To be honest, I’ve only heard of the Tintin comics when I was little but never had a chance to read them.  I would even go so far to conclude that this series was a spin-off for the famous Wizard of Oz character the Tin man.  I clearly couldn’t have been more wrong, but alas, as a grown up I realized the stories are wildly unrelated.  ’The Adventures of Tintin’ directed by Steven Spielberg, is the story of young detective, Tintin, who is thrust into a treasure hunt along with his accomplices, Captain Haddock and his trusted sidekick dog, Snowy.  Tintin, the Captain and Snowy must figure out the mystery of the treasure through a series of three parchments that villian Ivanovich Sakharine also wants to get a hold of.  The catch is that each clue is hidden within identical model ships that were separated, one in which serves as a catalyst called ‘the unicorn’ for Tintin’s involvement in the new mystery.  

First and foremost, the animation of this film is so good.  While it was in 3D (UGH.) and the colors seemed really dark through the glasses, being the rebel that I am I tried to watch some segments without them and the colors were just fantastic.  I would have been just as happy watching this film in 2D because of imagery and visualization alone.  Not being familiar with this series, the characters were actually endearing.  I really enjoyed Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock, he was a goofy hero that you couldn’t help but root for.  Jamie Bell as Tintin did a decent job, I don’t really have much to compare it to but I am sure filming in motion capture is no easy task.  That can be said for all the actors actually.  In terms of sequences, I have to say that the adventure to grab one of the parchments tumbling through a whole city while a water dam breaks was thrilling.  I would LOVE to go on a Tintin themepark ride and experience what I felt when that sequence played out on screen.  It was so engaging and I really felt like I was along for the ride.  The story itself was a fun adaptation and I am sure many fans will be pleased seeing one of their favorite childhood memories on the big screen.  

The BIG PICTURE…While I may not have been familiar with Tintin before, I am glad that this film opened my eyes to a character that has been a part of so many peoples childhood.   With great animation and a sweet story, Tintin will be fun for kids and adults alike.  

The saying ‘time is money,’ is a widely accepted term in our reality, but if you switch it around, ‘money is time,” you get the general gist of “In Time” directed by Andrew Niccol. In a world where time acts as the universal currency after a person hits the age of 25, the only way to survive is to secure more time in an ageless world.  Most common people, like Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) work from day to day in order to survive and provide for their families.  On a chance encounter, Will meets a time wealthy patron at a bar named Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer), who is of time (money) and has decided that Will will be the perfect person to pass his time to in order for him to end his already lengthy existence.  When you have so much time, just like money, people are always after you and Henry was no exception.  Will is targeted by the cities resident town thief Fortis (Alex Pettyfer), but after an incident with his mother (Olivia Wilde), he decideshe wants to play with the big boys.  Where do the the big boys live? In another time zone, New Greenich which is made up of wealthy time holders who have so much of it that they can frivously spend it on luxuries such as gambling.  Will’s main concern is to get back at the greedy time holders and provide as much time for the people of his less fortunate city, Dayton.  But after Will is caught by surveillance fleeing from Henry’s death sight, an investigation is launched as to how Will came into so much time.  He is trailed by timeskeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy) and comes face to face with him at a wealthy time banker’s Phillipe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser) party.  Taking Phillipes daughter, Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried) as his hostage, he now holds the cards in place to achieve what he set out to do.  He unexpectedly finds an ally in Sylvia and they both fight to get justice from an unfair system.  

As a film, ‘In Time,’ is a very fresh and inventive idea.  While it might seem a bit silly, the parallels that are drawn out through the film between time and money are very interesting to think about.  The idea of the fountain of youth and immortality at the price of time is a very unique way to dive into a science fiction tale about human reaction.  A line spoken in the film sums this idea up as, “Is it still stealing if it’s already stolen?” This passage is full of challenge to the idea of human morality and reason and works perfectly within context.  There are some thrilling set pieces seasoned throughout, and the build up seems just right for Will to make his escapes and pull his robberies off without being dragged out.  The pace seems just right and the background score engages at the right moments.  Out of the performances, I usually find Justin Timberlake to come off as pompous in general, but it seems to grow exponentially when I see him acting.  But I do give him credit for this film because he gets the tone of his character and doesn’t try to over do it.  Amanda Seyfried is captivating with her eyes, she easily fits into her role as a spoilt wealthy time holder to a rouge Bonnie to Timberlake’s Clyde.  The chemistry between them works and the film doesn’t waste time showing Will trying to woo her, it’s circumstance that puts these two together, and love is just an added bonus.  Everybody else from Matthew Bomer, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Wilde, and Johnny Galecki in the cast all have very limited roles.  The film rests on Timberlake and Seyfried shoulders and provides them the scope to deliver a pleasantly good film.  

The BIG PICTURE…Although opening to lukewarm responses, its an escapist film with an inventive idea at its heart.  Spend the time to watch ‘In Time.’

With the game changing invention of social networking, films have been integrating the modern phenomenon that started with a college fan base and spread across the world like wildfire, Facebook.  ‘Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge,’ Directed by Nupur Asthana uses facebook as a backdrop that mixes the idea from YRF’s other film, “Mujhse Dosti Karoge,” into a modern day Rom-Com for the youth.  It’s a fresh idea and offers itself well to the lives of college students who are addicted to facebook almost as much as they are addicted to their blackberry’s. 

The film revolves around 4 students in college.  Preity and Malvika live together and are best friends.  Malvika attends a concert that features Rahul ‘The Rockstar’ and while there, she is noticed by an admirer by the name of Vishal.  Seperately, Vishal sends a friend request from Rahul’s facebook account to Malvika and when Malvika gets the invite, she initially refuses to accept.  But Preity has other plans and while Malvika is on the phone with her mother, she accepts the friend requests and a romance via facebook message is started between Vishal and Priety under the alias of Rahul and Malvika. 

The film has it’s ups and downs.  While the idea is creative and offers itself widely for an adaptation fit for the youth, the film bounces from set piece to piece that takes its time to develop on screen.  The first half is full of interaction between Preity and Vishal, where they are pit against each other and they are frustratingly bickering non-stop.  All the while, Rahul and Malvika find out about their friends facebook relationship and decide to play along.  Although only around 100 minutes, the film begins to drag heavily in the second half.  It’s a very easy film but there is no extra effort put in to ensure a non-cliché climax.  The songs are simply okay, but the real question is why they were trying to make these college kids look like they were filming for high school musical.  College kids definitely don’t behave that way and it seemed forced and westernized.  Another aspect that was westernized was the finale, I am quite sure that no Indian college kids would dare kiss in front of any adults just out of respect, but this film shows it’s characters engaging in such behavior as if it’s the norm.   Out of the performances, the best of the lot has got to be Saba Azad who plays Preity.  She has a natural charm and while she comes off a little loud in some scenes, she carries herself well throughout.  Saqib Saleem as Vishal seems over exaggerated and almost gets annoying.  Tara D’ Souza as Malvika and Nishant Dahiya as Rahul are supporting characters and make little impact.  The fresh visualization of sequences and the modern day touch of the college campus add scope to the film.  

The BIG PICTURE…It’s a timepass film.  Keeping with the theme of facebook, you can accept this friend request and see if it has anything interesting to offer.  

There are movies that use animals as a way to suck in those animal lovers who awe at the site of such cute creatures.  “Dolphin Tale” Directed by Charles Martin Smith acts as one of those films in which a family of sea animal caregivers come across a dolphin who’s tail is amputated.  The story follows the story of a boy, Sawyer, who discovers an injured dolphin on the beach one day that has it’s tail trapped in a crab trap.  The dolphin is in need of medical attention and is taken into a local sea animal hospital for observation.  After finding out his cousin has been summoned to Iraq—leaving Sawyer even more lonely and quiet than usual—he decides he will help the animal medics nurse the dolphin, named Winter, back to health.  The film follows their unbreakable bond and obstacles of they face throughout Winter’s recovery. 

The film itself is just way too cheesy.  It is so cheesy in fact; I couldn’t help but cringe at some parts because it was to a point where I could not continue to watch it anymore.  I finished the movie but was definitely not impressed by it.  While Winter, the dolphin is definitely endearing, the film cannot just lie on a the dolphin’s shoulders.  There are so many clichés embedded in this movie that it’s not worth mentioning, but just in case you’re the type of person who guesses what comes next, your guess will most probably be right.  The acting is so poor that you wonder if the actors are the reason the film turned out this way, but quickly realize it’s better for the screenplay writer to take the blame.  Out of the two kids, Nathan Gamble (Sawyer) comes out a shining star compared to his female counterpart, Cozi Zuehlsdorff (Hazel) who hams and screams to a point where you don’t find her cute even though she’s supposed to be this charming little girl.  Ashley Judd is pretty much there to play the mother’s role but it looks like she must really believe in the cause of this film because it doesn’t seem like a very meaty role to take.  Harry Connick Jr.  fits the role of the father and animal doctor, but seems a bit too relaxed under the circumstances.  Morgan Freeman is completely wasted, he comes in and out of the narrative and only really makes an impact with his one-liners.  The 3D effects don’t really add anything to the film besides distraction, but I am biased towards not liking 3D films so you may have to judge for yourself.

The BIG PICTURE…I wouldn’t recommend this film because it contains as much cheesiness as watching one long episode of 7^th heaven.  

‘Captain America’ Directed by Joe Johnston starring Chris Evans, is the last superhero film to be released by Marvel before their most grand project to date, the Avengers.  Captain America integrates itself into the Marvel family very well and continues the theme of intertwining a supernatural aspect to real life events.  Set against the backdrop of World War II, Steve Rogers is a very thin man determined to get his entry into the army.  While trying his luck and getting rejected many times, he is approached by a man who offers him a pass into the military if he tests for an upcoming government approved procedure that will enhance him physically and mentally.  Rogers agrees and is transformed into a superman whose abilities are heightened to mammoth proportions.  While Steve’s transformation is taking place, trouble is brewing in Germany when Hitler’s ex right hand man, Johann Schmidt decides that he will possess the power of the gods as told by a myth he heavily believed in.  He finds the cube that holds the power and harnesses it with the help of a scientist and becomes Red Skull.  Once fully activated, he builds multiple plants to manufacture and harness the God’s power into weapons that if used, could wipe out any opponent.  Captain America’s new journey takes him on the fight against evil as he tries to save the world from Red Skull’s havoc.

The film does a good job in incorporating the history of World War II and offers a grand treatment with the story.  The plot is pretty straight forward and we know that this is a story of good versus evil, but the film tends to drag in scenes where there isn’t much going on.  I found myself losing attention during many scenes because there was excess dialogue and nothing on the screen was keeping me visually attentive.  The action sequences are good with the action directors used as much as they could capturing the period.  Chris Evans does a good job, doesn’t really try to be over dramatic with the dialogue and really comes off as a cool military guy who genuinely wants to help his country in any way possible. Hayley Atwell as Peggy is very good looking and portrays herself well as Captain America’s love interest.  Sebastian Stan as Steve Roger’s friend, Bucky provides a decent side kick to Evans.  Hugo Weaving as Red Skull is evil yet not as scary or vicious as you would expect. 

The BIG PICTURE…Captain America offers pretty much the same package as the other Marvel films, I liked Thor better, but this is light years better than DC Comics Green Lantern.  Captain America serves as a good appetizer for the main course, the Avengers.  

Tis’ the season for ghosts and spirits to visit for a festive Halloween holiday, and with the fun filled day just around the corner, the scariest movies are released to terrify their suspecting audiences.  Paranormal Activity 3 directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman acts as a prequel of sorts to the first two films in the franchise. Katie and Kristi are back as their younger counterparts where we get to see where exactly their terror began.  The film focuses on their childhood life with their mother, Julie and her boyfriend, Dennis, who have recently moved in to a new house together.  Kristi has an imaginary friend named Toby, and she is used as a catalyst to release all of what Toby eventually wants to happen.  

My first thought walking out of this film was that the novelty of the first film is long gone.  The editing looks a lot sharper and more film-like versus the first films realistic feel.  Since the novelty of not knowing whether this stuff really happened or if it was fake has worn off, it makes the film seem less scary.  There are a few times where the loud music and the sudden surprises do get a rise out of you, but other than that it was more heavily focused on the origin on the story.  I thought it was clever to incorporate a widely known Bloody Mary tale, but I am not sure if you are to assume that the story was an origin of that specific tale.  

The BIG PICTURE…I feel like this is the type of movie you would have fun watching with friends.  So if you feel like putting in the effort, go watch it with your friends and I am sure it’ll either garner a scare for you or a hearty laugh at the people around you, being scarred. 

There are always role models and teachers that we learn from and are inspired to be like.  There’s always that teacher you are grateful to for their undying passion in teaching you about a subject you find interest in.  But in Jake Kasdan’s “Bad Teacher” forget the role model and welcome the bad ass bitch that is Cameron Diaz, because the only “role” she’s willing to play (or smoke) is one of that illegal green substance rolled into a fatty joint. 

The film revolves around Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) who could care less about teaching and more about gold digging her way to a new boob job.  She leaves her job as a teacher in a school she’s been teaching at for a while, where she still doesn’t know anyone’s names nor does she follow the curriculum she is supposed to teach.   After being dumped by her fiancé, she feels like she has to compete with these big boobed blondes to snatch a new rich husband but she doesn’t have the means to get the procedure done.   After claiming her job back, she starts scheming her way into making money for her “titty” fund, in which she steals from the 7th grade carwash, recycles plastic bottles and finally, sets her sights on the new substitute teacher Scott (Justin Timberlake) who just so happens to be the grandson of a rich watchmaker.  But this time, her co-workers are hell bent on making her part of their team, including Amy (Lucy Punch) who just won’t leave Elizabeth alone and patronizes her with her over the top positive attitude.   While she does warm up to some of them such as Lynn (Phyllis Smith), it is the gym coach Russell (Jason Segal) that she finds most relatable.  She’s a woman on a mission and is ready to pull out all the stops to get what she wants.

The best thing about this film is the writing of Cameron Diaz’s character.  I am not too big of a fan of hers normally but it just seems like she was made to play this part.  The way she plays the “I don’t give a f*ck” attitude and the hilarity that comes from her honest and chilled out nature is refreshing.  She is a bad teacher on all accounts, from showing her 7^th graders movies like scream in class, to prepping them for a state test by throwing bounce balls at them if they get answers wrong.  While the film does have its funny parts, the only thing that kind of got dragged on was the second half of the film.   It just started getting repetitive and Cameron’s character can only hold the film for so long.  Justin Timberlake is surprisingly not as irritating as he usually is on screen; he seems to be slowly looking natural on screen.  Lucy Punch is hilarious mostly throughout the film, and Jason Segal takes a backseat on the comedy gags and underplays his role quite well.  The comedy is your normal fare, where you do get a good amount of laughs for this type of film. 

The BIG PICTURE…Bad Teacher belongs to Cameron Diaz all the way! If you’re looking for a light film that will make you chuckle, check it out because it’s not that bad ;).  

Relationships change over periods of time, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse and Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is about to experience that very transition in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”  Cal and Emily (Julianne Moore) are high-school sweethearts who have hit a road bump in their marriage, that leads Emily to feel bored and cheat on Cal.  Emily asks Cal for a divorce, and he is forced to re-evaluate his whole life including his family life with their children.  Cal moves out and gets stuck in a post break up funk when he meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a suave ladies man who takes an interest in Cal’s pathetic behavior. Jacob convinces Cal that he needs to suck it up and get out on the dating scene again, and like a fairy godmother, helps transform Cal into the same ladies man Jacob is.  Jacob himself begins to feel a change when he meets Hannah (Emma Stone), a girl who catches his eye from the get go and ends up winning his heart.  Emily also reconnects with the guy she cheated on Cal with, David (Kevin Bacon) and goes on various dates with him while her kids are taken care of by Jessica (Analeigh Tipton).  Jessica has a major crush on Cal and is also Cal’s best friends daughter.  What makes this track more complicated is that Emily and Cal’s 13 year old son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) has a major crush on Jessica.  Meanwhile Cal goes on to hook up with different girls, including his son’s teacher Kate (Marissa Tomei), but finds himself missing Emily.  

Crazy, Stupid, Love is an easy to watch, fresh film that dives into the various relationships that we have in our lives.  Steve Carell as Cal is very endearing, while Ryan Gosling provides the perfect balance as the ladies man.  He turns on the charm and succeeds in bringing the character to life, although his accent was confusing at times.  Julianne Moore is great as always, she plays the sentiment of a cheating wife just right and never makes excuses.  Emma Stone is great in her portions, but I felt like she could have had a more substantial role.  The girl who plays her best friend adds a lot to her track.  Analeigh Tipton is great as Jessica, the high school girl with the crush on Cal.  Jonah Bobo also shines as a kid that is mature for his age in some instances as well as childish in others.  Everything flowed smoothly, the script didn’t lose pace at all.  There is a pleasant surprise towards the climax that I didn’t expect, and I enjoyed the twist more because it was unexpected.  

The BIG PICTURE…’Crazy, Stupid, Love’ is a decent attempt at a romantic comedy that engages your attention throughout.  It has a decent premise and is well paced and definitely better than a lot of films in the recent past of this genre. 

Pankaj Kapoor’s “Mausam” is a story spread out across a backdrop of real life events that affect the love story between Harry (Shahid Kapoor) and Aayat (Sonam Kapoor). Harry is a boy from a small village whose life is changed when he lays his eyes on Aayat.  Aayat is transferred to the same village to live with her aunt after it becomes unsafe for her to stay in Kashmir with her father.  Her father promises a quick reunion when he leaves her, but Aayat is haunted by the thought of her father being hurt. Around town, Harry and his friends prepare for his sister’s wedding, while Aayat and Harry’s love story begins to unfold.  After they realize their love for eachother, Aayat is forced to leave the village with her aunt to meet her dad, and Harry is left in his village alone.  Not knowing what happened, Harry has enlisted in the Air Force and has been accepted.  ’Mausam’ continues from here on a path of misguidance, miscommunication and an almost outrageous climax that really leaves the viewer baffled as to what happened.

Let’s get what I liked of the film out of the way, just because that won’t take as much time as the stuff I didn’t like.  The songs were nice and well picturized.  ’Rabba’ and ‘Sajh Dajh Ke’ are nice on the eyes, but in the second half the slower songs seem a bit misplaced.  I didn’t mind the first 45 minutes of the film because Shahid Kapoor was actually likable as the punjabi boy from the village.  But after those 45 odd minutes you start to realize that Mausam is going no where in terms of content.  

The main problem with the film is the script.  I don’t know how Pankaj Kapoor and his writers could have sat there and written that climax with a straight face.  It seems as if they threw in the whole climax because they knew there was no main conflict besides the fact that Harry and Aayat keep missing each other do to circumstance.  But how many times can circumstance come in the way of people meeting?  The film takes place in 1999, yet I really fail to understand why they made all the abroad portions feel like they were living in 1940.  I must have not gotten the memo.  The pace is lethargically slow, you seriously get frustrated and don’t even care if Harry and Aayat ever meet again because they spend more time apart then they do together.  The editing could have been a lot better, the film got confusing with the dates that were on the screen, I just gave up following at one point.  Sonam Kapoor as Aayat was okay but I don’t even think its fair to judge her acting cause she didn’t have much to do as it is.  Shahid Kapoor, as I mentioned in the beginning, was likable in the first 45 minutes, but once he puts that air force suit on, he becomes an arrogant stone that you wish would whip that smirk off his face. It’s a huge step back for him as an actor. Anupam Kher is not used to their advantage, Supriya Pathak whom I usually find cute in motherly roles just feels like a robot as Aayat’s aunt and the girl who played Rajjo was the only one I found remotely convincing.  

The BIG PICTURE…’Mausam’ should have been renamed ‘Yawn’ because that’s what you will be doing throughout most of the film.  It had a lot of potential but the movie is definitely not in this season.  

Everything happens for a reason…or does it?  Have you ever thought your life was following a path that had been planned out for you, basically your destiny?  Well, what if that destiny was actually being orchestrated by real live agents sent by a “chairman” who changes the path of two formally destined lovers who can’t fight their feelings back for one another? That in a nutshell is what George Nolfi’s The Adjustment Bureau addresses.  

The story is about David Norris (Matt Damon), a budding politician who has his sights set on gaining the interest of the public and having all eyes on him.  This need of his stems from an absence of family in his life, losing his brother to overdose and his mother by chance, while his father passes slightly after the first two.  He finds his calm through politics and after almost gaining a victory, a scandal detours him from becoming a senator in New York.  As he is about to address his resignation from the race, he meets Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) in the men’s bathroom.  After a brief encounter and a kiss, he begins to point out the flaws in his campaign while addressing the state, which ultimately leads him to winning more votes to run in the future.  In the midst of Norris’s political drama, he realizes that he only did this because he was inspired by the woman he had just met, yet little does he know a watchful eye is out to make sure he doesnt meet her again.  Enter Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) an agent that is to make sure that Norris follows his path (his guardian angel), who makes a mistake one day in which his whole secret is let out to David.  As Norris has his first encounter with the adjustment bureau, he is told that the agents are basically angels who have been sent by the “chairman” or God to watch over people and their life paths.  Norris is told that he cannot unmask the agency nor can he ever see Elise again, their paths are not meant to cross.  But there is a strong connection between Elise and David, and the rest of the film takes off from their intertwining paths in this romantic thriller.  

What I loved about this film is that it is so fresh and exciting.  The premise is very intriguing and the way it is executed is very cinematic.  I enjoyed the fact that they turned God and his angels into worldly beings such as a chairman and his agents.  The way we are meant to interpret faith and the ideas of these guardians and parallel them to religious beings is thought provoking.  It almost feels silly watching it on screen but if you think about the context of the way this story is told, it really isn’t too far off from reality, except what most people believe is that these agents and the chairman are invisible.  This film makes them visible and the symbolism is just outstanding. The action and the special effects are believable and also don’t take away from the realism of the story.  The door sequences add thrills to the well paced script.  At the heart of the film lies a love story between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt’s characters.  Their chemistry is perfect and you are rooting for this couple to figure out a way to be together from the get go.  John Slattery as Richardson plays his part as a wiser agent well, getting his job done and not involving his own feelings.  Same goes for Anthony Mackie as Harry Mitchell, whom aides and guides Norris throughout.  

The BIG PICTURE…Get well adjusted in your seat for this romantic thrill ride and watch this film!