Pandora.. Na'vis... Operation AVATAR!!!

The leaves sway back and forth, only that they are multiple times bigger than those on Earth. The creatures, mean and menacing, sprinkled with designs of sheer brilliance, mixed with a ton of fluorescence! The floating mountains with the flowing waterfalls, which end in a spray... The world of Pandora, could not get any better, Cameron has delivered!

The Avatar operation, deals with the year 2154, when the humans hunt their way into Pandora, another planet, where, they set out their quest to obtain a rock mineral, which sells for millions of dollars. But that again, is just a backdrop. The world of Pandora also houses its natives, the Na'vi race, which consists of humanoids , in shades of blue and almost 2 humans tall! They live in harmony with nature and respect every blade of grass and every shard of wood... Now, the AVATAR operation launches a few of its soldiers into the Omaticaya tribe of the Na'vi race, to learn their culture and earn their trust, so as to move them away from their residing spots, so as to facilitate the mining of the rock.

Jack Sully (Sam Worthington), a crippled marine, fills into his brother's shoes in the operation. The crew, though initially skeptical about his efficiency, soon realize that he holds the key to the entire operation. The AVATAR programme also involves the replication of the human into his AVATAR body. To make things simpler, let me put it this way... Its a lot similar to Johnny Quest and the Quest World. Only, that here, both the forms are for real, and injury to any form will cause pain to both forms of the person, which, means if either of the forms are killed, both die... Another catch is that, when the AVATAR sleeps, the human wakes up... Jack earns the trust of the Na'vi tribe and also the love of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). But, things take a twist, as he connects himself to the entire world of Pandora and decides to stand back and protect his people (the Na'vis) from destruction. The rest of the story deals with how he faces his own fellowmen, in a fierce battle for survival of the Na'vis.

The CGI gfx is mindblowing and the 3D version of the film is simply outstanding, as you can see the difference from a normal movie experience! Shoveling in Rs.1500 crores, has been justified, I must say! The world of Pandora is not exactly paradise. In fact, one can say, its a mushy rain forest with a lot of fluorescence! But, as the story unfolds, you find yourself in love with the entire planet! The same applies to the reptile-like blue clad creatures... the Na'vis. To begin with, I really felt they were a letdown, as I was expecting something much more phenomenal. But Cameron justifies his character by their expressions and emotions. In the end, you are only left to believe they are for real and not a mere work of computer generated imagery/ work of animation!

I felt Cameron reaches out to tell us another story through Avatar! The story of reality. The story of the world currently! The truth... By showing the Na'vis protect their planet from destruction by uniting forces with the various tribes, Cameron has indeed touched upon the sensitive issue of Environmental degradation through his film. Yes, the Copenhagen talks do not look bright, and it looks like yet another conference, fruitless, but, I feel that this film's worldwide release, would help people realize this fact through the Na'vis, I really hope it does!

The background scores were somewhat similar to 'The Lord of the Rings' ,but as I had already mentioned in my previous blog post, it really doesn't matter, as long as you can provide majestic music sorta stuff, for breathtaking visuals! In short, Avatar is a must-watch. I wouldn't say this film will have the 'Titanic' impact (after all, its not 2 humans in love!), but it has definitely taken films to a higher rung in the ladder. I would definitely not say, 'Avatar has revolutionized and has taken Hollywood films to a next generation' , but it definitely has left an indelible mark in the history of films (at least in my books! screw the critics!). Watch it! You will love every minute!

Hurray! Doomsday has arrived!!!

Sometimes , it is pretty funny how people react to stuff. Now, I am not suggesting that its bad to react in that way. Just that, it seems strange...

I watched 2012, the recent film based on the year the world would come to an end, as predicted by the Mayans centuries ago... Roland Emmerich seems to have stuck to a way of making films and that way is centered around 'Hope'. Proof? Every other film, he makes the protagonist(s) and his group suffer and reach a point of saturation where there seems absolutely no way out, after which he provides this glimmer of an opportunity to work a way out of the problem... We saw that in Independence Day, when Will Smith and Goldblum, squeezed their way out of the MotherShip through a gap which looked barely enough to let a fly pass by (in relative terms that is)... in Day After Tommorow, when a blizzard storm almost hit Jake Gylenhall and his friends as they slam the library's door where they take refuge... In Godzilla and other films too...

Now, 2012 is no different. It is rather, on the same lines almost as Day After Tommorow, except for the fact that here it is due to some energy reaction, instead of Global Warming... The breathtaking CGI graphics (Computer Generated Imagery), is something worth watching on the big screen, and those situations where the star cast miss, or rather, KISS, death and escape from it calls for roaring applauses, hoots and whistles from the crowds!

Emmerich makes the crumbling of buildings, roads, mountains etc, look like a thin wafer of potato chip breaking apart in smithereens due to excessive vibration! True, as he is dealing with nature forces. There are scenes in the film where one would probably get reminded of people like Sooraj Barjatya, such as when the geologist talks to his dad over the phone and so on... But, in the end, it all adds up, as you keep reminding yourself that it was the END OF THE WORLD, and one had the license to break down emotionally in such circumstances!!!

Cast performances, there is nothing much to comment on as Cusack dominates the screen space for most of the time, and hey, I found Gordon (dunno his real name!), the handy pilot, heroic too!

The background scores seem strikingly similar to Independence Day and Day After Tomorrow. Guess all you need for background music in such catastrophe based films is some high pitched majestic jingle to accompany the mind blowing visuals, such as when you show the Statue of Liberty go down as rubble, or the sea engulf the lands!

There is one aspect which caught me by surprise! The movie has been a blockbuster breaking the records set by Titanic and The Mummy in Chennai. One can witness it in the theaters as well. When the title comes up, namely, 2012, people went berserk, screaming and hooting with joy! I mean, people love the concept of a Doomsday or what!!! The crowd roared with applause and cheers, when one of the actors mentions about a 'tsunami' wave lash the shores across India. That was rather ironical, as Chennai was one of the biggest victims to the killer Tsunami waves in 2004. Is such applause suggestive that the city has braved itself for such calamities in the future, or is it a mere mockery of what happened in the past? Whatever those applauses meant, the crowds in the theaters seemed to have a great time watching such disasters happen (an equivalent for stress relief??? :D)

Of course, scenes where Cusack dies almost, yet survives, to see another day, was inspiring and earned brownie points in my books as well! Not to mention the debate my friend and I got into regarding the issue whether people with only a billion euros could enter the ship so as to survive and the others had to stay out and die...

In short, 2012, a movie about Doomsday takes one to another dimension, where they actually relish the world crumbling into fragments!!! Emmerich and Michael Bay could team up to do a film where Machines destroy Humanity and take over!!! Oh wait! James Cameron already started that with the Terminator saga!!! :D

Burton blows you over...

Ahem... It was a long time back, when I picked up Roald Dahl's 'Will Wonka And the Chocolate Factory'. It was a childish fetish for chocolates and the exciting flavours and forms of chocolate portrayed in that book, which made me ponder for days about owning a chocolate factory, or at least, enter one. Hollywood chipped in to materialize my blurred imaginary visions, by changing words in Dahl's masterpiece into a feature film... 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory', made in the year 1971, showed me the world of Willy Wonka, whom I held as my superhero for a week after reading the novel in 6th grade... Ah! It was pleasant to watch it. An experience, in short. A well made film, in toto...

Come 2006, One of finest film directors in the history of Hollywood, teamed up with one of the most convincing actors ever. Out rolled Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, a film, both colourful and dark in parts.

Tim Burton, has been an amazing storyteller. Evident in his 'Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Sweeney Todd'. Burton brings about narration in a child-like fairytale manner. Something, which many directors have failed miserably at. Most of em, get engulfed in technology, (no offence, Mr.Michael Bay!), losing sight of their primary goal of delivering a well told story. But Burton, has been a pioneer to those who depend on the storyline for their films.

Johnny Depp,A class apart in every aspect. 'Blow', Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, POTC, Secret Window, Donnie Brasco. The actor has been one of the finest ever since Orson Wells, Marlon Brando and Al Pacino... His ability to pull of a comedy , or the hideous Jack the Ripper (From Hell), has been his strength. The portrayal of the character of Willy Wonka by Depp, was simply mesmerising and fantastic. The dark and lgood sides of Wonka, aptly explained in the novel ,were brought to life by Depp...

And the Oompa Loompas, their peppy songs, the ever colourful Chocolate Factory (not to forget the choco waterfall which churns the chocolate!), were enhanced from its '71 version... Everything, was so positive and nice about the film.

Oh! I almost forgot. The movie literally revived my fetish for chocolates. It's a magical feeling to see films, so well told. It takes you back to the days your grandma, rested you on her lap , patting you gently, and narrated you a nice story, to put you to the soundest of your sleep! Burton... Hats off to you!

Eek! Its the Exam Monster...

Ha Ha He He Ho Ah Aha.... And I thought pain was something external... It has been always the 'round-the-corner' phenomenon and will remain to be so for many more decades to come.

Exams... Something which grips you hard for a week and lets go, generally low in morale and squeezed out physically as well, once its done. So, when my friends and I started pondering over a feeling which looms over a student once the exams are done, we were caught up in a trap where we posed multiple questions, only void of answers.

What exactly goes through the mind of the Student, once its over? He wants to freak out, maybe go to the top of a tall tower and shout his lungs out... But, no, its exactly the contrary in practice. One tends to be dull and totaled once its over. Its not something I infer at the fit of the moment, it has happened 'n' number of times by now...

But Why? Well, just look back and you might find an answer close to convincing... It is an accepted fact, that one does most (if not, all) his preparation a couple of days prior to the exam. This stands undisputed (Beep! Nerd Alert!), apart from the bookwormish nerds who do it on a daily basis. Now, for the average student, who banks a lot on burning the midnight oil prior to the exam day, it's like the myth of David vs. Goliath, and every student sincerely wishes if he could have the slingshot to fame, by cracking the exams in full swing...

Now, the student faces a helluva lot of pressure those 5-6 nights, prior to the examinations. One might argue, its more ideal to split 'em up and knock 'em down on a daily basis. But as I said, It wont happen, because, Studies, as such is not a pleasant thing, to many of us. When the Student faces the Exam Monster, all he has as his weapons (or atleast, hopes he does), is his memory to retain what he studies, and the meek hope that what he omitted from his course material , would not find its way into the paper next day.

A lot of speculations, a lot of sweat (er... for those 6 days). Relationships made for class notes. Friendships broken for some peaceful time, to make up what one lost in the entire semester. A lot goes into it, and ultimately, its over, after quite some pain and pressure (worser than a woman delivering a child!!! :D)

What we see from the above 'act' of preparation on road to the examinations, is the slow and steady growth of the Exam Monster with every passing day, spent in gossips and fun... And ultimately, when you just thought, you had defeated the Exam Monster, on succesful termination of its weapons (the question papers)... Just when you thought you had made it through, you find, you lost more than what you won (this is strictly in relation to 11th hour persons like me!).

So, what is the solution to break this complexity? Its Simple! Study every day! God damn! Parents were right... So were our teachers...

IPL out of India? Yeah! NRIPL!!!

Hmm, long time since I visited my blog! Anyways, I finally got the thing going through me to hit another blog post. And what was that due to? Season 2 of the IPL, which set the news reels rolling for over a month!

IPL 2 for dummies, was not played in India. It was caught up with so many controversies that it had to be moved out. Reasons quoted were lack of Security and the Lok Sabha Elections. However, our beloved Lalit Modi, took the contest to its second home, South Africa! Well, it sounded weird and lame, at the same time! Indian Premier League in SA, BCCI must be nuts!

But Modi pulled off the event like a magician pulling out bunnies from his tall hat! Yes, the IPL 2, according to me, has been quite a treat for cricket frenzy fans! The South African pitches which varied in bounce, and pace had made it a quality concious tournament! the 8 regionally titled teams, were out there again, some in new colors, to fight it out for the rubies and diamond studded trophy (Actually, it looks more like the Map of India carved out from Thermacoal, sprinkled with gold sparklers!).

This IPL witnessed a change of fortunes. If you haven't heard the track titled 'Nice Guys Finish Last' by Greenday, or if you ever questioned it's applicability, here was your answer... 'Last Guys Finish First' was what this IPL was all about. Royal Challengers of Bangalore and the blue-clad Deccan Chargers made it to the finals of the mega event this year! However, it was the Deccan Chargers walking away with the trophy.

Controversially speaking, this IPL was better! I mean, we witnessed quite some action off the field last IPL like the Sreesanth slapgate issue. This time, It was more of the owners getting into tangles!!! Ness Wadia and MD Burman of Kings XI Punjab got beaten up by a South African businessman, Shah Rukh was publicly referred to as Dildo by a player from his own team, and yeah, I almost forgot the Preity-Ness breakup!!!

Yeah, and talking about ads, we witnessed the rise of the Zoozoos, above the Deepikas and Katrinas in the TRPs... Oh! Anybody questioning the old wine? Well, you better dont! Anil Kumble, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, retired Intl. players, set the cards rolling in IPL 2.... There was a gush of young adrenaline, with Manish Pandey becoming the only Indian to score an IPL century!

So, to sum it all up, this year's IPL was a mixture of Indian talent, both young and old. Indians fared much better in the South African pitches, than they did in the Indian conditions last year!

India's run for Gold around the Globe!

Oh.... Saya....., Thats how this one started. A rythmic hum by A.R.Rahman which has taken him places. Slumdog Millionaire, a Danny Boyle film starring Dev Patel, has been calling the shots this year and if all goes well, might bag a few Oscars too! The film has already had a dream run in the Golden Globe Awards this year. But is it worth all the hype? Well, I beg to differ!

To begin with, Slumdog Millionaire has been directed with a cynical view towards India and its culture. Its more of a mockery than a serious film. No doubt it sold like hot cakes in the Englishland. Jamal Malik, a 'slumdog' (this term was used over 20 times in the movie!) grows up facing the realities of life i.e. the tough and uncertain times of any person from the slums. He makes it to THE show which could change lives forever within hours, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, the English version of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Thats about it!

From there on, the whole movie deals with nothing more than a bunch of questions, the answers of which lie in the troubled 18 years of Jamal's life! Yes, there is the saving grace in the form of questions to which he did not know the answer. Maybe the only reason why it is getting all its attention! But, then again, there were some gaping holes, in the movie, which made it look nothing extraordinary!

To begin with, the scene, where Jamal meets his old friend, a boy blinded on purpose to beg as it fetched double the earnings of a normal kid. The blind boy, correctly guesses the face of the man on a $100 bill! Now, how did he know the answer? And when did any foreigner, however generous he was, donate $100 to a blind beggar boy! Honestly, that incident didnt make any sense! The other dsiturbing fact about the movie seems to the totally filmi style in which things have been overblown. You find extremes in the movie , which you would find in any typical Bollywood film! The mad chase for love by Jamal, and the totally lame way in which the lady responds! The reunion of the brothers, after many years. The proponent called 'villain' in the form of Mamman (the beggar mob leader) , Salim (Jamal's brother) in parts, and Javed (the mafia leader), and even Anil Kapoor (show host) appears in the movie, making it look normal. I couldnt digest the fact that the show host could call for a break, after displaying a question. I havn't seen such a thing happen in KBC either! 

To sum it up, Slumdog Millionaire is good, but nothing out of the world deserving Golden Globes and Oscars. Yes, A.R.Rahman deserved the award, something which he should have won a long time ago! His music in the movie blends seamlessly with the scenes. Jai Ho... the conclusive song sounds good, but the picturisation the song is again... filmi! I read a few reviews where writers have compared this movie to the Brazilian masterpiece, Cidade De Deus (City Of God) . Give me a break! City Of God, did not have the above mentioned elements and looked like it was shot off the streets with NO actors involved! It looked totally REAL!

The bottom line is, SM is a start, but not the brighest. It has sure shifted the path of traditional film making, and with Slumdog Crorepati ( Slumdog Millionaire dubbed in hindi), hitting the Indian screens, many budding directors would draw inspiration to make something better. Its a path breaking film, but definitely, not the best India can offer to the World!!!

Roller Coaster evening...

Hmmm...IPL, a mantra which has been the craze of the nation for the last 40 odd days! With most of my friends and relatives rooting for Chennai Super Kings, I chose to cheer for the Royal Challengers of Bangalore. Sounded a bit off-track, but I liked the unit better than Chennai and it had my icon Rahul 'The Wall' Dravid leading them...

The journey for the team hadn't been a pleasant one. However, I set my mind to see em play down here against Chennai. Tickets? Well, a rat race was on. But, I happened to get a season ticket from one of my friends who wasn't interested in that day's game. Hence,it was game on for the 21st of May, Banaglore Royal Challengers vs Chennai SuperKings at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk. But well, the wee hours before the game were like the climax of an action packed Hollywood film!

3:00 PM- I anxiously look at the clock at my office (I train as an Articled assistant at an Accounting firm in Chennai at Alwarpet). The heat beams down on us. So, we fellow students decide to go out for a drink. Its oven hot. Must have been a tad higher than 41 degrees!

3:30 PM- We return to our seats at office. Things havn't changed. I text my cousins on my mobile that I would be back home by 5 PM. Plans worked out to start at 5.30 in order to listen to some playback singers too at the stadium.

4:00 PM- The heat is wiped off like a magician casting a weather changing spell. The blanket of grey hovers above Alwarpet. I console myself telling it would not rain and I will get to witness a full Twenty20 contest with no overs reduced due to rain delays.

4:30 PM- The Clouds get murkier and darker. Not a great sign before a match which you have been longing to make it for the last 20 odd days! I wrap up my work at the office. Step2... A half-hearted approach towards the boss's cabin requesting for an early departure.

4:45 PM- I approach the boss and explain my agenda for the evening. Permission granted. I hit the road in less than 20 seconds from my boss's nod! looking up at the skies, I curse the Gods for having fixed this day off the whole goddamn summer to chill out!!

5:15 PM- I reach home. Cousins had been waiting for sometime now. I make a quick dash to the restroom, freshen up, and all of us are about to leave. And Kazoom, The rain pours down like never before. My heart sinks. With a great sigh, I sink to the recliner. But, wait... Is it Raining all over Chennai? Duh! As far as my geography knowledge went, I thought it rained all over a city!

5:45 PM- My dad makes a call to his friend at Triplicane (a place hardly a kilometer away from the ground!). Good news. No rain yet at Chepauk! We hit the streets with raincoats and catch an auto.

6:40 PM- The auto break down. The autowala gets off and tries his tricks. 15 minutes, yet no signs of the auto kicking itself into life again! He has almost given up. After another couple of minutes of hard thinking, he decides to meddle with the system of the auto for 1 last time. WOW! This is when I started having some positive hope about the game that night!

7:10 PM- We reach Chepauk. Ah! The gates! The Stadium has an entrance for each of its bloody stands! We walk, rather jog, the entire circumference of the stadium and finally, get to out ticket gates. Its 7:25 by then... Just in time for the toss...

7:40 PM- Oops! The rain followed us here! Its started to drizzle. Players are still training for the game, after a few minutes, they walk off the field! There are big groans across the stadium.

7:55 PM - Hmmm... The drizzle stops. The umpires come out for an inspection. After a few mintues, the commentator announces the game would begin by 8:15 PM! Not bad! Just a 15 minute delay. So, no overs would be lost!

I looked like a total jackass in the first innings of the game that night as my team, RC Bangalore had scored the slowest IPL century and had posted a very humble 126 off their 20 overs. But, I was glad to see Dravid bat his way to a well made 47 runs. The 2nd half, I was beaming almost the entire duration of 20 overs as the Royal Challengers of Bangalore pushed Chennai into their worst defeat bundling them off for a meagre 110 runs! My cousins still mock at me telling My Team's IPL is over already and winning now makes no difference. I simply replied, ' Shut Up! We spoilt ur party today!'