Month: Jan 2020

RED CLIFF 1&2 (2008-09)

i am a fan of history, more specifically the wars in history in how they shape the course of history. that’s why i have a affinity for war movies. i have been indulging myself with a lot of Chinese media for some while in particular 3 kingdoms from Manga-Manhua, T.V. series to movies (but not the novel itself ……yet).

this period was so interesting for me that i was very exited for this movie, and the 1st reaction after watching it were mixed. Now all the kudos to the team that made the movie for its defiantly a good movie but as someone who knows bits and pieces of the story more than average it didn’t satisfy me, but its a movie i would recommend to others to watch to know a bit of unknown history. its a movie i think works best for people who are unaware of the general premise or have a shallow understanding of it, as they will get to see the way they wars were conducted in past and how certain actions and idea sparked and changed histories. how arrogance can be your undoing and how even mighty fall.

the movie mostly about the battle of red cliff that happens during the 3 kingdoms period of Chinese history (220–280 AD). its the fight between the mighty Wei army led by Cao Cao and the allied kingdoms of Shu and Wu forces. where its a battle of survival for the later. choosing the red cliffs as their site of battle to get the field advantages. forcing the Wei army into a naval battle which they were not accustomed to. Cao Cao is the self proclaimed prime minister of the Han empire which he is basically in control by placing a puppet emperor in place and wanting to conquer the entire china declares war on the remaining two kingdoms. A alliance out of necessity is form by the 2 kingdoms Shu and Wu. having their greatest minds and generals on the task which was nearly impossible.

the battle is famous for its strategies that the sides enforced to gain the upper hand, negating the opponents ploy with their own and how one genius, Zhuge Liang changed the game. now i dont want to say to much about how war pans out as i feel some moments are best experience with no knowledge so for any reader who hasn’t watched it give it a go.

how will i rate the movie, about 6-7 for both parts combined as thats how i watched it.

61 movies down………….439 to go.

see you soon

再见 (Zàijiàn) (See you again in chinese)

Mikhael (2019)

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a while back i sat down with my dinner to watch a movie, it had the cast that showed promise, it had the genre i like, but it lacked the execution i wanted.

but oh boy oh boy…………the movie is so bland its so hard to put it in words, but i will try to do some justice to it (i guess).

movie starts with some promise with its intense scene and atmosphere you think you are in a treat for a thriller action movie with a revenge plot as its basis. As we are shown the antagonist gang members controlling the city being killed by an unknown assailant. I swallowed my first bite by this point. after about 30 mins the title is shown, to me the last good mins of the movie for as the title sequence which was a animated sequence started i had premonition movie is gonna suck.

from here on we are introduced to the main protagonist who was revealed to be the mystery assailant Dr. Mikhael John (Nivin Pauly) a kind hearted man, a karate expert and unlucky romantic. then the back story of how he caused his dads death when he was a child by underage driving is shown this is the first bad scene in my eyes though its not a bad plot it goes nowhere and is shot so oddly that i honestly was laughing how it played out.

bad scene 2 – the catalyst to the whole story, is the suicide of a don’s (Siddique) son because of being humiliated by Mikhael’s sister (Navani Devanand). and the don wanting to act out revenge. again just like earlier scene this also feels so fake and inorganic. i had finished one roti and was wondering why i sat down for this.

i dont think i should go on continuing listing all bad scene for me that list would be too long for this movie is one bad scene after another. one thing i noticed after counting so many of odd scene is that the actors sometimes themselves realised how crappy this movie they are in is as the lifelessness seen in their eyes when the act the scene was becoming more and more evident.

there is this one scene i just have to mention it was so odd to me in its placement and way enacted that i had to pause my dinner and the movie and think for a few minutes why it was so, Marco Jr. (Unni Mukundan) the final bad guy of the movie even though he literally serves no function expect the final action fight, Is in serach of Mikhael and tracks down his house then goes in and takes a bath while waiting for him to arrive, and leaves after the bath as mikhael doesnt arrive. this is when i shut down my brain and concentrated on the food.

i finished my dinner, thanked the gods for the meal and cursed the existence of this movie and went to sleep.

now i am not saying this movie is a shipwreck, who am i kidding its a shipwreck on a train wreck during a traffic jam. did it make sense ,NO just like this movie. please don’t watch it

60 movies down……………….440 to go

see you soon

Pinne kaanam (malayali goodbye)

Game Night (2018)

the story about a couple Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) who both are competitive by nature regards to everything especially games of any sorts, it is especially how their relationship began, so they and there group of friends (Sharon Horgan,Billy Magnussen,Lamorne Morris,Kylie Bunbury) have game nights every once in a while and everything was good until Max’s brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) comes to town, Max has always been afraid of his brother and wasn’t comfortable in his presence for he always wins whenever they competed in any games, having a complex because of his brothers insane skill in games.

thus one such game night Brooks asks Max and friends to indulge in a new game, one in which he is kidnapped and they need to solve the riddle to save him thus in-turn winning a prize. this is when a shocking turn of events happen instead of fake kidnappers as per the game real one show up as Brooks was involved in some shady stuff. thinking the game has started the gang splits up to win the prize slowly discovering they had gotten themselves in more trouble than they thought.

the movie does have some fun scenes but also a lot of not so much scenes, placing it on the list for the movie you watch when there isn’t much else to see. it is the comedy movie that a free Friday and tub of popcorn is perfect for.

59 movie down…………441 to go.

see you soon

goodbye