Competition: The Guest

I have 5 pairs of tickets to give away for the premiere screening of "The Guest". To win the tickets, answer the following question in the comments section. Alternatively leave the answer in the comments (please leave your comments on the competition post only) on the iThink Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ithinkdubai

Dan Stevens is famous for a character played in a well known TV series. Name the TV series.

Winners have been selected through a randomizer and the names of the winners are as below:
1. Faisal Khatib
2. Prachi Mehta
3. Tenzing Bhutia
4. Shekhar Mangnani
5. Kristofer Mariano
Winners can collect their passes directly at the cinema. Please carry a valid ID.

Please note that the U.A.E. rating for the movie is 18.

Movie Synopsis:

From the director of “YOU’RE NEXT” and featuring a standout, brilliant performance from Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”), comes “THE GUEST”: a tense, action-packed and unpredictable film like everything and nothing you’ve ever seen before. Empire Magazine called it “a demented action-horror hybrid of sci-fi conspiracy thriller and gore-fest,” and Vanity Fair said, “THE GUEST is big, it’s bold, it’s badass, full of flavor Hollywood wishes it could pour over its vanilla blockbusters.” 

Screening details are as follows:

Date - 8th October, 2014

Time - 9 p.m.

Place - Cinemacity, Arabian Center, Al Mizhar

The Guest is set to release in U.A.E. and the Middle East on 9th October, 2014.

Movie Details:

UAE Rating: 18

Running time: 99 min.

Genre: Thriller/Action

Director: Adam Wingard

Writer: Simon Barrett 

Stars: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe

Trailer link: The Guest Trailer on YouTube

Movie Review: The Guest

I have always had a personal liking towards action thrillers as compared to other movies. The reason for this maybe that such movies are usually gripping and intense. Due to the intensity, it is possible that not enough stress is placed on the story and the performances of individuals. However when we talk about The Guest, it would not be wrong to say that the movie is driven by some brilliant performances.

The Guest is directed by Adam Wingard and stars Dan Stevens as the main lead character. For those who are fans of the TV series Downton Abbey, would know Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley. Dan plays the role of a soldier named David in the movie. He ends up at the doorstep of the Peterson family claiming to be a friend of a deceased son of the family. 

Source: First Row Filmed Entertainment

The other main characters from the movie are members of the Peterson family itself. Maika Monroe plays Anna Peterson (the sister of the deceased soldier), Brendan Meyer plays Luke Peterson (the brother), Sheila Kelley plays Laura Peterson (the Mother) and Leland Orser plays Spencer Peterson (the Father). Each character is different from the other and they blend in well with the storyline.

Dan Stevens in a shot from the movie (Source: First Row Filmed Entertainment)

David slowly settles into the family but some accidental deaths in the neighborhood somehow link to his presence and raise concerns about his identity. The story of the movie is decent and might not be over the top but the performances of a few individuals is worth mentioning. Dan Stevens is as cool as a cucumber in his role and is by far the standout performance. Leland Orser and Maika Monroe contribute to the movie through their good performances while Lance Reddick plays a small cameo in the movie.

Maika Monroe and Lance Reddick in a shot from the movie (Source: First Row Filmed Entertainment)

There are a few light moments in the movie, that have been executed brilliantly while the intense moments go with the flow and are pretty smooth. The action scenes are not over the top and it is good to see some regular action with guns and knives. The only concern is that there isn't too much focus on a background story and everything seems to unfold as the story progresses. Adding more depth to the story would have surely helped in character development.

The movie is a quick watch with the runtime of under 100 minutes. The movie is surely worth a watch, especially for the performance of Dan Stevens. The movie is set to release in U.A.E. and the Middle East on October 9.

Rating:    7.5/10
Runtime: 99 minutes
Trailer:    http://youtu.be/y0E2Qh6wLS4

Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

With limited releases during the month of Ramadan, it was a long wait before Dawn of the Planet of the Apes released in the cinemas. The movie is a sequel to the Rise of the Planet of the Apes that released in 2011.

The movie opens with a quick recap of the the previous instalment and the focus is on the spread of a virus. The virus infected the human race all around the world, killing millions.

(Source: bloscars.files.wordpress.com)

The previous installment showed scientists performing tests on Apes. Given that the Apes have been through a lot at the hands of human (especially Koba - Toby Kebbell), it is not difficult to guess that the Apes want the humans to stay as far as they can. Caesar (Andy Serkis) has now become the leader of the Apes. He is the most intelligent and reasonable Ape at the same time. He wants to keep his community safe and does not prefer violence against humans unless it is necessary.

Caesar, strong and powerful (Source: Wallpapersak.com)

The Apes have found a home in the forest and have been living in it for sometime but it is obvious that their paths will cross the paths of human beings somewhere along the road. It is not long before that this happens when accidentally humans pass by the forest. The humans come across the Apes and so begins the story.

The Apes warn the humans to stay away and let them go, however the humans led by Malcom (played by Jason Clarke) come back to the forest for something they want. What follows is an emotional story with a few twists to the plot. The movie becomes more and more interesting as it progresses.

Malcom and Caesar share a moment (Source: discovermagazine.com)

The characters of Malcom, Koba and Caesar are the main characters. All the characters have strong charateristics and have been developed very well. Supporting characters namely Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Ellie (Keri Russell) and other Apes play their parts well. The story is emotional but interesting at the same time. There is no hurrying into scenes or instances; everything happens at a decent pace. The climax is exciting and has a good amount of action.

The end is set in a way that would surely lead to another sequel. The movie is worth a watch.

Rating:    7.5/10
Runtime: 130 minutes
Trailer:    http://youtu.be/3sHMCRaS3ao

Movie Review: The Wolverine

Enough of these crazy Sci-fi and action movies; these are the thoughts that came to my mind when I sat down to watch the Wolverine. It wasn't long before I realised that there is a lot of good quality action that was yet to be seen. X-Men and Marvel are back with their second instalment on the Wolverine, by far the favourite mutant of many.

(Source: Carycitizen)

This very instalment of the Wolverine is linked to a few of the previous X-men movies and it wouldn't harm one to be up to date with the previous movies. The Wolverine takes us to the life of Logan post the Last stand. Given the fact that Logan cannot die (something we learnt in X-Men Origins: Wolverine), he has been forced to live a lonely life, away from friends and love. To add to the pain, Logan has regular nightmares with Jean Grey (played by Famke Janessen) in it. Logan blames himself for the death of Jean and every passing day for him brings nothing but pain.

All set to attack (Source: Cloudfront.net)

As the story moves forward, new characters are revealed. Logan had saved the life of a soldier named Yashida (played by Hal Yamanouchi), a number of years ago whose last wish is to meet Logan before he dies. Yukio (played by Rila Fukushima) meets Logan and convinces him to come to Japan with her, in order to meet Yashida.

The remainder of the movie is based in Japan itself. Yashida, thanks Logan for saving his life and offers to help him out. Yashida tells Logan that he understands the pain of living alone and he could help Logan. Yashida offers to take away Logan's powers and make him mortal. Will Logan accept this offer? This is something you will have to find out for yourself. 

It is in Japan that Logan meets Mariko (played by Tao Okamoto), the grand daughter of Yashida. Yashida tells Logan that he is concerned for his grand daughter. Being the superhero he is, Logan steps up to protect Mariko. As the story progresses, Logan and Mariko get closer to each other. He goes to the extreme in order to protect Mariko without caring for his own self. 

Yukio and Logan (Source: TheAge)

The movie introduces us to another mutant Viper (played by Svetlana Khodchenkova). Viper being a mutant herself has plans in mind to destroy Wolverine but she isn't the only one behind him. The movie moves from action sequences on the streets of Japan to a high speed bullet train and eventually to the Yashida's residence protected by Ninjas. 

The good thing about this movie is the focus on the storyline and the no nonsense action. There are no buildings blowing up due to alien attacks or missiles creating havoc and destroying cities. Yes, we are back to gold old fist fight (or claw fight since its The Wolverine) action with a bit of sci fi flavour added to it. The action sequence shot on top of the bullet train is worth watching. So is the scene where the Wolverine takes on a number of Ninjas alone.

Viper and the Wolverine (Source: Edgecastcdn.net)

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is good as usual, while Tao Okamoto as Mariko manages her part well. As far as the supporting cast is concerned, the best performance is by Rila Fukushima. Svetlana Khodchenkova as Viper fails to impress, while Hiroyuki Sanada as Shingen and Will Yun Lee as Harada are just about fine. Famke Janssen appears in different parts of the movie as Jean Grey but does not have any major contribution whatsoever. 

On the whole, this X-Men movie is different from any of its predecessors. The storyline is decent, so are the performances. As mentioned earlier, the best part of the movie for me are the raw action sequences. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the movie. Make sure to stay on your seats till the credits get over (remember its a Marvel movie); there is something post credits that you will not want to miss.

Rating:    7/10

Runtime: 126 mins.
Trailer:    http://youtu.be/Rh1LdTFkm7I 

Movie Review: The Heat

What happens when you put a rule abiding individual with one who has no respect for the rulebook whatsoever together? Well if you say chaos, loads of fun and definitely craziness, you are correct. The Heat has all this and lots more. 

(Source: Huffington Post)

Starring Sandra Bullock as FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn and Melissa McCarthy as Boston Cop Shannon Mullins, The Heat is an R-Rated comedy movie with some amount of action and a lot of wacky dialogues. Sarah Ashburn is a smart FBI Agent who loves to follow the rule book but knows little about making friends. On the other hand, Shannon Mullins is a crazy cop who doesn't mind breaking the law herself in order to protect the neighbourhood she lives in.

As a drug dealer hits the streets of Boston, Sarah is transferred to Boston to solve the case. The case is important to Sarah as solving it could be her only chance to get promoted. As she reaches Boston and starts working on it, she realizes that it would not be an easy task. Since Shannon is in love with her neighbourhood, it means that she stands in the way of Sarah.

(Source: Digital Journal)

At first, Sarah and Shannon don't go along well, their personalities being the obvious reason. As they realize that things would be better working together, they somehow manage to put their differences aside for a bit.

The case which seems simple at the start, gets complicated as things unfold. The series of events that follow are fun to watch. The small fights between Sarah and Shannon are hilarious and the dialogues are crazy. Since the movie is R-Rated, let me tell you the language used in certain portions of the movie are vulgar. The bar scene where both the characters go wild and crazy is fun to watch.

Drunk and tired (Source: Inside Movies)

The storyline might not be the strongest but the dialogues are good. Sandra Bullock proves yet again why she is a wonderful actress. Melissa McCarthy however steals the show here. Not only is her comic timing amazing but her dialogue delivery and acting skills must be praised. 

Marlon Wayans has a short supporting role in the movie and plays his part well. Dan Bakkedahl as the Albino undercover cop is hilarious and his scenes with Sandra and Melissa will leave you at the edge of your seat. Demian Bitchir, Michael Rapaport and Thomas F. Wilson have done justice to their role as supporting actors in the movie.

Overall the movie is worth a watch, especially if you haven't laughed your hearts out for a while.

Rating:    8/10
Runtime: 117 mins.

Trailer:    http://youtu.be/ST16k80bDYE

Movie Review: White House Down

Anyone who has watched Roland Emmerich's previous movies will surely know that he loves blowing up stuff all around USA, with Washington being his favourite. Right from Independence Day, followed by The Day After Tomorrow and 2012, Roland has shown us multiple ways of how the world would go down. In this movie however it is just the White House.

(Source: Rope of Silicon)

The movie stars Channing Tatum as Cale, and Jamie Foxx as the President of the USA. Cale portrays the character of a bodyguard. He ends up at the White House for an interview to be part of the secret services. However his past haunts him and he does not make it through. His career isn't the only thing that Cale has been unsuccessful at. Cale's daughter Emily (played by Joey King) isn't fond of her dad either and calls her dad with his first name. 

Cale brings his daughter along to the White House to fix up things with her, given that she is a big fan of the President. As the interview gets over, Cale and Emily hang around for a tour of the White House. Little do they know that things would get ugly in sometime. As Cale and Emily are still on the tour, a group of individuals with a not so common motive attack the White House. 

Tatum and Foxx in action (Source: Washington Times)

The terrorists might not have a common motive but they are ready to kill and do have a well sought out plan. As things start getting difficult and the terrorists take control of the White House, Cale steps up to protect the President. With this huge responsibility at hand, Cale has to also ensure that he gets his daughter out of the place safely. What follows is a series of action scenes from shooting and killing to helicopter crashes and blowing up parts of the White House. Yes, we have all seen this type of action before. However, the chemistry between Tatum and Foxx is interesting to watch. The scenes with both of them together lift up the movie.

Jamie Foxx pulls of his role with ease and adds some humor to the character. I haven't watched a President be part of the action and be humorous at the same time ever before. Channing Tatum is impressive, while Joey King manages to handle her parts pretty well. Tatum steals most of the screen space in the movie. Maggie Gyllenhall as Finnerty is passable and does not have a lot of say in the movie. Lance Reddick as General Caulfield has not been given enough screen space but impresses whenever he is on screen. Other supporting cast including Richard Jenkins and Jason Clarke do a decent job.

Tatum and Foxx prepare to shoot down some terrorists (Source: Collider)

The story of the movie is good but there is nothing special about it. Most of the action scenes in the movie are well done, especially with the part with the Limo and the Air Force One. However, there are a few over the top ones that are hard to believe even with amazing graphics. Overall, the movie has a lot of action and pretty less space for anything else. Go for it if you are looking for a good action movie and if you are a fan of Foxx or Tatum.

Rating:    6.5/10

Runtime: 131 mins.

Trailer:    http://youtu.be/Kkoor7Z6aeE 

Movie Review: World War Z

How many zombie movies have we seen? The answer would be plenty. I have always been a fan of the zombie genre and on behalf of any zombie genre fan, I would like to add that with the commencement of The Walking Dead, the bar was raised. World War Z is yet another zombie movie with its own take of what a zombie would be like. 

(Source: Fansided)

Brad Pitt plays the character of Gerry Lane, an ex-United Nations employee. Even though Gerry is no longer with the UN, he has to take up this job (of finding a solution to the apocalypse) in exchange of his family's security. Even though Pitt pulls out a good performance, the movie fails to impress. 

What doesn't go down well is the fact that the concept of zombies has been changed. Zombies are no longer slow moving ones that drag themselves across the streets in search of human flesh. I somehow find the agility of the zombies unconvincing, since agility has always been linked to vampires.

Taking his family to safety (Source: Philly)

Leaving aside the fact that zombies have been portrayed differently, the movie has little or no gore at all. C'mon a zombie movie without gore, what were you thinking? What irritates you is the fact that Pitt survives through unrealistic situations. I know he is the hero, but don't make him a super hero. 

Brad Pitt looks on as zombies attack the city (Source: Time Inc)

However the movie does have some high points. The scenes shot in Jerusalem are totally amazing with zombies jumping over each other to form a tower. The camera work used throughout the movie is excellent.  Another positive side to the movie is that the zombie apocalypse has not been restricted to USA itself. The phenomena is a worldwide one and the movie takes you to the different parts of the world in search of answers to the problem.

The second half of the movie is much better as compared to the first half. There are some funny zombie moments in the movie (not sure if they were meant to be this way). 

Zombies form a tower (Source: Business Insider)

The use of scientific knowledge in order to come up with a solution to the zombie apocalypse is impressive and it seems that the writers did use some research on this. Yes, the movie is based on the novel by Max Brooks so the storyline, be it good or bad has to be credited to Brooks itself.

On the whole, the movie is an average one but does not do justice to the zombie genre.

Rating:     5.5/10
Runtime:  116 mins.
Trailer:     http://youtu.be/4EC7P5WdUko