World War Z Review

Before moving ahead with the review of World War Z, I would like to ask the zombie genre fans, who have loved the gore in George A. Romero's films, got thrilled in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later and stunned by the human drama in The Walking Dead, to forget whatever they have seen so far. Unless you do so, you won't be able to enjoy and appreciate the latest Brad Pitt apocalypse thriller.

Hollywood Box Office Update: Monsters University and World War Z Open Very Well

Hollywood had a sunny day at the box office as both the new releases exceeded expectations and opened very well. Monsters University kept the Disney Pixar record intact at the box office as it opened at no.1 position with the weekend estimate of $82 million. This was the second best debut for a Pixar film after Toy Story 3's $110 million haul in 2010. The sequel to the Monsters Inc. (2001) carries good reports and will very easily crack $200 million.

Bollywood Box Office Update: Raanjhanaa Fair Opening, Fukrey Emerges Surprise Success

This week saw release of three Bollywood films and one Hollywood flick. None of them, though, could set the box office on fire. South Star Dhanush's debut film Raanjhanaa had an average opening but the movie picked up in the evening. Though the reports are fair, the film needs to do well on the weekend considering its budget and marketing costs. Neil Nitin Mukesh registered another failure as his new film Shortcut Romeo had disastrous beginning at the box office. It will be a huge flop. Enemmy had neither buzz, nor star power and so the film was a non-starter from the beginning. Lastly, Brad Pitt starrer World War Z had an average beginning at the box office. The genre of the film is niche (zombies) and so the film hasn't been given wide release like Iron man 3, Fast and Furious 6 and Man of Steel.

World War Z Preview

This week sees the release of Brad Pit starrer World War Z, a post apocalyptic thriller. The film is one of the most anticipated summer movies. It has been directed by Marc Forster of Quantum of Solace fame. The plot of the film follows the typical zombie genre style. The world has fallen victim to zombie pandemic and UN employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) has to find a way to stop it before the clock runs out of time and the humanity perishes.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug First Trailer Released

The first promo of the The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second part in the The Hobbit trilogy was released few days back. The first movie, The Unexpected Journey, was a grand success at the box office and the second part is expected to emulate it. In the sequel, Bilbo Baggins, along with Gandalf and the company of dwarves, continue with his journey towards the lonely mountain where the dragon Smaug is with their gold.

Top Hits Bollywood in First Half of 2013

This hasn't been a great year for Bollywood so far as only handful films have been able to make a mark on the box office while a no. of big and medium budget films have bitten the dust. Nevertheless, there is a silver lining in a way that good films saw fair box office collections and mostly it was sub par stuff that was rejected. Let's have a look at the top Bollywood hits this year.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Sneak Peek

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, sequel to the 2011 superhero film, is one of the most awaited films of 2014. The movie, which is being produced by Marvel Studios, sees Chris Evans returning in the lead role. He has been paired with Scarlett Johansson who will be reprising her role of Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow. The sequel also stars Samuel L Jackson, Robert Redford and Cobie Smulders.

Indian Box Office Update: Low Weekend for Fukrey, Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani Goes Past 160 Crore Mark

Fukrey didn't show much growth on Saturday and Sunday as the weekend figures came out to be around 9.5 crore. The film did decent business in North but elsewhere collections were not good and so the overall weekend business was on the lower side. The figures aren't bad but the film was marketed well and so expectations were higher than this. The weekdays will be the key now because a standard fall from Friday to Monday would mean that the film will end the week one with below par figures of 12-13 crore.

Hollywood Box Office: Man of Steel Has a Record Opening

The new Superman film Man of Steel had an impressive start at the US box office. The Zack Snyder directed $225 million budgeted superhero film with Henry Cavill in the title role grossed around $125 million in the weekend. It was a new record for the month of June as the movie went past Toy Story 3's debut of $110.3 million. In the second place was another new film This is the End. The R-rated comedy had a good opening as well as it notched up $32.8 million by Sunday.

Bollywood: 5 Biggest Flops in 2013

This hasn't been a good year for Bollywood so far after a record-breaking 2012. A lot of blame lies with the sub-par products that producers & directors have dished out this year. We will be having an analysis of first half of 2013 at the end of the month. Before that let's have a look at some of the films that were expected to put up big numbers at the box office. However their failure led to huge losses to the distributors.

                                                  1. Himmatwala

 There was a time when Sajid Khan could do no wrong. Critical failure had not reflected in any of his previous three films. In fact, each subsequent film was a bigger hit than the previous one. Himmatwala, the remake of 1980s potboiler, looked like another winner. The promo suggested that it had all the necessary ingredients needed for a full blown masala movie.100 crore were right there on the cards and the only right question then seemed 'in how many days'. Himmatwala opened well and then very quickly lost the steam. The movie, which was expected to rake in more than 50 crore in first three days, couldn't hit the half-century in its entire run.

                                                       2.  Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

Vishal Bharadwaj's films are critics' darling most of the time, but apart from Kaminey (2009), none of his films have been very successful at the box office. In spite of that Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola looked like a potential hit. The intriguing promo as well as hit music had generated enough curiosity for the film to open well. However it turned out to be the first critical failure for Bharadwaj in many years. The viewers too couldn't understand it and the film turned out to be the first big budget debacle of the year.

                                                                  3. Ek Thi Daayan 

Horror films like Raaz 3 and 1920 Returns had done well last year & it had proved that horror cinema had the audience. Ek Thi Daayan had a lot going for it. The lead star Emraan Hashmi has a good track record in this genre. The movie was marketed very well too. In spite of that the movie had an average beginning and couldn't consolidate. Clearly the producer and director failed to create the right product for the fans of the horror films.

                                                                    4. Aurangzeb

The promo of the film was good, even if not great, and the star cast had some well recognized names like Arjun Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Prithviraj. Aurangzeb was produced by Yash Raj Films whose Ishaqzaade starring the same lead hero in his debut role was a good summer success. It didn't happen this time though as the crime thriller failed to arouse enough curiosity that could reflect in the film's collections. It turned out to be one of the major disappointments of the summer.

                                                        5. Yamla Pagla Deewana 2

The sequels have been doing well in Bollywood and the original was well received by the viewers in 2011. This time they had a very favourable release spot as well as the movie opened in the fist week of June. However Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 was hit by the poor word of mouth from the very beginning. As a result the film failed to surpass the first week collections of the original in week one; and it was expected to outgross that in first three days itself. 

300: Rise of an Empire First Trailer Released

The first trailer of 300: Rise of an Empire was released last week. The new film is the sequel to the 2007 mega hit 300 starring Gerard Butler. The sequel sees the entry of new actors like Sullivan Stapleton and Eva Green. Few characters from the original also return for the sequel.Lena Headey reprises the role of Queen Gorgo while Rodrigo Santoro will be playing Xerxes, the God king of Persia again. Zack Snyder serves as producer in the film which has been directed by Noam Murro.

Indian Box Office Update : Fukrey Below the Mark, Man of Steel Opens Well. YPD 2 Flops

Fukrey got off to weak start at the box office as the collections on day one came out to be in the range of 2.5-3 crore only. On the other hand Man of Steel had a good opening at most of the multiplexes. It was the third instance this summer when a Hollywood film opened better than a Bollywood movie.Earlier Iron Man 3 and Fast and Furious 6 had outgrossed the Hindi films released with them. Man of Steel won't be as huge as these two films, but it will be another good success for Hollywood which has seen its share at the Indian box office rising steadily since last few years. Fukrey will have to rely on the word of mouth to show good growth and come out with a healthy weekend numbers. However mixed reports can hinder the growth. Furthermore, it is primarily a multiplex film and will have a direct competition with Man of Steel as well as Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani. That further weakens its chances at the box office.

Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani Third Highest Grossing Bollywood Film of All Time Now

The juggernaut called Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani refuses to slow down as the Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone starrer went past 150 crore mark in terms of box office receipts in less than two weeks. The film zoomed past collections of three Salman Khan movies viz. Dabangg, Dabangg 2 and Bodyguard to emerge as the third highest grossing Bollywood film of all time. Now it lags behind 3 Idiots (200 crore +) and Ek Tha Tiger (185 crore+) only. At the current pace, and looking at the below the mark performance of Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, it can be safely assumed that Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani  will go past Salman Khan film and settle somewhere around 190 crore. Of course it can gross more and challenge 3 Idiots record. But that will depend upon the movie's showing in its third weekend. Since the only major challenge to it this week is a Hollywood flick Man of Steel, YJHD has got a chance to usurp 3 Idiots as the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time.

Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani has broken numerous records since opening on 31st May and has been a major success worldwide with USA and UK markets seeing new high collections for a Ranbir Kapoor film. By the end of its run, YJHD would be one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of all time worldwide. 

Movie Review : Man of Steel

When the first trailer of Man of Steel was released, the first thing I noticed was the names of two persons - Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan. That very moment I knew that the tone of the film will be dark & somber, but it will be visually dazzling. The subsequent promos suggested the same. However, trailers can be deceptive, as we had seen in the case of The Amazing Spiderman. The ultimate judgement should be based on the finished product only. Man of Steel was released in India today and I was able to watch its noon show in 3D. Here is my review of the latest attempt at rebooting Superman franchise.

Chennai Express First Promo Review

The first trailer of Chennai Express, the first movie of Rohit Shetty without his friend and star Ajay Devgn, was released today. The film, instead, stars Shahrukh Khan with Deepika Padukone. SRK is in dire need of a blockbuster today and Chennai Express might do the job for him. The trailer is not outright great, but it does hints that all the necessary ingredients like comedy, romance, emotions and action are in place in the film with typical Rohit Shetty flair. 

The trailer begins with a breathtaking shot of a train stuck on a bridge across a river in South. Shahrukh is a 40 year old man who witnesses a murder by the henchmen of Deepika Padukone's father and is taken to a village in Chennai where he rules. What follows is interspersed comic scenes where bickering between the two lead characters is shown. Thereafter the trailer shows few dramatic emotional scenes which is somewhat surprising since Shetty's comedy films generally don't have many dramatic moments. The actions scenes, as usual, involve flying and crashing cars. The trailer ends with the crashing of an SUV and then a line appears, saying all that we needed to know - Rohit Shetty Shtyle. 

The trailer is showcases all the important ingredients needed for a masala flick. Shahrukh looks good and Deepika is fine too. The timing of the release is Eid, an occasion which has rewarded Salman Khan with many major hits in last few years. SRK must be praying for a similar kind of success. 

Upcoming Animation Films in the Second Half of the Year 2013

Computer animation films have a huge market and every year 2 to 3 films find their way in the list of top 15 grossers in USA. This year has seen only one significant animation success so far in the form of The Croods. However, things are bound to improve as few big animation films are lined up for release and they belong to the top studios like Disney Pixar, Universal and 20th Century Fox. Let’s have a look at them.

                                                                  1. Monsters University 

The prequel to 2001 blockbuster Monsters Inc. is being eagerly awaited by the fans of the original. The plot of the film focuses on the college life of Mike and Sulley when they enroll for a course in scaring. The film comes from the animation powerhouse Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Studios.
Release Date - 21st June
                                                       

                                                                2. Despicable Me 2 

Despicable Me was a surprise success for Universal in 2010 when it outgrossed Dreamworks films like Shrek Forever After and How to Train Your Dragon. The sequel sees the return of Gru, his three adopted daughters and his gang of adorable minions. This time Gru, who has left his criminal life behind, is recruited by Anti-villain League to help them catch a new supervillain Edurado.
Release Date - 3rd July
                                                                   

                                                                          3. Turbo 

It is an original film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The protagonist of the film is a snail who dreams of becoming the fastest snail in the world. The promos of the film have been very well received and the film is expected to do very well at the box office.
Release Date - 17th July

                                                                           4. Planes 

This new film by Walt Disney Pictures and Disney Toon Studios looks like a spinoff of the Cars franchise. The story concerns Dusty Crophopper, a small town plane, who has to fight his inner demons to win air racing competition against villain Ripslinger. The film is not as hot as the above mentioned names, but is definitely a movie worth trying out.
Release Date - 9th August

                                                   5. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2  

Sony Pictures Animation had released the original in 2009 and it had turned out to be the highest grossing film for the studio. The machine invented by Flint has becomes active again in the sequel and this time it begins producing living food beasts that pose a threat to the world.

Release Date - 27th September 

Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Again First Promo Disappoints

The first promo of Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Again, the sequel to 2010 hit Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, was released last week. Milan Lutharia returns as the director, but the principal cast has been changed. The character of Ajay Devgn was killed by that Emraan Hashmi in the original. However, in the new film the role of Shoaib Khan is being played by Akshay Kumar. Other cast members include Imran Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Sonali Bendre. Given below is the small review of the first promo of the sequel.

The promo begins with a cricket match somewhere outside India where everyone at the stadium is waiting for Shoaib Khan so that the play could begin. This scene gives the glimpse of the clout of Akshay’s character. Sonakshi Sinha is introduced thereafter who is seen drawing the attention of Akshay in a party and he falls for her. Imran Khan’s character is the lover of Sonakshi’s Yasmin and very quickly it is established that the plot of the film is all about the tussle between two guys for a woman. What follows is a sequence of interspersed action and dramatic scenes of the film.

I could never understand the logic behind the making of the sequel to Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai ever since it was announced. The original had ended at the right note and there was little scope for extension in the story considering it was inspired from real life characters. The producers still went ahead with the sequel and if promo is any indication, the film won’t be able to do much at the box office. Almost 3 and half minutes long promo hardly thrills or raises curiosity. The introduction of the characters is reminiscent of the original and there is a sense of Déjà-vu. The promo lacks proper editing and direction & scenes come off as pretty random. The dialogues lack the punch and even the action cuts have hardly any exciting about them. It is really surprising since the promo of The Dirty Picture, a film by the same producer and director, was one of the best of the year. Here they fail to show any substance, and more importantly, give a reason to the audience to prefer Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Again over Chennai Express.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 Sneak Peek

The shooting of the sequel to the 2012 blockbuster The Amazing Spiderman is going on in various locations in New York. The principal cast of the film has been announced and Andrew Garfield will be returning as Peter Parker aka Spiderman. Emma Stone will reprise the character of Gwen Stacy and Sally Field will be playing the role of Aunt May. Several new cast members have been added to the sequel, the most significant being Oscar winner Jamie Foxx who will be essaying the role of Electro, one of the arch enemies of Spiderman. Paul Giamatti has been cast as The Rhino, another powerful baddie in Spiderman comic series. Chris Cooper will be filling the shoes of William Dafoe and play Norman Osborn aka The Green Goblin. Dane Dehaan has been cast as Harry Osborn. Shailene Woodley, who gained fame from The Descendents, is set to play the role of Mary Jane Watson. In the Sam Raimi directed trilogy this role was played onscreen by Kirsten Dunst. Marc Webb is also returning as the director.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 will be released in USA on 2nd of May, 2014 in conventional 2D and 3D formats.

The Purge's Stupendous Opening Underline the Importance of Marketing in Hollywood

The $34 million plus opening of horror thriller The Purge has startled many. The movie was expected to fare well but the opening comes as an absolute shocker. Content aside, this victory should be attributed to the production and marketing team whose smart work proved the predictions of most of the box office pundits wrong.

The Purge has been produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse, the company which produced successful horror franchise Paranormal Activity. 2011’s sleeper hit Insidious was also produced by the same company. The common thing between these films apart from being produced by the same production house – except for 3rd and 4th films in Paranormal Activity series, rest all were produced on a shoestring budget. The latest film cost just $3 million to produce. However, the marketing costs do make these films expensive, but then the smart marketing also produces brilliant results like we saw this weekend. The Purge was distributed by Universal whose big budget fare Fast and Furious 6 is still going strong.

So how this remarkable success was achieved? There were a no. of factors behind it. Firstly, there hasn’t been any significant horror release in months and so there was a definitely a need there. The timing of the release was also very crucial considering there was no big budget summer movie opening alongside because of the direct competition from Man of Steel releasing next week. Horror films are often frontloaded and make most of their money in the initial week only. Sensing the opportunity, the marketing team went for the kill. The unique premise of The Purge also helped in generating huge curiosity on social media and as a result more than 50 % of the audience comprised of the people below 25 years of age.

The success of The Purge yet again proves how much important the marketing and strategizing is in the world of cinema today.

Box Office : Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 Fizzles, Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani Maintains Momentum

After a rollicking performance by Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani last week, Bollywood was hoping that the trend would continue with Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, the sequel to the 2011 original. However, the Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol starrer had an average opening at the box office and failed to show much appreciable growth on Saturday and Sunday.  The weekend figures are in the range of 21-22 crore, which are similar to the original movie's weekend collections. The average opening and poor reports mean that the film won't have long legs at the box office, and if the weekdays drop heavily, then this will be another big budget debacle this year. The most disappointing fact is that Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 didn't put up a better performance even in North where Deols have a huge fan following.

Man of Steel : Superman Returns with the promise to deliver big this time

One of the most awaited summer releases this year is only a few days away and the enthusiasm is palpable. The last trailer of the latest Superman reboot was met with a huge positive response and it has set the stage for the movie to have a great run at the box office. The early reviews are favorable, but the acid test will be the audience reaction as that is where the last attempt at rebooting Superman franchise had failed miserably.