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Frankenstein

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Vampire Owl: I have been informed about this particular movie.

Vampire Bat: I know who told you about this.

Vampire Owl: There is no reason why Dr. Frankenstein would not approve of this movie.

Vampire Bat: Anyone named Frankenstein do not count as the real one.

Vampire Owl: He is the vampire certified version of a true scientist.

Vampire Bat: Too many versions for most of us to comprehend.

Vampire Owl: The demons have also approved of the same.

Vampire Bat: When did you start asking the shadow demons about anything?

Vampire Owl: They have provided a telepathic connection to the vampire blood bank.

Vampire Bat: Your friendships these days have become too questionable.

[Gets a chilli porotta and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: In 1857, a significant crisis arises when Horisont, a Royal Danish Navy ship sailing for the North Pole becomes caught in ice, and something unexpected also gets added as they find blood all around with signs of some brutality. Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) saves an injured Baron Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) who is caught in the snow and is attacked brutally by the Creature (Jacob Elordi) which shows no signs of backing down despite everyone of the crew trying their best, as it seems almost impossible to stop from unleashing unlimited chaos. The humanoid creature demands Victor’s surrender while destroying everything on the way, but ends up going under the thin layer of ice, bringing relief to the crew, as Victor begins to tell his story. Victor explains to the captain that he is not attacked by some random abomination from another world, as he admits that he was the one who created the Creature and recounts the events leading to this particular creation.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Victor remembers having a strict and abusive childhood due to his father beating him for even the smallest mistakes in his studies, as Baron Leopold Frankenstein (Charles Dance) wanted his son to be a surgeon like him, an expert in medical science like himself. He had married Victor’s mother for convenience and money, and nothing else – she dies with the birth of the second child, William Frakenstein (Felix Kammerer), who quickly becomes a father’s favourite, but Victor keeps mourning his mother and hates his father for what he feels like hesitation to save her life. Fueled by the hatred towards his father and indifference towards his young brother, Victor becomes a brilliant, but arrogant surgeon obsessed with curing death through science, based on the words of Leopold which meant nobody could defeat death. After years of trying to achieve the impossible, he is expelled from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for reanimating corpses, which every major member of the society considered a brutal sacrilege.

And what more could happen here as the arrogance and pride would have more to do in a world of chaos and meaninglessness? :: With all hopes seemingly lost, Victor is approached by an arms leader and billionaire Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz) who is impressed by his presentation and the movement on the face and arms of an animated dead body, offers Victor unlimited funding and an isolated Gothic tower in the middle of nowhere to continue his experiments, seemingly with his own sinister plans about life, death and afterlife. After successfully gaining the maximum of his, as well as William’s assistance in developing his laboratory out of nowhere, Victor also becomes interested in a young lady named Elizabeth (Mia Goth), Henrich’s niece and William’s fiancée. She appreciates his efforts towards greatness, but does not like his nature at all, with him seemingly lacking in morality and becoming more and more greedy without concern for anyone around him. Victor keeps running out of time as Crimean War breaks out and Henrich is on a hurry, but what is the best he can finally achieve here?

The defence of Frankenstein :: The movie is a visual stunner, and it is the first thing that we notice about the movie. The Gothic world of the film keeps us completely immersed in the same, as we are never out of the architectural beauty and the use of colours, along with the images of the archangels, and the spires that point to heaven as much the scientific equipment which also create an impact. The dark tower is symbolic of the overreacher, with our hero continuing to be the hero that seeks more, like many others that we know, most significant name among them being Doctor Faustus. Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak kind of effect continues here, as the Gothic world would always remain safe with him, not just with the darkness and the sinister alleys, but also with the colours, red being one of the most beautiful one as always, this time with that guardian angel imagery staying further in memory than the rest. This one is surely a more sensitive and emotional take on the original story, which have felt rather basic and rushed compared to some of its fine adaptations of later times. The film takes the creature out of its tough shell and shows it as a sensitive and intelligent being trying to help people, and also seeking love and belonging, without which, it changes; the same is depicted smartly.

Positives and negatives :: Oscar Isaac manages a good job with the character which is a little bit overdone for our liking. Mia Goth makes a good presence, but is not used that much as she should have been – A Cure for Wellness was the movie that used her the best, and then there was X; in this movie, she seems to be in the background like a conscience in mind. The last one and half movies are the ones which keep us so much interested, after those beginning stage, for there is so much strength there, leading to that finish, which makes one satisfied with that finish. The one hour after the first ten minutes or so have a struggle, and the pace also struggles. The movie is too long and stretched feeling is there, often also adding unnecessary elements; not all deviations are good either with theme elements going the wrong way in the process. Christoph Waltz’s character will surely catch our attention again, and Charles Dance continues to impress in a short period of stay. Felix Kammerer and David Bradley will also keep us interested in the world, which had a grand beginning with that fight in the snow.

How it finishes :: We have always had a fine dose of Frankenstein stories along with the original one which has kept going strong and inspiring so many derivates including Victor Frankenstein, I, Frankenstein and that guest role in a tale Castle Transylvania and its sequels. This one is another fine deviation which works, and is incredibly beautiful with the world – still, it could have been much better when we think about Guillermo del Toro as the director who brought us some of the most classic versions of myths and legends from the fantasy Pan’s Labyrinth to the full action Pacific Rim. This is that kind of a world where he makes his characters thrive, which would be a reason for the audience to expect more. The critical opinions have surely been positive, and as Mary Shelley’s ideas get expanded through a different path, we would still miss the horror, and despite an attack in the early stages of the movie, there is not much to bring the fear to us. As the monster and the creator are forever, this one would also be for long, as we ponder over the dangers of uncontrolled use of science, loneliness and rejection and above all – responsibility of creators for their creations, which some of the new age parents really need to understand instead throwing children to society, teachers, friends and relatives.

Release date: 7th November 2025
Running time: 150 minutes
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Krammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Charles Dance, Christoph Waltz, Kyle Gatehouse, Lauren Collins, Sofia Galasso, Ralph Ineson, Burn Gorman, Nikolaj Lie Kaas

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Accountant 2

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Vampire Owl: It is time Uncle Dracula gets his own vampire accountant.

Vampire Bat: Why would he need an accountant when there is no cash here?

Vampire Owl: But he travels through human world for quite a long.

Vampire Bat: Can’t he get a vampire forex card instead?

Vampire Owl: We are now having forex cards here?

Vampire Bat: Well, there should be a way to convert blood money to cash.

Vampire Owl: So, the vampire blood bank accounts can be converted to currency?

Vampire Bat: Yes, even though the value after conversion is really low.

Vampire Owl: At least Uncle Dracula is the richest man in the realm. So, no problems.

Vampire Bat: Still, not that rich as the family of elders.

[Gets two orange cream biscuits and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Former FinCEN director Raymond King (J. K. Simmons) arranges a meeting with a mysterious assassin known only by the identity Anais (Daniella Pineda). While tracked by different gunmen who seems to be ready to shoot at them at any time, he asks her for some help in locating a Salvadorean family with an old photo of the parents and the son. Anais tells him that she usually just assassinates people, but do not harm children, so not sure if she would take this mission involving children either. As different gunmen open fire, King is killed, but Anais is able to escape from trouble without much problems as if she never really visited the place and nobody knows even her real name or further identity. King’s protege and Deputy Director of FinCEN, Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), identifies his body, and sees a message which goes as “find the accountant” written on his arm, and decides to do something about his death, as there seems to be something sinister about it.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Marybeth is forced to contact Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), even though she doubts him for his illegal activities. Christian organizes a collage of information and tells her that the family in the photo fled from El Salvador to Los Angeles illegally, facing different hazards along the way. At the same time, Burke (Robert Morgan) further asks his enforcer Cobb (Grant Harvey) to somehow kill Anais, as she holds a grudge against him, and might end up killing him instead. Christian invites his estranged brother, Braxton (Jon Bernthal), working as an assassin, to help him with the case, as there is so much to be done. Justine (Allison Robertson), Christian’s old friend, works with a group of children to hack into different networks to help Christian. They manage to find a photo of Anais from a selfie which was taken by a woman who was present at that time – they are able to find her face, but are unable to identify her with any matches. Uncomfortable with their illegal methods towards truth, Marybeth breaks from the group and visits a hospital mentioned in one of King’s reports to find haunting secrets about Anais which would change their whole idea about the situation.

The defence of The Accountant 2 :: The film does have a nice twist as the movie nears the end, and the revelation here works nicely unlike what people have been expecting from what have been put in front of them. The movie has some intense gun fights, tactical combat and well-choreographed action scenes instead of the mass action scenes which are usually used, and this means that the movie remains more believable and never comes up with an overdose of the usual flying action stuff. The expansion of the world of the first movie works really well, as the returning characters and the relationships that come in between are explored further, and often with more detail. The combination of financial crime investigation with action and adventures, remains something that strikes different for a thriller with some classic divergence from the usual. There is physical action and there is intellectual action, both working so well around here. Everything that is required to create a big world of action filled with assassins and twists can be seen here, and this is one protagonist that we would continue to love.

Positives and negatives :: This also makes me remember Jason Statham’s Mechanic, both signifying professions, but meaning much more from the background. Well, some heroes do their work perfectly in more than one field, and we surely like to see them around. The movie does lose a little bit of power in the pacing in between, as this one is a reasonably long movie which has a lot of dialogues, some of them just providing deviation to the movie itself. There is also some complexity related to this movie, and those who wish to have things go direct, might have some other opinions about this particular movie. The originality might be a little bit lost around here with the base so much on the earlier flick. The final fight scenes are really catchy, and the talk about having pets, with the final adoption of a cat works very nicely for the movie, which also develops some emotions along with humour on the way. The sibling bonding idea had already set the premise for such proceedings. The combination could continue to score if there is a sequel, as the stage remains there to get more movies in the franchise.

The performers of the soul :: Ben Affleck once again plays the quiet, highly intelligent accountant who is also an assassin convincingly. His work as a socially awkward, but highly capable man with multiple missions remains the big highlight of the movie. I have always loved him as Batman, and found him to be the perfect superhero of the dark in the DC Universe, and also his different avatar in Gone Girl and that classic divergence in Deep Water. Well, here he is the accountant closing a financial account when all the transactions are finished, but also closing the accounts of life with a few people – that surely works with much effectiveness. Yet, the one whom we miss the most in this movie is last one’s Anna Kendrick who remained its soul then. But Jon Bernthal as Braxton surely with the action here, along with some brotherly bonding that brings the humour. Daniella Pineda is a lovely assassin by the way, and we hope to see her going through such missions in sequels too. Cynthia Addai-Robinson comes in, and just adds the minimal here. Allison Robertson adds on further while J. K. Simmons is missed rather too early in this one.

How it finishes :: When watching the second movie after watching the first one ten years ago, there would be something which would have been missed, but this one surely feels like good enough for a stand-alone film. The release of this particular movie has surely been missed by us, and most probably it never really came to the local theatres here, despite being a franchise with so much class over the usual mass – for now, it is on Amazon Prime Video, and it is good to see it around there. The movie will not come up with those big action sequences though, as it keeps closer to reality, and still around there, we have the action going on with the assassins wandering around and gunmen sent by crime bosses and gangsters also having a say. The basic idea of the movie itself had our attention, as it is something that provides a Hitman-like feeling, and even a little bit of John Wick seems to wander around here, as there are so many incidents happening in the background of a seemingly normal world here, with the man at the centre and his brother bringing something else too. This should be a long franchise like John Wick – I would love to see it going through the same as there is always scope for the others beyond such well-known assassins.

Release date: 25th April 2025
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Gavin O’Connor
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, J. K. Simmons, Allison Robertson, Grant Harvey, Andrew Howard, Lombardo Boyar, Michael Tourek

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Cleaner

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Vampire Owl: This reminds me that it has been a long time since the castle was cleaned.

Vampire Bat: There is no waste in the castle. Why do you want it cleaned?

Vampire Owl: We seem to be having cleaner fighters here with a movie.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans are a lot more into multi-processing now.

Vampire Owl: Their processing is a total mess; it has always been so. We cannot have them within the borders.

Vampire Bat: You remember those Hitman games where cleaning up was part of stealth.

Vampire Owl: I actually remember that Thief game even more.

Vampire Bat: The dark project vs the silent assassin, I remember.

Vampire Owl: The furious gaming days will be missed. The ex-gamer mode does not feel that good.

Vampire Bat: Well, we can go for this one before dawn, as it is something which surely has a game mode rescue with Lionsgate Play.

[Gets an onion uthappam and three cups of Sikkim tea].

What is the movie about? :: Joanna Locke and her brother Michael Locke (Matthew Tuck) had grown up in a troubled household in the city of London with an abusive father, and she had earned wall-climbing to escape from the troubles, while her brother was not that lucky. About twenty years later, as an adult and a former soldier, Joey looks after Michael, who is autistic and is fighting online against corruption at his care homes from where he keeps getting thrown out due to his online activities. On one day, Joey is late and is almost dismissed from her job – on the same day, she is forced to take her brother to her workplace at a skyscraper belonging to a highly influential multinational company where she works as a window cleaner. During this time, as a grand event is held by the Agnian Energy Company in the building, a radical environmental activist group which calls itself Earth Revolution comes up with a violent takeover using sleeping gas canisters and takes everyone who is present in the hall at that time hostage.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The leader of the group is Marcus Blake (Clive Owen) who is determined to bring the activities of Agnian Energy Company to light. What he does not understand is that there is Noah Santos (Taz Skylar), another member of the group, who is actually an anti-humanist. He decides to kill Marcus and his followers and take things into his hands, as he found the former leader too liberal with his actions. Some of the followers of Marcus like the hacking specialist who is known only by the name Zee (Flavia Watson) reluctantly joins Noah’s new more radical team on gunpoint, as the angry new leader even kills a few hostages in what seems to be uncontrolled rage. At the same time, Joanna is caught in work, while cleaning the windows at one of the top floors. She is found out by Noah who identifies her as the former soldier, and decides to target her as the one who is responsible for all of these as she is forced to shoot randomly under his threat of starting murdering people in the building. She also manages to show an SOS sign from there.

And what more follows here as the situation seems to get out of hand? :: She gets in contact with Superintendent Claire Hume (Ruth Gemmell) who tries her best to deal with the hostage situation which has now reached the news. The attempt of the SWAT team leader Captain Royce (Howard Charles) fails to make a move inside as the team is wiped out in a blast. Noah forces the hostages to record confessions about their crimes against environment and people for Agnian, as his attempt to frame Joanna as the terrorist who has wreaked havoc in the building fails. With no option ahead, Claire reluctantly gives Joanna the permission to infiltrate the building and do something to change the equation. Noah tries to finish off Joanna by lowering an explosive charge down to her position, but she manages to move away in time. She has the SWAT snipers shoot several holes into the building’s bulletproof glass windows, helping her to get inside the building by breaking the window with a hammer with the help of her brother from inside. But Noah has other plans, and it is to be seen if the siblings will survive the same.

The defence of Cleaner :: Daisy Ridley’s physicality and a classic screen presence as the action heroine works well, and she remains strong in the core, but there is not that much of an action in display here, and neither are the muscles – for a movie of this category, there could have been more on screen, but she still continues to score with her work within these limits. Taz Skylar’s antagonist remains a strong one, but the less screen presence of Clive Owen after that classic entry might bother us – but they remain good, with next notable one being Flavia Watson. Matthew Tuck and Ruth Gemmell manage to their job just as expected. The visuals are indeed spectacular, both inside and outside the building, along with the surroundings. The action is good when it happens, and there are some moments which feel more realistic than exaggerated, and there is that brother-sister bonding that will keep us moving forward. The environmental concerns feel relevant and the talk about human species also provides another viewpoint. The movie is also short, and all points of the flick remain engaging, without dull moments pushed on from within.

The claws of flaw :: The movie feels very much repetitive with its content, as the “Die Hard” model which has been brought to light too many times, seem to make an entry here too, but without that much of an action. There were so many paths which the movie could have covered, but from the moment when the main character wakes up from bed, it chooses that too easy path without taking any risks or bringing the power of the unexpected that could have powered this movie further. There was the chance to make the situation more threatening, and even with an anti-humanist around, there is no chance of mass murder or extreme devastation taken into account here – there are too many justifications on his side, and the terror does not feel like it is going to make a terrifying impact that would last for long. Even the main character is not given that visible strength to work through the impossible, and a number of interesting characters are just killed with ease. One cannot blame a movie taking the safest path, but for an action-adventure-thriller, there should be some risks taken with danger in every corner and making it easy for protagonist is never the right thing to do – the main character should be making way from hopelessness rather than ease.

How it finishes :: If you are looking for another one of those classic action thrillers with a lovable lead, but not without repetitions, this will remain an entertaining watch. But there will be no fresh content, deep characterization or action that makes a big impact – yet, the weekend fun moments are easily achieved with Daisy Ridley at the helm fighting through the present as much as a troubled past and sibling love which goes misunderstood. The mixed reactions from the audience and critics alike is understandable as they might have felt the need for more action and the feeling of having watched this one too many times, even in Bollywood with that Aamir Khan and Mamta Kulkarni starrer’s later part in the building. The ending would remain satisfactory with the protagonist overcoming all odds to save the day, and bring the hope for a sequel, which might not happen to the reception – but I would support the same with the belief that this can be made better with the content expanded by a long way with the support of protagonist’s past.

Release date: 21st February 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Taz Skylar, Clive Owen, Taz Skylar, Flavia Watson, Ruth Gemmell, Ray Gearon, Rufus Jones, Howard Charles, Lee Boardman, Richard Hope, Gavin Fleming

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vala

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Vampire Owl: I had heard about this movie and felt strange about it.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing strange about the story about a bangle.

Vampire Owl: So, a bangle is going to inspire a story?

Vampire Bat: One would think that inspiration can come from anywhere, like darkness.

Vampire Owl: What about the need for muses to create the same?

Vampire Bat: The muses as such avatars are no longer valid in this world of chaotic creativity.

Vampire Owl: Our realm is not of chaos, for vampires have order; otherwise, we would be nowhere.

Vampire Bat: Absence of chaos is not always order as we know it.

Vampire Owl: Death can always differentiate between order and chaos in the stream of absurd.

Vampire Bat: We have found order post death, but chaos is in our blood for infinity.

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

What is the movie about? :: Banu (Lukman Avaran), a young policeman, is given the duty of giving protection to Abu (Abu Salim) who is the only witness to the murder of his boss. But while going through his duty, he comes across a few other problems that come in his way. It begins with his marriage with Vishalakshi (Sheethal Joseph) who comes from a big family and high caste, as she elopes with him against the wishes of her family, only to find out that the box which she took from home was not the one with jewelry. As she goes to the Akshaya Centre to change her address in the Aadhar Card, finds herself insulted by Sarala (Raveena Ravi) who was dealing with the data, as Vishalakshi had asked her about the beautiful bangle on her hand. Sarala tells her that she will never be able to buy such a bangle and should at least get something for her hands as she looks just too poor. Vishalakshi who is originally from a rich and influential family, starts asking Banu for a solution, and goes with him to almost every jewelry shop in search of a similar bangle.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Vishalakshi is too focused on having a bangle like Sarala, she is not able to find any other ornament of her choice and asks Banu to bring something that looks exactly like that particular piece. She begins to irritate Banu in the name of that bangle, and he is forced to contact Sarala’s husband Purushothaman (Dhyan Sreenivasan) for a picture of the same, so that they can make something which looks exactly the same. But they realize that the bangle cannot be removed from Sarala’s hand as she says it was given to her by her grandmother and that there is a certain sentimental value attached with it – but the truth is revealed later, that the bangle just cannot be removed by pulling it out. They understand that it is stuck, but while looking closer, realizes that there are Arabic writings in there, making them wonder how a traditional Hindu family like them can have a family heirloom passed on by grandmother with Arabic script engraved there.

And what more can happen with a bangle which turns out to be special? :: Purushothaman who finds out that this is a very old bangle with antique value, and has gems which are priceless, decides to find a way to sell the piece. For the same, he starts searching, and ends up with a notorious group of gangsters from across the state who deals with international smuggling and other crimes. They give him an advance of fifty lakhs for a price that he asks, five crores in ready cash. As he becomes confident in him being rich by crores, he decides not to give the photo to Banu and even throws their mobile away as they had taken a photo of the bangle. Sarala is tensed that her husband is trying to take that bangle in any way possible, and has nightmares of him cutting her hand off. They go to different parts of South India as they try to find a way to remove the bangle, and comes across a woman named Pathoocha (Shanthi Krishna) who claims that the ornament belongs to her and her husband Soopika (Vijayaraghavan). This leads to further complications while the gangsters also come after Sarala, and so does Banu who wishes to have revenge for the insult.

The defence of Vala: Story of a Bangle :: The movie is very well managed by Lukman Avaran who leads the movie in a realistic mode, and Vijayaraghavan nicely adds a certain emotional depth here with Shanthi Krishna in support. The two female leads Raveena Ravi and Sheethal Joseph handles the situation incredibly well, and it is always great to see the former on the screen rather than just behind it as a dubbing artist with excellence. The idea of the movie is nice and innovative, and the bangle at the centre serves well, making one feel that this movie is not the usual, but one of its kind, experimenting on things not usual in the Malayalam movie industry. The way in which the movie began with its tale in the middle of everything was also nice, and the way in which tale is told has its own effectiveness too. The emotional moments work very well, and the way in which different characters get interconnected feels interesting. The mystery feeling is also maintained well, and the twists in the tale are of relevance, while reminding us that pride will always have a fall.

The claws of flaw :: There is the feeling that there are too many characters who do not get the due in the movie. Dhyan Sreenivasan’s character does not get the strength that it should have had, for it remains one dimensional and just seemingly going through a path which becomes just mandatory for this kind of a movie and nothing else. Some scenes feel like stretched seemingly increasing the total length of the movie beyond the required. The pace also slows down in between, and the extra focus on bangle often leaves the people behind. If some elements are removed, it would just go on to become short film and nothing more. The villainy could have been better, and here the focus is just on owning the bangle. The history of the bangle could have also been further grand in nature, and the movie could have deepened its own mystery without letting the viewer feel that it just went on the safe route. The seriousness of the movie is sometimes lost as humour collaborates and goes through that safe path. The ending is also just too quick and seemingly just to finish the whole thing.

How it finishes :: Vala: Story of a Bangle surely had a lot of scope with this different and innovative kind of content, which is not common in Malayalam cinema, as only a few like Pendulum and Phoenix have deviated from the usual tropes of horror, adventure and science in a way that we remember, even without that much of a box-office collection. The innovative core related to a bangle is something that we might not see for quite some time. The movie surely had the potential to become an intriguing thriller with a lot of emotional depth. But the slow pacing and underdeveloped characters often pulls it down. The climax fails to provide a satisfying resolution and the movie just ends as if it is there to bring a finishing touch. This would mean that the movie ends up as a film with good ideas but partially struggling execution, leaving many viewers feeling that it could have been much better with better efforts put in there. Maybe, there could be a sequel that can successfully accomplish the same.

Release date: 19th September 2025
Running time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Muhashin
Starring: Lukman Avaran, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Vijayaraghavan, Shanthi Krishna, Raveena Ravi Sheethal Joseph, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Shafi Kollam, Navas Vallikkunnu, Abu Salim, Yusuf Madappen, Govind Vasantha, Ibrahim Al Balushi, Gokulan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Anomie

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“Anomie” with Bhavana and Rahman in the lead, is the latest serial killer crime thriller movie with science fiction additions, not common in this part of the world. It marks a fine beginning to the new year, with such innovations leading the way.

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For the detailed written review, please continue below:

What is the movie about? :: Zaara Philip (Bhavana) is forensic expert who helps the police in their investigations, but has a personal trauma that has kept haunting her, and even made her brother Ziaan Philip (Shebin Benson) psychologically disturbed and feeling suicidal. The death of their parents, which was caused during a celebration while traveling in a car, has been one incident for which Ziaan never really forgave himself. Zaara tries her best to cheer Zian, and provides him psychiatric support through a doctor that she knows. Zian looks better, with his life with a pet cat and the small group of friends who help him. His apartment is also set for his comfort. But things change when he goes missing all of a sudden, that too after a comfortable sitting with his psychologist. He was going to meet up with his sister, and then he was not to be found. Zaara quickly calls his best friend and romantic interest Alby Thomas (Arjun Lal), who finds out that Ziaan was last seen in his friend’s pet shop.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon, Ziaan’s corpse is found at the same area where his parents died, and people attach this death to grief and resulting suicide. This sends Zaara into further grief, much to the dismay of Alby. The case is handled by Muhammed Jibran (Rahman), Assistant Commissioner of Police, who goes on a hurry to close to case a suicide, just like a recent case, as attempts at suicide have already been made by these victims. But Zaara decides to seek answers independently, as she is sure that her brother would not commit suicide at this point, as he is a lot past that – the same was revealed by his psychiatrist too. Her independent investigation with the support of Alby leads to the understanding that this is no normal case, and much more is behind all of these. There are too many similarities in the previous suicide and this one, despite having no connection between them. Soon, another suicide occurs, and the same procedure seems to be followed. This time, it is a lady teacher who is found dead in a car inside a garage, and she also had a history of mental illness and used to show suicidal tendencies.

And what more is to follow in this world of chaos and deaths that follow? :: Zaara files a complaint and soon, the police are asked to act as soon as possible by the court. Jibran understands the seriousness of the situation, and decides to rise above his past troubles to solve this case. He had kept himself away from such situations before, but not anymore. This particular situation seems more of an emergency than ever, as more victims might have been there, and many more could follow if the serial killer is not stopped in time. Soon, another boy who had posted about death in social media is kidnapped, and Jibran has a lead in the form of Prasad Eashwar (Vishnu Agasthya), who had collected details of psychiatric patients, and is a drug dealer himself. But Zaara takes another path which leads her to a former medical student, Jinsy Paul (Drishya Raghunath) who had died in mysterious circumstances. Now, they question remains how all of these are going to converge as each lead seems relevant.

The defence of Anomie: The Equation of Death :: Here is one crime thriller that has the suspense and twists – with interval punch that changes the mood, as we have the possible suicide to a serial killer leading to unexpected ending. The addition of science fiction elements all of a sudden also changes the mood further. This is surely one of those movies which I would categorize as Ranam-esque – quality written all over it with the feeling of that Prithviraj starrer which was above the usual level, no matter how people accepted it – there is the feeling of emptiness, damaged characters, slow and inevitable violence even though not always shown on screen, with the realization that something bad always going to happen – isolation, numbness, suppressed anger, moral greyness, all getting a role to play. The final shootout has the looks which seems to elevate the budget of the movie itself. Then when more revelations come, there is also the support of some grand visuals which makes a spectacle out of a movie which seemed to start with such low ambitions. It is also a reminder that science can be infinitely evil in its core.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does leave some of its emotions back in the first half, as the mystery takes more of a hold. The emotional depth losses the hold and by the end, we are more wondering about morally grey science fiction elements. The main characters talk too less to each other as the deviations seem to take them apart. As the serial killers are a different kind of psychopaths, the dark side never really gets to be that scary in end. The movie seems to lack the hype that it had deserved, and for the same, do not have that many screens to help its run. The slow beginnings of the movie might not please everyone and the movie seems a little too long for this content. Without that much focus on the same thing again and again, the overall length could have been reduced. The philosophical elements could have also been further explored. In between, there are moments which seemed to be created to make things more convenient and some consistency is lost in the process. The ending could have also meant more.

The performers of the soul :: Bhavana leads the way and excels in the emotional sequences. A lot of this movie had to depend on her and the feelings of the sister character more than the forensic expert and investigator in her. The same has been achieved with ease. This return from her feels like something which that suits her, and to the same, she has done justice. Rahman manages to do the same from another angle, and he also goes through the emotional side well, even though getting some mass in there felt irrelevant, as a flawed cop like that of Memories was better for the situation and the overall mood of the movie. Then we see how he pulls this one off effortlessly, and that requires further mention. Arjun Lal has changed quite a lot from how we had seen him before, and blends in really well. Shebin Benson is really good with the brother elements. Vishnu Agasthya, after that fiery villain of RDX, makes a different appearance with negative shades. Drishya Raghunath’s avatar comes as a big surprise, and in a role in which we would not recognize her, manages to make a long impact in short time. Binu Pappu does his job with ease.

How it finishes :: Anomie does not feel like being present in that many theatres, but the innovation and the science fiction twist make it something beyond the usual investigative thrillers with serial killers all around. There is also the strong aesthetics, and even though slow at times with possibility of a shorter movie with this content, there is that effective narrative, which moves well to the multiple-twisted ending. We had seen superheroes doing well coming out of nowhere with Minnal Murali and that cinematic universe of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, but science fiction is a tricky thing to add in Malayalam cinema, but this one has made the scope big and added the same well. It surely has more than what meets the eye, and so is an interesting watch, and I would suggest that you give it a try, as divergence and attempt to create something out of the box requires all the attention. It might still not be a movie for everyone, but we know that there is more than one kind of audience to which this particular flick can cater. A deviation from the usual and a different treatment in the beginning of the year itself – 2026 is surely going to bring a lot more for us, as this is unlike Anjaam Pathiraa and Paappan which lost its way into random revenge and stays focused.

Release date: 6th February 2026
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Riyas Marath
Starring: Rahman, Bhavana, Binu Pappu, Arjun Lal, Shebin Benson, Vishnu Agasthya, Drishya Raghunath

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Superman

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Vampire Owl: I will always miss the Man of Steel version.

Vampire Bat: I feel that we are going back to the stone age.

Vampire Owl: Well, it is in Jio Hotstar, so we have to watch it.

Vampire Bat: Yes, after watching this one, we will watch the classic one.

Vampire Owl: I am worried about the state of DC after this.

Vampire Bat: We know that DC will never be the same without that darkness.

Vampire Owl: That versions of Aquaman and the Flash were too good.

Vampire Bat: We also know that people do not appreciate the best.

Vampire Owl: Aren’t they the same people who abandoned John Carter and Battleship?

Vampire Bat: If it was not for India and China, Pacific Rim would have also been done.

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

What is the movie about? :: Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman (David Corenswet) was having a smooth run as the friendly superhero and part of world’s conversations while involved in saving people in trouble before he decides to illegally interfere in international matters and mess up diplomacy at a global level, destroying balance by stopping the nation of Boravia from invading its neighboring country known as Jarhanpur, after forcing himself upon the former. He even threatened its President with brutal force, making it impossible for most countries and their leaders to think about diplomacy and the need for the existence of countries on Earth. But soon enough, he is defeated for the first time by Hammer of Boravia (David Corenswet), who keeps a step ahead of Superman, and almost kills him before he is revived in his safehouse, the Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica with the help of his superpowered dog Krypto which also arrived from the same planet. He is only healed eighty three percent, but goes for it, only to be beaten up until the villain finally leaves.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Superman finally agrees to be interviewed for media by Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), as she his girlfriend as much as his colleague at the Daily Planet. Luthor uses a fire-breathing alien creature as a distraction while he manages to get into Superman’s fortress and overpower the robots while kidnapping Krypto. They also manage to find and translate a message from Superman’s parents with the help of Angela Spica a.k.a. The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faria) who has nanotechnology in each part of her body helping her to hack as much as to fight. Superman rescues the civilians while fighting the creature with the superhero team known as the Justice Gang including heroes Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). Despite Superman not wanting to hurt the creature too much, Mister Terrific kills it. But this success is short-lived, as this was supposed to be a moment when Superman would find that revelation which he would have never wanted in his life, but becomes the biggest weapon for his enemies.

And what more is to follow here as things are supposed to get much worse with chaos ready to unleash itself on Earth? :: Luthor broadcasts the Kryptonian message in which Superman’s parents ask him to conquer Earth and take many women of Earth as sex slaves to restore the Kryptonian race. Superman had not listened to that last part of the message as it was somewhat damaged and could not be heard before it was corrected and amplified enough. The master brain behind all of these is Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), the CEO of Luthor Corp who wishes to end Superman forever to make sure that his plans work out as expected. But he reveals that he desired for his business, but his true inspiration was always his hatred for Superman. Public opinion turns against Superman in no time, and his anger while searching for Krypto only makes it worse. Lois reassures Superman that she believes in him and he can only be good. Superman decides to surrender himself to the government, but they hand him over to Luthor as they doubt in their own ability to contain him. Lois asks Justice Gang to save him, but the question remains if they will respond and if they will be enough against Luthor’s seemingly unstoppable force of mercenaries.

The defence of Superman :: David Corenswet makes a pretty good Superman as long as too many comparisons are not made. Isabela Merced is the best part of the movie that gets so less space on the screen. While Nicholas Hoult makes a tough villain, María Gabriela de Faria’s performance makes her that one villain coming so close to killing Superman and such greatness is written on that side of antagonism. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane also remains memorable. The visuals are nice for most of the time even though not at same level all the time. There are lots of fight sequences around, and they remain effective even though not as fiery as the earlier movies. The final fight remains memorable and the pocket universe is something of another level. There is a certain amount of optimism and hope in this movie, even though it is something which can get us all killed – this is a motivation speaker special. The humour is effective at times, and the supporting cast does the job really well. The movie also leaves a nice beginning for what can follow with the same superhero and his newfound friends. A weaker Superman is also good for future.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not feel that much power-packed for a superhero movie. There is too much focus on the dog, and that should explain how it would work better for the United States scenario. In other parts of the world where children get bitten by stray dogs, the interest in such a character are rather less. Even otherwise, a comparison would make it less interesting. The loss of that feeling of real danger as in the earlier universe cannot be felt here, and we just care less for the main character and his dog. The dialogues and emotions do not touch the hearts that much with this one, and the return of Superman to the more traditional clothing is rather strange, as this kind of a going back to comics is not applied to many other characters that could use it. The focus on Green Lantern and Hawkgirl are rather too less, even though they were the most interesting characters in the whole movie. If DC is going to go the new Marvel way without keeping its essence, there might not be a future for the franchise at least in this part of the world. The engagement is just so week at parts, and there feels like too much politics wander around the movie. Even the graphics and CGI as well as the music remain inferior to the earlier Krypto-alien journey.

How it finishes :: Superman will not match or seem satisfying for the fans of Man of Steel, the movie which set new standards for the character of Superman. A weaker Superman is still a bonus considering how ridiculously powerful and terrible character Captain Marvel ended up to be, and that too without weaknesses. Still, we wonder if the team of Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific and Metamorpho can match Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the Flash who were such classic characters and provided the feeling of being another level and having such class that could be unmatched by any other. This movie also makes us wonder where Batman can stand in such a light environment? There are lots of questions which are left to be answered with the future of DC, which struggles just like Marvel did with the return of the Fantastic Four. The future might be a struggle for both sets of superheroes, as there are local superheroes from Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Minnal Murali, Gundala and others from different industries catering really well to the audience from those parts of the world.

Release date: 11th July 2025
Running time: 129 minutes
Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, María Gabriela de Faria

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Identity

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Vampire Owl: I have been thinking about changing my identity.

Vampire Bat: The vampire one or the owl one?

Vampire Owl: The undead one to be exact.

Vampire Bat: You are already dead and returned. That cannot change.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has changed his identity multiple times.

Vampire Bat: He never had any real identity.

Vampire Owl: Yes, Frankenstein, the genius scientist.

Vampire Bat: The pseudo-scientist, to be exact.

Vampire Owl: He is more, for he has invented vampire mechanics.

Vampire Bat: The only thing he has invented is pure nonsense.

[Gets a chilli chicken pizza and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: A recently engaged young woman Emy John (Nilja K Baby) finds herself blackmailed by a man named Amar Felix (Arjun Radhakrishnan) with the help of a techie and occasional hacker Nakul Sachdev (Vishak Nair), as he had recorded her half-naked through a mobile phone kept in a changing room. He threatens to spread her nude videos all over internet unless she gives him three lakhs to which she agrees, but after many blackmails of random people, this time he finds himself facing a mysterious individual who kills him in his own warehouse which looks abandoned from outside. Alisha Abdul Salam (Trisha Krishnan) is the only witness to the murder as she had seen the person coming out of the warehouse after burning it, as she was passing through. CI Allen Jacob (Vinay Rai) is assigned the case, and decides to keep the witness in his home for protection, as advised by DYSP Dinesh Chandran (Aju Varghese). They feel the immediate need to get a sketch of the killer done as Alisha says that she has seen the face clearly, but protecting her is the top priority.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Allen is helped by his highly influential friend Supriya Gopal (Mandira Bedi) who provide him with much needed information. Meanwhile, Haran Shankar (Tovino Thomas) is a part-time karate instructor and a genius in multiple subjects who suffers from OCD, and lives with his sister Devika Shankar (Archana Jose Kavi) and half-sister Neerja Sudip (Gopika Ramesh). Allen, after seeing a sketch made by Haran, decides that he should be the one to bring the identity of the killer to light. As Allen asks Haran to make a sketch, and as he does so with the help of the description given by Alisha, a few more things come to light, including the fact that Alisha can no longer identify human faces after an accident which followed the murder. This makes things further complicated, as finding the killer seems almost impossible, and Amar’s past also seems to catch up to the situation. It seems that things are just getting more and more complicated, but for how long?

The defence of Identity :: There is a certain amount of style related to how this movie looks, and the visuals remain stunning throughout its run. The technical strength is visible right there. We have not seen such over-reachers among the movies of this industry, unless it is Lucifer and its Empuraan, but this one has managed that extra load quite well. The movie nicely builds the tension, which keeps us interested. The twists are always present, and some of them are rather too nice. The action sequences are maintained well and kept under control without being overdone. The beginning of the movie was so good that we are attached to the proceedings so early. We wonder where the connections would be made, and that happens nicely too. The final fights are also well-executed, maybe qualifying as among the best-done moments. The performances remain of top quality, not really holding back even because of character complications. There is a certain amount of polishing that is visible there, moving further ahead of the usual movies. The background music also remains something of interest.

The claws of flaw :: The movie just seems to have taken so much for granted. After starting so well, and ending with a deviation, but in an interesting way, the middle part seems to have lost in the process. There are so many moments which seems over-stretched, and we feel that there was no need for that much of a detail in between, and the explanations which go long, just gets longer as we see and experience less twists in real-time than what we hear and find in flashbacks. The big reveal about the main character feels like a rather forced addition. The characters are not given the importance that they need, and the hero is just given that push. Many characters just come of nowhere and become part of that world of twists, making us not that interested in them. Even the leading lady is not given that strength and feels misplaced as a character. The other female characters are also not given that much of a background. The emotional depth is not that much there, and the pace is also uneven, often also struggling with the pace. Then the antagonist is also pushed out of nowhere right after a twist.

The performers of the soul :: Tovino Thomas leads the way here in style. When thinking about that one action hero of the industry, he comes first to the mind. We have seen that even with superheroes of Minnal Murali and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. Tovino handles this role in a way that we will remember, and gets into the genre really well as expected. Vinay Rai becomes a fine addition around here as he shines in the form of a strong antagonist, someone who aligns with the overall mood of the movie and the twists. Aju Varghese’s serious police role is a joy to watch, and it is to be noted that this time, the character do not follow the stereotypes. Trisha Krishnan comes back to Malayalam after Hey Jude with Nivin Pauly, and here she plays a main character and has just enough to do as the leading actress. Shammi Thilakan and Vishak Nair have some interesting things to do here. Archana Jose Kavi and Gopika Ramesh shine in their comparatively smaller roles, and Nilja K Baby contributes well in a small role too. It was good to see Mandira Bedi around too while Giju John and Sujith Shankar gets the due in the final minutes.

How it finishes :: This one was that opportunity with scope for big heights to become one memorable thriller above many more. Known as The Sketch Artist in Hindi on Jio Hotstar, this one would work better with that particular audience. If you like such stylish thrillers having action, twists, and a lot of ambition behind, this will feel a lot grand, as you remember from movies like Christopher. But that big a plot and well-developed characters would not be there that much for your attention here. Creating characters our of nowhere and using them here and there with twists that sometimes work like boomerang might not be for everyone’s love. But seeing the cast of this movie, you know that the movie will always be capable enough. It is available in Hindi on Amazon Prime Video going by the name, The Sketch Artist, even though one would be wondering why that name even came into picture. Unlike some other movies, this Hindi version is very well-created, and you might wish to have a look at that one.

Release date: 31st December 2024
Running time: 158 minutes
Directed by: Akhil Paul, Anas Khan
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Trisha Krishnan, Vinay Rai, Aju Varghese, Archana Jose Kavi, Sujith Shankar, Nilja K Baby, Giju John, Gopika Ramesh, Shammi Thilakan, Vishak Nair, Major Ravi, Asha Madathil, Mandira Bedi, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Mahima Radhakrishnan, Shinu Shyamalan, Litty Thomas, Vriddhi Vishal, Mohan Thankam, Sethu Lekshmi, Adam Sadiq, Akhil Paul, Anas Khan

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dirty Angels

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember that angels were banned from the realm?

Vampire Bat: They never really belonged here, did they?

Vampire Owl: Well, there are demons, so there should be angels around.

Vampire Bat: There is no angel-demon balance maintained here.

Vampire Owl: There should be something like the reverse Shadow World.

Vampire Bat: Shadow World is a closed portal away and not part of our realm.

Vampire Owl: You know that we have them in the map made my Dr. Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: You are the only one looking at a map belonging to a pseudo doctor.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein is a scientist and the greatest of achievers.

Vampire Bat: He was never supposed to be one, everyone knows that.

[Gets a Malabar Chicken biryani and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Badia (May Kurtz), the daughter of Afghanistan’s Minister of Education finds herself kidnapped from her school by a terrorist group which identifies itself as a subgroup of the Islamic State. Most of the girls of the school are shot dead or pushed to death from the top of the school, with a few of them who are children of important people taken as hostages. The leader of the group is Amir (George Iskandar), a man who had a terrible past, and cannot align with either the Pakistani government or the newly formed Taliban government of Afghanistan, both for him, have aligned with the devils for profit. Jake (Eva Green) who was tortured and chained up in a cage by the local militia, and was about to be stoned to death by the locals and militia, is rescued at the last moment by the American forces, and on recovery, is assigned to be part of this mission involving the missing girls. She is not happy about her escape, as there were men left behind, but decides to go on with it after persuaded by her old friend Travis (Christopher Backus).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She gets to Pakistan with a plan to cross the border and meets her team with Medic (Ruby Rose), Bomb (Maria Bakalova), Mechanic (Rona-Lee Shimon), Shooter (Emily Bruni) and Geek (Jojo T Gibbs), along with their team doctor Mike (Edmund Kingsley), drivers Abbas (Aziz Capkurt) and Malik (Reza Brojerdi) who also provides them with local support in the country before they cross over to Afghanistan with what is disguised as medical aid. The terrorists had demand ten million dollars ransom per hostage and also the release of a prisoner in the Afghan prison, but the demands were not accepted. In Afghanistan, some local information is attained through Awina (Laetitia Eïdo), a woman whose life was saved by Jake during her last mission, as the United States of America has pulled out of the nation all of a sudden. But the mission does not seem to be as easy as expected with so many lives at stake, and so many people with higher profile involved. Now, can they go through this mission and achieve the objective in time without loss of civilian lives?

The defence of Dirty Angels :: The movie does manage to keep the action going with thrills that come with, as the action thriller mode was always on for the movie. The beginning scenes with the main character is very nicely done, even though leaving more scope for not opting for the safe mode as the opportunity seemed eternal; still manages to set the mood right there. Then there are moments which keep the tension going, and some humour is placed well in between. The visuals are also nicely arranged here with the feeling of being right there in the middle of danger to be taken. There is no budget lost there as it seems to have come in the right path. The action is never overdone and the interest is never lost. The combination of actors do their job well, and we see the combo working nicely, and those who feel like non-native adds nicely. This would not have been an easy thing to do, but the world and its problems have been depicted well with a fictional incident nicely worked on. There will surely be situations that would last for at least some time. Eva Green leads the way so well too.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does wonder about how to make the best of situations, from the first scenes involving the main character to the abduction and getting into mission, things could be used to be better advantage of the movie. The characters are not that much well-defined as we look closer, with all of them just existing for the sake of the mission. There could have been a stronger script which could have made the characters better too. The presence of stereotypes would also be felt, and the predictability factor often gets higher. The mood also keeps changing at times, affecting the flow, making one feel like the movie is bigger than what it really is. There could have been more talk about the danger and situation which is around. The potential would have led somewhere else, as we look at it. The evil could have also depicted with a much more force, and we know that this is not really what we had expected, and we were surely in requirement for much more. This could have even been a full-action adventure instead going into any political or social details, otherwise it needed more details.

How it finishes :: This movie, does manage to come up with quite some good work in the end, despite seemingly diverting in between. This would qualify as one of those rare movies with strong female leads and some morally complex objectives which seem to get to a pretty good end in the end. The uneven execution and the lack of balance is what keeps pulling it back. It was never going to be an American Sniper either, as one might realize it early enough. It is that kind of a movie which goes through the middle path, not aspiring for greatness through innovation or by trying hard, as the lookout for safe mode ends in just the usual. One can keep wondering how much bigger this could have managed to be, if diverted to the right path. They have this world and premise, and we can keep wondering about the possibilities – at the same time, enjoy the movie as it should be. It is now available in Lionsgate Play, and with one good mobile phone recharge offer, the same can be accessed and watched.

Vampire Owl: So, are we going back to getting the angels back in?

Vampire Bat: No, we are not having another open portal in the realm.

Vampire Owl: You know that this will bring balance.

Vampire Bat: There would be no balance in a world of chaos.

Vampire Owl: So, we will have no angels in the realm.

Vampire Bat: The realm would stay as it is, in a traditional manner.

Vampire Owl: The zombies were outside the tradition and still accepted.

Vampire Bat: You know that they are just partial vampires without brains.

Vampire Owl: Well, there can be no real relation, you know.

Vampire Bat: The relationships are for humans; we have bloodlines.

[Moves into the darkness of the night].

Release date: 13th December 2024
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Eva Green, Maria Bakalova, Ruby Rose, Rona-Lee Shimon, Jojo T Gibbs, Emily Bruni, Christopher Backus, Zoha Rahman, Laetitia Eïdo, Aziz Çapkurt, George Iskandar, Reza Brojerdi, Edmund Kingsley as Dr. Mike Claudia, May Kurtz

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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.

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.

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.

Uglies

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Vampire Owl: Are they calling vampires by new names now?

Vampire Bat: They are not even sure that we exist.

Vampire Owl: They are calling us these names without even knowing about our existence.

Vampire Bat: People can even hate non-existing entities.

Vampire Owl: Will that make sure that they exist?

Vampire Bat: Well, that depends on the final conclusion.

Vampire Owl: I am not letting them conclude about us.

Vampire Bat: Why do their conclusions matter to us? Are they hunting us?

Vampire Owl: Because they think and we exist?

Vampire Bat: Thoughts and existence are not co-existing around here.

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

What is the movie about? :: Tally (Joey King) and Peris (Chase Stokes) are best friends in a post-apocalyptic world where future seems to offer not much divergence. It is shown that the world has fallen into the ultimate chaos after a group known as “Rusties” exhausted all natural resources and polluted its environment, leading to fight among themselves. To keep the remaining humanity alive, Earth’s best scientists created a set of genetically modified orchids which acted as the energy source without polluting the air or water. Humans who went through the worst and their descendants had to undergo a surgical procedure to enhance human beings in both appearance and fitness so that they could all look the same, with everyone beautiful, lovely and charming. The surgery is performed on humans who are called “Uglies” until then, and would turn them into the “Pretties”, letting them into the colourful area of the city where there are celebrations and only happiness, with no sad or grieving face ever seen.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Tally and Peris are Uglies, but Peris would leave for his surgery first as he is older. He is excited about it as the batch is welcomed to a new world by the representatives of the new world. The two have scars on their hands, which they promise to keep despite the procedure means to make them perfect without even such a scar. They also promise to meet again and rekindle their friendship. But as she finds him again, she realizes that he is not really bothered about her, and had even broken the promise by getting the scar on the hand removed. This leaves Tally sad and depressed, but is forced to flee the area as she is chased by machines, but is helped by Shay (Brianne Tju) who has been planning to rebel against the government. Shay is hoping to travel to “The Smoke”, a land of freedom within nature based on a book written Henry David Thoreau, one of the last copies of those older books available during the time when not much has remained against chaos.

And what more is to follow as things get stranger and weird? :: Shay who becomes best friends with Tally, asks her to reject the surgery and remain what she really is. She believes that hope is in the outskirts of the city and only a man named David (Keith Powers) who leads the resistance against the government can lead them to hope and truth, and they will remain who they really are, not perfect, but as the right people. As Shay leaves Tally to find David in the outskirts of the city, Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox) hold the surgical procedure of Tally. She tells Tally that that David is a dangerous man who will hurt Shay, and is building a weapon to destroy the city and what remains of this perfect civilization. Cable feels that only Tally can find Shay as their friendship is very deep. She asks Tally to do something right now and save her new friend, and find herself becomes the perfect person among Pretties and rejoin with her former best friend. She wonders if this is the right thing to do, but as she cares for Shay and her own surgery, she would have to agree. But how far will she go to achieve her newly found objective?

The defence of Uglies :: The movie is led nicely by Joey King and Brianne Tju follows the same path really well. The themes remain very much clearly seen, from beauty standards to conforming to the laws and freedom as well as self-worth. The impact of technology on people is clearly seen and also its adverse effects on the environment. It reminds us that the future will never be bright, and that there will always be someone to control humanity. The movie seems to have built a world that we will remember for long, as there is a bright one, a devastated one and one in between, all of them looking like a lot of work has been done around here. The stylish world of the Pretties world will surely catch the attention of lovers of futuristic designs and the other world is of interest to the lovers of post-apocalyptic and dystopian situations. The looks of different sections of people also get our attention. There is also some fine futuristic action as the movie gets to an end, a certain amount of mystery is also felt around here. There is surely hope for a future sequel too considering where the movie ended.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s supporting cast do not come up with that much as we look at it, and the characters are also not that much developed except for the two main ladies. The story does seem to be just a repetition of what we have been seeing all the time, and it does not bring that much of a change when on the screen. There is not that much time taken in making the world better, as there are more things under-explored than what is shown in style. The archetypes seem to be given more focus not just with the situations and the world, but also with the characters who give the feeling that we have surely seen them before. There could have been more commitment around here, and even with themes, going deeper does not seem to be something of relevance here. The ending is also not that strong, even if it was meant to stay faithful to the novel. It is a case of wonder why so much power is not felt around here, even though such strong themes are dealt with, and from the title itself, the exploration of the themes seems to begin and only feel like getting stronger as the world moves forward.

How it finishes :: The movie goes through the pattern set by The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and Divergent, with the setup closest to the last one mentioned – then there are these movies‘ sequels. If you like these movies and its sequels coming right out the Young Adult movies, you are sure to like this one too, for the world and action remains interesting with themes and messages that catch our attention, despite not using the strengths to the best or finishing that well as one would expect from a movie like this. The lack of originality and the presence of predictability do not affect this one like in some other cases, as it remains visually that good and the leading lady handles the situation well, and as messages are rather direct, there is no holding back. As it released directly to Netflix, the visual style might not be that powerfully felt, but this is the kind of entertainment that we can have on a fine weekend, and there is no shortage of enjoyment in this movie of the post-apocalyptic and dystopic future that would come to us in one way or the other.

Release date: 13th September 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 102 minutes
Directed by: Joseph McGinty Nichol
Starring: Joey King, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Jan Luis Castellanos, Charmin Lee, Laverne Cox

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Lift

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Vampire Owl: This reminds me about that need for a lift in the castle.

Vampire Bat: The castle is not that tall and there are not enough floors.

Vampire Owl: We are not really going to need permission from any organization. We are vampires.

Vampire Bat: I am telling this to you because there is no need with a smaller number of floors.

Vampire Owl: I do get tired just with these many floors.

Vampire Bat: You know that you are an owl and can fly if there is an emergency.

Vampire Owl: Vampire Owls are made different. We are vampires first and owls last.

Vampire Bat: That does not mean that you cannot fly.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein would still prefer the lift.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein might want to keep having a tour of the castle.

[Gets some tapioca chips and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: A heist crew has been creating trouble for Interpol all around the world as they have been focusing on art heist at the unexpected locations, mostly in Europe. The team includes Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart) the master thief and leader, Denton (Vincent D’Onofrio) a master of disguise and expert in trickery, Camila (Úrsula Corberó) expert pilot and beauty with the brains, Magnus (Billy Magnussen) safe cracker and seeker of adventures, Mi-Sun (Yun Jee Kim) hacker and computer expert and Luke (Viveik Kalra) an engineer and master of electronics. The team undertake two simultaneous heist works, one of stealing a Van Gogh painting in London and then kidnapping of renowned NFT artist N8 (Jacob Batalon) in Venice. Despite the best efforts of Interpol Agent Abby Gladwell (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the team manage to be successful at both places, and the presence of Abby in Venice does not help at all. The team’s escape plan creates a joke out of Interpol team that comes chasing in boats.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is revealed that the team had a fake kidnapping plan for N8 to have the paintings rapidly increase in value after being stolen, making the value rise from $20 million to $89 million. They had pre-sold the Van Gogh painting for $20 million which gets them $89 million much to the dismay of Interpol and the local police that had come chasing after them. Abby Gladwell uncovers evidence implicating Denton and arrests him, hoping to get to the rest of the team using him. But Abby’s superior Huxley (Sam Worthington) decides to have Cyrus and team take on a mission which would provide them with full immunity from international law if they manage to pull it off. The plan is to capture a billionaire named Lars Jorgensen (Jean Reno), who intends to make more money with the help of a hacking group called Leviathan which is able to create massive flooding in Europe by hacking into security facilities of dams – he would do stock manipulation at the same time. But are they capable of such a big thing?

The defence of Lift :: Lift looks good throughout its run, starting from the stunning watery world and old architecture of the city which has enchanted us through years. The global settings ad London, Brussels, Tuscany etc to the list, making it feel international and extremely good-looking. A heist in such a height featuring two airplanes, one of them being an Airbus A380 and the other one a futuristic concept model would not cease to amaze you. There is that feeling of quality written all around the movie, with everything looking so good, and having a cast that seems to come from all around the world. The movie also does well to make us believe in the impossible, and never do we feel that it is doing a little too much. The polished feeling never really leaves us as we look at the world in front of us. It dies remind us to watch films like Red Notice, Army of Thieves, Now You see Me and even that local flavoured ones from this part of the world, Varnyathil Aashanka, Sapthamashree Thaskaraha and Kohinoor.

The claws of flaw :: The movie just seems to do the usual for most of the time, and not much more gets to elevate the whole thing. The predictability factor stays with us, and the ending seems to be too quickly done, with no big action or dialogues to go with it – everything just gets solved so easily, and there seems to be no danger around here, except when one is reminded of the same; yet, things go smooth enough even with those mistakes and weaknesses. The characters could have also had better introductions and backstories instead of focusing on those two main leads. The romantic side surely feels force, and one cannot stop thinking that it could have been with some other characters instead. The villain is not given the option to be that menacing, as he is on the screen only for some time, and he just do the usual talking. There could have also been more heists around here, and the difficulties faced by them could have been given more focus. The movie also lacks the moments which would make one go for it again, and never goes for divergence, as it chooses to be safe and just the usual.

The performers of the soul :: Kevin Hart leads the way here, and the humour works very well with him, especially with a combination to Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who remains solid as the Interpol agent around here. Their moments work for the humour, but not that much in favour of the romance, as comedy surely gets to be much more. There are moments with them that quickly elevate its humour, sometimes all of a sudden when the situation is serious. Among the crew, the most convincing is Úrsula Corberó, who shines as the pilot and scores like no other, even getting an unexpected part in flight fights. Sam Worthington remains solid, and I had hoped that the Avatar–Titans star would have had a bigger role to play in this – he is a bigger star than any other at least in this part of the world. Billy Magnussen adds some cool moments here and there. Yun Jee Kim is a joy to watch throughout the movie as she gets closer to those computers and do the job in style. Vincent D’Onofrio’s moments are also to be remembered, and Viveik Kalra is not that far behind. Jean Reno could have surely had more villainy to add.

How it finishes :: Lift go on with an old model in a new world, and it feels effective even without that much of an innovation around here. With the effectiveness of humour as much as the nice action that comes in as a bonus. In a world that is so well captured, we are glad to see it as much as enjoy that action – the movie also gets to add its own big action. This might not be among the biggest heist movies that you will ever see as far as story is concerned, but this one surely has its heart at the right place with a team that works together and sticks together in style. As it is available on Netflix, it provides some pure fun on the OTT, and it might be the right entertainer for the weekends and festivals without thinking too much about it. There might be those movies which depend too much on an overdose of heroism and nonsense, but this is not one of them. I was actually surprised that nobody really told me about this movie, but this one is surely worth your time, and this is surely something you can keep as a distant sibling of Fast and Furious movies, but with no cars at all to go for that speed on road.

Release date: 12th January 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 107 minutes
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, Sam Worthington

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.