movie mania

Yesterday I went to watch Madagascar 2 - Escape 2 Africa.
This movie goes back to how Alex the Lion came to be the "King of New York" - he got captured as a cute little cub in an African Reserve, but fell off the ocean carrier and got rescued in NYC. He was then put in the Zoo, where he used to dance and put up an awesome show to cheering New Yorkers!
So, now in Africa, the penguins along with the lemurs fix the crashed aeroplane in Madagascar to help the foursome get back to NYC. But they crash elsewhere in Africa, which just happens to be the Reserve from where Alex (or Alecki) had been captured! Alex's mum and dad recognize him from an identical sign on both dad and son's paws, and they are reunited! But, he has to prove himself to the Herd as a ferocious fighting Lion, or be banished from the Reserve.

Marty finds that he looks and acts and talks exactly like all the other zebras in the Reserve, and Alex cannot even tell him apart.

Gloria finds herself to be quite the babe among the hippos at the reserve, and vies for the affection of Modo Modo, a particularly HUGE male hippo.

Melman is told by the other Giraffes that there is no doctor on the Reserve, so he is made the "Witch Doctor". However, the Giraffes convince him that he has contracted the same disease that killed the previous Witch Doctor, and that he is going to die in 48 hours. And Melman also declares that he is and always was in love with Gloria.

Another evil lion is out to banish Alex, and succeeds not only in banishing Alex but also his Mum and Dad. After this, he becomes the Head. To prove himself to his Dad, Alex goes to find out why the watering hole of the Reserve has dried up. It turns out that since the penguins stole some Safari Jeeps, many humans visiting Africa from NYC had to fend for themselves in the Jungle, including that Grandma who fought Alex at Grand Central Station, and they built a dam for their water needs!

Alex is rescued by the penguins and monkeys, parents and his 3 friends, in the plane which was repaired with the help of a huge herd of Monkeys, and purely by accident, they destroy the dam. Immediately, the watering hole of the Reserve fills up, and Alex and his dad come floating on a log of wood. The animals of the Reserve call for Zuma (Alex's Dad) to be restored as the Head or Alpha Lion.

Melman and Gloria get together as well! Joyful ending, and some amazingly funny one-liners as usual. the animation was superb, and voice overs fantastic as always! ben stiller, you rock!!

The following movies are on my list to watch next :
1. Burn after Reading
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Slumdog Millionaire


Aaaaaand, the much awaiting Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) 2009 will be from 8th - 15th Jan. I am really looking forward to it. I hope there are some good entries this time. Last time I was not disappointed one bit! Khuda Ke Liye, Bliss, some French and German names I dont remember, etc etc. For Rs. 300, it is such a treat to the cinema enthusiast. Imagine paying Rs. 120 to watch a cheap crude rip off like Ghajini, when I can watch atleast 15 amazing films (if i get the time!) from all over the world for just Rs.300.

long live PIFF!!

and lastly, I would like to say how disappointed I am with Aamir Khan, and that tamil director Murugadoss, for not even admitting that they have completely ripped of Nolan's "Memento", a 2000 Hollywood movie, with the same story as Ghajini, only made in a much better way.

Murugadoss claims that he had heard about Memento, and liked the concept, and wrote his own script and screenplay, then watched Memento and concluded that the 2 are completely different films, and that Ghajini is only "inspired by" Memento. Aamir Khan concurs with this view. This is said in an interview, read the link below.

http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/interviews/20070702-0.html

This is an analysis of both Ghajini, and Memento, and the similarities and differences.
http://indiablogs.searchindia.com/2008/12/22/ghajini-review-why-is-aamir-khan-in-bed-with-a-thieving-swine

And this is a list of Bollywood movies that have been copied from either Hollywood movies or other foreign movies.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080518012745AAPdI9P

Come on, I expected so much better from Aamir Khan. When an actor reaches the stature, position and financial state as Aamir Khan, he really should make an effort or two to raise the tone of Indian cinema. I know Bollywood is not here to run a public or social service, but if the profit margins can be reduced just by a few zero's and some quality cinema be made, it will be such a refreshing change from the commercial, body-selling, awful music-driven movies that Bollywood has been churning out time and again.

posted a lil late, written on May 28th 2008!!!!

well...im entering into the 4th week of my internship with Trilegal, Bangalore.
it was interesting, i suppose, to gain the "hardcore corporate" law experience, however, it has helped me realise that corporate law isnt quite the thing for me. as far as I could see, you have to work hard, and there is no derth of things to do, but its not real academically oriented with philosophical points at stake.

of course, if the above words give an impression that im of the philosopher-thinker genre of scholars, then that is neither true nor likely! im actually a practical sort of person, who does not really get Plato etc! but i also do welcome a window of opportunity to think over, ponder about, interpret and apply the laws in front of me.

then again, to face the reality of surviving in expensive cities like bangalore, one must hope to get a decent pay. idealistic declarations of following one's dream no matter what, aren't all that simple (unless the dream is the conversion of a million dollar company to a billion dollar company!)