The Movie Review Thread

[rhitwick]

*bwoodmasala.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Highway-Movie-poster-Wallpaper.jpg

Movie: Highway
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda
Length: ~15o mins
Rating : 8/10

I've seen the movie last Sunday and since then I was think what do I write if I write a review of this movie? The story line is simple and most of the movie is without dialog...what do I write about then. But, I think Direction and acting at least can be talked about here. When in 2013 it was first announced that Imtiaz Ali is making a movie with Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda....I know a lot of Imtiaz fans like me were skeptical about his decision.

Alia Bhatt?!!! That fashion diva of tomorrow with a irritating acting talent shown in "Student of the year"? Why her? And Randeep Hooda?!!! He rose as star with "D" then vanished. None believes he can act. How come Imtiaz zeroed in on these two?!!! This is what I was thinking the whole year and even on Sunday I was worried what I'm going to see. And I'm glad I'm proven wrong.

Story/Screenpaly: Veera, only daughter of a rich businessman gets kidnapped mistakenly by some dacoits. Mahavir, the dacoit leader hits the road with Veera to keep away from police. And in this journey both of them gets to look inside themselves.

Music : A.R. Rahman has given some nice tunes, I won’t say I liked all but “Patakha Guddi” (both versions) and “Mahi Ve” are mentionable. Background scores are good too. The songs fits well with the story and never stops the flow.

Character development and acting: Alia Bhatt as Veera did a wonderful job. She surprised everyone with this movie. It was a tough role, roller-coaster ride of emotions. She had to act naïve, bubbly and a cute girl who has never come this close to reality. She had to hold the look of wonder in her eyes that a city dweller has when visiting a village or sees a bullock cart or climbs a tree. I think those were originals expressions of her. I don’t think she ever climbed a tree or lied down just beside highway and felt the air that blows you when a speeding truck passes. Above everything she enjoyed making of this movie that I’m sure of.
BUT, its Randeep Hooda that surprised me a lot. He seems to be born for this role. A dacoit, always expecting hatred from everyone, always serious and keeps a grunt on his face to hide his vulnerabilities. Scenes between him a Alia are a gem to watch. In most of the scenes Alia is doing something weird or just enjoying herself and Randeep is looking at her. Its not ‘stare’ looking but looking with mix emotions…emotions like wonder, confusion, disgust…he pulled that off! Kudos to him for that.
Then the final scenes when he slowly sheds his shells and opens up his soft side, lets Alia take over his life is not only a brilliance of director but also a personal success of Randeep as an actor. IDK, if he would get any award for this, even if he doesn’t he should feel proud that he got to act such a role.
Another actor that I must mention here is the guy as “Aadoo”. He’s good, he’s real good. His eyes speak volumes than his mouth. Shadowed by boss he seldom gets to speak his mind but shows the pain and disagreement in his eyes. Good job sir, whoever you are.

Direction: Since “Socha na tha” Imtiaz explored love from different angles. He seems to have lots of questions on love and keeps on asking them in his movies. ‘Highway’ may appear a ‘love story’ but I won’t call it that. If you’ve seen the movie “Leon” can you name the relationship between them? In Highway too the relationship between the leads are not defined clearly. May be due the maturity of Veera they were allowed to cuddle…still I won’t say they were in love.
Should I praise this grey area or should I consider this his weakpoint of this movie I’m not sure. But, he sure proved one thing actors are the puppets of director. He did JWM and proved Kareena can act and with Highway he established two more named in the league of people who can act.
But, few scenes are not clear…I mean his intentions are not clear. Mahavir at times seemed interested in asking ransom, is shown contacting he parents for extortion money but that track is left unattended. If he did ask for ransom, where he asked them to meet, how he planned to take the money etc. That ransom track ran its independent course and lost midway.

Deeper analysis:

Spoiler

Veera liked her freedom, she did nothing special for Mahavir…he kinda fit with her dream which suddenly came true. She dreamt of a place in mountain, her ‘man’ would be a shepherd and Mahavir happened to be playing the role of that man. But, for Mahavir she was a surprise element. He never came in touch with such rich people such close…and then here is the ultimate thing... Girl of the business tycoon! In 2/3 of the movie he kept a distance from her, observed her. His eyes never showed lust rather disgust and hatred at times. He observed mostly how she reacts to little things that are common in his life but found her enjoying those, embracing them with both hands and enjoying them.
Veera, once had enough of the essence of nature tried to explore her surroundings and only unknown, unpredictable was Mahavir…she tried to look deep and got turned down. She took it as a challenge whereas Mahavir was surprised why she’s behaving like that. I found this tussle very interesting. Then the part where they meet at Chandigarh is the last step when Mavir lost every piece of guard and surrendered to Veera. He knew its an unfortunate union, he knew how it could end but he wanted to fulfill her dreams.

Cinematography: Awesome. Anil Mehta captured the beauty of India such brilliantly that the frames are piece of art itself. This is sure a visually stunning movie.

Editing:The editing should have been crisp. I found few scenes which seems to be not contributing to the story but were not edited. The movie could have been 10 mins short for sure.

Verdict : The movie speaks volumes through silence and little gestures. Many would find it boring and ‘nothing is happening on screen’ but if you could have patience this could be a good watch. Take Randeep Hooda as best actor nominated from my side!

 

[Vyom]

Movie: Bobby Jasoos
Director: Samar Shaikh
Cast: Vidya Balan, Ali Fazal
Length: 121 mins
Rating : 6/10

While my choice of genre doesn’t really allow me to digest modern popcorn blockbuster Bollywood movies, I often tend to enjoy them occasionally if served with a good story and execution. I will have to say that Bobby Jasoos was not one of them.

Bobby Jasoos seems to be a half baked, self pretentious attempt in directing by Samar Shaikh and endorsed by Diya Mirza as a Producer, whose skills could have been better utilized as an actress to save this movie a little.


*bollyspice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/BJ-Poster-Landscape-1.jpg


The story of Bobby Jasoos is about a 30 year old muslim girl named Bobby, residing in the heart of Hyderabad city near the iconic Charminar. While she keeps herself involved in investigating cases in night and trying to get a proper detective job in daytime. She is having a rough time in securing clients as a detective, but luck takes a big turn as she receives an assignment that pushes her to her limits. Rest of the film is a riot as she tries to struggle her career as a detective and manage her family emotionally who doesn’t seem to be in favor of what Bobby does.


While the film seems to have so much potential what makes it fail is the treatment. The film starts of in a humorous tone and actually seems like to begin with the right foot. But as it picks up pace we are introduced some of the people that seems like a cliche examples of typical characters from all of the Bollywood movies I detest watching. Slowly the viewer is faced with slapstick humor, family drama and been-there-done-that events that feels like Deja Vu in the course of a family drama movie.


Songs don’t help either. Neither of the songs in the film leaves an impression on the viewers mind, rather give them a chance to take a break and catch up on sleep while they are at it. There is one particular song in the movie which I won’t specify to stay away from spoilers, and which I personally think was totally uncalled for in the situation. Perhaps the pacing or editing could have been a lot better, so as to give the movie a coherent flow.


In this movie Vidya Balan in the role of Bobby gets to change in a lot of getup (around 12) but most of them doesn’t help the story in much ways. It looks as if she was made to change just for the sake of humor. While the film can be considered short at just 121 minutes, it feels somewhat dragged occasionally, and fails to let viewers invest their emotions into any of the characters except of the lead character.


That being said, the film does have its moments but those are just a few. I would also say it was a daring attempt to try to execute a movie with only a female lead, who for the most part remains out of glamor, and where she is also shown to break free from many of the stereotypical role a women is portrayed in Indian movies. I would also have to admire Vidya Balan for her acting skills as she was very convincing in all of those getup she did onscreen. I would not blame the execution of the movie on her since the onus of the complete movie lied on her shoulders alone. And she did her role perfectly.


It would be fair to say that while the first half of Bobby Jasoos, raises viewers interest a little, second half helps it raise even further, but the final twist fails to live up to the expectation.
One more movie “Queen” was also released recently where the story was about a female lead who is shown to break free from various stereotypical roles, but it would be unfair to compare both of them, because while Queen was set up in vibrant and colorful foreign cities like Paris and Amsterdam and was more closer to today’s generation, Bobby Jasoos relates more to India and typical Indian family drama, and was filmed totally in the streets of semi urban parts of Hyderabad which gave the movie a special flavor of India, more closer to most of the people of the country.


Combined with all other things I would rate the film a 6 out of 10. Extra 1 to give bollywood a break from the male dominant masala movie and an attempt to create India’s own Sherlock Holmes.

 

[Vyom]

Movie: The Theory of Everything
Director: James Marsh
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior
Length: 123 mins
Rating : 8/10

A lot of time have passed since I last wrote a good movie review and after I watched Theory of Everything, I had this urge to write that I couldn’t contain.
The Theory of Everything is a biographical movie which tells the story about the romantic side of Stephen Hawking and his relationship with his first wife, mostly unknown to the general public including me. Movies like this (based on some living legendary person) always feels a little diplomatic (like The Social Network) but are still, for the lack of a better word, interesting and also motivational.

In my teenage years I use to love all those documentaries on Discovery about theories with mind bending possibilities. It always use to take me to amazing realm of a world that remains invisible to the naked eye. Hence it was natural that I was expecting to be dazzled yet again and experience that once again on big screen. But what I saw actually was the story of him before he become a successful physicist. The movie is a story not about his professional work rather it’s solely focused on the personal life of Stephen Hawking. We got to know about how incredibly nice Jane (his first wife) was with Stephen. She was an incredible woman to sacrifice so much of her life for the love she had for Stephen. Her devotion towards Hawking for so many years was rather unparalleled.


I was expecting a cameo of real Stephen Hawking in the movie, but Eddie Redmayne, the actor who played Stephen did such an incredible job that the cameo wasn’t really missed. I haven’t watched other works of Redmayne but the portrayal of him as Hawking really transpired my imagination and felt like it was the real Hawking himself on the screen. The wife of Hawking was acted by Felicity Jones who was also good. Involvement of David Thewlis was a little distracting at first since I was used to see him as Lupin in Harry Potter movies. Guess what, he is a professor in this movie too and hence I didn’t find it out of character.

Anyone who have read the Marriages subsection on Wikipedia had already read the whole plot of this movie, since the story is consistent with what was shown on screen.

In a nutshell, The Theory of Everything is a Romantic and emotional film that grips you till the end, except when in second half you realize it’s not just a romantic film, but a Biography first. Even though having interest in Cosmology and Physics, I enjoyed the film very much. I got to know the personal side of his personality, about the man I have always adored as a cosmologist.
If I could reverse the time, I would still watch this film and probably love it again.
Now, here are some Fun facts which I came to know after some research (no spoilers):

1. Stephen Hawking is English, not American, as I discovered from this movie! What!?!
2. At the end credits of the movie, the name of the casts which are credited are in the reverse order of appearance since “reversing the time” is the theme of the movie. So if you are watching this movie you may observe it first hand.
3. Stephen Hawking owns the copyright to the “electronic voice” that he speaks through the computer!

Lastly, even though real Stephen Hawking doesn’t have a cameo in the film, he does lends his voice in the end of the movie reciting one of his most famous quotes. And while the quote ended on screen I could hear claps from some people in the audience. I gladly joined them with few claps myself. The quote was so overwhelming and profound that I think I felt the impact it created on my perception towards life. I would end this post with the same quote,

There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope. – Stephen Hawking

*i0.wp.com/vineetkumar.me/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Stephen_Hawking.jpg?resize=225%2C300 Stephen Hawking

 

[quan chi]

*screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Mission-Impossible-Rogue-Nation-Logo.jpg​

Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation
Running time :2hrs 10 mins
Genre: Action/Thriller

Honestly this review is only for those who don't like to read long paragraphs. I will get straight to the points

There exists an anti IMF which is called the syndicate. However the CIA knows nothing about this diabolical group formed by rogue agents, instead it has issues with the working procedures of IMF & wants to disband it. One circumstance leads to another & Ethan Hunt finds himself being hunted by both CIA & the syndicate.

I liked jack reacher directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Therefore I got interested in this film too. I had hopes for this film & it didn't disappoint.
The action scenes are intense just what you would like to see. However things that needs special mentions are
the chase scene. This film has one of the best chase scenes I have seen so far. Then there is a vienna opera sniping scene. They were beautifully done.
Now if you have seen the previous MI films then you must be knowing that this is a Tom cruise movie produced by Tom cruise himself. In this movie Tom cruse is everywhere doing almost everything. Unfortunately he is NOT batman or chuck norris.
Anyways Tom cruse & simon pegg makes sure that you are not dozing off in the middle of the film. Well this does not means others were bad rest of them were good too.

However I would like to point that Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) was completely wasted in this movie. Considering what he did in the first three movies. This is really sad I missed him in MI IV & expected something more from this character in this film but I was completely disappointed.

Some of the dialogues were as usual good rest okay. Though some jokes may feel a bit lame but they are okay.
The Direction & editing were also good.

Overall this movie is entertaining you can certainly go out & catch it at a theater near you.

 

[rhitwick]

Lakshmi 7/10

*upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/Nagesh_Kunkunoor_Lakshmi_Film_Movie_Poster.jpg

This is one uneasy movie for the weak hearted.

Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor
Actor: Monali Thakur, Nagesh Kukunoor, Satish Kaushik, Shefali Shetty
Length : 105 minutes

This movie was in my scanner for two reasons: Monali Thakur and its unusual reviews related to violence. Was searching its DVD for a long time but seems it never came to shop. Found a CDRIP online at last.

Story/Screenplay: A 14 yr old girl is sold by her junkie father to a brothel pimp. The movie is about how she came out of their clasp.

Character development: When you first see Monali as Lakshmi in this movie, the only thought comes to your mind is that this role is not her cup of tea. Slowly she opens up. As the movie progresses she matures and you don't even realize that. If you look back to Monali as she started and where she ended up in the movie, you would really appreciate her efforts.
I'll say this is one character which develops, if not perfect but develops for sure.

Music: Don't know who was and really not interested in knowing. That is my opinion on this movie's music.

Acting: If Nagesh Kukunoor is ever remembered for anything to cinema then this is the movie he should be remembered for. No, not for direction but for this role as Chinna. He simply blends in the role of Chinna. Awesome!
Monali Thakur used to act in bengali tv serials and she was appreciated at that time. Her acting skill in this movie is appreciated but she needs to work more if acting is what she's aspiring for.
Satish Kaushik is doing some small but hard hitting roles these days. His first crucial scene in this movie will haunt you for sure.
Rest of the characters were average if not good.

Direction: I've a complaint in this part. First half of the movie is executed well. Shows control and plan for this movie's future. After interval the movie lost speed. Direction seems incoherent and gives a notion that the director lost hope on this.
The movie again picks up and leaves you with a shocking scene at the very end.
The courtroom scene is the weakest part of this movie IMO. A bit more research with court transcript could have given some good courtroom argument dialogs.
I've one more problem with this movie. The costume. In brothel, everyone used to wear modern clothes but Monali is always in little girl clothes, having braid with flowers. Why no good clothes for her?

Editing : Well, the movie is stretched too long. 90 minutes fits really well for this.

Cinematography: Shocking scenes are captured well, shows enough to shock you but at the same time hides enough to pass the censor board. Well done.
Cinematography in rest all part is average IMO.

Verdict: This is one movie for which Nagesh Kukunoor should be remembered. Shocking, brutal but at times plain bland fact. Not for weak hearted.

 

[quan chi]

*upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Conjuring_2.jpg​

The conjuring 2

The conjuring 2 is not a horror movie. It is a movie which has been lifted from a true case file & given some coating & polish to suite the audience's taste. Its there to interest you or intrigue you & entertain you. The good thing is it does it job well. Compared to the first movie this movie is not that good but like I said before it will still interest you. The good things about this movie are
1.Not too many Jump scares which is a good thing.
2.No BS. The film stays at point moves along the line of the plot till climax. Never diverts to unnecessary things.
3.Its slightly more psychological than supernatural.
4.Good acting, good script & good screenplay.
5.Direction is good.
6.No unnecessary gore.

If you liked the first movie you will love this one too.
Rating: Watch it!

 

[rhitwick]

Andhadhunn 7.5/10

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Directed by Sriram Raghavan
Actor: Tabu, Ayushman Khurana, Radhika Apte, Zakir Hussain
Length : 129 minutes

Venom and Andhadhun released together. Being a "superhero" movie fan, I chose Venom and that was wrong. Should have gone for this one.

Story/Screenplay: A murder happens in-front of a blind piano player. He gets entangled in the mess and investigation.
Saying this much should be enough. Can't divulge further without spoiling the twists.
One issue though, few twists and plot points are solely dependent on coincidents. Last movie that I saw and was impressed on such convincing coincidents happening with our protagonist was "Running Scared"

Character development: Few characters got full scope to play with their roles and characters but no all. They grow with time but others just accompany.

Music: Good. Doesn't stick with you when movie finishes but aptly used in movie.

Acting: This must be the hardest role for Ayushman ever. He just marvels it. And, Tabu, take a bow! Why don't they use her anymore?!! The whole movie kinda rests on their strong shoulders. Other side characters are also aptly used and everyone in this movie plays an important part to progress the story further, even the cat!

Direction: A thriller in the tone of a comedy is just so new in bollywood and feels like a fresh breath of air. A hardcore thriller director like him even excels in executing comedy scenes. He deserves all the praise that he's getting.

Editing : Well, this is one and only section which needed an improvement. Should have been wrapped in 120 minutes at least. Seems the director was so in love with his product that didn't want to part with most of the scenes.

Cinematography: Good but nothing that stands out from the story.

Verdict: After a long long time (since Kahaani) I cursed when it showed "Interval". I mean intervals in movies are expected in India, we know it would happen, we know it's coming but at times like this you just wish had it not happened today at least. Andhadhun begs for a continuous flow and that curse for the ineveitable interval is its win on audience. Go for it.

 

[rhitwick]

Gully Boy 8/10
(Wanted to rate 9 but 1 point deducted due to Kalki's track)

*www.india-aware.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1.-Ranveer-Alia-in-Gully-Boy-Image-Courtesy-Instagram.jpg

Directed by Zoya Akhtar
Actor: Ranveer, Alia, Siddhant, Kalki
Length : 153 Mins

Saw the trailer and was hooked from the day. Movie on Indian rap culture. Something very raw and untouched. Zoya pulled off something special here!
Watched on 16th but took time to digest and process this before writing here.

Story/Screenplay: Story of an underdog. And kinda predictable theme. Boy likes rap songs, writes them but lacks confidence to perform them. Gets a good mentor and how raps turns around his life is the movie.
But that is the movie's story, but this movie actually a homage to the underground movement and brings many of us face to face with a new world. This is the USP of this movie. RAP is its heart, soul and brain.

Character development: This is a story of Murad but also a story of Safina, Moeen, Mc Sher and all others. Each of these characters were written with utmost care and are well fleshed out. Murad being the protagonist, his arch evolves and matures, so is Safina's. Rest all equally good.
Worthy mention is Vijay Raj.
Can't say something good for Sky (played by Kalki). Her piece was the weakest.

Music: This was supposed to be a musical (they've 18 songs in album and I realized later that all are used in the movie! But, that did not overwhelm the story rather immensely contributed to it.
While listening to raps used here, I kept on wondering these must not be some pro lyricist from Bollywood but must be newcomers or may be real rappers. Later google confirmed my doubt. All songs were written bu some rapper, (DVINE most of them), The songs are pure fire and creates goosebumps.

Acting: Apart from "Band Baaza Baarat" I never liked Ranveer that much. Always lound and larger than life roles and his approach to portray them. But, this movie is a revelation for him. Such quiet and tones down acting. He's almost a character rather 'the' hero here.
Alia, what more can anyone say about her. She steals every scene she's in. Her scenes were written such a way that none other in the scene had much to do.
Siddhant as MC Sher is just awesome! He's discovery of this movie and going to go for long. Vicky Kaushal has a contender now.
The acting as Moeen did well.
Kalki, is a waste here but she did her job that was given to her.
Vijay Raj is always good and shines in the short role he did.

Direction: Apart from Kalki's track everything is perfect. Just perfect. I'm not convinced if Kali's track was need at all. May be was introduced to show the intensity of Murad and Safina's love story.
Zoya Akhtar did not direct a movie, rather RAP directed Zoya.
A great job there.

Editing : A lot of opinion I saw about the length of the movie. Then I saw people sitting in theater even when credits started rolling. They didn't want to miss a single scene Murad was in. So, wh's complaining?
But, yes, Kali's track a bit short and sharp would have been appreciated.

Cinematography: Good that those usual shots of poor people in Dharavi are skipped. Shows the world without exploiting it. Murad's expressions are captured well.

Verdict: Goosebumps! Everytime a RAP song starts, it just creates goosebumps. So raw, so pure and close to earth. Not possible by professionals. The movie is not on Murad's life rather on a movement, a very underground movement and shows the fire in it. Bohot hard!

P.S. Has repeat watch value!

 

[Anorion]

Captain Marvel: 8.5/10 [Spoiler Free!]

*i.imgur.com/w3fjDwN.jpg

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Actors: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law
Length: 125 minutes

Story/Screenplay: You can just watch this movie as brainless entertainment and go away totally satisfied. The action never lets up. Like essentially you keep jumping from one thing to another, and there is always something on screen to marvel at. Rich and detailed alien cities, hand to hand combat, train+car chase sequence, aerial combat, escape sequence, gun fight, family reunion, AI generated landscapes, epic space battle - this movie has everything that makes movies fun to watch. All of that is interspersed with familiar characters (Ronan, Fury, Korath and others), and the usual punchlines, which at times are literally just kinetic energy punches. You can walk away from this movie exhilarated, because of the sheer spectacle it offers.
But there is more. A lot of themes are juggled. The movie is set in the 90s which just gives you an overdose of nostalgia. You can see familiar objects, vehicles and technologies around. The small irritating things about technologies at that time, including pagers and large desktop computers are explored, which is a treat for people living in this age. There are also shout-outs to fashion at that time (flannel jackets were rebellious at one time). All in all, the movie serves up a healthy dose of nostalgia throughout.
Then there is the feminist angle. One of the biggest criticisms of mainstream movies is that they do not show friendship between two female characters, unless it is a chick flick. There are historically been few scenes where they even talk to each other. Well, this movie gets that part right. It shows a deep friendship between two female characters, and does it in a natural way without pushing an agenda down your throat. If you are not aware of these issues, you will not see anything out of the ordinary, which is why it is so well done. Another great move is that Lynch talks about being sidelined as a female and a single mother, but does not mention she is black, which could easily have been exploited for the feels/SJW points as well. The fact that the film makers chose not to do this shows exactly how progressive they are. There will be a lot written about these aspects, but the feminism was natural and restrained, not over the top. The story always took priority. Then there is a bromance between Larson and Jackson as well. This is something of a buddy comedy. This relationship can get cringe inducing at times (okay only once), but was well done too. In the end, you appreciate the movie for all the relationships that are formed between friends. Including Bening and Larson, and Law and Larson, among others.
Finally there is some really smart political commentary going on. The subtext is an exploration of xenophobia, and this movie is a great platform for that considering that there are actual alien species involved. Imagine the Earth being a third world planet - yeah, one would not think of it that way till it comes up. But we have seen much more advanced civilisations in the MCU, and the Earth is exactly just that, a technologically backward civilisation. Like most of the other themes in the movie, the status quo is constantly questioned, and the mainstream narrative is de-constructed, to show a different version of reality than what most people believe or think it is. Could explain this more in detail, but that is spoiler territory. If you want to figure out this incredibly smart story, watch with an open mind and no assumptions.
We also get to see a cat in zero gravity. Those few seconds are extremely satisfying.

As this is an MCU movie, it is important to note that there are two post credit sequences.

Character development: There are two kinds of character development in this movie. One is that of Captain Marvel herself, where she goes from being just another brave girl in the air force to one of the most powerful beings around. She has to go through a lot on that journey, which is both physically and mentally challenging. While the development follows the beats of the monomyth (adventure, supernatural aid, mentor, abyss, transformation, atonement and return), each section of the journey is interpreted in a fresh way, so most people will not even see that this is the same pattern of character growth as say King Arthur, Luke Skywalker, Neo or Harry Potter. This is also the back story of Nick Fury, where we see him as a younger, more relaxed person. The CGI makes him look like Nick Fury, who looks nothing like a younger Samuel L Jackson, which is both believable and refreshing. Yes, we find out how he loses his eye.

Music: Nostalgic 90s rock soundtrack with a focus on girl power. Will feel familiar and energetic, this has a Guardians vibe.

Acting: Well, this is top notch. Maybe the bonhomie between Jackson and Larson can get a little cheesy, but otherwise, everything is believable. Especially the deep friendship between Lynch and Larson. Jude Law does a great job too. Larson steals the show, going from emotional to badass to emotional badass... its juggling a lot of expressions which she does naturally and effortlessly.

Direction: There is a lot going on here, with a ton of themes to juggle. The action almost never stops, and when it does there are moments of spectacular vistas or scenes that are extremely poignant.

Cinematography: Watch this movie in 3D. There are some space sequences where the camera movement is better than Gravity. It is much faster, and still makes clear sense in your head, not just some random rapid movement where you cannot make out what is happening. The cinematographer is an MCU veteran, and has previously worked on Doctor Strange, GOTG and Age of Ultron, so this department is in good hands. Still, there are some mind blowing shots with smart juggling of angles as well as focus depth and pulling, which is just really innovative. There is one scene where the camera goes from a wide angle, landscape shot of a vehicle to tight telephoto close up of the rider, while catching up to a vehicle, while moving vertically downward which is just brilliant. That's a zoom, a dolly and a pedestal down in a single shot on screen. Difficult to imagine what is happening behind the scenes to achieve that effect.

Verdict: A nostalgia fuelled joyride.