Reviews
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
It's worth at least one viewing
It's not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be. It was actually quite a good movie. The first half was worth my money alone. Johar's mistakes came mostly in the second half of the film. It dragged on way too long. The slow songs shouldn't have been so long, although the more up beat songs were really catchy. Abhishek Bachchan put in a great performance, as did Preity Zinta. SRK was his usual self. I felt he was actually channeling his character from Kal Ho Naa Ho. Rani Mukherji was good too, although her crying act got tiresome in the second half. The gem of the film is Kirron Kher, great supporting actress. Her scene with Preity Zinta after she finds out about her husband's affair was heartbreaking. The film is definitely thought provoking if anything. What ruined the film for me was the ending. I didn't like how the two most selfish characters in the movie had a happily ever after.
Krrish (2006)
Utterly disappointed despite Hrithik's honest performance.
I went to see Krrish wanting the same impact that Koi Mil Gaya had on me. Unfortunately, I expected too much. Krrish did not have the heart that Koi Mil Gaya had.
Let's talk about the two leads, Hrithik and Priyanka. They didn't click, in my opinion. I would've much rather seen Preity play a different character and come back in the movie. She and Hrithik really worked in the first film. It was because of them that the first movie really worked. Not to mention that Priya, Priyanka Chopra's character wasn't very likable in the latter half of the movie. She came across as very selfish.
I also wanted to mention Preity Zinta. I had the impression that she was going to have a role in the film. I knew it wasn't a long role, but I expected more than 2 seconds. Which was what we got; literally. I even read somewhere that we would be seeing her in a new look with a sari and everything. Nope. Didn't get that.
SPOILERS:
In fact, in the end of the movie, after finding out Rohit didn't die after all and they all go back to their village, Nisha's the only one missing. If Nisha had to die, the least the writers could have done was not have Rohit turn up alive. To have those two separated just destroys the memory of the first movie. Such a tragic ending for them.
The movie also dragged on! So much! The movie doesn't really pick up until the last 30 minutes. And this is out of a 3 hour movie!!! There were too many things that Roshan tried to incorporate in the movie and overall it just didn't work. The romance came out flat (which didn't help since the character of Priyanka wasn't very likable, you begin to think: why would I want the hero to end up with her?). It's not like the Rohit/Nisha pairing in the first movie. In the first movie I really, really wished that Rohit and Nisha would end up together.
Also, another thing working against this movie is the fact that unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen a Hollywood superhero movie in the past decade. As a result, you can't help but see all the elements that Krrish ripped off from those movies. From Batman's mask, to Neo's trench coat look, to Superman's secret identity, to Spiderman's powers etc. There's not an ounce of originality to it. This may not have been so bad. After all, Koi Mil Gaya wasn't exactly original. We've all heard of the E.T. comments. But what saved that movie was that at the end of it, it wasn't about the special effects, but it was how much heart the film had. It had it in spades! The music also didn't live up to expectations. Rakesh Roshan unfortunately didn't deliver this time. Except for the number at the circus, the rest of the songs just made the film drag even more! There's a saying that the ending can make or break a movie. In my opinion, it broke this one. I won't explain, but you'll understand if you go see it.
As for the good things (that didn't outweigh the bad in my opinion): Rekha was very good in this movie, and if the movie had any heart at all, it came from her. The martial arts scenes were the only action scenes that really impressed me. Good work by Hrithik Roshan to make it look so impressive as if he'd been doing it all his life. Other than that, the movie showed flashes of brilliance, but unfortunately that's all there was. A big disappointment. I should have just waited until it was out for rent.
But really, my biggest grievance about this movie, (on top of all its little flaws that added up) was that it just ruined the first movie. It discarded the Nisha character so easily she may as well have not existed. I thought that the Roshans tainted the memory of Koi Mil Gaya for the sake of trying to rake in the audience from that movie as well to go and see Krrish. Krrish could have very well worked (with some tweaks here and there) as a completely separate movie. It was an underhanded marketing scheme.
Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... (2004)
An enjoyable 3 hours
If you're expecting an epic like Devdas, well, this movie will disappoint you. But if you're just looking for a nice romantic comedy to pass the time, then this movie will do just that. It's delightful and charming, and will pull on your heartstrings at the right times too. Aishwarya Rai is stunningly beautiful as usual and she gives her character, Diya the right amount of vulnerability. Vivek Oberoi is endearing throughout the whole film. The strongest part of the film is the beginning, in my opinion. It progresses the fastest and most of the comedy is found there. I found the second half of the movie to be a bit slower. But don't worry, it's not slow enough to make your interest wane. Also, as a bonus, Amitabh Bachchan makes his appearance in the second half. Although the second half slows down a bit like I mentioned, it does lead up very well to the ending. I don't understand some of the comments made that Vivek and Aishwarya have no chemistry because I thought they had it in spades. Where this film succeeds is through the characters. The movie makes you care for them, and when they're happy, you're happy, and when they're sad, you're heartbroken for them. I highly recommend this film.
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004)
No fan should be disappointed! *CONTAINS SPOILERS*
I watched this mini about a month ago having no background or previous knowledge of the show. I simply tried to have faith in the good reviews in my local newspaper and by various fans. I wasn't blown away or especially impressed, and of course I didn't understand a lot of the references. But I did enjoy watching it. I ended up buying seasons 1-4 on DVD, and after having watched those episodes, and then watching PKWars again, I must say it's one great mini-series. It definitely was loyal to the fans in that it gave them closure. Something that can't be said for many popular sci-fi shows in the past such as X-Files, Sliders etc. The effects, costumes and make-ups were superb! The dialogue was witty, heartfelt and funny. Of course, the chemistry between Claudia Black and Ben Browder is, in my opinion, unmatched anywhere else.
*Spoilers* Of course I didn't understand why Jool acted the way she did towards Crichton, telling him that she was sure that he'd come back for her because he was in love with her, or something to that effect. The last time we saw her, she had developed feelings for D'Argo. Oh well, it was nice to see her again. I was terribly disappointed though that she barely had a role and was killed about 5 min. after seeing her again.
At first, I thought D'Argo dying was a bad idea. But then having thought about it, I thought it was appropriate. He's come full circle since the beginning of the show, having gotten his revenge against his wife's murderer, and also finding his son. Him, dying a warrior-like death, protecting his friends was an honorable death for him.
Of course, this mini was about John and Aeryn, so I'll talk about them now. Each scene between them is a moment to be treasured by any true fan. Claudia Black and Ben Browder are in my opinion one of the best pairings in TV history! In all honesty, they've had better moments throughout the show, but the scenes in the mini don't disappoint either. This mini also sort of brings Aeryn full circle too. When we first saw her she was a shoot-anything-that-moves Peacekeeper who didn't know the meaning of compassion. At the end of this mini, she was a loving wife and mother. I think Claudia is a terrific actress and she can convey so much emotion just by her facial expressions. Though it was nice to see that Aeryn is still tough as nails when she needs to be. One of my favorite scenes was when she was in labour and blasting the crap out of the bad guys and says something like "shooting makes me feel better!" Also, the scene after John shuts down the wormhole, then collapses was a poignant one. Aeryn screaming with no sound in the background was just really effective. I honestly had no idea whether John was dead or not. I mean if he had died, which I didn't want to happen, but if he had, it would still be a fitting ending. At the end of the mini, there was John, Aeryn and their baby and they were giving him a name. This scene was a little corny, but also touching.
All in all, this was a great mini-series, and all fans of this terrific show should be grateful! It's a wonderful swan song for a wonderful albeit short-lived series. Someone who has no background in the show might not care for this mini, but I'm glad I gave it a chance.
House of D (2004)
Unless you enjoy boring . . .
...this film isn't for you. Now I'll be the first to say that I'm not a big fan of independent films, but if it's good, I can at least be objective enough to say it's a good film even though I didn't enjoy it. House of D however, is not a good film. And I didn't like it. I watched this film with the expectation that it would leave a thought provoking sentiment with me after having seen it, and that I would be able to feel for the characters (a must for independent films since they don't have the backup of special effects or A-list movie stars). Now, a few years ago, House of D would have had a pretty star-studded list with Duchovny, Williams, and Leoni to name a few. But as of late these actors have been on the downslide. Anyway, not only did the movie leave me feeling 'blah' but I was just glad to have it over with. It was so boring! I think I yawned more throughout that film than I did in all my math classes combined! The movie was just so predictable, filled with clichés, and tried to do too much all at once. I guess this was to be expected, it was after all Duchovny's first effort in writing/directing a full length film. Leaves much to be desired.