Category Archives: action

Movie Review: Agent Vinod (2012)

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RAW Agent and a raw movie
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Stunning! Spectacular! The movie is made in epic proportions. No expense is spared to make the story live out large on the big silver screen. Non-stop action from the word go. It is a delight to watch. Finally, you can say Indian cinema, and I mean mainstream cinema, is catching up with Hollywood’s best action thrillers. And also, finally you can cheer for India while seeing awesome stunts and controlled explosions.

After Don 2, this is only the second Bollywood movie to stun me with an out and out action story set in India and international territories. While Don 2 had the brilliant camerawork for a 3D movie and a few international locales, in Agent Vinod we literally trot the world and hoop through amazing locations and deadly terrorist fronts to end up back where the climax is set – INDIA!

The movie starts in a deathly desert in Afghanistan. Agend Vinod is partnered with a guest appearance from Ravi Kishen, the Bhojpuri superstar who already thrilled us this year in Naseeruddin Shah starrer “Chaalis Chauraasi”. If you thought he was good in that role, you have to see it to believe it here. In the brief appearance Ravi Kishen has done a memorable job as a fellow RAW Agent. Then on action hits non-stop from Russia to Pakistan to Morocco to Somalia and so many amazing scenes and characters.

My favourite old gentleman from Indian cinema, Prem Chopra does an important role in this movie. Yes, he is back here and interrogating Agent Vinod with the help of a mysterious Doctor played by Kareena Kapoor. Finally after Omkara (brilliant adaptation of Othello), Kareena and Saif are back in a big movie together and this time paired as a leading couple. Kareena shines as a demure girl trapped in a big bad world of politics and terrorism. She is stuck and Agent Vinod doesn’t trust her at all.

More action and more gunfights. Streets filled with people running – not in India mind you – these extras in foreign countries have done a brilliant believable job as witness to the mayhem caused by jihadi terrorism.

But beware, this ain’t no lame storyline of another Jihadi-terror group out to blow up India. There is a secret organisation. A shadow group of power-mongers out to control the world and they are orchestrating a grand scheme to cause nuclear war between India and Pakistan.

Hints are given openly without naming the group which is obviously the all-powerful – The Bilderberg Group. This group http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilderberg_Group has always created sensation in media and lot of crazy conspiracy theories surround it. Last time they invited a calm black gentleman to their annual conference in Europe and the man became the first black President of USA. That is Barrack Obama of course. Many wealthy industrialists, politicians and celebrities are in on their clique’s agenda.

Anyways, that is not a spoiler because most people in India are not aware of The Bilderberg Group. I just hope this great plot and sentiment doesn’t go a bouncer over the heads of audiences who are rather used to seeing and cheering an anti-Pakistan or anti-Jihad style of cinema.

Now the question you all are wondering about – yes Saif Ali Khan ROCKS in this movie. He plays it cool. Looks believable in the role. No over-the-top antics. Everything flows smoothly and there is a reason and scene and dialogue explaining every turn and twist in the plot. So go out there and watch him knock out the bad guys with punches and kicks and with a bullet when he finally finds a gun in his hand – not that he needs one – the unarmed combat is spectacular and convincing.

Enjoy your three-day weekend. This is a movie worthy of the rumoured 3D sequel.
http://www.followagentvinod.com/

Movie Review: Bullitt

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AWESOMENESS !!!

Steve McQueen – BULLITT

He did whole lot of things for this movie including driving the car himself in the great car chase in San Fransisco. Year 1968.

No damn studios here – real hospital – real streets – real airport.

Even the doctors and nurses shown in the hospital scenes are actual doctors/ nurses – not actors.

Great stuff.

I have a DVD which they call “New Digital Transfer” – whatever that means.

Jacqueline Bisset as I have never seen her before – she looks so innocent and beautiful instead of the gorgeous bomb she is in later movies. She is actually perfect opposite copper BULLITT who wouldn’t be attracted to fake smiles, glam or artificial beauty.

She looks splendid in her small role. As does Robert Duvall, so young he is in the movie.

I have the Special Features which has “Steve McQueen’s dedication to reality” – a great small feature that shows how he did himself – all that action and making a REAL story instead of a glam movie.

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Book Review: Guns Of Navarone

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Novel: Guns of Navarone
Author: Alistair MacLean

Book Review – A lesson in adventure – Glory of the characters and the author – by Ujjwal Dey

Those guns are now very much part of our vocabulary, of our history, our popular culture. And this is the fictional novel that created it. It is so well written that you start to think of it as a historical fact rather than great fiction.

MacLean is a master at thrilling war adventures. He writes a page-turner masterpiece in a way of literary fiction writers. It is filled with danger and intrigue and great will of determined soldiers.

The glory is not just of these characters battling to bring down the Guns of Navarone but also of Alistair MacLean who made such an entertaining book which easily could find a worthy place in school and college libraries – right alongside the ancient classics. This is more than entertainment, it is a tutorial on writing a war novel with passion and courage infused with realistic drama and danger.

* Awesome action, deep into war zone from page one
* Realistic battle depictions, real people in real danger
* You would start to believe that the fictional Nazi guns of fictional Navarone were real – it is that good
* The details are blended into the story very well – the descriptions, the experience, the cruel land and worse sea.
* The scaling of that steep cliff face is most thrilling but that’s just the beginning really of a gruesome thrilling adventure.
* The dialogue is very human – these special men with a special assignment are most special in their actions – but their words reveal more personality and character – especially the conversation between the injured Stevens with Capt Mallory and Andrea – nothing to worry, we are all scared
* Great humour from Corporal Miller – the explosions expert who can smile even if facing death
* Each character alive in spirit and displaying great grit and purpose in being here and now – each with a unique skill
* Fast paced thriller with each chapter pulling you in to the next with a gripping suspense
* Twists and turns of fate and nature and enemy wiliness
* Betrayal and luck and capture and courage – all affecting them but they keep moving forward and the story races past obstacles to survive by wit and human spirit – to save 1200 men on a remote island at siege from the Guns of Navarone

Just a brilliant read and it all happens in a matter of days, sleepless nights and in a few hours they will see if their blood and pain brings glory to the Allied cause in WWII. (The novel sadly out-of-print in USA, can you believe it?)

Superb war novel, even better as a thriller.

Wiki at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_MacLean

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