Star Cast: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Brec Bassinger, Gabrielle Rose, Teo Briones

Director: Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein

Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Review Synopsis:
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is the story of a young woman trying to save her family. Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger) and her fiancé, Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) attend the opening ceremony of the Sky View Tower. It is the tallest structure in the region, offers a 360-degree view and also comprises a restaurant-cum-bar. Due to a series of mishaps, the tower collapses, killing everyone. More than fifty years have passed. A college student, Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), gets visions of the Sky View Tower incident on a daily basis, affecting her studies. She realizes that there is a family connection to it, as Iris happened to be the name of her mother’s mother. But getting information about her is next to impossible. Stefani’s mother, Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt), abandoned her, brother Charlie (Teo Briones) and hubby Marty (Tinpo Lee) when Stefani was a child. Marty refuses to speak about Iris. Hence, she approaches her maternal uncle Howard (Alex Zahara) and his family – wife Brenda (April Telek), sons Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner) and Erik (Richard Harmon) and daughter Julia (Anna Lore). This is when she learns a disturbing fact about Iris and later, she concludes that Death is approaching her and her family. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Story Review:
Jon Watts, Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor’s story is fantastic. Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor’s screenplay is creative and thankfully, the narrative structure is different from the other FINAL DESTINATION films. The dialogues add to the tension and also the laughter.

Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s direction is worthy. All the previous installments of the series followed a set pattern and hence, it became repetitive as one knew where the film was heading. FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES breaks that pattern. One would be intrigued to know where the film is going and some scenes would give viewers a jolt. This time, the humour quotient is also quite prominent and adds to the madness. What is also striking in this film is that the effects and the eeriness are top-class. The manner in which the Sky View Tower sequence has been filmed is terrifying. The tattoo shop and hospital scenes are also memorable.

On the flipside, the concept of how Death is coming after people and their offspring is a bit far-fetched and convenient. It is interesting how a character cheated death for years, but not much information was given on the same as to how she did it exactly. Although the film is largely unpredictable, the final scene doesn’t have any element of surprise. It makes for a fun watch; however, those who have seen the previous parts will know where the film is going at this point.

Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Review Performances:
Kaitlyn Santa Juana plays the leading role with conviction. Brec Bassinger, in a supporting role, leaves the maximum impact. Special mention should also go to Gabrielle Rose (also plays the role of Iris). Teo Briones delivers a fine performance. Richard Harmon steals the show; his scenes in the second half are very exciting and will be lapped up by the audience. Alex Zahara is lovely, especially in the barbecue scene. Owen Patrick Joyner, meanwhile, is impressive because of the hospital scene and the sequence before that. Max Lloyd-Jones, Tinpo Lee, Rya Kihlstedt and Anna Lore are decent. The late Tony Todd (William Bludworth) is damn good while Jayden Oniah (little kid in the Sky View Tower) and Travis Turner (elevator operator) do well. Lastly, Noah Bromley (Penny kid) rocks the show and his scene will get a roaring response in cinemas.

Final Destination Bloodlines movie music and other technical aspects:
Tim Wynn’s music is appropriate. Christian Sebaldt’s cinematography is spectacular and enhances the tension levels. Rachel O’Toole’s production design is top-notch. Michelle Hunter’s costumes are realistic while in the flashback scenes, they are reminiscent of the bygone era. Sabrina Pitre’s editing is a bit slow-paced in some scenes and this is also the longest film of the series. Yet, there are no complaints as the scenes are well stitched together.

Final Destination Bloodlines Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is a ‘killer’ entertainer and takes the series to another level. At the box office, it is expected to start slow and would also face the heat from the bigger release of the week – MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING. But it has the potential to grow and have a long, steady run at the box office. With its creatively gruesome deaths and shock-a-minute storytelling, this is the kind of edge-of-the-seat experience best enjoyed in a packed cinema — surrounded by gasps, shrieks, and wild applause from the audience!

Star Cast: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh

Director: Raj Kumar Gupta

Raid 2 Movie Review Synopsis:
RAID 2 is the story of an honest officer and a corrupt-cum-shrewd politician. The year is 1989. Income Tax Officer Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgn) raids the palace of Raja Kunwar (Govind Namdeo) in Jaipur and confiscates truckloads of black money. Raja’s manager offers a bribe and surprisingly, Amay accepts the offer. He gets caught and is transferred to Bhoj. The town is ruled by Manohar Dhankar aka Dada Bhai (Riteish Deshmukh). He’s also a cabinet minister and is seen as a philanthropist. Hence, the residents of Bhoj worship him and are ready to go to any lengths for him. Amay is surprised to see that he’s unable to find a single clue of money hoarding or corruption against Dada Bhai or any other resident. Realizing that something is fishy, Amay starts looking around and interacts with the local residents to find out more information. Soon, he comes across evidence that makes it clear that Dada Bhai is corrupt. Amay’s senior Anjani Kaul (Rajat Kapoor) approves the raid. Amay and his team of officers at the Income Tax Department, Bhoj commence the raid at Dada Bhai’s residence, office, and a five-star property. Amay is confident that he’ll find a lot of black money hidden in his properties. Sadly, he’s unable to find a single instance of unaccounted money. Amay soon realizes that Dada Bhai is possibly the shrewdest corrupt suspect that he has come across. Amay is compelled to change his strategies so that he can expose Dada Bhai. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Raid 2 Movie Story Review:
Ritesh Shah, Raj Kumar Gupta, Jaideep Yadav and Karan Vyas’s story is one level up compared to the first part, RAID [2018]. Ritesh Shah, Raj Kumar Gupta, Jaideep Yadav and Karan Vyas’s screenplay is captivating and is peppered with some entertaining and dramatic moments. In a few places, however, the writing could have been tighter. Ritesh Shah, Raj Kumar Gupta, Jaideep Yadav, and Karan Vyas’s dialogues are witty and add to the humour quotient.

Raj Kumar Gupta’s direction is simple. He also makes sure that the film has enough commercial value so that it can reach out to a large section of the audience. He also has a certain sensibility, which he doesn’t compromise on. The balance achieved is praiseworthy. He has chosen an intriguing plot. The challenges Amay faces this time are a lot more, as the antagonist is way more sharp-minded and a genius compared to the villain in the first part. The character of the mother (Supriya Pathak Kapur) and the depiction of Sushma Jankalyan Foundation stand out. The first half is decent and Raj Kumar Gupta reserves the best for the second half. This is where the film shows his true brilliance.

On the flipside, Dada Bhai’s rise in politics seems unconvincing and sudden. One can understand him winning the local election and maybe becoming a minister in the state government. Instead, he is catapulted as a central cabinet minister! The interest levels dip in the first half. Even the investigation of Amay Patnaik in the post-interval portions, though important to the film, doesn’t excite the audience much. The character of Punit Sahni (the Sardar batchmate of Amay; played by Sandeep Kapoor) fails to make a mark. The character of Raja Kunwar is introduced in a dramatic fashion, but hardly has anything to do.

RAID 2 begins on a fine note. Amay’s entry is predictable, but nevertheless, it works well. Dada Bhai’s entry is even more dramatic, and it’s a very unusual intro scene for a villain. The scene where Amay meets the Bhoj office colleagues is interesting. The interest then rises once Amay conducts the raid. The intermission point promises a smashing second half. The second half commences well with an item number. The film then falls and thankfully, gets better with the entry of Lallan Sudheer (Amit Sial). From here, the film remains steady. The climax is the best part of the enterprise and would be greeted with applause.

Raid 2 (Trailer): Ajay Devgn | Riteish Deshmukh | Vaani Kapoor

Raid 2 Movie Review Performances:
Ajay Devgn is in his element yet again. He keeps his act restrained and that works for his character. However, in a few scenes, his dialogues are not audible. Riteish Deshmukh is terrific and does complete justice to the part of the antagonist. In several scenes, his eyes do all the talking, which is also quite commendable. After EK VILLAIN [2014], the actor proves yet again that he’s versatile and that filmmakers should see him in roles beyond comedy as well. Vaani Kapoor (Malini) hardly has anything to do. Amit Sial is the surprise package and contributes immensely to the laughter quotient. Performance-wise, he’s first-rate. Another scene stealer in the film is Shruti Pandey (Geeta ji). Supriya Pathak Kapur plays a crucial character and is lovely. Rajat Kapoor lends able support. Saurabh Shukla (Rameshwar Singh aka Tauji) is great. However, his character barely has much to do. The same goes for Govind Namdeo. Yashpal Sharma (Devinder Gehlot) does well, as always. However, one expects more from him because of the way his character was introduced. Pritisha Srivastava (Mini) is cute. Sanjeev Jhori (Ashok), Brijendra Kala (Vinay Bakaya) and Ayushi Neema (Anita) lend able support. Samayar Singh (Vikram Ghadiyal) and Ikram Khan (Kamal Chauhan; IAS officer) are okay. Tamannaah Bhatia is sizzling.

Raid 2 movie music and other technical aspects:
‘Kamle’ and ‘Tumhe Dillagi’ fail to impress and act as speed breakers. ‘Nasha’ is catchy and will be loved by the front benchers. ‘Money Money’, played during the end credits, is also enticing. Amit Trivedi’s background score (additional background score by Amar Mohile) is one of the strong points of the film.

Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary’s cinematography is satisfactory. Rita Ghosh’s production design is in sync with the bygone era. Naveen Shetty, Mehak Shetty and Priyanka Castelino’s costumes are realistic. The same goes for R P Yadav’s action. Sandeep Francis’s editing could have been sharper in the first half.

Raid 2 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, RAID 2 makes a strong and enduring impact, driven by its gripping drama, a formidable antagonist, and a second half that strikes an engaging balance between entertainment and intensity – culminating in a climactic sequence that stands out as the film’s crowning achievement. At the box office, the film is well-positioned to capitalize on a four-day weekend and the advantage of minimal competition in the immediate release calendar.

Star Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Mouni Roy, Palak Tiwari, Sunny Singh

Director: Sidhaant Sachdev

The Bhootnii Movie Review Synopsis:
THE BHOOTNII is the story of a ghost creating havoc in an educational institution. Shantanu (Sunny Singh) is a student at St Vincent College, Delhi. He is heartbroken as his girlfriend has dumped him. The college campus has a place called The Virgin Tree. It is believed that praying at the tree can help single people find love, more so on Valentine’s Day. Just after midnight of February 14, Shantanu, devastated, by the break-up, demands true love from the Virgin Tree. Unknown to Shantanu, The Virgin Tree is possessed. The spirit residing in the tree (Mouni Roy) gets active on hearing his plea. Meanwhile, mysterious episodes take place in the college. The students realize that that tree is haunted but the college management refuses to comment, fearing negative publicity. As a solution to the menace, they call a ghostbuster, Krishna Tripathi (Sanjay Dutt). On the other hand, the spirit assumes human form and bumps into Shantanu. She claims that her name is Mohabbat and attempts to begin an affair with Shantanu. Soon, Shantanu realizes her true identity and also the fact that his life is in danger and also that of his friends, that is, Ananya (Palak Tiwari), Sahil (Nick) and Nasir (Faisal Khan). What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The Bhootnii Movie Story Review:
Sidhaant Sachdev’s story is ordinary but has the trappings of a fun entertainer. Vankush Arora and Sidhaant Sachdev’s screenplay is weak and unexciting. Vankush Arora and Sidhaant Sachdev’s dialogues fail to impress. Some dialogues are funny but they get repetitive, diluting its impact. Also, using surrogate names instead of real-life names of celebs is laughable (for the wrong reasons).

Sidhaant Sachdev’s direction is not upto the mark. The writing has issues but still, a skillful director would have taken care of the loose ends and come up with a fun-filled entertainer. Sadly, the director fails and how. Some scenes genuinely raise laughs. Also, the backstory of the ghost is promising. But again, the execution spoils the show. Moreover, for a film that is horror comedy, the goings-on are neither that funny nor scary. The way the love story of the ghostbusters is presented, moreover, is quite sudden.

The Bhootnii – Official Trailer | Sanjay Dutt, Mouni Roy, Sunny Singh

The Bhootnii Movie Review Performances:
Sanjay Dutt plays his part with conviction. His character is quite cool and with better dialogues, it would have been very well received. Mouni Roy looks ravishing and is apt for the role. Sunny Singh and Palak Tiwari are just alright. Nick is strictly okay while Faisal Khan is superb. Others do well.

The Bhootnii movie music and other technical aspects:
The music is poor and all songs – ‘Rang Laga’, ‘Mahakaal Mahakaali’, ‘Tararara’, ‘Nakhre’ and the title song – are forgettable. A film like this should have had a super hit song to grab eyeballs. Amar Mohile’s background score is appropriate.

Santosh Thundiyil’s cinematography is satisfactory. Dipankar Dasgupta and Sunayana Gopal Paradkar’s production design is drama-like. Anna Singh-Navin Shetty’s costumes for Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Mundada’s costumes for the rest of the actors’ costumes are stylish while Redefine’s VFX is tacky. Real Satish’s action is appropriate. Bunty Nagi’s editing is functional.

The Bhootnii Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE BHOOTNII is a poorly written and executed film. At the box office, it’ll get impacted by limited buzz and competition from RAID 2.

Star Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priya Bapat

Director: Sejal Shah

Costao Movie Review Synopsis:
COSTAO is the story of a brave man being tormented by the system. The year is 1991. Costao Fernandes (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a brave Customs officer in Goa. He lives with his wife Mariya (Priya Bapat), son Chris (Abeer Jain) and daughter Marissa (Asmi Deo). For Costao, duty comes first and he has got a tip that 1500 kilos of gold belonging to a local politician and smuggler D’Mello (Kishore Kumar G), will land in Goa. Costao keeps an eye on the various beaches but to no avail. One day, an informer (Shravan Fondekar) informs Costao that the ship has landed and also divulges the name of the beach where the gold is being unloaded. Costao reaches the smuggling point and sees D’Mello’s brother Peter (Hussain Dalal) transporting the gold in his car. Costao chases Peter and asks him to stop the car. A fight ensues between the two and Costao accidentally kills Peter. The villagers are about to confront Costao and he opens the trunk of the car to prove that Peter was indeed smuggling gold. He contacts his senior, Naik (Rohhit Tiwari), about the demise and gold. Realizing that his life is in danger, Costao runs away. By the time Naik reaches the crime spot, the gold has vanished from the car. Thus, the media and the Goans are made to believe that Costao killed an innocent man and is on the run. A day later, Costao surrenders and the case goes to court. Sadly, victory seems remote as Costao has no way to prove that he was acting on a tip and that Peter died accidentally. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Costao Movie Story Review:
Bhavesh Mandalia and Meghna Srivastava’s story is inspired by real-life events. Bhavesh Mandalia and Meghna Srivastava’s screenplay is a bit slow and arrests attention in some places. Bhavesh Mandalia and Meghna Srivastava’s dialogues are normal but some one-liners are very funny.

Sejal Shah’s direction is alright. One gets moved by the protagonist’s woes and also how his family also suffers. The first half has some gripping scenes. The chase sequence stands out. Another track that works is that of the CBI officer Narang (Gagan Dev Riar).

On the flipside, the narrative is a bit slow and hence, one loses interest in some places. A minor issue is that this is not a typical hero vs villain story. Hence, it doesn’t culminate as intended in this regard. But the biggest issue is the finale. On one hand, it comes across as a pleasant surprise. But on the other hand, no explanation is given on how the tables get turned. The makers should have explained the reason for the turn of events.

Costao | Official Trailer | A ZEE5 Original | Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priya Bapat

Costao Movie Review Performances:
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, as always, delivers a supreme performance. His deadpan humour adds to his act. Priya Bapat’s character is the soul of the film and she does full justice. Kishore Kumar G, who was recently seen in L2 EMPURAAN and SIKANDAR, is fair. Hussain Dalal leaves a huge mark in a small role. Gagan Dev Riar performs aptly. Shravan Fondekar and Rohhit Tiwari lend able support. Asmi Deo is cute. Mahika Sharma (Peter’s widow) does well.

Costao movie music and other technical aspects:
All songs – ‘Danke Ki Chot’, ‘Pedro’ and ‘Kinaarey’ – are forgettable. Ketan Sodha’s background score is nothing special.

Rafey Mahmood’s cinematography is functional. Sapna Chandra’s production design and Sachin Lovelekar’s costumes are realistic. Abbas Ali Moghul’s action is minimal and cinematic. Unnikrishnan P P’s editing could have been crisper.

Costao Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, COSTAO rests on Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s performance and some arresting moments. But it falters due to a slow narrative and a weak climax. An average fare.

Star Cast: Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick

Director: Paul Feig

Another Simple Favor Movie Review Synopsis:
ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR is the story of a famous author and influencer who gets into trouble yet again. A few years after the events of the first part, Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) is now an author and also dabbles in solving criminal cases. She has even written a book about her experience of getting involved in the disappearance and fake death of Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). Sadly, her book is not doing well, as intended. At a book-reading session, Emily arrives. She was in prison and was released all of a sudden. She also informs Stephanie that she’s getting married to Dante Versano (Michele Morrone), an Italian bigwig. Dante asks for another favour – she asks Emily to be her maid of honour at her wedding in Capri. Stephanie is in two minds. This is when Emily threatens to sue her for writing about her in her novel without her consent. Hence, Stephanie reluctantly agrees to join her. At the wedding venue, Stephanie learns that Sean (Henry Golding), Emily’s ex-husband, is also invited along with Emily’s mother Margaret McLinden (Elizabeth Perkins) and her aunt Linda McLinden (Allison Janney). Dante’s mother Portia (Elena Sofia Ricci) hates Emily. The situation is volatile and on top of it, a murder takes place on the island. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Another Simple Favor Movie Story Review:
Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis’s story is full of twists and turns. Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis’s screenplay is fast-paced and unpredictable. However, it gives the feeling of been-there-done-that. The dialogues, like the first part, are hilarious and savage.

Paul Feig’s direction is effective. He tries his best to make sure that the USPs of the first part are repeated in the sequel. Hence, the electrifying chemistry between the two female leads and the sassy exchange of words between them are present in abundance. The tension that arises at the wedding also keeps the interest going. There’s a major twist in the second half which will be unexpected.

However, the way the suspense unfolds could have been better. Moreover, the second half is when the film turns into the story of the character being wrongly framed for murder in a foreign country. This whole plot point and the way it happens are cliched and this takes away the charm of the film to a great extent. The first part worked big time as nothing was commonplace; that same factor, sadly, is not present here.

Another Simple Favor Movie Review Performances:
Anna Kendrick yet again delivers an entertaining performance. This time, her character has evolved as life happened to her. Yet, she’s still naive and this balance has been nicely achieved by Anna in her act. Blake Lively, as expected, is fiery yet again. She keeps her act mysterious and she does full justice to her part. Henry Golding dominates the show, despite limited screen time. Elizabeth Perkins, Allison Janney and Elena Sofia Ricci lend able support. Michele Morrone doesn’t get much scope. Alex Newell (Vicky) leaves a mark. Ian Ho (Nicky) is okay. It’s shocking that the makers ignore him in the middle of the film, especially when he goes through a devastating life episode. Andrew Rannells (Darren), Bashir Salahuddin (Detective Summerville), Lorenzo de Moor (Matteo), Max Malatesta (Detective Antonio Lucchese) and Taylor Ortega (Agent Irene Walker) are fair.

Another Simple Favor movie music and other technical aspects:
Theodore Shapiro’s music is in sync with the film’s theme. Indian moviegoers will be surprised as the Italian song ‘L’Italiano’ is played; a popular Bollywood song was lifted from this Toto Cutugno composition. John Schwartzman’s cinematography is charming but the lensman makes sure not to focus too much on the beautiful locales. Renee Ehrlich Kalfus’s costumes are striking and will be talked about. Martin Whist’s production design is rich. Brent White’s editing is slick.

Another Simple Favor Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR benefits from an intriguing script and a series of unexpected twists. However, the cliched developments in the second half hold it back. Nevertheless, its whodunit appeal and strong casting are likely to drive promising viewership.

Star Cast: Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman

Director: Jake Schreier

Thunderbolts Movie Review Synopsis:
THUNDERBOLTS is the story of a team of antiheroes. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) works for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and does her dirty work. She is depressed over the tragic death of her sister and feels quite lonely. Valentina is the director of the CIA and was formerly the head of the OXE Group. She is accused of several human rights violations while working on human trials. Valentina refutes all the allegations. Knowing that she can be in trouble, she asks Yelena to go to a secret vault in a hilly region of the USA and destroy the OXE servers so that she can’t be convicted. Yelena reaches the vault and realizes that it’s a trap as she is confronted by John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ava (Hannah John-Kamen). They were also sent to the vault for the same reason. Soon, they learn that Valentina wants to finish them all as their existence can also put Valentina in trouble. While trying to find ways to escape, they are also bewildered as they meet Bob (Lewis Pullman). He’s no mercenary and is wearing hospital clothes. Moreover, he has no memory of how he landed in the vault. However, he seems to have some extraordinary abilities. All four escape, with the intention of disappearing so that all-powerful Valentina can’t trace them. As luck would have it, they are compelled to be a team thanks to Bucky (Sebastian Stan). The team expands as Yelena’s father Alexei aka Red Guardian (David Harbour) also gets enlisted. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Thunderbolts Movie Story Review:
Eric Pearson’s story is exhilarating and different from the recent films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo’s screenplay is captivating although the writing slips in some places. The dialogues add to the fun and madness.

Jake Schreier’s direction is impressive. He executes the film in Marvel style but also gives the narrative a nice touch. The characters are well fleshed out and he also makes a comment on mental health. While doing so, he maintains a balance and ensures that the film doesn’t get too depressing. Meanwhile, the humour is present in abundance. The intro scene is decent and the real fun begins once the antiheroes realize they are sent to the vault to get killed. The manner in which they escape will raise a lot of laughs. The chase sequence at the highway is also hilarious and it ends on a clapworthy note. Post-interval, the madness goes high by many notches. The pre-climax is nail biting. The final scene, however, will lead to hoots and claps as it sets the base for the future films of the MCU. In fact, the ending is very exciting and the craze that it’ll generate will remind one of the good old days of MCU. And that’s not all. The lengthy post-credit scene further contributes to the film’s plusses.

On the flipside, the climax is not a typical one. It works but at the same time, it gets a bit lengthy and even dragging. There might be moments where you’ll think where the film is heading. The sudden tonal shift also makes the experience slightly underwhelming.

Thunderbolts Movie Review Performances:
Florence Pugh plays the part of the lead actress with panache. The way she got her accent right is admirable. Her struggle with loneliness seems authentic; the scene where she breaks down in the second half is memorable. Julia Louis-Dreyfus delivers a fine performance without going over the top. Wyatt Russell is entertaining but Hannah John-Kamen doesn’t have much scope. Lewis Pullman has a crucial part and the way he gets into the skin of his character is seen to be believed. David Harbour is adorable while Sebastian Stan, as expected, is dependable. Wendell Pierce (Congressman Gary) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Mel) lend able support.

Thunderbolts movie music and other technical aspects:
Son Lux’s background score has the trademark Marvel stamp all over. Andrew Droz Palermo’s cinematography does justice to the scale of the film. The action is not disturbing, except for a couple of shots, while the VFX is top-notch, especially in the scenes of The Void. Sanja Milkovic Hays’s costumes are stylish yet realistic. Grace Yun’s production design is grand. Angela Catanzaro and Harry Yoon’s editing is satisfactory in most parts of the film. A few scenes could have been slicker.

Thunderbolts Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THUNDERBOLTS successfully revives the former glory of the MCU, powered by strong performances, sharp humour, tense moments and a commendable focus on mental health. The film concludes on an exhilarating note, which will create a craze in cinemas, especially among die-hard Marvel fans. As a result, it has the potential to surprise at the box office.

Star Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat

Director: Kookie Gulati, Robbie Grewal

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins Movie Review Synopsis:
JEWEL THIEF – THE HEIST BEGINS is the story of a perfect crime. Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan), an expert jewel thief, is in hiding in Budapest. He has purposely chosen the Hungarian capital as India can’t extradite him from there. Sadly, Rehan has to risk his life and return to India at the insistence of a dangerous goon-turned-businessman Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat). Rajan wants to steal the Red Sun, a diamond worth Rs. 500 crores. The Red Sun will be housed in a well-known museum, Fortcrest Art Centre, in Mumbai for a few days and Rehan is ordered to rob the diamond failing which there’ll be serious consequences. The museum is well equipped with the latest security. Breaking into the place and stealing the Red Sun will be next to impossible. Meanwhile, Vikram Patel (Kunal Kapoor) of STF is on Rehan’s trail. On top of it, Rehan is also in a spot for the sake of his family. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins Movie Story Review:
The story has too many cinematic liberties but has also its share of twists and turns (The opening credits shockingly don’t mention the name of the story writer). David Logan’s screenplay is engaging, especially in the second half. But the writer should have taken care of certain plot points. Sumit Arora’s dialogues are normal; a few one-liners raise laughs, especially the references to the original JEWEL THIEF [1967] and Saif’s royal lineage.

Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal’s direction is entertaining. They place this film in the zone of films like DHOOM, FAST & FURIOUS, etc. From the very start, they make it clear that this is one of those films where you have to place your brains aside. Once you do so, you’ll be in for a great ride. A few scenes are quite smart. The manner in which Rehan cons the officers, Gaurav Chaddha (Chirjyot Singh Kohli) and Shekhar (Vinay Sharma), sets the mood. The museum angle also keeps viewers invested. However, the makers reserve the best for the second half. The entire episode on the aircraft is novel and hence, would be loved by the audience.

On the flipside, the film gets a bit in the nonsense zone at times. A Prince of a country takes the risk of flying on a commercial flight because his private jet malfunctioned. It’s strange why his home country didn’t dispatch a spare private jet for him and the diamond’s safety. It is also laughable to see Vikram having zero idea about the change in plan, though he has been tracking the whole angle thoroughly. In fact, his character is the most predictable and cliched aspect of the plot. One knows that this cop will never win, no matter how hard he tries. That’s not all. The character is a man of his wishes; he can fly wherever he wants and he doesn’t seem to report to anybody. The aircraft sequence is interesting but adding the layer of the UK High Commission is a bit too much. It spoiled the otherwise engaging third act. Lastly, the antagonist gets defeated a bit too easily in the end.

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins | Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat | Official Trailer | Netflix

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins Movie Review Performances:
Saif Ali Khan looks dashing and his act gives a nice déjà vu of his memorable performance in films like RACE. Performance-wise, he’s first-rate. Jaideep Ahlawat is brilliant as the antagonist, as always. The character needed an actor of his calibre and he did full justice. Nikita Dutta (Farrah), as always, delivers a sincere performance. Thankfully, she has a crucial part to play in the narrative. Kunal Kapoor is decent but is heavily let down by the writing. Chirjyot Singh Kohli and Vinay Sharma raise laughs. Kulbhushan Kharbanda (Jayant Roy), Sumit Gulati (Chunky) and Gagan Arora (Avi) lend able support. Meenal Sahu (Nikki; hacker who helps Rehan) is fine but her character is not properly established. Dorendra Singh Loitongbam (Moosa), Peter Muxka Manuel (Prince Gamunu), Paayal Nair (Jennifer Lobo; museum director) and Ayaz Khan (Manish Ashar; pilot) are fair.

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins movie music and other technical aspects:
None of the songs sadly have a shelf life, be it the title track, ‘Jaadu’, ‘Lootera’ or ‘Ilzaam’. Shezan Shaikh’s background score is exhilarating.

Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography is splendid and gives the film a big-screen appeal. Madhur Madhavan and Swapnil Bhalerao’s production design is very rich. The costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Saif Ali Khan and Nikita Dutta. Parvez Shaikh, Riyaz-Habib and Kecha Kamphakdee’s action is exciting and not too gory. Phantom Digital Effects and Prime Focus’ VFX is satisfactory. Aarif Sheikh’s editing drags in the middle but overall, it’s appropriate.

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, JEWEL THIEF – THE HEIST BEGINS is a fun-filled heist film which works due to the performances and twists and turns, especially in the second half. Thanks to the genre and the casting, it’s sure to amass huge viewership.

Star Cast: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli

Director: David F Sandberg

Until Dawn Movie Review Synopsis:
UNTIL DAWN is the story of a group of friends stuck in a time loop. Melanie (Maia Mitchell) disappears all of a sudden, leading her sister Clover (Ella Rubin) to become depressed and suicidal. A year later, she decides to trace her journey, hoping to find some answers. She is joined by her ex-boyfriend Max (Michael Cimino), friends Nina (Odessa A’zion) and Megan (Ji-young Yoo) and Nina’s boyfriend Abel (Belmont Cameli). They reach the town from where Melanie sent a video message, the last form of communication from her side. Enquiries from a local resident revealed that a lot of people have been reported to have disappeared from a place uphill called Glore Valley. Clover and her friends head to this place. They reach a beautifully designed abandoned house in the middle of nowhere called ‘Welcome Center’. The friends enter the house and suddenly, they get attacked by a vicious monster. All get killed. In no time, they find themselves being alive. Soon, it comes to light that they are stuck in an endless time loop. Each time, they are being killed in different ways by the faceless villains. However, they don’t have unlimited lives and at some point, they’ll have to succeed in defeating the villains. Or else, they’ll be stuck in the hell hole forever. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Until Dawn Movie Story Review:
UNTIL DAWN is based on a video game of the same name. Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman’s story is hatke. There have been films on time loop before but this one stands out. Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman’s screenplay is captivating but also has its share of minuses. The dialogues are conversational.

David F Sandberg’s direction is okay. He does justice to the eerie setting and character development. He also manages to induce fear. Several scenes have absolutely no background music or any kind of noise. It adds to the scare value. A few scenes are also funny and it helps break the tension.

On the flipside, though the concept is novel, the film doesn’t entice as intended. The protagonists, from the very start, are aware that the place is unsafe and mysterious – it is raining everywhere else around except the area where the house is located. Any sane person would have escaped. But these characters, instead, chose to explore the house! Moreover, there are scenes where they don’t seem to be that terrified of the situation they are in. Moreover, it is bewildering that none of the earlier victims ever succeeded in getting out of the loop. All of them seem to have ventured alone to the place. One of the victims is a child; how they all turn up at the place is not explained. Lastly, the villain track is also confusing and the way things happen at convenience in the end is difficult to digest. It seemed like the makers wanted to just finish the film soon.

Until Dawn Movie Review Performances:
Ella Rubin plays the lead role with panache. Michael Cimino is impressive. Ji-young Yoo gets to play a very fascinating character and she does well. Odessa A’zion and Belmont Cameli lend able support. Maia Mitchell is okay in a cameo. Peter Stormare (Alan Hill) leaves a mark.

Until Dawn movie music and other technical aspects:
Benjamin Wallfisch’s music is minimal and impactful. Maxime Alexandre’s cinematography is satisfactory. Jennifer Spence’s production design adds to the horror element. Julia Patkos’s costumes are glamorous yet realistic. Michel Aller’s editing is functional.

Until Dawn Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, UNTIL DAWN piques interest with its novel concept and promising setup. However, the potential is impacted due to inconsistent writing and underdeveloped execution.

Star Cast: Pratik Gandhi, Patralekhaa

Director: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan

Phule Movie Review Synopsis:
PHULE is the story of a legendary social revolutionary and his equally legendary wife. The year is 1848. Jyotiba Phule (Pratik Gandhi) is an English-educated scholar who lives in Poona with his wife Savitri Phule (Patralekhaa), father Govindrao Phule (Vinay Pathak) and brother Raja Ram Phule (Sushil Pandey). Jyotiba belongs to the lower caste and has been ill-treated by the members of the upper castes his whole life. But thanks to education and exposure to the happenings in the Western world, he realizes that this discrimination is unfair. He decides to work for the betterment of society and his first step is to educate girl child, an unheard-of concept in those days. The Brahmins are completely against this idea. Yet, a kind-hearted Brahmin, Vishnupant Thatte (Asit Redij) agrees with Jyotiba’s vision. Vishnupant allows his mansion to be utilized as a school for girls. They secretly even manage to enrol six girls. Soon, more and more girls secure admission. All is going well until one day, Vinayak Deshpande (Joy Sengupta) and other Brahmins of the area learn about the school. They vandalize the property and even bash Jyotiba. The Panchayat head (Amit Behal), also a Brahmin, orders Jyotiba to shut down the school or face the consequences. Jyotiba doesn’t want his family to feel the heat. Hence, he and Savitri leave the Phule residence and start living with Jyotiba’s childhood school friend Usman Sheikh (Jayesh More). Usman has educated his sister Fatima (Akshaya Gurav), just like how Jyotiba educated Savitri. Hence, Usman understands Jyotiba completely and supports him in his endaevour. Jyotiba once again decides to open a school and this time, he changes his strategy. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Phule Movie Story Review:
The story is incredible and inspiring. Ananth Narayan Mahadevan and Muazzam Beg’s screenplay is a mixed bag. A few scenes leave an impact but many scenes fail to give a sense of high. Muazzam Beg’s dialogues are hard-hitting, but only in some places.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan’s direction could have been better. To give credit where it’s due, he brings to celluloid the story of a man whose contribution to our country has been immense. Hence, it’s particularly heartening to see how Jyotiba Phule brought change in society despite numerous challenges. A few scenes stand out like Jyotiba being dragged to court, Jyotiba leaving his house but making sure that his property share remains intact, Jyotiba opening a school by the banks of a river with the help of Lahuji Raghoji Salve (Dhanjay Madrekar), etc. Two scenes that also deserve special mention are when Jyotiba keeps walking while Vinayak and his friends try to avoid his shadow and Savitri admonishing the same group for not stopping the discrimination.

On the flipside, the film suffers majorly due to its lacklustre treatment. Except for the aforementioned scenes, the rest of the film doesn’t pack a punch. One doesn’t get totally invested in their journey because of the execution. As it happens with many biopics, PHULE also has an episodic approach; so, the director moves from one episode to another without letting the viewers process it. A few instances are not properly presented. Jyotiba Phule is also a municipal contractor but this aspect is merely talked about. We never get to see how he managed that work while also fighting social evils. The sequence of barbers giving up tonsuring widows is too quick to make any impact.

Phule | Official Trailer | Pratik Gandhi & Patralekha

Phule Movie Review Performances:
Pratik Gandhi is excellent and constantly rises above the weak script and direction. It’s praiseworthy to see the subtle changes in his body language once he gets older. Patralekhaa gets a bit overshadowed by Pratik’s towering performance. But there are scenes where she manages to hold on to her own and deliver an effective performance. Jayesh More and Akshaya Gurav are too good and get to play extremely interesting and adorable characters. Darsheel Safary (Yashwant) is horribly wasted. A character like this should have had more to do than just be a bystander. Vinay Pathak leaves a mark. Joy Sengupta is decent but after a point, his act gets repetitive. He’s simply staring angrily and getting rebuked by Jyotiba for almost the whole film. Alexx O’Nell (Ribbs Jones), Ellie (Ribbs Jones’ wife) and Sara (Cynthia Farar) lend able support. Dhanjay Madrekar, Sushil Pandey, Amit Behal, Asit Redij, Vishal Tiwari (Tatyasaheb Bhide) and Akanksha Gade (Kashibai) are decent.

Phule movie music and other technical aspects:
Rohan-Rohan’s music doesn’t have a shelf life. Both versions of ‘Saathi’ are forgettable. ‘Dhun Lagi’ is catchy to some extent. Rohan-Rohan’s background score is well-woven into the narrative.

Sunita Radia’s cinematography is appropriate. Aparna Shah’s costumes and Santosh Phutane’s production design are reminiscent of the bygone era. Rounak Phadnis’ editing could have been slicker.

Phule Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, PHULE tells the story of a legendary social revolutionary and rests on the towering performance of Pratik Gandhi. But the film greatly suffers on account of a weak script and lacklustre direction. At the box office, it’ll largely go unnoticed.

Star Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Sai Tamhankar, Zoya Hussain

Director: Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar

Ground Zero Movie Review Synopsis:
GROUND ZERO is the story of a brave soldier. The year is 2001. Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey (Emraan Hashmi) is a BSF Deputy Commandant stationed in Kashmir. The ‘pistol gang’ has become quite active in Srinagar. It involves misguided college-going students brainwashed into killing soldiers at point-blank range. For every jawan killed, they are paid Rs. 5000. While gathering information on them, the BSF learns that a bigger attack is being planned by the trainers of the ‘pistol gang’. Narendra is able to correctly guess that the attack is planned to target a high-profile minister. Accordingly, he takes the Chief Minister of Kashmir to a safe house. But he sadly gets the place of attack wrong. The attack was planned for Delhi and it takes place in the Parliament on December 13, 2001. The responsibility for the attack is taken by Jaish-E-Mohammed and a message, claiming responsibility, is sent to news channels by its master, Ghazi Baba. Ghazi Baba is a mysterious figure; neither the Army nor the Intelligence Bureau know of his whereabouts or what he even looks like. Narendra, nevertheless, keeps digging. As luck would have it, he comes across a poor brainwashed youth, Husain (Mir Mehrooz). He tries to kill Narendra but the latter stops him from doing so and helps him change his path. This young boy helps Narendra with crucial info. But the challenges remain, especially the lack of evidence about his theories. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Ground Zero Movie Story Review:
Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivastava’s story is inspired by real-life accounts and has a lot of substance. Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivastava’s screenplay is engaging but the writing stagnates in between. It also gives a feeling of been-there-done-that in some scenes. Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivastava’s dialogues are fine but a few one-liners are memorable.

Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar’s direction is decent. He executes the film in a very no-nonsense manner. Hence, the focus is on the mission at hand and in catching the elusive Ghazi Baba. One roots for the protagonist even though he suffers minor defeats on the way. The film also raises an important point through the character of Husain – the solution to peace involves winning the hearts of the common man. The climax is also gripping; the film ends on a clapworthy note.

On the flipside, the film gives a déjà vu of films like URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE [2019], BABY [2015], ARTICLE 370 [2024], etc. The climax, meanwhile, might remind heavily of ZERO DARK THIRTY [2012]. Also, the engagement level is not consistent. In some places, the interest level drops.

Ground Zero | Official Trailer | Emraan Hashmi | Saie Tamhankar | Zoya Hussain

Ground Zero Movie Review Performances:
Emraan Hashmi looks dashing and delivers a stupendous performance. He doesn’t indulge in unnecessary histrionics and keeps his performance believable. Mir Mehrooz has a crucial role and delivers an impactful performance. Sai Tamhankar (Jaya) is decent but does well in the pre-climax. Zoya Hussain (Aadila) is hardly there in the first half and is fair later on. Ekluvya (Chand Khan), Rockey Raina (Ghazi Baba) and Qazi Faiz (Hakeem) are great in cameos. Mukesh Tiwari (Sanjiv Sharma), Rahul Vohra (IB Chief), Deepak Parmesh (Binu Ramachandra), Lalit Prabhakar (Praveen) and Hanan (Ahmed; who brainwashes Husain) lend able support. Ram Avatar (PM Vajpayee) looks ditto like the former Prime Minister.

Ground Zero movie music and other technical aspects:

All the four songs of the film – ‘So Lene De’, ‘Lahoo’, ‘Fateh’ and ‘Pehli Dafa’ – are forgettable. John Stewart Eduri’s background score exhilarates impact.

Kamaljeet Negi’s cinematography is spectacular in the aerial and fight scenes. But some of the tight close-ups were unwarranted. Shashank Tere’s production design is satisfactory while Kirti and Maria’s costumes are authentic. Vikram Dahiya’s action is straight out of life and not too gory, except for one scene. Chandrashekhar Prajapati’s editing could have been sharper in some scenes.

Ground Zero Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, GROUND ZERO is a no-nonsense, action-packed thriller that benefits from Emraan Hashmi’s restrained yet impactful performance and a gripping final act. If supported by positive word of mouth, the film has the potential to enjoy a steady run at the box office.

Star Cast: Michael B Jordan Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton

Director: Ryan Coogler

Sinners Movie Review Synopsis:
SINNERS is the story of one wild night. On October 15, 1932, the twins Smoke (Michael B Jordan) and Stack (Michael B Jordan) arrive at their hometown – Clarksdale, Mississippi – after amassing a lot of money in Chicago. They buy an old abandoned mill and plan to turn it into a juke joint the same night. They go around the town to get people on board for their venture. Their cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton), son of a pastor, is employed as a blues singer. An old friend and expert piano and harmonica player Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), is also recruited. A Chinese couple Bo Chow (Yao) and Grace (Li Jun Li) are asked to paint the board. Smoke’s ex-wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) comes on board to cook food and Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller) is hired as the doorkeeper. The twins promote the opening of the joint in the town. Hence, they get a decent turnout. All is going well and everyone is making merry. But suddenly, two mysterious men and one mysterious woman arrive and all hell breaks loose. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Sinners Movie Story Review:
Ryan Coogler’s story is imaginative and creative. Ryan Coogler’s screenplay is comprehensive and has many twists and turns. The dialogues are sharp. Thankfully, the subtitles are present which makes it easier to decipher the difficult dialect.

Ryan Coogler’s direction is supreme. The first and second halves of the film are very different from each other. The director uses the first half to establish the characters and setting and how they all turn up in the newly established club. At the same time, he also hints at how things are going to be messy and gory. The scene just before the interval point is gripping. In the second half, the film moves slowly but also keeps one captivated and even terrified.

On the flipside, a few aspects are confusing. The first half is a bit slow. The mid-credit scene is too long and though it’s novel, it doesn’t leave the desired impact. Lastly, the hype is limited for the film in India.

Sinners Movie Review Performances:
Michael B Jordan plays the role of the twins with panache. It’s also praiseworthy how he subtly makes sure that both characters are a bit different from each other. Miles Caton is very impressive and he has a crucial part in the narrative. Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Hailee Steinfeld (Mary) and Jayme Lawson (Pearline) leave a huge mark. Omar Benson Miller, Yao, Li Jn Li and Helena Hu (Lisa) lend able support. Jack O’Connell (Remmick), Peter Dreimanis (Bert) and Saul Williams (Jedidiah) are terrific as the villains. David Maldonado (Hogwood) also does very well.

Sinners movie music and other technical aspects:
Ludwig Göransson’s music is an intrinsic part of the production and is well woven into the narrative. The blues-style background score goes well with the film too. Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography is stunning. Hannah Beachler’s production design and Ruth E Carter’s costumes are very authentic. The VFX is classy while the action is very gory. Michael P Shawver’s editing could have been slicker.

Sinners Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, SINNERS leaves an impact thanks to its novel idea, supernatural touch and bravura performances.

Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan, Ananya Panday

Director: Karan Singh Tyagi

Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review Synopsis:
KESARI CHAPTER 2 is the story of a man who shook the foundations of the British empire. On April 13, 1919, a group of protesters assemble peacefully at the Jallianwalla Bagh, Amritsar to protest against the Rowlatt Act. General Dyer (Simon Paisley Day) reaches the spot with his armed troops and instructs them to fire at the people without warning. It leads to the loss of hundreds of lives. The press is censored from talking about it. The official version given is that the protestors were armed and hence, General Dyer had to open fire. To calm down the criticism, the British government puts together an enquiry commission. Sir C Sankaran Nair (Akshay Kumar) is the only Indian in this commission. Though he’s an Indian, he believes in the British justice system. He’s such a devout servant of the Crown that the government has even made him a part of the Viceroy’s Council. He begins the inquiry and realizes that the British are trying to suppress facts. A chance meeting with a young revolutionary boy, Pargat Singh (Krish Rao), changes his viewpoint. He further has a change of heart when he talks to a law student, Dilreet Gill (Ananya Panday). Hence, he decides to go to Court and sue General Dyer for genocide. In an unexpected move, the Crown appoints Neville McKinley (R Madhavan) as the defence lawyer. Sankaran and Neville have a rough past and the latter is all set to hit back at the former through this case. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Story Review:
KESARI CHAPTER 2 is based on the book ‘The Case That Shook The Empire: One Man’s Fight For The Truth About The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre’ by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat. Karan Singh Tyagi and Amritpal Singh Bindra’s story is incredible. Many are aware of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre but not about the case. Karan Singh Tyagi and Amritpal Singh Bindra’s screenplay moves at a decent pace and is replete with riveting dramatic and confrontational moments. Sumit Saxena’s dialogues are arresting.

Karan Singh Tyagi’s direction is uncomplicated, though he uses a back-and-forth narrative in the beginning. At a basic level, it’s a hero vs villain story. The hero is fighting a gigantic antagonist who has the full support of an unjust system. Hence, one can’t help but get disgusted by the villain and root for C Sankaran Nair all along. A few scenes that stand out are Sankaran Nair being stopped for accessing the courtyard as ‘dogs and Indians are not allowed’, Shankaran’s visit to Pargat and Dilreet filing the case with Shankaran’s sudden appearance at the court. Post-interval, the Martha Stevens track is very memorable. The climax might seem predictable and yet, it packs a punch. The film ends on an exhilarating note.

Kesari Chapter 2 – Official Trailer | Akshay Kumar | R. Madhavan | Ananya Panday | Karan S Tyagi

On the flipside, it’s strange that C Sankaran Nair, until the massacre, fully believed the British justice system and he never had any doubts about them. The courtroom drama follows a set template and hence, one might anticipate where the film is moving. Moreover, it’s an urban film and doesn’t offer much to the masses. The ‘A’ rating is also unwarranted for. Ideally, a film like this should have been awarded a U/A rating for a wider reach.

Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review Performances:
Akshay Kumar delivers a stupendous performance. His change of heart and also the way he mouths powerful lines in the court make for a great impact. Ananya Panday proves her worth, especially during the Martha Stevens track and when she meets C Sankaran Nair at the railway station. R Madhavan has a late entry but dominates some of the scenes in the second half. Regena Cassandrra (Parvathy Nair) is wasted. Simon Paisley Day plays his part with perfection and steals the show with his villainous act. Krish Rao has an important part and he leaves a huge mark. The same goes for Amit Sial (Tirath Singh). Steven Hartley (Judge McArdie), Sammy Jonas Heaney (Harold Laksi; jury member), Mark Bennington (Michael O’Dwyer), Alexx O’Nell (Lord Chelmsford), Rohan Verma (Jaan Nisar), Alexandra Moloney (Martha Stevens), Jaipreet Singh (Kirpal Singh) and Luke Kenny (Appeal court judge) also do very well.

Kesari Chapter 2 movie music and other technical aspects:
KESARI CHAPTER 2 hardly has any songs. ‘O Shera’ is memorable but a film like this deserved a hit soundtrack considering that KESARI’s [2019] songs are remembered even today. Shaswat Sachdev’s background score is very arresting.

Debojeet Ray’s cinematography is appropriate. Rita Ghosh’s production design and Sheetal Iqbal Sharma’s costumes are reminiscent of the bygone era. Futureworks’ VFX is top-class. Florian Hotz and Sunil Rodrigues’ action is disturbing but it’s the requirement of the script. Nitin Baid’s editing is slick.

Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, KESARI CHAPTER 2 is a hard-hitting courtroom drama and works due to the performances and treatment and also because it tells an untold and shocking chapter of Indian history. At the box office, it will need a strong word of mouth to sustain and emerge as a profitable venture. The adults only rating might restrict its business to some extent.

Star Cast: Babil Khan, Rasika Dugal

Director: Amit Golani

Logout Movie Review Synopsis:
LOGOUT is the story of an influencer and a fan. Pratyush Dua (Babil Khan) stays in Delhi alone, away from his family. He’s a massive phone addict and also a popular influencer who goes by the name ‘Pratman’. His follower count is about to reach the 10 million mark. However, another popular influencer, Ankita (Anisha Victor), is also all as set to cross the coveted mark. The netizens are charged up to see who gets 10 million followers first. Pratyush’s friend and manager JD (Gandharv Dewan) insists that Pratyush should win the race. If that happens, a popular company will sign him up for a tempting deal, that will change things for him. But they would sign Ankita if she manages to get 10 million followers before Pratyush. As part of the strategy of getting more followers, Pratyush meets Bhuvan Bam at an event and shoots a collab video. He gets heavily drunk and goes live on his social media, asking his followers to help him amass 10 million followers. The next day, Pratyush wakes up only to find that his phone is missing. Since he was intoxicated the previous night, he’s unable to remember where he kept his phone. He opens his PC to track his device. This is when he gets an email from a girl whom he had met in Gwalior a year back, Aabha. She claims that she called his number and a cabbie happened to pick the call. She further claimed that Pratyush forgot the phone in the cab and that she’d help him get his phone back. Pratyush is relieved that his phone’s whereabouts are known. She makes him pay an amount to the driver, so that he can come all the way to his residence to deliver the phone. But while transferring the money, the OTP is sent to Pratyush’s phone. With no other option, Pratyush gives his phone password to Aabha, so that the driver can access the OTP. Soon, Pratyush realizes that he didn’t leave the phone in the cab and that Aabha is the one who has his phone. What’s worse is that Aabha is not her real name; she refuses to divulge her identity. She claims to be his biggest fan and wants to spend time with him; or else, she’ll expose him on social media. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Logout Movie Story Review:
Biswapati Sarkar’s story is terrific and very relevant for today’s times. Biswapati Sarkar’s screenplay is very captivating until the middle of the second half. To engage the audience when there’s just one actor on screen 90% of the time and the other character’s voice is heard is not easy. But the writing is very tight and hence, one doesn’t get bored. However, the climax leaves a lot to be desired. Biswapati Sarkar’s dialogues are conversational and realistic.

Amit Golani’s direction is supreme. To begin with, the various social media and email accounts shown in the film are all fictitious and inspired by real-life apps and websites. But this bit is depicted in a very authentic manner. Secondly, there are a lot of nail-biting moments in the film and it’s impressive they managed to do that since the setting is very unconventional. Moreover, it looks convincing when Pratyush divulges his phone’s password and he believes the fan. Also interesting is how Pratyush uses his brain to understand who this fan can be.

Sadly, the makers mess up the film in the second half. One of the biggest problems with LOGOUT is that one never comes to know under what circumstances Pratyush loses his phone. The makers chose not to present this crucial aspect at all. They also conveniently forget what happened to Pratyush’s ex-girlfriend Smriti, especially after the caller tried to harm her relationship with her fiancé. The climax tries to raise an important issue but the message doesn’t come across neatly.

Logout Movie Review Performances:
Speaking of performances, Babil Khan shines. He’s visible in most of the scenes and he makes good use of the opportunity to prove his worth. The character goes through a lot and Babil’s expressions, body language and his way of emoting are spot-on. Nimisha Nair (caller) has limited screen time and is quite good. She is seen less and heard more and her dialogue delivery is praiseworthy. Rasika Dugal (Pratyush’s sister) is lovely, as always, in a cameo. Gandharv Dewan, Anisha Victor and others are fair.

Logout movie music and other technical aspects:
There’s only one song in the film – ‘Tipi Tipi Tap’ – and it’s forgettable. Haroon & Gavin’s background score, however, adds to the tension. Pooja Gupte’s cinematography is appropriate. Sukant Panigrahy’s production design is cool, especially the interiors of Pratyush’s house. Special mention should go to the VFX team and graphics – the scenes of the computer screen are classy. Pampa Biswas’s costumes are straight out of life. Atanu Mukherjee’s editing is slick but could have been sharper in a few places.

Logout Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, LOGOUT raises an important issue and features a gripping, nail-biting first half, with Babil Khan’s impactful performance serving as the icing on the cake. However, the weak second half and underwhelming climax dilute some of its overall impact.

Star Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas

Director: Dougal Wilson

Paddington In Peru Movie Review Synopsis:
PADDINGTON IN PERU is the story of a bear trying to locate his lost aunt. Paddington (Ben Whishaw) is happily staying with the Brown family in London. However, he notices that everyone in the family has gotten distant, leading to a breakdown in communication. One day, he receives a letter from Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) from Home for Retired Bears, Peru informing Paddington that his aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) is acting strangely. Hence, Reverend Mother requests Paddington to visit her. Paddington decides to take the trip and he’s joined by the Brown family, hoping that it’ll get the family back like the good old days. As soon as they reach Home for Retired Bears, they are informed that Aunt Lucy has suddenly gone missing. Paddington finds a map in Aunt Lucy’s room, which indicates that he should start his search at a place in the nearby Amazon Forest called Rumy Rock. Paddington and his family go to the nearby town where they meet Captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina. (Carla Tous). Both run a boat for tourists. At first, they decline the request to go to Rumy Rock but agree when Paddington informs them about her aunt’s disappearance. Through Cabot, they also learn that Rumy Rock is the starting point for many travellers while trying to discover the lost golden city of El Dorado. Paddington is confused as Aunt Lucy is not someone who’ll run away to find gold. Meanwhile, Cabot has a hidden agenda to accompany Paddington on this trip. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Paddington In Peru Movie Story Review:
Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton’s story is in the same zone as the previous two films. Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont’s screenplay is weak in the middle but manages to engage viewers in the second half. The dialogues are appropriate.

Dougal Wilson’s direction is simple. He tries his best to up the laughter and the emotional quotient of the film and succeeds to an extent. A few comic scenes emerge unexpectedly. For instance, when Paddington is told about El Dorado, he assumes that the Captain is speaking about the namesake eatery in London. The twist in the tale in the second half also keeps the interest going. The finale is emotional.

On the flipside, the writing suffers once Paddington and his family begin the expedition in the river. The way they get lost in the forest and the way they blindly trust Paddington to know the way is very unconvincing. The interest levels come up only when Paddington and the Captain reach the Incan fort. Secondly, some of the family members are there just for the heck of it. Lastly, the film has shockingly got a very delayed release in India. In certain regions, the film is already out on PVOD and it’s astonishing why such a raw deal was meted out to an important market like ours.

Paddington In Peru Movie Review Performances:
Ben Whishaw, as always, is perfect as the voice of Paddington. The same goes for Imelda Staunton. Hugh Bonneville (Henry Brown) is entertaining. Emily Mortimer (Mary Brown) is lovely though one can’t help but miss Sally Hawkins, who played the same character in the first two parts. Olivia Colman is aptly cast and her wicked smile takes the cake. Antonio Banderas, as expected, is quite entertaining. Carla Tous lends able support. Madeleine Harris (Judy Brown) and Samuel Joslin (Jonathan Brown) are wasted while Julie Walters (Mrs Bird) is lovely. Jim Broadbent (Samuel Gruber) is added just for the heck of it.

Paddington In Peru movie music and other technical aspects:
Dario Marianelli’s music adds to the impact. Erik Wilson’s cinematography is spectacular and the locales of Peru are very well captured. The VFX is top-class, especially the lead character. Andy Kelly’s production design and Charlotte Walter’s costumes are satisfactory. Úna Ní Dhonghaíle’s editing is slick.

Paddington In Peru Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, PADDINGTON IN PERU has its share of cute and emotional moments. However, the extremely delayed release in India, limited buzz and competition from new and holdover releases will affect its prospects.