The Maze Runner (2014) – Ratings Genre: 4/5, Overall 3/5

It is ok for me to admit that The Maze Runner delivered more than what I expected. After a brief glance over the plot I set my self to witness another Hunger Games movie but what I got was something more thrilling, gripping and a suspenseful experience. Being said that The Maze Runner is not a fresh approach to a plot or Sci Fi nature. And it is based on James Dashner's 2009 novel of the same name.

There has being many mind boggling cinema on certain mazes (or traps true or imagery) and escaping from it including Cube (1997), Inception (2010) and Pans Labyrinth (2006) to name a few and each delivered a very powerful cinema experience. Standing against great movies like what I have mentioned earlier The Maze Runner is still has a long way to go being this is the first of a sequel of movies we are about to see in the coming years. But talking of this one alone it had done a pretty decent job.

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Thomas our 16-year-old hero wakes up in a strange place without having any memory of his earlier life. He and another group of people who experienced the same are trapped in a glade surrounded by a giant concrete maze. Though finding the way out of the maze and getting back home sounds a good idea the maze comes with many lethal surprises. But it seems like Thomas has some answers and soon the gang realizes that he is different.

For a dystopian sci fi thriller The Maze Runner has some gripping ground to start off with. And the movie steadily evolves within the first hour from nowhere to somewhere and the viewers get to feel the strange and mysterious presence of the maze. There is no scene that I can call as dragging or irrelevant thought they seems slow or not filled with enough action and suspense. But the movie quickly hit a phase of action and adventure and from there the game plan completely changes.  What I really like about The Maze Runner is it’s overall mood. As the viewer just like the people who are trapped in the maze are kept in dark so the same mysteries boggle in every ones minds. It’s as if the viewers also has to find answers to the mysteries and we are left with no options but to try. And at times we are left to make tough choices.

Equipped with strong acting and brilliant CG The Maze Runner is a movie that will keep the viewer engaged every second. And when it finished it opens up a whole lot of new questions while answering only few of the burning ones that was laid out at the start. I guess we have to wait another year to find out what happens next.

Genre: Sci Fi | Thriller | Action | Mystery

Director: Wes Ball

-Priyantha Bandara

Lucy (2014): Ratings – Genre 3.5/5, Overall 3/5

Based on one of the most commonly believed yet scientifically bogus myth, Lucy builds a truly mind shattering experience which at one point science and mythology becomes one and entertainment emerges. The steady build up of the plot along with the interesting narrative explanation of facts (most of the time is not true but feels like real) and the mix of well executed action sequences makes Lucy a sci fi action hybrid flick that can either go north or south for the fans.

Lucy a carefree students life instantly change when she forcefully turned to a drug mule to a ruthless drug organization. But when the new drug mixes with her system by accident her brain utilization reaches a record high. With her newly discovered mind-body capacity Lucy sets to make things right while she can.

Lucy is not the first movie that worked on the theory of the small percentage of common brain usage. Limitless (2011) did a wonderful job with it and the plot somewhat similar to Lucy when it comes to drug boosting brain activity. However Lucy takes a unique approach at it’s story telling and combined with the appearance of Scarlett Johansson it become more interesting. I don’t think there is a movie fan who don’t like to see Johansson in tight skirts holding two guns and with a heavy does of drugs in her system!

While Lucy is entertaining and provides lot of theories, insights and visually delighting scenes back to back there are many places it doesn’t stand out that well. The most obvious one is the lack of science though Lucy profoundly places it self as a science fiction. What the director Luc Besson has done is picking up a myth and converting it to scientific terms but not scientifically proving a fact. All of the rest is assumptions and eye candy. But the viewers are effortlessly made to overlook the facts and believe in the movie (Just like “Gravity” did so well in 2013) and get involved in the twisted reality. In terms of doing that Lucy is a success. But if it was based more on science based theories than mythology it would have being great. And Lucy is a reminder that not all movies can be like Matrix.

Genre: Sci Fi | Action

Director : Luc Besson

-Priyantha Bandara

Two Faces of January (2014): Ratings – Genre 3/5, Overall 2.5/5

Though this movie has a promising plot and really good cinematography and twists built along, the uninteresting climax and the flat ending makes this a mediocre romantic thriller once over. However, due to the fact that it’s interesting point to point the fans will expect bigger things to come and hang on till the end. But the problem is most of those big things does not happen and it kind of leave you with a disappointment than satisfaction.

When an Athens based American tour guide gets to know a travelling couple from his home country he didn’t realize that they are fleeing from sins made back at home. To make things worse his interest towards the wife fuels his desire to help them in their needs and ultimately make him a part of a vicious crime.

The first half of the movie is quite interesting. The viewer is left to ponder often and the events gradually build with good confidence. The face of a thriller is quite well built and amidst of that signs of a romantic tale emerges. However when the movie passes half way it becomes little stagnant and the thrill take different directions. At one point it is hard to determine where the story goes with the romance as there is not enough prominence for it. And with some unexpected turn of events the romantic story is fully blown away and soon after it moves quickly to another zone. However all this is not entirely working against the taste of Two Faces of January, but it certainly ads some bitterness. 

I don’t think there is room for any actor to become exceptionally good here. All of them have a role to play but that role is limited in their scopes and nothing not seeing before. This movie will leave the viewer with certain emptiness.  While some of it is due to the mood the movie express and majority of it is because it let down a classy ending.

Director: Hossein Amini

Genre: Drama | Thriller

-Priyantha Bandara

Million Dollar Arm (2014): Ratings – Genre 3/5, Overall 2.5/5

Sports movies come in all ages, speeds, throws and color. And most of them are very entertaining and satisfying and more than anything they are emotionally inspirational. Every year at least there is one sports movie that makes big news and I don’t know if Million Dollar Arm is that movie so far. However this movie makes a real mark as it has a different mood and a flavor than any of the previously famous sports themed movies. The reality show and south Asian flavor combo is indeed something beautiful to see on the screen.

JB (Jon Hamm) is a sports contractor who is desperately looking for a talent to sign up as his company is reaching no fruitful businesses for some time. After failing in a raw he comes up with a brilliant idea of seeking for talent in far India. Pushed for unrealistic deadlines from his investors, JB launch his Million Dollar Arm reality show campaign in India seeking for the fastest pitcher for Baseball in a country which Baseball has no  significant value.

The first quarter of the movie looks and feels familiar. A failed agent looking for a strong comeback is not the freshest of ideas out there. But as the story evolves it reaches untested territories and after sometime it reaches a solid peak that holds the movie on a steady state. There is a cool down period somewhere in the middle which builds the stage for the emotionally strong events to take place afterwards. Being a movie which is based on true events the director has put some good effort to keep the fans entertained throughout. I can’t say I was bored at any stage of the movie though there are phases where it falls in to average.

Jon Hamm who is seldom seeing in movies but holds the title for one the most powerful TV characters of all time in Mad Men brings in energy to JB’s character. The movie evolves around JB but the rest of the characters even how important and strong they are is not given enough attention as I feel. This is a bit of a letdown as some characters especially the Indian boys could have being more prominent if they were introduced from the start of the movie which could have bought in more dramatic approach to the whole plot. But Million Dollar Arm is a very entertaining movie which of course the entertainment side is stronger than the sports side at times. So I will not call this as the best sports movie I have seeing but it’s a movies I enjoyed from the start to end. 

Genre: Drama | Sports
Director : Craig Gillespie

- Priyantha Bandara

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) – Ratings: Overall 3/5 | Genre 4.5/5

Tom Cruise movies sell. I mean they really sell. But when the movie is equally good as Tom himself and it can pull some really mind blowing stunts without making the viewers to worry about the huge plot holes it is definitely a blockbuster. Edge of Tomorrow is a fresh look at the age old sci fi genre that based on alien invasions and courage’s humans who defeat them. And it’s the modern day Independence Day movie and it seriously rocks the foundations of sci fi that came out lately. Huge production, staggering CG and awesome acting makes Edge of Tomorrow one of the best action sci fi’s lately. I wish I can say the same about the plot but though it is amazing at a glance there are plenty of places it fails. But it doesn’t matter when you start to watch because it’s so entertaining that some of your senses get instantly freeze. 

In not so distant future the world is invaded by an alien race known as Mimics. The world is at war and seems like the humans are capable of defeating them. Major Cage (Tom Cruise) who is a publicity agent for the ARMY than a real soldier is sent to the front line of the crucial battle against Mimics without his will. Cage finds himself terrified and helpless when the battle becomes bloodier and a massacre of humans than expected. But coincidentally he discovers a way to manipulate time and relive the same battle and perfect it to realize that the aliens can be defeated using a different strategy. Rita (Emily Blunt) a fellow soldier joins him for the ride. 

The plot here is very creative. When the real time travel or time loop hits the center stage the whole phase and the feel of the movie quickly changes. This is where it gets the true edge against other similar alien invasion movies and the tight grip remains till the very end. While some viewers can be utterly confused by the fact of this time loop and the repeating scenes I’m sure no one would lose interest of the movie because of it. The element of surprise is very good and movie throws in some real candy for the viewers without delays. The flow and the phase is indeed appealing and the peaks and off peaks are well balanced. However as mentioned earlier the plot has many weak points and as a sci fi that makes sense Edge of Tomorrow is far behind. 

Tom has a history of alien invasion movies such as War of the Worlds (2005) and one of my personal favorite Oblivion (2013). Edge of Tomorrow is another jewel for his collection proving that he is still hot as he used to be decades back. Emily Blunt is sharp and very well fit for her role. The duo does a perfect job on the set and they spark while the aliens bleed. 

What makes Edge of Tomorrow is so good is its action and animation. They hit you very unexpectedly and some scenes are so majestic and detailed that you might feel that one viewing is not good enough. Starting from the production to the finishing touch of sound this movie is a true action flick and no one can say otherwise. 

Genre: Action | Sci Fi

Director: Doug Liman

Need for Speed (2014) Ratings: Genre 3/4 | Overall 2/5

As there is a common belief that soccer is the universal sport of planet earth if you ask a gamer what is the universal game they would most probably say Need for Speed or NFS.  It’s nearly impossible to find serious gamer who have not played even a single edition of NFS. And for the love of the game the long awaited Need for Speed movie is here and from a gamers perspective it’s everything they can ask for. But from a movie fans perspective there are critical downsides to it. So before you watch this think to which category you belong to. I as a person who played NFS from the very beginning when the game was supported on DOS and had nothing much to offer than pixelated moving objects have no reason to dislike the movie.

The plot is very straight forward. When street racer Tobi Marshall (Aaron Paul) is betrayed and sent to prison he has no other ambition than proving himself right. Once released he find a fast ride and get in to the legendary undercover street race to beat his rival.

For anyone who liked Need for Speed there are definitely two reasons, the nearly fantasy collection of super cars and the long races. That’s right. Need for Speed has some cars that blow your speed brains out. For motor heads its porn and the movie follow its games lead and pump in some really expensive rides. The awesome collection includes 2013 Shelby GT500, Saleen S7, Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, McLaren P1, GTA Spano, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and Koenigsegg Agera. I’m quite certain that it’s the most expensive car line up in a movie so far ‘if’ they were the real deal. But then again for movies like this with so many of them get crashed at the end the real cars with real specs are out of limits. Apart from the cars the races are quite well done. However as the bar is already set up very high by the all-time king of street race movies Fast and Furious, Need for Speed is lacking some innovation there. But still the races are very entertaining and full of destruction.

Why Need for Speed fails to make a mark as a movie is for obvious reasons. To start with the plot is very lose and utterly impractical. You can say the same about Fast and Furious too but F&F had some charm in the cast (Heavily with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker) that made the fans forgive the movies crappy plot holes. But NFS is lacking that charm and it doesn’t look good. Aaron Paul is a good actor made his way up the ladder with the awesome TV show Breaking Bad but it seems like this role is not something that completely fits him. He is a character actor than an action star and maybe the fans expect more of him than some cheesy lines and pretending to drive inside a car in a studio. So the cast and plot both are not working in favor of the movie and that’s a big letdown.

It’s still too early to predict if Need for Speed will become a big and a good movie franchise in the future if they make a sequel. But at the moment it drags behind few spots on the top street car race movies of all time.

Genre: Action | Crime

Director: Scott Waugh

Jobs (2013) Ratings: Genre 2.5/5 | Overall 3/5

Just like for many people out there Steve Jobs is a hero for me as well. This was the number one reason why I was eager to watch “Jobs”. Though I have not read his biography I have ready many different news, articles, comments made by others about Jobs. And here was the golden opportunity for me to witness the rise of this great man on silver screen. Was it what I expected? Let’s find out. 

I don’t think that I need to introduce Steve Jobs to you or have to write about what’s this movie is about as it’s obvious that you know. But it’s important to understand that the on screen Jobs here is quite different to the Jobs you often used to see on TV and on famous Apple product launches. The CEO who always had a smile and some exciting information about some mind blowing machine which the world most of the time has never experienced before. Jobs here is an ambitious man and severely portrayed to be a hard headed guy with steam blowing out of his ears. Most of the time that steam is anger filled frustration of not converting his ultimate objective of creating amazing technology dreams in to reality. There are many reasons that points out to Steve’s anger and attitude. Yet the key reason seems to be is his ego. Especially for a fan who has high regard for Steve as a role model this can turn out to be quite disappointing and wearisome. But it is important to understand that there are always two sides of a person and most of the time we get to witness only one side of it. Observing in that perspective maybe Jobs is a powerful representation of the unknown Jobs. But overall I don’t think that it’s entirely successful. 

Keeping the different path the movie takes trying to vaguely include Steve’s personal life in to his corporate domination the real question is if the viewer actually feels his enthusiasm and his dreams. Up to a certain extent, yes. Maybe the first half is the most interesting as it is where the Apple was discovered. But it quickly skips many years and suddenly Steve is the owner of a large organization that plays in the same field with some big corporate names. It seems like at this point the movies soul was lost (Just as Steve loses his down the line) and a different mood sets in. Personally for me the movie from there onward was more like a documentary. It failed to reach the climax I was hoping for and it failed to connect to the old Jobs who was shown at the opening scene of the movie. Thus it looks a bit disconnected within. 

It seems like the real interesting thing about Jobs is Ashton Kutcher. It was certain that he have done some deep study about Jobs and he sure kicks in some life to his role. For an actor who is known for feather weight characters his whole career this was a game changer. If it was not for Kutcher I’m failing to find a direction where this movie would head. But still overall it didn’t impress me nor it didn’t make me have some deep respect towards Steve Jobs than I already have. In that case what purpose does this biography serves is a good question to think about. 

Genre: Biography | Drama

Director: Joshua Michael Stern

 

Highway (2014) Ratings: Genre 3/5 Overall 2.5/5

(Contains spoilers)

While Highway is definitely taking a different route (no pun intended) than being one of the mundane Indian movies thanks to the acclaimed direction of Imitiaz Ali, it fails to deliver a strong message due to its very prominently feeble plot holes. Mainly to this fact in one hand Highway stands up to be a great film and on the other hand it’s a disaster.

The story is fresh to the Indian cinema. A rich girl who gets kidnapped by a gang ultimately finds her freedom of mind through her kidnappers and eventually becomes fond of the gang leader. It’s a straight forwards plot and become a bit predictable down the line. But the plot it’s steadily developed and the events are rolling out without creating too much distraction.

Speaking of the good of Highway, the number one attraction is the cinematography. It’s like you have taken a road trip across India and the sites are beautiful. Right from the start till the very end the movie goes through different geographical locations and each one of them has a certain glory to deliver. Apart from that each camera angle and scene is complied with great care which make Highway a mind pleasing movie. And then comes the good acting. The girl Veera is skillfully played by Alia Bhatt and this seems to be her best performance so far for being an actress who has few titles under her belt. The gang leader Mahabir is played by Randeep Hooda who has done several powerful artistic roles earlier seems to have a perfect fit for this role. As for the plot goes I’m not entirely pleased of the way the whole plot works out but it’s a key reason why I watched till the end. It is not bad but it’s not great either.

As I mentioned earlier what makes Highway week are the plot holes. There are few very prominent ones. For example except for the gang leader the rest of them seem to be very nice chaps. They are all smiley good hearted people. This is fundamentally wrong. They leave the kidnapped girl in a room full of equipment hand untied and doors unlocked. And when she flees she fails to find a proper way out get exhausted and comes back. But on the next day a member from the gang leave the place get on a train and vanishes without much effort. Later on the gang including the head of the gang Mahabir (criminal mastermind and murderer) starts to trust this girl more than they should. This is also highly unlikely. They expose themselves and the girl to the public in many occasions. After many other minor plot imbalances comes the great blow. The police appear from nowhere and shoot Mahabir without warning. I’m not sure how the Indian police handle a kidnap rescue operation in real but at that point they actually kill the movie. It is understood that someone important has to die at the end but the way it happens is a complete let down. And it’s very clear that it is forced drama there onwards. And finally though I very much fond of Rahman’s magical music in Highway it kills the mood. Some songs barge in when you least expect it and it takes away the complete tone of the plot away.

The above negativities could have being easily ignored if Highway was a typical Indian movie. But the problem is it’s not and it’s supposed to be a very serious one. So there shouldn’t be any room for doubt. So Highway swings from a typical Hindi movie to a different drama over and over again. And the fans left with confusion.

Origin: India in Hindi

Genre: Drama | Romance

Director: Imitiaz Ali

The Bow (2005) Ratings Genre: 4/5 | Overall 3/5

Kim-duk Kim is a master of character, silence, atmosphere, and moods. His movies are all about complex yet different character studies and each one of them has a unique feeling. And most of the time his main characters does not speak much but the visual expressions speaks ample tones. The Bow is one of his seemingly very simple yet deeply complicated movies. While The Bow may not fall in to his best of works the entire movie brings a whole different flavor. And yet again the viewers are transformed in to a place surrounded by water just like his earlier masterpiece Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) but this time it’s the sea and a boat.

The story surrounds and old man and a 16 year old girl who lives on a fishing boat. It seems like the girl was found by the old man at the age of 6 and since then she have not left the boat. It is apparent that the old man wishes to marry her when she turns 17. But things turn unexpectedly after a young man arrives and the girls become fond of him.

The Bow is entirely shot on a boat. And the only sounds you hear are the water and the squeaking sounds the boat makes often. But there is mild yet beautiful energy given with a calming sound track in most of the time synchs with an instrument the old man plays to relax. There are very few characters other than the old man and the girl. Giving similarity to Kim’s earlier movies these characters has no names. They are merely represented by an idea rather than identity. And there is a vast silence between each scene and the main cast hardly mutters anything. In fact the girl doesn’t say a single word the entire time. And yet the movie has many things to offer and it has a steadily building up plot. The viewers are left with wondering what’s next the whole time and the director manages to surprise them. And it all ends with supernaturalism mixed controversial sequence.

The Bow is not a masterpiece but it is definitely not mundane. Some may find it dull and uneventful but for some it could be the exact thought provoking movie experience they were looking for.

Original title: Hwal (Korean)

Genre: Drama | Romance

Director: Ki-duk Kim

300: Rise of an Empire (2014) Ratings Genre: 3/5|Overall 2.5/5

While this being the second installment of the famous 300 (2006), it is clearly showing vast improvements to the production and the looks but degrades to the overall quality of storytelling. However, fans of 300 would definitely enjoy this as it has its own bloodily stylish way of being one of the brutal and reddish historical epics ever made. 300: Rise of an Empire is clearly larger in production value, action choreography and CG and trio itself can keep someone attracted for the full length of the film. However, all you get is battles upon battles and after sometime more battles. End of the day all is left are piled up dead bodies in the name of heroism and the true feeling is lost. The one true good thing and the brilliance remembered is the performance by Eva Green who portrays a shockingly lethal female villain which we seldom see.

300: Rise of an Empire tells a story in parallel time line to its predecessor. And at times it touches the story of the 300 brave Spartans led by King Leonidas but mainly concentrates on the story of Themistocles a Greek general and a war hero. This movie is based on the war raged against Greece by Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes and Artemisia his war commander. When the expertise of strategic Themistocles meets with the brutal and unforgiving Artemisia’s army the battle upon seas becomes bloodier.

Keeping the graphical properties which 300 is known for, 300: Rise of an Empire does a fabulous job at being gory right from the start. And no doubt the high speed action sequences chopped right in to super slow motion frames are a sight to witness. And the overwhelming amount of blood signifies the brutality of the war which at times can be obviously disturbing. But without these 300 will not be completed. And as mentioned earlier without them this movie could have being one boring looking expenditure. Yet I do not hold any grudge against 300: Rise of an Empire because it looks like it delivers what it supposed to. It would have being great if this installment also had a gripping and a truly heroic story like the one before but sadly the fans have to settle in for less than that. And since the third installment to 300 and sequence to 300: Rise of an Empire is already rumored let’s hope we will see something better soon.

Genre: Action | Drama | Fantasy

Director: Noam Murro