The Good Dinosaur

"Movie with the daughter" time! 
It (the movie, not the time!) started well anyways but somehow lost its steam midway. The ending soon becomes pretty apparent - and the rest of the movie is just waiting for it to happen. Nothing great happens to write about - except a few scary scenes to tickle the young ones seeing. So... 
Rating: Average

Sanjog

Saw a 1980s movie (that too Jeetendra's) after a long time. A pretty simple love story that gets complicated due to too much love-attachment with a small boy who also has done very nice acting. Asrani & Smita Irani adds humor at the right moments. Worth a watch. 
Rating: Good

Golmaal Again

Part 4 in the series. As long as you are aware of the series & genre, this is enjoyable. Still, the plot is made very interesting although it needn't've been! Its pretty simple for an 'atma' to do whatever it needs - without needing the help of 5 people! So, enjoy the movie for the dialog, the scenery, the location/setting and some unwanted songs!
Rating: Good

Idolle Ramayana

After having watched couple of Prakash Rai movies, I always wanted to watch this one. But alas, this one was far too slow-moving and annoying at times. While the story itself is not too bad (I wouldn't go so far as to say 'good'), it would have been better if the length of the movie was cut short to maybe 1.5 hours. Too many unnecessary scenes that could and should have been edited and even avoided. The background score is too loud at times. The first five minutes when the credits come itself started the 'sound-irritation'. Watch it with own risk.
Rating: Average

The Holiday

An interesting rom-com tale about two broken hearted female strangers exchanging their houses across the continent to be away from their ex-s. What happens next is predictable for the Europe story - and hence it kinda gets boring. The American story is interesting though but finally winds its way through another predictable ending. Acting is not all that great but the tale is barely interesting enough to vouch for a watch once.
Rating: Average

Finding Dory

After having enjoyed Finding Nemo, I always wanted to watch the sequel. And it is just as good as ever. The movie intertwines with Finding Nemo tale - how Dory was where she was and what she was doing and what she eventually does. In this case, it is about the 'daughter' fish trying to find her 'parents' fish. Very touching yet comical, not to mention beautifully scripted & animated - holds true for this sequel too.
Rating: Good

Going the Distance

A very common problem faced by the Americans depicted very well in this tale as a rom com but the movie itself is not all that great. It gets boring midway, the casting doesn't seem that good too. The humour is very gross at times and totally avoidable. And so is the movie.
Rating: Average

Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana

A quirky turn of events from what starts off as a plain vanilla love story. The title is extremely misleading to what actually happens in the movie - because the bride runs away! The tale is very interesting and the main protagonists have acted their roles very well. The direction is good but there are some scenes which could have been kept clean and tidy. The ending becomes predictable and the story/director had to make something dramatic to make it interesting till the end. So, ending is not all that exciting but it is ok. But, the movie nevertheless is definitely worth a watch especially the middle portion.
Rating: Good

Mera Naam Joker

Saw the movie in passing. Some nice dialogs and great songs. Editing could have been much better. Story is pretty much downhill all the way and not much of an entertainer. Avoidable.
Rating: Average

Tumhari Sulu

A very nice middle-class family story. Pretty much everything is taken very well in terms of film-making: The setting, the family chores, the work tension, the bosses, the children's peer pressure in school, relatives' strangling, songs, etc. Movie goes wave-like from all-joy to all-sadness to joyfulness again. Excellent acting by everyone - from taxi driver to sisters to students to managers. Of course Vidya Balan is the fulcrum and she tops it as usual! Hats off to the director for the wholesome entertainer.
Rating: Good

Qarib Qarib Singlle

Well, I am not sure if it was the movie or the ambience with which I saw it but it didn't impress me much. There were too many disturbances - cable TV cutting off and on, the voice wasn't coming out well, there were guests, etc. which kinda made the movie watching experience a complete turn-off. The story too didn't make much of an impact, at least the part that I understood - unless I misunderstood! Heroine seemed a newbie but excellent in acting. Locations were great. Watch it at your own risk!
Rating: Average

Kwatle Satisa

A quirky title led my wife and me to watch this movie. It started very simply enough but within minutes it turned interesting, and then to humorous to almost like an edge-of-seat-thriller! Very neat and clean acting, good direction with nice set of casting and idyllic middle class setting. The fact that it is a true story jolted me - how can such a thing even happen!
Rating: Good

The November Man

Watched a Pierce Brosnan movie in a Bond-like thriller after a long time. Not all that great since there seemed too many missing links but a good time-pass anyways. Editing seemed poor since there were many scenes that were not really needed. But Brosnan is as good as ever despite his age.
Rating: Average

Shubh Mangala Saavdhaan

A unique storyline which makes this movie definitely worth a watch - like Piku. Rib-tickling humor peppers up the narration all through the tale because the underlying theme is such. The actors have done a good job - portraying middle class family in a middle class setting. The direction is good and so is the casting. 
Rating: Good

College Kumar

A nice family drama movie. The first half is predictable but the second half is an eye-opener since it takes a 180 degree U-turn! Performances are average by all actors but full credit to story and screenplay. Casting is ok. Watchable once.
Rating: Good

Madhwacharya

Story depicted on the life and works of Madhwacharya. Today being Madhwa Navami, it seemed the right day to see this movie to know more about him. The movie wasn't all that great but the life of the great saint is a wonder indeed. Considering the time at which the movie was made (1980s), it is still astounding to see some scenes such as how a flower blooms right from seed to fulfillment, how men walk on the snow barefooted in the Himalayas, some astounding Sanskrit dialog delivery for long durations, etc. Watchable once to know the great saint - and how he single-handedly fought the Advaitha philosophy.
Rating: Average

Lucy

Wow, what a movie! This one was mind-blowing in terms of the philosophical angle that it portrayed. The movie very closely relates to many spiritual leaders thoughts and sayings that I have heard - about how time is the only unit of measure, about how the very source of creation is within each human being (which is what Lord Krishna told Arjuna and showed the Vishwaroopa Darshan), how we can become conscious of every single thing on earth - like feeling blood flowing in our veins, the roots of a tree, rotation of the Earth, etc. Scarlett Johansson is superb in her role. Good story (although too much of violence than what was necessary), excellent direction, awesome screenplay and intelligent dialog (especially Morgan Freeman's script). Saw the movie twice within a span of 3 days. Definitely a must-watch.

Simran

Puh-lease. This movie makes American cops look like nincompoops. Storyline goes from nice to nicer to oho to what, really? to worse and then it is downhill all the way. The only saving grace was Kangana - she is as good as she was in Queen. Otherwise - this one scores poor in story, narration, mindless chase-climax and even the title which has little or no inkling to the character.
Rating: Average

Trolls

After a long time, a movie seen with the daughter. Enjoyed just as much. These animation movies are all classic - touching the right inspiration points in their musicals. This one is a lot musical especially because the trolls are characterized as too much into singing! Great animation, nice little story, just a touch of romance here and there - and great songs. Just perfect for kids and parents.
Rating: Good

Mubarakan

Saw a Wodehousian plot after a long time. Nice story with enough romantic & family complexities. Story revolves mostly in London and a few shots in Punjab. Fresh cast, dazzling wedding scenes, good Punjabi dancing songs. The look-alike-twins are not used - thankfully - to confuse the already-complicated storyline. Good watch on TV for a weekend.
Rating: Good

Me Before You

An interesting story about the care taker falling in love with the paralyzed patient. The ending makes the heart sore though. Set in beautiful countryside of UK, the movie graces through picture postcard scenery and the main protagonists' conversations about life in general. Good acting and direction and dialog. A romantic drama filled with crests and troughs of emotions. Good watch on a lazy day.
Rating: Good 

Ek Tha Tiger

Saw this movie in passing. Salman and Katrina make a great screen presence. It kinda resembled the Jason Bourne-ish but the romance was completely Bollywoody. Songs are nice, so are location settings. Watchable.
Rating: Good

Upendra

After having watched Uppi 2, I always wanted to see Upendra. This movie, though, was not as captivating as the sequel. True, it has some great insights, truths and dialog that only the actor-director Upendra can think of and deliver but some of the scenes are so gory, gut-wrenching, blood-oozing and face-contorting that it is better left unseen. Surely there could have been a much simpler way of conveying the message. Ah yes, the film has an interesting message too for which alone the movie is bearable.
Rating: Average

The Adventures of Tintin

Having read the book as a teenager, it was a great fun to see the movie after more than 2 decades. And enjoyed just as much! The animation is super cool - almost real but not really. The fight scenes and the chase scenes are exceptionally carried out. It is a real treat to watch Morocco especially. The story, as Tintin's stories are always famous for, has continuous twists and turns. It was a great introduction of Tintin to my daughter! 
Rating: Good

The Three Musketeers

An adventure movie comparable to the likes of The Mask of Zorro and Indiana Jones. From the very first scene till the very last, there is action. No scene is wasted. Hence, I guess excellent editing and direction. Portrayal of all characters is sublime. Wonderful entertainer in all aspects.
Rating: Good

Hindi Medium

I somehow get to like most of Irrfan Khan's movies - or rather he gets the best scripts! This one is quirky too, just like Piku. The portrayal of the lives of the rich and the poor is heart-rending and makes this almost a must-see. But I felt it just stopped short of it. Nevertheless, a great watch - and good screenplay.
Rating: Good

Half Girlfriend

Slow-moving, long-faced acting by the hero and overall quite a drag of a movie. Got very boring in the midst of some unwanted romantic feelings and ups and downs. After an hour, was checking how long for 'The End'. Same feeling after second hour! Hardly anything in the movie to watch - story, acting, songs, cinematography. Totally avoidable without any regrets.
Rating: Pathetic

Malaya Maarutha

My second time. The last time I saw this was maybe 3 decades ago but I still remembered it very well. The first 2 hours is very nicely set. With complete Carnatic classical music as main theme, the story is well laid. But the last one hour becomes a big bore and torture. Too many songs and same songs get repeated. Vishnuvardhan has done good acting.
Rating: Average

Ondu Motteya Kathe

Excited that it is a Pawan Kumar movie, I had high expectations. But the moment I saw that it is only produced by PK but not directed by him, my excitement level came down. Nevertheless, the movie seemed interesting at first - about bald bachelors trying hard to find brides. The initial half hour was humorous to a slight extent but then the movie became very slow in progress. Hardly anything seemed to be happening. It got boring midway and then I was just waiting for the movie to end. Nothing great in the movie to write about - acting is just fine, dialog is nice to hear since it is Mangalore Kannada and the frustration of the bride and groom is depicted well.
Rating: Average

Wild Child

Saw this movie as a by-product of random changing of channels on the TV. Quite amusing at first - especially the American vs Brit feud amongst the teen girls and their accents. Some nice scenes especially rural UK, some expected ups and downs, and a pretty normal-ish ending. Yet, nice and simple watch. No complaints. Time-pass.
Rating: Good

Mom

Tangentially bordering Nirbhaya 2012 case, Mom in this case veers off in the direction of revenge instead of waiting for Law to take up action. It is gruesome in the beginning of the narration but evens out later. Excellent acting by Sridevi and all her family members. Tight storyline but at times I felt it was quite far-fetched. Worth a watch.
Rating: Good

Uppi 2

Without seeing the prequel Upendra, I embarked upon seeing this movie since it was being aired on TV. I am a big fan of Upendra's unique style of direction and thought-process since I saw his movies Om & Ssssshhh...!. This movie started off super-duper with Naanu Vs Neenu (selfishness vs selflessness). Apparently it continues where the prequel left off. Screenplay and dialog is awesome, direction is good too. The first hour of the movie is really worth a watch as it is more like a self-help book giving valuable advice. But story gets too confusing and it gets harder and harder to follow as the movie ends. After reading the wiki, I finally got to know some of it but I feel it could have been made easier to understand the message that was being conveyed! 
Rating: Good

Sully

A very simple movie about the happenings of Jan 15th 2009 and the after-effects it had on the pilot Sully due to NTSB investigation on whether the landing on the Hudson river was actually needed or not. Tom Hanks has done a neat controlled acting. Another great direction by Clint Eastwood. Worth the watch for whatever happened in those 24 minutes in NY.
Rating: Good 

Bangaara s/o Bangaarada Manushya

Very nicely conceptualized with reel-life actors being real-life persona. Dr Raj's role - even after his death - is honored as best as it could ever be as Bangaarada Manushya! But the first hour of the movie is pretty much pathetic, just like Rajakumaara (another movie that had tangential reference to Dr Raj's movie and role). The first hour is forgettable, avoidable and very less significance. The next two-thirds of the movie takes turn towards interesting concept of farmers committing suicide and Government's apathy towards them - which is good. But many scenes in the movie could have been edited as it seemed irrelevant and unwanted, especially the improbable fight scenes. Even the slight twist in the ending was rather dramatically unwanted. Anyways - a great movie for Dr Raj fans, me being one of them!
Rating: Average

Guest Iin London

A romcom that is tangentially similar to Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge. The 'unwanted guest' even in this movie is Paresh Rawal. He is exemplary in his role. Dialog is catchy. Actors are fresh. Storyline moves from comedy to seriousness pretty late - almost two thirds of the movie is humorous. So, definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Good

When in Rome

A nice rom com for the Sunday! Its kinda fanciful yet the romance and the comedy is in nice dosage to not make it a bore. Plus, there is Rome and Spanish accent! The dialog and screenplay is good, acting is fresh, NY and Central Park refreshes memories! Worth one watch.
Rating: Good

MS Dhoni - The Untold Story

While the Sachin one was a documentary, this one is made like a movie - and it is very well done. Dhoni's story is very much like a Bollywood story indeed. The interesting bits, of course, is about how he met his girlfriend, his wife, about his parents and his early childhood and how he got into cricket. The romantic scenes could have been edited though and unnecessarily elongated the already long saga. Or, could have been replaced by his famous hits - like the 183* that he hit against Sri Lanka. Anyways, coming back to the movie - Sushanth has portrayed the role very well. The actresses are eye-catching and giggly most of the time. The movie doesn't look like a true story and yet it is - hence it is very inspiring. Enjoyed the biopic completely, while musing sadly about the sad events that has occurred in his life; and also how he could have served the Indian cricket about 3-4 years earlier than when he actually started. For once, instead of saying 'What a movie', I will say 'What a man!' :-)
Rating: Good   

What to expect when you are expecting

A romcom. Good enough dose of romance and comedy. Not too much, but just enough to pass off as a good watch. Nothing more, nothing less. As the title says - it is all about the arrival of the new one in the family; multiple couples' stories portrayed one after the other - and their tales doesn't get intertwined, nor are they all related at any one point of time like in 11:14. They all just live tangentially. It is like an anthology of different couples' tales. 
Rating: Average

Rajakumaara

This one is just perfect for Dr Rajkumar's role. This is exactly the kind of movie that script-writers used to write for Dr Raj - a parents'-loving, elders'-loving, people-loving role. Since Dr Raj is not there, who better than his own son?! The first half of the movie turned me off, though. It is hardly worth a watch but the remaining 2 hours more than makes up for it. The story goes topsy-turvy and thats when the creamy side of the movie starts. Excellent dialog, good humor, good casting & acting (especially of the elderly) makes this one watchable and even enjoyable, to an extent. The fight scenes were completely avoidable but I guess they are included to bring in the masses and the youth. A good watch.
Rating: Good

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya

Run-of-the-mill. Engaged girl meets boy, falls in love and rest is history. Some light twists here, some 30 degree turns there just to fill up the 2.5 hrs. Nothing great to write about. Slight humor. 
Rating: Average

Bajrangi Bhaijaan

This one happened to be my first-time-ever third-movie-of-the-day! And boy, am I glad, this movie turned out to be the way it was. 

A simple yet powerful storyline about connecting a separated dumb daughter to her mother across the ever-turbulent Indo-Pak border. Salman's role portrayal is excellent. The kid's acting is superb albeit being dumb. Kashmir is taken breathtakingly beautiful. The oodles of love that flows across India and Pakistan is wonderful. The whole movie is filled with 'feel-good' factors. Even though the storyline can be predicted, it still is almost an edge-of-the-seat with enough twists and turns. A must-watch.
Rating: Must-see

I Don't Know How She Does It

This has 'uber' written from minute 1. A classy style of film-making. Sarah Jessica Parker and Pierce Brosnan are my favs anyways - and their casting adds charm. Casting, story, narration, acting, direction, screenplay, cinematography, dialog - everything tops the chart. Wholesome entertainer.
Rating: Good

Bridget Jones's Diary

Avoided this movie for a very long time since I thought - for some reason - it was an over-hyped romcom. Gotto see it today and my intuition turned true. Pretty averagish triangle love story. Not much of comedy nor much of romance. Not much significance to the diary either. Time pass.
Rating: Average

Singh is Bliing

Wholesome entertainer only if you keep your brains away - just like the kinng movie! Just see to enjoy! Total time pass movie. Watchable only for Amy Jackson, Punjabi colorful scenes and some light humor especially with the translator. How an absolute goof-up-guy suddenly starts fighting a dozen people single-handedly is something that the brain should not think! Editing not so great - the scenes with the translator sleepwalking could have been avoided - not much laughter. Anyways.
Rating: Good

Toilet - Ek Prem Katha

A true-events-inspired movie that is made very nicely on the delicate topic of open defecation rampant widely in rural India more due to falsely followed ritual of not having a loo in the house due to 'impurity concepts'. Dialog, setting, acting, directing, casting, story - all has come out very well in this dry-humor albeit a serious-topic movie. Definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Must-see 

Jab Harry Met Sejal

Pathetic written all over it from start to finish. I rate very few movies as Pathetic and unfortunately this one is very much so. Maybe I didn't like the characterization of the cast in the story, or maybe it was the too-thin finding-needle-in-haystack plot. Either ways, this one was too difficult to digest with songs coming suddenly of nowhere, cries, potential fight scenes with no fight - seemed like director wanted to make it comical at times but I am not sure. Anyways, avoidable at all costs. Ending is known anyways - even before you start watching the movie!
Rating: Pathetic

Great Grand Masti

Just like the prequel, only one thing is talked-, portrayed-, sung- and danced-about in the movie. Amazing double-meaning-ed humor in pretty much most scenes that maybe doesn't make you ROFL but still tickles. Worth a watch with no expectations.

Rating: Average

Dilwale (SRK)

A movie for 'Company to wifey'! Nothing much to write about. Just another Bollywood masala movie with enough romance, songs, humor, dance, action - and add SRK and Kajol to make it extra special. Total time-pass.
Rating: Average

Tubelight

A relatively nice movie set in 1960s Sino-Indian war period. Granted, this is based on Little Boy American movie, yet I felt it was a nicely made movie that doesn't bore much and kinda instills more of Gandhian principles. Also the setting is nice - a small mountain-top town that overlooks the Himalayas. Also the stuff about having firm faith and belief was kinda inspirational. Not too bad a watch, I must say.
Rating: Good

Kung Fu Yoga

Watched Jackie Chan movie after a really long time and it was typical. Some interesting plots, some great fights, some humour but overall an average movie. Nevertheless, it was nice to see - especially because there were some scenes from India in it & some interesting points on Yoga. The scene of the lion having a car-sickness was hilarious!! And the scene of the hyenas was edgy...
Rating: Average

Jagga Jasoos

Another Anurag Basu movie. Had too many likeness to Barfi - like Ranbir's unique character/role, music by Pritam, Western India setting, etc. The movie started out good but tapered out in the end. A totally different style of narration - much like The Sound of music but not really sure if that helped it or marred it. Without it, maybe it could have been a better movie. Reminded me of Indiana Jones movies with high-octane adventure. Editing seemed very poor in the end, with too many things happening too rapidly, as if narrator had a time limit within which the movie had to end. Some of the adventures are far too filmy and too-good-to-be-true-ish. 
Rating: Average

Friends with Benefits

An English romcom after a longish time. This one was relatively good. Good dialog & screenplay, some really great scenes & thoughts, great casting and acting - and anyways, totally enjoyed it - although the story had an expected wave of highs and lows and the finale.
Rating: Good

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry met Lloyd

Pretty much the similar type of goof balls. Didn't get as much laugh as the original one - maybe because it was not as good or I have become older.
Rating: Average

Gabbar is back

A socio-conscious movie about 'If you take bribe, Gabbar will come!' Although, the name Gabbar is a slight twist in this remake of the Tamil 2002 original Ramanaa. Reminded me of movies like Shool, Nayak, etc. A good watch due to a relatively good storyline, direction, acting, etc. Hits hard to those who are corrupt in this world.
Rating: Good

Nadiya Ke Paar

Felt nice watching an old movie, soon realized that this is the movie that the famous hit Hum Aapke Hain Kaun was based on! This original movie is refreshingly fresh, without any glamour and depicts romance in a typical country life. Even if one has seen HAHK, this movie is watchable!
Rating: Good

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Oh, God, why did I see this movie?!! If I knew it is a Karan Johar movie, I would have shied away from it, but a lazy Saturday in front of the TV and with wifey wanting to watch it, gave company and got a headache at the middle of the movie. Only saw at the very end, that it is a KJ movie :-( Too many 'satellite' relationships rotating around one main no-love-just-friend relationship - moving from London to Paris to Lucknow to Vienna to London. Wanted the movie to end but it kept going on and on...
Rating: Pathetic

Meri Pyaari Bindu

The movie seemed nice while browsing through TV channels. It seemed like a blend of The Girl Next Door and Runaway Bride. Nice interesting and innovative scenes, very picturesque and fresh with the romance going up and down, far and near, past and present - all intertwined. The ending seemed to kinda fall flat though. Characterization is good, Parineeti is super good in her role.
Rating: Average

Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu

Good characterization, casting, acting and an interesting story that intertwines middle class families with the underground, thanks to Alzheimers! In the middle, it gets kind of yawny. Songs are not too catchy but nice locations. Definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Good

Sultan

Not sure why I watch such movies, but company for wifey I guess :-) Thin story line which is pretty much predictable for next 10-20 minutes in future at any point in time. At times, felt like watching Dangal as this too is a wrestling based movie except that this has some romance built in it with a hero and a heroine. Some typical Salman Khan's light hearted comedy. Ok-dokey, watchable only if there is pretty much nothing else to do.
Rating: Average

Kirik Party

Rave reviews led me to see this movie. Resembled Premam - but only very slightly. Dialog is super, humour is very raw and innocent, acting is fresh and not at all overdone. First half sails through with flying colors but the second half kinda slows down the momentum, and the humor reduces, so does the smiles. Songs and music are taken differently - those seem fresh too. Not standard nor typical. Watchable.
Rating: Good

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

True story of what happened in Libya - on the night of the assassination of US Ambassador. A commendable effort from few US Army contractors to save American lives - but hardly any recognition. On the contrary, recognition given to under-performers of US army. A movie to be seen to understood. Nice, gripping that takes us all through that dreaded night of 13 hours. Too much of gunfire - which is to be expected. Heart goes out to the 2 fatalities.

Rating: Good

Sachin: A Billion Dreams

A Sachin fan all my life, always wanted to watch this biographical movie as soon as it was announced. Much of the movie is from the autobiography which I had already read. So there were very few surprises in the movie that I wasn't already aware. Yet, it is a nice collection of 2 decades of Sachin's prowess. There were parts of the movie which I felt could have been better made - like giving some more time to the two Sharjah matches vs Australia in 1998, the one over against Abdul Qadir in 1989, how he got to open the innings vs New Zealand, etc and etc. Well, I guess I can keep going on and on - and director would have had to create 2 parts of the movie! This movie is for those Sachin fans who want to re-live those 2.5 wonderful decades in 2.5 hours...who wouldn't, huh?
Rating: Good

Guri

After a long time, watched a Dr Raj Kumar movie. A typical 1980 Dr Raj Kannada movie - some deaths, some fights, some miracles, some unwanted songs, some unwanted emotional drama, light humor and yet it doesn't bore. 
Rating: Average

Dombivali Fast

Inspiration to see this movie came after watching Mumbai Meri Jaan. (Director's first movie is DF). Inspiration fulfilled. Just as good a movie. Powerful concept of a highly-principled man stuck in a world filled with unprincipled population. The tension of the clash is palpable. An edge-of-the-seat all through the movie.
Rating: Must-see

Bride Wars

Another bridal romcom movie - but it is more comedy than romance. Nice 'revenge' tactics throughout the movie! Enjoyed watching it, with wifey who especially likes such movies. 
Rating: Good

Bodyguard

Total time pass, typical Bollywood romance movie. Salman Khan as a bodyguard is just like the binding of the book, rest of the pages are all predictable and same. Some small twist at the ending but totally unnecessary. Little bit of comedy but that didnt make me laugh. Action scenes were total bakwaas.
Rating: Average

Baahubali 2

Now that I knew what kind of movie Part 1 was, I had very less expectation. Although again had no intention to see, got to see this movie somehow. It didn't seem all that bad this time. The visual effects portrayed to showcase the strength of Baahubali seemed necessary - although the violence was just as much. Some of the scenes were gripping and excellently depicted. Once again, to sum up the movie in one word - Extravagant! If the movie is really a true story (I am not sure), then it is a pity that such a great person had little or no time to rule the kingdom. Some of the ideas depicted is really innovative - although at times extremely dubious. Extravagant time-pass.
Rating: Good

PS: After watching part 2, I wanted to see part 1 since I hadn't understood some scenes, some characters in 1. Now, it made a whole lot of sense. Part 1 is actually part 2 and vice versa. So much confusion! My views on 1 still remain same - much of the direction seemed dubious although the story is good. War tactics are nice too. 

Baahubali 1

Never felt like watching this movie, yet decided to see when it was aired on TV. Quite extravagant in all aspects. The climbing of the waterfalls seemed unrealistic at first - then understood that the whole persona of Baahubali was unrealistic indeed! Since it was on TV, got diverted for some time and didn't get to see the whole movie - but saw bits and pieces. Didn't understand a whole lot, but didn't miss it either since it didn't seem my kinda movie - with so much of visual effects completely camouflaging the reality as well as too much violence. 
Rating: Average

PS: Got to see this movie again later. See update in 2.

Rustom

Wow, this is like straight-out of an Alistair MacLean novel! When I was seeing this movie, I felt I was back in my teens reading one of Mr MacLean's novel once more! Better still was this, since it borders a true story. In fact, 80% of what is depicted seems to be true story. It has everything - extra-marital affair, murder, suspense, adventure, mystery and - best of all - court scenes with a fair share of arguments and counter-arguments.
Rating: Must-see

Udta Punjab

Resembled many of the movies that I had seen during my bachelor days in US - like Cidade de deus, Pineapple Express, Crash, etc. Just like those good ole movies, here too 3-4 lives get intertwined - and in this case, it is all in the name of drugs in Punjab. Pretty much an edge-of-seat thriller as well as depicting pretty much what's happening in that state.
Rating: Must-see

Mohenjadaro

Saw this movie in passing although saw the beginning and ending in entirety. Good movie in most aspects - setting of the pre-historic era, casting, costume and general acting. The storyline is ok-dokey. Romance could have been a side-thing but becomes the main-thing for some time in the movie. Anyways, good time pass.
Rating: Good

Kahaani 2

A good storyline, well directed and acted. Not as good as the prequel, I felt, but that could be just me. It might indeed be just as good. Edge-of-seat thriller: yes. Some complicated twists and turns: yes. Last few minutes will make you see movie again? Hmm, not really.

Rating: Good

PS: After a really really long time, saw 2 movies on the same day!

Pyaar Ratan Dhan Payo

A lazy Sunday for a lazy movie. Total time-pass. Old wine in new bottle. Not edge-of-seat, totally back-of-seat with complete storyline visible to the naked eye within 30 minutes of start. Expensive and colorful settings though. Dialog is just ok-dokey.
Rating: Average

Dangal

Wanted to watch this movie since the time it got released. But for some reason or the other, it never happened. Finally got to see the movie today. It was just as good as I had hoped. I couldn't understand much of the Haryani Hindi but could make out the gist. Powerful acting by all concerned. Great direction, story, screenplay, cinematography and acting to make the audience on the edge of the seat. Not as fantabulustic as Lagaan but still just as good.
Rating: Must-see

U-Turn

Watched a movie after almost 2 months. Was waiting for a long time to see this movie considering it is a Pavan Kumar movie. True to expectations, this one was a classic. A very simple concept of people taking short-cuts woven into a gripping movie. Nice characterization, casting, background score and acting. At times, felt like the movie was more of a lesson in moral science class which is actually good that a movie has some important information to convey. It borders Talaash but latter is one notch better. Overall, a well made movie that is worth a watch. No non-sense thriller.
Rating: Good

Jason Bourne

The same pitch, the same thrill, the same background music and a similar theme. Loved it thoroughly, as much as I loved the previous three in the series. Non-stop action. Fantastic acting by Matt Damon and great direction too.
Rating: Must-see

War Dogs

A superb true story of behind-the-scenes war 'industry' and one man's successful business. Excellently narrated, beautifully directed, great casting and acting. Thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Not to mention jaw-dropping considering it is based on true events.
Rating: Must-see

Bowling for Columbine

Another Michael Moore documentary. This one is about guns and Gun policy in US. Somehow I liked Sicko better than this. Although this is just as good, with just as much punch. Looking at all this, one feels US is such a sick country! 
Rating: Good

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Continues in the same vein as the prequel. Dialog, like in the previous one, is just astonishing. Even thought-provoking. Dialog delivery is good too by the actors. Screenplay is wonderful. Refreshing. Movie as such is not comical but some unrelated scenes are. Casting and cinematography is good too.
Rating: Good

Barbie in Princess Power

A weekend movie with the daughter - complete with magical powers, flying humans, some amount of kids humor, princesses and the royalty, villains, etc. Nice time-pass. Daughter loved it! But I must admit, good dialog that adults can relate to too.
Rating: Average

Neerja

Wow, what a movie, what a story. Truly touching. Superb acting by every single person - the passengers, the terrorists, the family members and Neerja herself. Awesome direction. Great casting and setting. Heart goes out to Neerja's family. Looks like she was born just for that day to save so many lives. The moving is a fitting tribute to her. Many thanks to the movie-makers, else heroes like her would go unnoticed.
Rating: Must-see

Sicko

Wow, what a movie! This is one hard-hitting soul-breaking documentary about how uncultured, uncivilized & unbelievably pathetic the world's greatest country aka US is! It is superlative in commentary, high in humor, heartrending, globe-trotting and punch in almost every dialog. Choice of words is amazing. The sad scenes are tear-jerking. Aaah, this one is just too good to miss. It is a must-watch for every single person. I have become a big fan of Michael Moore. And as part of this movie, he not only did extensive research on the prevailing issues, he made a movie about it and in the process he bettered the lives of many people. Wow!
Rating: Must-see

Phir Hera Pheri

Just as good as the previous one. In fact, even more so. Lots of complications with antique guns, cocaine, chit funds, money, etc and yet fluidly intertwined. Super sense of humor. Great casting. Good direction. Absolute entertainer. 
Rating: Good

Eloise at the Plaza

This one was not as great as the previous one that we saw but it was good enough. The same lushness of the Plaza, the same wonderful hotel personnel, Eloise's crazy mischiefs, little bit of innocent romance in the air, etc. Added to this was a Prince, a Ball and of course, New York!
Rating: Average

Lone Survivor

The movie was a shortened version of the book. Editing could have been better. There seemed to be too many unwanted scenes at the start of the movie. This led to shortening up the real story which is up on the Hindu Kush mountain when the Lone Survivor tries to well, survive. Nevertheless, it still has some tight scenes and very clearly brings to screen what we cannot picture while reading the book. A great story, and the fact that it is a true story, makes it even more jaw-dropping.
Rating: Good

Minions

A weekend movie with the daughter. It wasn't all that jovial as I expected. But it wasn't boring either. The movie was fluid enough with enough twists and turns but amount of comedy wasn't that much. Time-pass.
Rating: Average

Wreck-It Ralph

Another weekend movie for & with the daughter. The movie, like so many of these kiddo animation movies is really superlative. This one combines a number of old-time video game consoles into a behind-the-scenes character-coming-alive into a thrilling, complicated games-intertwined story that shows how being a bad character in a game is not always bad. This is a movie that ranks alongside the Cars series, Lego Movie, Inside Out and similar. Totally enjoyed - daughter too.
Rating: Good

The Best of Men

A remarkable story of half paralyzed men who get back their lives due to Dr Ludwig Guttmann's strange yet absolutely correct methods of treating bedridden youths affected due to WWII. Excellent direction, narration, acting, casting and story that never bores for a single moment. It is hard to imagine the odds that this German doctor might have undergone to get the English gentlemen back on their feet when the whole world hated Germans at that time. Truly a miracle man at a miracle time. 
Rating: Must-see

Eloise at Christmastime

My daughter is a big fan of Eloise story books. So, ordered this DVD thinking it is an animation movie but it was not. In fact, it was a very nice movie - full of energy of a 6-year-old, lush richness of the Plaza hotel and big-hearted-ness of everyone that makes a hotel great. Added to this, was a whiff of romance and suspense of a wedding. Nice movie to see with a 6-year-old daughter on a lazy Sunday, especially when the Sunday has an extra hour due to Daylight Savings Time end.
Rating: Good

Airlift

The fact that this was a movie based on a true story led me to see it. And it is worth it. Although Akshay Kumar's character could have been better portrayed (especially the initial scenes with his wife) and some better screenplay dialog, the story itself is tight enough to keep the audience occupied and guessing what will happen next - and fervently hoping for the best. Much of us in India never knew the plight of Indians in Kuwait when Saddam attacked and this is as good a documentary/movie that we could ever see. 
Rating: Good

Fail Safe

A passing conversation regarding upcoming election (Trump v Hillary) in the office led me to this movie, especially what would Trump do in such a case as depicted in this movie when a mechanical failure leads to US Air Force dropping bombs on Moscow. A thrilling movie with excellent dialog and beautiful debate on all aspects from different personnel in Government & Military. Rather unexpected and slightly disappointing ending though.
Rating: Good

Touching the Void

Perhaps Aaron's novel got me introduced to this. I wanted to read the book before the movie, as usual, but the book was unavailable at the local lib. The movie is too good though. Superbly taken scenes, although at times it resembles a documentary. Doesn't bore one bit, and is almost a edge-of-seat-thriller. The story itself is mind-boggling. How Joe survived in the middle of Andes all alone when folks thought he was dead is a miraculous and unbelievable story. A definite must-see to believe it!

Zootopia

A good time-pass movie for a lazy weekend with daughter. Nice catch-line though: Try to make the world a better place, no matter what. Not too many scary scenes for the little one.  
Rating: Good

Premam (Malayalam)

A nice rom-com movie. Some scenes are hysterically comical. Some scenes are total time pass. An extremely light-hearted movie that involves nothing but one person's love fluttering from one girl to other like how a butterfly flutters from one flower to another. School scenes, college scenes, all add flavor to the wholesome entertainer.
Rating: Good

Into Thin Air

Ever since I read the book, I wanted to see the movie. Finally got a copy of the DVD and got to see the movie. It does good justice to the book - depicting only the salient aspects. Some of the dialog is verbatim from the book. Anyone who doesn't want to read through all pages of the book, can just see the movie. The setting & casting is all well-made. Mt Everest (& the trek up) looks all real in the movie. A short movie - half of which is the ascent and the other half is the descent (read tragedy). I feel for the folks who passed away in this expedition - esp Rob Hall. 
Rating: Good

The Big Short

I tried to read the book but it seemed too tough to understand, and very vague. The concepts of subprime mortgage, CDO and other wall street jargon never went into my head. So I started watching the movie with the same thought that I might not be able to understand it. But the movie was super awesome! It explained concepts very easily. The whole book has been made very cleverly into a thrilling, captivating story. And to think, it is all true story. Best part is, wherever (few scenes) it is not a true story, the narrative confesses it - humorously! The whole story revolves around the 2007 mortgage crash in US economy - and how four individuals made money out of it.
Rating: Must-see

Death of a Salesman

I saw a colleague of mine reading a book of the same name, and I was compelled to know more about it. As it happened, my local library had this movie. Still, I was in two minds - whether to see or not, especially it was because it seemed so old. Finally made up mind and got the DVD. It started off ok. There seemed to be too much of conversation and without subtitles, I was just able to make out the gist of what was happening. Almost the first hour of the movie was just a simple conversation in a lower middle class house. Finally, the second half opened up the movie into things unbeknownst to the viewer. Dustin Hoffman's acting is superb. His character is very nicely woven and the amount of talking he has done is unbelievable - and with that flair of a salesman! As it happens, the story of the family unfolds based more on just conversation rather than actual events shown on screen!
Rating: Good

The Buddha: The story of Siddhartha

Its more of a documentary than a movie. A very neat, clean narrative of Gautam Buddha from his birth till his death. I felt it was rather slow at times and it could have been made shorter. But still, the commentary was very good and captivating. The choice of words used to describe the narrative is super awesome. Too many things in the movie to learn - and instill in life. So, worth the watch.
Rating: Good

Mumbai Meri Jaan

Wow, what a movie! Superb acting, direction, screenplay - and the thought behind each and every scene is absolutely powerful. Paresh Rawal's role and acting is unmatched. The movie is based on the actual train bombings that took place in Mumbai on July 11th 2006 but the tale itself is a fiction of many lives who were affected by the bombings one way or the other. A high-impact movie with "punchful" dialog and scenes. Absolutely gripping with subtle, wry humor. 
Rating: Must-see

The Man Who Knew Infinity

The amazing true story of Ramanujan beautifully pictured. It is captivating from the beginning till the end. It is astonishing how Ramanujan came up with all those theorems and conjectures and what not. The story itself is so thrilling that the movie hardly needs any brilliance and yet the movie-making does not fall short. The acting, screenplay and direction are all as neat as it could be. 
Rating: Must-see