Mini Movie Reviews - 2011 September to December

Don 2 aka Don: The Chase Continues - Hollywood has just got to be on its guard now. Technically and visually, Don 2 could pass for any one of the summer action blockbusters from any one of the major Hollywood studios. Though like any commercial entertainer, there are some sore points like Priyanka Chopra going over-sentimental pointlessly and her 'supposed' attraction to the Don being never clearly explored or explained, etc. And though the story line is a bit over-complicated, the credit to the team behind it is deserved because, and I never thought I would say this, I actually enjoyed an SRK movie! Even though you can see that he is still overacting, you can also see that if he unleashes himself, a good director can make Shahrukh Khan act just fine. His charisma is what keeps the movie going and that is why it is easy to see why this movie will make some money. A lot of the characters from the first movie return here along with the addition of Lara Dutta to the group and there is even a cameo by Hrithik Roshan in what has got to be the most ridiculous excuse for a mask in disguise. Plus there are also some good fights here and there in the movie. A lot of directors mistakenly try to ape the west and they can't even do it in a good way but here, Farhan Akhtar makes a Hollywoodized Bollywood movie that is worth checking out and the story, though complicated, does reach its ending somehow by the end. Final Verdict - Though the movie isn't that great, it is obvious that Shahrukh Khan can make this movie into an international success. The only problems with the movie are that, though it's got the same music directors Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy from the last time and there is a song called 'zara dil ko thaam lo' which is ok and good to listen to on the theater speakers, there is no song that compares to the awesome techno song 'main hoon don' from the first Don movie or its remix, and that it's got very little 3D. But other than those issues, overall this is a good, fun to watch movie that is slick, well made, has good fights and is overall entertaining. So it's not far-fetched to say that Bollywood has an international franchise now!!!

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - As far as the whole M:I series is concerned, this one is so non-MI like in the sense that it's not the 'living in the instant', 'adrenaline raising' action that is fun to watch, it's actually a spy movie through and through and it is ambitious and so it is aiming for a general audience. So it's more of a summer action blockbuster and less of the awesome, special 'mission: impossible' type of action blockbuster movie. They increased the seriousness and that reduced the fun quotient but still, If you have low to mid expectations then you will come back satisfied. The best scene in the movie is the sandstorm one. You may not be able to outrun a sandstorm but you can definitely run through the sandstorm in style! And yes, Tom Cruise runs like hell through that sandstorm as if he is running for his career and yes, that is the one scene that you will remember. Though it's got Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg in it, none of them are memorable and only Tom Cruise is watchable in the movie and Anil Kapoor is simply there for the Indian connection (read 'market') and other than that, he has almost zero significance in the movie. In the plot? Yes, but in the movie? Not really. Final Verdict - As long as Tom Cruise is on the screen it is fine but other than that, M:I fans won't like it because it's more serious than the other parts and all the things that made the television series or the first mission:impossible movie so exciting are being continually decreased. Plus the mission: impossible theme music is also very rarely used in the movie which adds to the discomforting feeling that they are trying to make this series into just another cash-cow commercial blockbuster series. So in that sense it is an emotionally unsatisfying picture but if you are looking for just timepass or a weekend distraction then this will be enough for you. 2 words - Mission: Satisfactory!

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn - This is a fantastic adventure movie. Steven Spielberg returns to form along with producer Peter Jackson and so finally The Adventures of Tintin comes alive on a movie screen. Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock have a hell of a time chasing treasure and running for their lives in the movie and before you realize it, you are also going with them in the adventure. Breathlessly fast with action set pieces coming one after the other, this is a movie Hergé would have loved and his world comes alive like nothing you have ever seen on a movie screen. Animation allows Spielberg to unleash himself after a long time and even the editing is wonderful in some scenes where one scene transforms into the next scene seamlessly in such ways that would not have been possible in live-action. Once in a while, you see a movie that brings you a lot of joy in watching what is happening on the screen and it reminds you why it's good to go to the movies sometimes. If you have read the comics, it is going to be a lot of fantastic fun for you. Plus there is even a painter who looks like Hergé in the beginning of the movie. Final Verdict - The only problem is that in the close ups, the faces of the characters might seem a bit strange but the best point is that the world of Hergé is there exactly as it is, like you used to see it in the comics and also, as an action adventure movie, this one is just wonderful. The movie ends with us realizing that the treasure wasn't just about the gold but it was actually about rediscovering The Spirit of Adventure. And so, the movie ends with the dialogue "how's your thirst for adventure captain?", "UNQUENCHABLE!!! Tintin". Go For It.

The Three Musketeers - If you have seen the ads then you would know that this is a kinda silly, kinda retro-stylish, pseudo-period piece with an irreverent take on the famous adventure stories of the three musketeers and if that's what you want then that's what you are gonna get. If you are looking for a movie that has just enough of everything to keep you distracted from everything else on a weekend then this will work for you. But other than that, you should have absolutely low expectations. It is entertaining while you are in the theater and made well with some bits here and there of swordplay, adventure, suspense and comedy and it gives the audience what it is looking for on a weekend. The main characters that are given some importance are Athos, Milady de Winter, Duke of Buckingham and Cardinal Richelieu and they are played by Matthew Macfadyen, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom and Christoph Waltz respectively and the novel by Alexandre Dumas on the whole is just taken as a backdrop for all the action to take place. If you don't have much expectations then The Three Musketeers (2011) is both satisfying and enjoyable. Plus for once the 3D isn't distracting! Final Verdict - It's like a fast food version of the famous stories and it is like a silly but acceptable re-telling of the three musketeers that was made for a modern audience who likes fast action without the need for some good storytelling. If that's what you want then that's what you will get. If you wanna go then please do remember that this movie doesn't really have something special to offer, so just go for a weekend distraction or as a time pass only. If you have low expectations then yes, it will be good for some lazy weekend time pass. That's about it for this one.

Johnny English Reborn - One of the reasons why people like comedies is that there are very few things better than just sitting with an audience and just laughing! It's funny how this time they finally got it just right compared to the first one and it is perfect for a weekend movie. Definitely watch it and definitely watch it with a lot of people if possible. Johnny English 2 is funny, ridiculous and entertaining and the best part is that if you are on a helicopter in the sky and you feel that you are lost then just come down and ask somebody on the road for directions! It's not as serious as the last time and this time the tone is like that of a parody and Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean really tries to be like a secret agent and still makes mistakes and yet still he somehow manages to save the day and become romantically interesting to the character played by Rosamund Pike. Plus the Johnny English vs. Johnny English scene in the climax is really funny. Final Verdict - If you are looking for a weekend distraction then this will be more than enough for you. Sometimes you just need a silly comedy picture to make you laugh. So go with low to mid expectations and you will be fine. Just be ready to laugh as Johnny English has just been seriously and comically Reborn!

Conan the Barbarian - It's a bad movie. As simple as that. In Conan the Barbarian (2011), there is one dialogue that says "run from me... and I will tear apart the mountains to find you! I will follow you to Hell" and that's all there is to like about this movie. There really isn't anything else to say about it. It's like a really bad 80's fantasy action adventure movie and though that type of movie can be watched and enjoyed on a lazy evening, this one will have almost no takers at all. Because if you are bringing that guy from Baywatch to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger then you better have a really tight script and some wonderful visuals or some great music or at least something to support him. But no no such luck here, no such luck at all. Jason Momoa is not able to bring the bad nature of Conan to the screen and is definitely not a replacement for Arnold Schwarzenegger and though Rachel Nichols looks good, even she doesn't really have much to do and the villainous characters played by Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan don't hold your interest for long and Ron Perlman is only there for a small role in the beginning and so the whole movie falls on Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan and unfortunately none of them are able to save this movie. Some movies you can at least make fun about it for being bad, but this one it is really difficult to even keep your attention on the screen for a little while to even criticize it. It's like a really bad cheesy TV movie and it has absolutely no redeeming features at all. Final Verdict - It's something worse than timepass. How do you know a movie is bad? When you have forgotten the movie even before 'directed by' comes on the screen, that's when you can be sure that it's a bad movie. Stay far far away from this one.

Though Don 2 is an acceptable commercial entertainer, it's mainly due to Shahrukh Khan's presence that the movie is enjoyable and other than that it doesn't have much that stands out from the movie and though Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is an ambitious spy movie, it's not really a Mission Impossible movie and it will only be the hardcore Tom Cruise fans who will enjoy it and though The Three Musketeers can be good for some timepass, other than that there is nothing that the people will remember about it and though Johnny English Reborn is a funny comedy picture with some action in it, it's only aiming for a summer timepass audience and nothing more and so, after considering all the facts, because of its unique visuals and good sense of adventure and all those endless, cinematically beautiful action sequences that were exciting and great to watch, ladies and gentlemen, The Best Movie of 2011 September to December is... The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

Thank you for reading Mini Movie Reviews - 2011 September to December. Hope you have enjoyed it and had a good time with my movie reviews. There are 2 opinion polls below regarding which movie you thought was the best movie and what you thought about my article of movie reviews, so please feel free to take them, comment and give your opinions. Hope to see you soon on another article about movie reviews. Have a good day and once again, thank you for reading Mini Movie Reviews - 2011 September to December.

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