Drona

Unexpected fantasy adventure falls short...

Aditya (Abhishek Bachchan) lives with his adoptive parents but is only cared for by his father, with his mother and brother treating him as a subordinate. Unbeknown to Aditya, he is actually part of a lineage of male warriors who protect the universe from demons, and each comes to be known as Drona. He discovers his true identity when he is rescued by Sonia (Priyanka Chopra) after he is attacked by forces from the Demon Riz Raizada (Key Key Menon).

Drona shares may similarities to other films, such as the humble beginnings of Harry Potter, to Lord of the Rings, though most notably with Prince of Persia. With a few name changes and a title change, anyone could have been fooled into thinking Drona was the film adaption of the popular video game series. Nevertheless Drona is the first Bollywood film deal with the realm of fantasy on such a large scale. Earlier this year the science fiction genre got a first with love Story 2050, but where Love Story faltered in ever way, being only watchable due to the fact that it was a science fiction Bollywood film, Drona actually has some substance going for it. The plot is nothing amazing, and fairly simple. Luckily, it doesn't take Drona to the intermission to get into the fantasy realm, but does so rather soon in the film. Though what Drona lacks in story, it makes up for in mythos. The opening, which is done in a comic form, builds up potential for future films as it appears there is so much left to tell in the world of Drona. Regardless of whether you enjoy the film or not, there is definitely hinted at for potential sequels.

The acting side of Drona is not as good as hoped. Jaya Bachchan is underused, and Priyanka Chopra is not entirely up to scratch, though her performance is thankfully better then that from love Story 2050. Abhishek starts off slowly and seems out of sync with his character. He gets better as the film progresses but seems more capable of the silent hero type than the normal everyday person. Whether this is indicative of how well his acting is, is difficult to gather from Drona, but its very possible that his acting skills won't be viewed greatly by the masses even though he definitely has the ability.Though it is Kay Kay Menon who steals the show: his role as the creepy, clownish, and somewhat nervous Riz Raizada is very fun to watch. His character is similar to the likes of Kefka from the popular video game Final Fantasy 6 - he is a villain who seems somewhat maniacal, and Menon plays the part well.

Drona's weakest aspects is definitely its special effects and music. Beyond a few scenes, the CG looks either too cartoon like, or just not well textured. There are however a few gorgeous special effects spotted every once and a while, but for a big budget fantasy film like this, everyone once and a while just does not cut it. The music is also disappointing, though thankfully quite unique to the usual Bollywood selection. There are a select few tracks which are listenable, with the rest being on the forgettable side. One such track also happens to occur during one of the most boring parts of the film making it a very slow preliminary to the final arc of the story.

No sex, nudity or language, Drona does depict some violent acts with a fairly decent amount of sword fighting involving stabbings. While none of the throat slitting occurs on screen the after effects are shown briefly, and blood does make an appearance.

Drona 2 is apparently ready to roll when ever Goldie can get to it., Honestly,he should do a film or two before proceeding with the sequel. The biggest factor in Drona not being as good as it should be is because it is evident that Goldie is still trying to find his feet in the directing world. With some more experience, Drona 2 can shape up to be quite a worthwhile experience. He'll be able to rectify the music selection, special effects and even his own cinematography. It was not everything it was marketed to be, but Drona has created a decent enough mythos for potential sequels. It is not a bad film at all, and a great individual in a flood of clichéd romance offerings.

6/10

Screen date: 08 October 2008
Release date: 03 September 2008

Sony at Tokyo Game Show 2008

With the Tokyo Game Show just around the corner, and Nintendo holding a rather impressive conference of their own, all eyes are on Sony: will the PS3 be able to build upon an impressive foundation of upcoming titles? Will Sony be able to answer Nintendo's DS revision, the DSi?

Playstation 3:

If E3 and the Gamers Convention proved one thing, it is that Sony are trying their best to put the PS3 as the console choice for gamers. With some excellent showcases, TGS is the final major convention stop for all companies and Sony will want to end the year with a bang. Though Japan has become a touchy issue for Sony as of late: they lack JRPG's to entice the majority of the Japanese market, and the PS3 has recently been outsold by the Xbox360 in the region for a few weeks straight, due in turn to JRPG releases. Simply put, TGS 2008 will require Sony to showcase a few RPG titles. Now Sony has 11 playable unannounced titles for TGS. How many of these are actual new games, and merely known games receiving their first Japanese release and showcasing, is unknown, though the former is perhaps more desired.

Famitsu has had some information on new titles and in doing so, have probably unveiled some of these announcements for TGS. One title which is bound to get some attention is Demon's Souls, mainly because its an RPG. It seems like a grat synthesis of King's Field, Oblivion and Shadow of the Colossus. Awesome! Though this title is from the same team who created the average Enchanted Arms. Not so Awesome! Another two of the titles come from IREM and Konami. IREM have Spelunker HD (what ever happened to Steambot Chronicles 2?) and Konami's title seem more or likely to be Zone of the Enders 3... or Coded Arms has resurfaced from cancellation (better then nothing I suppose). Either way, whether Demon's Souls and Spelunker HD are part of the unannounced titles, it is difficult to tell, but it leaves Sony with merely nine unknown titles (or eight if you count a possible ZOE3).

Team ICO is bound to break the silence and showcase their new title, and it very much one of the more anticipated moments of the show. This leaves seven titles remaining, but it must be said that these titles will most likely come from Japanese developers. The reason for this is simple: E3 showed off American developed titles, such as God of War 3 and MAG, and the Gamers Convention showed off European developed titles such as the new Singstar's. There is a possibility that the three Cellius projects: Brace Arms, Chain Limit and Second: Season 01 are shown. The apparnetly online-only Tears of Blood could finally be showcased, along with Kurayami from Suda 51 (though this title could be published by EA leaving it as multi platform). If these is the case, that leaves two titles.

There is bound to be a PSN title, but where are the JRPG's? One can only fathom that Sony will do what Nintendo have done at their recent conference and resurrect a sequel to an older IP, the most notable for Sony in the JRPG genre being The Legend of Dragoon. This title is perhaps the most required from Sony as it would show their commitment to the JRPG genre and even allow other developers to follow.

It is difficult to really predict what will be shown because of the flux of titles that were announced for the PS3 but have since fallen off the radar. Whatever the case, Sony has to prove not only that it has the software to compete with Nintendo's recent announcements, but also that it is not going to abandon the RPG scene.

Playstation Portable:

Nintendo's DSi proves quite valuable to Nintendo's handheld efforts, regardless of whether you think its viable for them to release a new revision or not. However there are many moves Sony can make to counteract the euphoria around Nintendo's announcement. Firstly, the DSi is going to debut at 18,900 yen, which is merely 900 yen cheaper then the PSP-3000's debut price of 19,800. With a difference of around $8.5, Sony is now more competitively priced to its rival. While its unlikely, Sony could easily announce at TGS a new price for their handheld, being equated to the DSi. If this were to occur, sales will merely rely upon hardware and software alone, mainly the latter.

The video game representation for both handhelds are pretty impressive, with Sony being most fortunate for a sudden proliferation in third party support from Japanese developers. While it will be key for them to outline many titles, especially the likes of LocoRoco 2 and Patapon 2, and other key titles such as the Final Fantasy's from Square Enix, what could work more in Sony's favour would be to outline upcoming firmware updates. With the DSi, Nintendo has created a more media capable handheld, and Sony could capitalize upon this by showing off software for the PSP's OS.

Much has been expressed about the PSP gaining the addition of direct PSN access. This is of much help to PSP users allowing them to cu the middleman of a PS3 or PC to get content for their PSP. This also highlights Sony's stance for downloadable content for the PSP, however one aspect of Sony's overall strategy is still missing: the numerous downloadable PSP-exclusive PSN titles. Beats was the first, and Sony promised more titles, with a FPS, action and rhythm titles coming. If Sony can demonstrate this feature while showing at least of of these titles (if they even still exist), then the DSi's virtual console support becomes undercut a little, though it is still an important factor of the DSi.

Other features will be important to outline: a PSN ID, friends list and trophy support. These three don't counteract anything about the Dsi, but it gives the PSP a lot more functionality, albeit somewhat trivial in helping hardware sales. Though what could be key in challenging the DSi's new found media capabilities, would be for Sony to prove the rumours of wmv. and avi. support. Such a feature will allow the PSP to be a rather hefty piece of equipment, and the price tag would seem even more justifiable.

The overall point would be for Sony to make the PSP-3000 seem far more important to customers than Nintendo's Dsi. They might not be able to stop what could be amazing DSi sales, but they can easily create doubt in the mind of consumers. And with what looks like hefty support from Japanese develpers, Sony could easily see another PSP boon in Japan for a while, which is required in order to help their market prospects elsewhere.

Taken

Exhilaration with modest substance...

As an ex-government special ops unit, or 'preventer', Bryan (Liam Neeson)is living his retirement years in hope of being more involved in the life of his 17-year-old daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). While overprotective, and somewhat paranoid, of his daughter's well-being due to the severity of his past career, Bryan reluctantly allows Kim to travel with a friend to Paris. However the trip proves disastrous as both Kim and her friend are kidnapped by Albanian sex-traffickers.

The story unfolds in a very mechanistic manner and as such also plays out in a linear and expected fashion. This does not make for a lesser story, but it does feel too conservative for the film in its entirety, and the end result is a film which lacks the complexities which the themes explored involve. Still it is entertaining and thankfully never falters, though some events are somewhat out of realism's grasp. By the film's end, Taken has a profound impact due to its subject matter. Nothing is overly explicit and the theme of the sex-trade is not dealt with meticulous realism, but it is captured well enough to make it seem tangible. Half the reason is due to the the directors ability to make the characters appeal on a personal level.

Bryan's concern for his daughter is touching, though perhaps a little overbearing first. But when danger comes to Kim, Bryan no longer appears to have any fault: he was right in his judgement. This is not a problem, but in fact a keen reminder of the role a parent plays in their child's life. Neeson plays the role, for the most part, quite convincingly. He shows some genuine concern, and when faced with the task of an action role, Neeson kicks into gear with a riveting performance. However there are moments where he comes across as mundane, and not totally involved with his character. Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen play adequate supporting roles with both showing believable emotion at the dire and horrifying situation the character Kim finds herself in. Though it must said that Maggie has a very strange way of running that can seem rather bothersome; perhaps that is he way of running, as weird as it looks, or maybe she was an ill choice to play a 17-year old.

While an integral theme is that revolving around the idea of sex, there is none shown in the film. Nudity is also not shown though some women come close. Language is almost non-existent though blasphemy does appear every once and a while. The film is quite strong on violence, though it is neither gory or bloody. Fights involve mainly hand-to-hand combat with a healthy does of gunfire. It is all quite engaging and exciting to watch, with Byran coming across as a more complete and violent version of Jason Bourne or the rebooted James Bond.

As perhaps gathered, the film is not exactly realistic though it is the sort of film which could and deserves to be so if it wishes to rank among the best of cinema. This aside, Taken is a thoroughly enjoyable film with intense action, marred by a few inconsistencies and lack of foresight into the film's overall image.

8/10

Screen date: 20 September 2008
Release date: 12 September 2008

Rock On!!

A new and high point in Bollywood filmmaking...

Starting up a rock band by the name of Magik, four friends have the dream of shooting to stardom with their rock music. When this dream never sees the light of day, the band split and has little contact with each other member. After 10 years, their lives become interwoven once more and the decision is made to attempt to reunite the bonds of the past.

The story is presented in an intriguing fashion jumping from the past to the present at will, but it never becomes distracting. This change goes to compliment the film in many ways. Not only does it make the viewing more interesting, but it helps to better understand the emotional and mental struggles of the main characters. The two most notable are Aditiya (Farhan Akhtar) and Joe (Arjun Rampal), with the former leading a prosperous life as a business man while the latter is barely able to make ends meet. The film is relatively easy to understand throughout but that doesn't mean it lacks the depth. There is a great sense of duality and confliction which arises as the film evolves. However the film can be seen to be a tad optimistic about certain factors of life, though it is nothing detrimental to the film as a whole, especially when the film has some melancholic moments. There is also a factor overlooked in the story: when the band attempts to reunite it appears to have no effect on the busy lives of those involved in the business world, notably Aditiya, with a similar social problem only affecting Joe.

There is a minor problem in regards to the English subtitling whereby spoken English is incorrectly subtitled, at one point even changing what was said entirely, though it was an unimportant scene of dialogue.

On the acting side, the actors perform quite well. Rock On!! marks Akhtar's acting debut after success with script writing and directing, and he adds another skill to his growing list of talents, even that of singing. He is well suited with strong presence next to Rampal who plays a more delicate role. They both play off one another extremely well and the chemistry between both shows whether in normal interaction or when the band is performing on stage. But this is not to say that both remain constant opposites of one another, for both have these subtle moments when they reverse characteristics, but it so dependent on the situation and goes to show the complex structure of the characters themselves, with character development being apparent, though perhaps not as much as one would hope. The remainder of the cast aids both main actors successfully creating a very believable context for the film.

The core highlight of Rock On!! is its musical score. It you enjoyed the snippet provided by the preview then you are bound to enjoy listening to an array of exhilarating track, complimented with a couple of slower pieces which allows for added variety. No matter what track is being played Rock On!! presents one of the most consistent soundtracks to grace a Bollywood film in a while. Also the production values are absolutely amazing for a Bollywood film. Rock on!! does not feel like a foreign Bollywood film at all, with the whole film feeling like a mid-to-high production Hollywood film. This is achieved with some masterful directing by Abhishek Kapoor with every scene, especially when Magick performs their music, seeming well calculated. However this does not stop Kapoor choosing some strange and rather unnecessary direction for certain scenes but this is thankfully very rare.

In what has been an up-and-down year for Bollywood blockbusters, Rock On!! amazingly is able to remain one string above most of the rest. There is very little to fault beyond the simple story and questionable cinematographic decisions. Rock On!! is as complete a package as you would hope for, and for a film which doesn't appear to be as widely acknowledged as other Bollywood blockbusters, Rock On!! is a true delight.

8/10

Screen date: 29 August 2008
Release date: 03 September 2008

Mirrors

A little old school, a little modern, though not entirely complete...

Ben Carson (Keifer Sutherland) is currently undergoing marital problems with his wife, Amy (Paula Patton), who is not showing much interest in his wellbeing. As an attempt to stabilize his life, Ben lands a job as a nighttime security guard for an abandoned, yet important, department store. However Ben comes across some mysterious circumstances when it appears that the mirrors in the building are reflecting an alternative reality to his own.

The story seems like a simple affair at first: man goes around some dark and mysterious place, discovers something he shouldn't, and all hell breaks loose. For the sake of everyone, the film does attempt to be more then that. Director Alexandre Aja does a good job at meshing both the supernatural elements of the mirrors with the reality of Carson's married life. The former is tense with some some great moments marred by some which are clichéd. The overall result is hardly mixed however, and proves to serve horror in a good dose, and as well has a nice hint of Asian horror. Like the horror, the social elements either work or do not. The conflict between both Ben and Amy seems rooted in reality and can be related to. But the film does little in the beginning arc to help attach the viewer to Ben's social life circumstances and so there are a few scenes which don't quite gel well enough to be entirely believable. The overall story moves at a decent enough pace, slowly bringing to light new point for the viewer. But after the two-thirds mark, the story not only picks up speed but content as well to the point where the last third of the film has enough story to be told in the first two-thirds. The problem is that too much happens towards the end that its difficult to justify cohesion in the films plot. It really needed to be a few minutes longer so that some of the plot could get more fleshing out.

But what is presented, Aja does a great job directing. The cinematography is not exceptional by any means, but is still a wonder to watch. The best of the lot easily goes to the death sequences, with the first being an excellent prologue into the story, and another which is truly numbingly evil: you'll want to keep watching due to its uniqueness but at the same time turn your eyes away. Sadly not all scenes are well thought through, mainly due to the story. The ending, for instance, was rather surprising but apt. However there is no underlying logic to link the events to any tangible truth expressed through Aja's direction. And this is easily the films greatest fault: Aja appears to hope the audience will not question how the film progresses. Even the explanation for the mirrors is still left shrouded, and not because its all expected to be a big mystery, but because Aja does little to use his directional cue to help give more explanation when its needed.

Acting is commendable with a few solid performances but none of them are truly able to be anything but good. Sutherland pulls the film along and is fairly believable throughout as a confused security guard going through marital problems, while having to cope with the mystery that surrounds the mirrors. The only downside is that his performance does, at times, bear a slight resemblance to his role in 24. It's nothing major, and will perhaps only be available to ardent fans of the series. Other characters are minor, though Patton does get a nice little chunk and is adequate enough to support Sutherland, but when the script seems to falter with her character, so does Patton. Thankfully her acting is not unbearable.

No sex, and some slight nudity, the film is loaded with scattered with swearing, though not always hard. The violence does get gory with two particular scenes, shown in the red-band trailer, being excessively so. And the camera lingers on the bodily wounds and accompanied blood. Beyond this there is nothing exceedingly graphics about the scenes, with the worst being the images of people on fire but this is achieved with poor CG and so lessens its effect. In fact, fans of Aja's work will possibly be a tad disappointed that the gore level never reaches his previous efforts, notably The Hills Have Eyes, but that doesn't stop it from being powerful images nonetheless.

Mirrors is very much like a mirror in all honesty. There is the real, tangible film, but then also the diluted image which is created from the reflection: as much as the film seems to promote substance, it inadvertently at times does not. The story is interesting, though inconsistent. The acting is good, though not entirely exclusive. The horror has some excellent moments, though there probably is not enough. Regardless, Mirrors is not a poor excuse for a film. On the contrary, its a good attempt and quite enjoyable. If anything, Mirrors proves an excellent introduction for those who have not accustomed themselves, or are not willing to do so, to the excessive gore of modern horror.

7/10

Screen date: 29 August 2008
Release date: 29 August 2008

GC: Sony Conference overview

Playstation Portable:
Hardware:
PSP 3000 - A new model, not new PSP. Has enhanced LCD for more intensity and less glare. A built-in microphone. 8 bundles, all at R2,287, either with FIFA, Go! Communication, Buzz!, Harry Potter

Software:
Loco Roco 2

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Playstation 3:
Hardware:
80gb sku - going for R4586. Launch in EU on 28 August.
160gb sku - going for R5161. Launching in EU October 31, same functionality as 80gb.
Play TV - 19th September in EU.
Wireless Keypad - Attachable to the PS3 controller. Has a touchpad for mouse usage.

Software:
EyePet - Adopt a virtual animal which you can stroke and play with and so forth. Uses the eyetoy camera presume.
DC Universe Online
Free Realms
Heavy Rain - A QTE system seems in place.
InFamous
LittleBigPlanet - 29th October is the release date.
MAG
Motorstorm 2
Ratchet and Clank
Resistance 2
Singstar Disney - music from Disney animations such as The Lion King.
Singstar Turkish Party - German exclusive it seems.
Singstar Volume 3 - an update will allow downloaded music to be playable on your PS3.
Siren
The Agency

Fat Princess [PSN]
Fl0wer [PSN]
PixelJunk Eden [PSN]
The Last Guy [PSN]
Wipeout HD [PSN]

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Playstation Network:
Software:
Vidzone - music streaming service which is apparently free for early 2009. For use with PS3 and PSP.
Misc - Video service coming?

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

A work not fully thought through...

The simple truth of the matter is that the name Annie Leibovitz echoes through popular culture, so much so that it was only a matter of time until a documentary was published on her in some form. Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens, just so happens to be the title of a documentary undertaking and whether you are a fan of Leibovitz or not, this film is worth a look.

The documentary is structured in four ways: there are the candid interview segments, but these are infused within footage of present commissioned work by Leibovitz, her meeting with a publisher, and her history. This all sounds rather overwhelming, but in reality, it proves a simple integration which is easy for the audience. This complex structure make the documentary far more interesting to watch then it perhaps is. It doesn't follow in a linear pattern, moving from past story to current work, to interviews and so forth, and the director, Barbara Leibovitz, must be commended for making the entire experience gel together. However, that doesn't stop the documentary having a very outdated feel, with the camera used, at last for modern footage, seeming somewhat low key. It is a problem, but a minor one in the entirety of the film.

The film is more geared towards those who know little about Annie Leibovitz, as the information presented does seem to be the sort which is knowable by anyone who has followed her career, or were diligent enough to search for information about her. Yet the film does work as a collective, allowing all the integral information about her life to be condensed. And what is presented is interesting nonetheless, such as Leibovitz early days traveling with the Rolling Stones, and how she developed into a more mature photographer after various influences in her life. It all makes for a good story of self-discovery, and really puts her later work, such as the Miley Cyrus incident, into perspective.

That aside, the documentary could have been better. It's 86 minute runtime really needed to be longer so as to flesh out what is presented. Considering that Leibovtiz is one of the most celebrated photographers of our time, its a pity to see so little in terms of celebrity participation in regards to interviews. The documentary is directed and written by Leibovitz's sister, and so the overall direction is questionable. This facet could be seen to make for a more personal experience, but Barbara Leibovitz comes across as far too distant, and as such, the issue of subjectivity is still apparent. It is as if Barbara didn't wish to seem biased and so detached herself from the subject, but doing so doesn't make her come across as objective either. It's a very tricky sort of situation, but one that would have been best solved by allowing herself to be more part of the documentary.

There are a few blasphemous terms but besides that, the only other objectionable content comes in the form of an array nude pictures.

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens is an interesting documentary that deserves a watch, but if one were not interested in any of the subject matter, its very difficult to convince them to try this out. Sadly the film suffers from being underexposed, and not elaborate enough. Theres not enough celebrity support, not enough information, not enough runtime. For a photographer with the caliber of Annie Leibovitz's, this documentary is a bit of a shame.

6/10

Screen date: 08 August 2008
Release date: 08 August 2008


Available on Channel24