician rabble-rouser who irritated me with her silly expressions and bad acting. To say the least, Luke Cage is a stupid show and if people feel otherwise, I feel sorry for them. Daredevil (only the first season) was awesome, it was intense, the stakes were real and the villain was appropriate. With Luke Cage I feel as though Marvel is simply trying to cash in. If you really do not have anything better to do with your time, watch Luke Cage. Otherwise watch something more interesting.. like paint drying maybe.

This game is so bad that it is awesome. First of all the graphics. Very good. The story - pretty much what you would expect from a Deus ex title. But what really sets it apart from other games? The dumb AI. No, I am not kidding, the AI in this game is so dumb, it is awesome. That's what clinched the deal for me. I have been playing for 16 hours now in the city of Praha and haven't even gotten to the main missions yet. I have only just completed the mission to fix my augments and completing that mission gave me the necessary tools to explore almost the entire city. I have spent so much time exploring that I feel as though I have almost covered all of it. And I have done it armed with a pistol and a few grenades. You would be foolish to play this game straight. I have tried all sorts of silly things and the more I discover the better it gets. For example, I went to this arms dealer to sell some of my stuff. Then I explore his own apartment and find some more stuff that I can sell. I promptly go back and sell his own stuff to him. And he buys them back from me without batting an eyelid. Then I killed him because he made a snide remark. The nerve. Somewhere else, I entered a restricted area by mistake. Goons started attacking me and so I ran away to hide in a corner. Luckily there were some cops in the area so they came in, attacked and killed all the goons and called it a day. I then casually scrolled into the restricted area and found awesome loot. There is no limit to the silly stuff you can try out in this game. Taking out the AI is easy enough, you hide in a corner and they come to you in single file as you pick them off one by one. The best part is that the remarks they make as they advance; makes it look like they have it all figured out. And then I take them out. I love this silliness. This game is almost like a parody of the genre and though it tries to take itself seriously I would advise fellow gamers against taking it seriously. Deus ex mankind divided is a fun ride, probably the most fun I have had playing a game in decades. And my friends feel the same way. You should definitely check it out, you will not be disappointed.

There is a real dearth of funny movies these days imho and Keanu is by far the funniest movie as far as 2016 is concerned. At least up until now. There are some scenes that will genuinely bring out tears of laughter in your eyes. To expect stellar performances and a riveting storyline from this movie is to have great expectations. It is what it is a funny movie, designed specifically to tickle your funny bone. The story is simple but the shenanigans very real and very hilarious. 2 cousins end up losing their cat to gangsters and they set out to retrieve the cat. In the process they end up posing as renowned hit men and are forced to get into a drug deal in return for their cat. The funniest parts are when Rell and Clarence are trying to convince the real gangsters that they are the real deal. Couple of scenes are worth mentioning, one where Clarence tries to convince the gangsters about George Michael and how he got his scar and second - when they get made. There are other very hilarious scenes too and I must say that the movie deserves to be seen. Cool cameo by Keanu Reeves.

First up, this movie is high on style, I'll give it that. Where does it go wrong? Let me summarize: Dreams, Lex Luthor, Batman's sudden change of heart towards batman, unnecessary scenes pertaining to Batman's past and most of all the unnecessary death of Superman. The fight between Batman and Superman is left too late, the trailers had us thinking that sure Batman hates Superman but we can also see that Clark believes that Batman's brand of justice is just wrong. This should have been the sole reason for them to go head to head. Instead we get a lame ass reason for Superman to go after Batman, just because Lex has his mother. Funny thing is even before he goes to fight batman he tells Louis that he must try to convince Batman to help him. Why does he think that Batman would help him? And even if he does believe that Batman is one of the good guys, why not reach out to him earlier and talk about an alliance instead of crashing his car and threatening him with consequences. Lex blowing up the senate hearing was so retarded, he already had access to the Kryptonite and the genesis chamber. Also the way he tried to frame superman was stupid. Everyody knows Superman wouldn't need guns to kill. Yet in the incident, bullets are the one thing responsible for the deaths. So many flaws. Special mention to Jesse for hamming it up as Lex Luthor. He was clearly copying the acting style of an Indian superstar - Shah Rukh Khan. But I will overlook all of this for the following: 1. A satisfying throw down between Batman and Superman. Something I have been waiting to watch for ages. 2. Wonder Woman! 3. The final boss fight. 4. The dawn of the justice league 5. Darkseid is coming!

It is sad to see that people have rated the show as low as 6. I don't know what you are comparing the show to and why you think it needs to be dark and gritty and a wannabe for what Marvel has to offer with its shows. What I like about the show is that though there are stereotypes and the usual tropes, what this show does differently is try, honestly try to answer the following questions: 1. If we found that there were Aliens among us with God like powers we would definitely try to find a way to keep them in check. 2. As is addressed in the show there will always be haters and you cant keep everybody happy which is evident as to the rating this show has got. 3. Supergirl starts out as an average, nerdy girl who knows she has great potential but has to keep herself subdued because the world has superman, she is a girl and she has been brought up by her foster parents to believe that being normal is to try to fit in. But if you have greatness inside you, why shouldn't you break the shackles. If you feel you can make a difference why shouldn't you make an honest attempt at least once in your life. This is how supergirl starts out, unsure, prone to make mistakes and they have tried to give a very humane touch to it. What I also like about the show is that there is room for levity and a little bit of kitschy romance similar to Flash and I love the hell out of that show. I also love the homage to actors who have portrayed the man of steel and the girl of steel on screen before. The villains although have unbelievable origin stories, they have still tried to be true to the comics. I believe that this is an honest and earnest attempt to portray a woman as a superhero on screen, somebody who isn't bad ass, isn't angsty all the time (here's looking at you Jessica Jones), isn't overly moralistic and her problems are real problems people face in real life. Incorrigible bosses, people who are ready to blame you for the slightest of mistakes even though you were trying to do it for the greater good. The special effects are decent and the acting although not phenomenal but it holds up. Melissa Benoist has done a good job. Calista Flockhart's portrayal of Cat Grant is spot on, I work for a corporate and I have seen women on top behave in this way, they have to come across as ruthless because it is a man's world and if women do not behave like this they are not taken seriously. I have worked for such bosses myself and believe me her portrayal is almost spot on. I feel that this show has its heart in the right place, please don't try to dissect it, watch it for what it is, a tale of a woman trying to fit in, a woman with the potential to change the world but with the challenges that everyday women face.

I liked what Tarantino had for us up until the sequel to Kill Bill came out. His movies were edgy, gory, unpredictable and designed for shock value, drawing inspiration from old western movies. Then he overdid it. Nowadays there is a lot of talking in his movies, the main protagonists come across as bad asses and end up as half asses. Lets take the Inglourius Basterds as an example. The plan to assassinate Hitler starts to go horribly wrong until a stroke of luck helps them to bring the plan back on track. It wasn't a great movie, it was all right. Then we had Django Unchained and the only part I liked about the movie was when Leonardo DiCaprio came on screen and the game of cat and mouse began. Now we have the hateful eight in which the first half of the movie is about the hateful eight being the boring eight, talking and talking till I almost dozed off. There are a lot of scenes that are unnecessary, the plot to free Daisy is unnecessarily complicated, of course they tried to justify this in the FAQ section but I still feel that the narrative could have been tighter and this didn't have to be such a long movie. The Domergue gang gets their comeuppance in the end but being such a notorious gang, I was surprised that Joe Gage and Jody Gage literally made no impact (other than shooting Marquis Warren in the crotch which was hilarious but had no effect on the story thereafter). Its a good movie but not an excellent movie and definitely not deserving 8 stars. I mean just compare it to Reservoir Dogs, one of Tarantino's best movies. Would you say it matches that level of storytelling and screenplay? I think not.

From the movies you know that Hannibal Lecter is a manipulative sociopath who eats people and likes to manipulate their lives since he knows he is powerful. First of all, hats off to Mads Mikkelsen, his portrayal of Hannibal is spot on, enough to send chills down your spine. Hugh Dancy also gets it right, and it is a joy to watch these two men bring their characters to life on screen. The show itself is not so much a portrayal of psychopaths and the FBI's efforts to catch them. It is a study of what goes in in the mind of Hannibal Lecter and how he is always in control. It is the tale of the Devil and how he walks among us and even though we think we can catch him at his worst moment, he knows through us what our designs are for him and he manipulates us into a false sense of control. Never has drinking wine or the preparation of a meal been more foreboding. To Hannibal the people who come into his life are puppets to be manipulated for his amusement, pigs to be slaughtered and eaten so as to satiate his appetite. As the show begins, in Will, Hannibal sees an equal, somebody he can mold in his own image. But Will is on the side of good and Hannibal is on the other side, that of pure evil. When Will realizes that it is impossible to catch Lecter, he pretends to be seduced by Lecter's therapy thus giving him a false sense of kinship with him. But it is unraveled by one small mistake that costs Will the lives of the people he cherishes the most. The first season is good but it is the second season where things really take off. It is like watching a work of art changing colors, with each change, a new picture presenting itself but what you see on the canvas is what Lecter wants you to see even as the viewer. Truly a masterpiece!

I gave it 6 stars because clearly the show has been expanded unnecessarily up to 12 episodes. Jessica Jones is not a superhero per se. She is a kind hearted person who wants to help people around her and it is this apathy of hers that the antagonist, Killgrave takes advantage of. As the story goes, Killgrave can control minds and under his influence, Jessica commits a heinous crime which haunts her even after she escapes his control. Under his influence she kills Luke Cage's wife and it is this guilt that haunts her. She tries to make contact with Luke Cage thinking that there can be some retribution, but eventually he finds out and leaves her with another angst filled episode of brooding. For a person with Jessica's powers and intelligence, taking out Killgrave would've been so much easier, especially if she would have enlisted Cage's help. He has impregnable skin, that would have come in handy. Instead she enlists the help of her best friend Trish Walker who learns how to fight and defend herself (Krav Maga) and does precisely nothing when they capture Killgrave the first time. Also a cop who is able to fend off more of Killgrave's bodyguards than Jessica who has powers but somehow gets overpowered by 3 men wielding stun batons. Then they capture him a second time, and she bungles it up again, allowing him to escape one more time. There was no need for the show to drag on for this long. We get montages of Jessica Jones drinking, Jessica Jones sulking and most of the time I think due to budget constraints her using her superpowers is implied. Daredevil on the contrary was fast paced, the threat was very real and the motivations for Murdock to become the daredevil made sense.

Luke Cage is introduced but hardly used.

The best thing I liked about the show is David Tennant in the role of Killgrave. Clearly the moments when he appears on the screen are the best moments, especially when he uses his 'powers of persuasion'. If you're watching this show you are watching it for Killgrave. Jessica Jones(the character on the show) is boring.

For those who have followed Charles Schulz' comic strip about a boy named Charlie Brown and his colorful friends, this movie will present a sense of nostalgia. Though its not necessary to have followed the comic book to understand and/or connect with the movie. I must commend the creators and the director for creating a movie that is relevant to all age groups. The basic plot and the subplots are inspired from the comic strips and seeing it all happen as an animated movie on screen, really had me excited. The thing about Charlie Brown is that though he is very unlucky in matters of love, sports, academia etc, he is a good person. There is a wonderful message in this movie that life may throw many obstacles against you and you may think that God has it in for you. But if you stay true to your heart and do not become bitter, if you do not lose hope that good things will one day happen to you, one day your life will turn around. This is a wonderful message for kids and adults alike. I especially liked (have always liked) the antics of Snoopy and the way these have been translated to the silver screen, I can't help but applaud. His efforts to win his lady love, to triumph against the red baron to save her, his efforts to get inside the school. I guess I can safely say that this is the comic strip brought alive. Thank God for technology.

This is the kind of show with blink and you miss it jokes. You have to pay rapt attention to detail and though it does aim to be funny, its not that funny. The humor is clever and dark and mostly dry/witty/sarcastic. The casting though is perfect and I really must say that Julia Louis does not disappoint. I especially like the Mike character because he seldom knows what is going on and his expressions are priceless. I know it got an emmy and all the brouhaha but it is all right. If you're looking for laughs this show is not for you. But if you like cerebral humor, it is right up your alley. 7 stars is what I think it deserves.

It is just awful that people who have seen this movie are concentrating on things like poor acting and what not. As a film critic, I was riveted by this movie for the following reasons (and these are the reasons you should be giving White God 10 stars)

1. The dogs are the real actors. 2. To have a vision like this and translate it to the silver screen is a humongous effort. Full marks to director Kornél Mundruczó for the execution. 3. Comparisons between this and any other movie of a similar genre wold be unfair, this is not a movie, it is a work of art and those who don't think so did not get it. 4. The final scene of the movie is so profound and so perfect that if you really gave it below 10 a) you didn't get what the director is trying to portray and b) If you did get it it was criminal to take anything away from the movie as the final scene actually puts the vision into perspective. 5. Regarding the acting, I am simply glad that there were no over the top histrionics from any of the actors as it would have taken away from how real the events that take place in the movie felt. This is how normal people behave and that is how it has been portrayed.

Sure there are a couple of weak moments but they are forgivable.

I loved this movie because I got what unfurled in front of me. It is a metaphor to the oppression that minorities, colored people etc feel across the world. When you are on your own and the world is out to get you because you don't belong this is what it feels like. It is said that a dog can only see black and white and for Hagen, initially the white skinned people were providers for him. Then they became his tormentors. At some point he started to see the Gods as fallible, he realized that they did not care for him and that was the moment he realized that he had to hit back. Therefore he started an uprising to right the wrongs done to his species, in this case the mixed breed dogs. The reason the final scene puts things into perspective is because it shows that he is successful in bringing his Gods to their knees, nay prostate themselves in front of him. This means that he has won his rightful place in society and the humans have recognized his and his species' significance. Therefore I say that this movie is a masterpiece and I would be gunning for it to win many accolades. Because it truly deserves all the recognition.