​According to European folklore, the stork is responsible for bringing babies to new parents. The legend is very ancient, but was popularised by a 19th-century Hans Christian Andersen story called The Storks. German folklore held that storks found babies in caves or marshes and brought them to households in a basket on their backs or held in their beaks. The babies would then be given to the mother or dropped down the chimney. Households would notify when they wanted children by placing sweets for the stork on the window sill. From there the folklore has spread around the world.

Now isn't that a wonderful story. However, this isn’t what the storks do anymore. Or at least that is how the story of Storks starts. The storks have now moved on to the business of delivering packages (beware Amazon!) and they have a star employee, Junior (voiced by Andy Samberg). But things take a turn as one lonely kid’s wish leads to an unexpected delivery request : A baby. To maintain his reputation and smooth functioning of the business, Junior must deliver the child without anyone knowing.

​If I were to use one word to describe this movie and the audience's reaction to it, it would be “Awwww...” Yes, this movie is about (literally) delivering a baby and is overflowing with cuteness. It can definitely stand against those puppy videos that you love watching on YouTube and never get tired of. But I’m sure you wouldn’t want to pay hard-earned money to travel to a theatre and watch cute babies. Well, let me tell you that this movie is about a lot more. In fact, I was surprised to see how the movie squeezes family issues, abandonment, family bonding, emotional attachment and more into a fun-packed delivery mission. The movie is written and directed by Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), who is known for work on comedies. Storks is his debut into the world on animation and surprisingly he nailed it.

Once in a while comes a movie that surpasses your imagination. A movie that delivers something that is unexpected by the audience, in a pleasing way. In a year full of sequels, Storks proves that it is originality and imaginativeness that make for a great movie going experience. It will melt your heart, make you laugh and remind you why you love your family. So don’t miss this animated adventure and spend some quality time with family at your nearest theatre.

Grade: B+/A-

​Seven years ago, on January 15 2009, a US Airways plane that had just lift off from LaGuardia airport faced multiple bird strikes and was forced to make a water landing on the Hudson river. If you remember this event, you probably remember the captain on the flight who was hailed as a national hero ... Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. Sully is the story of the events that revolved around this historic water landing.

​To clear the air, Sully is not a documentary about the water landing. Nor is this a biographical story about Captain Sully. This movie is an attempt to show the journey of Captain Sully through the landing, his trial by the safety board and the fame and attention that followed the landing. With Sully, director Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby) tries to bring out the story through the eyes of Captain Sully himself and take us on a backdoor tour of what transpired in his head.

As a very embryonic decision, I told myself that I liked the movie. Tom Hanks, who plays the titular role, is as true to the character as one can be. Being a big fan of Hanks, I can hardly say otherwise. But with some research I set out to dig a little deeper with public appearances of real Sully; it wouldn’t be wrong to say that they were very much alike. Moving on, the other actor to get most screen time is Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent from The Dark Knight), who convincingly plays co-pilot Jeff Skiles, supporting captain Sully not only through the landing but also through the perils that follow. Surprisingly these two aren’t the only familiar names. You have Laura Linney (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) playing Sully's wife and Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) as well. But it's really difficult to justify their presence on screen. The only other cast member that seemed noticeable was Mike O’Malley as one of the Safety Board members, as a sort-of antagonist, trying to grill Sully into accepting the water landing as a mistake.

With an interesting story and decent performances, you’d think this would be a winner. Well of course there is more to it. I try to recollect what made the movie memorable and all I can think of is a complete shot of the events taking place on the flight and the final hearing of Captain Sully. It is then that I realize that the non-sequential depiction of events, jumping between landing and post-landing events, is something that didn’t really work for the movie. It felt as if every time you managed to get engrossed into the movie, it would change course. And that is how I wound up losing interest every few minutes. What should have been a brisk 90 min movie felt like it ran forever. And not only because of the format, but also because the scenes were played repeatedly with slight or no difference each time.

Overall, Sully feels like a decent movie to kill time. I would not be upset if I spent an hour and half watching it. But it is definitely not something I’m going to take home with me, once I leave the theatre.

Grade: B

​So, a few days back I received an invitation to a press screening and I read the subject: Don’t Breathe. Before I can open the email and look into the details about the movie, my mind is already imagining… a movie where no one breathes for the complete runtime (Yeah right!) Or maybe a story about an apocalyptic gas leak (really!) Or maybe it’s just something you tell Darth Vader when playing hide and seek.

I know you secretly laughed on that last one. But jokes apart, I open the mail and find out that I was way off track with my guesses. Don’t Breathe is the story of a trio of thieves who plan to rob a blind old rich guy, thinking this robbery will be their ticket to escape from their current lives; only to discover the blind guy is a veteran with heightened senses, who kicks ass!

​Don’t Breathe is an amazing concept that blends the ‘blind guy situation’ into a ‘trapped in the house’ horror scenario. It is a refreshingly fun thriller, that brings something new to the table. It manages to label itself as horror without using gimmicky scare tactics; and yes- there are no ghosts. It is surprising how the creators of the movie turn a disabled guy into something that can bring chills to your spine.

Some of you are already wondering what’s with the frivolous start of this article, but I’m only trying to reflect upon my experience. Although the movie proves to be fun and captivating, there is a common mistake that one can make (like I did), to reason. A hundred questions pop in my head as I try to reason the events taking place. And slowly my mind becomes a pendulum swinging from ‘whoa! Awesome!’ to ‘no way that just happened!’ and back. The movie easily slips from being scary to unexpectedly stupid. For the sake of comparison, The Blind Man, played by Stephen Lang (Avatar), is almost as skilled as Marvel’s Daredevil (Slight Exaggeration).

But hold on! This is not the verdict. The movie surprisingly has more in store. Don’t Breathe holds a twist that is guaranteed to throw you off your seat. To avoid spoilers, I won’t talk much about it, but all I can say is that it changes the course of the movie and is something that you are truly not expecting. It is also a point where the movie’s tone changes to weird and gross.

Yes, I agree, that I all I have done is to create mystery around the movie. And I stand with the decision to do so. Please avoid watching the trailers (if you haven’t already) and watch this movie knowing that you are going to experience something different and new. And if you are able to resist the urge to question everything you see, you will walk out of the movie feeling content.

Grade: B

So here I am, reviewing a movie that you’ve probably not heard of before and trying my best to be the poster boy of Indie sci-fi films; well, technically it’s only my second review for a indie sci-fi (you might have stumbled across The Signal).

Midnight Special is the story of a father who goes all out to protect his son, who has supernatural abilities. Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) is a young kid with abilities that are beyond human comprehension. As Alton starts to grow up, his powers grow; leading to people knowing about his existence. With multiple entities like government and religious bodies now interested in Alton, his father Roy (Michael Shannon) has no choice but hit the road and go off radar to keep his son safe.

Midnight Special somewhat defies the true definition of an indie sci-fi (considering large budget and the star cast), but in its essence it is definitely an indie sci-fi. The story is elementally sci-fi due the protagonist’s powers, but as you look deeper into the story, you discover that it is all about the relationship between a father and a son. The powers only push the scale, showing the extremities a father will go through, fighting against the whole nation. Yet at the same time feeling helpless as he knows close to nothing about his son’s powers or their effect. As you glimpse at the special effects in the movie, you will notice that the graphics are visually stunning rather than being blankly explosive. The movie aptly fits the rendition of an intelligent sci-fi. It is no doubt that the director, Jeff Nichols, hits a sweet spot with a movie that is visually expressive as it is thoughtfully deep. Nichols might be a fresh name for some, but his past work (Mud, Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter) have all been critically acclaimed.

If you’ve been a follower of Nichols, it is no doubt that Michael Shannon (General Zod from Man of Steel) is his favorite actor and with this feature the duo once again prove that they can work magic together. Shannon gives an utterly convincing performance of a father who would do anything for his son’s safety, yet never forgetting the bond and trust between a father and a son. Jaeden Lieberher is a pleasant surprise. I can almost see Lieberher walk the carpets akin to Jacob Tremblay (Room). Joining the lead are Kirsten Dunst (I swear I couldn’t remember the last time I saw her on screen) as Alton’s mother and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren from Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as a NSA agent and Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Black Mass) as Roy’s friend. Now that I look back at the story, each one of these characters is written to in some way complement the father-son relationship that is at the core of the movie.

So if you have been disappointed by movies that presume your IQ to be lower than the percentage of CGI in them, it’s time you gave the underdogs a chance. Midnight Special is a movie that will provide an experience that rather than defying logic, makes you wonder about human nature, relationships and the unknown.

Grade: A-

The 5 year ‘weight' is over: DreamWorks Animations has answered the prayers of its faithful fans who have been waiting for the third installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and yes, it is full of awesomeness! 

Directors Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh bring to you the new chapter in the life of Po, a Giant Panda who is now the most powerful kung fu warrior in China. This franchise has always been about finding oneself to overcome threats that seem impossible to defeat. Be it Tai Long in the first installment, or Lord Shen in the second; Po has always faced dangers that are larger than life. With the third installment they take the term literally and bring back a villian to life, Kai, who is Oogway’s friend turned foe. Back from the spirit realm, Kai has the power and purpose to capture the soul of every kung fu master in China and reign as the most powerful warrior ever. While on the other side surprises unravel as Po meets his real father, who invites him to a secret village of pandas. Po must now discover the real panda in him, as he meets his kind for the first time and prepare for the battle with Kai at the same time.

Kung Fu Panda has always been on the top of my favorite movies. DreamWorks did a pretty good job with the sequel, but it lacked the element of novelty- It’s always hard to trump the ace. So I never had high expectations for this movie. But this pretty much describes my reaction (P.S. I didn’t pee). If you didn’t feel like clicking that link, let me describe it as … I was blown away! Kung Fu Panda 3 reminds me why I fell in love with the franchise. Everything about the movie is great. I’ll start with the story (as this is what sinks most movies)- Kung Fu Panda 3 is really well written, especially with its story being spun around two antagonists. Kai, played by J.K. Simmons, is a surreal villain true to the definition, while Li (Po’s father), played by Bryan Cranston, walks shades of grey as he tries to win back his lost son. Just like the first part, Po fights a battle, not only with an enemy, but also within him, as he must discover and untap his true potential. Also, there’s more focus on these three characters and their interactions hold the story tightly (there are hardly moments that feel like filler). But the movie doesn’t border seriousness with this like its predecessor; it is high on humour and does not fail to give you a few spurts of laughter. 

I had a chance to see the regular format (and not 3D), so it would be unfair to compare them. But going with a general consensus, that 3D makes it a little darker, I would say I loved the animation in the standard format. The credit goes to Jennifer Yuh, who has not only directed the second and third part, but has also been a part of Dreamworks’ animation department since the the first movie. The colors, technique, direction is all beautiful. It definitely qualifies as movie with best use of split screens (like Scott Pilgrim). The best part is, the animation techniques change and adapt as the story goes through different phases, especially during the action scenes. This brings me to the action, which is always in abundance when it comes to the franchise. Like its prequels, the action scenes are directed brilliantly. Kung Fu Panda 3 is like ‘pizza for your eyes’, i.e. there’s hardly anything else that would make them happier.

With the visuals covered, the only part that remains is the audio. Hans Zimmer continues to create music for the third part, and it is great. There are new tracks and collaboration with artists (you can hear “Wild Ones” by Flo Rida in the trailer). Also the hit song from the first part, “Kung Fu Fighting” (revived by Ceelo Green) is re-revived by a new band, Vamps; which hopefully will continues to be a fan favorite. When it comes to the voice cast, Kung Fu Panda 3 not only manages to bring back all of its old cast but add two Oscar nominees to its list, J.K.. Simmons and Bryan Cranston, both in pivotal roles. Their performances bring fresh voices to the screen while Jack Black once again amazes us with his performance. Also, just cause I got to attend a simulcast of the LA premiere, I’m going to throw in a tidbit: Jack Black and Angelina Jolie got a chance to work with their kids who voice small bunnies and pandas in the movie.

I know that was a long review (and some of you simply jumped to this paragraph for the final word), so here’s the verdict: Kung Fu Panda 3 is an amazing movie that brings back the feelings you had when you watched the first part. It is breathtakingly animated and wonderfully written/directed. So, unless there is a snow storm out there stopping you from going to the theatre, put on those panda ears, pick some popcorn and get ready for the “awesomeness”.

Grade: A

Aahh ... National Lampoon. Humorous. Rambunctious. Heroes. Maniacs. There are maybe 100 words to define it. But if you wanna go beyond those few words that describe them and into the story of one of the most successful humour magazine and it's cultural impact, you've got to see Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead.

​DSBD documents the rise, reign and fall of a social revolution called National Lampoon. So what is this National Lampoon? The right question is not what, but who. Born in the 70’s (unlike most of our readers) National Lampoon is the brainchild of Doug Kenney and Henry Beard, both Harvard students. Brought together by their love of humour, these two students came up with a magazine (limited distribution) named Harvard Lampoon. Jokes, sex, social events, nudity -- the lampoon had it all to fuel its flight. It spread wide, famous amongst students and slowly to outsiders. In no time it was a national magazine. By then the team had grown quite larger than just two Harvard geniuses. Slowly they started a radio show, standup acts and eventually movies (pretty much the only surviving presence of the legacy).

What makes DSBD interesting is the way it allows the younger generation to relive an era that gave birth to several mediums/genres of comedy as we know them today as well as provide a chance to reminiscent for those who experienced the movement in person. It consists of appearances by actors (Kevin Bacon, Chevy Chase), writers, illustrators, comics, and all who helped shape National Lampoon. With unseen footage, notes and interviews this documentary creates a complete experience that every National Lampoon fan would cherish. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Douglas Triola (writer, director) has done his homework.

So if you are a fan of National Lampoon or just want to experience their journey, Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead is one documentary you don't wanna miss. Oh and as a fair warning, this movie is not for kids and please watch it without the company of anyone who's related to you, to avoid being embarrassed. Moments of gratuitous graphic nudity guaranteed. 

Grade: B