Ulidavaru Kandanthe

Hmm, had seen these kind of movies over a decade ago. 11:14, Crash, Cidade de deus, to name a few. But this one was kind of slower, could've edited a bit more and reduced about 30 minutes. Lots of scenes were taken in slow-motion. But nevertheless, a catchy story of intertwined individuals and some good dialog at times. Too much of weed, alcohol, smoking shown - could've reduced but I guess it was to show the angle of 'mafia'. Setting being Udupi & Malpe made it interesting with local culture shown in great detail. Plus certain scenes shown in very different way - like the first fight scene was more like Batman fight sequences. Nice to see a Kannada movie on similar lines of international genre...
Rating: Good

Total Dhamaal

Felt like watching slapstick, no-brainer, wholehearted comedy movie and came across this - & it fit the bill perfectly. Excellent settings, locations & to an extent, even casting. But the award should go to the Dialog. Astoundingly hilarious & rib-tickling. Pretty much all near-death experiences are captured - falling from a building, from a hanging pillar off a crane, sky-diving, crossing a flooding a river and thereon to falling over a waterfall, almost getting hit by a train, driving over a buckling bridge, flying in a helicopter fitted with a ceiling fan(!) & then falling from it while it burned mid-air, getting bitten by vultures in a desert, getting run-down by a car on fire, driving over a cliff, avoiding a head-on collision with a truck, etc. - extremely humorously portrayed & the list goes on and on until the director feels enough is enough, and suddenly it is the climax scene. The idea, of course, is from the English movie Rat Race (which was inspired from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) but with Indian masala added to it. All in all, had a great laugh for a lazy Sunday rainy afternoon. Kudos to the crew for churning out a great entertainer. Note how a 4.4/10 on IMDB can actually rate high on HMDB - it is all about when you see what kind of a movie & how! 😉
Rating: Good

RangiTaranga

Wow, what a movie! Its been really long since I started a movie blog like that, isn't it?! The last time was Dec 2016! This one is right up there amongst the all time greats - like Barfi, Lucia, etc. Story is great, makes the audience think in one direction while the story moves in another. Scene one starts off in the middle, hence adds more confusion to the tale - almost making the audience to see the movie once more as soon as it ends because the jigsaws start falling into place one after the other until the very end. It starts off like a scary movie with ghosts and horror scenes, and then a sniff of mystery comes in with a touch of crime. Not much of humor nor a full-blow romance but then that is not the essence of this movie. Because this one is meant to be a thriller. And so it stays till the very end. Great casting, superb location, awesome direction and fantastic story-telling. Definitely must-see! The only sad thing personally was although this is a Kannada movie, I had to see in Hindi-dubbed version 😞

Soorma

Somehow was reluctant to see a sports movie but the 'Based on true story' somehow lured me. And boy, am I glad I saw this movie. An excellent depiction of Sandeep Singh's fascinating story. And equally well made is the movie itself - with all of the typical Bollywood masala. Nice direction, screenplay, acting, casting, etc - all in all, a movie well worth watching.

Rating: Good

Glass

Well, saw a Shyamalan movie after a long time. Last one I saw (I guess) was Unbreakable. Unfortunately I did not know this movie (Glass) was a trilogy (part of Unbreakable, Split, Glass). So I missed most of the plot - but could just about draw the dots. As suspected, a very dark movie - sometimes literally too. Some extreme violence too. Tangential reference to Comic SuperHeroes. Realized not really my kind of movie. Predictable ending. Only great thing about the movie was the dialog of the psychiatrist. Excellent screenplay.
Rating: Average

The 15:17 to Paris

Well, I guess the wiki says it all. "Well-intentioned" but "strained to wring a full-length feature's worth of drama out of [an event] that was over in a few minutes". Most of the movie passes in how a couple of bachelors get to see Europe - very boring. Few scenes on how a wanna-be military man fails miserably in life but yet gets to become a hero - not so boring yet not interesting either. So, once again, a true story which is worth knowing (and highly incredible at that) but not much worth-watching as a movie because it lacks the punch.
Rating: Average

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran

The movie itself seemed ok-dokey but considering that it is based on true events, it is spectacular even to think how the project got executed under wraps from the "Super Power" USA. So, if one has to see this movie - it is more for the story than the movie. But not to take the credit from John Abraham and party. They have done a decent enough job but it seems too shallow compared to actual characters & events. Watchable once.
Rating: Good

Badhaai Ho

From the time I saw the trailer, I wanted to watch this movie since it seemed like a laugh riot. But the flip side was that the main ingredient (& even the LOL dialog) of the movie was revealed in the trailer itself. So, when I did watch the movie, it was like a joke being told the second time. Yeah, so not really a laugh riot. Yet, the movie is extremely well-made with perfect casting, acting, dialog, story, screenplay, setting & location to suit a real middle class life style. There is an undercurrent of light humor all through - not much with punch to burst into laughter but sufficient to keep a smile on the lips. So, definitely worth a watch.

Rating: Good

Rockstar

Starts off grandly but then falls down steeply and never stops at it. Got a headache watching! Although the story made sense that rockstars cannot have a private life of their own (if I got that right!), it could have been made in much better way. The heroine just didn't know how to act. The hero meeting her on a street immediately after landing in Europe is a scene akin to what we were watching in the 1990s Bollywood. I am really?! Made a big mistake watching this movie.
Rating: Average

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Literally translating to the Needle and the Thread which is the starting point for stitching, this movie is superlative in terms of direction, story, acting, setting (the small house, the small "cycleable-only" streets, etc.) & local costumes (pleasant to see Anushka in saree all through the movie!). Showcasing of the pain-points usually faced by the majority of the lower class families in India (such as the cold climate, the lack of money during hospitalization, the long commute to the office, etc.) is heartwarming while at the same time the little bit of romance of the newlyweds is heart-melting. Dialog is crisp and to the point. Songs don't spoil the theme but is more of a background. All in all, a time well spent on a movie well made!
Rating: Good

Fool's Gold

What started out as a simple TV channel-surfing led to this movie just as the opening credits were being displayed. Since it was on the Romedy channel - popular for Romcoms - wifey got interested. But soon she got bored and slept off but I totally enjoyed it because - more than a romcom, it was an adventure movie similar to Indiana Jones and the likes. Complete with Treasure Hunting and Mafia and Sunken ships - this one had the works, especially because the Bad Guys were always one step ahead of the Good Guys, until the climax of course. As a teenager, I was fascinated with such kind of novels and this movie rekindled the old joy albeit this time on screen! The movie itself is excellently depicted, directed and created. Spectacular off-Florida clear water seas & reefs made all the more beautiful with superb cinematography. The start itself is great and it keeps getting better. The romance is more like a spin-off, and it adds flavor to the story. At one point, just like all adventure and thriller movies, the tale starts getting too complicated and hard to follow. Thats when novels are better to understand but nevertheless, this one's a wholesome entertainer!
Rating: Good

Padmaavat

Typical to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movies - this has grandeur written all over it. Story in itself is captivating - which some say is true and some say is not. Nevertheless, if it is true, it is indeed remarkable. Dialog are short and to the point - worthy of the royalty. Acting by all counterparts are commendable - Deepika has a stern expression most of the screen time and teary-eyed although not crying, not sure why! Watchable but only once. And that too for the historical epic that it is. Of course, thanks to SLB for bringing history books to screen, and in what fashion!
Rating: Good

Monte Carlo

The title sorta is confusing because the movie starts with Texas, moves to Paris, stays in Monte Carlo for a long time and kinda ends in Machu Pichu, Texas and Romania! Total time pass movie about a mistaken identity. Almost like Bollywoodish! Casting isn't all that great. Scenic beauty of all the above cities are taken well. Characterization is ok-dokey. Costuming is good and apt! I guess it was meant to be a "Romcom" but there is less of Com. You can just sit through this one and go where it takes!
Rating: Average

102 Not Out

A set of apparently serious things in a common man's life made humourous in a unique way. The idea and concept is very innovative - especially adding colorful flavor while bordering grave matters of family concern. Simple yet powerful acting by all stakeholders which isn't much anyways. In fact, the movie itself is small & simple yet touches a chord. Worth a watch.
Rating: Good

Gold (2018)

This movie takes "Hockey" from Chak De India and "India's fight to Independence" from Lagaan and churns out a pretty decent narrative. I believe it also has some shades of a few true stories from here and there but the disclaimer in the movie clearly states it is a work of fiction. Akshay Kumar is excellent as always - and rest of the cast has done a great job too. But the tricky thing for the director would have been the set-up required for the pre-Independence era such as the cars, the attire, etc. as well as the European crew required for the 1936 and 1948 Olympic games portrayed in the movie - all of which has been realistically portrayed. Although it lacks the 'wow' of Lagaan, the movie is still good because of the twists and turns - thanks to India's freedom struggle, success and, of course, the Partition. The Indo-Pak relation has been shown in a very warm & brotherly manner which seems so right & natural considering we were all one nation before someone drew an imaginary line. How did the term "arch rivals" really come from, one wonders...? Apart from the freedom-struggle related twists, there are other turns related to politics within the Hockey federation, feuds between team players, "teamwork vs Individualism", etc. - all of which make the movie definitely watchable.
Rating: Good

Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai

Totally enjoyed the movie. Although the general story is on predictable lines, the direction and screenplay is superior. Add to this a great team of cinematographers, lyricists, music directors, actors and a variety of them - and this is definitely worth a watch! Songs are catchy, music is pleasing, acting by the children is fantastic, locale is perfect, humor is clean and neat. In fact, there is humor throughout the movie. And to top it, some of the scenes are power-packed by stellar performances. Definitely a movie not to be missed.
Rating: Good

Personal milestones: 
- This is our first movie in an Indian theatre since we got back from US on Jan 2017. 
- This is Paavani's first movie in an Indian theatre.
- Our last movie in a theatre was Jungle Book on April 2016.
- Our last movie in an Indian theatre was Anjaana Anjaani on October 2010.

Wheels on Meals

My second time. My first time was over 3 decades ago in a cousin's house where I believe I was first introduced to Jackie Chan via this movie! I was at the ripe age then to absorb martial arts filmography and Jackie Chan fit the bill perfectly - especially with the comical fights. I then went onto see many of his movies but I always remembered this first movie of his which I had seen but I always thought it was titled Meals on Wheels. Anyways. The movie itself isn't that great when I saw it today and thats what the age gap does. When you see a movie when you are 8, it is all awesome and the same movie at age 38 isn't that good!! Still, fights are great, Jackie is superb, story is ok-dokey. 
Rating: Average

Smurfs: The Lost Village

A totally kids movie - filled with wizardry, smurfy, girly, colorfully flying animals and what not. Some superb animation, nice songs and dance moves. Amazing color combinations in every scene, catchy dialog. Watch it only if young at heart and enjoy everything that comes to you!! :-)
Rating: Average

Moana

A kids movie with the daughter on a lazy Sunday. Beautiful animation, a somewhat okey-dokey story, nice characterizations and some hard-to-believe scenes - but keeps kids occupied anyways. So I guess its worthwhile. Neither too good nor too bad.
Rating: Average

The Intern

Robert De Niro is excellent. Role suits him perfectly. Catchy dialog. Great story setup. Nice casting & location. Even the kid's great! Everything about this movie is good. Speaks from a child's point of view, from a retired person's point of view and also from a career-maker's point of view. Definitely worth the watch. 
Rating: Good