Author Archives: Tennyson

Neverland Nightmare

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Vampire Owl: Do you know this guy named Peter Pan?

Vampire Bat: Yes, he was chosen to be a vampire but was just not good enough.

Vampire Owl: So, he is a dropout from the vampire academy.

Vampire Bat: He never really tried. He just pretended.

Vampire Owl: I do not see why such characters need to be vampires.

Vampire Bat: There are more undeserving vampires in our realm.

Vampire Owl: Well, death is only the beginning of character detailing.

Vampire Bat: Yes, I have seen vampires developing characters different from their previous existence. They were never exactly the same.

Vampire Owl: Death hunts and separates characters, I see.

Vampire Bat: So does the purgatory as we know it.

[Gets a Milky Bar and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Peter Pan (Martin Portlock) who has been working at a fantasy-themed circus performing a mime for children, is seen abducting children, and even murdering their parents or friends who get in their way. After many years post the abductions by Peter, Mary Darling (Teresa Banham) is a single mother who lives with her children Wendy Darling (Megan Placito), John Darling (Campbell Wallace) and Michael Darling (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) who are all going through a complex family situation. On Michael’s birthday, Wendy promises to pick him up from school and go to a cafe, but gets distracted while talking to her boyfriend who visits her after a long time, and does not notice that Michael leaves home on his bicycle. As he has to go through a road with woods on both sides, he is chased by Peter in a van, and after causing an accident, abducts the boy and takes him to his lair. Wendy feels that the boy is still in the school, and keeps searching for him, but meets with no clues.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The search gets more frantic with a phone call as Peter calls and informs them that he will take Michael to a place known as “Neverland” which will serve children the best. The next day, Peter attacks and slaughters a school bus full of children including the adults who accompanied them. Wendy’s best friend Tiger Lily (Olumide Olorunfemi) offers her help and asks her to stay with them, but Peter also attacks the house looking for another school kid, who is taken captive. A transwoman with the name Tinker Bell (Kit Green) who is convinced that the children Peter kills are actually going to the fictional land of Neverland is revealed to be Peter’s partner in crime. Wendy who follows Peter to his hideout finds a locked James Hook (Charity Kase) who has a hook instead of one of his hands. Now, Wendy finds herself in trouble, as things seem to go out of hand, and Peter Pan is more than just a common human being.

The defence of Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare :: The dark twists never cease to keep us interested, as the world reminds of the terrifying reality that could hide behind every text, especially when they seem sweet and suitable for kids – the children who grow with inherent evil would still take it to hearts and then there is the pure evil which is unleashed as an adult. The change to Neverland into a nightmare world with dead children, corrupted fairies and horror-styled locations possibly housing a psycho killer makes this that kind of a situation where the original tales would stay away from. The slasher elements work strongly here, more than the usual scares, as this is that gory affairs which brings fear in another way. The new wave of horror films based on the public-domain characters which followed, would have a lot more as it seems here, and the sequel would also unleash unmatched terror if things are to go as we expect. The evil here feels very much of a pure dark side, and that works.

The claws of flaw :: There is a certain amount of weakness that the movie brings on itself, as there seems to be a lag even in a short movie like this one. Some of the trouble might be because of the lower budget as CGI never really goes for the extra. The usual elements of the classic slasher horror also go missing, as this one is rather too much on the safe side – trying to be too safe and by listening to everyone, the essence of a work is often lost, and that might be what is reflected here. The movie keeps focusing on the kills, but never really tries to make the same interesting, and even the biggest moment of the movie that includes a bus kill does not have the strength even when it is talked about, leaving it to the side as if the deaths are not shocking or even worth talking about. As there are so many things unexplained, the sequel is needed immediately, or there will be that emptiness that haunts the movie here. The characters are also lost in the gore at times. Then there is the predictability which very much there.

The performers of the soul :: Megan Placito comes up with an admirable scream queen and slasher expert performance, even though that kind of a classic horror feeling is not really there – she does not get that many opportunities to go diverse, but manages what is with her with ease. She should make it to more horror movies, and not just slasher, but also action horror. There is also an emotional side to her performance which we will note. Martin Portlock’s antagonist is strong, but required more explanations and better layered character, as we do not really get into the soul of the same. He surely seems to have the main requirement filled, but one would have to wonder if that was all that was needed. Peter DeSouza-Feighoney playing the child does his job well and Hardy Yusuf who plays the other relevant kids is okay too. Kit Green manages the avatar well too. Olumide Olorunfemi and Campbell Wallace should have been around for a longer time and should have contributed more to the situation, but just manages with what they have here.

How it finishes :: Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is that kind of movie which could have done better, but instead just goes through what seems to be a normal routine. When turning childhood memories to nightmares, other movies of the same kind scored rather better without doubt. This one, despite having such a terrifying idea, struggles for some reason. It never reaches its potential, as limitations seems to be randomly created here. If you have watched Bambi: The Reckoning, you will know that the chance for going full horror was surely there. Maybe the sequel could bring much more, as there is more that could be revealed with a terrifying touch. Still, the horror stays strong enough, and as children have that inherent evil in them, they have lived through these characters who have also grown up to present the same evil to the society. These stories turned horror feels like that Lord of the Flies kind of treatment given by children on islands without civilization to control them – these will surely bring more evil as there is no world that cannot descend into chaos as long as children are in control; Willia Golding knew the same.

Release date: 24th February 2025
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Scott Chambers
Starring: Megan Placito, Martin Portlock, Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Teresa Banham, Olumide Olorunfem,i Campbell Wallace, Nicholas Woodeson

<<< Click here to go to the previous film review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous English film review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous serial killer film review.

<<< Click here to go to the review of biggest movie of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Demonte Colony II

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Vampire Owl: So, are we going to a colony of a demon?

Vampire Bat: Do you think that this is about a colony of some demon?

Vampire Owl: I never knew that demons had colonies.

Vampire Bat: I have heard about the first movie of this series.

Vampire Owl: Well, we missed that one, didn’t we? At least this one is on Jio Hotstar.

Vampire Bat: It only means from the mount/hill – not related to demons, I think.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are witches on the mountains.

Vampire Bat: Those are mountains to us only because we live below sea level.

Vampire Owl: Still, the northern witches from above are the most dangerous.

Vampire Bat: If they are connected the demons, yes. I believe that shadow world would have something to do about the same.

[Gets a chicken puttu and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Samuel a.k.a. Sam (Sarjano Khalid) is a cancer survivor, who is seen as hanging in his room and his friends fall to death from an apartment building. Debbie (Priya Bhavani Shankar), Sam’s wife, suspects that there is something sinister about this as he had just gone through so many treatments and prayers defeating the illness, thus becoming a survivor whom everyone celebrated. A few years after Sam’s death, she continues to have attempts to impregnate herself with Sam’s preserved sperm, much to the dismay of her parents, friends and relatives. Sam’s father Richard (Arun Pandian) is the only person who supports Debbie in whatever she does, not thinking about its consequences. Six years past Sam’s death, Debbie inaugurates her Chinese restaurant in memory of her husband. There, sensing Sam’s presence, she consults a monk to communicate with Sam’s spirit. At the same time, in Hyderabad, Raghunandhan a.k.a. Raghu (Arulnithi Tamilarasu) and his half-sister Aishwarya (Archana Ravichandran) contest in the court as their lost brother is inheriting 70% of their deceased father’s two thousand five hundred crore worth of property.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: When the monk sends Debbie to the spirit world despite all bad omens, she sees Sam trapped among many souls and she keeps on writing about help and drawing the face of Raghu. It is shown that both Raghu and his lost brother Srinivasan a.k.a. Srini who also look alike had gone through accidents from where they miraculously escape, but the latter had ended in a comma. Raghu obtains a court order for Srini’s passive euthanasia, hoping that he could claim that part of inheritance. But Debbie warns Raghu that they are linked from within and harming Srini will also kill him who had also survived those linked accidents. It is revealed that they who are born from the same atom, has remained cosmically entangled, and destined to live or die together. This goes back to that past which linked those accidents that occurred at the same time to some unknown supernatural power. Srini was also admitted to Richard’s hospital, and as a doctor, he has been taking care of him, despite not much hope of him getting back to senses being received.

And what more is to follow here in a world of evil ready to be unleashed? :: A further investigation leads to a mysterious book, Unsung King of a Fallen Kingdom, previously read by Sam and Srini’s friend. This book has the figure of Baphomet, a goat-headed demonic identity and an inverted cross, symbolizing the worship of Satan. This king is supposed to be from Portugal, and has been associated with Anti-Christ. The book had only been read once in six years, and the borrowers mysteriously dies and the book was every time recovered and brought to different libraries by some unknown figure. Further research brings the name, “Demonte Colony,” and rests on the idea about existence of an evil force and a chain which brings further power of the damned. They are able to find this house, and plans to keep it barricaded with the help of police, only to find screams from inside and the realization that someone might be already inside. There are four girls inside, and only one of them remains sane, and this girl named Adithi (Meenakshi Govindarajan) reveals more of the horror – but evil has been spreading quickly, and is it too late to intervene?

The defence of Demonte Colony 2 :: The movie rests on the shoulders of Priya Bhavani Shankar who not only handles the horror as a scream queen, but also manages the emotional side well. Arulnithi surely brings further depth to the situation with his performance. The thrills keep the movie engaged throughout its run, and there are some twists added here too. There is some effective use of darkness and the atmosphere of different locations. The background music nicely supports the generation of fear which keeps increasing the feeling of danger after starting with a mystery which needs to be solved. The use of multiple kinds of demonic references and the clues to something even bigger coming in a third movie, has us every much interested. The sequel surely would have something even bigger, as it seems to give the idea. A lot would continue to be revealed in the next movie, and the way in which the movie has been dealing with the big reveals here also need to be appreciated. The supporting cast also supports the same including Meenakshi Govindarajan, Arun Pandian, Sarjano Khalid, Archana Ravichandran, Vettai Muthukumar and others.

Positives and negatives :: The CGI and special effects are pretty good, but there is nothing incredibly terrifying, something which could have been added by the end of the movie. There will still be the feeling that there is some predictability associated with it. The psychological side could have been stronger, but we see that the other side make up for it. There are also so many things being talked about, and some might feel confused – but that would make sure that there is not shortage of content in this rather long movie. The Hindi version was the only dubbed language on Jio Hotstar does make one feel strange too. The fans of the first movie might not want this one to go too complex, but the addition of legends and the leading actress have only made it better. Still, for us intellectual horror watchers, creation of a new world and a lot of horror from beneath has helped. This movie also feels like more emotionally touching and with so many layers which could be explored even further in a sequel with more mysteries to be revealed.

How it finishes :: Demonte Colony 2 extends the tale of the first movie with ease, and there are some nice connections being made here. The scope for sequel is very well-set, and we know that the evil will come in its greatest form in the next movie, where the characters also seem to point to the same, as the best might be still to come. A bigger commercial success here would mean that there could be a spectacle in score, and third one could be the classic. Along with Pechi, this would be another Tamil horror classic which we would remember for long. This is at a time when Malayalam movie industry is more interested in bringing psychos and serial killers for terror instead of the supernatural. May the lovers of the supernatural continue to find solace in movies like this one which successfully creates its own demons like Sinister, Insidious, Ouija and others which have also succeeded outside the Conjuring–Annabelle–Nun universe. Let this one serve the horror enthusiast well and inspire the person to watch more of the same kind.

Release date: 15th August 2024
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: R Ajay Gnanamuthu
Starring: Arulnithi, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Arun Pandian, Vettai Muthukumar, Antti Jaaskelainen, Tsering Dorjee, Meenakshi Govindarajan, Ramesh Thilak, Sarjano Khalid, Master Allam, Archana Ravichandran, M. S. Bhaskar, Priyadarshini Rajkumar, Raneesh, Abishek Joseph George, Kalaiyarasan, Ravi Venkatraman, Senthi Kumari, Soundarya Mahesh Babu, Tenzin Dargya

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous Tamil movie review.

<<< Click here to go to the review of the biggest movie of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Jurassic World Rebirth

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Vampire Owl: Are we going to see the dinosaurs again?

Vampire Bat: Yes, and they continue to remind us of dragons.

Vampire Owl: Do you feel that dragons really existed in the realm?

Vampire Bat: Yes, they could be summoned by the witches if they are powerful enough.

Vampire Owl: So, dragons originally became extinct like the dinosaurs?

Vampire Bat: The legends do not exactly mention dragons ceasing to exist.

Vampire Owl: So, have you ever seen one and inspire a Dragon Park like the Jurassic one?

Vampire Bat: You know that creatures of magic always coexist without you seeing them, right?

Vampire Owl: If they come back at some point, I would call it necromancy.

Vampire Bat: It would be just simple magic as they are not really gone forever.

[Gets a Bourbon biscuit and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is seen that in a dinosaur genetics laboratory located on Ile Saint-Hubert, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, a six-limbed Tyrannosaurus called Distortus rex escapes the secure containment due to the careless dealings of an employee. It kills the same employee and forces all the active scientific and military personnel to abandon the island. But many years later, there is a plan to return to area around this island. As the Earth’s climate seems to be inappropriate for the dinosaurs, most of them are restricted to equatorial areas which got climate which suits them and resembles more of the pre-historic age. These areas become exclusion zones for the creatures where humans do not go, and are also restricted by laws. Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), an executive at a pharmaceutical company plans a classified mission to collect some biomaterial samples from three huge dinosaurs, which would help in a cardiovascular disease treatment as heart diseases have been on the increase among humans with a lot of deaths occurring at young ages, and people have been willing to pay a lot for the same.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: On his mission, he recruits Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a former government agent who is in need for some quick money and a paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) who feels that his job is lost due to nobody caring about the ancient species with dinosaurs rarely attractions any more. Zora recruits an old friend and assassin Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), maritime pilot LeClerc (Bechir Sylvain), skilled mercenary Nina (Philippine Velge) and security expert Bobby Atwater (Ed Skrein) as the mission would take a lot of effort in a dangerous environment. While they are traveling through the seas, another boat is journeying far into the ocean, as Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is sailing nearby together with his daughters Teresa Garcia-Rulfo (Luna Blaise) and Isabella Garcia-Rulfo (Audrina Miranda), along with Teresa’s boyfriend, Xavier Dobbs (David Iacono). When a Mosasaurus attacks and overturns their sailboat, they are found by the team, but are further attacked by a group of dinosaurs teaming up as one, leading the boat to crash. Now, can they make it out alive with or without samples?

The defence of Jurassic World Rebirth :: The movie, with the strength of nostalgia, transports us to a world that we would remember for what we see around, with memories nicely coming back to us from years ago. The world detail and the dinosaurs created here are very good as usual. The island is something that will stay with us for a long time, and the jungle environment provides us some nice vibes, not that away from the natural, but providing a feeling of something beyond the usual. This is that kind of a movie which is standalone, but us connected really well to the rest of the universe. The movie also manages to have one of the best crow-pullers at the top as the main character and there is also some extra sense of danger added with a family with a kid also in trouble and a little dinosaur also around. The danger and action are also not overdone, and the battles here are more realistic than ever, even in a fictional world full of strange creatures. The ending is also satisfactory, and brings together what happened in the very beginning of the movie. There is also that scope for a fine sequel created around here.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does seem to repeat a pattern with which we are a lot familiar, and it is more or less like seeing something we have watched some time ago, but with divergences here and there, yet staying close to the core. Even after so many years, it does not add anything extraordinary or special post the first flick. This is why a comparison would only serve the purpose of hype and better initial collections rather than let people see the improvement. A follow-up to the initial moments of the movie would have also been great, as it was too good. The action does feel to be a little less and walking and talking seems to be a little more than needed, which makes this movie a little big longer than one would expect. The characters are also not that much interesting, and there is not much of a detail provided about them to keep us invested in them. The family feels that just an unnecessary addition, especially as it has that kid to raise the tension, and it has that unruly daughter and strange choice of a boyfriend, the kind that has been on the reels in Kerala for quite a long time.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led by Scarlett Johansson, and makes one wonder if there was any other film in the franchise which would have more hype for the leading actress than anything related to its content. As the one person who has played Black Widow and has been there for so many Avengers movies, and even in the films with other superheroes, she gets into this role with ease in a mercenary mode. Jonathan Bailey also comes up with a fine display of that character who feels less important due to the society ignoring its past, but fights to save his world against all odds. Luna Blaise manages the irritating daughter who has fallen in dumb love well, and remains a symbol of disobedient children. David Iacono provides some humour as the useless boyfriend, while the child actor Audrina Miranda shines as the little girl with brain and empathy. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s father role works very well and often feels for him for having ungrateful teenage daughter around. Rupert Friend scores well as the only fully negative human being of the movie, and becomes the symbol of a corporate world of medicine which serves the most elite of society. Philippine Velge getting killed too early was disappointing, and we hope to see her in an action flick staying for longer periods of time.

How it finishes :: We have all been loving a lot of Jurassic Park movies in the recent past, and it is that love which we have had from childhood itself, as nostalgia lives on in relation to such creatures, even more than what Godzilla, dragons and wyverns have provided us – they have left us with enough for a life-time. The idea of the Jurassic Park coming right of a novel, had created something we were not going to forget, and so much was to come with the same on the screen with what felt like unlimited sequels. With this nostalgia running through, supported by improved classic visuals and an environment of unlimited danger that exists, this one makes the mission really interesting, thus remaining entertaining throughout the run. Transporting oneself to a world of dinosaurs will never get old, even though we do change from children of that first movie to adults watching this one. Well, this one is a little bit too derivative and repetitive, and thus if one feels that there has been too much of dinosaurs around here, one would not be complaining, but otherwise, this one nicely keeps the spark alive for the creatures from that far back in time.

Release date: 2nd July 2025
Running time: 133 minutes
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ed Skrein, David Iacono, Luna Blaise, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain

<<< Click here to go to the previous movie review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous English movie review.

<<< Click here to go to the review of the biggest movie of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Eleven

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Vampire Owl: Do you know that there are not even eleven vampires in our team?

Vampire Bat: Well, we do not need that many vampires around here.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not building an army?

Vampire Bat: Why do we need an army right now?

Vampire Owl: To defeat an army of serial killer humans?

Vampire Bat: This movie only has one serial killer.

Vampire Owl: But humans are basically trained to be serial killers.

Vampire Bat: We do not see an army of serial killers in one movie.

Vampire Owl: There are many, but they show only a few of them.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans are meant to be born killers with inherent evil, and only one small push will do for even children.

[Gets a chicken cutlet and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: ACP Aravindan IPS (Naveen Chandra) is a police officer who has a near-perfect record of solving even the most impossible cases, and had recently caught a finance bank robbery group which had never failed in their crimes before with perfect calculations. This success is celebrated well on media, but a darker case was evolving in the background. ACP Ranjith IPS (Shashank) who is in charge of this new case involving serial killings almost dies in an accident after the body count reaches six, Aravindan is asked to investigate. Ranjith who barely survived, and is in the hospital promises to support him in any way possible, even though left out of service due to injury. For his support, SI Manohar (Dileepan) is given the duty, and both find themselves in a confused state as there was never any real clue found by previous investigatory and Ranjith. Aravindan discovers an interesting piece of evidence, an ankle-surgery plate in one of the victims, which helps them shortlist seven individuals based on age.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, Sanjana (Reyaa Hari) who comes to a restaurant to meet her possible groom who was selected by her parents sees Aravindan who is wearing the same identification in the form of a grey shirt, and falling in love with him as he beats up multiple goons. She tells him about her desire, but he immediately rejects her and asks her to marry the person whom her parents had found for her. Aravindan reaches Sudhakar (Kireeti Damaraju) while tracing the ankle-surgery plate and Meera (Riythvika) while hearing about a beggar talking about a girl being abducted. The police also find a common group photo in both houses, finally finding a connection. Aravindan understands that the only connection between the twins is their school, Twin Birds Matriculation School, which no longer exists as it was burned down in a fire, followed by the death of its owner Ravi (Ravi Varma). This feels like a very strange connection with a past that they wish to forget from their childhood, which had a secret which was buried. Now, the question remains about who all will be targeted from that past.

The defence of Eleven :: This might be one of the most interesting versions of serial killer related murder investigations as it focuses on twins. At the same time, the visuals are nothing less than stunning, and the colours here especially at night seems to bring the best of Chennai. This is the kind of movie which quickly has us interested, and gets us through the journey with guesses, but brings those kinds of twists which come out of nowhere. But there is no overdose of the same like we had seen in Mirage, as things just went out of control. There are the twists over twists which works so well, and the suspense only gets stronger, while red herrings add on well. The shots of cemetery and the styling lacks in nothing. As the cinematography, background score and production values deserve praise, they keep us deeper in the movie here. The flashback tale is also very much interesting which reminds us that one has to pay for the heartless mistakes one makes, whether it is as a child or as an adult because humanity is not learned in old age, but part of human character rather early.

Positives and negatives :: The movie’s romantic side is a mess, and it is saved by the fact that the same is not given that much of a focus. There is something that makes us feel that it was not needed at all. There might also be the feeling that we have rather too many serial killers around, but in our world, one has to say that it is not a surprise to have such people hiding behind different faces. For some people, there might be points where there are missing connections, but it is seen that everything comes together at the end. It is always nice to see the inherent evil of man at work, like in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies – taking children as innocent is not the way to go; the actions of the kids could feel even more evil in nature than that of the adults as they are not forced into situations, but use them right out of their hearts. There are always the little demons in this world of chaos, and here we see that element coming back to haunt them as adults. This makes sure that there is always something different and divergent even in the nature of the movie, and revenge remains justified.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is guided by a solid performance from Naveen Chandra, who becomes a perfect police officer with that determination on his face that never seems to leave the character. The intensity that he shows in a quiet and determined manner, never going overboard, sets a fine example here, without also overdoing any action sequence. The different shades of his character work so well that we do not think about having any other perfect police officer during this time period. Reyaa Hari, the producer who is the leading lady is under-utilized, and in the role, does quite less – cannot blame her though, as the romantic side lags behind in almost everything and this approach does not suit her; yet she does fine in the final moments of the movie. Dileepan also remains solid as the supporting police officer, as his character also contributes to the twists well. Shashank plays the third important police man, and that also works nicely. Abhirami’s role is also an interesting one here. Riythvika also adds on to the proceedings here with memorable moments. The same can also be said about Kireeti Damaraju’s work.

How it finishes :: Eleven is one of the best investigation thrillers featuring a serial killer and twists remain very much effective with suspense all around. For the fans of investigative thrillers who wish to see murders coming out of a buried past, this one is surely worth a watch, as there is a good score to be taken for its strong lead, technical polishing and the satisfying second half which comes to an ending which it deserved. The ability to remain engaging from the beginning to the end is a skill that not many movies possess. There is nothing much that it misses, and we are familiar with some classic thrillers with serial killers from Memories to Abraham Ozler, Forensic, Anjaam Pathiraa, John Luther, Antakshari, Paappan and others which have kept Malayalam movie industry going strong. This movie could have surely used more hype and much more screens here, as we are the kind of people who like the twists and thrills with a serial killer around and a mystery which is soaked in revenge and best served cold. For now, this one serves the same well in Amazon Prime Video in multiple languages.

Release date: 16th May 2025
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Lokkesh Ajls
Starring: Naveen Chandra, Reyaa Hari, Abhirami, Ravi Varma, Riythvika, Shashank, Dileepan, Arjai, Aadukalam Naren, Kireeti Damaraju

<<< Click here to go to the previous movie review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous Indian movie review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Bambi

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Vampire Owl: I feel that I know this particular animal.

Vampire Bat: Well, there is no vampire deer around here.

Vampire Owl: There are no new vampire appointments?

Vampire Bat: There has not been a vampire transformation in a long time.

Vampire Owl: But Dr. Frankenstein was transformed into a vampire.

Vampire Bat: He is not a vampire. Mr. Frankenstein just has some really bad teeth.

Vampire Owl: Well, he is known as the first vampire scientist in the media.

Vampire Bat: The media is just exaggerating things. They even talked about the hunt.

Vampire Owl: There was the great monster hunt which spread further.

Vampire Bat: It was not really a hunt. It was just a random experiment.

[Gets an uzhunnu vada and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: A young deer is shown as losing his family members, to poachers, to vehicles carelessly driven through forest roads and finds the rivers contaminated with radioactive waste. Drinking this contaminated waste transforms the deer into something else, a mutated creature known as Bambi. It drives him into vengeance, as he, as part of the forest, decides to take back the world which used to belong to them, and finish off whatever humans he finds on the way. Greatly increased in size and stronger than ever, the mutated version of him is something which would now stop at no force, seemingly becoming the apex predator which would not hesitate to kill at will. A big truck carrying toxic waste from a local radiation company known as Wibexr Pharmaceuticals would be a special target. At the same time, there are also other creatures of the forest, mostly herbivores, but have turned carnivores due to the same effect of the contamination. There might not be any innocence left in the forest yet.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: A few days after the contamination, a mother Xana (Roxanne McKee) and her son Benji (Tom Mulheron) take a taxi to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with Xana’s husband Simon (Alex Cooke) with whom she might get separated soon – and his family is also there including his dementia-stricken mother Mary (Nicola Wright), his brothers Andrew (Russell Geoffrey Banks) and Joshua (Luke Cavendish), Andrew’s wife Harriet (Samira Mighty), and their son Harrison (Joseph Greenwood). As Simon promises to arrive before dinner and celebrate with the family, the family stays waiting. On the way, Bambi attacks the taxi and brutally kills the driver while Xana and Benji manages to get out of the vehicle and somehow reaches the family house. The residents of the house do not believe in the story of a giant deer attacking, and feels that there is something else at work, but decides to be careful. Maty also seems to know the name of the deer and there are drawings of the creature in the house.

And what more would happen here as the world seems to be scariest with a contamination within a forest? :: Soon, Bambi reaches the place and attacks the house and kills Harriet splitting her into two with her reinforced antlers, forcing the family to flee in a caravan, losing the creature for some time. They drive into the forest only to find the road blocked and thus an unexpected dead end. Andrew tries to remove it, but Benji who panics upon seeing Bambi on the rear-view mirror drives off with him, Xana and Mary inside and Andrew is accidentally dragged behind them and dies on the road. Harrison who is left behind gets caught in a trap for animals and are brutally killed by a group of mutated rabbits. The group of Benji, Xana and Mary come up against Michael (Adrian Relph), a co-worker of Simon. Soon, they come across some truths which would be better if remained hidden, but then there is that mutated deer with some other ideas. Can the family and friends at least survive this night?

The defence of Bambi: The Reckoning :: The movie strikes well with its fear induced out of the cuteness of nostalgia, with such an inversion which goes so well with the situation that nature faces in front of human induced disasters. As this one flips into a horror revenge deer turned monster, the mood is so well-arranged and the environment is so much perfect. The Twisted Childhood Universe of horror taking on beloved characters gives it an appeal that we do not forget with ease. The monster deer created out of radioactive waste is designed very well and some inventive kills and gore also looks interesting. The haunting feels good and the presence of that kind of danger which seems to be present everywhere leaves the options of running, and there is the effective survival mode. The deer scares us like a rabid dog, as the looks shift to the face of a dog with antlers and the body of a horse, as this mutation never ceases to be scary. The dark mood is always present throughout the movie and there is also the talk about the need to save nature or it will hit back as forest would find a way for revenge.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have spready the horror further with moments which would be remembered for the variety of terror as a classic slasher, but that much is not there. The elements of the classic slasher are less explored here as there seems to be some confusion about how the induced evil on cuteness should progress. The character development is rather less, and the humans feel like just provided here to be prey with the scope to save only the expected characters by the end because the movie just wants to keep playing safe. The low budget effect also shows at times, and seems to limit the movie from getting to the next level, especially with a seemingly unstoppable creature on the hunt. The darkness in the movie seems to be created more to hide what could be a terrifying thing beyond all imaginations if provided with the best budget. It is sometimes too much away from the usual serious horror and the reminder of the childhood tale does not strike everyone that well as we look at it. This is not that much of a classical childhood thing for people around here as much as some of the others.

How it finishes :: Bambi: The Reckoning gets a cute little creature grow up to become a demonic mutant monster that would change many childhood stories. The original Bambi of Disney would not get that treatment here, and the direct inverted cuteness is something that will stay with the viewers who would also have a related childhood nostalgia going the other way. This is the movie which comes as an unexpected interesting entry. It becomes the reminder that the sweetest could be the evillest, and as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies had told us, there is always that evil in the cuteness which is always ready to come out. We can now have the feeling that this evil is actually right out of the inherent evil of children that was delivered against Piggy and Simon in that novel and its multiple film adaptations. After all, the movie reminds us that evil is real, and the horror is the ultimate reality. You will surely get the entertainment and a special nostalgic feeling out of this one in Amazon Prime Video, but if you expect more substance or a polished horror experience, you might need more.

Release date: 25th July 2025
Running time: 81 minutes
Directed by: Dan Allen
Starring: Roxanne McKee, Tom Mulheron, Nicola Wright, Samira Mighty, Alex Cooke, Russell Geoffrey Banks, Joseph Greenwood

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Karam

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Vampire Owl: Do you know that we were looking forward to watching this one in theatre.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but we were very busy at that time.

Vampire Owl: The opinions were still not positive.

Vampire Bat: I still have a Thira feeling about this particular movie.

Vampire Owl: I have watched the trailer and it was really good.

Vampire Bat: And I feel that there is more than what meets the eye here.

Vampire Owl: I have wanted Vineeth Sreenivasan with a thriller again.

Vampire Bat: There is something about that change from the feel-good.

Vampire Owl: Well, feel-good has never been a reality.

Vampire Bat: Humans can create a fake infinite realities and live in the same all the time.

[Gets a kadai paneer dosa and three cups of Ceylon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Dev (Noble Babu Thomas) and Salman (John Kaippallil) were in charge of an undercover operation to capture a notorious terrorist who has been threatening India from Pakistan and other nations, but after going against a direct order, gets in trouble, with former being court-marshalled and latter landing in the hospital for quite some time. After his return home, his girlfriend Sana (Audrey Miriam Henest) meets with an accident, leading her father Abdullah (Johny Antony) taking her away, and Dev is blamed for the incident and prohibited from meeting her again. A disappointed Dev who also has problems with his father Mahendran (Manoj K Jayan), decides to get married, and find love in Tara (Reshma Sebastian) and has a son Ayaan (Nazhan Bin Najmal). One day, they have to travel to a country named Lenarco, for Tara’s international conference. It feels like a happy family trip with the help of Kamal (Kalabhavan Shajohn) who remains their driver for the trips, with places to visit and happy moments to be shared with a tour that came after a long time.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Things seem to go around nicely, but when Dev goes to a night club which also has a brother underneath, he finds Sana there as one of the experienced sex workers displayed for the clients. Confused and disheartened, he chooses her from the display, and she reveals that she was trafficked from India while escaping home in order to find and be with him against the wishes of her father. On the way, she was tracked by a human trafficking gang that kidnapped and trafficked her out of the nation. She was sold, raped and forced into sex work in the organization which runs the most powerful mafia in the land. Andre (Ivan Vukomanovic), a man with high connections and the most powerful group of goons under his control manages the operations. There is no escape for her from there as even the police are in his payroll. A distraught Dev who feels that he could have saved her from this hopeless situation if he had gone after her, decides to save her from the brothel, but it would not be so easy, with his own family at risk in a nation which seems to have less control over its gangs and guns.

The defence of Karam :: We have all waited for a technically polished thriller of international standards, and if you are not watching it despite the same, there is no hope in having more – we remember how much quality could be felt in movies like Ranam and Ivide, which did not have that success that they deserved, and this one gets into that list with ease. The movie is visually stunning, and the fight scenes never feel overdone with no love for that dumb dose of heroism and mass moments. The tension is present throughout the movie, and there are some nicely managed thrilling moments around here. The emotions are really felt here, and there is no shortage of feeling in this world which is dark and has evil hiding underneath. Unlike a few other movies, it does not hesitate to get into that world of chaos and sometimes not checking into that safe side. These kinds of movies should be considered as the true feel-good, and not others that pretend to be so, without any story and keeping on saying the same things again and again to pretend to be feel-good. The release in Amazon Prime Video would surely bring more positive opinions as people would the movie without prejudices.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have surely used more twists in between and set the whole thing on pure survival mode, and we see that the pace is often lost regarding the attempt to escape. The ending could have also been more classic without what seemed like the deus ex machina which felt not that suitable for the overall tone of the movie. The emotional side despite being there at all times, do not keep up with the overall movie. Then there will always be those people who put negativity in movie in relation to its similarities with Thira, but one has to note that most of them supported Thudarum which was basically Drishyam in a lower quality and unnecessary mass. This movie here is basically an improvement on the technical side compared to Thira, but for some strange reason, people did not seem to go for this one that much. Well, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was still running strong at that time, and some others had also joined – maybe it was not the right time to have a release for this particular movie.

The performers of the soul :: Noble Babu Thomas who made his debut as actor in Helen, comes up with fine work here, and he has written this one too – portrays the character with control, unlike the usual superstars who would overdo such a role for the dumb fans. Ivan Vukomanovic is not a name less known among Keralites, as the head coach of Kerala Blasters, and when he is present on the screen, he maintains a certain quality as the main antagonist. Audrey Miriam Henest feels like a fine find for the industry as she maintains strength not just as the strong lover, but also as the damsel in distress, maintaining the emotions in strength and helplessness without holding back. It might not have been easy playing the same character in different life-changing situations, but she seems to have no trouble in doing the same, and is definitely a talent for the future. Reshma Sebastian, on the other side, comes up with a natural and memorable performance opposite the hero, and she seems to have mastered the role so well. I am sure that we will see her around again. Kalabhavan Shajohn and Baburaj adds quite well too. Johny Antony and Manoj K Jayan got some quick, veteran stuff to do nicely again.

How it finishes :: The movie is surely better than what the critics have been talking about, and it surely scores more than most of the overrated movies of the same genre. It is quite surprising that the audience did not support this movie that much, especially when the quality of the movie is so much, and keeps on an engaging route. The movie has so many good moments to remember, and if you liked Thira from the same director, there is no chance that you will feel the need to like this any less. The feel-good nonsense has been getting on our nerves after that and we needed to get out of them which keeps doing the meaningless for such a long time. Reminding us of Thira, this one deals with human trafficking with an international setting, unlike the usual one, and therefore feels not that close to the usual, but this is something of a grander setting. When a movie thrills and keeps one on the edge of the seat, there is not much more that you need. A technically polished work with ambitions and performances set in a classic world is something one would not miss, even with some problems here and there. This kind of movie surely needs to be appreciated to inspire more of the same kind; for now, do check it out on Amazon Prime Video.

Release date: 25th September 2025
Running time: 126 minutes
Directed by: Vineeth Sreenivasan
Starring: Noble Babu Thomas, Audrey Miriam Henest, Reshma Sebastian, Ivan Vukomanovic, Manoj K Jayan, Baburaj, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Sudev Nair, Vishnu G Varrier, Johny Antony, Shweta Menon, Redin Kingsley, Vineeth Vasudevan, Joji Mundakayam, Nazhan Bin Najmal, John Kaippallil, Basheer Rimmi Singh, Vettai Muthukumar

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Killer of Killers

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Vampire Owl: So, we are going to have more of predators now.

Vampire Bat: We have always wanted many more of predators.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that we are not predators enough?

Vampire Bat: We stopped hunting quite some time ago.

Vampire Owl: The hunters do not change the basic nature.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but the hunters can surely evolve.

Vampire Owl: Vampires are not a scientific species, right?

Vampire Bat: Yes, according to science we are just humans who are not alive.

Vampire Owl: So, you still think that we evolve.

Vampire Bat: Well, this is not really evolution in the scientific viewpoint.

[Gets a chilli paneer dosa and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy) is a nineth century Scandinavian Viking huntress who seeks vengeance on a warlord Zoran (Andrew Morgado) who killed her father, and her son Anders (Damien Haas) is also with her on this quest which would be one which could have her mind to finally rest. After years of search and a final discovery of the wretched people, she manages to slaughter Zoran’s clan, and find him in his heavily guarded fortress which they successfully breach without much difficulty. Unable to recognize Ursa from a long-lost past, Zoran mocks her for her father’s death and her incapability to defend her father or avenge him for this long a time period, before an angry Anders beheads him and ends that speech forever. But right after the battle, a Predator ambushes the group, killing Ursa’s experienced fighters one by one and also seriously injures Anders. Ursa manages to kill the Predator by using the floating ice and almost frozen water underneath after a fight underwater, but finds Anders dying in her arms. Soon, she is taken to a space ship by the predators.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Later in the seventeenth century Japan, Kenji Kawakami (Louis Ozawa Changchien) had to fight with his brother to become the next samurai warlord, and his hesitation to battle his brother leads to him being quickly defeated with a scar on his face. He leaves the castle, only to come back many years later, and after fighting his brother’s guards and defeating him, thus getting back to him, only to be attacked by a Predator who is looking for the strongest warrior to defeat and collect as trophy. Predator gets through the remaining guards of the castle and faces Kenji, who manages to defeat the creature with the help of his brother who dies of his wounds, while he himself is also injured. Kenji is then immediately transported to a space ship of the predators, and is imprisoned there with Ursa who continues to grieve for his son and hopes for a death in battlefield so that she can go to Valhalla where others will not be accepted.

And what more is to follow here as the predators keep hunting in different worlds during various time periods? :: In 1942, John J Torres who has always wished to a fighter pilot is finally drafted into the United States Navy under the command of Captain Vandenburg (Michael Biehn). Their squadron tries to investigate a mysterious aircraft that destroyed another unit, which they suspect to be a special advanced airplane built by the Germans whose military technology has always fascinated the rest of the world. Understanding that the object they managed to find in the plane is not German or of this world, John tries to warn others, taking charge of an old airplane which, he was trying to get ready to be part of the squadron. The Predator annihilates his squadron with relative ease until only John and the captain remained. Vandenburg sacrifices himself using the heat of the engine to buy more time for John, as the Predator destroys his plane with his weapons. John manages to outsmart the Predator in a well-planned movement with the flight, as the creature ends up destroying his own space ship. But John finds himself taken away later, and it is to be seen what the Predators intend to do with him and other captives.

The defence of Predator: Killer of Killers :: This movie gets into the Predator franchise incredibly well, as the animation is too good, producing some of the finest visuals on the screen. The historical worlds of different time periods at different locations keep us interested, as the essence of those situations is nicely taken. The expansion of the lore is to be appreciated. The idea of becoming the grand killer of killers do get our attention and has us interested. The movie is not that long, and as it is divided into fragments, the whole situation only keeps getting more interesting. The animated power is shown here like Justice League, Justice Society, Batman and others had shown already, but the quality of animation that we see here is even ahead. There is a lot of style around here, and the violence is also very much stylized. There are some fine additions which could be here due to the animated existence, and a base could be established in this way better than the usual methods. The final battle is indeed a joy to watch as things come together, and the world of Predators is nothing less than a classic alien planet.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not get to elevate Predator as a creature, and never does it focus on the characterization of the most valuable alien that we will ever know that has a humanoid form. We remember that the usual movies of the franchise have some classic hunters who are remembered for long, but not this time. As there is some anthology method followed here, one might feel that the connection is sometimes lost. The extreme violence might not be accepted by everyone, as this kind of movie is also supposed to cater to a much younger audience. Many fans of the franchise might have wanted to have a live-action universe which captures the essence of the hunting with real people. This world might have looked so well if it was in live-action, and that feeling also keeps coming back to us. The linking together of the character might not appeal that well, and the reason for choosing fighters and all these endless fights – all need to serve some better purpose. Some part of the movie just seems to be forced.

How it finishes :: This is one franchise that might never get old, as it has been a classic from that first Arnold movie to now, as we do have one of our favourite aliens of all-time, still living on, sand continuing to do well against all odds, as much as Alien series which had Prometheus, Romulus and Covenant bringing that universe back in power. The time, the aliens are part of different timelines, and connected to the history of the world. The worlds of Vikings, Samurais and World War Pilots get introduced to us beautifully, and this elevates the movie really well, as there is action, thrills and more than the usual in store. With some good animation, there is no stopping the movie, and this is really well-placed in the world of hunters. We can be sure that there can be a lot more to come in this particular franchise which impressed me even more than the Terminator series which has always been the more talked-about one. Nowadays, this type of movies releases less around here, but let us hope for the hunt to get more screens here when the next one comes.

Release date: 6th June 2025
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Lindsay LaVanchy Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn, Doug Cockle, Damien Haas, Lauren Holt, Jeff Leach, Piotr Michael, Andrew Morgado, Alessa Luz Martinez, Felix Solis, Britton Watkins

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Fantastic Four

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Vampire Owl: We should have been the fantastic two.

Vampire Bat: So, you do not wish to include Vampire Penguin and Vampire Panda to make it four.

Vampire Owl: This would be more than enough. Anyone else would make Vampire Alligator and Vampire Crocodile too angry.

Vampire Bat: You can still have a fantastic four plus two.

Vampire Owl: Why would I wish to make too many people become fantastic?

Vampire Bat: Maybe we can develop a team good enough to fight zombies all by ourselves.

Vampire Owl: To fight such mindless creatures, random vampire troops will be enough.

Vampire Bat: We do not have a standing military force anymore.

Vampire Owl: We, the vampires are always military civilians.

Vampire Bat: We are no longer the hunters that we used to be.

[Gets a tea cake and three cups of Valparai tea].

What is the movie about? :: Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) with the ability to extend his body to any lengths, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) who can be invisible and also generate force fields, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) with superhuman strength and durability, and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) who can control fire and fly, together makes the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four that keeps their Earth safe from evil that tries to keep unleashing on the common people. After after they gained superhuman abilities from exposure to cosmic rays during a space mission as astronauts, they have been appreciated and celebrated by media. The team became celebrities like no other, with on other heroes to rely on on that Earth. Reed’s inventions have improved technology while Sue’s diplomacy has brought peace for most of the world. When Reed and Sue reveal that they are expecting a child, thing could not be any better, with their world even thinking about a kid with superpowers, making it a Fantastic Five team instead of the usual four.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: One day, they witness meteors in the sky, and along with then, a humanoid alien called Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) descends on a surf board. She tells them that Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a gigantic cosmic creature has chosen to consume their planet and that all life on Earth shall perish without leaving any sign of previous existence. He is someone who predates the universe as everyone knows it, existing like a cosmic vampire as well as an unstoppable godlike power lasting for billions of years, feeding on planets. Silver Surfer has been providing Galactus assistance in his objectives in exchange for him sparing her planet. She has been traveling through space on a surfboard in search of the right planets for Galactus to feed on. The team decides to go to space to stop Galactus from coming to Earth and destroying it. They do not feel that this is something they cannot handle, as negotiation was also an option along with fighting just two superpowered aliens.

And what more in to follow as a planet faces total annihilation? :: They track the Silver Surfer’s energy signature and reach a planet which is quickly destroyed by Galactus, only to escape for the devastation at the last moment. The team is found by the Silver Surfer and brought to Galactus, who tells them that it is his need to feed on planets to hunger that has been going on for billions of years. Galactus senses that Reed and Sue’s unborn child has an immense cosmic power and could take on his place, thus freeing him from hunger. He offers to spare their planet in exchange for the child, but the team refuses and escapes to the spaceship. The team, with a tough effort, manages to delay Silver Surfer who was chasing them, and reaches Earth with Sue giving birth during the journey in space. As Reed reveals the details of their encounter with Galactus during a press conference, their decision to save one child over billions of humans on Earth leads to negative opinions on them. People call for the sacrifice of the child, as saving them is what superheroes should do, and one life should not be valuable than billions of lives. As time keeps running out, what can Fantastic Four finally figure out to save both the world and the newborn child?

The defence of The Fantastic Four: First Steps :: The movie has an interesting cast that begins well, except for the emotional lag, as they get into action nicely. The visuals are nothing less than stunning with focus not only on what happens on Earth, with other areas also getting some nice detail. Galactus, his spaceship and Silver Surfer, all look really good. There seems to be a lot of effort to make the whole thing close to comics as well as suitable for the real world in live-action. There are some stunning action scenes which keep the viewers thrilled as danger is that huge with almost no hope left for Earth, as even superheroes just hope and believe rather than go for anything with full confidence. Back on Earth, the retro-style futuristic world is something that will keep us interesting, and the nice use of colours do not cease to amaze us, as a new Earth is brought to us. The fact that origin story is skipped gives us some more time to work with the world, as we do know how these particular superheroes came into being, and the small reminder added in the beginning helps the new viewers too. It is to be noted that any connection made to the superheroes of the other universes is going to make the whole thing so huge.

The claws of flaw :: None of the new cast matches the team of Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis, with Jessica being the one true Invisible Woman as we know them – the new cast still got a long way to establish themselves in their newfound roles. That movie was just classic nostalgia material which could not be matched by that one reboot which came next either. Compared to that which had lots of fun, this movie becomes an emotional absurdity at times, especially related to a kid who is valued more than a billion lives. Even the antagonist’s helper seems to know this and values human lives, as she herself has gone through personal sacrifices to save others. This over-emotional side seems to curse the movie more than anything else, as the cheap melodrama often gets into our heads. The final battle also feels like the four members of the team having too much power against such a godlike cosmic undefeated creature, especially the character of Sue, which feels overdone in not just emotions, but also with the powers and meaningless anger. The characterization and story struggle often shows up as if it needed to be there.

How it finishes :: The superhero team in a fresh universe with a retro-futuristic 1960s model provides this particular movie with a new style, as this one also seems to get the critical appreciation on its favour, even though I would always love the Jessica Alba starrer above others for its simplicity with a classic tale without messing it up with too many misdirected emotions – the reboot never came close after that. There is some bigger action here and real danger, even though the attempts at solving problems seem to be misdirected, and emotional get the weaker side of superhero despite movie trying to make some characters feel too strong. Yet, the team of cast seems to work well as one, and the beauty of the visuals cannot be easily matched, whether on Earth or outside. For a fan of the Fantastic Four series, this version is surely more ambitious, and might mean more when connected with the universe with a sequel or as part of other Marvel movies. As we remember seeing a Fantastic Four spaceship in Thunderbolts, we know that something grand is yet to be seen and Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame might not be the biggest Avengers movie on Earth.

Release date: 25th July 2025
Running time: 114 minutes
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

M3GAN 2.0

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Vampire Owl: So, we are now looking at advanced AI dolls.

Vampire Bat: Vampires do not need artificial intelligence at all.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has been trying to bring AI to vampire world.

Vampire Bat: Well, we are going without science, for we have magic here.

Vampire Owl: The advertisements for AI seem to suggest otherwise.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein will keep adding absurd things to the same.

Vampire Owl: He is the realm’s most popular doctor and scientist.

Vampire Bat: He is the biggest pseudo-doctor and pseudo-scientist.

Vampire Owl: Nobody else has ever created a human being through science.

Vampire Bat: It was the raising of the dead. We have risen, and so have the zombies along with all those skeletons brought to life by necromancers and dark witches.

[Gets a parippu vada and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: At a time when people are protesting about the unregulated use of Artificial Intelligence in a world having machines exercising too much control, AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno) aka Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics & Infiltration Android) is the latest robot created from M3GAN’s original design, and is declared safe for operations as a military unit. It is set to be used for high profile missions of the government including well-targeted assassination of enemies of the state. Confident about this achievement, the United States Army colonel Sattler (Timm Sharp), head of a top-secret branch of the Pentagon, arranges a demonstration. But during her mission, AMELIA reveals to Sattler that she is self-aware and manages to escape from his control. At the same time, Gemma (Allison Williams) who had created M3GAN (Amie Donald) has now become an author. She had changed her views after an artificially intelligent doll who had developed an advanced level of self-awareness and became overprotective to her human companion, leading to the need to deactivate her as part of an unexpected turn of events.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Gemma has been warning people against the dependence on technology, starting from children using smartphones, comparing it to drug addiction or sometimes saying that both are the same. She inspires an AI regulation bill and even makes some parents take away mobile phones from their children. Sharing the same ideas leads her to have a partnership with cybersecurity expert Christian (Aristotle Athari), and along with him, she goes on working with an experimental robotic exoskeleton with former workmates Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps). She still lives with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw), who is very interested in computer science despite Gemma wishing that she would do something not involving much technology, like playing soccer. Gemma turns down an offer from corrupted billionaire Alton Appleton (Jemaine Clement) to work for him, but soon has FBI after her, and maybe even AMELIA who has been killing those who were responsible for creating her. This might be bigger than she thinks.

The defence of M3GAN 2.0 :: As the second movie of the series, this one gets more into action and tries to be more entertaining than the previous as far as the common audience is concerned. The action sequences are really good, and they are also never overdone even when there is a chance to go down to the ridiculous. There is also the possible end-of-the-world situation which makes the whole thing even more interesting. The emotional connection works really well, and the final sequences are really good, with a classic ending. There are so many emotional moments, and focus is also there on self-sacrifice and understanding of the other. The CGI has been nicely worked out, and some fine locations have been created, both within and also outside. Then there is the humour that comes out of nowhere and scores so well. The contemporary concerns about Artificial Intelligence, negative effects of science, technology misuse and corporate power all get a chance to be present here. The talk about the mobile misuse among children is relevant to the core, and the idea of bad parenting is relevant for all times.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have developed further on the premise. The deviation from the original film with the style might not impress the fans of that particular film. The feeling that movie has chosen action instead of the creepy horror elements might not be satisfying to everyone. But the fact that it has deviated without missing its core or messing up things is to be remembered here. There is the feeling that Ivanna Sakhno was not given that focus which she deserved, as she is that android that needed a terminator-ish introduction. This is one android that has raised the stakes even above the original. The movie does have some doubt if it is to support or be against Artificial Intelligence, and seems to end up with a safe mode. One might feel that there could have been some nice scares with the available elements, and there could have also been so much more to talk about related to the themes. The beginning stages of the movie had also taken a little bit too much time to get going. When it starts to get going, it goes strong.

The performers of the soul :: Allison Williams leads the list of performers and manages to be the one who makes the difference. She shines as the aunty who wishes to be the mother to her niece as much as the scientist that we have already seen. Amie Donald’s android continues to impress us, and there seems to be always more to the technology than what meets the eye. Ivanna Sakhno’s android is also lovely, but does not get enough like the lady terminator of the third instalment of that “machine from future” managed. She could have had more to do, and more classic action, but gets limited – there is no Ex Machina-kind of crisis and classic moments added here either. Violet McGraw as Cady also adds more in this journey which has shifted to science fiction action. She would do even better with an extension of this world with another sequel in collaboration with the AI characters. Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jen Van Epps support well and even adds some humour around here. Aristotle Athari and Jemaine Clement have something extra to add, while Timm Sharp does well when he is around.

How it finishes :: The movie gets much more into action science fiction compared to the earlier film, as the idea itself had suggested, and therefore would appeal more to the usual audience. Those who enjoyed the first movie would continue to love the franchise with this one too. Moving from horror-thriller to action-thriller, this one also works, particularly in its own way. It becomes a classic holiday blockbuster with a twist, as the thrills often come out of nowhere and some suspense also comes all of a sudden. In the end, you will ask yourself about the role of technology in your life and how Artificial Intelligence would affect your life. Next time, when you are going through some Artificial Intelligence, you will wonder about this particular flick. This movie could inspire more of similar works, as Artificial Intelligence always require our attention, and a future with a robotic influence is not that far away. Let us have more of similar robots that will catch our attention related to the idea and expanding them.

Release date: 27th June 2025
Running time: 120 minutes
Directed by: Gerard Johnstone
Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ivanna Sakhno, Jemaine Clement, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Thunderbolts

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Vampire Owl: Are they talking about the God of Thunder?

Vampire Bat: The Marvel original heroes are done for now.

Vampire Owl: What about the DC heroes? They have godly people too.

Vampire Bat: Well, they have already destroyed Man of Steel.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I have heard that they brought dogs instead of cats to be super.

Vampire Bat: I believe that they always had dogs, like we have wolves.

Vampire Owl: We still have more cats, bats and rats.

Vampire Bat: Yes, after most of the wolves aligned with werewolves and took some dogs from the human world to assist them too.

Vampire Owl: But we still ended up winning, didn’t we?

Vampire Bat: Well, you know that everyone is afraid of big bats and black cats.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) worked for a long time in Malaysia and finally destroys a laboratory for CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who has been on a run to destroy any evidence of her involvement with a superhuman project known as Sentry. As Valentina faces impeachment for her work with OXE Group with the Sentry project, she plans to erase all evidence by putting all her agents in one place against each other, as Yelena finds Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) with weapons and bullets flying all around. Antonia gets shot dead by Ava, while a young man called Bob (Lewis Pullman) is released from a suspended animation pod, only to remember nothing about what has been happening with him. As they are locked in the room, they realize that they are going to be incinerated according to the plans of Valentina who wishes to erase her past and all who were part of it, thus saving her from impeachment.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The contact with Bob brings the worst memories of Yelena and John back to them, and she also takes the gunfire to help the others escape, only to display his superpowers, as he seems invincible, but losses consciousness, and is captured by Valentina, who understands that he was the only survivor and positive result of her project. With the help of her assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan), she intends to use Bob as her success story from the Sentry project. Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) arrives to save the team led by Elena, only to be captured by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) who became the Winter Soldier again long after being elected as a member of the United States House of Representatives. But they soon realize that they need the team of Black Widow, Captain America, Winter Soldier, Ghost and Red Guardian to save the day against the evil plans of Valentina who would unleash the Sentry that she cannot control. Mel who has her doubts decide to help them, but they might be too late to become the New Avengers.

The defence of Thunderbolts :: Here is the one movie with big battles without magic that comes after the golden age of Marvel seems to have ended and sent us to some depression. Florence Pugh remains the heart and soul of this movie as she lives in the character like nobody ever did in the universe with the emotional side. As she joins the forces with so many others forming a team, we are reminded of Avengers assembling as much as a Justice League forming. But this team is a lot more interesting than the rest as it is one team that we least expect to be together and they are also fighting a villain who is so much stronger, unlike the underdeveloped superheroes who are too strong to like the much disliked and boring character of Captain Marvel. But our heroes here are all having their troubles and the movie is about the changes that they undergo, shown in a beautiful way. The dynamic characters run through the movie really well here. Psychological trauma, redemption, mental health and flawed characters keeps the world running in a different way, and the way in which emotions and humour blend so well in here needs some appreciation.

Positives and negatives :: Thunderbolts misses a main character Taskmaster played by Olga Kurylenko, which should have been the second most important character here, considering her skills and the immense possibilities in battle. Even though there are some big fights here, there is no moving towards that ultimate terror and colossal destruction, and the movie’s plan to keep close to the mind and heart is worth some appreciation too. Still, those massive multiversal crises, deeply complex plot twists and so many connections from past will not make way here – but the movie rises above the same with its simple and classic journey. The recent entries might not stand a chance to get even close to the quality of this one. It is indeed more of an experience than the usual superhero movie, and we can feel that there is always something to be done in the universe, and running out of ideas might not be the right thing to do. Well, we do have a lot more to come, and with DC coming up with change, let us see how things would come together.

The performers of the soul :: Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova steals the show, not just with the action, but also with emotional moments. The dialogue in the last moments to the father figure about being alone and being reminded of the terrible things she had done through thoughts that keep coming back to her – it might be the greatest emotional dialogue delivered in any Marvel movie. We also see Violet McGraw doing the younger role nicely. Lewis Pullman’s Bob brings multiple sides of a personality really well, and keeps reminding us that with great power, comes responsibility and terror from different sides. The disappointing moment of the movie would still be the early death of Olga Kurylenko’s character, and it pulls the movie back for some moments, and takes some time for it to get better – we know how capable she is with action movies, and we have to hope for the character to make a return. Geraldine Viswanathan makes a fine impression in between, while David Harbour brings so much humour. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a strong antagonist while Hannah John-Kamen has her moments. Sebastian Stan stands strong as expected.

How it finishes :: Thunderbolts becomes the one movie long after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers Endgame that becomes the classic, even though Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness had held the ground for some time. The movie is also the best dealing with anti-heroes since Suicide Squad, as the next version of the same did not rise up that level, and Deadpool and Venom never really showed that power. This movie is the reminder that Marvel Cinematic Universe still has that power, and the dumb and ridiculous comedy associated with Deadpool would not live for long, but this right combination of action, emotions and comedy is surely going to stand tall. The fact that this one managed less at the box-office is not a problem of this movie, but that of the audience that has been losing that class. Maybe with a sequel, this one would have better audience. But without such an audience, the greatness of this universe might be at stake, for there are so many other superhero universes from Gundala to Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. Note that the movie also becomes renamed as The New Avengers by the end of credits.

Release date: 2nd May 2025
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Jake Schreier
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Olga Kurylenko, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

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Vampire Owl: Is somebody talking about blood now?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that there is blood, but not as you think.

Vampire Owl: Maybe, they are talking about vampire bloodlines.

Vampire Bat: Vampire bloodlines no longer remain a topic of discussion at least among the awakened.

Vampire Owl: So, you are not going to listen to the vampire elders anymore.

Vampire Bat: The vampire elders do not call the shots these days.

Vampire Owl: They are no longer the unwritten rulers of vampire kind?

Vampire Bat: They have never been the rulers, but advisors.

Vampire Owl: Advisors who have always made decisions all by themselves.

Vampire Bat: Well, the value given to their decisions was certainly higher. But now, we live in a world of monster hunters.

[Gets a Mysore masala dosa and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger) and her boyfriend Paul Campbell (Max Lloyd-Jones) manage to attend the grand opening of the Sky View, the tallest tower in the city which has been a prestigious project, and will have the richest and the most influential people around. He intended to propose to her at the top of the tower which also has the perfect restaurant for a classic romantic dinner. Iris who is about to accept his proposal and also reveal that she is pregnant with their child, has a premonition of that chain of events that causes the tower to collapse in parts, killing everyone inside. There would be nothing left in that area which would be in shambles. She managed to stop the major factors that set up the events in motion including stopping a kid from throwing a coin which gets stuck, and warning the attendees not to step on the glass floor which would and thus prevents the total collapse but, in doing so, she had disrupted Death’s intelligent design. The tower was then closed for renovation, but after many years, was torn down, and nobody talked about that incident again.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Many years later, Iris and Paul’s granddaughter, bright college student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) who spends most of her life in books, is haunted by repeated nightmares of the tower accident and returns home after a long time, seeking the right answers. She is welcomed at home by her father, Marty Reyes (Tinpo Lee) and younger brother Charlie Reyes (Teo Briones). Still, searching for answers, she leaves with Charlie to visit their uncle Howard Campbell (Alex Zahara), aunt Brenda Campbell (April Telek), along with their happy cousins Erik Campbell (Richard Harmon), Julia Campbell (Anna Lore), and Bobby Campbell (Owen Patrick Joyner). When Stefani asks about her grandmother, Howard explains that she was sick and had mental problems, often called crazy with no way to be normal again. But she finds letters from her grandmother in a cabin, and traces her to a highly fortified cabin in the woods where she lives, but terminally ill with cancer and awaiting the slow arrival of death instead of the quick and brutal one.

And what more is to follow here with death’s grand plans? :: Iris recounts the Sky View accident and tells her that Death is taking the lives of everyone in the specific order they should have died. Then there is that family that were not supposed to have, and Death is taking them too, one after the other in the order of their birth. The fact that Iris has remained alive for long has kept her bloodline alive too, but as she steps out of her barricaded house to give her granddaughter her research on escaping death, she also shows how Death works, with a simple sequence of events leading to her brutal impaled death. She does not completely believe that death is coming to them in the specified order, but then the brutal death of Howard awakens her. The rest of the family realizes the seriousness only when Julia who has been confident herself and does not listen to others, falls into a garbage truck and gets squeezed in between. Now, they realize that deaths are going to keep happening, and it might just end their family. Can they find a way to stop Death from unleashing the eerie plans perfectly on them? Death who is a master of doing his perfect work shall not wait though, as he is already late.

The defence of Final Destination: Bloodlines :: The opening scene with the destruction of the tower and the deaths is one of the impressive beginnings that one can ever have, and it is one of those occasions when the death of a kid character is so much satisfactory. The visuals are the most stunning during those moments, and has us scared this time about going to the top of a tower – this actually released at a time when we were in Colombo and about to go to the top of the Lotus Tower – the effectiveness was right there to be taken. The deaths remain impressive, and the way in which the death’s plan comes to meet the requirements remain classic and something that we will remember for a long time. The familial side seems to work better than the previous movies too, as death seems to mean more here as it haunts the bloodlines. When death would come to haunt a family, things are always going to get more personal and fueling emotions. The appreciation that the movie received in comparison to previous movies will further fuel more viewers on Jio Hotstar where it finally reached. The lad role is well done by Kaitlyn Santa Juana, who would always be a lovely scream queen and we feel that Brec Bassinger would shine the same, as we remember her from 47 Meters Down: Uncaged.

The claws of flaw :: The predictability factor remains here too, and visual effects could have also scored more. The characters are also not given that much of importance as we look at them. As it is all about death anyway, the movie does not innovate in an overall manner, even though deaths get that focus as expected. The film never gets that much innovative out of the best idea, which seems to repeat a little too around. Still, the side characters are not provided that much significance, especially that of people like Anna Lore who plays Julia who just dies off too soon. The effects used here are not of quality all the time, as some of them feels like coming from a lower level. The gore is just given more importance over suspense, twists and haunting – there seems to be not that power in the investigation to cheat death, and nothing much seems to be gained by the same. There could have been some variety or some findings that come as the special ingredient here, but the same is not there to be taken.

How it finishes :: This seems to be the Final Destination movie with the best opinions so far, even though the third with the roller coaster deaths was the one which had me going as a child despite knowing well enough about the flight and truck deaths. The movie keeps the nostalgia running, surely in a stronger way than the recent flicks from the same world of death, those with the bridge collapses and racing car accidents. Its presence in Jio Hotstar makes it very much accessible to many. For those who are fans of Final Destination style classic deaths, this is more than worth watching, starting from the opening sequence, seemingly bringing some quality back around here. Still, it hesitates to use the movie’s full potential and develop on what could be its strength as bloodlines also come into the picture. Well, Fast and Furious showed us the power of family, but this one, despite having such a family hunt around, do not bring enough focus around here. Still, this remains very much fun, and a reminder that we are all going to die, and possibly a very painful one, reflecting our own painful existence in a sad and depressing world.

Release date: 16th May 2025
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by: Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein
Starring: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger, Tony Todd

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Thalavara

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Vampire Owl: So, this is what humans call destiny related to a mark on the head.

Vampire Bat: There is no destiny that humans can create in any world.

Vampire Owl: They could still seal their own fate.

Vampire Bat: They are the fates that the world is forced to endure.

Vampire Owl: You remind me of the cursed fates of the northern witches.

Vampire Bat: Still, humans come up with motivating movies with some feel-good.

Vampire Owl: Humans do not really make any species feel any good.

Vampire Bat: Well, feel-good is that mask which humans need.

Vampire Owl: Yes, they need that reason to live.

Vampire Bat: Well, you do not need any reason to live forever.

[Gets a Kadai paneer puffs and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jyothish (Arjun Ashokan) suffers from a skin condition called Vitiligo which provides visible white patches on the skin due to loss of pigment, clearly visible on his face. His dream is to become an actor, and had won many accolades for his efforts during school days as a leading drama performer. He had left all of these behind and after taking a graduation in commerce, started working in a mobile shop, only to be fired from there due to his movie craze leading him to take day off on almost every Friday on the day of movie releases with some lame excuses. Now jobless, he is forced to work with his mother Asha (Devadarshini) in the supermarket where she works in the sales, as the new person supposed to the home delivery. He is ridiculed by people for his skin disease, and even his best friends call him names and make fun of him, despite their close connection with each other. His father Kannappan (Ashokan) has been movie enthusiast who had planned to go abroad, but ended up jobless at home due to the same craze for cinema much to dismay of the family.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is then that Jyothi (Athira Mariyam), Jyothish’s sister elopes with his friend Ganesh (Sarath Sabha), who had full freedom in their home, leading to Asha, as the breadwinner of home, disowning her. It is then that a new girl Sandhya (Revathy Sarma) arrives near home in Palakkad, from the other side of the state border, Coimbatore. She works at an agency which deals with foreign education, focusing on UK, and Jyothish ends up meeting her in her office as well as the supermarket. Even though everyone around seems to be attracted to her, she falls for Jyothish, and their love story slowly blossoms. But without a good job, her family is surely not going to agree to this wedding, and the family history of her sister eloping with someone was not going to help the cause at all. He gets a small role in a short-film which becomes viral on YouTube, but is humiliated for his looks while looking for a role in the upcoming movie. Can he go beyond the restrictions imposed on him by the society which do not accept the divergent or will there be a union of bad luck events for him?

The defence of Thalavara :: The movie nicely addresses something which is not usually shown in the mainstream cinema — the life of a person with vitiligo and how he has to go beyond the opinions of society and achieve something. Here, we can see that the same is done without adding that much of a melodrama, which would have been the main thing if this was taken in Bollywood. The romance here is also very well managed in a realistic manner. It should be considered as a fine quality as most of the other industries of the nation would have clearly overdone the same and might even add a quick dance in a nation with a lot of snow with greenery and classic streets. Its reflection of a common man’s life and the regular problems which becomes part of the crisis will never leave our attention. The idea of accepting oneself and living with dignity work very well. Even the romantic scenes show that understanding, and it just becomes a usual thing rather than a glorified piece of garbage – it is there and it an extended form of friendship and not a stalking, lusty, infatuated absurdity like in movies like the lesser appreciated Maine Pyar Kiya and for that undeserving very much appreciated Annayum Rasoolum.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does deviate the main concerns at times, maybe to try and make it feel more entertaining, and it is also a little bit too long for this kind of a content, as one and half hours would have been perfect in this case. When we consider that it does not take into account, the psychological side that much except for the negative feeling and lack of confidence, something might feel left out. The movie just goes through the simple journey, which makes it feel no need to go in a more intense manner or launch that dramatic punch which will leave a big difference. The ending does not really solve the problem, but makes one feel good enough that there could be a better future soon. Even a movie which dealt with a lesser problem like Mili had an even more consistent solution to its crisis. The movie’s beginning might have also left many people with not much of an interest in the journey forward, as it just feels too ordinary a start to the kind of message it would intend to deliver with that special dose of motivation.

The performers of the soul :: Arjun Ashokan strikes gold with this performance, and it is as realistic as one could be, with him maintaining a common man’s feelings throughout the journey – this might also he his best work in a leading role till now. Revathy Sarma plays the Tamil girl whom we might remember even more than the one we had with Sai Pallavi in Premam with the realistic touch rather than that overstretched one. She plays the role with so much realistic touch, and remains a lovable character – something which she achieves with so much of ease. Among the friend characters, Muhammad Rafi stands as the most notable one, as he has always been in that television show of Flowers channel which keeps coming back to us. Sarath Sabha also remains very much notable. Athira Mariyam’s realist work will also have our attention. Then you see how good is Devadarshini in the mother role and how well Ashokan supports in the father role, with a little bit of humour and emotions also present in the journey.

How it finishes :: The movie does manage to finish off the whole thing well, and there is closeness to humanity that works like a dream here. This is the kind of movie that works with motivation really well, and reminds people that there could be those journeys with some type of crisis which is often overlooked in favour of some others which get all the attention. We remember that some problems get more attention than others, but it is to be remembered that for some people, some troubles are bigger, and that it has to be individual-centred. Well, not all people are the same, and the problems of some people are just of a grander scale than one would think. The movie reminds us that it is all about the individual, and if there is some support when required, things can only get better – it is important to keep everyone close to the heart as we are all in this together in one way or the other. This is no blockbuster material with scenes to get fans clapping, for a human tale that inspires and gets some feel-good into the scene.

Release date: 22nd August 2025
Running time: 120 minutes
Directed by: Akhil Anilkumar
Starring: Arjun Ashokan, Revathy Sarma, Shebin Benson, Ashokan, Devadarshini, Athira Mariyam, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Prasant Murali, Sam Mohan, Harish Mohan, Sohan Seenulal, Shaju Sreedhar, Vishnu Reghu, Muhammad Rafi, Manoj Moses, Aswath Lal, Amith Mohan, Naseer

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Elevation

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Vampire Owl: So, we are going back to the post-apocalyptic?

Vampire Bat: Yes, we are back to an end of the world event.

Vampire Owl: It only qualifies as the end of human world.

Vampire Bat: Well, they are the people of the apocalypse.

Vampire Owl: They like these apocalyptic stories so much too.

Vampire Bat: The truth is that they are the ones bringing the end of the world.

Vampire Owl: So, do you think that the humans are going to be finished soon?

Vampire Bat: I do not see why they won’t be.

Vampire Owl: I hope none of them get transformed into vampires anymore.

Vampire Bat: We are not turning anyone anymore. There will be no more human vampires.

[Gets a marble cake and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: A number of mysterious creatures called Reapers emerges from sinkholes leading to underground and begins attacking humanity, with most of humanity not surviving the very first month. These creatures keep coming, and there are no bullets or missiles that could destroy them. The creatures establish themselves as the new apex predators, and just kills humans at will, while human weapons prove to be meaningless against them. Small numbers of human survivors live in different communities eight thousand feet or more above the sea level where the creatures do not reach. The new small towns are built exactly about the eight thousand feet limit, and there are boundaries drawn to make sure that nobody will dare to cross that limit and become prey to the newly arrived hunters. But there would always be an occasional traveler who try to get through for resources, communications or something else, but that do not end well for the person, and only serves the hunting creatures well.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Three years later, Will (Anthony Mackie) who has been a single father for quite some time after the death of his wife Tara (Rachel Nicks), is trying to save his son Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr) who is suffering from a lung disease which only seems to be getting worse with them staying at the higher elevation. Nina (Morena Baccarin) holds the guilt for Tara’s death, as both Will and Tara were helping her in an expedition to find out the weaknesses of the Reapers before being attacked by them, and the experiment had ended with the untimely death. Will’s only good friend is Katie (Maddie Hasson) who develops a liking to him and also supports his son who faces usual breathing problems whenever he has some strain in that altitude. Will, concerned about his son, decides to do something about the situation, facing isolation from other communities and not having enough oxygen filters for his son. So, he decides to go and get a few oxygen filters after leaving his son with the elderly neighbour Hannah (Shauna Earp), and maybe find some more support in the process.

And what more is to follow in this terrible situation which seems to mean the end of humanity as we know it? :: He makes Nina agree to come with him so that they can go to her former laboratory and maybe find some clue to killing or at least temporarily stopping them. At the same time, Katie also decides to join them, despite Will asking her to stay and take care of things there. She feels that she could finally be useful, and does not wish to stay like this living in an area in the hills, doing nothing but wait for some creatures to die or humanity to be extinct. Their plan is to travel to a mine below the safety line and reach their destination through it without gaining the attention of the creatures. Nina has a device that can detect a nearby Reaper through their high bioelectromagnetic pulses. They gather supplies along the way, including a grenade launcher, but a Reaper spots them, and they just manage to escape at the last moment, as even grenades seem to have no effect on them. Even if they get to the laboratory, will there be a chance to stop creatures like these?

The defence of Elevation :: The movie surely gets the post-apocalyptic setting right, and is successful in taking us to that particular world which would come now or later. The mountain setting adds to that feeling as we feel the loneliness and depression which is prevalent in this particular world. The movie being not that long also works in the movie’s favour. It also does not overuse its content, and the creatures are also there creating the impact. As much as the visuals, the sound effects also contribute to create an impact, in a lesser level of The Quiet Place. The post-apocalyptic world keeps us close to the genre here, and we obviously get what we want. Anthony Mackie who is known for multiple Avengers and Captain America movies as well as Outside the Wire and The Woman in the Window, gets into action with ease, and leads the movie in style. With his name of character being Will, one also feels a certain nostalgia of having Will Smith in similar movies of action, adventure and apocalypse. Morena Baccarin, the Deadpool and Gotham star remains impressive in a role which has multiple faces.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not use its resources to best advantage, despite the premise holding on so well in the beginning. Maddie Hasson’s character is missed too early, as she was just getting better with each scene, and we wanted to see her in those final moments. The father-son relationship seems to be just added to feel an emotional effect, but that is not felt in a deep manner, especially when the world seems to be too close to an end. The movie’s stay at the safe zone might not satisfy everyone, as one cannot help seeing it as somewhat a derivative of other movies. The creatures are also not seen that many times up close to create some unforgettable horror. The backstories could have also been explored in a better way. A lot of world-wide destruction is left for the imagination, and so are many other elements of the creature attack. The chance to go to a higher level is missed here, and a lot of action could have come in some corners, as the final line of defence is often what would matter the most in a big apocalyptic movie.

How it finishes :: Elevation makes a strong point among the post-apocalyptic movies, even though it will not be among the best, and there were surely chances to make it bigger in scope and also to add more action without killing one of its main characters too early. As the ending leaves scope for a sequel, we can hope for getting the canvas bigger in the next one. The movie is a strong enough visually pleasing survival-monster action-adventure thriller which becomes an entertaining, watch. It would just feel like going deep enough, but not to its end. The cast mainly of three works really well, and their success in making us feel that the danger is real, and do take us to the environment to which we also become a part. After all, this is surely going to be our future, as an apocalyptic event would come in one way or the other. This is another one of those movies which prepares us for that unstoppable doom – these kinds of movies should be more or less be saved as the manuals for the end of the world scenarios even though hypothetical, and available of Jio Hotstar.

Release date: 8th November 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: George Nolfi
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, Shauna Earp, Rachel Nicks, Danny Boyd Jr, Tyler Grey

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Detective Ujjwalan

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Vampire Owl: So, this was the detective who came to investigate on the missing vampires.

Vampire Bat: There are no missing vampires in our world.

Vampire Owl: What about those vampires who did not come to the feast of Uncle Dracula?

Vampire Bat: They just decided not to come.

Vampire Owl: Nobody decides not to come when Uncle Dracula is around.

Vampire Bat: There has been the rise of free will in the realm.

Vampire Owl: Free will just a myth in the realm.

Vampire Bat: There has always been some free will in the vampire world.

Vampire Owl: Free will is not a thing of our world.

Vampire Bat: Well, you know that free will is only the beginning.

[Gets a chicken samosa and three cups of Ceylon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ujjwalan (Dhyan Sreenivasan) is a young man without any job and has made himself the only librarian of the only library in the remote village of Plachikkavu. He lives with his father Narayanankutty (Kottayam Nazeer) and mother Leela (Seema G Nair) who only have a shop and mostly lives with their family assets. As Ujjwalan does not go for work and spends most of the time reading detective novels and crime thrillers from his own library, his parents try to get him married to a local girl Snehalatha (Claire C John), but that does not work in their favour. Ujjwalan is a man who tries to solve the crimes of the village, which mostly involves small thefts, fights etc. Local SI Sachin (Rony David Raj) depends on him to solve the simple crimes and mysteries and do not do much of a work. The only criminal of the village is Anthikkurudan (Nihal Nizam) who steals small things and keeps getting caught with some coconuts and bananas. Kurian (Ameen) who has returned from Korea, remains Ujjwalan’s only friend, and does not like going to work anymore either.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Despite being a fan of detective fiction and even with a skill to find missing clues, Ujjwalan suffers from nyctophobia, the fear of darkness which keeps him locked in his room at night, never even trying to switch on or off the lights of the house. A local television channel even shoots a documentary on how peaceful the village, and reveals that nothing much happens there. But then, the local school principal, Ashokan (Kalabhavan Navas), is killed by a masked man who looked like a scarecrow, brutally with a hammer. But from a slipper and a beedi that Ujjwalan finds from the spot, he feels that it was Anthikkurudan, the usual suspect. The thief claims innocence despite being arrested, but the police are also convinced that he might have been the murderer, maybe a result of trying to steal and not really succeeding. One day, he just escapes from the prison, and is not found afterwards. But the murders do not stop there, and the next one happens at the local festival.

And what more is to follow with the murders that do not seem to stop? :: The second murder really gets the attention of a wider media, and a new police officer is sent to investigate and find the killer as soon as possible. CI Shambhu (Siju Wilson), the new investigating officer, is known to have solved more cases than most of the police officers of his area combined, and he would not stop until he has solved this one. Sachin is not happy that the case has gone out of his control, and Ujjwalan is certainly not happy that someone else is investigating a case in his area. They do not cooperate that much with him and his supporting officers Kunchacko (Nibraz Noushad) and Boban (Shahubas). Ujjwalan soon begins to doubt Shambhu, who says that he has been to the town before and is glad to be there. Kurian who has returned to his hometown to marry his favourite woman finds himself rejected by her. Shambhu earns the trust of villagers and shows steady progress, even though the killer is still on the loose. People remain afraid of going out at night, but can anyone find that killer who leaves no clues behind?

The defence of Detective Ujjwalan :: Dhyan Sreenivasan does a pretty good job, but Siju Wilson and Rony David Raj carry this movie with better written characters who blends in more than the others. The movie with the village setting, remains very good-looking, and the music nicely adds on here to the overall mood. The visuals score with a touch of nostalgia within the overall beauty of a common village of Kerala. Despite the presence of the light-hearted mood, the darkness does come in right between, making this a fine combination of multiple sides. The comedy often works, especially due to the supporting cast that never really hesitates as far as humour is concerned. The movie could connect well to other movies as part of a cinematic universe. The final parts of the area become engaging, especially at those moments when the mystery is somewhat revealed. The ending makes sure that there is scope for more. This would still remain a relaxed watch in comparison to any other movie with a serial killer.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have had the main character as better written. Some of the other characters also seem to have some problems. The twists are not that strong as one would have wanted, after all that buildup. The movie just seems to take the villain out of the irrelevant and add something extra to it. The mystery should have been solved in a smarter and a more classical way with the antagonist surprising further. The emotional side could have been stronger with better characterization, and could have got the viewers more immersed in the situation with more of that feeling of danger. The humour could have also been stronger instead of just going through. The change of tone also keeps happening, without the movie constantly staying anywhere. The ups and downs might feel a little too much, and there is also too much silliness in smartness and vice versa. The final moments do seem to be just usual, with one forced fight and the added extra complication. If this is to stay close to other movies in a strong cinematic universe, there should surely be more power to be shown. The female characters are not relevant at all here.

How it finishes :: The movie is hailed as a part of the Weekend Cinematic Universe which also has the much-acclaimed superhero movie Minnal Murali in there, and you cannot stop yourself from noting down the similarities, from the scarecrow and the way in which the village setup has been created, not that different from Kunjiramayanam either. It might need some extra-fittings at some other point to make it feel big enough to be fixed in a grand universe, as it does not seem to be ready for the same unlike movies like Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra which came prepared from the beginning itself. The movie did seem to have received a good opening, and therefore, a sequel would be there to be taken at some point – the ending also would mean the same. As of now, it is available on Amazon Prime Video, and this might be a good time to watch the same, as one would not be able to know when a sequel might immediately drop, and there could even be a spin-off. Let us hope to see this one as better.

Release date: 23rd May 2025
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Indraneel Gopalakrishnan, Rahul G
Starring: Dhyan Sreenivasan, Siju Wilson, Rony David Raj, Claire C. John, Kottayam Nazeer, Seema G Nair, Nihal Nizam, Ameen, Shahubas, Nibraz Noushad, Mathew Puthukadan, Jagadish, Kalabhavan Navas, Nirmal Palazhi

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Union

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Vampire Owl: I remember going to a vampire reunion. But it was a mirage.

Vampire Bat: Vampires are always together. Why a reunion?

Vampire Owl: They can wander all around the realm.

Vampire Bat: There is just a small area which is accessible to vampires in the realm.

Vampire Owl: It is still a pretty good area as long as we do not fly through.

Vampire Bat: There is too much of witch traffic on the broom to fly.

Vampire Owl: Why do we even care about the witches?

Vampire Bat: There is always something about the witches in the news.

Vampire Owl: So, we have also started watching the news?

Vampire Bat: Well, we only know even about the wars through the news.

[Gets a uzhunnu vada and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Mike McKenna (Mark Wahlberg) is a construction worker in New Jersey who goes through his usual life in a regular pattern without thinking otherwise. One day, his childhood sweetheart Roxanne Hall (Halle Berry) meets him in the local pub and he ends up waking up in London after she tranquilizes him. She explains to him that he has been recruited for a secret mission by the group known as The Union, working as a secret organization in connection with FBI, Interpol and other teams. Their team, despite going through a top-secret mission, ended up losing a number of their team members and also ended up missing their target, leading them to assign someone without a past on the mission. Tom Brennan (J K Simmons), the head of the group hopes that Mike is as good as what Roxanne told him that he used to be during his childhood and youth. Mike who was going to attend a very important wedding as the best man and dating his former teacher, finds him somewhere he never expected to go.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Roxanne assures him that he can go back to his town and job if he does not want to take the risk, but he decided to go for the same anyway. Their physical expert and trainer Frank Pfeiffer (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) is not sure about letting someone untrained in there and giving him just enough for the field within two weeks of special training. They do a detailed briefing for him on a high-stakes mission, and feels that his unassuming identity would be the perfect cover. This would be a very important mission to retrieve information about undercover agents and top-level officers in various intelligence agencies. The sensitive information on individuals who have served allied Western nations would soon be auctioned off to the highest bidder, and as Iranians, North Koreans and Russians look forward to this information and with a possibility of Chinese also going for it, it is now or never for the West. This could be their last chance.

And what more is to be added here as situation keeps getting more complicated? :: He is chosen to be sent by the Union with five million to buy a device which could bid at the intelligence auction, under the watch of the Union agents. Mike is immediately ambushed by some other trained professionals. The team somehow gets him out in time, but the auction device gets damaged without any chance for repair. With no more money to spend, The Union decides tries tracking down the Koreans’ mercenaries hoping to acquire their device. They find and steal the device, only to find out their communication expert Athena Kim (Alice Lee) has been murdered and that their headquarters has been blown up with an unidentified bomb. They feel that there is someone spying on them from the inside, but things might be more complicated than that. They might soon be on the run without a hideout or safehouse. One wrong movement and there might not be any agent left for the Union.

The defence of The Union :: The movies lead actors Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry carry the movie on their shoulders effortlessly, as we enjoy the moments with them together, and they also add some fine humour in between as the movie never really goes dark with its content. When we are looking for a cool spy movie with action rather than the drama and the dark side making it scary, it has enough momentum to keep us engaged with all those fights scenes and high-powered car chases, getting only bigger as the movie gets closer to the end. The global locations are really good, and some stunning visuals provide us with much more to look out for – the action in those beautiful areas of the world got our interest early enough. The ending is well-executed, and the supporting cast as well as the antagonists get something more to do here too. The journey also never goes overboard like some of those Bollywood movies, and there is also nothing forced here with things going on smoothly.

The claws of flaw :: The beginning stages do not induce that much of an interest into this movie, as there seems to some pulling back right there. The bringing in of the main character to the team itself seems to be not convincing enough. Most of the characters are not really developed as if to inspire a possible sequel, as most of the spy genre flicks have been thinking about. The common style of spy flicks and action thrillers with a touch of comedy are remembered here without offering those big surprises or that innovation which was clearly possible. It never really takes its elements to the next level. The twist in the middle seemed to be rather expected, and the big spies not able to guess the same thing even though the audience could easily do the same, is rather disappointing. There is a certain artificiality to proceedings as the Men in Black kind of smooth movement is often not there to be taken. The movie might not last that long in memory, as there is no specific classic moment and there is nothing that we will remember for very long.

How it finishes :: We have an entertaining journey here as there are no dull moments in the spy world as soon as we know what the movie is up to. The movie nicely goes on with its adventure as the tale progresses. The light-hearted action with some suspense works fine, and the chemistry between the main characters work very well. Things are rather simple around here, as you do not eagerly wait for more, but something special could happen in the second movie, if there is one – the team does work really well. For a relaxed weekend with the light action, this will offer more than enough on Netflix. After all, this is that kind of a genre which offers more to one-time watch rather than any other. Netflix already offered a movie which gives similar kind of effect, Lift – once you watch, you enjoy it and the time spent remains good. Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg are our eternal stars too, aren’t they?

Release date: 16th August 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 107 minutes
Directed by: Julian Farino
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, J K Simmons

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.