It's May, it's summer, it's time to cheer!

Blockbusters are usually made now, in the month of May, the beginning of summer in the US. The season brings with it more theatre-goers, high budget movies, action and fantasy filled flicks, with not much room for indie films. April set the mood right, with 42 and Oblivion doing brightly and Iron Man 3 shattering international collection records. As the latter is to release in the first weekend of May in USA, it is technically the first summer blockbuster of the year but as I had already covered it in my April section due to its large international release beforehand, we step away from the suited superhero and gauge the many other blockbusters that are now ripe for the plucking. This month might be the toughest to pick out only five movies worth seeing, as there are quite a few more that seem appealing to the eye, but here's goes nothing... five movies not to be missed in May! 

5) Now You See Me: This one came out of nowhere but the first trailer itself got me hooked on. There's a Prestige kind of feel to it, though that feeling might have cropped up due to the basic movie premise involving illusionists and the trailer showcasing some magic tricks. And even if I could have dismissed the visual trickery, however appealing it was, the dismissal of the presence of a cast filled with the likes of Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Isla Fisher and Mark Ruffalo, was not an easy matter. Hope this one entertains! 

4) Epic: It's not really been an 'year for animation' ever since the grandeur of 2010. And so anything that seems even mildly interesting in this genre needs to be held on. Epic is expected to showcase a fantasy-filled world that would lead our protagonists into an exhilarating adventure in a forest, which has the potential to turn into something really enjoyable in 3D. The comforting factor is the presence of Blue Sky Studios (of 20th Century Fox) that have previously delivered the entertaining Ice Age series and Rio. So they surely know what they are doing, right?

3) After Earth: I'm pretty excited about this one. The trailers blew me away, the story though now cliched still seems to vibrate with a new touch to it, and the presence of Will Smith always works like a charm. One of my recent Imax viewings had a trailer of After Earth being played prior to the movie, and this is no exaggeration but I had goosebumps as the trailer picked up pace with Will Smith's narration ringing in the background. Many would harbour doubts over M. Shyamalan's capability to pull off something spectacular anymore, but this might just be his moment to redeem himself! 

2) Fast & Furious 6: I had a hunch this one would be the finale, wrapping up all the loose ends, but the word on the street is that the seven installment is to start shooting soon with a summer release for next year being hurriedly pushed for. Well, those are things to be thought of later, because this month is going to bring forth its own treat of F&F, of fast cars, and more fast cars. The series has seen a resurrection I find hard to compare with any other movie franchise and if you are a believer, then Fast & Furious 6 could really be the best of the lot! With the old crew back again and Justin Lin still very much calling the shots before he moves on from the franchise, I really can't see this movie face any setback whatsoever...

1) Star Trek Into Darkness: While Iron Man 3 would very much rule the US box office for two weeks of May, it will find its match in mid-month when the James Kirk captained starship resurfaces. Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel to the 2009 reboot Star Trek, would feature in anyone's movie list for the year (and if it doesn't, then pal what are you thinking of?), and rightly so. J.J. Abrams is a master of this genre, with a knack to make an unseen land or an unheard race or an unknown scientific concept, feel no longer alien. He has revitalized the Star Trek series, and made a whole new generation part of this adventure, which should continue for quite a long time, hopefully with Abrams at the realm of things. Star Trek Into Darkness is likely to be another step in that direction. And a terrific one, I feel! Abrams is to drift off into another space adventure after this, taking the Star Wars series forward, but before he moves to a galaxy far far away, let us all ride the USS Enterprise with him one more time... to boldly go where no one has gone before!    

The other movies of May that a few could be looking forward to but not me may include The Great Gatsby, which might very well be a classic but appeared from the trailer to kill the summer mood, or The Hangover Part III, which I care nothing about, or Before Midnight which I have not added only because its May release in USA is going to be limited one, and I am waiting eagerly for a wider release (hopefully soon). So then, here's to May, a month eager to fill our lives with much joy and cheer!   

What next for Robert Downey Jr.?

The toughest of climbs is taken by those who have seen the greatest of falls. This adage cannot be truer for anyone in Hollywood than for Robert Downey Jr. The actor who has brought Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes on the big screen with added style and zeal, stands today at the zenith of his acting career till date. But not many would know, that twenty years back, a 27 year old Robert Downey Jr. had been mentioned in the same breath as veterans like Al Pacino and Clint Eastwood, when he had been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in 1992's Chaplin. Much had been expected from Downey Jr. then, a successful career path awaited him, all he had to do was grab it and make it his. But what did he do? He got hold of something else, altogether. Cocaine, heroin, marijuana, Robert Downey Jr. spent much of his time embroiled with drugs, repeatedly caught and sentenced by the authorities, sent to rehab centres to mend his ways, but all in vain. He was fired from movie sets, from television roles, even the one where he had earned an Emmy Nomination, Ally McBeal. Things were bleak for Downey Jr. and what was needed for him to resurface was nothing short of the strengths Iron Man had to discover in his latest movie, a willingness to fight back. 

In early 2000's, Robert Downey Jr. started successfully battling his substance problems, getting back 'in the game' in the movie business, earning roles here and there, which largely got him positive reviews. Then in 2007 came the offer to play a relatively lesser known superhero, Iron Man. And there began a sustained rise to the very top in Hollywood, with the success of Iron Man followed by Tropic Thunder and Sherlock Holmes and the sequels. Robert Downey Jr. was finally receiving the plaudits his work deserved, though no one could be blamed for their absence in the past apart from Downey Jr. himself. So with Iron Man 3 released successfully in international markets, earning $195 million for the weekend in 42 markets, which is about $10 million higher than the first weekend earnings of The Avengers though it had been released in three lesser markets, and a smashing US release expected this weekend, the question that remains is: What next for Robert Downey Jr.? 

Will Robert Downey Jr. wear the Iron Man armour again? No one really knows the answer to this as his contract with the studio to play the superhero ends with Iron Man 3. Downey Jr. has never declined reprising this role again, but his answers have been hesitant and vague. The ending scenes of Iron Man 3 did allow Tony Stark to choose to retire but also reiterated the line uttered by Stark 'I am Iron Man'. Further, the post-credit scene closed with the words 'Tony Stark to return' which makes it obvious that Stark would make at least one more appearance, in The Avengers 2 most likely. While Tony Stark could be recast if the agenda is to lower the multi-million bucks being paid to Robert Downey Jr., this would be a real hard decision to take as Downey Jr. has not kept a foot wrong when wearing that red-gold suit. Joss Whedon, in a recent interview with Desde Hollywood, has further teased on this topic saying, "I want him to play it forever.... At the same time, if Robert decides to hang it up, he has a perfectly good excuse." So in short, no one really knows or is willing to spill the beans. My feeling is that Downey Jr. would return in The Avengers 2 but the future beyond that could be bleak with many new Marvel characters expected to be lined up for Phase 3. 

So what is there beyond the suit? Robert Downey Jr. has kept his plate relatively clean. His next feature film would be a drama titled The Judge set for a 2014 release, which is also being co-produced by his production house. He would be playing a lawyer who returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral only to find his father, the town's judge, as a suspect.  That's real drama! Apart from this, there is no other committed feature film to really talk about. Downey Jr. has been associated with the making of Pinocchio, which had Tim Burton associated with it and now surprisingly Ben Stiller (as director, mind you!), but this one is right now going through script rewrites. The production company of Downey Jr. has also been associated with a heist film called Yucatan but again, there is nothing much there to be worthy of a discussion. So for now it seems Robert Downey Jr. is truly content to reap the rewards from Iron Man 3 before he really decides to fill up his calendar dates again. Soon the rumours regarding his future reprisal of Iron Man should also get sorted out. But till then, raise a toast to an actor who once forgot his path only to find it again, and who made this second chance count!   

Iron Man 3: Phase 2 starts off with a bang!

50 years back, in March 1963, Stan Lee introduced a new superhero in Issue #39 of Tales of Suspense comic series, and gave him a relatively straight-forward name, Iron Man. What began as sketches in a comic book to fill the minds of the readers with unparalleled imagination has now become a rage in the movie business, spanning a trilogy of its own, revitalizing the career of a forgotten actor, acting as a launchpad for bringing together many heroes in one of the finest films of our time, and justifying a studio's $4 billion acquisition of another. Now, beginning with Iron Man 3, Disney launches Phase 2 of the Avengers series, planning to make it bigger and better than the original, and boy, would that be a task! But if Iron Man 3 is any indication of the way things would shape up, then there is plenty on the platter to look forward to. 

Iron Man 3 takes off from the battle at Manhattan when the Avengers successfully managed to wade off the alien invasion. What seemed like a happy ending then, was in fact just the beginning of a new problem for Tony Stark, the one problem we would never have associated with him in the past, that of anxiety attacks. To keep himself balanced, Stark spends more and more time in his basement, 'tinkering' around with his suits, his armour now upgraded to Mark XLII (Mark 42), which is a big jump from the Mark VII we saw him wearing last in The Avengers. The big plus point of the suit: it can be called by Tony Stark mentally and assembles itself on his body automatically. Wicked cool! But his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) becomes feisty as he spends more time with his armours then with her. Eh, typical boy-girl matters! Enter in Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a leader of a terrorist organisation who is hell bent on teaching the US President a few lessons (will no other political leader across the globe ever be worthy of the bad guy's time?), Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who has a technology to showcase and a secret to hide and a former one-night stand of Stark and botanist (Rebecca Hall) who has played her part in building a virus that has the power to cure physical disabilities. 

Iron Man 3 is the first standalone Iron Man film to not have Jon Favreau as the director, who has been replaced by Shane Black, director of another Robert Downey Jr. film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. And thus there is a different feel to the presentation of the whole movie from the previous two. Iron Man 3 backs up Tony Stark against a wall, pitting him against an adversary who has very little fear and has snatched almost everything from him, most importantly the ones he loves the most. This movie represents that stage a superhero goes through where he has to seek inspiration once again, dig deeper than before to surface up with everything intact. The inspiration for Stark in Iron Man 3 comes from a young boy, Harley, who makes Stark realise what he really is beneath his suit. 

Despite the $200 million production budget, Shane Black has not filled up the movie with flying gadgets, rather keeping the focus heavily on a battered Tony Stark fighting his inner demons. The chemistry between Stark and Harley is one of the highlights of the movie, filled largely with humour, but extending further to show the help a civilian provides Stark to rediscover himself. There is also surprisingly quite a few close up shots of the actors which is less deployed in this Imax viewing age. And then there are the elaborate grandiose large-scale shots, limited in number but made up in intensity and choreography. The destruction of Stark's Malibu house, the attack on Air Force One and the lengthy battle scene at the end, these are the ones that stand out with visually appealing choreography that live upto the 'cool' factor that we associate with Iron Man. 

As it should be, Robert Downey Jr. steals the limelight for most parts of the movie. While the titular character in a superhero movie at times becomes secondary in the sequels to either a tougher villain or a grander plot, Downey Jr. has remained the heartbeat of the Iron Man movies. He owns the role, in a way that I have not seen any other actor playing a superhero do so! Be it his charm, his dialogue delivery, his facial expressions, they all have Tony Stark written over them. And while credit would go to the whole team for bringing this character to life on the big screen, Robert Downey Jr. would have to be given a bigger share of the pie! The recurring cast of Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau play their parts with ease, and this movie brings out a tougher Pepper Potts rather than the typical damsel in distress superhero girlfriends, which is a refreshing change. 

But the added flavour to Iron Man 3 is brought on by Ben Kinglsey, of course, and surprisingly, Guy Pearce. Ben Kingsley is one of those 'perfect' actors I believe, like Morgan Freeman or Michael Caine, who make acting look simple, portraying any role with extreme ease. And that is what he brings to this movie too. Simply gifted! Despite the showdown between Downey Jr. and Kingsley expected to take centre stage, the performance of Guy Pearce does stand out, with his role being much more than what the trailers would have suggested. Pearce is enjoying a breath of fresh air in his career, previously playing a cameo in Prometheus as well as a commendable performance in Lawless. In Iron Man 3, he turns on his charm, in a sinister manner, matching Downey Jr. frame to frame, and evokes a screen presence I hadn't seen from him since maybe Memento. Hopefully, Pearce would be able to take this on forward in his future films. 

Iron Man 3 would be there at the top of the box office charts by the end of the year, jostling for the numero uno position. It does entertain and thrill during its slightly more than two hour ride, though I would still rate 2008's Iron Man as the best yet in the series. Where Iron Man 3 falls short is in providing more of those goosebump moments, that make a great film stand out from the good ones. While the story is well-written and provides some interesting twists which are not generally expected in movies of this genre, it does not really allow for the chemistry between Stark and Potts to light up the screen, as it did in the previous films. Which seems one of the biggest missing points, as this relationship is at the core of the movie premise. But hey, every armour has its flaw. And despite that, Iron Man 3 is still suited up strong and sturdy. Phase 2 has kicked off well... now bring on Thor!

PS: There is a post-credit scene at the end of the movie, and though it does not add to the storyline much, it is one of the best post-credit scenes I have seen of the Marvel movies. I was however expecting references to some new characters, as had been rumoured for quite sometime, but could not locate any, apart from the mention of Avengers and a one-off reference to Thor. Do not miss Stan Lee's cameo though... funny as usual!

Dracula, Laurie, Clooney, etc etc

As Iron Man 3 has inched so close there is nothing else from the movie world that should interest most for this weekend, including myself. But in case you one of those rare breeds who loves movies but had enough of superheroes for now, here are five interesting non-superhero stories going around which should give you a breather, even if it shall only last for a few minutes!

a) There's yet another Dracula movie waiting on the horizon. For the last eighty years movies on this fanged creature who is no different than us all apart from his blood sucking ways and sleeping issues, have ranged from brilliant and terrifying to plain stupid. And now we will be seeing a prequel in 2014 that will portray Dracula as a tragic hero in a love story. Yeah, you heard it right... Dracula too had a heart once! Luke Evans is to be cast in the titular role and if you seen his performance in Raven then there's something in Dracula to look forward to.

b) Many loved House M.D. And many loved Hugh Laurie. So this one is for those who admire Laurie as an actor. His next feature film has an intriguing storyline which dwells on a war ravaging an island and a young girl taking refuge in the narration of a classic novel being told by Laurie. Titled Mr. Rip, the film's trailer is out and a must watch for Laurie admirers.

c) George Clooney stole a lot of limelight during the award shows early in the year for a different contribution altogether, being the co-producer of the acclaimed film Argo. He's now looking to co-produce again with Grant Heslov on a film based on teenagers smuggling drugs from Mexico. Tentative title seems to be Coronado High. Involve Clooney somehow in a movie and there's a good chance he'll spark things up!

d) With young adult fantasy stories earning big bucks as films, it is the turn of India's Reliance Entertainment to turn its focus to this genre. It has purchased the rights to Graceling which is the first book of the award-winning fantasy series, The Seven Kingdom trilogy. A scriptwriter has been chosen and so there seems to be something interesting to look forward to once The Hunger Games is over.

e) Justin Bieber's tour bus was searched in Sweden by authorities and to their horror they discovered marihuana which could have alarming implications for international relations between many countries who are Bieblers and Sweden. Sigh... seems I've run out of interesting things to say. Adios then... till we done watching Iron Man 3!

Stallone tweets on The Expendables 3

Old is gold, is a mantra which sounds good, though means little to me. But someone who gave it a fresh meaning quite resoundingly is the action star of Hollywood, Sylvester Stallone. He literally would have googled for something like 'action stars of 70s and 80s' or 'old action heroes looking for jobs', compiled a list, approached them with a movie role offer which they must have gleefully accepted and then sat behind the director's chair and went brutal on them, making them pump up the action their bodies were no longer geared for. He even got a ruling USA Governor to enact a scene in all this mayhem. He called this carnage The Expendables and had Lionsgate distribute it for a theatrical release. At least he tried, is what most would have said. He made an attempt. My thoughts too were on similar lines then. I never gave it a shot of achieving anything worthwhile, there was no reason too. Stallone had been still doing fairly well on the box office but when Jason Statham is one of the 'young guys' in the crew for an action movie, it just made your bones creak. 

I was wrong. Many were wrong. Heck, even Stallone would never have seen this coming. The Expendables topped the $100 million mark in USA and earned $268 million worldwide on a production budget said to be around $80 million. It turned out to be one of the biggest hits in Lionsgate's history. Then what, there was no stopping a pumped-up Stallone. He knew he had hit the right nerve with a large section of the audience, bringing back action of the old ages which seemed to be disappearing in this period of automatic guns and flying missiles and sleek looking gadgetry. The fists were back, the raw energy, the thrill of a gladiatorial fight! He got Arnie and Bruce for bigger roles, tweaked around with the roster a little, fitting in a genuinely 'young' fellow Liam Hemsworth, raised the laughs by bringing in Chuck Norris in Chuck Norris style but kept the heart of the movie the same. The Expendables 2 released in 2012 and swept in $312 million worldwide! Not bad, eh, for some old guys who should have been sitting in comfy chairs with Cuban cigars and remembering the days gone by?

It should be of no surprise then that The Expendables 3 is on track. Stallone did not direct the sequel and would not be doing it for the third one as well. Stallone has taken to twitter to announce that Patrick Hughes would be handling the director's duties. And the action star sounds really geared for ramping up the action tempo for the third movie of the series.  

EX3 Needs freshness, class, and much badass....Found it... Blood Sweat and Fears, coming soon...

My best PURE ACTION FILM - The last RAMBO - I want this one too top it and I believe it will with NEW BLOOD.

If you have infact seen 2008's Rambo, the last Rambo movie which Stallone is talking of, you would know how much more violence and killing Stallone is dreaming of for The Expendables 3. A bit too much, maybe! Patrick Hughes himself does not have much of a resume when it comes to directing full length feature films, with his only directorial work being Red Hill (has an Imdb rating of 6.4 as of now). Stallone is though urging his twitter followers to watch Signs, a short film by Hughes, on youtube. 

But the excitement really is in the cast that Stallone is boasting of being in talks with. They may fit the basic requirement for this movie, that of being old, but these aren't forgotten names by any lengths. Clint Eastwood (gotta be kidding! wicked cool if he signs in!), Jackie Chan, Nicholas Cage, Harisson Ford and bringing back Mickey Rourke. Wow! That is heavy duty stuff. How many would be serious talks and how many would be just an informal chat which ends in a 'No', remains to be seen. But irrespective of whoever comes aboard, The Expendables 3 may well be a bloody carnage to enjoy! Old indeed is gold...

Thor: The Dark World Trailer!

Iron Man's fate is about to be known soon. And in such times, Marvel has provided us a glimpse of the path that will be taken by a fellow Avenger, Thor, as he too will have to seek desperate measures to protect the things closest to him. The trailer is just the beginning, and yet in these fleeting moments one can feel the strength of Thor grow further. He seems so different to what the beginning of the first Thor movie showed him as, and the battles in The Avengers seem to have made him more resolute. Alongside him, it would be interesting to see Jane Foster cope with Asgard, a place she is as alien to as Earth was to Thor before. A possible love triangle with Sif being the third one could be brewing, though I hope they keep such complex matters of the heart to limited screen time. And then of course there is Loki, the one who still appears to have quite a role to play! So even though November 2013 is still a distance away, the storms are coming... be prepared!

Here is the first trailer of Thor: The Dark World!

The Many Suits of Iron Man!

The suit completes the man. Barney of HIMYM would have lived and died by this statement.  But it is someone else I am talking of today, well, Iron Man, of course. Tony Stark charms with his wit, swagger and his love to create things, but only when he dons on his suit aka armour, does he emerge as a larger personality, something worth loving and yet something worth fearing. As we inch closer to the release of Iron Man 3, here's a look back at the famous suits worn by Iron Man in the previous movies. The pictorial representations are either from the movies or comics, whichever looks good!

Mark I (left) : It is from here where it all began. Built by Stark in captivity in Afghanistan, Mark I is crude and more like a prototype rather than a real suit. But it was effective and did its job, and gave Stark something to work with.

Mark II (right): Once back home, Stark improved the Mark I armour, making it sleeker and way more cooler. The Mark II works with remote assistance from JARVIS but it faced issues with icing at high altitudes, something that played a big part in the climax of the first film. 

  

Mark III (left): From here began the well-known look of an Iron Man armour, the red/gold coloured armour made from a gold-titanium alloy that solved the icing problems seen for Mark II. It was the last armour worn by Iron Man in the first film. 

Mark IV (right): Mark IV makes its debut in Iron Man 2 as Iron Man demonstrates it when he flies into the Stark Expo. Not much different from Mark III in the first glance, it has a manually removable helmet (Stark eating donuts, remember!) and is the armour worn during the party which ends in a fight with James Rhodes who wears the Mark II. 

Mark V (left): This one has the coolest opening, if ever a suit can! It jumps from Tony Stark's suitcase and assembles itself on his body, as Stark prepares to battle with Whiplash. Wicked! 

Mark VI (right): Mark VI is distinguishable for the triangle shaped plate above the arc reactor, different from the typically circular covering. It is the suit worn by Stark in the final battle scene of Iron Man 2 and displays a range of laser weapons and missile launchers. Mark VI continues its journey in The Avengers and is used by Stark underwater as well. It bears the brunt of Thor's lightning and the attack by Loki's troops on SHIELD's aircraft carrier.

Mark VII (above): Mark VII matches Mark V in its coolness quotient as it detects Stark using laser and automatically assembles itself while Stark is in flight (rather falling, when Loki throws him out of the window). Mark VII brings back the circular plate on the chest, and is the final armour worn by Stark as he defends Manhattan in the climax of The Avengers. It carries a tinge of silver along with the typical red and gold colours. 

Iron Man 3 is going to bring forth its own range of armours worn by Tony Stark, improvements over Mark VII. Going by the trailers, Stark would be able to summon the suit without any button clicks, which would be the biggest technology jump yet as far as Stark's suits are concerned. We have indeed come a long way from the rudimentary looking Mark I. And maybe there is still a long way to go. Let's continue to be dazzled!    

In Pictures: A look back at four greats!

There ain't much to write about tonight. The skies feel bereft of the stars. And yet the city shines with its own splendour. So as I try to enjoy the little things, and feel like reminiscing of the old again, I figured that these pictures could do the talking for themselves. Pictures worthy of being framed and kept beside the most expensive artistic item in your house. Pictures of four directors, much younger then, with their destinies not yet defined. They took their chances, they made their mark, and they still continue to go strong after so many years. Salutations to their brilliance!

He may be completely unrecognisable from this picture, if not for the cast around him. So the one with the unkempt hair standing beside Roy Scheider is Steven Spielberg shooting for the 1975 sensation Jaws. 

A young De Niro is easily distinguishable. But can you recognise a young Martin Scorsese? Scorsese is infact the guy on the right in the above picture, on the sets of the classic movie of 1976 Taxi Driver. 

A vision that changed a lot in the sci-fi industry! This is a young James Cameron passionately explaining to Linda Hamilton on the sets of the 1984 blockbuster The Terminator. 

Before we met ET, aliens were looked on as a viscous breed altogether, thanks in no small way to this man. Here is Ridley Scott in a rather pensive mood with Sigourney Weaver on the sets of 1979's Alien.

Looking forward to many more great movies from them!

A 4D release for Iron Man 3!

The way 3D is starting to take over the movie watching experience is pretty easy to observe. The big studio backed movies, especially in the summer period, release simultaneously in 3D and Imax 3D formats along with the poorer 2D versions. Not only are the studios pushing for 3D releases more often, the movies too are being shot in a manner to suit 3D viewing, with wider landscapes preferred rather than closeup shots so that the perceptions of depth can be appreciated. With growth in 3D content, we have now moved to television sets that can display 3D films as well. But the manner in which technology bursts forward, the obvious question is, what follows next? Well, 4D of course! The fourth dimension here refers to numerous physical senses being added on along with the 3D viewing. It ain't new, with specific theatres and theme parks across the world showcasing 4D content already, generally short films. But what has still remained limited, is the application of 4D in full-length feature films. Iron Man 3 has got its 4D version though!

I remember Spy Kids: All the Time in the World being promoted as a 4D film which made me rush to the theatre, certain that I would be amazed by some new technology. At the theatre, they handed me cheap looking 'scratch and sniff' cards, which was the fourth D in the 4D! A colour beeps on the screen, I'm supposed to scratch the circle having the same colour on the card and then behold, there's a new smell to tingle my senses. It was quite disappointing, to say the least. But there have been a few other feature films that have seen 4D versions in selected places across the globe, and I am assuming with more sincerity. Journey to the Centre of the Earth was amongst the first ones to be given a 4D treatment, and so was Avatar for releases in South Korea and Hong Kong, with the movie experience filled with moving seats, spraying water and smell of explosives. Now, Japan is set to experience the 4D version of Iron Man 3!  

The lucky Japanese will get the chance to watch Iron Man 3 with "tilting seats, strobe lights, bubbles, blowing wind, fog, and odors". Maybe feel they are flying across the glittery skies with Iron Man, or smell the scent of the perfume worn by Pepper Potts, or get caught in the crossfire when Iron Man goes up against Mandarin. Eh, if they are lucky, they might be provided Iron Man suits as they enter the theatres to make it a complete experience! Who knows, by Iron Man 6, that may not remain such a ludicrous thought. But for now, some steps are being taken to grow 4D viewing; and even if they are baby steps, as technology advances, there would be an era when a 4D movie each weekend would not be rare. The feel of Thor's hammer whirling close to our faces, a plunge underwater in an Avatar sequel, the sparks from two lightsabres clashing with each other.... maybe, just maybe, these would all come to life in a more dramatic fashion!  

Star Wars, too many?

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." 

Words that have become immortal with time, unblemished even as new generations visit it, words that still bring goosebumps to many. That is the power of the opening line of any Star Wars film, brought to the screen first in 1977. And now you might end up seeing them each year itself! For those who fell off into a long prolonged slumber, some time in October 2012 came the news that pretty much shook the Star Wars fanbase (and that is a big big number!), that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm for a staggering $4 billion. While it would have prompted many to laugh at the possibility of Mickey wielding a threatening lightsabre, the manner in which Disney made its purchase of Marvel count (incidentally that too was for about $4 billion!) through the well-crafted and elegantly showcased series of movies upto The Avengers, made Disney appear as someone who knows what it is doing.

So coming back to the Star Wars series, what are Disney's plans for the same? Quite elaborate, if you are keeping a tab on the latest slew of announcements coming from the Disney camp. We all knew that Disney wanted the first of its Star Wars films (that would be Episode VII, for the minuscule population that still got no clue what I'm talking about!) to hit the theatres by 2015, but now the official announcement has been made. Star Wars will have its next three episodes releasing in 2015, 2017 and 2019! So every alternate year a Star Wars film to savour? No, wait. There's more. The latest announcement does not allow for any breathing space, for there will be a Star Wars related film releasing in each of the other alternate years! These would be spin-offs of existing characters, and if rumours are to be believed they could be stories on a young Yoda, or a young Han Solo (no Harrison Ford for that, surely). Phew! We did ask for more of Star Wars, but so much? 

The die-hard fans would be hugging each other, thrilled that life will once again revolve around inter-galactic conflicts, more new planetary names to learn, stranger creatures to dig deeper into, and understand further the science and the mysticism behind the Force further. But the die-hard fans should also be worried, skeptical at least. Star Wars isn't so popular for just being a wonderfully told film. It is far bigger than that, it has a life form of itself. For a long time it has narrated the most thrilling of tales in the most grandiose of manners, pulling in each and every one of its audience into a journey of a lifetime. It has a sanctity tag attached to it. You never speak ill of Star Wars, is a rule to be followed and fought for! At least for the original trilogy. And the fear that fills me up is whether Disney knows what it is doing with this majestic saga. Are their plans reeking of being excessive, in fact over excessive? 

Well-written stories that are turned into well directed movies work. Disney has already created a roaring surge of enthusiasm with the Marvel movies. But Star Wars is different; it has not been formed with a history of tons of comic books behind it. It's heart and soul was George Lucas who would be at best in an advisory role now on. New episodes of Star Wars have to be freshly written, they have no known path to undertake and so whichever path they choose cannot afford to fall short of expectations, it cannot be a clumsy attempt to earn back the $4 billion quickly. Disney of course knows about the burden of expectations, of that I am sure. Roping in a director of the stature of J.J. Abrams is like sending a beacon that the ship is in good hands. And so it is not the initial movies I am worried about, but what would happen when we end up with spin-offs of spin-offs, or a Star Wars: Episode XV? Would it be still meeting the high standards that we so wish to see, or be build with lower production budgets so that a lower audience headcount keeps the franchise profitable? And my worries are compounded by knowing that Disney's Chief Executive Robert Iger would be stepping down in 2015, the man behind the acquisition of Pixar and bringing Steve Jobs to the Board, the man behind the acquisition of Marvel and now Lucasfilm. 

Or maybe all my worries are ill-founded. Maybe Star Wars turns out to be such a phenomenon once again that George Lucas is cheered for a Presidential position. Heck, who really knows anything. May the Force be with them! 

PS: An old post ... to relieve memories of the old!

Rainy poster for 300: Rise of an Empire

Six years back, the release of 300, a graphic war story about an old old war forgotten to many, saw the emergence of a lot of things. Homage to one of the bravest hero-kings, a unique frame by frame adaptation of a comic book on the big screen, a young Fassbender, a popular war-cry and a shout out to Sparta!, a sudden increase in Gerard Butler's fan base and maybe most importantly, Zack Snyder and his ways of scaling up the 'ooohh!' factor in a movie. On the day that Zack Snyder's next movie, a certain Man of Steel, released its newest trailer, a journey he could never have taken but for the success of 300, Snyder has tweeted the first poster of the prequel to his old success, titled 300: Rise of an Empire. 

Snyder would no longer be directing it but he's still associated with the movie, and so is Frank Miller and I hope that their presence in whatever capacity will not let us down. If the poster is anything to go by, things are looking good. It's got the comic book touch, the darkness of war reflected in the gloomy rain-filled clouds, and the red colour once again chillingly distinct from the backdrop. 300: Rise of an Empire would bring forth the story of Themistocles, an Aethenian general to be played by the unknown Sullivan Stapleton, who like King Leonidas in 300, took a stand against Xerxes and one of his allies, Queen Artemisia.  The actual historical tale is once again interesting, and the fact that the battle happened more than twenty centuries back should allow the writers to take some liberties to build a strong and entertaining movie. While there is no Gerard Butler flexing his muscles here, Eva Green as Artemisia would be one of the highlights of the movie. In the coming months, more on the film would surely be marketed before eventually the battle begins in August. The beginning is good... and hopefully so would be the end! Ha-ooh Ha-ooh Ha-ooh!

Who is Electro?

The theatrical release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an year away. But in what is turning out to be a decade of superhero movies, the period from now till the release date of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is likely to be filled with photos, videos and stories of Spider-Man, Electro, Rhino, more Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, some more Spider-Man, Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn and a few others. Lot of characters bunched together! While the news on Electro has been around for quite some time with Jamie Foxx cast as the bad guy, it is finally today's on-set pictures of him, which have made me beg the most important question that a non-voracious reader of the comics should have asked... Who is Electro after all?  

To update those who have been perplexed about the character and yet have applauded the casting of Foxx in it, here is a brief that should help you get along well when the group chats on this movie start picking up pace (just don't forget what you read today for the next one year).

Real Name (he was not born Electro, duh!): Maxwell Dillon

Family Issues: Father abandoned the family; Dillon was raised by an overprotective mother

Earlier profession: A lineman for an electric company

Powers: Can generate electrostatic energy upto 1,000 Volts per minute; Can emit lightning arcs from his fingertips; Can override electrically powered devices and manipulate them mentally; Can travel along conductive surfaces like power lines

How he got his powers?: Got struck by lightning during work when in contact with power lines which were connected to their spool

Arch nemesis: Of course, Spider-Man, though he has battled with Daredevil at times too

Group Affiliation: Mainly part of Sinister Six (and is versions) which was setup to bring down Spider-Man  

Love Life: Haha! Well he did have a wife, Norma Lynn, before his Electro days, but she did not stick around much 

Interesting Trivia: J. Jonah Jameson, editor of the Daily Bugle, initially believed Electro to be an alter-ego of Spider-Man and launched a smear campaign against Spidey (that guy will never give up!) which made Spidey battle Electro 

A background check always helps! 

A Catching Fire trailer!

Before 2012, Jennifer Lawrence was already seen as 'one with promise'. She had an Oscar nomination early in her career and had already bagged a role in a widely-known franchise, X-Men. One could have predicted stardom to fall on her doorstep with time. But the wait didn't last long, did it? In 2012, packed with a quiver of arrows, out stepped Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, and achieved a big push to the A-star list. As if that was not enough, she rounded off the year with a stellar performance in Silver Linings Playbook to finally achieve a glory that many crave for throughout their lives, an Academy Award! The tricky part for Lawrence lies in maintaining this high success ratio, as at only 22 years, she has a much longer journey to undertake. What is going to of course keep her on the cover pages for a few years at least (and I am expecting her reign to be for a much longer time than that), would be her role as Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming sequels of The Hunger Games.

The second movie, based on the second book of the trilogy, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is out with its first trailer. And if you are expecting any slowdown in the pace and the drama that the first movie had created, gosh, are you wrong! The trailer opens with scenes taken right from the book, when the victors of the previous Games are showcased in front of various districts, here specifically District 11 (Rue's district, remember?). What is then to follow are the initial sparks of a rebellion, or call it a revolution! The trailer is tough, there is hardly much in terms of the romantic angles which actually played quite a part in the book at least, and the music is haunting and gripping as was the case with the trailer for the first movie. President Snow's motives are explicitly made clear here (unlike the books where one understands them over a course of time), and the presence itself of Philip Seymour Hoffman besides Snow adds further to the credibility of the movie series. Just as was the case with the first trailer of The Hunger Games, this too does not have any scenes from the fight itself but ends on a rather ominous note on things to come. And as if you could not have guessed, Jennifer Lawrence once again seems to stand out in the bits that we see of her in the trailer. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is to be released in November this year, but the heat is already building! The trailer below...

Tracking the Harry Potter trio...

Hollywood has a lot to offer to its leading men and women, fame being one of its greatest gifts. Some thrive to seek its glimpse, some bother not and yet it is thrust onto them. While some wither away by the time fame catches onto them, there are those who are entrusted with it quite early on, maybe at an age when they do not fully understand its power. A power to help you sail the skies, and a power to bury you under the grounds. Just as Harry Potter in the J.K. Rowling book series had to handle his fame from an early age, so the leading actors of the movie series have had to. For the Harry Potter series which came to life on the big screen in late 2001 did not take its time to burst into a global success, but rather remained one across an entire decade and until the last of the eight movies which, in 2011, marked the end of one of the most phenomenal series in cinematic history. And so quickly were thrust into the spotlight the leading trio of Harry, Ron and Hermoine, aka Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. 

While there would be a list of child actors who made it big in the world of cinema and thus act as an inspiration for many in the same profession, there would be a longer list of youngsters who starred in the biggest of movies of their time, to be eventually forgotten. And why only youngsters? There are other actors who have played some of the most popular of roles and then never 'made it big' again, either because they were typecast into a certain kind of role or they never tried enough to break away from it. And this curse of fame is what would have hung above the Harry Potter trio when they embarked on their separate paths a couple of years back, knowing how important it would be to carve a name for themselves, as Daniel, Rupert and Emma.  

So where have they ventured and how have they fared? First of all, kudos to the trio for the subsequent roles they have chosen, the boldness they are displaying in breaking from the moulds formed from the Harry Potter series and the efforts being put to showcase their acting range by trying out variety of roles. Daniel Radcliffe would have known how keenly his first non-Harry Potter role would be observed, and so what did he choose to work on? A horror flick! In The Woman in Black, Radcliffe played a widowed lawyer who travels to a village on matters related to work and encounters mysterious happenings, in the way you would expect in a horror movie. The movie did well commercially considering its modest production budget and did no harm to Radcliffe's 'new' start. Radcliffe will be seen next in Kill Your Darlings where he plays the American poet Allen Ginsberg, which would be followed by the romantic drama of The F Word and then a fantasy flick, which he is not unfamiliar with, titled Horns, with all these three movies slated for a 2013 release. On top of that, Radcliffe would be involved in theatre once again, playing in The Cripple of Irishman. So while I could have lived off a few lives with the Harry Potter earnings, this lad on the other hand is very much occupied with work!

Rupert Grint starred in a relatively unknown Norwegian film Into the White in 2012 to begin with, based on a real-life incident during World War II. His future projects involve movies from both UK and USA, with a few of them having a vast cast such as The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman and CGBG. Grint would also be voicing a character in a UK animated movie scheduled for 2013 release. But possibly his most interesting role could very well crop up in Drummer, which is a biopic on Denis Wilson, the drummer of the band Beach Boys, to be played by Grint and would star Chloe Grace Moretz as well. The only problem is, I am not able to locate any development on this project on the web, and so whether it is going ahead as per original plans remain doubtful. Rupert Grint has also moved to TV, where he is slated to play the lead in a comedy TV show titled Super Clyde which would also star veteran Stephen Fry. Somehow I can see Grint fitting well in the role of "Clyde, a meek, unassuming fast food worker who decides to become a super hero."

Emma Watson starred in a brief role in 2011's My Week with Marilyn, post the Harry Potter series. But her real pull away from Hermoine began with the critically acclaimed movie of 2012, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which earned Watson positive reviews. She would be seen next in The Bling Ring, whose poster might fool you into thinking it is a chick-flick, though it is rather a crime/drama film based on true events. The latest clip released for the film has Watson attempting a pole dance, clearly dispelling any notions of the audience being reminded of the rather nerdy Hermoine. A role along with the ensemble cast of This is the End follows, and then a bigger role of playing Noah's adopted daughter in 2014's Noah starring Russell Crowe should help her grow further in Hollywood.

Only time will tell, the degrees of success that these three talented young actors enjoy. One can hope though that they stick to the right path, challenge themselves with new and varied roles, and get etched in cinema history as Daniel, Rupert and Emma, leaving behind the stories of Harry, Ron and Hermoine, as a wonderful beginning to a long journey! 

Oblivion: A science-fiction treat!

As the story goes, Joseph Kosinski began working on a graphic novel in 2005, in collaboration with Radical Comics. In 2010, Disney acquired the rights for the novel with the intent of building a movie out of it. However, when Disney realised that making a PG film would require lot of changes, it sold off the rights which were later acquired by Universal Studios. The studio gave the green-light for a PG-13 movie with Joseph Kosinski directing it. After all it was his graphic novel that kick-started the whole thing. And so a science-fiction movie was made, giving credit to the graphic novel of Kosinski. Oh, wait! The novel though does not exist. It may be there in someone's drawer at a conceptual stage with lot of art work done, but Radical Comics never came around to actually publishing it. In fact, its website still maintains a 'Coming in 2012' tagline. The movie production on the other hand is done and dusted and dispatched to the theatres. It is titled, as was the conceptual graphic novel, Oblivion. 

Despite the slightly strange background story of Oblivion, Kosinski stated in an interview that he always intended the movie to be the final product. And so here we are, the movie very much in theatres. And what is the verdict? It's a treat, a science-fiction treat! It may not feature in any top-ten lists and may not be remembered for long once Iron Man 3 starts ruling the theatres, but take nothing away from Kosinski's work to put forth a pure science-fiction movie, which stays true to the concept of science-fiction. The film begins with a premise narrated by Tom Cruise which informs us that an alien invasion on the moon led to the downfall of Earth (a view of the shattered moon is one of many amazing cinematic shots in the movie!), leading to a war which even though won by humans, led to the Earth becoming uninhabitable. The humans shift to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, while a small crew of Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough are sent to oversee the extraction of water resources from Earth to support mankind's survival on Titan and eliminate any threats from whatever is remaining of the alien beings. That is just the beginning of the movie plot which has sci-fi written all over it!

For a long stretch of the film, Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough are the only two humans shown on Earth which brings forth the emptiness that Cruise's character also tends to feel. This loneliness is more aptly displayed by shooting the movement of the characters, mainly Cruise, under the backdrop of large landscapes, be it barren lands or twisting mountain ranges. Last that I had seen such grandeur images which would have made National Geographic proud was in the opening scenes of Ridley Scott's Prometheus. But in Oblivion, Kosinski does not let go of showcasing various wonders of Mother Earth right till the end, even though much lies in ruins after the alien attacks. There is some terrific art direction at work here, a reason in itself to watch the film. Wonder how cool the concept art would look like! The music score also deserves to be mentioned here; it adds to the intensity of the movie, it is alive and pumps you well, though bordering on being a bit jarring at times. 

To add to the theme, there are enough cool mechanical devices at work, running around in focus or in the background. The shuttle that Tom Cruise uses to scout Earth stands out in its elegance, and so do the roundish drones which form an intriguing and important part of the movie. As 'cute' as they might look, they do have a deadly shooting prowess and become a thick part of the action scenes that follow in the latter parts of the movie. If you are familiar with Kosinski's only other film as a director, Tron: Legacy, the slickness and ease with which the entire sci-fi feel has been created for the movie would not surprise you. In both his movies, Kosinski has displayed a creative understanding towards how a futuristic or an alternative world can look like and has then blended it in the world we know, and this consistency in his frames throughout the movie is what gives Oblivion a genuine science-fiction touch which delighted me on most occasions (I know I am harping on the sci-fi point!). 

And in this praise of his work, lies my criticism too. For just as was the case with Tron: Legacy, Joseph Kosinski makes Oblivion too cool and sleek, turning it into an appealing science-fiction movie, but losing out on the human touch. That is why Kosinski will never be say, a Spielberg. At the core, Oblivion has a very fascinating story, with enough twists in the second half of the film to keep you rooted till the dramatic end. But the screenplay, for which Kosinski is also credited with, fails to dig deeper into the characters and create a stronger bond between them and the audience. There is enough scope, that is easy to see, for making us really feel for the lead characters, and the writers do make attempts to showcase the conflicts and the confusion each of the leading characters face. But this display is handled at a mediocre level, as if dug using a kitchen knife where you end up chipping at the top and never reach anywhere close to the bottom. And this is going to be the main reason why Oblivion will be forgotten sooner than it should be.

Despite my lack of appreciation for the way the characters were built through the course of the plot, the actors do add to the quality of the film. Tom Cruise is no unknown entity to a sci-fi film and he does get the tone and rhythm right in Oblivion, almost redeeming for the disastrous role in Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise can really be an exasperating actor if you are a fan, for he can display his commitment and sincerity for a role in one movie and screw it up badly in the next. He does not necessarily lead the acting charts in terms of versatility as an actor and so it would do him no harm if he picks his movies more carefully; Oblivion though works in his favour. Morgan Freeman on the other hand is one of the few actors who can light up the screen in a matter of seconds in any film. And despite having a limited role here, he does exactly that, lights up each scene that he is placed in. The surprise package is of course the British actress Andrea Riseborough (who has played Margaret Thatcher in a TV drama previously) who is initially seen just as an accompanying actor as eyes stay fixed on Tom Cruise, but gradually asserts herself more strongly on the screen, which was quite essential as the movie contains such limited actors. Olga Kurylenko, a survivor of a crash, plays a big part in the eventual direction the plot takes, but her role as such has very limited to offer. 

All in all, Oblivion has added much to the flavour of April, delighting the hearts and warming it up as Iron Man 3 approaches. Joseph Kosinski is displaying his own style of movie-making and even though he is only two films old, I would be looking forward to his future works. If only he can add more to the characters even if it means losing out a bit on the 'sci-fi feel', maybe a classic would not be far away!