Thala Thala Thaan - Othukaren ;-)

Even after a super flop like Asal, that was a thorough comedy, Ajith can hold audiences captive. At the age of 40, he can look yummy, floor women with that smile and turn a lovable, droolworthy villain. Yes, I gushingly admit – “Thala Thala thaan!” (This may be a good ending line to this post, but I couldn’t wait that long!)

Mankatha, as you know, is all about a bad bad world. Yet you support the most villainous guy of ‘em all. I love movies that make me do that.

The sequences are carefully assembled, each one individually coated with masala, yet coming together in perfect sync – like a plateful of piping hot bajjis. Venkat Prabhu packs this 3 hour movie with non-stop entertainment. (Sivaji was also a similar attempt, but the bajjis failed to harmonize.)  

Let me give you a Bullet (;-) ) point review (in case I become too lazy to write in huge paras by the end of this):

1.      

            1.  .The movie is soaked in crime and murder, yet doesn’t take itself too seriously (which is good). There is ample comedy; even Ajith contributes to it during a drunken evening with Premji – one of the best parts of the movie. Even the serious stuff doesn’t put you in a dark mood – it is actually funny when Mahat is killed, thanks to Premji. The part where Thala envisions the murders has a touch of humour (though it is long winded).

      2.    The action sequences keep you hooked for their entirety. The bike that Ajith rides is “WoW! (I’m in a bike-crazy phase). Premji’s computer wizardry holds your interest too.

3.      3.     Arjun is an awesome addition. His charisma and casually stylish performance is as good as Ajith’s. Needless to say, Action King and Ultimate Star offered double delight.

4.       4. About the gang of guys – the young bad cop, Ashwini Kakumanu (I got it right!) is cute J. Premji’s hairstyle (curly hell) can be forgiven only because he is supposed to be an IIT grad (isn’t he too old for that?). Among the heroines, Trisha gets decent screen space considering Mankatha is an out-and-out guy movie. Lakshmi Rai looks pretty, has got nice height, but her weight (around the waistline) is a bit too much.

5.       The songs are nice – to me, they’re more fun to watch than listen. The Ajit-Trisha song, though visually unique, feels a tad too long.

Mankatha entertained me like no Shankar film has done in recent years (In fact, while watching Enthiran, I wanted to walk out halfway). The Movie of the Year and a sumptuous entertainment feast. What are you waiting for? Go watch it!

Splash - A Review

There were three reasons why I wanted to watch Splash – the movie starred Tom Hanks, it was about a mermaid and it was really popular. Then I grew up and decided it would be a frothy teen romance. Then I watched a Daryl Hannah movie, Reckless and liked her – I guess, primarily because she is really tall, like me :-D (also one of the reasons I like Ingrid Bergman – and she was a natural beauty). Coming back to Daryl Hannah, I like her face too, which makes her seem different from many blonde actresses. I finally gave in to temptation and downloaded Splash. And had a pretty good time watching it.

I’m bored of writing in long paragraphs, so I’ll simply put down my review in points:

• Tom Hanks is cute, but I don’t like his unruly, puffy hair in the movie
• Daryl Hannah’s ‘natural’ hairstyle, though unruly, makes her look angelic
• The movie has its genuinely funny moments, like Daryl Hannah uttering her name in extreme-decibel Mermaid language and shattering TV screens
• And Hannah eating lobster like a cannibal
• Daryl Hannah doesn’t hesitate to walk naked on the beach, or into Liberty Square
• Too many kisses between Hannah and Hanks (I’ve grown up)
• It’s a sweet, though not mushy and diabetic romance. That is nice.
• The guy appearing as Tom Hanks’ brother in the movie provides good entertainment
• The movie got 96% on Rotten Tomatoes

Overall, it is a nice, lighthearted movie to watch on a weekend evening. If you are afraid of soppy romances for teenagers, this movie is a much safer option; even if you are a grownup (like me). So, download and enjoy!