Archive for November, 2008
Movie Review: Karzzzz (2008)
1 Star (out of 4)
It’s no accident why Karzzzz is so bad. Himesh Reshammiya is both the film’s star and its music director, so the movie feels like a series of music videos. The plot, in which rock star Monty (Reshammiya) discovers he was murdered in a past life, contains so many extra characters and side plots that it’s hard to keep track of what’s really important — like, who is this bald villain with a musical bionic arm?
No Rating (violence); 153 minutes
This review originally appeared on napersun.com on October 21, 2008
Movie Review: Kismat Konnection (2008)
3.5 Stars (out of 4)
On a fortune teller’s advice, unlucky architect Raj (Shahid Kapoor) searches for a good luck charm. His charm turns out to be a pretty community activist (Vidya Balan) whom he can’t stand, and who is working to stop the construction of a building Raj designed. The tight plot moves Kismat Konnection along quickly, as the likable lead characters progress on their inevitable path to love. The talented supporting cast supplies a number of laugh-out-loud moments.
No Rating; 155 minutes
This review originally appeared in The Naperville Sun on July 24, 2008
Movie Review: Love Story 2050 (2008)
Zero Stars (out of 4)
In writer-director Harry Baweja’s vision of the future, people wear parachute pants, dance the Moonwalk, and play with Teddy Ruxpin dolls. The future as portrayed in Love Story 2050 looks a lot like America in the 1980s, only with hovercars. The characters don’t even travel to 2050 until halfway through the film, after an interminable present-day setup in which an obnoxious lout woos a young woman too bewitched by his luxurious hair to notice that he’s an idiot.
No Rating (violence, language); 179 minutes
This review originally appeared in The Naperville Sun on July 10, 2008
Movie Review: Kidnap (2008)
1.5 Stars (out of 4)
After a wealthy businessman’s daughter is kidnapped, he jumps through the kidnapper’s hoops to get her back. The melodramatic story is entertaining at first, until the tasks assigned by the kidnapper (e.g., robberies, jailbreaks, and murders) become increasingly unrealistic and tedious. Kidnap also ends on a morally unfathomable note. Still, there’s something satisfying about seeing paunchy 49-year-old Sanjay Dutt (as the businessman) nimbly running, jumping, and motorcycling like a man half his age.
No Rating (violence); 149 minutes
This review originally appeared in The Naperville Sun on October 9, 2008
Movie Review: Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic (2008)
2.5 Stars (out of 4)
In this Bollywood take on Mary Poppins, a judge forces wealthy bachelor Ranbeer (Saif Ali Khan) to adopt four kids after he kills their parents in a car accident. The court-created clan is miserable until a mischievous angel, played by the delightful Rani Mukerji, arrives to turn them into a real family. The setup is far-fetched, but Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic (“A Little Love, A Little Magic”) addresses the kids’ emotions realistically, while maintaining a light tone appropriate for a fun summer flick.
No Rating (brief violence); 145 minutes
This review originally appeared in The Naperville Sun on July 3, 2008
