"The Last Airbender" Movie Review: Hollywood

Based on the popular Airbender series on Nickeledeon, The Last Airbender is a bid to monetize the franchise value of the same series on big screen. The story goes that the Fire-Station is all set to conquer different worlds who master the other elements like water, earth and air. The only one to stop the onslaught of the Fire-Station is the Avatar – The Last Airbender who combines the hairbending antics that display mastery of all elements. Only, he needs help from water-benders… The ending is dramatic and quick.

M.Night Shyamalan who is keen to disturb our sleep with paranormal activities takes a bow with keen eye for story-telling and some tempestuous special effects that sparkle on both 2D and 3D screens. He breathes lot of fire and action into a simple story-line and gives it a touch of class and pace as per his screenplay . Movie is worth watching but the only disappointment is there are no twists in the tail.

"Bheemili" Movie Review: Telugu

Bheemili is a surprise winner in a season of lackadaisical movies and pretentious multi-starrers and costly failures. Tatineni Satya, son of yesteryears' seasoned director - Tatineni Prasad - picks a fantastic script that's tasted success in Tamil Nadu - 'Vennila Kabadi Kulu' and makes a clean and thoroughly entertaining film that's sure to go down with masses and classes.

The story: Naani and a gang of six hang out in trivial time-pass in playing Kabaddi in Bheemili. However, Naani's enthusiasm lets him just be caretaker to the team's changeover clothes as they step into Kabaddi attire. They become more enthusiastic as they see a full-level professionalization at a village Jatara. They get beaten whole and square, but the experience leaves the gang craving for more Kabaddi and more learning. In the same Jatara, Naani loses his heart out to a non-local beauty Saranya Mohan. She doesn't tell her name, but only reveals she is studying in a college in Rajahmundry. Nani meanwhile earns a place of trust that he can play like a trump card and eggs the remaining team on to aspire for competition at state-level in Rajahmundry. This becomes the turning point for the film and brings them in contact with a coach (Kishore) who mentors them to achieve unreasonable success in a short time. The team plays on to win but the movie has a twist in the end…

The movie dazzles in all departments – story, screenplay, music by Selvaganesh, cinematography. The chemistry between all artistes comes alive and unlike earlier films in Tollywood, Kabaddi, indeed becomes the main backdrop of the film on which the entire story revolves. It does get intense by the reel and builds the tempo up to burst into a crescendo in the end. Naani and Saranya Mohan sizzle while the coach Kishore steals a powerful performance that is sure to win him laurels and more roles. What's amazing is the way Tatineni Satya brings a fresh air of nativity, novelty and oodles of entertainment and comedy from ordinary starcast. The punchlines and the number of guffaws the village starcast draws out is sure to give a run for the money for all those iconic comedy actors who charge Biryani and a bomb. The movie is sure to be a draw in all B and C centres and is still going to have the emotional connect with classes. An immensely watchable movie

"Shubhapradam" Movie Review: Telugu

"Shubhapradam" may not yet be the swan-song of K Vishwanath, but it is below-par. Too many good songs are wasted around a cliched story and the incessant noise the director makes about culture and tradition. He makes more points about ragging, integrity, responsibility, thrift and what not than what's possible -creates a ruckus of a script that consumes 14000 feet  - takes implausible liberties and makes unconvincing viewing. Naresh and Manjari Phadnis are the only saving grace besides Mani Sharma's enchanting music. If only Naresh's characterisation is longer and more defined, the movie could have got enlivened better. The movie appeals to the ageing society and doesn't connect with today's audience.

"Added Value" by Peter Church Book Review

In the age of diminishing attention spans, Peter Church pens a delectable book on thirty of India's modern capitalist entrepreneurs with a social bias. I have attended the book launch in Mumbai recently where some of the subjects covered in the book turned up to share their versions of what was the tipping point in their careers, what are their current concerns and what do they see next for themselves. Peter Church, being a head of one of the leading legal firms, does a Boswell by listing his observations and piquant remarks in an anecdotal way- not judging the entrepreneurs as they unfold their dreamy past but making them up in a story-telling fashion such that the story ends with all the crisp details and gives us the big picture, almost ending at the juncture at which they were about to soar. Brilliant read and gives enough titbits that add salt to any conversation about India's new crop of Billion Dollar entrepreneurs. You will know more than a thing or two about each of the icons covered in this business.

"Jhummandi Naadam" Movie Review

"Jhummandi Naadam" is a wasted exercise by K Raghavendra Rao to showcase his old skills at pumping thee prime looks of heroines. In this movie also, he makes the heroine look like a horticulture farm. The movie lacks all elements of drama, story, screenplay. Even the songs are dawdy duets and don't seem to have the magic that K R is renowned for. Movie can be given a miss. Manchu Manoj is looking good but Keeravani's music sounds repetitive unlike his "Vedam"outpput.

"Villain" Movie Review or "Raavanan" Movie Review

"Raavanan" or "Villain" movie tries to break new ground in showing villain as hero and hero as villain. It assembles an ace team who are at Mani "Sir"s beck and call - AR Rehman, Santosh Sivan and a starcast that's contracted to give super-profits even if they show up once. `Ramayana' comes alive in this movie and throws up some dazzling moments - but Mani is losing touch with evocative themes and entertainment in the pursuit of cinematic excellence and artistry.  No wonder they are not firing at BO. Vikram shows more versatility than Aiswarya.

"The Karate Kid" Movie Review

"The Karate Kid" is a charmingly good movie which shows China in a sweet spot as they are in - set in Beijing  with Kungfu and rich culture as backdrop, not GDP-hungry Shanghai. Jackie Chan returns in the remake of the movie with the same title made in 1984. He excels as the Kungfu Master and shows his subtle side with impeccable grace, while child superstar Jaden Smith proves his mettle again and takes his acting talent to new highs with range of emotions. Its an evergreen inspiring plot of growing up years and will be the perfect film to kickstart the academic year for kids. The movie has some breathtaking imagery from China's picturesque locations including The Wall and Wu Dong province. The movie has universal appeal and has the right mix of humor, entertainment, emotions and action sequences with clean narration by Director Harald Zwart. Sure to be a blockbuster. Music is another high for "Titanic" music director James Horner.