Captain America - Civil War

Captain America Civil War comes at a time where the superhero genre seems to be losing it's charm. Has it managed to avert the trend is a question which is answered at the end of the movie. The movie starts with the avengers going after Crossbones from winter soldier. At the end of this sequence Scarlett Witch kills him and it results in a lot of collateral damage. Enter Tony Stark who has a subdued intro while attending a student conference and the UN approaches him to set up a meeting with the avengers. During this meeting all the damage done by them is highlighted and the UN guy wants the avengers to go legit. Tony is for the contract while Rodgers is against it. 

The next characters that we are introduced to is Black Panther and Bucky. Black Panther's father dies in a bombing where Bucky is the prime suspect. Captain America tries to track his friend Buck and save him. Meanwhile Black Panther also tracks him to avenge his father's death. What follows is a thrilling setpiece involving Captain America, Bucky, Falcon,  Black Panther, a ton of people, cars and the coolest bike stunt in a long time. Bucky is captured at the end of this sequence. In between all this a new character Zemo is introduced who has his own agenda towards the avengers. Bucky escapes from the facility via another brilliant setpiece. Captain America and IronMan fallout and go about recruiting their respective teams. AntMan joins Team Cap . Tony tracks Peter Parker and his recruitment banter with Tony is where the movie is the most hilarious dialogue wise. 

The next sequence itself is the hyped up airport sequence and boy does it deliver. It is one of the most thrilling set pieces ever put to screen. You get to see Spider-Man and AntMan in their full glory (We also get to see "GI"Ant Man for the first time and Spidey 's epic clash with Captain America. Captain America and IronMan as usual rock) in this sequence. Team Cap sacrifices themselves (they end up getting captured) to ensure Captain America and Bucky escape and War Machine becomes paralyzed at the end of this epic showdown. Zemo tracks down the location of Hydra and kills the other super assasins (another sub plot) and awaits the arrival of Cap, Tony and Bucky. When they arrive Zemo plays a security tape which shows Tony 's parents getting killed (Bucky kills them). What follows is the clash of the titans (Sorry Batman vs Superman you were not that epic), Tony tries to kill Bucky and Captain America tries to save him. Yep folks, Iron Man vs Captain America. There are very few moments in cinema where you get to shed man tears, this is one such. This moment alone is worth our money. Neither of them come on top and Captain saves Buck. The movie ends with Cap apologizing to Stark (via a letter) for not telling the truth regarding his parents death and promising that he will be always be there for him in the future (yes they'll team for infity war). On the whole Civil War brings back what we love in superhero movies big time in the most epic way possible. 

Bottomline :
Biggest summer blockbuster in a long time. Learn from Marvel, DC.

THERI - THERIffic Ride for Vijay Fans

After the lukewarm Puli there was a lot of pressure on both Vijay and Atlee to deliver a successful product. Have they delivered? Well let's see. Theri begins with Vijay aka Joseph Kuruvilla who is having a very peaceful life. His entire world revolves around his daughter (played beautifully by Nainika). After a chance encounter with thugs we get to see the real side of Joseph. Enter Vijay Kumar (again Vijay) who is nothing short of a super cop who goes about doing his chops. A rape case investigation leads to Vijay trying to nab the key suspect a minister's(Mahendran with a unusual performance ) son and the end result irks the minister big time. Does Mahendra and extract his revenge on Vijay? Does Vijay escape from it? Will Joseph Kuruvilla 's past comeback to haunt him are some of the questions which get answered over the course of the movie.

Vijay has given one of his best performances switching between the multiple roles. As Joseph Kuruvilla, he is a doting father and his portrayal of Vijay Kumar is his best cop avatar till date. Mahendran as the minister makes for a unusual and compelling villain. The clash sequences between Vijay and Mahendran are a treat for the fans. The best scene in the entire movie is the interval block where Vijay searches for Mahendran 's son and their interaction following that. It is the best paisa vasool moment for fans. Atlee has handled all the mass scenes very well. The cop intro, Jithu Jilladi song, action sequence with beggars, interval block, hotel fight all are a treat for the fans. Another aspect is Vijay 's stunning screen presence combined with Atlee' s dialogues. The camera work by George C Williams complements Atlee's effort in showing Vijay as an ultra-stylish cop. Samantha and Amy Jackson have given their best in their respective roles, but their makeup and hairstyle does not work out.The support cast of "Mottai" Rajendran, Baby Nainika, Raadhika Sarath Kumar, Prabhu, Kaali Venkat give the much needed balance to the movie.   

However Theri has it's share of flaws. The love scenes featuring Samantha (who plays a doctor in the movie) hamper the pace of the movie. The over the top melodrama dilutes the movie to a  extent. Another drawback is the runtime of the second half which could have been trimmed. However there are enough Vijay moments that will satisfy both Vijay fans and Ajith fans. This is where GV scores big time with his Theri dubstep. He nails it big time in the mass scenes. 

PRO's :

1. Vijay as Vijay Kumar

2. Atlee gets the fan moments right

3. Action sequences

4. Pre Interval block and combo scenes with Mahendran

5. GV bgm, Jithu Jilladi song

CONS :

1. Love scenes with Sam (As in they hamper the screen play)

2. Over the top melodrama

3. Lengthy second half

Overall Theri is the kind of movie which will thoroughly satisfy people who love mass movies and a comfortable watch for the neutral.

Verdict :

Vijay returns big time in Theri after the disappointing Puli. Paisa Vasool for fans and a comfortable watch for the neutrals

Batman Vs Superman - Dawn of Justice (Fan Reaction)

Superhero movies are always a tough one to pull off that too when you have hyped it to the hilt on two of the greatest superheroes you've just made your task harder. Zack Snyder must have first taken a call whether he was going for a Man Of Steel sequel or Justice League movie. Here itself the movie falls flat. Ben Affleck plays a one note Batman and Bruce Wayne. You can differentiate the two characters based on the costume alone. Henry Cavill is slightly better but has nothing to do than to fly and smash things. Jesse Eisenberg is annoyingly unfunny as Lex Luthor and tries to be the next Joker. The only person who saves this wreck of a movie is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman who kicks ass even in that short time span she appears on screen.

The people who have been complaining that the movie has no humor must have watched a different movie. The last 45 minutes are a absolute riot despite the CGI spectale. The reason why Batman and Superman do really fight will put all masala movies to shame. Even funnier was the scene where Batman doesn't kill Superman since both of their moms have a common name. The scene goes like this:

Batman stomps Superman on the neck and is about to kill him with the kryptonite spear. 
Superman: "Bruce, Lex has Martha" 
Batman yells: "Why did you tell that name"

 
There that's some funny shit right there. Mr Zack everyone loves their mom but to always use them in the plot ***cough*** Man of Steel ***cough***. However the scene that takes the real cake is when the Bat runs and hides from Doomsday. How did you even think fans would accept it? 

The entire theatre was rolling on their seats with laughter (We knew it was meant to be epic and not funny. We are civilized.) Seriously Zack people deserve a better movie for their superheroes. When even Batman Forever feels more entertaining than Dawn of Justice we've got a serious problem people. 

Bottom-line:

Thank you for one among the funniest 45 minutes we could have ever asked for. Now give us the Superhero movie which the fans deserve or move on.

Ip Man 3 - Grand Finish to a Great Franchise

It is the final movie in the Ip Man franchise and gives the best ending to the series that only few manage to achieve. The movie begins with Ip Man being approached by Bruce Lee to teach him Wing Chun. What follows is a mind blowing sequence where Ip tests Lee 's speed with cigarettes and water. The movie features 3 sub plots. First one is Mike Tyson and his gang trying to get their hands on a school regarding his business. Second is Ip' s wife suffering from cancer. The third and main plot involves a fellow practioner played by Max Zhang who defeats all the existing masters and challenges Ip. Whether Ip Man defeats all his enemies forms the rest of the plot.

 Donnie Yen as Ip Man has delivered a superb performance. Max Zhang comes a close second with his intense moves. Rest of the cast is a mere caricature. However the true hero of the movie is stunt director Woo-Ping Yuen. The major highlight of the movie is the stunt sequences. The movie consists of 4 superb action blocks. The first one is a shipping yard sequence where Donnie Yen and Max Zhang take on Tyson 's thugs. This scene pays rich homage to the Neo vs Smiths fight in the Matrix Reloaded.

The second sequence is a fight sequence in a hospital elevator where Donnie Yen takes on an assasin.The third sequence is the much hyped clash between Donnie Yen and Tyson. It features mind blowing stunt choreography which has to be seen to be believed. The last and final sequence involves sticks, switch blades, lots of fists and two people. We get to see Donnie Yen and Max Zhang take on each other in a terrific sequence which even rivals the Raid 2 climax. Only minus point would be the melodrama. Overall Ip Man 3 is a superb send off to the titular character.

Verdict 

Ip Man 3 is the best action movie so far this year. Although fans would be sad with this being the last entry, they've already got replacements like John Wick 2 and Raid 3 to fill the void.

Kaadhalum Kadandhu Pogum - An extremely entertaining version of an erstwhile "Cliched" Story

Some people evolve with each and every role they perform. Vijay Sethupathy belongs to this category and is fastly moving towards the mass audience. KaKaPo follows the beautiful relationship between a thug and an unemployed graduate. Yaazhini (Madonna Sebastien) wants to work in a chennai-based IT company and so she runs away from her home in Villupuram. At first things go well and she comfortably settles down at a friend's apartment. But trouble strikes, as the company she works for is shutdown. Yaazhini is forced to move out of her friend's place and eventually finds out a place in a housing-board locality, where her neighbour is the ex-con Kathir (Vijay Sethupath). Over a period of time they become good friends and how their friendship leads to Yaazhini getting a job forms the rest of the movie's plot.

Vijay Sethupathi can be considered as the man with the Midas Touch. His movies have had successful runs in the box-office lately. This is mainly due to his appeal among all classes of audience, along with a really humorous body language. This film is no different, featuring the funniest bar and interview sequences ever. In fact the movie is the most fun one can have in the theaters in recent times. Sethupathi scores big here and his combo scenes with Madonna are a riot especially the saraku sequence. Madonna is another major asset in this movie and she gives a superb tamil debut.Credit goes to the Cinematographer Dinesh Krishnan for thinking out-of-the box and creating visual content that is very very engaging. Santhosh Narayan's quirky music adds a feisty element to the movie and keeps audiences entertained.

Although the story is ordinary Nalan makes it extraordinary with his unique screen play and narration. Much was expected from him after "Soodhu Kavvum" and it is safe to say that he has given yet another interesting movie. In the climax portion VS shows the true range of his acting and the ending justifies the title big time.

Overall KaKaPo is a laugh riot with shades of heavy emotions. 

Verdict :
Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum Avalavu sikkiram nam manadhai vittu pogathu.

Pichaikaaran – Another Unprecedented hit for Vijay Antony

Vijay Antony is taking giant steps in Kollywood. He has been around for a long time, 
scoring music and singing songs. Over the past 5 years his passion for acting has driven him to give movies such as Naan, Salim, India Pakistan etc. Pichaikaaran is his latest offering and it is a safe bet to say that the movie is a good watch.

The basic plot of the movie revolves around the rich but ailing female industrialist Bhuvaneshwari, whose son is Arul (Vijay Antony). Bhuvaneshwari’s medical conditions get serious and she slips into a coma. Arul loses hope and that’s when a spiritual guru asks him to live the next 48 days as a beggar. On his advice, Arul leaves everything back home at Coimbatore and flies to Chennai. The issues which Arul faces in Chennai over the course of the next 48 days for the rest of the story.

Firstly, it takes a great deal of commitment to portray oneself as a beggar on screen and kudos to Vijay Antony for doing that. There was however one little problem in his performance – his inability to add influence and power to “Punch Dialogues”.

Satna Titus as Magizhini gives a good debut performance. Her role is pretty much the standard “do-gooder lady” and gets enough screen time to showcase her potential. She is someone to look out for in the future. Vijay Antony himself has scored the music for the movie and the songs have some out pretty well.

Situational comedy and one-liners based on begging and beggars make the movie highly entertaining. Director Sasi has blended masala elements very well to the life of a person who sacrifices 48 days of his luxurious life to save his mother. Certain “Mass Moments” in the movie have worked out big-time for Vijay Antony, thanks to the director. On the whole Pichaikaaran is a movie worth watching this weekend.

Kanithan – Riddled with slight Miscalculations

Every hero needs a clichéd movie and Kanithan is Adharva’s version. Gowtham (Adharva) is the Senior Reporter for Sky TV, one of the many small-time Tv channels in the city. His ambition is to work for BBC. While investigating the occurrence of a few illegal activities in a pub, he meets Anu (Catherine Tresa) and falls for her. To impress her, he lies that he is a reporter for the BBC News Channel. Later on Anu finds out that he works for her father (Manobala) at Sky TV and in a fit of anger, insults Gowtham. Over a point of time, Gowtham gets the chance to interview for a post at BBC and successfully creates a good impression with the officials. Anu feels bad about insulting Gowtham and they both get together. On one of their dates, Gowtham is arrested by cops for educational loan fraud. How Gowtham proves his innocence and finds out the person behind this forms the rest of the story.

Adharva takes on the “Mass” avatar and shows that he is growing into a bankable star. Be it action, dance or romance, Adharva has created a whole new masala aura around him in the movie. Catherine Tresa is at her usual glamorous best but being a glam doll isn’t going to help in the long run. Tarun Arora makes a strong impact as Thura Sarkar (the main antagonist in the movie). As a brainy villain, the cat&mouse chase between him and Aadharva comes out to be quite interesting. Sunder Ramu and Karunakaran get ample screen time as Aadharva’s friends and their comic timing entertains in bits.

The plot of Kanithan is quite interesting but the screenplay lets the movie down. 

Educational loan frauds and Fake certificate issues have plagued the system for a long time and Santhosh has created an engaging plot based on those issues. Audiences have to bear with all the usual masala nonsense for the first 30 minutes of the movie and from there, the movie picks pace.

The stunts and the cinematography deserve a special mention in showing Aadharva as a mass hero. This is Drums Sivamani’s first project as an independent composer and the music has come out pretty well, with the exception of the BGM being a little too dependent on electric guitars. 

Clichés take a huge toll on the flow of the movie. Tamil audiences have grown to accept scenes where the hero parties with his girlfriend while the villain is in hot pursuit of him. It is high time directors learn to accept that clichés won’t work anymore.

Apart from a few bumps, Kanithan is a breezy entertainer and it sure helps in establishing Aadharva as one of the future stars of Tamil Cinema.