Why I wanna wait another few years for the next Avengers Movie!

To say that The Avengers movie was a success would be a gross understatement. The ensemble cast super-hero extravaganza proved to be one of the biggest success stories for the comic-book to silver screen adaptation genre. To the extent that other studios have begun working full steam to replicate the success with their comic book properties

Studio heads at Disney obviously intend to milk this cash cow to the fullest, especially since there is so much more material in the Marvel Universe to fuel another movie. Official news of the sequel has already been confirmed and has fans of the movie and the comic books on an excitement high. But as an avid fan of the Marvel Universe (I have read tonnes of the comics and watched a LOT of the animated series), I am willing to wait for another 3-4 years for the sequel to hit the screens. Here's why...

It's no secret that the first Avengers movie was a carefully planned super-project by the studio heads. Inkling of the movie began with the post credit scene in the first Iron Man movie way back in 2008. This trend of giving away hints continued with each new Marvel Superhero motion picture in the following months; The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Captain America and most recently Thor. Apart from building up the (absolutely justified) hype, these post credit-scenes and the movies themselves served the important purpose of getting movie audiences familiar with the vast and myriad Marvel universe. Imagine watching (or reading) the final installment in the Harry Potter saga without ANY knowledge of the back-stories of the various characters. You'd walk out of the movie hall with an unmistakable feeling of "What The Eff!". Simply put we need some more super hero movies from the Marvel Universe (backed by Disney of course) to establish some more back-story and get a better insight into the Marvel universe.

If you stuck around (of course you did!) for the post credits scene of The Avengers, you definitely caught a glimpse of the sinister being grinning as the screen switched to black. The being in question is the celestial villain (not always) Thanos who is touted to be the villain in the sequel. Marvel fans will tell you that the most memorable and popular comic book story arc associated with Thanos is The Infinity Gauntlet, which is an epic story on its own. However TIG is one in a series of six story arcs in the Infinity Saga that spans across multiple realities and involves almost every single Marvel Superhero and Villain (and there are a LOT!). And the entire saga takes place AFTER Thanos has been resurrected from his death. There are other story arcs prior to his demise. So you see, movie audiences would need some sort of back story to get a feel of the true nature of the (supposedly) new baddie for the upcoming sequel. 

A rushed sequel would most likely also suffer from the usual shortcomings. Almost always sequels have very little fresh appeal for the audiences and seem almost formulaic in their plot and story. The adage "If it ain't broke why fix it" tends to get used a lot when scripting sequels resulting in half-baked clones of the first movie. The writers for the next Avengers movie should patiently skim through the various story arcs, pertaining to their characters, available in the Marvel universe. This may also require stand-alone movies with hints scattered throughout the flick or a simple post-credits scene. Introducing new characters, minor or major, is always a good move, but they'd need to pick the right mix to ensure they don't affect the familiarity established with the audiences by the first movie and the preceding movie tie-ins.

Also, if the head honchos at Disney are smart, they'll realize the benefit of spacing out their comic book blockbusters. Apart from piquing the audience interest and building a stronger fan-following, the gaps would keep the franchise fresh. Striking the iron while it's hot may not be the best option. The Avengers has garnered very high praise and has cemented its place in the hearts of movie audiences globally ensuring a firm fan-base for a sequel no matter how long the wait.

Having said that, I have to admit I am highly anxious to see how this franchise moves forward on the silver screen as well as how other comic-verses are brought to the big-screen. For now, I'll keep a keen watch for the upcoming sequels and new movies for other superheros in the coming months.

The Hunger Games - Hungry For No More

Hollywood has always been kind to best-sellers. Not out of generosity, but because they usually are bankable investments. And when you are dealing with a trilogy (or quadrilogy or septalogy), the big studios can smell the moolah a mile away! So it was inevitable that the latest best-selling phenomenon, The Hunger Games Trilogy, by acclaimed author Suzanne Collins, would be picked up for a feature film adaptation. And this amateur blogger decided to check out the first in the proposed trilogy (or a quadrology if they decide to go the Twilight and Harry Potter way) franchise.

Set in a dystopian future, the story is about teenager Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and how she volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games. The eponymous game are a long standing tradition established after a failed uprising by 13 colonies against their own government. Every year each colony must send two "tributes" (one male, one female, both children) to the main Capitol to compete in a two week long fight/survive/deceive/kill unto death match. The surviving tribute is crowned victor and is subject to adulation and a host of other benefits that extend to his/her families back in the outlying colonies. Apart from serving  as a form of (sadistic) prolonged punishment and a reminder of the forgiving nature of the government (to the crowned victor), the games are in fact a spectacular extravaganza for the residents of the overtly Utopian Capitol. Being telecast in a fashion similar to any global red-carpet event, the Hunger Games is an annual event that is telecast all over the Capitol, and the participating colonies, providing a form of visceral entertainment to audiences everywhere. 

The basic plot is as simple as this - Survivor meets Twilight. That's the best way to summarize the premise of this movie (and book). Although not a novel concept (think The Running Man starring Schwarzenegger, also based on a book), the backstory behind the whole death match is pretty quirky (and a little off-beat IMHO), but since this is supposed to be a SciFi, it's all good. The death match in question is brutal, as participants use weapons ranging from swords, arrows and spears to make-shift bombs, bricks and even poison berries and killer wasps! The Twilight similarities kick in a little about midway into the movie as it is revealed that the participating male from Katniss's colony has harbored a life long crush on the fair damsel. Ummm.. Jacob anyone? This three way love story was no surprise to me as the book, and series, are geared towards the young adult population. And let's face it, that demographic just LOVES a juicy love triangle!


The movie can be divided into three distinct portions; The first being the usual introduction to main characters and basic plot and back stories. Here is where we learn about the backgrounds of Katniss and her family, her exceptional hunting abilities and puppy love with a fellow colony teenager. We are also given a brief background about the Hunger Games and the entire selection process. You have to be very attentive to grasp the intricacies of the process as it tends to be confusing. The second portion deals with the grooming and training of the selected contestants once they reach the Captiol. We get to see the other contestants and begin to gauge and get a feel of who's gonna be a badass and who's gonna be an ally to our beloved Katniss. The final (and rightfully the largest) section is the actual competition itself. And this is where I have my biggest complaint with the movie. In a setting which involves young adults and kids battling each other to death for rations, weapons and survival equipment, in a jungle arena, there is very little sense of danger or tension. Perhaps it's the way the camera keeps jutting around like a six year old on a sugar rush, or the lack of a cohesive background score or well choreographed action sequences. Whatever maybe the cause, the end result is quite dry and lifeless and thus did not engage me one bit.


Performances are definitely not what define this movie, well not from the protagonist and lead cast at least. Jennifer Lawrence is good but not spectacular. Even Stanly Tucci was not his thespian self as the master of ceremonies. But the one actor that brings that extra sparkle to every scene he graces is Woody Herrleson. As the inebriated mentor to Katniss and her male counterpart from their colony, Woody is brilliant. His comic timing and carefree attitude resonate under all that messed up hair (which is most definitely a piece since the dude has very little head crop). I'd probably watch the remaining movies in the franchise, simply for him.


Let me be honest. I haven't read the Suzanne Collins book, on which the movie is based. But being an avid reader I have SOME idea of how different a story can be when it is read through the pages penned by the author and when it is watched through a screenplay on the big screen. I seriously doubt the book would have been a best seller if it had the same lack of character development and vague story-telling. For a movie that revolves around a fight unto death match between the protagonist and 23 other kids, there is very little intensity and tension during the action scenes. Even the climactic battle between the last two rival survivors lacks any punch. Sorry, but if you do not bring a little edge of the seat action and thrill to a story which obviously deals in that genre, the movie is a waste!


Unless you are die-hard fan of the books and absolutely HAVE to watch the movie adaptation, I'd advise you to steer clear of this flick at the talkies and catch it at home when it premieres  a few months from now, or go for a matinee in a few weeks from now.


Overall rating, an average **1/2 

Of Legacies and Sequels-A Tron Story

In 1982 a movie starring Jeff Bridges as a brilliant computer programmer sucked into the computer world, wowed movie going audiences with its (then considered) "cutting edge" computer graphics and cyberpunk imagery. The movie was TRON, which went on to become a cult classic.

Fast forward 28 years to 2010 when the LONG anticipated sequel to the cult classic is to be released. The movie, aptly titled TRON:Legacy takes the cyber universe from the first movie to a whole visually updated new 3-D experience.

The movie is of course yet to release. But the buzz for it began almost a year ago with a teaser trailer (a rather long one at that!) showcased at the Comic Con 2009.



To those who had no clue about the original movie, this trailer was only eye candy and simply looked "AWESOME". But fans and viewers of the original movie were instantly hooked since they saw the protagonist from the previous movie, Kevin Flynn and his coded program, Clu (Both played by the talented Jeff Bridges) in the clip. Fans realised that the sequel had some connection with the original and wasn't some lame attempt to reboot or simply cash in on the "TRON" banner. Their interest was definitely piqued.

The viral marketing continued in various media and Disney (the studio that has produced both TRON movies) was leaving no stone unturned to ensure brand recall for their cyber flick. Even their latest acquisition, Marvel comics got to play a role in the marketing, with the comic book behemoth having published a limited series comic book which served as a gap between the two TRON movies.

The latest set of trailers (the official theatrical versions) that have been released confirmed the rumors of the rather deep connection between the new movie and its retro prequel. These trailers definitely look even more wowsome and appealing than the teaser trailer and have certainly ensured that not just the fans of the original, but even noobs are hooked.

Theatrical Trailer 1



Theatrical Trailer 2



But the real question remains. Will the sequel be as big a success as the original? Despite all the positive reactions to the trailers and the story (synopsis and plot easily available at the Tron Wiki, IMDB or Wikipedia), I have my doubts about the new flick. Don't get me wrong, the new movie IS going to be absolutely amazing and will definitely wow audiences and I am going to watch the movie irrespective.
But the original movie is a cult classic and a pop culture phenomenon.

Despite a "geek" oriented plot, the movie still marveled audiences for one reason. The original movie was released in an era where computers were being considered the next big step in evolution. Everyday breakthroughs were being made in the computing world and predictions of super computers capable of running on their own (read Artificial Intelligence) were becoming a hotly debated topic. This was the same era that saw other cult classics such as Short-Circuit, War-Games, Blade Runner and The Terminator being released.

The Original Tron Movie Trailer



From a visuals perspective, the movie was ground-braking. Almost 80% of the movie is rendered through computer graphics. Not only are backgrounds and props CGI cool, but the intense (by the standards of that era) action sequences are equally spectacular. The most amazing visual of course being that of the light cycle races.

The Light Cycle Races



Another aspect that worked tremendously in the favor of the original was the analogy that the creators had drawn between the computer world and the real world. Computer programs resembled human beings, more specifically the human programmers who coded them and their characteristics were a reflection of the purpose of their function (for example an accounting program looked like wore thick glasses and was rather introvert, cool huh!). Of course this has been done to death in numerous movies since (The Matrix anyone?).

I am certain the creative folks at Disney have done their homework and have ensured that the sequel has its own set of unique aspects that will stand apart from the first movie. But there is only so much creativity in the world! Having said that, the special effects for the new movie truly look awesome and the slick new look given to the cyber universe, and the fact that the movie is being released in a brand new 3-D format, the TRON experience at the cinema halls shall be Legendary.

One thing is for sure, this TRON fan is certain to catch the sequel when it hits the big screens in December. And even if you haven't seen the first movie, do catch this one. Who knows, you may be inspired to catch the original after watching it!

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300 - Movie Review

"Give them nothing, but take from them ...Everything!"

300 is the story of the anciet battle of Thermophylae, where the Spartan King Leonidis with his army of 300 warriors fought to death against the tyrannical Xerxes and his massive Persian army.
An earlier movie, "The 300 Spartans" has already captured this historical battle. However Zack Snyder's epic is based on the comic-book adaptation by Frank Miller (of Sin City fame), and takes the audience through a more gory and jazzed up version.

The exhilarating action sequences have been beautifully choreographed. The battle sequences are full of gory decapitations and numerous gruesome killings, giving a truly authentic feel. the artistic and ballet-like use of spear, sword and sheild coupled with a killer background score, the battle sequences are an absolute treat!

Those who think that 300 is only about action, are mistaken, for the movie dedicates a considerable portion of its storyline to depict the political games that were rampant in the "democracy" of Ancient Greece. One can't help but think if the evils rampant in our present democratic scenario were are fact seeded in this era....

Gerard Butler as the Spartan King Leonidis is convincing as a leader and warrior, but I couldn't help but notice his thick accent on many occassions. Dominic West as the cunning politician Theron does a great job. The casting of Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes may sound absurd but is pulled of brilliantly on-screen.

The visuals in the movie are breathtaking.Although most of the sequences have been rendered by CGI. The rampant use of color to highlight the background are probably to recreate the comic-book experience and are aesthetic.

The movie is a must watch to witness some of the most best battle sequences in recent times.
My verdict *** 1/2 stars