Oz The Great And Powerful - Reviewed

L. Frank Baum's The Wizard Of Oz is perhaps the most popular work of fiction to have been adapted for the silver screen and stage alike across the decades. From the iconic movie adaptation starring Judy Garland as the naive Dorothy to the off beat version with an all african american star cast, Hollywood has been inspired time and again by the author's beloved children's book.

And the fictional universe of Oz has served as the breeding ground for other writers/ own take on the memorable characters. Chief among them being the Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch which also sprang a hit broadway musical. So it was about time someone made a movie with the titular character, the Wizard, as the protagonist; Oz The Great And Powerful is that movie.

Opening in Kansas, we get a glimpse of the life of one, Oscar Diggs, a travelling circus magician who is interested in a life beyond the confines of simplicity and humility. A con-artist and a ladies man, Oscar "Oz" dreams of greatness and is willing to step over anyone to achieve that dream. However fate decides to choose otherwise and our con-man's aspirations are literally "twisted" when a stray tornado spits him out of Kansas city and into the wondrous land of Oz.

A seemingly fairy-tale land, Oz is filled all sorts of colourful flora and fauna which enthral Oscar till he meets a beautiful stranger who believes Oscar is the prophesied "Wizard" who shall rid the land of the wicked witch and bring peace and prosperity to their land. What begins from that point on is our beloved "Oz's"  journey from selfish grifter to a selfless hero. Along the way, Oz faces some perils and befriends a variety of colourful characters, some of whom foreshadow events and people from the original story.

Directed by Sam Raimi, this story serves, in many ways, as a prequel to the 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz. Like the earlier movie, Raimi's film opens in black and white and goes into full colour once our protagonist enters the land of Oz. The look and feel of Oz are also pretty similar. And the resemblance between the Wicked Witch of West in both movies is also quite consistent. These similarities, as stated by Raimi, are intentional and serve as an homage to the classic movie.

First timers, who watch the movie with no knowledge about the Oz universe, let alone the Wizard, will probably scoff at the ludicrous characters and locations. However the script does manage to stand on its own and should not bore the noobs. For those who have read or watched the original story will be delighted with the numerous allusions and homages sprinkled throughout the movie.

Visually the movie relies on CGI extensively and as a result does a great job. The musical forest sequence is quite cool and well orchestrated. But don't fret if you are reminded of Avatar at some point since the two movies share the same art director. Raimi's trademark in-your-face scary visuals are present in portions and are a throw back to his Evil-Dead days. Speaking of Evil-Dead, Raimi's trusted cohort, Bruce Campbell also stars in this movie. (Extra points if you can spot him at first try!). The rendition of Emerald City and Glinda's Castle are truly masterful.

This story is set approximately 20 years prior to the original Wizard Of Oz, so there's scope for a set of additional prequel stories being planned with the same cast, which is a good thing since all the cast members (even the voice cast!) are excellent. Mila Kunis and James Franco are truly talented actors and are a fine fit to the story.

I'd definitely recommend the movie to fans of Baum's Oz universe. And if you're one of those noobs, you'll still come out of the movie hall smiling. So go watch Oz: The Great And Powerful!

Book Review - Death On A High Floor

Death On a High Floor by Charles Rosenberg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Legal thrillers are my most cherished literary genre. You could blame John Grisham for that since my first real tryst with reading novels (yes I started quite late!) was with his brilliantly awesome books, the earlier, better ones. Not only did his stories whet my appetite for reading more books but also help define the legal thriller genre for me.

When I read the reviews for this particular title, the fact that it was penned by a former attorney and legal consultant to many legal TV dramas instantaneously sealed the deal for me!

The basic plot centers around, well, a death that takes place on the high floors of a reputable Los Angeles based law firm. The death is soon categorized as a murder and the story follows (or rather is narrated by) the senior partner at the law firm who becomes the prime suspect for the said murder.

Although our senior protagonist is a person of interest, there are numerous possible suspects and the narrator's personal investigations and thoughts tend to point the needle on the guilty compass, rather convincingly, to a few of them. Among them are other senior members of the law firm, present and retired as well as the victim's former lover! Throw in a counterfeit (potentially) ancient coin in the middle and the story also has something for fellow Numismatics


The first person narrative was quite refreshing and felt very comfortable (since I've kinda gotten used to that format reading GRRM's A Song Of Ice And Fire Series). That, the author has been a consultant to prime time legal TV dramas is quite evident in the dialogues between the characters in the story. And this is a good thing since it keeps the story quite engaging even when legal jargon is being jutted out in huge blocks.

The plot, environment and characters are, or at least have been penned, in a way that makes them very lucid and realistic further enabling you to truly get absorbed into the story. The author cleverly peppers subtle breadcrumbs for a sleuth-in-training to begin piecing the puzzle together and derive at a conclusion on his own. Fret not, for if you're without a background in investigatory studies because the plot is demystified and you do learn who is the true culprit.

The one tiny complaint that I would have the story would be the slightly late disclosure of the true murderer and the fashion in which the revelation is done. Apart from being slightly improbable it also forces the motive and opportunity of the said murder to be disclosed as an epilogue rather than as part of the actual story. Like I said it's a very tiny complaint because it doesn't really rob you of the satisfaction of the getting closure on the mystery.

I'd recommend this title to folks, who like me, enjoy devouring entertaining albeit slightly movie-style legal dramas. Give it a read!




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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 

A Storm Is Brewing In Westeros

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are probably very few folks out there who haven't heard of the Game Of Throne series. With the hit HBO TV series of the same name, the epic seven book saga (only completed till book five thus far) is a modern pop phenomenon being compared to the likes of Lord Of The Rings and The Chronicles Of Narnia. Penned by writer George R. R. Martin, the saga which shall span seven books (of which five have been published) is better known in the literary community as "A Song Of Ice And Fire".

It may seem a little strange that I chose the third book of this epic (unfinished) saga as the first to review. But truth be told, the review is a more of a summation of all the books I've read thus far in this series, with obvious importance being given to the title in question, A Storm Of Swords.

Set in the fantasy world of Westeros, the saga chronicles the intertwining quests of multiple characters (introduced very beautifully in the first and second books) The main players are noblemen from different houses (akin to feudal lords) whose lives intersect during the course of the saga. Some stories are set before the first chapter of the first book opens as GRRM establishes back stories and histories of the various characters and kingdoms. The quest for each character is more or less established when the first book comes to an end (with a rather epic climatic chapter!).

An ongoing war is ravaging the mainland of Westeros as multiple nobelman are vying for the enigmatic and awe-inspiring "Iron Throne". But a more sinister enemy is beginning to stir from the far north and threatens the very existence of men from all the kingdoms. Book three starts with events that overlap those of book two and detail events from that book from a different perspective. We are introduced to a few new characters and say our final good byes to some old ones (although they have a tendency of getting resurrected!)
There are parts that seem a tad out of place, but begin to make sense as you read ahead. And by my count this one has the most number of deaths of prominent characters than the previous two books combined! So there is plenty of shock and awe as you keep reading.

The book is the longest (over a 1000 pages!) in the series and in some countries has been released as two separate parts. Unless you've read the first two books, you'll probably be lost when you start with this one, especially since there are SO many critical plot points that tie in with the events in the previous two books. But then again, this is supposed to be part of a saga, so that's quite expected.

Although set in a world where dragons and sorcerers do exist, the focus remains more on the plot and characters, with minimal mention or emphasis on the "magical" elements. And I feel, therein lies the beauty of this series. Another aspect that makes this such a great read is that GRRM makes it a point to NOT paint his characters in black or white. Rather, each player in this "game" appears as both friend and foe depending on the perspective of another character (just like in real life!)

Simply put, A Song Of Ice And Fire is literary fantasy for adult readers. The series has me hooked. I have already read the first three books back to back and plan to continue till the latest one (Book four and five). But be warned, the series has two more installments to go before we see the EPIC conclusion of this Song Of Fire And Ice, and GRRM is notorious for pushing his release dates further and further into the future (Book five was published after a gap of six years!). So brace yourselves for a LONG wait to witness the climax to this absolutely brilliant and thrilling series.

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