Phew.. The Week Ends (3rd April 2009)! Time for Movies!!!

The week finally brought us Friday and with it came the end to exams – internals, externals, boards, unit tests, whatever, I am sure the week was as hectic for you as it was for me. So why not give yourself a well-deserved break? A quick glimpse at the movies released this week. There is the Bollywood movie 8X10 Tasveer and the Thai action movie Ong Bak 2: One Man Army.

8×10 Tasveer

8 X 10 Tasveer

Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor 8×10 Tasveer stars Akshay Kumar and Ayesha Takia in lead roles. After giving us hit after super-hit (with the exception of Chandni Chowk to China) recently, which include romantic comedies and action movies, Akshay is back in the subdued role of Jai Puri in 8X10 Tasveer.

Apart from working as a forest ranger in Canada, Jai has the supernatural gift of looking into the history of dead people by touching objects possessed by them or by looking at their 8X10 photographs. Notice how all recent movies like Aa Dekhen Zara and 13B have time travel as their central plot. If 13B had an idiot box, Aa Dekhen Zara had an idiot camera!

Anyway, Jai is shattered by the death of his father (Benjamin Gilani) who is an oil baron. Jai was not on talking terms with his father due to his “gift”. Sharmila Tagore plays the distressed mom, torn between husband and son. Jai tries to solve the mystery of his father’s murder by using his special power.

Akshay Kumar is said to have given a subdued performance quite different from his earlier over-the-top and (somewhat) overdone acting. With a mildly interesting plot and passable music, the movie seems to be worth a watch over the weekend. How beautiful the Tasveer really is, we will have watch and find out. However, other producers, apprehensive of Akki’s popularity have not dared to release their movies on this day!

Ong Bak 2: One Man Army

Ong Bak 2: One Man Army

The posters of Ong Bak 2: One Man Army, directed by Tony Jaa, look scarily like those of the extremely torturous flick 10000 BC (during which I did enjoy two burgers but not the movie!).  However it is not so (or isn’t it?).

Ong Bak 2: One Man Army stars Tony Jaa as Tien. It is an out-and-out action movie that will appeal to hardcore martial arts fans. 

The movie is set in Thailand of 1431. The vicious armies of Lord Rajsena (Sarunyu Wongkrajang) are on the rampage in Northern Thailand, expanding their Kingdom of Ayudhaya aggressively. Lord Rajsena murders Lord Sidhadeco (Santisuk Promsiri) and his wife (Pattama Panthongphetthai). Traumatised by his parents‘ brutal murder, their teenage son, Tien flees and promptly gets caught by slave traders, who throw him in the waters to fight crocodiles. Chernag (Sorapong Chatree), leader of the Garuda wing bandits, rescues Tien.

Chernag finds something special about the boy and takes a liking to him. He gives Tien intensive training in various weird and fascinating kinds of martial arts. When Tien proves his abilities, he is made leader of the clan. Armed with martial arts skills, Tien sets out to avenge his parents’ death and recover his lands.

Watch out for some superb action sequences and some (10000 BC type) animal fights!

Well I am definitely going to watch a movie this weekend, if not for anything else, then to enjoy the air-conditioning! If it gets any hotter, I fear that I will evaporate!