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Friday, July 3, 2009

Terminator-Salvation, Chaplin, Accepted

I want to write about three movies this time.. I was able to catch others on cable TV but not in totality so shouldn't comment on them.

Terminator-Salvation (2009) -
After T3, I was not sure where this franchise was leading to, it was more or less 'terminated' and thus I was did not know what to expect in T4. Although may not be a milestone like the first two in the series, this one definitely salvaged the dying series and I can look forward to some real resurrection to come.

The story is simple and is basically both prequel and sequel, where John Connor needs to save his teenage dad (who will return to past for T1) in order to save his very own existence. To some it may sound preposterous, illogical and full of holes but hey guys it is sheer fun and adrenaline pumping action! Two moments in the movie stand out to me, at the titles when the famous terminator score start playing and then in the climax when we see the T800, the digital Arnold coming to life that will eventually rock the world going back to the past.

I gotta say this, poor poor Christian Bale, in The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger stole the show and here it is the anti-hero Marcus who walks away with all the adulation and deservedly so. Sam Worthington who plays, half-machine half-human, with gray shades to his character makes the movie rise above average.

The special effects are nothing special but are good, the mood of the movie is dark and for Terminator fans only. (8/10)

I just can't help and ask why did Kate Connor wear so much make-up throughout the movie while everyone looked so messy? Why?



Chaplin (1992) -
There are some movie where you feel like need to stand-up and applaud, this is one of them. Richard Attenborough's biopic on Charlie Chaplin's life is honest and touching portrayal of the legend's life full of controversies and idiosyncrasies. Robert Downey Jr's performance proves that why is he one of the best actors of our generation, such is the earnest way he has played Chaplin. He has also adopted the physicality of Chaplin beautifully, not an easy task considering the slapstick comedy that Chaplin did.

The movie is technically very simple and easy to watch, there are many characters and the movie moves at a fast pace and you just don't realize when the 150 mins are over.

A true masterpiece and must watch. (9/10)


Accepted (2006)
I thought it would be another cheesy teen-age high school movie with juvenile jokes but I was wrong. The movie handles a very sensitive question, albeit in a casual manner, what is education?

The teenage protagonist Justine Long (Jeepers Creepers), has been rejected from all the colleges and does not know what to do next. Being over-smart and criminally inclined he decides to create a fake college and it all goes too far where hundreds of rejects show up for adminssion to his 'college' as all are accepted there. He decides to continue the farce and creates his own rules for education and learning until of course his lies are caught and is dragged to court for accreditation. The movie ends up on high note and tries to create a paradigm shift on what we call formal education.

An interesting watch, I would recommend it. (7/10)