Æon Flux (2005) (6/10)

A futuristic sci-fi movie where a dying world was saved by a scientist and all the saved people are living in a huge city separated from nature. This continues for 400 years but something has been brewing. The action is too fantastic as is often the case when anything is dubbed futuristic, and so are some of the gimmicks. Its always the right people with the right implements. Including the magnetic balls, in-brain communication, the non-distributed master database.

What I did like about the movie was its premise, which is plausible, but also mainly the solution that comes about. Many times time is a very good solution to many problems provided no destructive interference is being brought about.

Æon Flux (2005) (6/10)

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) (6/10)

Good story, good build-up. But rather linear. Hardly any ups and downs. Partly obscure, partly clear motive. Somewhat like a James Hadley Chase. The last chase is super-human as is usually the case. The graft angle seems a bit extraneous. I need to see the older version of the movie. I wonder what they used instead of the internet to keep the two parties informed. I guess pre-knowledge of someone in the team could be partly it. Did the intelligent rat finally decide where the movie went?

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) (6/10)

The Dark Knight (2008) (8/10)

A slick, fast-paced, no-nonsense (if you pardon the fantastic moves - but then you won't go to this movie if you were not in a pardoning mood anyway) movie with a good number of twists. While the masks can to an extent mask your acting skills, the body language was indicative enough that the actors meant business. Though the title has the word dark in it, it was certainly not as dark (in an art movie sense) as the original batman which seemed as if shot in an Indian town with perpetual powercut. Very elaborate plans were executed in very short precise intervals. That in fact seemed a major shortcoming where it is difficult to grant a poetic or otherwise license.

The Dark Knight (2008) (8/10)

Equilibrium (2002) (6/10)

A post WWIII movie where man has learnt to keep his emotions clouded away with daily doses. But of course there are people who do not do this. The movie is a mixture of Fahrenheit 451, matrix, 1984 and other such. The strength of the story is that they have kept it straight forward without complicating it with too many factors. Also, their are enough twists to keep you guessing about the future. The absence of big brother (or father) from certain walks of life (for instance no cameras in the interrogation rooms) was puzzling (shall we say miraculous?). Some good scientific (if you consider statistics to be a science) fighting action.

Equilibrium (2002) (6/10)

Flightplan (2005) (5/10)

Described as a Hitchcockesque movie (or something like that) Flightplan hardly comes close. Sure, they try to build up the tension and you are left wondering as to who to believe. But that is mainly because you are not provided ANY background. No characters are built and even at the end many questions are left unanswered.

Flightplan (2005) (5/10)

Mononoke-hime aka Princess Mononoke (1997) (6/10)

This animation has some good action. But without the technology, or the magic, it does not live up to a Stars-wars reputation. On the otherhand, it is no animal farm either. Well, there is some magic, and the usual thing that cartoons do - not exactly forgetting about gravity, but forgetting basic principles about impact velocities etc. Since what you do not know can not hurt you, they don't get hurt in this epic battle of animals to rid the earth of humans and vice versa. Why bother the Elk if the prince travels faster? The blind nightwalker was interesting, but not convincing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119698/ (1997) (6/10)

Casino Royale (2006) (7/10)

Another Bond movie. The first in sequence. A new Bond, and Daniel Craig is good. So is the title sequence. The first chase sequence is great, though a bit too actiony. Too much emphasis on a card game and without much logic. Far too much emphasis on the use of cell phones to sniff out people. In this movie it becomes a substitute to all the typical gadgets which are conspicuous by their absence. The cell phone use is logical, but not novel at all. If you leave out these ingredients, not much is left in the movie. Venice seems to dissect the movie in to two parts. That lull is long enough to make you believe in the first part that may be the movie is over, and then it goes on for so long that you know that it can not be over. It could have been done differently. You come out feeling you have seen a good movie, but not a great one. M is good.

Casino Royale (2006) (7/10)