modistreet Reviews

Mausam (2011)

Yawn!!! zzzzzz..........

[4/10 · 30 September 2011]

The story line was boring to say the least. The acting did not connect with the audience on any level.The immaturity of Shahid and Sonam Kapoor was evident from the onset of the movie. Even the content wasn't captivating to keep the audience remotely interested. So much so that I even heard a few snores in the theatre. Pankuj Kapur is a good character actor but direction isn't his forte. One irritant is that the movie abruptly jumps from one end of the world to another losing the flow that should have been there. Veteran actors like Anupan Kher have been side lined and under utilized.Except for a couple of musical scores its been a dull affair. I wouldn't advise watching this movie unless you looking for some shut eye.

Shalimar (1978)

Awful!!!!

[3/10 · 24 February 2011]

I watched this movie in 1978, and watched it again after 33 years. The reason being, I read somewhere that the movie flopped because it was ahead of its time. But I can guarantee it that if this movie was made today with special effects and all it would still be a disaster. The reason being that it was an amateurish attempt by an NRI (Krishna Shah) who thought he would ape a Hollywood movie for the Indian public. He failed miserably on many levels. Firstly the casting was pathetic. Shammi Kapoor, O.P. Ralhan, a has been Hollywood actor like Rex Harrison, and a one movie wonder ("Enter the Dragon")John Saxon and some old hag Slyvia Miles who nobody's heard of. The dubbing of Rex Harrison by Kader Khan was poor because Rex's expression while delivering the dialogues are cardboard like and detached. The storyline is paper thin and holes start showing up in it very early in the movie. Zeenat Aman's acting at best could be described as erratic. The only bright spots in this movie were the songs.But all in all a forgetful experience. If someone hasn't seen this fiasco believe me you are better off than some of us unfortunate souls.

The Karate Kid (2010)

Disappointing

[4/10 · 3 August 2010]

To start with the obvious, the martial art form used in the movie is KungFu not Karate. It should have been named "The Kungfu Kid". There was no build up of characters or animosity to hold the audiences attention for very long. The mother though necessary was useless in any way to the plot. Ralph Macchio in the First Karate Kid was in his early 20's when he did the movie, he should have been called the Karate guy or something, anyways I feel Jaden Smith was too small for the role. Other than the frightened child expression, he couldn't manage too much. I believe in any martial art form there is a weight class while in the movie, at least one of his opponent was double his age & weight. That is totally unrealistic. After initially floundering around Jaden just picks up every move on the first try. Machhio had a learning curve which made it believable. Though there were some exaggeration there in the older Karate Kid, but the storyline kept the audience captured, every one of us wanted really bad to be the person to beat up the bad guys. Here there was no villain just a bunch of confused kids going from an illegal moves to handing the trophy to the Jaden Smith with a smile on their faces. Total hogwash. Jackie Chan was OK but I found Mr. Miyagi's character a bit more livelier. That would have suited Jackie's character as well. All in all a disappointment in spite of all the hype.

De Dana Dan (2009)

Just OK movie

[6/10 · 28 May 2010]

The movie is funny but not in the same league as Hera Pheri. I have seen Priyadarshan's same movie made in Malayalam and found that one funnier. This movie was good in spurts, but overall it was a bit bland. The main reason could be because I felt that not much thought went into the the dialogues; so some of the scenes looked part of an improvisation exercise. Therefore it lacked the necessary punch. The initial song was excellent and so was Neha Dhupia's "Haughty Naughty" number. The trio Akshay, Paresh & Suneil did their usual thing. Suneil was a bit funnier this time. While Katrina, Sameera & Chunky didn't have much to do; they were there just for the ambiance.

I found the scenes leading up to the climax good and on a slightly bigger scale than the original movie. The movie could have had a slightly better ending. To rap it up I would say even though it wasn't a rip roaring laugh riot, it is still a good time pass movie.

Agyaat (2009)

Hindi version of Predator

[4/10 · 16 August 2009]

The movie starts out with a promise even though there weren't any major stars. But once the similarity between this movie and the 80's classic "Predator" dawned on us, it lost most of it appeal. Even one of the lines "What the hell are you" said by Arnold Schwarznegger was also coined by one of the characters. In "Predator" the characters were battle hardened mercenaries while here you have a film unit. RGV has an eccentric sense of film-making but we went to see it nonetheless because at least it was his original idea. But "Agyaat" is just a poor man's "Predator". Whenever he's tried to copy movies he has failed miserably take "RGV ki Sholay" for instance. Either he is running out of ideas or the confidence to have any ideas. Either way its a sorry state of affair.

Shortkut - The Con Is On (2009)

A Flop in every aspect

[3/10 · 19 July 2009]

Another flop copy of a very good Malyalam movie. Director Priyadarshan started this trend. The reason he succeeds most of the time because he is also the Director for the Malyalam movie. So he knows the emotions for each scene so keeping the Bollywood audience in mind he makes some changes but cuts it pretty close to the original movie. Mr. Neeraj Vora has gained success in the past with Hera Pheri, Bhool Bulaiya etc., all Malyalam movies but there was no evidence of that quality here. Firstly the characters were absolutely wrong. Besides Munnabhai, Arshad Warsi hasn't been able to make any in roads in any other movie. Secondly Akshay Khanna is an actor with limited acting skills. The character in this film required a higher level if not superior skills. Mr. Mohanlal the superstar of Malyalam movie and Srinivasan were superb together. Both the movies were also inspired by the king of comedy Eddie Murphy's "Bowfinger". The dialog writer must take equal blame for this debacle. The dialogs lacked creativity and were bland at best. The characters just sleep walked through all the scenes like zombies. Arshad Warsi tried his best to lift the movie through his now stale comedic style but that just didn't cut the cheese. Songs was nothing much to write home about. My advise, save your money buy yourself a good lunch instead.

Keerthi Chakra (2006)

A Movie that could have been good

[2/10 · 19 July 2009]

The subject matter was good, direction was OK. Mohanlal was efficient in his role as a Major. The acting of the supporting actors was amateurish at best. The casting director and director should be held responsible for this debacle. Hawaldar Jai was terrible, he stood out like a sore thumb with his poor histrionics. He did not look the part nor did he move like a soldier. There was a scene where a satellite feed was required of the skirmish with the militants and they were showing it from a camera angle. Satellite is located hundred of miles in the sky so the only angle is from above.It was quite an embarrassing moment. Audience these days are matured and they recognize when one is trying to pull wool over their eyes. The Director is a Major so the story could be out of his personal experiences. No problem there, but the movie is only as good as its actors and Director. So if Major Ravi is going for any other projects he should pay more attention to the casting.

Kurukshetra (2008)

A truly good movie

[9/10 · 19 July 2009]

Its absolutely baffling that people have commented so harshly on this movie, while "KeerthiChakra" a melodramatic and exaggerated version of the Kargil war has been applauded. I must admit initially I did make a mistake in mixing the two titles up. Every aspect of this movie has been thoroughly researched and precise. The cost of human lives has not been discounted in this war film. The lost to the nation and more to each soldier's family has been perfectly portrayed. Technically sound, the songs were melodious with a heart wrenching Hindi patriotic song was the crowning jewel. Realism was evident in every scene so much so that even while showing the Pakistani soldiers, they weren't painted as all black, there are the bad elements but some as always are the reluctant soldiers. The dialogs were appropriate and to the point, without any attempt to make it sound extra patriotic. In the culminating stages of the movie the hand to hand combat between Mohanlal and his Pakistani counterpart was innovative and perfect. The ending was beautiful, reflecting what most of us don't know we lost in spite of winning all 3 wars with Pakistan.

Varavelpu (1989)

Excellent movie

[9/10 · 28 June 2009]

A true portrayal of the sad situation in Kerela. Though this film was released in '89 the reality still stands true. This film looks like it was made on a small budget but doesn't matter. The direction was impeccable and the acting by all the characters were flawless. There was no attempt to embellish the story with any kind of melodrama and that's what held me to the story. Mohanlal portrayed correctly the frustrations, faced by most entrepreneurs in that State. Revathi has a vulnerability that almost makes your heart bleed for her. The movie was a social commentary such "Eenadu", which also was very good. The ending was befitting the movie because it did not try to go the well beaten popular path.

633 Squadron (1964)

Below average movie

[4/10 · 1 June 2009]

When you see this movie one thought crosses your mind. Is this A made for TV movie released in theatres? The budget for this film appears to be miniscule. Cliff Robertson the protagonist was card board like throughout the movie. He retained the same expression through various scenes in the whole movie, reminding you of a soap opera actor. The build up to the climax was OK. The final R.A.F. assault scene was so pathetic that it was almost laughable. You could clearly see that the action sequence took place on a board room table. The bombs that were supposed to invoke an earthquake looked nothing more than a child's firecracker. All in all a disappointing ending. There have been many classic war movies made during the 60's, this wouldn't be one of them by a long shot.

Nirnnayam (1995)

Shameless copy of a Hollywood movie

[4/10 · 17 January 2009]

Lack of creativity would be an apt description for this movie. An outright xerox copy of the "Fugitive" with minute exceptions. Even the dialogs were an exact translation of the Hollywood movie. It is quite embarrassing to see such plagiarism. Malayalam and Bengali movies are known for their originality, but that's not at all evident here. Mohanlal tried his best but wasn't very convincing as the accused doctor. The supporting actors just sleepwalked through their respective roles. Nedumudi Venu's talent was just wasted in the priest's role. My advise would be to watch the original Fugitive-Harrison Ford instead of this cheap imitation.

Flash (I) (2007)

Not much of a mystery

[4/10 · 15 January 2009]

Below average film with a below average acting and a predictable plot. Mohanlal was lack luster at best, the reason could be that he has already acted in similar movies where the heroine is mentally disturbed and he is trying to unravel the mental mysteries. The grandfather was too young to justify the role. His physique was apparent from the onset of the movie. Dhwani's inexperience was glaring. There wasn't much creativity in the dialogs either, same old dialogs being recycled. As far as the mystery is concerned, there wasn't any, because the director decided to go on the old beaten path. Directors and the writers in the past underplay and underexpose the true villain. All you need to do is follow the bread crumbs and you will know the villain within a few minutes of the crime occurring. Unfortunately for us audiences, Mr.Malayil(Director) decided to go the same way. All in all a thumbs down from me.

Ghajini (2008)

A Good Movie that could have been Great

[6/10 · 9 January 2009]

I am a big fan of Aamir Khan and his detail oriented approach towards every project he undertakes. It's with this expectation I went to see the movie. For the most part it matched my expectations. However, there were a couple of aspects in the movie which disappointed me. This is a revenge motivated movie, so action plays a very important role. Here's where the quality drops. The main villain was wrong for the part, he's been playing henchman for so long, you just can't upgrade him to the main villain's role in such a big budget movie. Second, he is such a big don in the crime world but not one of his men carries a gun. Do you buy this?; especially in the day and age where every foot soldier in a crime syndicate carries an automatic/AK47, just to gain respect. All these guys have, are broken metal pipes. Come to think if there was a gang war these guys wouldn't last a day. Aamir Khan's 8 pack abs was impressive but his fighting style and ability left much to be desired. His fighting style reminded you of "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander". One would expect with age and experience this perfectionist would have perfected the art of hand to hand combat. The plot, acting is still quite good but as far as action goes, the word "limited" comes to mind.

The Speed Track (2007)

Extremely Disappointing

[3/10 · 7 January 2009]

I am a fan of Dilip but, casting him for this movie was a mistake.This role should have gone to one of the younger upcoming actors. Dilip is supposed to be a track and field athlete representing a college. Two inherent problems with that, one he is 39 year old and looks every bit his age. Second, physically he is not fit enough to pull it off. Enough said about that. Let's come to the climax where the director Jayasuriya totally loses control over reality. It's a men's relay competition where the hero and villain are participating on the same team. The villain tried his best to keep Dilip from participating in the event but manages to just injure his leg. The race begins everything is fine till the baton reaches the villain who is seething with rage and envy, so in order to sabotage Dilip's chances of winning the team event he runs like he is in quicksand. Dilip's team is trailing last now. Finally after much exaggeration the baton reaches Dilip who is running the last leg. Dilip takes off with speed that makes Superman look like a snail. He is overtaking one competitor after another. I guess it becomes easy when everybody else is running in slow motion literally. He wins the race with more than a comfortable margin. The college students beat up the villain. Wait a minute! Doesn't the director know the easiest way to sabotage a relay race is to drop the baton, end of story. It's not all that unlikely either. At the Beijing Olympics, the U.S. men's and women's relay team simultaneously dropped their batons and were disqualified. Mr. Jayasuriya needs to first increase his general knowledge before venturing out to make another movie. Please spare us your stupidity.

Kidnap (2008)

Total Waste of Time and Money

[3/10 · 1 December 2008]

This movie from start was ill-conceived. It was too simplistic with no twists and will fail to grab your attention for long.In short, this plot had more holes than swiss cheese. The casting was done by a clueless director. The dialogues were weird and didn't do anything to alleviate the miserable plot. Imran Khan did not look the part of a juvenile delinquent or a boy from an orphanage. He looked more like a spoilt brat trying to get his parents attention by creating a nuisance. He concentrated more on looking cool than actually playing the part. Sanjay Dutt's acting was OK but with a spare tire around his midriff he didn't seem to have too much problems matching step for step in the foot chase with Imran.Vidya Malvade looked too glamorous for a mother, whose child has been kidnapped. She didn't once sob uncontrollably or breakdown. I guess that would have messed up her hair and makeup. This wasn't a role for her. Inspite of being kidnapped, Minisha Lamba didn't seem to have any problems coming up with Victora Secret's sexy lingerie,designer clothes or bathing in picturesque settings. Almost makes you want to be kidnapped. Like the Summary Title says " Total waste of Time and Money"

Like Stars on Earth (2007)

Awesome!!!

[10/10 · 1 January 2008]

Aamir Khan is a genius with his directorial debut movie. A thought provoking movie that tugs at your heart strings. This forces one to think at various levels. As a child it takes you back to your childhood and the problems that you or your classmates might have faced. As a parent it shows you the stark reality how today's parents pressurize their children in performing well in the rat race we are in, therefore at times killing the spontaneity and creative genius within a child. There weren't any kind of exaggerations or melodrama of any sought. Aamir Khan was fantastic in his role and also the little boy was perfect in every way. I would advise the thinking audience to see it more than once to truly appreciate the message in it. In fact this movie should be entered for the Oscar's under "Best Foreign Film" category.

Mann - Soul's Heart (1999)

A Poetry in Motion

[10/10 · 23 December 2007]

The best movie in the last 2 decades. Aamir Khan outdid himself in every scene. Manisha Koirala was very beautiful and her pain is evident throughout the movie. Definitely the best movie she has acted in. Sharmila Tagore as Dev's grandmother was heart wrenching. Anil Kapoor as usual was good. Above all the Director and his treatment of the movie was mesmerizing. The songs are melodious and meaningful. I have seen this movie at least 6 times and every time I enjoyed it even more than before. I would suggest to the viewers they must see this movie at least a couple times to really appreciate the movie. In all I would say it is a poetry in motion.

4 the People (2004)

Colossal waste of time!!

[1/10 · 15 June 2007]

This movie sucks big time. The direction is amateurish and the acting awful, and that's putting it mildly. It's like getting cardboard pieces to act. I have seen people in home videos with better expressions. Nevertheless the torture doesn't end there. There were rap songs that intermittently peppered the movie. Completely out of place, much like Veda sambhar in a Chinese restaurant.I guess he used the music as fillers in the movie.

I hope Mr.Jayaraj the director, has an alternate career in mind as direction doesn't seem to be his cup of tea. In fact I believe film institutes that teach the finer aspects of film making must showcase this movie to show budding directors as what not to do in a film. The characters walked around like zombies with no emotion or facial expressions.

Recommendation is to avoid "4 the People" at all cost as it is a criminal waste of anybody's time to watch this movie. Malyalam movies have an enviable track record of producing the most realistic and heart tugging movies in India, but movies such as this is an embarrassment to the entire film industry