My Top Movies of 2014

And so we bid adieu to another eventful year. Goodbye 2014! Now, I thought this would be the best time to list my top movies of this eventful year. And, while we're at it, why not list my worst movies of the year and the movies I'm eagerly awaiting next year? Let's get to it!

My Top Movies for 2014
1. Interstellar
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. The Hundred-Foot Journey
4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

My Worst Movies for 2014
(You DO NOT want to be on this list)
1. Divergent
2. Transformers: Age of Extinction
3. Dumb and Dumber 2 (This film was so disgustingly bad that I didn't even have the heart to review it)
Seeing as I only have 3 movies here, I can easily say that it's been a great year for movies.

Now, where would cinema be without Bollywood? Here are my top Hindi movies for the year:

My Top Hindi Movies for 2014
1. PK
2. Happy New Year
3. Bang Bang
4. Singham 2
5. Kick

I hope next year will be as exciting as this, and it certainly looks so, at least in terms of movies! Here are the movies which I absolutely can't wait to see.

What I'm Most Excited to See in 2015
1. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2. Furious 7
3. The Avengers: Age of Ultron
4. Spectre
5. Ant-Man
6. Jurassic Park
7. The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
8. Mission Impossible 5
9. Goosebumps

See you next year!

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

"One final night to save the day"

I'd always wanted to watch a movie in which there's a museum and all of the exhibits come to life and create mischief when I was young. And needless to say, I was really loved this trilogy. In the final instalment to the Night at the Museum series, we are taken to the British Museum. First, it was the American Museum of Natural History in New York and then the Smithsonian in Washington DC and now- England!

The tablet of Akhmenrah, the magical Ancient Egyptian artefact that gives all the museum exhibits life, is corroding. When all of the museum exhibits start behaving strangely at a night event at the museum, Larry pinpoints the cause of their strange behaviour to the tablet dying. Along with Teddy Roosevelt, Sacagawea, Attila the Hun, Jedediah, Octavius and Dexter the capuchin, Larry must travel to London to find a cure for the tablet before it dies for all eternity. 

This movie was a great way to end the beloved series. While Night at the Museum isn't exactly a blockbuster movie, it's one of those movies where you can just sit down and tune out the rest of the world for a few hours. As I like to say, it was one of those 'time-pass' movies! I can't think of a better actor to play Larry Daley other than Ben Stiller. He's awesome! It was always fun to see how the gang would interact with historical figures in the museums, and the British Museum was no exception. Sir Lancelot was great for comic relief and humour in general. He had some great lines. I had great fun during the movie! One thing I didn't like was Ben Stiller's double role as Larry and Laa. Other than maybe once, I didn't actually find Laa's antics that funny, but hats off to Ben Stiller for pulling off a double role in the final film. So overall, not the best movie, but something great to watch just to kick back and relax. A nice finish to one of my favourite series!  

• Genre- Comedy, fantasy, family and action
• Director- Shawn Levy
• Producers- Shawn Levy, Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe
• Starring- Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Dan Stevens, Rebel Wilson, Skyler Gisondo, Rami Malek, Patrick Gallagher and Mizuo Peck

My rating

3.5/5

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1

"Fire burns brighter in the darkness"

Now, I know that it's a little late, seeing that the movie released over a week ago here in Singapore, but, you know, I'm a busy man! Anyways, back to work. The book Mockingjay is the final book in Suzanne Collins's incredible series. The movie was divided into two parts for financial gain, and let me tell you guys, I absolutely cannot wait for the second instalment.

All Districts are now in full-scale rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss, who was liberated from the devastating Quarter Quell, wakes up underneath the supposedly destroyed District 13. She is introduced to President Alma Coin, who requests her to be the 'Mockingjay' of the rebellion, the embodiment of hope and symbol of survival against all odds. But Katniss flatly refuses, bitterly pointing out that they left Peeta Mellark, Katniss's district partner, behind in the Quarter Quell arena. Katniss also learns that her home, District 12, has been levelled on the Capitol's orders and all that is left is rubble and corpses. Meanwhile, Peeta has been brainwashed and is now a prisoner of the snaky President Snow. When Katniss sees Peeta at the end, Peeta's 'abruptness' surprises and shocks Katniss.

I've read the Hunger Games series at least 3 times, and I'm happy to say that Mockingjay, like its predecessors, was accurate, and any changes that were actually made to the plot were good changes. For example, we learn more about Effie Trinket and about President Snow. Some of the scenes in the movie, like the blowing up of the dam in District 5 and the land mines in District 7, were't actually in the book; they were only mentioned, but they made wonderful additions in showing what was happening outside of District 13. You also might have noticed that the pacing of the characters was slow. Personally, I think that this was quite important, because the book is split into two movies. On top of that, it shows each and every change in the characters. Now, to the actors. Once again, (no surprises here) Jennifer Lawrence did a marvellous job in executing the role of Katniss. I never knew that she was such a great singer! She has gone so deep into her character, we only see her as Katniss Everdeen, not as Jennifer Lawrence, like her reaction at seeing the charred remains of District 12. Josh Hutcherson, I think, has done a fascinating job in capturing his character of Peeta. You could actually see him deteriorating as the movie went on. The special effects that were used to show the Capitol buildings and the destroyed District 12 was also of top quality. Mockingjay -- Part 1 has so far been the most electrifying movie so far in the Hunger Games Trilogy. The perfect teaser for the upcoming Part 2!

• Genre- Sci-fi, action and adventure
• Director- Francis Lawrence
• Producers- Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik
• Starring- Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland and Philip Seymour Hoffman 

My rating

4.5/5

Interstellar

"Mankind's next step will be our greatest."

Interstellar. The name tells you everything. The word actually means occurring in between the stars. And that's exactly what happens in this mind-blowing movie. It's a sci-fi, so it starts in the usual way, with Earth being shown as almost-dead.

Our time on Earth is coming to a close. The human population has been reduced to a farming society and dust storms ravage the fields. Cooper is a pilot-turned-farmer. When it is revealed to him that NASA still exists and that a wormhole has been discovered and that it could take them to a new life-sustaining planet, he agrees to fly a team of scientists through the wormhole. After going through the wormhole, they come across three prospective planets. Cooper must decide between on reaching the new planets or going back to Earth while the other scientists must find out whether humanity can live amongst the stars after Earth dies out forever.

What I didn't know when I walked into the cinema for Interstellar was that Christopher Nolan hired cosmologist Kip Thorne to make sure that all the small details in the movie related to physics were correct, like the black hole and the wormhole. I must say, this movie was aesthetically pleasing in terms of the rendering of the stars, planets, the black hole and the galaxies. Even the sound effects made you actually feel like you were in space. In terms of the other aspects of the movie, everything was top notch. Matthew McConaughey did a good job, though nothing out of the ordinary. Mackenzie Foy, the girl who played Murph, did a fine job as well. Christopher Nolan impresses with every movie; Inception, the Batman movies and finally Interstellar. Another thing I really liked about Interstellar was that it actually taught me something about space and time. At first, it seems confusing with the space-time continuum and everything, but it clears up near the end. The movie is almost 3 hours long, but it's absolutely worth it. Oh, and one more thing, there isn't much humour in the movie, but whatever is there is funny! You guys will love this movie.

• Genre- Sci-fi, adventure
• Director- Christopher Nolan
• Producers- Emma Thomas, Kip Thorne, Lynda Obst
• Starring- Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain

My rating 

5/5

Annabelle

Annabelle is the newest horror movie in cinemas now, and let me tell you, it is scary. Its about a doll who gets possessed by a demonic creature and then starts to haunt a woman and her new daughter. It probably sounds like a clichéd plot, but get this: it's based on a true story! There is a real doll called Annabelle, though it looks nothing like the one in the movie, that was possessed and caused a rather unfortunate series of events.

When Mia receives a doll that she's been hunting for from her husband John for her expected baby, she is overjoyed. But that's just a sure sign that something bad is going to happen. During the night, Mia hears a murder taking place at their neighbors' home. A report shows that the assailants were Annabelle Higgins and her boyfriend and were part of a satanic cult. Mia is attacked by them, but they are subdued. A drop of Annabelle's blood falls onto the doll's eye. As expected, strange activity begins to torment Mia and her baby. Through some research and help from an old woman who is knowledgeable about superstitions, Mia determines that the spirit haunting her wants a soul. It doesn't want her soul; it wants her baby's soul instead.

I'm not a huge fan of horror movies. Horror ranks about 8th out of my top 10 favorite genres. In fact, the only reason I went for it was because my friends were there as well. Now, I've only watched a few horror movies (3 of them), but I really thought Annabelle was a scary movie. I was absolutely freaked in the cinema. I'll admit it; I screamed twice during the film. The background music was great at raising suspense and fright wherever needed. It told me when to cover my eyes... (I'm joking. No, seriously). Another great thing in the film were all the camera angles. I've never seen so many different camera angles in just one movie. That made it easier the see the looks of abject terror on the characters' faces. I don't know if you guys liked it or not, but I personally thought it was a satisfying film. The trailer, however, spoiled most of the scares in the movie. Not something I like.

• Genre- Horror and mystery 
• Director- John R. Leonetti
• Producers- Peter Safran and James Wan
• Starring- Annabelle Wallis (Coincidence? I think not!), Ward Horton and Alfre Woodard

My rating

4/5

The Maze Runner

Before I start my review for The Maze Runner, let me just say that the books by James Dashner were fantastic. Each of the three books were well-written and the story was gripping too. So obviously, I was excited to watch the movie.

When Thomas wakes up in the Glade with a group of other boys inside the Maze, he has no memory at all. No recollection of any memories. But he soon starts dreaming about a mysterious organization known as WCKD (known as WICKED in the book). There is one rule that all the Gladers follow: do not enter the Maze. Nobody knows about the Maze. Every night, the maze doors close, and the Grievers come out to play. The Grievers are basically half machine and half animal. They are programmed to kill any Glader in the Maze. But when Thomas kills one, everything starts to change. When Teresa, the first girl to be sent to the Maze, seems to recognize Thomas, everything changes. By piecing together clues he finds in the Maze and the things he learns from his dreams about WCKD, he begins to discern the real purpose he was sent to the Maze for and a way for all the Gladers from the Maze to escape.

While The Maze Runner was not an exceptional movie, it was satisfactory, like all other movies that are based on books. However, Dylan O'Brien carried his role as Thomas strongly. He carries along both the story and the emotions. From the beginning of the movie until the end, it was considerably accurate, with just a few tweaks to the story. The special effects made everything authentic. The Maze walls looked realistic, and I felt that this was important for the movie. Everything from the way the walls moved to the puddles on the floor made the whole setting seem as if it was original. However, in the book, Thomas and Teresa could speak to each other telepathically. I felt that they should have included that in the movie as well because it was an important part. The Grievers also looked different from what I'd imagined. Dashner described them as half-slug and half-machine, so I imagined a brown slug-like thing with metal spikes and appendages sticking out. In the film, they were more 'spidery', with jagged metal legs. My final verdict? A good movie, but it could have been much better.

• Genre- Sci-fi, action, mystery
• Director- Wes Ball
• Producers- Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Lee Stollman  
• Starring- Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Ki Hong Lee

My rating

4/5

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Most of you may have noticed that all the movies that I've reviewed so far have one thing in common- they are all either action or adventure or science-fiction. But not today. Today, I'm reviewing The Hundred-Foot Journey, a heartwarming story about a young Indian chef in France as he struggles to prove his competence in cookery.

When Hasan and his family end up in a tiny French village with a dream of opening an Indian restaurant, they aren't discouraged by the fact that just a hundred feet across their door is an acclaimed Michelin-starred French restaurant that's so popular that even the President of France dines there. But when Hasan and his family open their restaurant, the owner of the restaurant opposite, Madame Mallory, will do anything to get their restaurant shut down. The French and Indian cultures clash, and what was first a small rivalry, becomes all-out war. However, when Madame Mallory discovers Hasan's prowess and passion for cooking, she immediately takes note of his potential to earn her restaurant one more Michelin star. This, along with the budding friendship developing between Hasan and Marguerite, Madame Mallory's sous chef, brings the two cultures together. 

This movie was beautiful. Along with Guardians of the Galaxy and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it was one of the best movies I've seen this year. The acting was first-rate and the story was a perfect mixture of comedy and seriousness. Another thing I really liked about the film was that there were no random clashes or out-of-nowhere surprises. You guys remember Disney's Ratatouille? Ratatouille is one of my favorite movies, and The Hundred-Foot Journey reminded me of it, especially the similarities between Remy and Hasan. The movie was about food, and it did just what food should do: it satisfied me. I would recommend this movie to everyone, but I guarantee that you're going to leave the cinema hungry! 

• Genre- Comedy and drama
• Director- Lasse Hallstöm 
• Producers- Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake 
• Starring- Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal, Om Puri and Charlotte Le Bon 

My rating

5/5

Guardians of the Galaxy

"All heroes start somewhere."

Marvel has finally made a movie starring some of it's lesser-known, but still amazing, characters. The Guardians of the Galaxy include a thief, an assassin, a genetically modified big-mouthed raccoon, a plant-humanoid who can speak only three words and a powerful prisoner. Together, they are the most unlikely of superheroes to save the day.

When Peter Quill steals a stone with powerful properties, he is made a target by Ronan, the obsessive Kree who wants to destroy the planet Xandar. He forms an uneasy alliance with a bunch of extraterrestrial misfits: Gamora (the assassin), Rocket (the raccoon), Groot (the plant-humanoid) and Drax (the powerful one). From here on, they embark on a thrilling journey across the galaxy to restrict Ronan from getting his hands on the stone and destroying the entire galaxy. 

I'll give it to you guys straight: Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the finest Marvel movies. Better than Iron Man 2. Better than Iron Man 3. Better than Thor: The Dark World. The action and comedy were great too. It's not only got the markings of an amazing movie, but you can also empathize with the characters and get to know about them. Everyone acted really well throughout. While I was watching, I couldn't decide on which character was my favourite. Peter? Groot? Rocket? I couldn't choose. I guess I liked Peter because he reminded me of Han Solo from Star Wars. The resemblance between those two was uncanny. Meanwhile, everyone at DC is probably scratching their heads and wondering how in the world did a movie starring a talking raccoon and a tree-humanoid who can only say one sentence is at the top of the charts. All in all, an amazing movie and a movie that everyone, and I mean everyone, should watch. And one more thing, Groot was awesome!

• Genre- Sci-fi, action, adventure
• Director- James Gunn
• Producer- Kevin Feige
• Starring- Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Lee Pace

My rating

5/5

Transformers 4: Age of Extinction

"This is not war, it's extinction"

This is the fourth and definitely not final movie in the explosive Transformers franchise. I'm pretty sure that all of you know what happens in the other movies, or at least have a basic idea, but if you don't, here's a quick 101: a bunch of Decepticons attack, everyone goes crazy deploying soldiers and weaponry, and then the Autobots along with a few humans save the day. There's one small difference in Age of Extinction- there aren't any soldiers, and the final battle is in China, not some city in the USA.

When struggling inventor Cade Yeager finds an old truck that just happens to be Optimus Prime, he is targeted by CIA agent Harold Attinger, who is bent upon finding and destroying all remaining Transformers on Earth. But when businessman/inventor Joshua Joyce, one of Attinger's allies, ventures to learn more about the Transformers, he crosses the line and pushes technology to it's limits, trying to learn as much as he can; all while an ancient Transformer menace threatens Earth once again. 

To be honest with everyone of you, I thought that this movie was one of the worst in the franchise. It was way too long for an action movie (2.5 hours!!) and they didn't even try to develop the plot. Remember the slo-mo scenes in the first three movies, like when Ironhide jumps up and shoots missiles while a woman screams underneath, and Devastator in the second movie and how Bumblebee transforms with Sam still inside him during the third one? Well, there were none of those in Age of Extinction. There was slo-mo, but not the memorable kind. Then there's the humor. There's only one word for it- sad. I'm not sure, but I think it was supposed to be funny, not make you sigh with annoyance. I've been a Transformers fan for a very long time, but this was an all time low. You know, there should be a new law passed that makes it illegal to make a bad movie if the trailers are so good. The trailers made the movie seem better than they actually were. The only good thing I have to say about this disappointment is that the CGI and graphics were amazing. It looked fantastic. Mark Wahlberg did a good job, but he was the only one. The lone spark in a gigantic cloud of smoke. 

• Genre- Action, sci-fi and adventure
• Director- Michael Bay
• Producers- Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce
• Starring- Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz and Stanley Tucci

My rating

2/5

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

"The one last chance for peace."

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. What a dramatic name for an amazing movie. If any of you have no idea what this movie is about, its name tells you all you need to know. So what's it about? Yes, you guessed it: Apes. In this sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the very same virus that made Caeser as intelligent as a human has killed most of mankind and led to the downfall of all the countries in the world.

For ten years, the apes have lived peacefully in the Muir Woods in California, while the rest of the world is chaotic and full of confusion. When a band of humans are encountered by a few apes, a fragile peace is reached, but it is only momentary. Within a few days, the two sides reach the brink of war. When Caeser is shot, but not killed, by Koba, everything depends on Malcolm to avert a terrible war that will determine who becomes the supreme species on Earth.

I have one word for Dawn of the Apes: stunning. Everything was stunning about this film. The special effects were fantastic. If you weren't told that real apes were not trained for the movie, you wouldn't be able to make out that the apes were just special effects. There were actually actors who were portraying the apes. Now, to the plot. The story was pretty good; way better than its prequel's. I also liked that the apes could speak proper English. That was a nice touch by the writers. The fight scenes were quite impressive. Overall, one of the best movies this summer.

• Genre- Adventure, action and sci-fi
• Director- Matt Reeves
• Producers- Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
• Starring- Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell and Gary Oldman

My rating

5/5

Be Patient!!

Hey everyone. Sorry I've not been updating my blog, but I've been busy with school and other things. So just be patient and look forward to my next review, which will be on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Cheers!

Edge of Tomorrow

"Live, Die, Repeat"

One of the world's favorite movie genres is science-fiction. It's my favorite genre, too. The Edge of Tomorrow is just that. It's got the aliens, futuristic technology, action, a hard-to-believe story line and the fighting. It's got everything. For Edge of Tomorrow, they've thrown in the concept of time as well.

An alien species called the 'Mimics' has hit Earth and invaded most of mainland Europe. When Major William Cage is unceremoniously thrown into combat, he inexplicably finds himself in a time-loop, forcing him to live the same day and fighting the same war again and again and again. But when he meets Rita Vratski, one of the most decorated soldiers fighting the war, they figure out ways to take the fight back to the Mimics and with each 'resurrection', they get closer and closer to defeating the terrible enemy. 

I guess I could say that Edge of Tomorrow was your typical science fiction movie. The storyline was good, but the 'Live, Die, Repeat' slogan was a spoiler. Living, dying and repeating was the only thing going on the movie. The movie's budget was $175 million, which in terms of movie budgets, is quite small. It is like this for one reason only- there was barely any filming. Since Cage was killed and resurrected so many times, I'm pretty sure that they just used the same footage over and over again to save money. The film was way too repetitive, as you may have have gathered. However, I liked the story and Tom Cruise was amazing as usual with all of the action. Overall, the movie was good, but the endless repeating of the day got a little boring.

• Genre- Action and sci-fi
• Starring- Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt
• Director- Doug Liman
• Producer- Erwin Stoff, Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs 
• Screenplay- Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth

My rating

4/5

Godzilla (2014)

"The world ends, Godzilla begins"

Godzilla: a remake of the previous one that released all the way back in 1998 with a few changes in the plot. If you've watched any of the previous ones, you'll know the basic plot; a huge monster is created because of an accident in a laboratory, it goes under the ocean and later surfaces at some major city in the US where the monster proceeds to destroy buildings, kill people and basically looking as if it has serious anger management issues. At the same time, soldiers are deployed and plans are made to kill the monster by an air strike or detonating a bomb. At the end, Godzilla is killed and everyone lives happily ever after.

In the latest Godzilla movie, the storyline is different. Instead of focusing mainly on Godzilla himself, the movie revolves around two other monsters called MUTOs as well as Godzilla. The two MUTOs try to reach each other to mate, and what's a better place to mate than at San Francisco? But the MUTOs and Godzilla are natural enemies, and when they meet, it ain't gonna be pretty. The human race has to depend on it's most destructive ally, I should say, to defeat the MUTOs.

So far, there have been about 25-odd movies starring Godzilla. Most of these focus on Godzilla himself, and the actors in these ones were horrendous. However, in this year's remake, there was actually some acting, something that was lacking in the other movies. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen have a bright future ahead of them in Hollywood. Let's get to the subject of the great Godzilla. From the role of a main character, Godzilla's role has shrunken to that of a supporting character. They focused more on the MUTOs and well, I'd paid to watch Godzilla fight, not the MUTOs. One more thing: Godzilla was fat. I mean, did you see that pot belly hanging down towards the ground? Huge! He must have been gorging himself underwater. On a whole, I quite liked the movie, especially the end when Godzilla becomes the good guy. However, I did feel that Godzilla could have been a bit more violent, though his atomic breath was a nice touch.

• Genre- Action and sci-fi
• Director- Gareth Edwards
• Producers- Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Brian Rogers
• Starring- Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe 
• Screenplay- Max Borenstein 

My rating

4/5

Transcendence

"Dr. Will Caster is dying to keep a secret"

Want to know what may happen to the world in the next decade or so? Watch Transcendence. Starring Johnny Depp, this film is about what would technology could do if it were given a mind of it's own. Dr Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is one of the top researchers in the field of Artificial Intelligence. He wants to create a computer with a full range of human emotions, which will create, in his words, 'Transcendence'. 

When a group of terrorists shoot Caster with a radioactive bullet in an attempt to destroy him, it only becomes an impetus for Caster to succeed in his endeavor- to be a part of his own transcendence. His wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max (Paul Bettany) begin to wonder if what they are doing is right or not. Their worst fears come to light when Will's simple thirst for knowledge turns to an infinite journey for power. 

The plot and story for this film was fantastic. You don't usually see movies with a plot and story as good as Transcendence. The acting was alright too. I would say that only Paul Bettany (Max) did a great job as portraying Will and Evelyn's friend. The visual effects department did their job! The special effects in the movie were amazing. However, I felt that there could have been a little more development of a few things, like the terrorist group, RIFT. There was a lot of potential in this movie, but it's development and delivery was lackluster. Otherwise, it's plot was great, and if you love sci-fi, you'll like this movie. 

• Genre- Sci-fi and fantasy
• Director- Wally Pfister
• Producers- Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosorve, Kate Cohen, Marisa Polvino, Annie Marter, David Valdes and Aaron Ryder
• Starring- Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany and Kate Mara 
• Writer- Jack Paglen 

My rating

3/5 

Divergent

"What Makes You Different, Makes You Dangerous"

Based on the book by Veronica Roth, Divergent is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which society is divides into factions based on positive human traits: Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Erudite (knowledge), Amity (peace) and Candor (truth). Every year at the age of 16, boys and girls undergo a test, which suggest which faction they would fit into. After the test, Tris (Shailene Woodley) learns that she is Divergent, and will never fit in any faction.

After a hard time at her new faction, Tris learns about a sinister plot to overthrow the government and destroy Divergents because of their way of thinking independently. Tris and her trainer-turned-friend Four (Theo James) must find out why Divergents are dangerous and a way to stop the toppling of the government.

To be honest with you guys, I found Divergent quite boring. First of all, I thought that it was like the Hunger Games. I mean, kids being divided into factions and then being put together for training? Come on, Veronica Roth! One more thing, if you haven't read the book, you're going to find the movie a little hard to follow. Some of the scenes didn't really have any relevance, like the zip-line scene in the middle. The next negative point I have is that there was barely any character development throughout the movie. If I had to describe the movie in one word, I would say BORING! I almost went to sleep, and believe me, I'm not one to sleep during a movie.

• Genre- Adventure, action and sci-fi
• Director- Neil Burger 
• Producers- Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher and Pouya Shabazian
• Starring- Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Jai Courtney 
• Screenplay- Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor 

My rating

2.5/5 

World War Z

"Remember Philly!"

The apocalypse. That's one topic most people today talk about. How will the world end? Will there be a huge tsunami that drowns everyone? Or a nuclear war that renders the world as dangerous and hazardous? In World war Z, as the name may suggest, is about a zombie apocalypse, something that may sound weird, but there a few scientific reasons that say a zombie apocalypse could actually happen.

World War Z is about a former UN investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt). When his home city of Philadelphia is attacked by zombies, he escapes with his family. Everyone who gets bitten by a zombie turns into a zombie as well. Later, it is discovered that there is a vaccine for this epidemic. While Gerry's family is in danger of being thrown out of a safe-house, Gerry reluctantly agrees to embark on a journey to find a cure for the epidemic to save humanity, which will take him from South Korea all the way to Jerusalem. However, even though a vaccine is developed, Gerry admits that the war is not over.

World War Z, in my opinion, is up there with all the top zombie movies. The action never lost momentum throughout the movie and Brad Pitt did an excellent job of portraying a father who embarked on a journey to save his loved ones from the apocalypse. The zombies actually looked like real zombies, not random extras with green paint on their faces. The only negative point I have about the movie is that the plot did not stick to the plot of the book by Max Brooks. Otherwise, the movie is a must-watch. The background music matched with whatever was going on at the time and the music itself was quite nice.  If you haven't watch it, I would encourage you to add it to your must-see lists.

Watch out for zombies!

• Genre- Apocalyptic, horror, action, adventure
• Director- Marc Foster
• Producer(s)- Brad Pitt, Dede Gardener, Jeremy Kleiner and Ian Bryce 
• Starring- Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale and Matthew Fox 
• Screenplay-Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard and Damon Lindelof

My rating

4.5/5

The LEGO Movie

"The story of a nobody who saved everybody"

Welcome to my first review of an animated movie! All of you know the famous Lego toys, with their trademark bricks and minifigures. The LEGO Movie is the first full-length Lego movie to hit cinemas and it took the world by storm. Starring Chris Pratt as Emmet Brickowski, Will Ferrel as President Business, Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle, Will Arnett as Batman and Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius, the movie is about an ordinary construction worker who mistakenly gets thrown into a mission to save the Lego universe.

A normal citizen in the city, Emmet, is mistaken to be a Master Builder who can save the Lego universe from the evil President Business. With help from Wyldstyle, Vitruvius and Batman, Emmet sets out on the adventure of a lifetime through different Lego worlds to put a stop to President Business's tyranny and to save the Lego universe from being glued together. 

This movie is the best animated film I've seen in my life. The animation was perfect and the detail on each Lego brick was impeccable. If you ever feel a need to laugh, just watch the LEGO Movie. Its humor will keep you roaring with laughter. Though one of the first of its kind, the LEGO Movie, in my opinion, was a big hit with most audiences. I could not find even one bad point about the movie. Everything from the animation to the soundtrack was awesome, especially the famous "Everything is Awesome!". This movie is a must-see for all Lego fans. If there is one thing you could learn from this movie, it is that creativity is NOT bad.

Remember, Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you're part of a team!

• Genre- Animation, comedy, action, adventure
• Director(s)- Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
• Producer(s)- Dan Lin and Roy Lee
• Starring- Chris Pratt, Will Ferrel, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Morgan Freeman
• Screenplay- Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

My rating 

4.5/5 

Please comment your thoughts!

The Hunger Games

"May the Odds be Ever in your Favor"

Based on the bestselling book by Suzanne Collins, the Hunger Games is set in post-apocalyptic North America in a country known as Panem. Panem is divided into 12 districts and 1 ruling city known as the Capitol. As punishment for a rebellion in the past, each district must choose one boy and one girl by lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, where 24 boys and girls will fight to the death in an arena, with one sole survivor who is rewarded.

When Katniss Everdeen's (Jennifer Lawrence) younger sister Prim is chosen, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Her companion is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), a boy who she has emotional history with. When Katniss volunteers for the Games, she believes that she has no chance at all. However, Katniss is a great hunter and archer and for her, survival is basically second nature.

Most of the movie is fast-paced and thrilling. If you have not read the book, I guarantee that you'll be at the edge of your seat, waiting to see what's next. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson portray Katniss and Peeta superbly and overall, the movie was great. One more thing that I quite liked was that all important events in the book were included in the movie. Director Gary Ross did an agreeable job in making the Hunger Games from a book into a movie. Despite this, I do have one negative comment about the film. The soundtrack was boring. It did not match to what was going on in the movie at the time. Otherwise, the Hunger Games was a fine film.

And may the odds be ever in your favour!

• Genre- Thriller, sci-fi, action
• Director(s)- Gary Ross
• Producer(s)- Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik 
• Starring- Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson
• Screenplay by- Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray  

My rating

4.3/5

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

"In heroes we trust."

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger and the ninth film in Marvel's Cinematic Universe. Starring Chris Evens as Steve Rogers (Cap'n America), Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the movie revolves around how Steve Rogers struggles to accept his role in today's world as an agent of SHIELD and how he and the Black Widow battle a threat from the former Soviet Union known only as the Winter Soldier.

After Nick Fury is attacked and killed, Steve becomes entangled in a web of betrayal and intrigue. With assassins and SHIELD agents after him at every turn, Steve joins forces with the Black Widow (Natasha Romanov) to discover the truth. They soon find that they are fighting an unexpected enemy- The Winter Soldier.

The action in this film was mind-blowing. There was not a single dull moment throughout the movie, and I felt that humor was present where ever it was needed. However, I did find an uncanny resemblance between the Mission Impossible series and the Winter Soldier. The directors Anthony and Joe Russo sure made their liking of the Mission Impossible series evident! Otherwise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a great movie, and I would recommend it to anyone who follows Marvel's Avengers franchise and superhero fans. For butt-kicking action and surprises that keep you at the edge of your seat, go watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier!

A word of advice- When the movie ends, don't just walk out, because if you're a true Marvel fan, you'll want to see what's coming next!

• Genre- Action, adventure, sci-fi
• Director(s)- Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
• Producer- Kevin Feige 
• Starring- Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson
• Writers- Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

My Rating

4.5/5

Introduction

Lights!! Camera!! Action!! Introducing the new kid on the 'blog'! 

Movie-buffs: here's Karan Kabra aka The MovieManiac. I'm sure you know what I'll be blogging about... Yep! You guessed right! Movies, movies, movies! 

Upcoming posts will spotlight MY reviews on movies both old and new, recommendations on which movies to watch, information on the latest releases and much, much more!! Get comfy, grab a bucket of popcorn, put your 3D glasses on and prepare to be amazed!