Mini Anthikad Chhibber
The Hindu
Masters of the Universe
2026 · The Hindu
There is enough swords, sorcery and cheeky humour in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe to keep one mightily entertained. The sci-fi fantasy tone is maintained as director Travis Knight skates easily along the more absurd bits, buttressed by some delightfully thrilling action sequences.
Moana
2026 · The Hindu
Now comes a live-action remake of the animated film, which is stunning only in its soulless replication of frames. The songs, action, and jokes all give as much joy as microwaved curry puffs from yesterday. Moana was an animated gem, which did not need this flat rehashing.
The Death of Robin Hood
2026 · The Hindu
Jackman is a towering presence as the world-weary outlaw who has seen too many things no one should have. Sarnoski, who has also written the film based on the 17th-century ballad, Robin Hood's Death, has used the bare bones of the story to look at the truth behind the legend. The incessant grimness has a terrible beauty and moves inexorably to a state of grace where we heave a sigh of relief as Robin Hood gets his hard-won peace.
Minions & Monsters
2026 · The Hindu
The humour is smart and silly. The colours are lovely and the action frenetic. The voice work is excellent. Minions & Monsters is a yellow-blue love letter to old Hollywood that works as both a nostalgic treat for adults and an entertaining romp for children.
Tuner
2026 · The Hindu
Tuner is beautifully written with well-realised characters. Woodall has turned in a virtuoso performance as a musician whose music has been taken away from him and a man who loves deeply and well. With an excellent balance of interiority and outwardness, where we are invested in the characters' lives and the action, Tuner keeps us fiercely tuned in.
The Sheep Detectives
2026 · The Hindu
At a time when quite a lot of content seems to lack grace, comes The Sheep Detectives, a film sure to bring a smile to your face, a lump in your throat, and restore your faith in humanity. The Sheep Detectives is gentle even as it uncovers the harshest truths. And it is laugh-out-loud funny too. The Sheep Detectives is one of those wise, warm and witty whodunits.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
2026 · The Hindu
Remarkably Bright Creatures, directed by Olivia Newman, carefully walks the thin line between sanded down Hallmark moments and genuine human connection, and mostly succeeds. The film holds one's attention thanks mainly to the magnificent Sally Field, who plays Tova, the grieving mum at the centre of the story.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
2026 · The Hindu
The pace is glacial and Miranda from the first movie would not have been thrilled, but here she is quite happy to play nice. There is nothing terribly wrong with this hysterically safe movie, but neither is there anything to love passionately.
Michael
2026 · The Hindu
While Jaafar Jackson eerily brings his uncle to life, one can always go online for a touch of MJ magic, as the film is so vanilla that it becomes completely disengaging. The King of Pop, who gave us so many hours of joy, deserved far more than what the usually gifted Fuqua gives him here.
Balls Up
2026 · The Hindu
The result is so unfunny that it leaves one with a permanent case of existential despair. Balls Up is not even silly fun, the kind that laughs at its own stereotyping of South Americans as football-crazy people run by demented drug lords or dictators. Balls Up is a textbook example of the vicious cycle of dumbing things down for an audience distracted by screens which they turn to only because the content they are consuming is so vapid.
Fuze
2026 · The Hindu
Fuze moves like greased lightning on its genre tracks, offering thrills and chills at every unexpected turn, and has the distinction of being even more fun once it is over, when you find yourself replaying the story to pin down the exact moment things first began to feel rotten.
They Will Kill You
2026 · The Hindu
Short, fast, and furious, They Will Kill You is a different, gory, but equally enjoyable summer film.
Hoppers
2026 · The Hindu
Smart, funny, exciting, honest, and touching, Hoppers is the kind of film you can watch with the bachcha party and elders alike, with a happy grin. Hoppers has jokes, chases, largeness of heart and solid science — the fact that beavers are the environmental engineers of the natural world.
Scream 7
2026 · The Hindu
Everything about Scream 7 is dull as a butter knife with a muddled jumble of plot strands that go nowhere and suspects who are killed off even before they are fully presented as options. Scream 7 despite seeing the return of so many members of the cast, is unable to recreate the meta magic of the 1996 original, which is cause enough to scream in frustration.
War Machine
2026 · The Hindu
War Machine is that kind of lean, mean, fighting machine. Patrick Hughes, who helmed The Expendables 3 and other action films, has created a serviceable, if derivative, action thriller. Despite that, War Machine delivers on its promise of non-stop action and has left the door open for a sequel as well.
"Wuthering Heights"
2026 · The Hindu
A phenomenally loose adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights is eye‑wateringly beautiful to look at and sounds exquisite but is ultimately rather hollow. For all the sweaty couplings in the film, Wuthering Heights is strangely without heat. Even if you remove Brontë from the mix, the tragedy of Wuthering Heights is, it does not stand very well on its own.
The Strangers: Chapter 3
2026 · The Hindu
There are so many inexplicable things happening like why does Scarecrow not kill Maya? Why does he give her a knife and cut her ropes? Why are the Strangers killing people? Why was this movie even made? That last question repeatedly comes to mind as people are getting poked in the stomach and fed to the meat grinder.
The Wrecking Crew
2026 · The Hindu
The Wrecking Crew moves at the speed of light with spiffily choreographed action sequences and sharp one-liners. While the concept is not wildly original, but by giving a polished execution to every tried-and-tested-action-movie beat, The Wrecking Crew offers a delightful escape from real-world grimness.
Send Help
2026 · The Hindu
Sam Raimi's return to his Evil Dead roots is something to look forward to in the New Year. The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director mostly delivers, with sufficient amounts of gore, boar-hunting, and eye-gouging. However, the epilogue, instead of being rousing and uplifting, feels faintly hollow, leaving ash in the mouth rather than the sweet taste of a well-deserved win.
Greenland 2: Migration
2026 · The Hindu
Greenland 2: Migration suffers from a woeful lack of logic, even of the film kind. Still it is fun to see the ever-dependable Butler do his melancholic routine and that is about all one can say for the haphazardly conceived sequel.
Dark Phoenix
2019 · The Hindu · Jun 2019
Good looking cast and some visceral special effects prop up the seventh and final installment of the X-Men series
The Grinch
2018 · The Hindu · Nov 2018
That the underlying message against the commercialisation of Christmas is brought out in a secular manner with no mention of the Nativity is ironic. An attempt to appeal to the largest demographic seems to bend and pray to filthy lucre rather than celebrate the first Noel.
The Meg
2018 · The Hindu · Aug 2018
The Meg does not promise much but neither does it ask much of its audience.
Storks
2016 · The Hindu · Oct 2016
For those who look at the film as the ultimate management film, there are all sorts of subliminal takeaways, but for the others Storks is like being on an inexorable trip being constantly assaulted by different levels of twee.
Me Before You
2016 · The Hindu · Jun 2016
The misunderstandings, the love, the heartbreak, the tears, the wedding, concerts, races, mad dash to the airport, the night of somewhat passion, the first kiss, all check out and you are finally left with a voice from beyond, in a letter being read in a sunny bistro in Paris — there is nowhere to hide in cliché central.
The Angry Birds Movie
2016 · The Hindu · May 2016
The film is depressing for its laziness and cynicism. The colours are bright, the birds are twee and toy ready, the jokes are not particularly clever and when nothing works, a pop number swells up in the background obliterating all thought.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
2016 · The Hindu · May 2016
The film is not unwatchable but then it is not worth climbing every mountain and fording every stream to watch either. You might as well wait for it to come on telly—the movie feels like a loosely strung together sitcom anyway.
10 Cloverfield Lane
2016 · The Hindu · May 2016
The film grips you from the get go and in his directorial debut Dan Trachtenberg has kept a tight rein on the proceedings. By focussing on three people in an enclosed space, he gives the grand disaster movie imagery a miss, which works well as we are imagining all manner of horrid things.
Norm of the North
2016 · The Hindu · Mar 2016
Everything about this movie is pedestrian: the plot, the animation, the jokes, the action.
Gods of Egypt
2016 · The Hindu · Feb 2016
Gerard Butler after playing the king of Sparta in 300 , plays Set with teeth-gnashing villainy; he also has the legs and shoulders to carry off little skirts. Geoffrey Rush is the venerable Ra, flying in his sun chariot and sending lightning bolts to quell the serpent of chaos. Chadwick Boseman plays the god of wisdom Thoth, while Rufus Sewell (Murdoch from Dark City ) is Urshu.
Deadpool
2016 · The Hindu · Feb 2016
The tone of the movie felt kind of confused — edgy but not pushing the envelope far enough, thanks to the censors who have chopped off the extreme language, violence and sex. The other worrying thing is if the edgy becomes mainstream then the electric underground runs the danger of turning vanilla.
The Good Dinosaur
2015 · The Hindu · Dec 2015
For all those who moan about Indians only doing backend work in Hollywood, the short before the main feature, was Sanjay Patel's trippy Sanjay's Super Team. Watch The Good Dinosaur for the visuals, the hair-raising action, the heart-breaking beauty, for friendship and fun.
Hotel Transylvania 2
2015 · The Hindu · Nov 2015
The movie has its funny bits (the vampire GPS is hilarious) and Dennis is cute as a button, tousled red curls and all. The film is not wildly inventive though.
The Martian
2015 · The Hindu · Oct 2015
Detailing (potatoes were grown at different times) and scientific accuracy (NASA was consulted) has been taken into account while also providing rough and ready translations for the scientifically challenged. At the end of an entertaining and engrossing 141 minutes, you doff your hat to the skill of the actors, the director, the never-say-die spirit of human beings and also remember the intrinsic value of trash.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
2015 · The Hindu · Sep 2015
Eye-popping production design makes for thrilling viewing despite significant departure from source material...
Ant-Man
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
A charming origin story with effects to underline the beauty of miniature, Ant-Man is perfect counterfoil to the grand, sweeping, epic quality of Baahubali.
Minions
2015 · The Hindu · Jul 2015
The characters are amusing, the colour palette gorgeous and the gags suitably silly but if you are looking for a cogent storyline you have to bring along a magnifying glass. Bullock doesn't really fire on all cylinders and after a point the narrative, like its principal characters, gets a bit wobbly as the directors literally go for Overkill.
Broken Horses
2015 · The Hindu · Apr 2015
If Broken Horses was supposed to be Parinda for Hollywood, the passion, emotion, guilt, love and redemption should all have been there, the songs could have been taken out (even the melodic Tumse Milke, sigh). Or Chopra should have made a completely different film. This straddling of stools always runs the risk of falling in between.
The Theory of Everything
2015 · The Hindu · Jan 2015
The film hinges on the masterly performances by its lead players. Redmayne's contortions don't come across as choreographed as he conveys the resolve of Hawking without making a show of it. Jones proves to be a credible foil as Jane. The rest of the cast are simply fillers to generate awe for the principal characters.
Main Aur Mr. Riight
2014 · The Hindu · Dec 2014
Fails to connect...Nothing more than a show reel for the lively Shenaz!
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
2014 · The Hindu · Nov 2014
The sequel felt like more of the same with Philip Seymour Hoffman as the games designer Plutarch Heavensbee being the only plus point. The third book in the trilogy is split in two — I am sure it makes marketing sense, but am not sure how it helps the story. Julianne Moore is the only addition to the cast and she kills the role of rebel president Alma Coin with icy calm.
Fury
2014 · The Hindu · Nov 2014
Ayer did a lot of research to make sure everything was authentic and the look and feel of the movie does transport you back to those times, or what we imagine Europe in 1945 looked like. Smoke and mirrors rule and you can watch Fury to see Commando comics come alive.
Maleficent
2014 · The Hindu · May 2014
A visual treat while not being particularly subversive
Brick Mansions
2014 · The Hindu · Apr 2014
Brick Mansions is a regular buddy action movie that only stands out for some amazing (really jaw-dropping) parkour and also because this is one of the last movies Paul Walker starred in. So even though the movie is rather silly, at the end when that dedication "in loving memory of Paul Walker" comes up, you remember all the escapist entertainment Walker with his laidback beach boy good looks gave us and doff a cap in his memory. It also makes the movie more significant than it needs to be.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
2014 · The Hindu · Mar 2014
The movie is fun, thrilling, smartly-funny and delivers history and life lessons in a busy, colourful, action-packed package. Rob Minkoff, who directed Lion King, has made a cool film. Using Mel Brooks, whose History of the World, Part I was such fun, as the voice of Sigmund Freud is slyly referential — "What fool put a carpet on the wall?"
Dallas Buyers Club
2014 · The Hindu · Mar 2014
This is Matthew McConaughey's movie through and through. Apart from physically transforming himself (he lost 21 kg for the role), it is the way he takes over the character that is spellbinding. The golden good looks are obliterated for this grandstanding cowboy. McConaughey captures every nuance of Ron Woodroof's journey from racist bigot to inclusive businessman, from parochial to evangelist, from traditionalist to new wave in fascinating detail.
Saving Mr. Banks
2014 · The Hindu · Feb 2014
The film is a terrific watch, thanks to the laser sharp writing working in tandem with excellent performances. Each of the characters are so well written and realised that we are willy-nilly drawn into their stories...watching Thompson as Travers bringing out every nuance of the character from irascible to vulnerable and everything in between, one cannot imagine anyone else in the role. And what can one say of Tom Hanks? As Disney he is the showman, the confidante, the artiste for who "the mouse was family" and the businessman who will not take no for an answer.
12 Years a Slave
2014 · The Hindu · Feb 2014
While slavery is a part of American history, the exploitation has a universal resonance. The plight of the slaves in antebellum South though distanced by time and space will find echoes in any amount of subaltern stories and songs from India.
Star Trek Into Darkness
2013 · The Hindu · May 2013
A high octane adventure powered by adrenalin, testosterone, stupendous visual effects and nostalgia. What makes Into Darkness irresistible is the homages are well thought of, and while getting the references are a big bonus, the movie can be thoroughly enjoyed free of all the background.