Now You See Me 2

"You haven't seen anything yet"

After 3 years, the world got what it wanted: a sequel to an almost unknown thriller that took the world by storm! I just wish that it was called 'Now You Don't' instead.

After the events of the first movie, the Horsemen have gone into hiding, waiting for instructions from the mysterious Eye. When they finally step back into the public after an entire year, things somehow got horribly wrong, and the Horsemen find themselves in Macau, confronted by Walter Mabry, who sends them on a hunt to get hold of a device that can get into any computer anywhere. Meanwhile, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes hatches his own plot against Thaddeus Bradley, the former magician who Rhodes blames for his father's death.

While NYSM 2 was fun, it didn't have as much sparkle as its predecessor. One of the reasons I really enjoyed the first one was because of all the twists and turns in the plot. Unfortunately, this one also has similar twists in the plot, like how the 'villain' turns out to be a good guy in the end. A few of my predictions while watching the movie turned out to be right, like the trick they played with the plane. The magic was gone so to say. Some of the plot elements were confusing too, like the part involving the fake and original versions of the aforementioned device. To the writers of the script, I have one question about Thaddeus Bradley and Lionel Shrike being friends: Why? What was the point of both of them being friends? However, I enjoyed Lizzy Caplan's performance. Her inclusion was one of the best parts of the sequel. I really enjoyed her smartassery. I also liked Daniel Radcliffe's performance as the villain. Never seen that before! A few of the scenes were visual masterpieces and expertly choreographed, especially the scene where the team passes around the card while the other are being searched. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that its worth going for the movie just to see that one scene. In conclusion, I would like to say, 'Oh, what could have been!'

• Genres- thriller, sci-fi
• Director- Jon Chu
• Producers- Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Bobby Cohen
• Starring- Jesse Eisenberg, Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Ruffalo, Lizzy Caplan, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine

My rating

6/10

Picture from- https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRAJOnl2-L98tq3ov-Htv8eX-0kJ--RISMDnhVj8vRqEcXptilT

Video from- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuEjHzOIgBE

Captain America: Civil War

"Whose side are you on?"

When this movie released, the world exploded with excitement. Or at least, I did. I was so pumped up for this that I stayed awake for an entire night just to get tickets on the opening day, and I missed a day of school just so I could watch the movie before all of my friends! So you could say I was quite charged up for this Marvel event.

After the destruction caused by members of the Avengers in New York, Washington DC and Sokovia, the world feels that these powered people need to be kept in check. So come the Sokovia Accords, which puts the Avengers under the control of the United Nations. This deeply divides the team, with Tony Stark being pro-registration and Steve Rogers against him. This, coupled with the fact that Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, is on the run pits members of the Avengers against each other in what may well be the end of the Avengers. Meanwhile in the shadows, Helmut Zemo plots his own nefarious agenda.

If I had to describe the movie in three words, it would be "worth the wait". Months and months of biding my time finally paid off on the 6th of May. I couldn't really find anything to criticize in this film. Another solid performance by all of the actors. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans have a really great chemistry together. That was important in establishing that this was actually a civil war. The clash of their ideologies was crystal clear. You could feel and understand the conflicts going on in their minds as the movie progressed. Tom Holland was impressive, making him the Spider-Man we always wanted. By far the best Spider-Man to grace the big screen till date. Chadwick Boseman was amazing as T'Challa/Black Panther. Frankly speaking, you should go watch this just to get a glimpse of Boseman as Black Panther. Sebastian Stan, just like in the Winter Soldier impressed me with his acting. He excellently portrayed someone caught in between everything. In the short time he was on screen, Paul Rudd made me laugh and go 'wow' all at the same time. Call me sadistic, but I think that one of the major Avengers should have been killed to show the grave repercussions of such a civil war. I loved how the Russo brothers included so many superheroes without making the movie feel cramped up. I understood each character perfectly; there were no confusions at all. The film was a visual masterpiece. The airport fight scene was by far the best scene in the entire MCU. No contest whatsoever. I was at the edge of my seat for the entire scene, and after it was over, I actually missed out the next minute or so of the movie because I was awestruck. The final battle between Captain America and Iron Man was also beautifully choreographed. What I liked best was that one part of the fight, with Cap using his shield to block a blast from Iron Man-

Loved it. The storyline was perfect. In the comics, there were tons of superheroes who took sides in the battles, but the Russos managed perfectly with just 12. There was a lot of mystery and intrigue and that kept me engaged. What I really liked was how Marvel had masterfully planted seeds for Civil War way back in The Avengers. Kudos for that! Hopefully DC will take some tips from the MCU on how to create a universe! 

I really hope nobody even tries to compare Civil War to BvS, because Civil War is a class apart. 

• Genres- action, sci-fi
• Directors- Joe and Anthony Russo
• Producer- Kevin Feige
• Starring- Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Emily VanCamp, Frank Grillo, William Hurt and Daniel Brühl

My rating

9/10

Pictures from- http://www.blastr.com/sites/blastr/files/Captain-America-Civil-War-Key-Art.jpg

http://media.comicbook.com/2016/05/captain-america-civil-war-181827.jpg

Video from- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

The second of the six superhero movies in 2016! Since I'm more of a Marvel fan, forgive me if I don't seem as excited as I am for Civil War or Dr Strange. But after watching Batman v Superman, I think its time to get into DC!

After the levelling of the city of Metropolis by Superman during his epic battle with General Zod in Man of Steel, the world is divided over whether Superman needs to be praised or condemned. The loss of life has left Bruce Wayne feeling angry and helpless. Thinking that Superman is responsible for all this, Batman starts his own vendetta against the Man of Steel. Meanwhile billionaire Lex Luthor, obsessed with removing Superman from the picture has his own plans.

I do not know why I haven't watched any DC movies yet. This film told me to start following DC as well as Marvel in the future. I also do not know why we feared Ben Affleck playing Bruce Wayne. His portrayal of Batman/Bruce Wayne was just perfect; nothing too much or too less. He will do well in the upcoming movies in the DC Extended Universe. Ben Affleck sort of carried the movie forward as it just felt more interesting and gripping when Batman was on screen. Despite what all the critics said, I really enjoyed Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor, and I found myself waiting for him to come on screen. Jeremy Irons was also quite impressive as Alfred, but I wish he had a tad more screen time. This film was a visual masterpiece. From the inside of the Kryptonian ship to the climactic battle at the end, the film is a treat for the eyes. If you haven't watched this yet, and are expecting this to be like The Avengers, then just stay home. This movie has a much darker and more serious tone. There's also much less fighting and action sequences than you would expect from a movie which includes Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Most of the movie is about politics and the government, so don't expect to be sitting at the edge of your seat. I also found to story a little hard to follow around the middle of the film. But I guess that's just because I don't follow DC as much as I follow Marvel! All in all, a good movie, but could have been improved in some aspects.

• Genres- Action 
• Director- Zack Snyder
• Producers- Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder
• Starring- Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter

My rating

7/10

Picture from- http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2015/04/17/102597285-Batman-vs-Superman.1910x1000.jpeg

Video from- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwfUnkBfdZ4

London Has Fallen

"The world's leaders have assembled. So have their enemies."

Movies involving the President of the USA are becoming more popular than ever, and one of the sub-genres this has spawned is movies in which the President is a target of some terrorist, but is saved at the last second. That is exactly wha London Has Fallen is all about. 

The British Prime Minister has just dies, and all of the world's most powerful leaders must attend. However, when they all are in London, a group of terrorists unleash a devastating attack which brings London to its knees. Its now up to Secret Service Agent Mike Banning to protect President Benjamin Asher and bring him home safely. 

In short, this film was a collection of clichés. Not even an ounce of originality in this movie. The basic plotline was very clichéd. The movie is about a man who wants to resign from his job because his wife is expecting a baby, but suddenly has to go to complete one last thing, which explodes into some big event. Another cliché was when the part where the President tried to be a hero by telling Banning to kill him if it came to it. Then there was the part where the President and his agent escape and think that they're safe, but then a truck comes out of nowhere and crashes into them. This movie wouldn't be anything without any other movies of a similar kind, like White House Down, Air Force One and even Olympus Has Fallen. For example, both movies, London Has Fallen and its prequel, are quite similar. Both start with flashbacks, both have sudden gunfights erupting out of nowhere... I could go on and on. The scene in which the President is threatened with one of the villains reminded me of the very similar scene from Air Force One, when the Russian villain throws Harrison Ford around the cabin. The terrorist's motive in this film was personal (his daughter had been killed). This is similar to White House Down (the villain's son had been killed). All of this is just half of what went wrong with this movie. Many of the characters lacked development and depth, and some were just plain useless. For example, the female MI6 agent was quite vague, and I felt that she just popped out of thin air. The Chief Hazard character was useless; the entire movie could have been made without him. And the for mole in MI5, I have one question: where exactly did he come from? Like the female MI6 agent, he was also seemingly born out of thin air. You could tell that the character of Lynne Jacobs was going to die from the moment she opened her mouth. Seeing as this is an action movie, it will have gunfights and explosions, but even these things were not well-executed. Excepting the first gunfight, all of the others were confusing and very difficult to follow. I was confused as to whether I was actually still watching the movie, or a clip from Call of Duty. You couldn't tell what was happening. The explosion in the building was clearly animated. It didn't seem real. It can't be that hard to make a computer-generated explosion look real. Even though I have all of the criticism, I do have a few good comments. Excepting the explosion I spoke about, the rest of the CGI was on par. Also, Aaron Eckhart did a good job as President Benjamin Asher. 

• Genres- Action, crime
• Director- Babak Najafi
• Produces- Gerard Butler, Mark Gill, Danny Lerner, Matt O'Toole, Alan Siegel and Les Weldon
• Starring- Gerard Buttler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon Moni Aboutboul, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Melissa Leo and Radha Mitchell

My rating

4/10

Picture from- http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/london-has.jpg

Video from- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0BZoCeuomo

Deadpool

"Bad ass. Smart ass. Great ass."

The most awaited release of the year and my first R-rated movie! Presenting to you: Deadpool!! To be honest, I'd lost hope of being able to watch this in the cinema, but luckily for me, the attendants here in Bangalore don't check your age!

A former Special Forces soldier-turned mercenary, Wade Wilson is just about to get married and settle down when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Believing that Ajax can save him, Wade signs up for a 'treatment', which disfigures his face and leaves him with an accelerated healing ability and a dark, twisted sense of humour. With help from two of the X-Men, Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus, Deadpool sets out to exact revenge on the man who destroyed his life.

Oh, how I wish Deadpool was a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! It would have been great to see Deadpool with all the other Marvel characters, especially Spider-Man! Anyways, for the film, I barely have any criticisms at all. First, the acting. Ryan Reynolds' performance was top-notch. He is the perfect Deadpool/Wade Wilson we know and love from the comics. He acted great. I also liked how Deadpool was always breaking the fourth wall, bringing the audience into the story wherever possible. The humour also kept me in splits throughout. There was not one scene which was boring. One aspect I particularly liked was how the filmmakers managed to put all the scenes together. There were a lot of flashback scenes, but the way they were stitched together and their fluidity made everything fall into place quite well. The only complaint I have is that the plot was clichéd. I've seen so many movies where the main character sets out for revenge against a more powerful villain, who kidnaps the hero's girlfriend for leverage. Anyways, this was a great movie, and I can't wait for the sequel!

• Genres- action, science fiction
• Director- Tim Miller
• Producers- Simon Kinberg, Ryan Reynolds and Lauren Shuler Donner
• Starring- Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, TJ Miller, Gina Carano and Brianna Hildebrand 

My rating

9/10

Picture from- http://s3.foxfilm.com/foxmovies/production/films/103/images/gallery/deadpool1-gallery-image.jpg
Video from- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCvLUxICxEI

My Top Movies of 2015

Welcome, 2016! This is a bit late, but in my defence, I was busy celebrating the new year. 2015 was quite an eventful year for me. I aced my IGCSEs, moved to Bangalore, started IB and took the SAT for the first time. 2015 has also been a great year for movies. Sadly, becaise I was so busy this year, I wasn't able to watch and review as many movies as I did in 2014. Anyhow, here are the Top 5 lists.

My Top Movies of 2015

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. Ant-Man
3. The Martian
4. Avengers: Age of Ultron
5. The Intern
6. Inside Out

My Worst Movies of 2015

1. Dilwale
2. Tamasha
3. Fantastic Four

If any of you felt that 2015 was nothing great in terms of movies, 2016 promises to be exciting. My list is going to have way more than just 10 movies!

Movies I'm Excited For in 2016

1. Deadpool
2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3. X-Men: Apocalypse
4. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
6. Captain America: Civil War
7. Star Trek Beyond
8. Suicide Squad
9. Independence Day: Resurgence
10. Kung Fu Panda 3
11. Finding Dory
12. Gods of Egypt
13. The 5th Wave
14. Ice Age: Collision Course
15. Now You See Me 2
16. Assassin's Creed
17. Doctor Strange
18. The BFG
19. London Has Fallen
20. Snowden
21. The Angry Birds Movie
22. The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun
23. Lost in the Pacific
24. MS Dhoni: The Untold Story
25. Airlift
26. The BFG
27. Finest Hours

Wow! Would you look at that! 23 movies! And these are the only ones I could find on IMDb. 2016 promises to be even more exciting and action-packed than 2015! I just can't wait!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

"Coming to your galaxy this winter"

Finally, the most awaited movie of the year! After months of hype and rumours all over the Internet, I finally got to watch it. As a die-hard Star Wars fan, I couldn't have been more excited and carged up for this instalment. Just so you guys know, Star Wars movies are schdeduled to be released every year now! What a time to be alive!

The Force Awakens is set approximately 30 years after the second Death Star was destroyed by the Rebel Alliance in Return of the Jedi. The galaxy now faces a new threat in the form of Kylo Ren and the First Order. We follow Rey, a scavenger from Jakku, who is joined by Finn, a defector from the First Order, and the cute little BB-8, who takes it upon herself to make sure the Resistance gets hold of a map which will lead to Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi Knights.

My whole experience of the film is a blur. I was so excited to be there that at first I walked into the wrong hall. Anyways, The Force Awakens was a great addition, and something worth waiting months for. There is so much to praise in this movie. Let's start with the musical score. John Williams has amazed again. When I heard that he was brought back to work on The Force Awakens, I was so excited. Every new tune was literally music to the ears! The special effects were top-notch, and didn't fail to amaze me. Every laser bolt, lightsaber duel and explosion kept me at the edge of my seat. The new characters of Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo Ren were good additions, though I felt that Poe's character lacked development in certain places. It was like I'd gone back in time when I saw Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 back on screen, though I missed R2-D2's continuous chittering (I won't say any more about that). The actors didn't fail to perform. Harrison Ford made a stunning return as Han Solo, and the only different thing about Han in The Force Awakens was that he had white hair. Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, the new actors, shined brightly throughout the movie. So far, not a single Stormtrooper has been given even an ounce of personality in any of the previous instalments. It is good to see that Stormtroopers are now being seen as actual people, not mindless killing machines as shown previously. Maybe this will open up some pathways for Star Wars spinoff movies about clone troopers and stormtroopers in the future! While the movie was great in all these aspects, I did have a few criticisms. The plot was very similar to that of Episodes 4 & 6. In Episodes 4 and 6, the major part of the plot includes destroying the Death Stars. In The Force Awakens, the plot included destroying Starkiller Base, which was basically another Death Star. Also similar was how Han, Rey and Finn end up at a bar/restaurant to meet someone, just like in Episode 4. Anyways, all in all, the movie was great, and I eagerly await the next!

• Genres- science fiction, action, adventure
• Director- JJ Abrams
• Producers- Kathleen Kennedy, JJ Abrams, Bryan Burk
• Starring- Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max von Sydow

My rating

9/10

Picture from- http://i.imgur.com/mml6T1h.jpg

Video from- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE