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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Wanted - Seeing is believing

If you like fast-paced action thrillers, you are bound to dig this one. However, the action is over the top and hard to believe so if you are looking for 'sensible' real action then pass on it.

The movie is about closely guarded group which has been around for 1000 years, call themselves "Fraternity". They are here to maintain the balance in the world and kill the people in order to do that. So basically they are mercinaries that act on the "web of fate" orders and are suppose to carry of the executions without fail or else there will consequences.

The movie is deftly supported by excellent visual effects, not off-the-shelf visual effects that we are used to seeing nowdays but this is cutting edge stuff and the sound design is also very well done. The movie moves at a fast pace and does not give you much time to analyse the logic behind the action. There was not much scope for the actors, McAvoy, Freeman and Jolie, to showcase their acting talents but all do a decent job.

There are shades of "Matrix" and "Fight Club" but nothing is lifted that could cause copyright issues. (8/10)

Monday, May 4, 2009

Taken - A fast paced action thriller

Frankly, I didn't know Liam Nesson had it in him... I always regarded him as a good actor but never thought he was capable of doing such an intense and old-fashioned action thriller! The plot is really simple, Liam Nesson who plays a semi-retired CIA, uses his professional training and skills track down his daughter who has been kidnapped into the world of slave trade. It is not the story or the plot that makes the movie work, it is his excellent acting and the convincing non-stop action. The movies does not give you any time to pick loopholes in the story (there are many), you just go with the flow.

The writer/producer Luc Besson (Leon, Fifth Element, The Messenger) and director Pierre Morel (District B-13) were very clear about the target audience and set out to make an out and out action movie where the good guy uses his brains remain one step ahead and brawns to kick the crap out of bad guys just in time so that we are always at the edge of our seats. They succeeded very well and remained loyal to the genre. A must watch for the action fans. (8/10)
p.s. Please don't ask me if CIA guys were so skillful then why bunch of them could still not trace Osama?!!