World War Z....... Reviews....

World War Z........ Reviews.......

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz

Direction: Marc Forster

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Story: A zombie pandemic strikes the globe. Former UN investigator Gerry Lane attempts to find the virus' origin. Can he survive the catastrophe, protect his family and save the world from the zombie apocalypse?

Review: Hollywood has always been obsessed with pandemics and zombies. Marc Forster takes the obsession a notch higher as he merges the two to give you an epic-scaled, fast-paced zombie invasion movie that is extremely gripping and thoroughly entertaining. It has everything you could possibly expect from a zombie blockbuster.

On the flipside, the film's not just about the outbreak of the virus but its origin, after-effects, destruction caused, investigation involved to curtail the global crisis and measures taken to prevent further damage. At some point, you do feel Forster's biting off more than he can chew. The climax which was re-shot, though brilliantly executed, falls a tad flat and seems incoherent.

The filmmaker's attempt at blending reality and philosophy with science fiction is not smooth either as the segments look disjointed. The family track in the film seems futile. Also, how can a former UN crime investigator know everything about medicines and scientific research! Nevertheless, flaws in construction and certain loose ends of the plot do not affect the tension-filled, anxiety-inducing impact of this spectacularly shot zombie thriller.

Brad Pitt (as a former UN investigator) is understated, yet convincing in a film that revolves around 'zombies'! The film has fantastic special effects, especially in scenes involving aerial views of zombies flooding the roads, crawling on top of each other to climb walls or attack helicopters and chase down Gerry and his family. The suspenseful opening sequence will send shivers down your spine.

The film moves at breakneck speed throughout, keeping you on the edge of your seat. The 3D barely makes any difference to a horror film but it works here. Cinematography is brilliant.

The film stays conventional in terms of concept. It even deviates from the novel (by Max Brooks) it's adapted from. However, if you are a fan of the genre and extreme destruction and survival get your adrenaline flowing, this one's highly engaging. Be prepared to play hide-and-seek with the terrifying undead creatures for there's no place to run, no place to hide...

Note: You may not like the film if 'zombie-action' fails to thrill you.

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Apple's Brilliant TV Strategy: Speak Softly And Carry A Big Content Stick........

Apple has said little and shown even less regarding its future plans for streaming content to your television, and that's precisely why they've got a competitive advantage in the space. Where Google faltered by putting the tech before the content, Apple knows the tech is worthless without the content.

Cable operators' days of ruling our TV sets are drawing slowly to a close, but the power brokers who hold the distribution rights to your favorite shows are loathe to give up control of how and where programming flows. Where Google and Boxee failed, and upstarts like Fanhattan face a monumental battle, is in getting cable operators and content studios to play ball with them. Conversely, getting the biggest content providers to play ball is precisely how iTunes-era Apple has excelled. Both under Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Apple has shown it knows better than to publicly tout disruptive mainstream media technology without talking to the media studios first.

That's why Cook's keeping his mouth shut in public until the licensing deals with cable operators and content studios are worked out in private.

Learning From Google's Failings

Google TV shipped with nary a cable operator or content studio content deal in sight, relying instead on an NBA.com app and Web browser that supported Flash video. Heck, Netflix didn't even work when the first Logitech Revue GTV box hit store shelves. The Google TV Web browser was technologically capable of display full-screen HD video streamed through television networks' websites, enabling users to view at least some cable content on their big screen TVs without actually subscribing to a cable service. But the networks and content studios quickly took umbrage with Google's approach and blocked the GTV browser from accessing their video content. Initially hyped by Google and its OEM partners, the platform quickly failed.

Meantime, Apple has slowly grown their Apple TV "hobby" into a $1.3-billion business, shipping six million of the $99 devices in the past twelve months alone. Apple surely could have built their television box to grab video from network web sites, but they instead chose the high road, business-wise. The closest thing to network TV Apple TV offers is downloadable content for purchase via the iTunes store. Relegating Apple TV to hobby status has allowed the company to build a user base, refine their technology and wait for the cable companies and studios to come around to the inevitable Internet video revolution without upsetting the status quo.

Which brings us to Glenn Britt.

The Writing Is On The (Video Screen) Wall

Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt made news Tuesday when he told investors to "assume we're talking to everyone who makes devices [that stream online video], whether it's Samsung smart TVs, Apple, Microsoft." Britt's comments are newsworthy because TWC is just about the only cable operator willing to play ball with the makers of these Internet video devices. Cable companies by and large want control of everything, including the boxes that connect to subscribers' televisions and the user interfaces those boxes display along side programming.

The forthcoming Microsoft Xbox One and Fanhattan Fan TV devices both promise to integrate TV content from cable companies with their own user interface and functionality. In other words, they're hacking the cable box to offer a (presumably) better user experience than what the cable companies themselves provide.

Problem is, neither Microsoft nor Fan TV announced any cable partnerships when they trotted out their fancy new gear. Great as both products may be - and they do both look great - they're not going to do much for your TV experience without TV shows. And for the time being, TV shows means cable companies. Maybe Fanhattan and Microsoft are sitting on unannounced agreements with Comcast and Cox, but if they're not, then both companies just set some pretty high user experience expectations they simply cannot meet without inking a few deals.

Which brings us back to Apple.

Speak Softly and Carry Consumer Data

Apple has shown they know consumer technology (iPod, iPhone and iPad), and Apple has shown they know how to disrupt old media (iTunes). And if the rumors prove correct, Apple is about to embark on showing they know how to leverage consumer data to sell targeted advertising (iRadio). Sure, TV studios are acutely aware of how iTunes ate the music biz' lunch when mp3s sent vinyl the way of the dinosaur. But TV studios also know that internet upstarts like Netflix are already leading a similar charge in the realm of video. It stands to reason that they'd rather play ball with a proven winner than go kicking and screaming into the night while Amazon, HBO Go, and Netflix make hay on a new generation of Internet-only cable cutters. Not to mention that unlike Amazon and Netflix, Apple isn't producing their own programming and so poses less of a competitive threat to the studios and cable operators.

The odds that Apple starts manufacturing and selling their own big screen HDTVs are pretty small. Margins on televisions aren't that big anymore, and Apple is built on high margins. Expect instead to see a revamped Apple TV box when Tim Cook & co. unveil their grand vision for television. The next-generation Apple TV might take the place of your current cable box, or it might be sold to you by the cable company themselves. And it might be controllable from your iPhone, with your voice, or simply gesturing through the air with your hands. Nobody outside of Apple knows, if those inside the company are yet sure themselves.

But one thing's certain about Apple's television strategy: We won't see any grand new technologies in public until content deals have been done in private. Apple knows content is king, and that's why they're better poised than anyone to thrive in the new age of online TV.

Kutti Puli......Reviews...

Kutti Puli.....Reviews......

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: M Sasikumar, Lakshmi Menon, Saranya Ponvannan, Rama Prabha, Lal

Direction: M Muthaiah

Genre: Action

Duration: 2 hours 32 minutes

Synopsis: An angry young man manages to put off his mother's attempts to reform him. Until, the new girl in his neighbourhood gets attracted to him... But, can his violent past leave him in peace?

Movie Review: Kutti Puli (Sasikumar) is a do-gooder with a roguish streak and his attitude often lands him in trouble. His mother (Saranya) wants him to mend his ways and get married but Puli thwarts all her plans. Enter Bharathi ( Lakshmi Menon), who falls in love with Puli seeing his ever-helpful nature. Meanwhile, Moorthy, a local gangster is humiliated by Puli and now, he wants revenge.

M Muthaiah's Kutti Puli has everything we have seen in Sasikumar's films so far. A story set somewhere in Madurai. A brash but benevolent hero. A comely heroine. Romance in the bylanes. Montages with yesteryear songs. Preachy punch dialogues. And, most importantly, the aruva (sickle) which has come to define his films. But, unlike in his previous films, these elements don't come together as a whole. Those films used all these Sasikumar-isms but still managed to keep us engaged. Here, they stick out as the director is unable to weave a plot that brings them together in a satisfying manner. So, one moment you have a scene between Kutti Puli and his mom, the next with Bharathi followed by a scene with Moorthy. And, this pattern goes on a loop until the very end.

The film begins with a back story involving Kutti Puli's dad and the plot is actually about how his death influences the mother, her son and their relationship. But the diversions this story takes never lets us to engage with this angle. It should have been quite easy given that the director has two actors who are typecast in roles that should have endeared them instantly to us. You sense a laziness in scripting that is shocking because this is the debut film for Muthaiah.

There are a few moments that do work like the effortless companionship of Saranya and her neighbour Rama Prabha and their trip to the town to give a makeover to Kutti Puli is genuinely funny. The same cannot be said of the comedy track involving Pappu and his gang, who are the educated youth in the place and vie for Bharathi, which goes on and on in the second half. Muthiah also goes overboard with the melodrama and in his use of older songs to evoke a lighter mood and all these unnecessary padding, especially towards the end, make this Kutti Puli as fierce as a stuffed tiger.

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Mere Haule Dost.... Reviews...

Mere Haule Dost...... Reviews.......

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Anirudh Loka, Raghuvardhan Garlapati, Aadil Abedi, Rishit Samala, Kiran Gadalay, Preeti Gupta, Catherine Fallows

Direction: Nitin Raghunath

Genre: Drama

Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes

Story: Five unambitious friends plan on participating in the Himalayan bike rally for over a year. Do they make it happen?

Movie Review: Set in Hyderabad, Mere Haule Dost revolves around the daily lives of five laidback youngsters who are perpetually broke. The film begins with Bheja sharing stories of his past girlfriends with his fiance. That's how we are transported to his college days, where we meet his haule (slow or dim-witted, we suppose) friends. They are called Bong, Dada, Paisa, Mota, etc., who will have to overcome their respective problems to make it to the rally.

The film aspires to be a light-hearted, slice-of-life youth film with guy jokes and buddy chemistry. Unfortunately, none of that is achieved. The characters lack personality. They aren't likeable enough to draw your attention to them or make you identify with them.

The film has no particular story to tell and we are fine with 'nothing-ness' as long as something keeps you amused. For almost two hours, you see uninteresting characters having insignificant conversations. The result is obviously uninspiring.

The script lacks situational humour and that's the biggest drawback. When you crack private jokes with your buddies, it's expected that others won't get it, but they must at least sound funny! Nothing amuses you about the boys who paint fake burgers on the walls and try eating them or beg for pocket money from their ex-girlfriends.

College days, impromptu parties, bike rides, canteen conversations, secret crushes...in spite of incorporating it all in the film, not a single scene touches your heart or takes you down memory lane. The gang's passion for bikes is barely visible. The boys seem more besotted with silly girls who
wear terrible make-up. A rock chick keeps forcing Bheja to listen to rock music. She ends up chewing your brains more than his.

The film is as purposeless as the characters in it. The title track of the film, where you see the friends taking off on their bikes to celebrate their freedom, is probably the only good thing about this amateurish film.

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Now You See Me..... Reviews....

Now You See Me........ Reviews.....

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mélanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman

Direction: Louis Leterrier

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 1 hour 56 minutes

 Story: 'Four Horsemen', a team of elite illusionists pull off heists for real during their spectacular shows. How do they do it? Is it indeed 'magic'? Who's pulling the strings and why? 

Movie Review: The convoluted case is assigned to FBI agent Dylan Rhodes ( Mark Ruffalo) and French Interpol officer Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent). Post the robberies, the gang leaves no trace. They don't steal for themselves. Their misleading actions and ambiguous motives drive Rhodes to the edge. Adding to the chaos is former magician Thaddeus Bradley ( Morgan Freeman) who thinks he knows it all. 

The film has a novel and promising premise. The gang's cat and mouse game with the FBI, their display of magic tricks, fluid stunt scenes and Mark Ruffalo's banter with co-cop Melanie Laurent keep you engaged. The film works as a crime-thriller. 

However, it's unconvincing when it comes to dissecting the magic. As the film progresses, the antics of the law-defying 'famous four' start defying logic as well. The scattered plot runs out of steam eventually. The film goes into a different tangent altogether in order to be unpredictable, leaving you more perplexed than pleased. 

Scene after scene, in order to not let you dig into the script too closely, the filmmaker adds too many plot twists, but that does not camouflage the loose ends. 

The presence of a talented cast barely holds here as the characters are thinly sketched. Jesse Eisenberg yet again plays a fast-talking-shrewd guy with negative undertones like he did in The Social Network. And what is Michael Caine doing here? 

The film has its moments, especially in the scene when the magicians teleport an audience member to France from Vegas in a few minutes. However, don't go thinking you'll have fun 'solving' the enigmatic case, as the events that follow might just be way too implausible and convenient for your liking. 

The magicians in the film constantly warn the FBI officer to 'not look too closely'. The filmmaker sends out a similar message to the audience - don't dig into every aspect of the 'tricks' and you will be entertained.

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Isakki..... Reviews.......

Isakki ...... Reviews.....

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Sharran Kumar, Aashrita, Yogiram

Direction: M Ganesan

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 16 minutes

Synopsis: Isakki (Sharran Kumar) goes to Madurai with his employer. Here, he meets Nandini (Aashrita) and falls for her. But when her over-protective father comes to know of it, he makes Isakki's life difficult.

Review: In yet another movie set in Madurai, Isakki is a story of love, family, and betrayal. The movie is a regular Madurai formula flick that has a good dose of violence and several frowning faces.

The movie's narrative is the familiar boy-meets-girl drama that has nothing new to offer to the audience. Although the movie flows along neatly, the poor screenplay gives the audience little to look forward to. Director M Ganesan, who has also wielded the pen in this effort, introduces some twists to the plot with a not-so-convincing back story about Isakki. It is here Sharran gets an opportunity to work on a second look in the movie. Yogiram does well as Mari, a womaniser who has set his eyes on Nandini. Aashrita makes a decent debut as a strong and independent woman who stands up to her father.

With little to entertain the audience, the movie turns out to be a timid effort.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 sales beat Apple iPhone 5 in US: Report...

Samsung Galaxy S4 sales beat Apple iPhone 5 in US: Report....

NEW DELHI: Samsung Galaxy S4 seems to be giving tough competition to Apple iPhone 5 on its home turf. Data collected by Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley shows that the South Korean manufacturer's new flagship smartphone was the top-selling phone on three out of four US telecom operators. 

Samsung Galaxy S4 was launched in the US market from April 26. In May 2013, it was the highest selling smartphone on Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, while iPhone 5 was the biggest hit for AT&T. In April, on the other hand, iPhone 5 was the top seller on all four networks, while Galaxy S4 took the second spot on AT&T and Sprint. 



The highly acclaimed HTC One was the third highest seller in the US in May for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, while Nokia Lumia 928 took that spot on Verizon. 

Samsung became the top vendor of smartphones in the US in May 2013, followed by Apple, HTC and Nokia, as per the research report. 
Walkley's research is based on store surveys and does not include unit sales. 

In his research note, Walkley says, "We believe dominant sales of the S4 versus other Androidsmartphones was driven by Samsung's extremely strong Galaxy consumer brand and well-executed marketing campaign, as our surveys indicated store representatives often recommended the HTC One ahead of the Galaxy S4."