Parinda (1989) Review by Shivom Oza – Realistic Portrayal Of Bombay Underworld

3.5/5 Stars

‘Parinda’, the Vidhu Vinod Chopra film, revolves around the gang rivalry prevalent in Bombay (now Mumbai) during the late 80s. The film reflects around two brothers, Kishen and Karan, on the opposite sides of the law with the backdrop of the Bombay underworld.

It features in the must-watch lists of most Hindi film buffs around the world. The realistic portrayal of crime, exceptional performances by Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Nana Patekar, and the magic of writer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra and editor Renu Saluja make ‘Parinda’ one of the best gangster movies to be made in the country.

Kishen (Sameer and Jackie Shroff) and Karan (Hitesh and Anil Kapoor) are two brothers who have spent most of their childhood on the streets of Bombay, selling newspapers, doing odd jobs, getting involved in street brawls etc. They along with another sibling duo, Prakash (Jatin and Anupam Kher) and Paro (Shweta and Madhuri Dixit) eke out a living on the streets of Bombay. Troubled by poverty, Kishen joins hands with a gangster Anna Seth (Mohan and Nana Patekar). Time passes by and the lives of the four friends move in different directions. Karan goes to the United States to study, Paro becomes a school teacher in Poona (now Pune), Prakash becomes a police officer, while Kishen, while trying to fend for himself and his brother, becomes a dreaded gangster in Anna’s gang. Anna moves on from being a small-time crook to a dreaded gang lord, involved in drug deals, trafficking of women, murders as well as smuggling. Karan is unaware of the crimes that his brother has committed and upon his return from America, witnesses the murder of his good friend Prakash, plotted by Anna and his gang. Hence, Karan takes it upon himself to wage a war against the might of Anna. What follows is a series of murders, twists and turns, romantic liaisons and dramatic confrontations.  

The performances, to put it mildly, are the life of the film. Anil Kapoor gives one of his career-best performances as Karan. His character goes through a myriad of emotions throughout the film. An innocent youngster returning from America, overjoyed to meet his brother, gets the shock of his life when his best friend Inspector Prakash dies in his arms. Anil’s brilliance lies in the fact that he could shift from the caring brother to a charming lover to a troubled citizen to a vengeful friend so easily. One could call his initial scenes in the film a tad over exuberant, but Anil totally makes up for it while enacting the serious bits. His chemistry with Madhuri Dixit is scintillating. Madhuri has a small role in the film. Anil and she have a handful number of scenes, a few songs (notably Tumse Milke Aisa Laga) and a very aesthetically shot lovemaking scene in the film. Dixit gives a sincere performance. Jackie Shroff, as the angst-ridden brother and the much-feared gangster Kishen, delivers a strong performance. He does go over the top at times, and yes, quite often underplays it a bit too much, but his role leaves an impact on the viewer’s mind. The supporting characters, in particular, Anupam Kher as Inspector Prakash, Suresh Oberoi as Abdul Khan, Anang Desai as Inspector Meerani, Tom Alter as Musa and Kamal Chopra as Rama, provide a perfect foil to the principal characters. Nana Patekar gives an excellent performance as the antagonist. His maverick act of Anna Seth, is so domineering that you start hating him the moment he comes on the screen. It takes really good acting to evoke such strong reactions from any viewer.

One of the things that stand out in this film is the realistic approach in its writing and its characters. The underworld has been portrayed very close to what it must have been. Film made during those times had their criminals hidden in sprawling bungalows or dingy dens surrounded by hundreds of bodyguards. ‘Parinda’ had nothing of that. Yes, it did have over-the-top scenes, but even that was a far cry from the films made during that time. The writing (Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Imtiaz Hussain and Shivkumar Subramaniam) is phenomenal. The story may/may not have been inspired but it does keep you engaged for 2 hours 45 minutes. There are a few scenes, such as the assassination of Anupam Kher’s character, the killing of Kamal Chopra’s character, the sequences following the lovemaking sequence between Anil Kapoor’s and Madhuri Dixit’s characters, which are deeply etched in your mind and remain with you long after you have watched the film.  The editing by Renu Saluja is fine. She could have snipped out a lot of needless and inconsequential scenes but then, they must have been kept to keep the film ‘commercially viable’.

The music of the film (composed by Rahul Dev Burman) is decent. Although, the songs should have been completely done away with in the first place, ‘Tumse Milke Aisa Laga’ sung by Asha Bhosle and Suresh Wadkar is well shot.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the director, introduced a new style of filmmaking in ‘Parinda’, which was later emulated in films such as ‘Satya’ and ‘Vaastav’. It was one of the first true-blue gangster films to be made in India. There are certain flaws in the film but the performances and the concept make up for it.

‘Parinda’ is a cult classic. Must watch! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Harud (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Interesting Subject, Let Down By Listless Plot

2.5/5 Stars

Set in militancy-ravaged Kashmir, ‘Harud’ revolves around a tattered family, coming to terms with the loss of their son.

With an interesting subject, Harud is a must-watch for those who want to know about the dark and grim side of Kashmir as well as those who have been carrying the wrong notion about the place. Brilliant performances by the cast, interesting cinematography and the hard-hitting concept notwithstanding, the plot does falter.

Rafiq (Shahnawaz Bhat), a young man, disgruntled with the turmoil in Kashmir, tries to escape to Pakistan by crossing the border. However, he fails to do so and is compelled to return to his family. His brother, Tauqir, has been missing since four years and is probably no more. His mother, Fatima (Shamim Basharat), who has been hysterically searching for Tauqir all this while, is a pained woman. The father, a traffic policeman Yusuf (Iranian actor Reza Naji), is stifled by the endless violence taking place on the streets of Kashmir and worries for Rafiq, as he doesn’t want to lose another son. The tension within the family along with that of the strife-torn Kashmir eventually pushes him to a state of mental imbalance.

Rafiq tries hard to find his footing, but fails to focus enough. He is forever in a state of delirium and seldom finds solace in the company of his friends, notably Ishaq (Mudessir Ahmed Khan), who harbours dream of making it big as a reality television star.

One day, Rafiq accidently finds his brother’s old camera and thus begins his obsession with photography. He finally gets a job and things start settling down for him. ‘Harud’, meaning autumn, is about the young man Rafiq and many other youngsters living in Kashmir. The Kashmir in the film is that of circa 2003, when mobile services had gotten activated. There is a scene in the film where a journalist asks youngsters, who have lined up to get a SIM card, what change will this bring. Most responses veered around the incessant violence at the valley. The people wanted a mobile phone so that they could inform their family about cross-fires/bomb blasts/ occurrence of violence and also keep in touch with them. This shows the pathos that the place begins to exuberate for the youth of Kashmir. There are other instances, where a journalist from Delhi mistakes a painting of three women in Burkha against a backdrop of the mountains to be from Afghanistan, only to be corrected that the location in the painting is Kashmir circa 1947. This kind of, encapsulates the ignorance about Kashmir among many people around the country.

The casting of the film is exceptional. Performances by the principal cast are phenomenal, especially considering a few of the members of the cast were non-actors. Shahnawaz Bhat, who plays Rafiq, embodies the pain and the cluelessness of a youth living in violence-struck Kashmir. His confounded expressions, sedate body language and calm demeanour set the tone for this melancholic film.

Shamim Basharat, who plays Rafiq’s mother, is good. Her character Fatima could have had greater relevance in the film though. The Iranian actor Reza Naji, who was also seen in ‘Children of Heaven’, plays a troubled Kashmiri father, struggling to look after his family eventually veering towards mental imbalance. He too, is terrific in the film.

Mudessir Ahmed Khan, who plays Ishaq, brings a lot of life to the film. The backslapping humour he shares with Rafiq and others gives the film the much-needed dash of humour.

Aamir Bashir wonderfully captures the solemnness of the autumn in Kashmir against the backdrop of violence. Some of the shots (cinematography by Shanker Raman) are thoroughly breath-taking. We’ve often witnessed the picturesque locations of Kashmir; however this film shows us the ‘real picture’. The plot (written by Aamir Bashir, Mahmood Farooqui and Shanker Raman) does beat around the bush before reaching an almost predictable eventuality towards the climax. The most important moments in the film are lost within the subtext. There’s too much to read between the lines within the needlessly long screenplay. One finds it difficult to gauge the motive of the film, besides of course, mirroring the violence in the valley. There’s a concrete story missing in the film. Not to say, that the makers should have incorporated a filmy angle just to make it commercially viable. However, the characters should have been more concrete. The film is a decent effort; however it fails to engage the viewer after a point of time.

Wonderful subject and exceptional acting, notwithstanding, the absence of an intriguing plot takes the steam out of the film. (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Anand (1971) Review by Shivom Oza – A Film About Death Teaches How To Live

4/5 Stars

‘Anand’, the film, is about hope in despair, about finding trust in travesty, about finding life in death. Rajesh Khanna gives one of his career-best performances in this ‘fun-filled’ tragedy of a man who lives his life to the fullest despite death looming nearer. The film also marks the emergence of Amitabh Bachchan as an actor to reckon with.

Rajesh Khanna passed away last week leaving behind a legacy of unforgettable films. ‘Anand’ remains an important part of his filmography. It not only shows how to die, but teaches us about how to live!

Anand Saigal (Rajesh Khanna), a young man from Delhi is suffering from a terminal disease (lymphosarcoma of the intestine) and doesn’t have much time left to live. He comes to Bombay (now Mumbai) to meet his friend Doctor Prakash Kulkarni (Ramesh Deo) to live his last days as well as to get treated for his disease. Doctor Bhaskar K. Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) is given Anand’s responsibility. Upon their very first meeting, Anand blows the duo away with his spirited, fun-filled demeanour. Just like the two doctors, even Prakash’s wife Suman (Seema Deo), Matron D’Sa (Lalita Pawar), Bhaskar’s love interest Renu (Sumita Sanyal) are distraught after learning about Anand’s condition. They feel even more helpless after encountering his friendly behaviour and pleasant personality.

Anand and Bhaskar forge a wonderful friendship. Anand is willing to help each and everyone around him. However, he doesn’t believe in sharing his own pains in life with anyone. Being extremely talkative by nature, Anand cannot bear being confined to the four walls of his hospital room and runs away to stay with his much-adored ‘Babu Moshai’ Bhaskar.

The film was made in the year 1971 yet; it still is immensely entertaining and relevant even in today’s times. Watching Rajesh Khanna (who passed away last week) in his elements as the sprightly, fun-loving and ever-so-enduring Anand lifts your spirits. Watching him die on-screen which has been a cinematic marvel for years suddenly becomes melancholic following his death.

The dialogue ‘Zindagi Badi Honi Chahiye, Lambi Nahin’ has remained a memorable dialogue across decades. The line brings about vivid emotions within you. It is indeed heart-wrenching to hear this line from a dying man. Other instances, where Rajesh Khanna shares his ideas about life, love and death with Amitabh Bachchan are touching, and brilliantly performed.

Rajesh Khanna was going through a purple patch, career wise, during that time period and the glow on his face, the confidence in his body language showed. Amitabh Bachchan gives a sedate performance as Doctor Bhaskar. The final scene of the film, where he weeps on Anand’s dead body, is excellently performed by Bachchan. Considering that the film was made at a time when Bachchan was only beginning his career, shows that he had it in him to be the next big ‘superstar’ after Rajesh Khanna.

Salil Choudhury, the music director has given memorable numbers in ‘Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli Haaye’, ‘Maine Tere Liye Hi Saat Rang Ke Sapne’. Singers such as Manna Dey, Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar lend their voices in this simple four-song soundtrack.

The writing by stalwarts including Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar, D.N.Mukherjee and Bimal Dutta, was exceptional. The story is a simple one, a man, who knows he is going to die, refuses to give up on life. However, the dialogues (Gulzar) strike a chord and make this simple story a great one.

The director (Hrishikesh Mukherjee) extracts stupendous performances from his leading men Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. Even the supporting leads Ramesh Deo, Seema Deo, Sumita Sanyal and Lalita Pawar tailor into the story seamlessly. One of the most significant scenes in the film comes when Anand wants to record Bhaskar’s voice in his tape recorder but deliberately takes time to speak so that he can create a lull period in between (knowing fully well that the tape will be played when he dies).

Another important scene that plays out during the film is when Rajesh Khanna approaches a pehelwan Dara Singh to thrash a few eve-teasing goons. It was touching to see the two great recently-deceased stars share the frame together.

It is these little moments that makes the film so memorable and a classic, in the truest sense of the word. Hrishikesh Mukherjee excellently conceives, writes and directs this wonderful film. (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Even The Script Drifts Apart

2.5/5 Stars

The mammoth Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo) and Diego (voiced by Denis Leary), the smilodon or the saber-toothed cat, are back with the fourth film in the ‘Ice Age’ franchise. In a parallel storyline, you have Scrat (voiced by Chris Wedge), the saber-toothed squirrel, on the hunt for acorns. Scrat triggers the break-out of the Pangaea into the continents that we know of today’s time.

Meanwhile, Manny and his wife Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah) are dealing with their teenage daughter Peaches (voiced by Keke Palmer), who is smitten by Ethan (Aubrey Graham), a teenage woolly mammoth. Peaches, is upset with her father for being so restrictive when it comes to her and yearns for independence. Keeping Peaches’ company is the soft-spoken and the inimitably charming molehog, Louis (voiced by Josh Ged), who secretly has a crush on her. Sid has been left with his Granny (Wanda Sykes), who also gets abandoned by their family. Now amidst all this drama, the break-up of the continent starts having its repercussions as Manny gets separated from his family. Accompanied by Sid, Diego and Granny on a floating ice raft, Manny thinks of ways to reunite with his family.

The route way back to his home kept getting tumultuous as the quad got captured by a pirate gang, led by Captain Gutt (voiced by Peter Dinklage), a Gigantopithecus. Manny rejects Gutt’s offer of joining the pirate gang and ends up infuriating him. Diego falls for the female pirate Shira (voiced by Jennifer Lopez), also a saber-toothed cat, who helps the quad escape for a brief period.

Manny, Sid, Granny and Diego encounter sirens, shown as sharp-toothed creatures, which take the shape of loved ones, and attempt to entice the sailors.

How the quad brave all odds (in the form of storms, a paralyzed Sid, another attack by Captain Gutt, attempted attack by Sirens) in order to get everything back to normal forms the crux of the story.

The plot was myriad in the first-half. It is in the second-half of this 90-minute film that the story finally begins to develop. It takes too long, for the battle lines to be drawn; hence time gets spent in watching endless gags, tomfoolery and the occasional tussle on screen. There are a few endearing moments in the film such as the romantic track between Diego and Shira, Peaches trying to impress Ethan, Louis’ waging a fight against the mighty Captain Gutt to save his love Peaches. However, they are too few and far in between, and sadly the only uplifting moments in the film.

The animation was stupendous. Blue Sky Studios deserve a pat on their back for the brilliant visual effects. However, the script leaves a lot to be desired. The animation is on par with recent films such as ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ and ‘Brave’, but it is not as much about the visuals as it is about the entire film. The 3D is passable.

The line-up consists of heavyweights such as Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah, Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, with two celebs of Indian origin as well, Aziz Ansari and Kunal Nayyar (of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ fame). Voiceovers were exceptional but they too, were let-down by some lazy dialogue writing. The soundtrack by John Powell was good with the final track of the film ‘We Are’ (written by Ester Dean) evoking much excitement from the audience.

The writing (Michael Berg and Jason Fuchs) and the direction (Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier) could have been a lot better. The franchise, which has been exceptional thus far, does disappoint this time around.

There is nothing noteworthy about the story. It’s a 45-minute concept dragged to an hour and a half. Some of the sequences and gags playing out in the film are needless. However, it is essentially a children’s film and the kids will love it! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Electric City (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Eclectic Episodes In An Intriguing Web Series

3/5 Stars

‘Electric City’ is a web-series comprising 20 web episodes adding up to 90 minutes, is set in a dystopian future. Dystopian civilization, where the electricity and communication is controlled by the law-enforcement, is on the brink of revolt from its citizens.

Planet Earth has become a dangerous place after an innocuous doomsday-like event. The principal character Cleveland Carr (Tom Hanks), a former police officer, is handed over the reins of maintaining law and order in the chaotic city. Electric City has become a symbol of peace and security. However, the security comes at a premium. The AMP, a security force that looks after the city, keeps a tight vigil over two of the most significant resources of the land, electricity and wireless communication. The population is showing signs or discomfort over the rule, and a revolution is in store.

The series is nuanced and well-developed. It is filled with questions about the choices we make. It also questions whether people would give up the need to sustain resources in order to break free from the shackles of the law enforcers. The Electric City is full of shades of grey. Its people are neither white nor black. They are controlled by a body that requires applications to allow childbirth. Even energy consumption is closely scrutinized. Resistance movements attempt to illegally tap into the main system and even begin creating something like wireless. 

Tom Hanks serves not only as the creative force behind the scenes of the dystopian series, but also lends his voice to its lead character, Cleveland Carr.

‘Electric City’ inculcates a map to show where each mini story takes place, quite similar to the opening sequence of ‘Game of Thrones’. It is indeed a very interesting concept, besides being dark in character.

The stories in each episode move at such a brisk pace that it is difficult for the viewer to keep track of the proceedings. Same holds true for the characters, having to brush through 20 episodes, with no supporting character being present on the trot successively.

‘Electric City’ is an intriguing concept. Heartening to see the old-school hand-drawn animation after such a long time! As for the story, one would have to pay close attention at the proceedings to not lost track.

The series is releasing in India on Bigflix (Reliance Entertainment).  Adapting ‘Video-on-demand’ facility may bode well for this unique web series. Its noir content renders it as a must-watch for avid watchers of the genre.

Shivom Oza

Mere Dost Picture Abhi Baaki Hai (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Mere Dost Picture Achchi Nahin Hai

1/5 Stars

9-years-in-the-making, the film is about a disgruntled duo of a struggling actor and an aspiring director who are trying their level best to make a feature film. However, they face the strangest of odds on their way to become successful in film world.

Amar Joshi (Suniel Shetty) is a boy from Benares who pursues direction at a filmmaking school in London. Wanting to return to India to make a film on a rape victim called ‘Cheekh’, he approaches his friend Suraj (Rajpal Yadav) to get an entry into Bollywood. Upon reaching Mumbai, he realizes that making a film won’t be as easy as he reckoned. He faces weirdo characters; superstitious, foul-mouthed, debauched, sex-starved, corrupt, perverted and some of them, plain dumb. There are cameo appearances by Suresh Menon (a badly stereotyped South Indian music director), Deepak Qazir (an impulsive spirituality-struck producer), Avtar Gill (another sex-starved producer with a fixation for item numbers), Razzak Khan (as the crotch-tugging, foul-mouthed producer gave us some of the most disgusting moments in the history of Indian cinema) and many more. Udita Goswami as an established actress Mohini and Mumait Khan as a gangster’s moll also lurch around in the film. That the film finally gets made or not forms the crux of the story, not that you care!

Awful, even keeping in mind that the film has been in the making for almost a decade, there is certainly no excuse for mediocrity. Suniel Shetty and Rajpal Yadav ham through their roles. They have to pretend throughout the film that they aren’t really interested in making the film ‘Cheekh’. However, they look like they aren’t interested in making the film ‘Mere Dost Picture Abhi Baaki Hai’ as well. Rajpal plays a guy who cannot speak English properly. Hence, he mispronounces words which end up meaning something else from what was intended and yes, embarrassing to pits. Sexual innuendos are rampant throughout this film. They don’t bring about hilarity at all. In fact, they are supremely cringe-worthy. Other ‘stars’ in the film include Udita Goswami, Mumait Khan, Shawar Ali, Shyan Munshi etc. Even veteran actors such as Om Puri and Neena Gupta are hideous in their badly written characters.

It is so ironic that the film which spoke about the difficulties of filmdom, itself was in the cans for nine long years. Yet, after watching the film, it does not seem surprising at all. Such inane writing merits no acknowledgement. Even the music of the film is yawn-inducing. Director-writer Rajnish Thakur can probably keep revisiting this film to learn why a film doesn’t work.

Haggard storyline, lacklustre dialogues, annoying music and tired performances, make this film a terrible watch. You should not veer towards the ticket-window for this one.

Disappointing to the core! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – The Dark Knight Rose

4.5/5 Stars

Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy reaches its finale with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Eight years after the events of ‘The Dark Knight’, a masked nemesis Bane arrives with a plan to destroy Gotham city. The Dark Knight re-emerges from his exile to protect it from the looming danger.

Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) is in exile, still accused for the crimes committed by District Attorney Harvey Dent, at the Wayne Manor. Having been looked after by his faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), Wayne is confined to the four walls of his room at the sprawling mansion.

The mysterious Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) paves the way for the arrival of Bane (Tom Hardy), a horrific extremist, who sets out to destroy Gotham City. Batman emerges from his exile in order to bring an end to the terror inflicted by Bane.

Along the way, Batman is assisted by Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) of Wayne Enterprises and the young cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in eliminating the antagonists. Marion Cotillard, who plays Miranda Tate, is a member of the executive board of the Wayne Enterprises and goes on to play a pivotal role in the film.

Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman go on to play an extension of their characters from the previous two films, ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’. Christian Bale is flawless as Bruce Wayne/Batman. His character goes through a whirlwind of troubles in this film, and Bale depicts the pained superhero to perfection.

Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are terrific, ably supporting the principal characters. However, it is the new entrants Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anne Hathaway, who deliver superlative performances. Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman is electrifying in the film, almost running away with the show in the first half. Such audacity, exuberance and intensity, has seldom been inculcated in a female character in the franchise. Hathaway, who keeps getting better with every performance, now appears almost indispensable to the film. Tom Hardy, who plays the masked antagonist Bane, is absolutely brilliant. His terrorizing demeanour gives Batman a nemesis to reckon with.

The film should not be compared to its predecessor ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008), as this one is a starkly different set-up. Treat it on its own merit and you will immensely enjoy it. The writers Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer, have reinstated the uniqueness of a Nolan film. The film, albeit dark in parts, is a visual treat. The cinematography (Wally Pfister) is astounding. The aerial shots are one of the best seen in recent times. The difference between the Batman films of yore and Nolan’s trilogy has been the visual appeal and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ truly lives up to its billing. The computer-generated imagery (CGI), already on display in the theatrical trailers, is spectacular.

There is not a single lull moment in the 2 hour 44 minute screenplay. The immaculate editing by Lee Smith ought to be applauded as it is incredibly difficult to make such a long film engaging enough, notwithstanding the credibility of the makers.

The score by the maestro Hans Zimmer lends an almost ethereal touch to the magnificent visuals. We often talk about Nolan’s brilliance in the script and the execution in his iconic films, but Hans Zimmer has played a monumental role in making them memorable. His contribution should not be ignored. The chant that plays during Bane’s exploits is so haunting and mesmerizing at the same time. Like always, Zimmer gives us the best of both worlds.  

That Christopher Nolan is a director par excellence is not a startling revelation. With films such as ‘Memento’, ‘The Prestige’, ‘Inception’ and The Batman trilogy, to his credit, the man has set a bar so high that it would be difficult for any other filmmaker to be able to give us a superhero flick that is as impactful. Nolan does not disappoint this time around as well. Often, any film succeeding a superlative film fails to live up to the expectations. However, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has generated so much anticipation in the last one year that it would be difficult even for the hardest critics to point out a blemish. The film will astonish you the moment, you think it is veering towards predictability.  Hats off to filmmakers for not sticking to the norms and adapting comic books with such unmistakable clarity and conviction! It’s been a wonderful year for comic book superheroes with ‘The Avengers’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ hitting jackpot at the box-office. Needless to say, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ will meet a similar fate.

The film totally lives up to the expectations. It strikes the perfect balance between the technology and the human touch. Must, must watch! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza