Films of the Week (17-23, 2008)

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- 'The Hobbit', the prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' finally has a director; Guillermo delToro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) has signed on to direct 'The Hobbit' and 'The Hobbit: Sequel'. Del Toro said he was moving to New Zealand for four years to work with Peter Jackson, who though won't return this time around to direct the 'Hobbit' films, will be co-producing them. Both films will be shot back-to-back and will also be filmed in New Zealand, like Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' films. 'Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson said "del Toro was 'a genuine storyteller' of outstanding ability. A true original, Guillermo is a cinematic magician who has never lost his child-like sense of wonder. He understands that the fantasy must be grounded in the real and that all stories are only ever a reflection of ourselves. We have long admired Guillermo's work and cannot think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-earth. We are delighted 'The Hobbit' is in such trustworthy hands." Not all of the characters from Peter Jackson's original 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy feature in 'The Hobbit', because it's set some fifty years before the events of the trilogy series. The main star of it will be Bilbo Baggins. We will indeed see the return of Frodo and friends. Guillermo Del Toro said he would love to bring back Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and so on, for that second film, to reprise their roles from the original trio of films. Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis, though, will be back as Gandalf and Gollum in 'The Hobbit'. The films will be aimed at release in late 2011 and 2012.


Iron Man


Based on the long-running Marvel comic book series, 'Iron Man' tells the story of Tony Stark, the enigmatic heir to the Stark Enterprises fortune. A driven inventor who seems to have it all, Tony is haunted by his dark side. Though he commands his empire by day, by night he secretly becomes Iron Man, the living embodiment of decades of defense spending and innovation. Strapping on billions of dollars worth of state-of-the-art armour and weaponry each night to fight crime, terrorism and corporate espionage, Tony begins to crack under the strain of his fractured lifestyle.

Speed Racer

Based on the 60s cartoon series, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), a skilled young race driver, is blackmailed by the head of the nefarious corporation Royalton Industries to participate in The Crucible -- the annual cross-country rally that claimed his brother's life years ago. Behind the wheel of the Mach 5, his father's greatest invention, Speed goes head to head with his chief rival, the mysterious-yet-familiar Racer X (Matthew Fox). The movie is directed by the Wachowski Brothers, creators of the 'Matrix' series.

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88 Minutes

Sometimes a stellar cast just doesn't make up for a bad movie. '88 Minutes' that stars Al Pacino as the famous forensic psychiatrist Jack Gramm is one such movie at the end of which one ends up cursing himself for judging a movie by its poster (or cast for that matter).
The movie has the same run of the mill plot of a famous cop being conspired against with copycat murders orchestrated by the 'death row' serial killer - Neal. The characters of McDonough and his stereotypically young female accomplice - Leelee Sobieski are a bit a too obvious for the contemporary audiences. If you are a fan of thrillers, steer clear of '88 Minutes' because it will only make you lament the loss of your precious time and make you wonder why on earth did Al Pacino, who has done awesome films like 'The Scent of a Woman' or 'Heat' ever agree to become a part of a movie such as this one.

Be it the obvious ending, the over acting from the younger stars (notable among them the OC boy toy Benjamin McKenzie as the annoyingly inquisitive student or Alicia Witt from Law and Order as the teacher's pet) or the badly directed crime scenes, '88 Minutes', simply putting is too long for the average movie buff. With dialogue which mainly comprised of the killer counting down minutes to the protagonist's death and adding the annoying onomatopoeia 'Tick tock' at the end of each sentence, it is safe to assume that the movie is not going to win the best screenplay academy award.

The only silver lining of this movie is that you can tell who the killer is, 10 minutes into the movie.

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BOLLYWOOD
1.Tashan
2. U, Me Aur Hum
3. Krazzy 4
4. Race
5. Sirf Life Looks
6. Bharam
7. Shaurya
8. Welcome
9. One Two Three
10. Black & White


HOLLYWOOD
1. Iron Man
2. Made of Honor
3. Baby Mama
4. Harold and Kumar Escape
From Guantanamo Bay
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6. The Forbidden Kingdom
7. Nim's Island
8. Prom Night
9. 21
10. 88 Minutes

[~*Rano*~]

lollywood b likh do..