Ghost War

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Dr. Tennyson

Vampire Owl: Finally, we have ghosts entering the wars of our realm.

Vampire Bat: I do not think that they really meant that here.

Vampire Owl: There is the need for ghosts in our battlefields to make the war more interesting.

Vampire Bat: Do you understand that ghosts need not always be supernatural in life?

Vampire Owl: I would say that they would always have the spirit at all times.

Vampire Bat: If we were in India then, this could have been resolved by watching earlier.

Vampire Owl: Amazon Prime Video in one realm never had faith in another.

Vampire Bat: Well, they call it regions, don’t they?

Vampire Owl: All the same, just like the ghosts all around the world.

Vampire Bat: Ghosts are real, not in one form, but many. Still, the Jack I miss is that of Jack Reacher.

[Gets a tortilla and three cups of bubble tea].

What is the movie about? :: MI6 faces a crisis in UAE, as an MI6 mission to extract intel run by Nigel Cooke (Douglas Hodge) fails when his men are killed by Liam Crown (Max Beesley), a former operative of the same intelligence agency after a series of incidents in Dubai. This lands Nigel in trouble as a senior MI6 officer, with Liam seemingly having some sinister motives which could create an international crisis, but there is no clue about what it could be. Meanwhile, Jack Ryan (John Krasinski), a former United States Marine officer and decorated Afghanistan veteran who has retired as a famed Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) field operative, and is now working in hedge fund risk management at the Wall Street, is approached by his old friend. So, this old friend James Greer (Wendell Pierce), is now working as a CIA Deputy Director under Elizabeth Wright (Betty Gabriel) who has taken charge as the new Director, and is facing a twisted situation, with changes happening at the base levels as much as at the top positions.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Jack finds Nigel in Dubai with his friend Mike November (Michael Kelly), the newfound man is shot dead without much time left to talk, and he gets only a cigarette pack from him. Before they could be shot or taken into custody by the local police officers, MI6 officer Emma Marlow (Sienna Miller) takes Jack and Mike to her safehouse. She tells Ryan that Liam was part of Project Starling, a brutal black-ops programme created by James and Nigel after 9/11. It was a group which was allowed to exist in the shadows like ghosts, and take whatever measures required to end terrorist groups. They were not used to asking questions, and had successfully ended many terrorist activities and the groups associated with weaponized indoctrination. But now, they had ceased to exist due to the government growing a conscience and such strong measures no longer accepted. Now, what does the seemingly non-existent organization’s leader want, as chaos keep spreading in the shadows, and deaths continue to happen in cities?

The defence of Jack Ryan: Ghost War :: The movie begins with a premise that we are going to remember for some time, and there is no question about the possibility of fine development with such an idea. The danger which is shown here is real, and there is always the feeling that something sinister could always happen in between. There is no shortage of big car chases and action scenes, making it entertaining as a straightforward spy thriller with some fine visuals of different cities around the world. The beginning and end of the movie in Dubai can be appreciated as the moments catch our attention really well, and we also see more of the same city in the movie. The team here works together, and there is also a fine antagonist to remember, who has a sinister side which is less revealed but contributes to a terrifying future which is less revealed and more in the imagination. The chemistry between the main characters is to be remembered too. The ending will remain interesting for most of the fans, and it leaves an opening for a classic future for this particular franchise as ideas have opportunities here.

The claws of flaw :: Jack Ryan: Ghost War has too much of ups and downs, and it is more visible as the movie gets further near the finish. It never really raises its level and makes it different from the usual kind of movies from similar universes. The predictability factor remains a part of the movie, despite the surprises thrown here and there. It also follows familiar spy-movie formulas and doesn’t offer many surprises – one can safely say that it never really tries, and there is going beyond the usual here. That smartness and innovation which should have been there, is not to be seen, as we see just another tale in the regular format here. This was more or less suited to be part of a television or web series with this kind of progress which has been made. The villain, even though strong, needed more of a presence and appearances, as well as dialogues; the talk never really has much from most of the characters to be that memorable. This often makes us feel the drag in between, even in not that long a movie that we have here.

The performers of the soul :: John Krasinski brings an interesting version of a former intelligence operative to the screen. He remains likable and believable in this particular role, and there is no exaggeration in this particular depiction. From the moment we meet the character, we feel that there is something interesting coming up. Sienna Miller whom we have known in this part of the world for G.I. Joe and American Sniper more than the other movies of her, has a fine action role here too, and it reminds us of Rebecca Ferguson of the Mission Impossible movie series during its later part. Wendell Pierce as James Greer comes up with a solid performance here, and the dilemma of the character is portrayed well by him. Michael Kelly as Mike November has a comparatively smoother and less complicated character that provides a sigh of relief. Douglas Hodge is missed too early, and despite making an impression, Betty Gabriel had a fine entry, and is a likable character too, but is missed too soon. Max Beesley as Liam Crown makes a strong antagonist, even when he is not present on the screen.

How it finishes :: Jack Ryan: Ghost War does lose its power at times, with never really maintaining the same strength at all times. But there is a certain guarantee about this as we keep enjoying the world here. Those who have been following the tale for long in different times will have further opinions about the same, and a rather clearer one. It still never really comes up with those new ideas to make it stand apart among spy movies of same kind. We are often reminded that all spy movies would follow a usual pattern, and there is nothing which can be done to go beyond the same. As far as this movie is concerned, all depends on the viewers and the taste, as this one surely entertains, and how much one keeps up to it shall depend on the audience. As it has released directly to Amazon Prime Video, I would say that there is nothing to be lost in watching this one in parts when time permits. After this movie, the trend might only keep going to bring similar kind of movies, even out of Hollywood.

Release date: 20th May 2026 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 107 minutes
Directed by: Andrew Bernstein
Starring: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Max Beesley, JJ Field, Douglas Hodge, Betty Gabriel, Sienna Miller

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Basheerinte Premalekhanam

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Dr. Tennyson

What is the movie about? :: Somewhere around the city of Calicut, at some point during the 1980s, there is a village which uses its only radio, that is owned by Hussain Haji (Joy Mathew) who is also the Panchayath President, for entertainment. Everyone from the village , without any discrimination according to their social status, religion or caste, usually goes to his house to listen to the drama performance which is a usual thing in the radio during the later evening. They all sit on the verandah with the radio in the centre, listening to the performances. One day, Usman (Manikandan Achari), Hamid’s sister’s son who is in Dubai, sends them a black and white television. He is also supposed to marry Suhra (Sana Althaf), Hamid’s only daughter who is studying in the second year of BA English Language and Literature at the nearby college. The arrival for the television changes things at their home as well as the whole village which has its first television.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: Now, everyone is at Hussain’s house again, but this time to watch television. But nobody knows how to make it work, and for the same, they call for Basheer (Farhaan Faasil) to connect and begin the show for the whole village. There are still people who oppose the same, as it makes everyone sit in front of it for such a long time – but there is a change in the situation of the village, something which nobody can deny. Hussain is proud of being only house in the village to have a radio and a television. Meanwhile, Basheer falls in love with Suhra, but it is clear that Hussain will only marry her off to Usman when he returns from Dubai. Basheer who is from a simple family, seems to have no scope in getting the girl. With only her grandmother (Sheela) in support of the relationship, Suhra will have trouble in making her relationship with Basheer go on. Who will support them and who will support the most influential man in the village? What effect will Basheer’s love letter to Suhra bring?

The defence of Basheerinte Premalekhanam :: There is something about the romantic movies set in the eighties and before – it has a lot of nostalgia with simple humour related to the life style of the people of the time; kids up to those till the nineties would relate the best to it. There would also be those emotional moments concerning people who are more of common men than anything else. It is on the emotions and the humour that this movie seems to rely on, and it keeps working nicely, here and there. There is the simple romance of those times getting the strength here, unlike movies like Ennu Ninte Moideen which made things complicated, Anarkali which made it the visual stunner and Annayum Rasoolum which made it a terrible drag that never ended. The simple people and everything simple about them, remains the strength of this movie. There are also some nice songs to go with it, and the romantic saga is established between the two youngsters – thus, the love letter is ready with some good visuals of the village, but has nothing new.

The claws of flaw :: The strength of the romance depicted in this movie is something which is disputed, because the scope for more is missed out. The secondary tale of romance is actually more striking, and that is a surprise because it is there only in the end for a few minutes only. For a romantic movie which tries to use the name of Vaikom Mohammed Basheer’s Premalekhanam not just in the title but also inside the movie could have done more during this age. It is the title itself which leads to the higher expectations, which would clearly work against this movie in more than one way – not enough for the older generation inside the movie, and not much for the younger audience even in the title itself, except for the Malayalam literature lovers who are a group which are decreasing in number. The theatre didn’t seem to have called that many people either. A better tale of romance, with more depth in the story would have helped this one for sure. Some characters are also less developed.

Performers of the soul :: Farhan Faasil and Sana Althaf are two people who haven’t really got enough with the Malayalam movie industry – they never really had enough of those movies to show their calibre. Rajeev Ravi’s Njan Steve Lopez, the debut movie and the only other movie of him had the former as a famous name, and this happens to be only his second film – here he is in a look that resembles Kunchako Boban; got confused myself when I saw him in the first song which was released long ago, he does okay here, and the role is still not that interesting as his earlier movie. Sana Althaf’s Mariyam Mukku was quite the disaster that nobody would want with the first leading role, and she was seen only in a small role in Rani Padmini after that. She is the cute presence here, and manages to do her role with the necessary elements for the character, not more or not less. She is someone capable of repeating the cute Nazriya act of Om Shanthi Oshana and Bangalore Days in her absence. They look good together, no doubt about that.

Further performers of the soul :: The one person who leaves the biggest effect on us, is Manikandan Achari, known for the power-packed performance in Kammattipaadam and the strong comic side displayed in Alamaara. Here, he once again shows how good he is, with the emotional sequences as well as the funny side – when the protagonists’ love story gets less from the emotional side, his tale of love gets all, and elevates this movie. Sheela also comes up with a performance which will remind us of her Kochu Tresia in Manasinakkare, but it is not that much when you look at both movies. Madhu’s presence good, but could have been in some other way as real part of the tale – same is the case of Indrans. Joy Mathew scores big time in the movie too as the father. Hareesh Perumanna and Noby Marcose gets some nice humoruous lines, along with the others including Shivaji Guruvayoor and Sreejith Ravi who make it a combined effort. The other two actresses, Renjini Jose and Asha Aravind also make their presence felt. Aju Varghese also makes a cameo which feels rather unnecessary.

How it finishes :: Basheerinte Premalekhanam is a movie which had a lot more possible with its content, but is a fair thing as it is. It is to be noted that the three other Malayalam movies, Tiyaan, Sunday Holiday and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum haven’t really stopped the hunt, and are still in the game. There are also the other new releases, including Minnaminungu – The Firefly which won Surabhi Lakshmi the National Award for Best Actress, Team 5 starring Sreesanth who gets into another area other than cricket and music, Pulimurugan getting its much awaited 3D release, Theeram which already has its name among the superhit songs and a lesser known horror movie known as Mythily Veendum Varunnu. The point to be noted is that none of these movies got any superstar from the Malayalam movie industry – maybe with the recent incidents related to actors’ real life, they are all waiting. Until then, this one brings the feel-good factor.

Release date: 21st July 2017
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: Aneesh Anwar
Starring: Farhaan Faasil, Sana Althaf, Renjini Jose, Sheela, Madhu, Manikandan Achari, Noby Marcose, Joy Mathew, Sooraj Harris, Shanavas, Sunil Sugatha, Sasi Kalinga, Hareesh Perumanna, Sreejith Ravi, Sivaji Guruvayoor, Indrans, Asha Aravind, Ponnamma Babu, Aju Varghese (cameo)

PS: You might also want to check out a cute Chinese romantic short-film, The Story of 90 Coins.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Jacobinte Swargarajyam

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Dr. Tennyson

Vampire Owl :: Quite a lot of things happened this year, you know; with the Malayalam movies.

Vampire Bat :: Only a few months have passed, and so you can’t really say a lot!

Vampire Owl :: Well, Darwin completed his evolution and Mahesh had his vengeance. Now, Jacob wants his kingdom of heaven.

Vampire Bat :: Yes, Darwinte Parinamam and Maheshinte Prathikaram; now Jacobinte Swargarajyam – note the “NTE” sound in the middle of the title of every movie.

Vampire Owl :: I am sure that this one has worked so well too. I couldn’t get tickets for the movie at the multiplexes.

Vampire Bat :: Well, it is Vishu. Theatres were supposed to be full.

Vampire Owl :: Is that the same reason why we are here so early?

Vampire Bat :: Yes, you see the large number of people in the queue behind us.

Vampire Owl :: And I am glad that we parked our car early.

Vampire Bat :: This one should work for us too.

[Gets the tickets with cheese popcorn].

What is it about? :: Jacob (Renji Panicker) is a successful businessman who made Dubai his home after striving hard to reach his current position. With his wife Sherly (Lakshmy Ramakrishnan) and four children, Jerry (Nivin Pauly), Abin (Sreenath Bhasi), Ammu (Aima Sebastian) and Chris (Stacen), they go through some of the happiest times of their life. Jerry is in love with Chippy (Reba Monica John), a medical student, and Ammu leaves to study the same course. Abin spends his time with music. But as Jacob is cheated by one of his trusted people, he is left in a lot of trouble and also in dire need of money, disturbing the momentum of the family. With consistent threats from Murali Menon (Ashwin Kumar) and others who had invested in his venture, he decides to travel to Liberia to find bring a deal and come up with a solution to his present problem.

What is it actually about? :: The absence of his father required the rise of Jerry to the vacant position, and it is what the movie is really about. It is about Jerry trying to bring things back together with the help of his family of his brothers and his mother. With his father stuck in Liberia, he will find new ideas and will bring new plans to minimize and later get rid of the damage completely. With the help of the old friends of his father, Unni (T.G. Ravi) and Philip (Sai Kumar), and also the newly found people in his life, Yousuf (Vineeth Sreenivasan), he will rise to the occasion, and with the help of the situation and fate, shall go on to become the person whom he never thought he would be. But the question remains about the timing – with time running out so fast, will he really be able to do that when needed? Can he be the saviour for his family when it matters the most?

The defence of Jacobinte Swargarajyam :: Clean, and staying close to the realities of life, this movie makes a good use of its cast which has come up with some natural performances. The scenes which depict the relationship between the members of the family gives that special and yet beautiful feeling – it provides anyone who values family with that special reflection to life. The funny scenes are simple and from everyday life, but working very well. The emotional scenes are very much touching, but still kept in control. There is so much positivity in this movie even when facing lots of trouble, and the feel-good factor here is rather tremendous. There are also some very nice visuals; the songs are interesting, and “Ee Shishirakaalam” is the pick of them all. The messages left here are also beautiful, of working hard without any shortcuts, supporting one’s family and being there for the ones you love the most.

Claws of flaw :: Yes, undoubtedly, this movie could have been better; the scope was there, and such a wonderful cast was present. This emotional family story goes through a little bit too much of a predictable path too. We can guess a lot of things around here easily. A story at the Middle East and the tale of a family facing financial crisis – these are two things that can appeal to the Malayali audience so well, which is why a better story with a rather slower transformation of the protagonist would have done better for the movie. The film is also a little bit too much focused on money, and it is the capital, the profit and the money that drives too many things in this movie – well, it is still not the primary focus, but the fingers are often pointed towards that, even though not many people might see that. Well, capitalism was always supposed to be there, considering the setting.

Performers of the soul :: Nivin Pauly requirest a lot of appreciation here – for he surely knows how to become the hero, and otherwise stay there waiting for the opportunity; it has been the case with his character here. Renji Panicker takes the glory in the beginning stages, and Lakshmy Ramakrishnan dominates at times, and Nivin is there exactly as his character demands, and I consider that a wonderful thing here. After Action Hero Biju, he once again has a realistic portrayal of his character here, and it only gets better. Meanwhile, Aima Sebastian has a small but amazingly cute presence in this movie, and Reba Monica John leaves a mark even with her shorter presence – that could have been explored further. Renji Panicker does his job with ease, and Lakshmy Ramakrishnan has her character becoming one of the best strong mother/wife characters that we have seen for a long time. The other most notable person here is Sreenath Bhasi who is a lot likable.

How it finishes :: Do note that Vineeth Sreenivasan and Aju Varghese make notable cameos here, the former making a bigger impact in the story. The child artist Stacen also does a good job. This movie could have been stronger with its story, but the feeling that it provides is really good. It is something that is perfect for a family watch for the weekend, as it is a movie with faith, hope and values. It is a movie that reminds the viewers of their family and how much the blood keeps us together, binding us. The significance of the family is something that has been part of our movie industry for a long time, and this one becomes a welcome addition to the same. Vineeth Sreenivasan does four in a row, after Malarvadi Arts Club, Thattathin Marayathu and Thira. The Thira sequel won’t be here soon though, I guess.

Here is a song from the movie; you should love it 🙂

Release date: 8th April 2016
Running time: 145 minutes
Directed by: Vineeth Sreenivasan
Starring: Nivin Pauly, Reba Monica John, Renji Panicker, Aima Sebastian, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, Sreenath Bhasi, Stacen, Sai Kumar, Ashwin Kumar, T. G. Ravi, Dinesh Prabhakar, Vineeth Sreenivasan (cameo), Aju Varghese (cameo)