Endhiran Movie Review (First On Net) - Super BlockBuster 6 Out of 5 Stars !

Endhiran Movie Review
(First On Net)

6 Out of 5 Stars !!

The Best Entertainer Movie Of Tamil Cinema Till Date
First of a Kind !!

Story: Dr. Vasi (Rajnikanth) is a scientist with a mission. He wants to create the first robot which would not only serve tea and coffee to its masters but would have the power to serve humanity in more meaningful ways.

He creates Chitti, the humanoid who looks like him and is willing to do anything for him. Trouble begins when he goes a step further and teaches the machine to feel. Chitti falls in love with the professor's girl friend, Sana (Aishwarya Rai) and ends up becoming an almost undefinable rival in love, courtesy the red chip that a rival scientist (Danny Denzongpa) infuses in him. Can the creator tame the rogue robot or will machine rule over man?

Movie Review: Want to see what mainstream Indian cinema actually means? Go, watch Robot. The last 30 minutes of the film are literally the baap (grandmaster) of all make-believe and end up creating a whole new genre of cinema: the `curry eastern' which stands up as a wholesome alternative to the curry western. For Rajnikanth fans, the climax is definitely a sure-fire way to lose your sanity.

For non-Rajnikanth fans, it's a sure-fire way to understand the mystique and magical allure of Rajni Sir, a hero who enjoys a demi-god status in several parts of India. Why? Because there are almost a hundred Rajnikanths eating up helicopters, smashing cars, battering planet earth and creating havoc, like never before. If you thought Terminator, Matrix, Godzilla was fun, then we guarantee you'll fall off your chair with glee as our desi T2-meets-Blade Runner-meets Neo-meets-Godzilla sets the screen on fire in a crazy, vengeance bid. Spoofy, yes. But super fun too.

Robot is primarily designed as an unadulterated tribute to the charisma of Indian cinema's ageless superstar, Rajnikanth. And it's completely, wholeheartedly, joyously desi. Where else would you find a hero who literally shoots with his fingers! What's more important is the fact that you actually don't mind when the bullet whizzes out of his forefinger and hits the man in front in the head. Instant death! Ha Ha!

The high point of Robot are the super quality special effects. All the Spiderman, Batman and Superhero antics of Rajnikanth have been done with exquisite elan by the Stan Winston Studio which reportedly provided the Animatrics for films like Jurassic Park and Avatar. And all the stunts have been choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping, the Hong Kong based action director who created the high-adrenalin stunts of classics like Kill Bill and Matrix. Almost 40 per cent of the film's colossal budget (Rs 160 crores) has been spent on special effects, which, at the end of the day, seems all worthwhile. For watching Rajnikanth running horizontal on a speeding train, clambering across burning buildings like Spiderman or mutating into gargantuan monsters does manage to shock and awe the viewer who's out there to have big time fun.

But Robot isn't effect alone. It has a plot too which, if you really pay attention, has a meaning and a message. The film carries forward the man-machine war through interesting twists and turns and creates a lively love triangle between scientist Rajnikanth, medico student, Aishwarya Rai and robot Rajnikanth. Interestingly, the duo make an interesting pair, what with Rajni saar's sundry wigs and sideburns and Aishwarya's tribal `Kilimanjaro-Mohenjodaro' attire. Peppered with colourful songs (AR Rahman) and dances (Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram) and high-octane drama, Robot is the perfect getaway film, guaranteed to give you a high with its heady over-the-top Indian flavour. You might just OD (overdose) on the pungent masala fare.

Have a blast !!

Endhiran Movie Preview (First On Net)

Endhiran Movie Preview
(First On Net)

Chitty- The Robot ; Speed 1 Terrahertz; Memory -1 Gigabyte. Programmed to be 100 times intelligent and talented than a normal human being. Knows all the languages on the face of earth.’ The most powerful robot ever made by man and we will be introduced to this wonder on September 3rd, the day Endhiran hits screens.

The movie is more than a month away, but the excitement is already palpable. Two years of tight secrecy has finally relented. The music is out and so is the trailer. The excitement that it has created is greater than what is generated by the actual release of most movies. That is the stature Endhiran of the men associated with this mega venture. No doubt, all of you will now have the list of names involved in Endhiran by heart. But, really, it is hard for one to resist the temptation to roll out those names once again. After all, it is only rarely that there is a chance to dwell on these names at length, especially in connection with the same movie. So, here they are; Superstar, Shankar, Rahman, Kalanithi Maran, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and many more names that you will be hearing of in the next month or so. If anyone says that a bigger team than this exists in Indian cinema at present, then seriously, he’s got to be kidding. Because (pardon the cliché) ‘it does not get bigger than this’.

Sun Pictures started its promotional activities yesterday with the release of the trailer through TV. But, it has not reached its full fledged stage yet and that is why most of you might not have got a chance to get the first feel of what is in store. Well, don’t get upset because you can always scramble to Youtube to get your fill of Superstar and we too are here to provide you with every small detail that the biggest Indian movie ever divulges as it treads along towards D day. So, here goes the trailer review of Endhiran – The Robot. It is only rarely that a film becomes so huge that even its trailer demands or deserves a review. This is one such occasion and we hope that there are many more in future.

Now, the review. Well, what do you expect from a Shankar film? One word – grandeur. One look at Endhiran’s trailer and you will know that Shankar has gone many levels above all that he has done till now. If you thought that Sivaji was the pinnacle of ebullience, then you have to see the Endhiran trailer to believe that it was not. Such seems to be the scale of the film. But, we will have to wait to see the entire product to know exactly how and where the 150+ crores were spent. The one thing that the trailer definitely tells us is that much of that has definitely gone into visual effects. What we will get to see in the movie seems to be special effects and computer graphics that have never before been envisaged. There have been some good CG applications in Indian cinema over the years, like what we saw in Sarvvam last year. But, Endhiran is in a different league altogether. If you want to compare the standards of graphics that seem to be present in the movie, then it is films like Terminator and Matrix that you have to look at.

The story of Endhiran is definitely one that has never been tried in Indian cinema before because of the sheer technological expertise and costs that it would necessitate. Tamil cinema will be certainly proud that one of its directors has taken this step that would expedite the evolution of Indian cinema to the next level. But, for those who regularly watch English films, the plot might sound a tad familiar; but we are just guessing at this point of time. From what the trailer offers, it is all about Rajinikanth (the scientist) who constructs the world’s most powerful robot (again Rajinikanth), something that even Honda could not do, which can do almost everything that a human being can, in a much better way. But, what happens when the robot forgets the rules that were laid down by Issac Asimov to be followed by all robots and humanoids (so faithfully done by Arnold Schwarzenegger throughout the Terminator franchise); all mayhem is set loose as the uncontrollable robot runs riot. Who can stop him? This is our guess of the plot.

Most English movies choose New York as the stage for all big disasters and monsters to attack. The big city has been used for its instant familiarity all over the world and also perhaps for its suspension bridges and proximity to water bodies which make excellent settings for heart stopping action. Well, Shankar seems to have taken up Chennai as the stage for Robot to strike and from the few fleeting glimpses we think that some of the major landmarks in the city might feature as backdrops of action sequences. We are quite certain about some action atop the Guindy flyover. The only regret is that the colossal ‘Secretariat’ structure could not be ready in time for Shankar to think of a pulsating action sequence involving the structure. There also seem to be some absolutely delightful and colorful sets (in metallic theme, apt for Robots) that have been constructed by Sabu Cyril.

The action, the visual effects, the art; all this makes the film big. But, what makes it huge? What gives a producer enough confidence to say yes to a budget of 150 crores? There is only one answer – Superstar. You have to see it to believe it. Never has he looked as young as this in the recallable past. Never has he looked as dashing and stylish as he does now. As wine gets better with age, Superstar’s style only seems to get better every time he appears on screen. There seem to be dozens of get ups and styles that he has donned in the movie; especially for the Robot character. Are they all good? What a question! The only real question is which one of them is best. All Superstar fans (we guess that everyone is), get ready for an absolute treat. There is no doubt; he is still the undisputed King of style. And, in the, midst of all the excitement one forgets that this is the first movie in more than 25 years that will have two Superstars on screen at the same time. Do we need a bigger reason to celebrate?

There seems to be no end to what one can talk about this movie, just after watching a one minute trailer. Yes, we have not yet talked about Rahman or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and a lot of other things. But, one guesses that the next month or so will be there just for that and much more. So, go watch the trailer as soon as you can, get the first feel of the biggest Indian movie ever (bet you, this one is international in its standards) and keep coming back because the countdown has begun and you don’t want to miss any of the action. Endhiran – The Robot will soon take you by storm.

Thillalangadi Movie Review (First On Net)

Thillalangadi Movie Review
(First On Net)




Starring: Jayam Raja, Tamannah, Shaam, Prabhu, Vadivelu.
Direction: M. Raja
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja, Thaman
Production: Jayam Company

Director Jayam Raja is back to doing what he is best at - remakes - and proves that he is after all a master in this craft. This time around, he has used the Telugu flick Kick to adapt to Tamil settings with plenty of spices to augment the original product. After an impressive performance in Peraanmai, Ravi is in his home turf under Raja’s baton. The brother duo combination along with Tamannah and an ensemble star cast has delivered a lengthy (solid three hours and ten minutes) entertainer.

Thillalangadi is about a young man Krishna (Ravi), who is restless and seeks something in life which he himself is not sure of. He gets kicks out of doing things extraordinary. He cannot stay in a job which fetches him a lakh of rupees for more than a month because it gives him the kicks to throw his job away. Normalcy is his pet peeve and he goes to any extent to just enjoy the ‘KICK’; in the process baffles and miffs people around him. His parents Prabhu and Suhasini understand him and leave him to his destiny knowing very well that Krishna will never go astray.

The film opens with a generous footage of Nisha (Tamannah) doing yoga in a sexy avatar in all possible angles in Malaysia. (A surprise for a Jayam Raja film!) Her parents bring forth an alliance for her and she is asked to meet a boy in a train. She agrees with much reluctance and meets the boy Krishna Kumar (Shaam). The story starts unfolding with Nisha narrating how she met Krishna (Ravi) and parted her ways with him.

Nisha’s first meeting with Krishna itself is an excited event wherein she tries to help her friend (MLA Nalini’s daughter) who wishes to elope with her driver Das (Sathyan). Krishna being a friend of Das appears to double time the couple in love only to get them married off. From then on, it is fiery encounters between the lead couple that oscillates between love and hate. When Nisha completes her story, it is Shaam’s turn and he divulges the real reason for his Malaysian visit. The rest of the film is about Nisha and Krishna’s love, misunderstanding and Shaam’s mission with some predictable and some unpredictable events.

Thillalangadi is almost scene by scene replica of the original Kick. Raja’s narration is interesting but is way too long. In fact, the second half is tediously lengthy to the point of exhaustion. The ‘family’ feel which is generally present in Raja’s films is missing in Thillalangadi. That apart, he has dealt with a subject that is a wee bit unusual in his own style. The film, in its first half is ridiculously silly and asinine in some parts but slowly warms up later.

Vadivelu plays a significant role to up the laughter quotient and he is aided by Santhanam, Mansoor Ali Khan, Radha Ravi, John Vijay and others in the rest of the film. Ravi looks dashing; dances well, fights energetically, emotes brilliantly but his voice is a major let down especially when he tries to mouth macho dialogues. Tamannah does what is expected of her. Looks like the lady has relaxed her rules about costumes and her glamorous avatar in the film is bound to be a hit with youngsters. Shaam looks stunning and delivers well too. It is a pity that this actor’s potential has not been completely utilized in Tamil films. The other cast members are adequate.

The locations are good and there is a ‘beauty’ feel to the entire film. Everybody is clothed in vibrant colors, courtesy Nalini Sriram. Her choice and color of costumes are trendy and noticeable. Major support to Thillalangadi comes from the music department where Yuvan Shankar Raja and Thaman come to the fore. All the songs are hummable and the much talked about ‘Sol Pechu Ketkaada Sundari’ is interesting with five Tamannahs and ten Rajas. However, in the second half, Pattu Pattu Pattampoochi (sung by Silambarasan) is a total misfit in terms of mood and is forced. The song follows a heavy mood from the lead pair but the dance sequences are chirpy. And when you thought the film is nearing completion, the Thothu Ponene number comes up reminding clearly of the Telugu connection.

There are many logical loopholes, which can be conveniently forgiven, as this film is not about any serious stuff. Thillalangadi has comedy, action, romance, glamour, sentiment and all the pertinent ingredients in perfect concoction and is a jolly good ride. It has something for everyone!

Verdict – Enjoyable entertainer!

Why Raavanan Failed To Make It Big ?

If you are a Tamil cinema fan, there must be only one movie on your mind at the moment; Raavanan. The most respected film maker of India has given a product that has not quite lived up to his reputation; that is what many people are saying at this point of time. Of course, no one has even dared to opine that this is a bad movie.

It is just the fact that Mani Ratnam’s standards are so high that we expect nothing less than a masterpiece from him every single time. It is like all cricket fans of India not being ready to accept anything less than a century every time Sachin bats (even 99 means that he is out of form) and Brazilian football fans not wanting anything less than a World Cup win (not even making it to the final will do; ask the 1998 team). Some people and organizations have to deliver at a higher level than others to satisfy us because they simply don’t have other competition.

So, where in Raavanan did Mani Ratnam fall from his own lofty standards? Certainly not the technical part; it is world class; helmed by some of the best. In fact, Raavanan might be considered technically superior to all previous Mani Ratnam films. It is in the casting, characterization and nativity that Mani seems to have got entangled a bit. How?

Mani Ratnam is a director who is known to give thoroughly new dimensions to actors. He pulls them from the ordinary stuff and makes them do things that they would never have thought of; this is testified by many actors who have worked under the director. He revamps an artiste and presents them in moulds that surprise audiences. This is precisely what he did when he cast Abhishek Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborthy in Guru, Madhavan in Ayudha Ezhuthu, Mohanlal in Iruvar or even Janakaraj in Roja.

All the above cited examples are instances where actors have been made to do roles that were hitherto uncharted territory and they came out trumps in each of them. We must agree that we all loved the casting and they provided immense strength to the films. Even in Raavanan, most of the casting seems apt, true to the Mani Ratnam style. But the one which seems to be a let down is that of Priyamani, the ‘Surpanaka’ in the modern Ramayana. Now, this might not sound like a very convincing reason.

But, many people having watched the film have opined that the casting of Priyamani in this role was a give away about the character’s ultimate fate. Why is it so? Because of the impact of the ‘Muthalagu’ character from Paruthiveeran. It is easy to be wise in hindsight, some might feel. But, a director of Mani Ratnam’s caliber must have been alert to such possibilities while casting for his film because the audience is not ready to accept anything but the best from him.

The other aspect where the Mani Ratnam perfection was not present was characterization. Yes, Raavanan was an adaptation of the Ramayana. But, was there a need to almost caricaturize characters in order to make the analogy obvious. Isn’t Mani Ratnam capable of conveying things to his audience in a much more subtle manner? We have seen Mani Ratnam adapting stories from epics and real life. But never has he made characters overdo trademark traits to emphasize identity. But, Raavanan had its fair share of overdone mannerisms.

For example; did Karthik have to be shown as a bouncy, chirpy and acrobatic forest guard who pops out of trees and invades the screen from out of the blue to show that his character was modeled on Hanuman? A normal, serious and true to life forest guard would also have sufficed and looked much more effective, we think. Also, did Prabhu have to be shown as constant munching machine to emphasize that he was Kumbhakarna. In any case, isn’t his wide girth a give away about his character. Likewise, there are such caricatures and overdone mannerisms that are so unlike Mani Ratnam.

Finally, the nativity. Many have said, Raavanan just doesn’t feel completely like a Tamil film. There have been instances before where such opinions have risen, like Guru and Dil Se. But, those were different cases because they were not originally intended as Tamil films. But, Raavanan was meant to be one and when such opinions are raised about this film, it does not augur well for India’s top film maker.

Maybe the pressure of having to vibe with audiences of both south and north India while making a shot by shot bilingual forced Mani Ratnam to deviate a bit from authentic Tamil flavor. The locations, the palatial structures and huge statues are unlike anything that is found in the mountainside villages of South India. One wonders that after almost two years of thought and effort, how such a thing was allowed to pass by Mani Ratnam.

We all love Mani Ratnam films and Raavanan too is worth a watch for its visual beauty and performances. But, when the man is Mani Ratnam we raise our expectations, wanting nothing but the best. And, in the case of Raavanan, those expectations have not been met; this is definitely not Mani Ratnam’s best.

Just like a million Indian fans moan in despair even when Sachin gets out after making 50, ruing the missed century, we too are not quite satisfied with a good film that could not be great. Let us hope that Mani Ratnam gets to his century next time.