My take on the Summer Blockbusters

Terminator Salvation

Director: McG

Theatre visits: 2

What’s it about: A continuation of the Terminator story, set in a war-torn 2018, with a grown up John Connor and the Resistance fighting Skynet’s robot army. Contrary to expectations, Connor isn’t the decision maker of the Resistance fighters, but one of the lead soldiers. The appearance of Marcus Wright, a drifter who goes on to do his part in the war for humanity’s survival, forms the core of this post apocalyptic action fest. The android-human relationship comes into play and the question of making choices is a major theme followed.

Whistles: Sam Worthington’s Marcus Wright, the post apocalyptic world, the gritty realism in the frames, excellent sound design, cinematography, exceptional production designing, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cameo (though it was CGI), the terminator machines (especially Mototerminator), Christian Bale’s aggression as John Connor, the twists and turns (a bit predictable but delivers).

Boos: Christian Bale’s performance looked similar to his role as Batman in TDK, the death of Sam Worthington’s character, human element subdued a tad.

Verdict: Excellent effort from McG. Makes it hard to believe that this was directed by the same guy who directed Charlie’s Angels and its sequel. Regardless of its failure at the box office, I think this is a better movie overall when compared to the other robot actioner, Transformers 2.

Sequel Suggestions: Reduce the budget to $150 million, take some consultation from James Cameron, bring back Sam Worthington and send Christian Bale to an anger management class. The dissemination of the audio file of his verbal assault was one of the reasons why the movie’s popularity nosedived.

Moto-Terminator beefier than Arnold's Harley

If Christian Bale and Sam Worthington are actors who you don't even care about, you have got one more bait to fall for Terminator Salvation. The Moto-Terminator will set the screen on fire with its physics defying stunts and will probably make you fall off the seat at the movies.

Set in 2018, Terminator Salvation follows the battle between Skynet and the resistance led by John Connor. So where does Moto-Terminators fit in? These baddies are best described as Terminators on wheels. Hunting machines built to run down resistance fighters, they are armed to the teeth with guns and rocket launchers. Not your usual list of accessories come retrofitted.

Now for the juicy part. The bike was inspired by a real world machine. The Ducati Hypermotard, a niche bike which has taken the biking world by storm was used as a reference for the visual effects. All the stunt riding featured in the movie involved this torquey little monster. In post-production the bikes were replaced by 3D rendering of the Moto-Terminator.

Alright, it's not a real bike. It's a CGI effect onscreen. But it is one hell of a machine which unfortunately can't be ridden. Even T-800 will stay away from this monster bike.

Terminator burns more

With the deepest regrets and heartfelt condolences I’d like to let the world know that the fourth installment of Terminator series will turn out to be the second biggest disaster of 2009, post Watchmen. The US box office collections till date have not been so much encouraging. It has been 18 days since Christian Bale’s resistance started its battle at the box office. The results are nothing to write home about - a near-numb $105 million in the US and a paltry $25 million in other markets. The comparison with the third movie brings up more disappointments. Turns out that T3 had a better run compared to Terminator Salvation. Matters are getting worse as T4 is witnessing sheer drops in collection with each passing day.The low figure in foreign markets is due to the distributor’s move to postpone the international release to June. T4 releases in many foreign markets in June and July. This in turn will turn out to be the blunder of the year. Even a toddler is wise enough to avoid a release schedule which overlaps with that of Transformers 2. By the time T4 makes it to international markets, the theatres will be fighting for time to fit in more shows of Michael Bay’s robot wars epic. So T4 may not stand a fighting chance. Worst case scenario, it’ll crash at $300 million or if the chances are better it may settle for $400 million. Either way, it’ll not be the hit we all expected it to be.

Mayhem in May - T4 disappoints, Museum receives more vistors

Am I disappointed today? Of course I am. What was hailed and screamed from the rooftops as one of the biggies of the year, surrendering to a "does-anyone-really-care" fantasy comedy - just what I needed. :(

If the opening weekend estimates are anything to go by, Terminator Salvation received something more than a kick on the butt. A dismal $43 million is all that it had on its first weekend. Lower than expectations, lower than its unimpressive predecessor and lower than its current opponent, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Museum had a fine start at $53 million. Not so bad a performance, during these times. But the shock which T4 has given me and the number-crunchers still persists. If Fast and Furious (non-brainer) and Wolverine (some-brainer) could get a sumptuous opening then why didn't T4 manage a similar feat?

Mayhem in May - Terminators to battle the Museum boys

Another face-off of the unlikely kinds is brewing in the box office. Two different contenders in the ring.

On the left, we have the resurrected Terminator movie, Terminator Salvation. Powered by Christian Bale, this one is be counted on as the big hit which will boost up the collection counters from the former booster rockets (read Fast and Furious, Wolverine, Monsters v/s Aliens). A brand new cast with the right use of CGI and real action, T4 is just what the doctor recommended to the franchise. Hopefully we are about to witness Terminator “Resurrection”.

On the right, we have the ever dependable funny little man Ben Stiller with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, the sequel to his previous hit, Night at the Museum. The theatre count of the fantastical action comedy is on the higher side compared to Terminator Salvation’s 3480. The museum parade will be on display in 4096 centres. The return of the good old cast isn’t that bad. Ben stiller teams up with fellow smileys Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Steve Coogan and Bill Hader. Amy Adams forms the romantic angle here.

T4 definitely has the edge as Bale is flying high, post TDK and Stiller is on a bit of a low after the mediocre run of Tropic Thunder. Give it a week’s time and the image of the winner will be more clear. Till then T4 holds the cards.

Top 5 Superhero movies

Superhero movies are silly, childish and over the top – a line of thinking that almost every film critic chose to adopt a couple of years back. A handful of movies of this genre changed that prejudice and now the critics and the audience have a new found respect and consideration for comic book adaptations. Among these are a few path-breaking movies which re-defined not only the genre but also film making in the broader sense. What follows is my pick of the lot. The extraordinary top 5.

5. Iron Man
When the news of the confirmed cast and crew for the Iron man movie reached entertainment media, the initial reaction was “WHAT?”. A director who hasn’t had a single blockbuster to his tally, a lead actor with a track record similar to that of the director and a budget of $185 million to be shelled out on these blokes. But Marvel studios’ gamble with this team raked in box-office collections of $580 million and critical acclaim. Robert Downey Jr. blasted off to superstardom overnight and director John Favreau was suddenly in Hollywood’s most sort after directors list. The treatment of the characters and the mood of the film which is one of humour and fun in right doses were praised. Effortlessly entertaining and Downey played the character with élan. The visual effects were nothing short of a spectacle and got nominated for the Academy Awards. Long time after the first Superman movie we will again believe that a man can fly. This time he’s not from another planet.

4. X2-X Men United
No one else could have directed X-men movies as well as Bryan Singer did. Nothing short of a brilliant work can be expected from the director who gave movie lovers “The Usual Suspects”. X2 took up from where X-Men left off and built on the characters and in the mean time saw the introduction of new characters. Singer’s ability in attributing meaning and significance to the characters and the storyline is worth a mention. This was not just a superhero movie. It was an alternate way of putting across the issues faced by who the society consists as outcasts. Delicate topics like minorities, teenage concerns, alternate ways of thinking, religion found a place in the movie. These elements were so well added and concealed that the movie will be entertaining and thought provoking to the various audiences. A fabulous cast consisting of Ian Mckellan, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Famke Janssen and Brian Cox and the action sequences were spot on. Too bad that Singer couldn’t hold the reins in X3.

3. Superman
When Superman release in 1978, everyone knew that it will stand the test of time as one of the most remarkable movies ever made. The punch line “You’ll believe a man can fly” said it all and that was probably the last time that movie goers flocked the theatres under the trance of a movie’s punch line. Though the flying scenes look dated now, they still evoke in the viewer a sense of respect and awe for the team which made it all possible. A movie which was way ahead of its time, Superman made a mark in the hearts of everyone as a hero who stood for truth, justice and freedom. Christopher Reeves brought the ladies to their knees and the special effects drew back the kids and men to the theatres. No matter how many more movies on this character are made, it’ll take more than today’s advanced CGI to beat this movie off its throne. Superman is “Up, up and away!”

2. Spiderman 2
Spiderman stayed in comic books and animated series for a pretty long time. The popularity and admiration of millions of readers was just not good enough for facilitating Spidey’s transition from animation to live action. A stunt man in spiderman costume can be hurled around skyscrapers with safety cables, but how will he carry out more serious and dangerous maneuvers? The simple task of clinging to the wall and climbing buildings seemed a bit tough for the hero too. So Spidey had to wait for some more years for the technology to take shape to help him with his trouble. Finally the tech took shape and director Sam Raimi took up the uphill task of introducing Spidey to the reel world. The first movie was a smash hit. The sequel deserves the number 2 position in this list as it convincingly portrayed the life of a hero who can’t manage his personal, professional and alter-ego lives. He wants everything to be alright but ends up messing up everything. A hero with problems similar to yours and mine. Tough decisions, regrets, deteriorating love life, sinking career and fear of losing his dear ones – viewers could associate with these matters. They found themselves in Peter Parker. Though not entirely. None of can sling on webs and none of us have to fight a man aided by huge mechanical arms.

1. The Dark Knight
Yes, this sounds predictable, clichéd or call it whatever you want. Every single list out there has this movie at the top. No changes here either. Never before have we seen a movie like this and it even gave the Academy Award jury more than a heart attack with its huge potential of making it to the nominations for best picture and best director. Unlike most of the voices out there, who confer all the praises on the late Heath Ledger(boy…what a performance!), I’d say it was the effort of the entire team which made The Dark Knight what it is –a bloody brilliant movie. Director Christopher Nolan deserves the major share of the accolades. It’s this man’s vision which saved and brought glory to a character and franchise which had eaten dust at the hands of the fanatical director Joel Schumacher. TDK was more about the Joker than about Batman. Heath Ledger as Joker flew high on his talent and Christian Bale as the caped crusader took a more restrained role giving Ledger the space for his power-packed act. The supporting cast or should I call it the ensemble cast, was a delight to watch. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal provided supporting acts which would give any lead actor a complex. Technically flawless, with amazing cinematography, jaw-dropping action sequences and a classic of a background score TDK is truly one of the best movies ever made.

Noteworthy mentions Watchmen, Hellboy, Batman Begins, X-men, Unbreakable, Superman 2

Terminator attains Salvation

Come May 21 and all the fans of Terminator will have reason to shout, “It’s back”. The fourth movie in the series of sci-fi films which captured the imagination of thousands of viewers around the globe, Terminator :Salvation is a sequel which follows the life of unwilling hero John Connor and his battle against the computer network, Skynet..

Till the previous movie - Terminator 3 : Rise of the machines – the story and the action revolved around the T800 killing machine and reduced John Connor’s character to one of a supporting level. With Salvation, the character is being given the much needed development and significance. To add to that, the director has done away with the super slick, over stylized treatment and has opted for realism instead. With the reboots of Batman and James Bond doing extremely well at the box-office and in critics’ columns, realism seems to be the best way to rejuvenate any dying franchise.

The team behind the movie is impressive and full of surprises. In charge of directorial tasks is McG - the very same director behind no-brainer slick-flicks like Charlie’s angels and its sequel. Surprisingly the early previews and trailers suggest that he has gotten over the admiration for over saturated screens and flamboyant sets. With a post-apocalyptic and worn out environment filling up the screen, Terminator : Salvation will not be digested by McG worshippers (if such a clan exists). But realism exponents will be speaking a lot about the movie for sure. The robots and the war tarnished future looks compelling and real. That speaks volumes about the exceptional production design team behind the scenes. If the trailers promise so much, imagine how convincing and spectacular the movie will be.

The USP is of course the actor in the lead role. Christian Bale did a fabulous job in breathing new life into Bruce Wayne/Batman. John Connor is expected to be added to his resume as one of the best character he has ever played in commercial films. Bale’s dedication and attention to detail has been the talk of the town since the days of American Psycho. Expect another gripping performance from him. The rest of the cast looks promising. A couple of new names and not-so-famous names. But weren’t all great actors a beginner once? So let’s give these guys their chances. McG points out character development as the major asset of the film claiming to have given it more relevance than special effects. That’s a huge relief.

Now for the big question. Will we miss Arnold? Of course we will. Who can forget that line - ”I’ll be back” - which went on to become one of the most famous movie dialogues of all time? Now one could have pulled it off better than Arnold. But the realization that this movie is more about John Connor than the T-800 robot will clear that issue.