Popcorn Potential

The summer, with all its glorious listless days of pure unadulterated leisure time, is just the perfect time to lay back, armed with remote and flip on a rented DVD for your viewing pleasure.

So this summer, I managed to get through a couple of flicks, some grainy antiques that seem to have drifted in from the 1970s and some techno-crazed, action-packed thrillers, plastered with animatronics and computer generated graphics movies of 2009.

So here's a random selection of a few movies that I rate and slate and some of which, I contemplate and wonder why I ever sat down in the first place.

Drumline

A fish-out-of-water comedy, a rather old one which I have managed to see a part of long back. This time round I sat through the entire movie. And how did it go? Awesome.
For those unfamiliar with the term 'drumline' it refers to the drummers in a marching band, and in this movie belong to a college marching band.
It's the classic rivalry between colleges and the fight for pride, victory, triumph and greatness.
So here's where it all starts. Our hero is accepted in college because of his prowess of smacking the drum. He's brilliant, one of the best and he's out to prove it.
But it's a band, a band where everyone is equal and the voice is one.
So it's the story of the drummer who could, fighting his way to glory, learning along the way the rise and fall of greatness, friendship, love and leadership and most of all, being a part of a team, a greater voice.
The choreography in the movie is amazing, with mind-blowing synchronization, precision and formations. The music was terrific and the final 'band-off' was unbelievable- a must see.

Popcorn Potential: 4 popcorns



The Proposal

Ahh. Romantic Comedy. Rom-Com. The tricky thing with these so called 'rom-com's is the fact that is one goes off the balance the other ends in tragedy.
A moment's deviation. A quote comes to mind. "It's a romantic comedy. That's ironic." How true.
So back to the review.
Sandra Bullock gets back to the big screen acting in one of many 'rom-com's she's done till date. Miss Congeniality being a star in her crown. She managed to pull that one off. But did she manage it with The Proposal?
No.
The story is however interesting but it falls apart past 30 minutes. It's a fantastic plot having a boss you hate, ready to be deported due to a visa difficulty, pulling on every last string and then ingeniously decides to declare spontaneously that she'll be marrying you. So that's that, no questions, Shut up, marry me, to hell with you, I keep my job, I get my visa, then we get divorced.
So it looks promising in the beginning with that ironic, devious twist. But don't be deceived.
In order for her nefarious scheme to work, she has to jet to Alaska to meet her potential husband's(Reynolds) family.
The whole thing is a hoax. The family is overjoyed on hearing of the union, oblivious to the real plan.
They hate each other. They're going to marry. Each other.
You'd think of great scenes at this point, funny, laugh-out-loud moments of kicking and screaming. But they never come. It gets as funny as Sandra Bullock falling off a boat into the water without knowing how to swim. Not promising.
The plot is tearing at the seams and is transparent and cliche. It's obvious to the viewer what's going to happen and how it's all going to end.
This comedy is a farce with poor acting from Bullock and sloppy lines.
The only thing crunchy in this movie was my popcorn.
So before you even get the movie, The Proposal, you're given the chance of openly declaring your vow. Please say, "I Don't".

Popcorn Potential: 1 popcorn (Reynolds makes up for the movie a bit in the looks dept.) Stay at home. Read a book.



The Hangover

One of 2009's box office hits, enjoying the top spot for about 2 weeks.
Many critics believed that the key to the success of this movie was the fact that it introduces 3 relatively new actors to the stage. I agree. It makes the movie believable and fresh and adds to the clueless factor that keeps this movie hysterical.
Yes, it is hysterical. It's an odd fusion of humour. With bizarre explosions and weird bursts of events.
The story focuses on 4 guys, one of them the groom-soon-to-be and they're heading to Vegas for the inevitable bachelor's party.
They get wasted over the night and get up in the morning, blurry and bewildered.
What the hell happened to them last night? That's the big question. That's what they can't remember.
Furthermore, the groom is missing- PANIC!
So it's a race against time to find him, by tracing back over the night's disjointed events and talking to people they seemingly knew when they were drunk.
It takes them on a wild ride, roping in a Chinese guy who they owe 80 grand, Mike Tyson's tiger, a Las Vegas divorce, a baby and a cop car.
Take a ride with the hilarious trio as they scour Las Vegas for their buddy before his wedding and soak in the soft side of the story as they help put each other's lives in place.

Popcorn Potential: 4.5 popcorns


That's it for now. Watch out for more movie reviews. Lights, Camera, ORLANDO BLOOM!(sorry! Couldn't help myself)