MOVIE REVIEW

HUMSHAKALS

Director: Sajid Khan
Writer: Sajid Khan
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Tamannaah Bhatia, Esha Gupta
Runtime: 158 minutes
Strength: Ritesh's comic timing, mindless comedy
Weakness: Stretches extensively, overacting
Showbiz Rating: 1/5
Plot: The story revolves around three sets of identical people who all come together in the same mental asylum! The madness intensifies as their retardation unfolds. In a turn of events, the characters end up facing their lookalikes.
Review: The only reason why anyone would see a new movie made by Sajid Khan is to be tortured by how bad and messy it is. His downhill career is evident as the quality of his comedies have deteriorated with each new film. His movies have been consistent at bad humor and PJs, and the so-called “comedy” movie evokes emotions like pity, boredom, anger, confusion, sympathy, horror, disgust, and a lot more. Coming to the story, the only feedback received by the character Ashok, who is a business tycoon with a passion to do standup comedy, is people's ridicule. That is somehow the same case with Sajid Khan. The casting blunder is perhaps the worst case in Sajid's career, as this is definitely the most terrible movie for the entire leading cast. This was a poor choice of a movie for Saif Ali Khan, a Nawaab who's reputation is elite in terms of his outstanding performances in Omkara, Kurbaan, Kal Ho Na Ho, Dil Chahta Hain, etc. His desperate attempts to be funny fell through a weak script which was neither funny nor humorous. Equally bad was Ritesh Deshmukh, which comes as a surprise after the critically acclaimed movie Ek Villain where his acting was pretty good. Ram Kapoor, one of the leading actors of television, with the help of Ritesh, has somehow managed to help this movie elude utter humiliation. One wonders why Sajid Khan ever moved away from the horror genre. He had raised the bar with his first movie “Darna Zaroori Hain”, a sequel of “Darna Mana Hain”, a multiple-plot horror movie with multiple directors. Sajid had directed the introductory plot which left audiences awestruck with their hearts in their throats. Perhaps it is wise for Sajid Khan to go back to directing horror movies instead of scaring people with his comedy films!

Reviewed by Sonya Soheli

***

GROUNDHOG DAY

Director: Harold Ramis
Writers: Danny Rubin, Harold Ramis
Stars: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott
Runtime: 100 min
PLOT: A weatherman finds himself living the same day over and over again
REVIEW: Groundhog Day is deja vu gone mad. This is one of the most original comedies to grace the screen. Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is trapped in a bizarre time loop that forces him to re-live Groundhog Day over and over, with no hope of reprieve or release, and no way of explaining the situation to anyone else since he's the only one who realizes what's happening. With as much repetition as there is, it would be easy for the film to get bogged down. Solid directing, combined with judicious editing, eliminate the problem. Groundhog Day isn't a science fiction or fantasy film, so it's not interested in answering the technical questions of how the time loop came about, or what might happen if Phil stayed up all night. Instead, it presents the situation to the audience on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. The movie does not reuse tired and stupid jokes; its humor comes from the situations and characters. Bill Murray was born to play Phil Connors and movie uses his talent as a comedian to the fullest. His character goes through a profound transformation before our eyes, and it is very convincing to believe that this really is happening to him. This movie has all the qualities necessary to be a crowd-pleaser: likable characters, charismatic performers, a strong, capably-executed premise, and lots of laughs embedded in a great story. It is a must watch for film lovers everywhere.

SOURCE: INTERNET

***

MOST WELCOME 2

Director: Ananta Jalil
Cast: Ananta Jalil, Barsha, Misha Saudagar, Sohel Rana
Strength: Songs, Story, Action, Special Effects
Weakness: A bit lengthy, mediocre acting in some cases
Runtime: 145 Minutes
Showbiz Rating: 3.5/5
Plot: Bangladeshi scientist Moin Khan (Sohel Rana) earns international acclaim for inventing a cancer vaccine. International mafia gangs are after him to steal the vaccine. Ariyan (Ananta Jalil), a police officer, comes to the aid of the scientist under attack.
Review: Ananta Jalil's Most Welcome 2 is the sequel to the hit film Most Welcome. But, unlike Most Welcome, this time the movie presents an intriguing plot from the very beginning, as we see Moin Khan inventing the cure for cancer, an invention worth billions worldwide. And soon we see the protagonist AJ in action against terrorists and international criminals who come out of the woodwork to take the miracle cure away from the scientists. Being a responsible police officer, Ariyan comes to the scientist's aid. And as always, he defeats all the foes that stand in his way, also managing to charm the scientist's granddaughter Barsha in the process! She falls in love with him and their chemistry, which viewers know very well after seeing them together many times before, is apparent on screen. Misha Saudagor, the local hoodlum, is in cahoots with the international gangs, and attempts to steal the hard disk that contains the formula for the vaccine. But AJ saves the day once again! The movie is full of action, special effects and entertainment. Jalil's screen presence ignites the audience and the viewer's whistle and tweet (in real life, not on twitter!) seeing him fight. Some of the songs were also pretty good! Although the movie is a bit lengthy, Jalil fans will probably not get bored during the show. Overall, this big budget movie is entertaining and full of fun, and is suitable for everyone.

Reviewed by Mohammad Zahidul Islam