After the Sunset
Review by Gokhra
The plot: Max Burdett (Pierce Brosnan) and his beautiful girlfriend cum partner in crime Lola Cirillo (Salma Hayek) are a couple of master thieves. The movie begins with the FBI transporting a very rare diamond belonging to Napoleon nonetheless. The electronically locked case is cuffed to the wrist of agent Stan Lloyd (Woody Harrelson). All this is done while the FBI keep an eye on Max who is watching a Lakers basketball match. Throughout Stan is very jittery and plays the buffoon to the point of hilarity. He had to face Max several times before and each time the thief got away.
You see, Max always manages to have the perfect alibi. This time he is in plain sight at a crowded stadium. How could he possibly steal right?
Of course, he manages to sneak out while the FBI see his prerecorded image on the stadium big screen. The whole movie is a techno feast. The more electronic gadgetry there is to control crime the better the criminals seem to get at their job. The car that the FBI agents are traveling in is fully computer controlled which Stan hates. It is also their undoing. Max manages to control the car remotely. It's probably something he picked up when he drove remote controlled BMWs as James Bond. The car along with the hapless Stan and the briefcase is guided into an empty warehouse type location. The agent is knocked out cold with a gas but not before he manages to shoot Max in the shoulder.
When you steal a lot it is only natural to retire to tropical islands and that's what our two smart thieves have done. While Lola is busy building a wooden deck as well as parasailing, scuba diving etc Max is sitting around getting bored. But hey, beautiful place and a beautiful woman as swell as driving around in a hot classic Camaro convertible ain't so bad.
Like a bad odor agent Stan manages to follow Max to the island but he can't make any arrest because he has no proof. In fact he is suspended from the FBI but he still wants to catch his man.
He accuses Max of planning another heist who plays it maddeningly cool like he does in his role as Bond. Incidentally a cruise ship is visiting the island and on board is another rare Napoleonic diamond on display. So was is Max's original plan to steal this gem? Lola becomes angry to the point of being jealous….of a rock.
Not only that a local influential gangster Henri Moore (Don Cheadle) is also interested in getting the gem using Max's expertise. You see, he wants to "develop the islands infrastructure" by building casinos and strip clubs. Sure, why not? Add to stellar cast is Naomi Harris playing the islands hot looking detective Sophie who is more interested in busting Henri and catching Max in the act would be icing on the cake.
So the question is Max going to steal the gem or is he really retired? Seems the lure is too strong. But something is not quite right. So who is conning whom?
The verdict: The main point of the movie is the developing friendship between the FBI agent and the thief. They become close buddies to the point where Max has to stay with Stan after Lola throws hi m out of the house s he obsesses about the diamond. Next morning the two men are awaken in a compromising situation by other FBI agents as well the hot detective that Stan just kissed the night before.
Also interspersed are heavy doses of romance. Add to that some great laughs and you've got all the ingredients for a winner. Director Bret Ratner shoots the movie in a fast paced manner keeping all the scenes, dialogues and punch lines smooth and slick. The directing is very neat and the story is wonderful with hardly any plot holes. This is a must see movie. In one word, it's amazing.
By Gokhra
The motorbike glorifying film called Dhoom was a milestone for Indian cinema. They copied things that was never before copied before. It was a major despite the countless silly and ridiculous scenes. For example, they show a mechanic fiddling around the front of a yellow Toyota MR2 that broke down when the engine is actually in the back. Maybe the engine in the back is a spare. However, bashing the movie isn't what this is really about. It had its brilliance and that was the fact that India being a country similar to ours has such hot bikes around. What this article is really about is the bike that Jon Abraham was riding. It was a Suzuki Hayabusa (a.k.a. Busa). Its technical name is Suzuki GSX1300R. Many of you might wonder so what? Bike lovers consider this to be the one bike to die for.
After the movie came out Indians went crazy and lots of after market manufacturers went crazy too producing reproduction fiberglass kits that could transform an ordinary bike into something like the Busa. Heck, they transform common Bajaj Pulsars and Kinetic GFs into Busa look-alikes. That includes discarding the usual twin shocks at the rear and replacing them with mono shock absorbers form a Honda Unicorn. But more of that in a later issue.
So, what is so special about this bike? Well, it's known as the fastest bike in the world. The engine is a 1300cc four cylinder 16-valve unit. Compared to a lot of other bikes this is quite average as cruisers are known to have displacements of over 3000cc. But heck, size ain't always everything. It's all about how much power you can squeeze out of it and that's a whopping 175 bhp. Compare that your average 1300cc 4-cylinder 16valve car engine that gives out something like 75bhp. Oh yeah, also the bike is way lighter so it's like sitting on a rocket that has been kicked by the god of thunder. All that power is delivered through really wide 190 section tires at the rear. Performance figures are a breath taking 0-60mph (100kmph) in 2.8 secs. 5.3 seconds from 0-100mph with a claimed top speed of 300kmph.
So, what brought it about? Well, the product engineers at Suzuki wanted a motorcycle so advanced that it didn't fit into established machine categories. They wanted to create a machine that would redefine street performance with breath taking acceleration, nimble handling, strong brakes, state-of-the-art suspension and above all a comfortable riding position.
The challenge, the engineers felt would come in making the performance seem effortless. Such bikes are not known for their user friendliness. The answer came to a young member of the engineering team went on a family wilderness outing that weekend. Walking along a trail, the engineer spotted a streak in the sky, high above the trees lining nearby cliffs. Startled, he watched as it swooped at an impossible rate of speed, then turned and whirled back over the treetops. He recognized it as an indigenous falcon the Japanese call Hayabusa. It is not the biggest bird in Japan, nor is it the strongest bird in Japan. But the Hayabusa has a unique ability to cut through the wind to reach top speeds over 300 kph (186 mph).
As he watched, the engineer reflected upon the fact that the Hayabusa does not spend its entire day at 300 kph. But the ability to slice through the air at such a high rate of speed makes its normal flight seem effortless.
Effortless performance! Suddenly, the engineer knew he had the key to designing the advanced machine the product planners wanted! Make it able to slice through the air like a Hayabusa, and normal performance would be almost effortless. As he reached for his notebook, the engineer was already sketching the new machine in his mind. It is the most aerodynamic bike ever built so far. Of course, all that aerodynamics mean that it's not really pretty. If looks are what you want you should check out the MV Augusta. But performance this is it. And not only tat but when you compare the performance, this bike is quite affordable. In the US the price comes out to be about $10,000. Sure you can buy a new Corolla for that money but if you ever feel the need to
quench your thirst for speed this is it.
Source of Hayabusa origin www.hyp4r.com
Kingdom Hearts
By Le Chupacabra
Avatar summons, magic potions, Moogles, a guy named Cid, Cloud Strife…and Donald Duck (?) !!!
Surely someone's made a mistake. It is Final Fantasy we're talking about…isn't it?
Welcome to Kingdom Hearts - a game that'd probably have Uncle Walt Disney drop into a coma had he lived to see it. The marriage of Square-Enix's sombre, deep Final Fantasy characters and Disney's cutesy, loveable ones is indeed something that'll have most people scratching their heads while others find it necessary to supply a double take and a yelling "WT?!"
But fear not, Kingdom Hearts is a wonderful game to boot and the dare-I-say-it harmonic collision of these seemingly opposite worlds has led to something that's utterly charming, brilliantly executed and close to the heart.
With his spiky anime hair and overlarge Disney-esque shoes, Sora is the perfect protagonist for such an odd game. A series of events see Sora separated from his lifelong friends and now he must find them at all costs. At the same time, King Mickey (yes, that Mickey) is missing from his palace and its up to court-magician Donald Duck and heroic knight-type guard Goofy to embark on a quest to find their ruler. These events are somehow related and soon Sora, Donald and Goofy partner up to help each other…
The result: a simply magical journey of epic proportions the likes of which you really have never seen before!
Going from world to world, each with a Disney theme from Tarzan's jungle to Aladdin's Agrabah, you must battle an enemy called the Heartless. The combat is completely in real-time and this makes each fight rightfully tense and exciting. The ability to perform all manner of awesome combo attacks and cast magical spells all at once really makes you relish the battles and makes you wonder why Final Fantasy doesn't have combat like this! As you level up, you gain the ability to do cooler looking moves, cast more powerful spells and even perform Summons, ala Final Fantasy. Except here you summon avatars like Simba and the Genie. Watching Simba roaring from the top of Pride Rock before coming to your aid is something worth seeing over and over again! Wielding your Keyblade you fight alongside Goofy and Donald. Depending on the 'world' you're in, characters like Ariel and Tarzan can join your party! The AI is quite good so it feels like you're actually working as a team as you battle your way through the countless varieties of Heartless. Once you're done with the cannon fodder you'll face bosses that happen to be classic Disney villains! Not only are these fights thrilling, but being able to battle it out with characters you've hated since childhood leads to a certain feeling of glee that's indescribable. Should the Disney charm not work on you, worry not again Square-Enix has infused Kingdom Hearts with the same magic that makes Final Fantasy so enjoyable. There are certain quirks that just add to the fun-factor and you'll really love to take your time to search out every little thing. Despite being an Action-RPG, the gameplay depth that is synonymous with Final Fantasy also permeates throughout Kingdom Hearts! You couldn't ask for a better way to spend your time!
The graphical style of Kingdom Hearts is one of its biggest assets. Each character is faithfully and lovingly sculpted in 3D and they look and act every bit like their cartoon counterparts. It's just sheer joy to watch Goofy bumbling about while Donald waddles and jumps about crazily during battle. During fights, the screen bursts into a show of pyrotechnics and general mayhem it looks simply amazing! The enemy character designs are as bizarre as they are creative! Each locale is vintage Disney yet still feels fresh and different all at once. The attention to detail is wonderful and the integration of the unique styles of Final Fantasy and Disney is so seamless - it's like it was always meant to be! Each cutscene is brilliantly choreographed and helps tell an incredibly amazing and wonderful story that once again mixes the epic grandeur expected from Square-Enix with the loveable cartoony-ness of Disney.
Square-Enix has gone out of its way to make sure the game sounds as good as it looks. Each Disney character is voiced by the same people you've been hearing since you were a kid. Once you hear Donald start cackling, you'll forget that you even thought about doubting Kingdom Hearts. Sora is voiced by Haley Osmont who really helps portray him as a rather likeable character. The soundtrack is equally brilliant and you'll love to hum/sing along with remixed versions of classic Disney songs, and marvel at the perfectly Squaresoft tracks in the new worlds.
But where Kingdom Hearts really stands on its own, far ahead of the rabble, is with its plot and pacing. It would take all of Squaresoft's best and Disney to come up with such a smoothly paced, yet brilliantly dramatic plot, and that too with characters who you instinctively refuse to take seriously… at least, before you've played the game. Forget the Disney or Squaresoft connotations… at heart, this is an RPG of epic proportions, and it shows.
Final Fantasy and Disney such a combination is nigh on impossible to imagine yet it's sitting right there, bold and utterly charming. Equally a mesmerising, magical adventure and a rather bizarre trip down memory lane, Kingdom Hearts is a game the likes of which you'll never find again...well not until Kingdom Hearts 2 at any rate!
