PRIDE AND GLORY

cast: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight

directed by Gavin O Connor

studio: New Line Cinema

release date: 24 OCT, 2008

A cop drama from director Gavin O Connor really gets the buzz thanks to the casting of powerhouses Edward Norton and Collin Farrell together. Add to that names like Jon Voight and Noah Emmerich and you know why this has atleast got the casting right.

Trying to walk the lines of a TRAINING DAY, this movie too looks at the cops and the corruption within the system.

PRIDE AND GLORY tells the story of the Tierney family who is a very important part of the NYPD. While former police chief Francis (Jon Voight) heads the family, his two sons Ray and Francis Jr. (Norton and Emmerich respectively) and his son in low Jimmy Egan (Farrell) are all in the force.

Things go wrong for the family when Francis Jr 's division is killed in a shoot out. Ray gets down to find more about the shoot out and realises that the cops are behind the death. So as Ray takes a plunge into the seedy corrupt police forces, he realises that his findings are not going to exactly bring a smile on everyones faces. Instead it only makes this worse for the Tierney family.

The film has got into enough controversy when the release of the film was held back in March as New Line Cinema got acquired by Warner Bros. The makers were not exactly happy with this decision and was always on the look out to get the film released through a different studio.

So finally they have settled for a FALL release. But the question remains, if the film has enough in it to click at the BO.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

cast: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Anniston, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connelly, Ginniger Goodwin, Kevin Connolly

Directed by Ken Kwapis

studio: New Line Cinema

release date: October , 2008

The plot chronicles the romantic misadventures of several individuals in their twenties and thirties. The common thread is that one person in each relationship is more "into" the other person than vice versa. At the core of these multiple stories is Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), a young woman who repeatedly misinterprets the signs that men give her about their level of interest in her. The more experienced and romantically successful Alex (Justin Long), the manager of a bar, advises her on how to understand men.

Other plotlines include married couple Janine (Jennifer Connelly) and Ben (Bradley Cooper) who are going through a rough patch—leading him to flirt with Anna (Scarlett Johansson), an aspiring singer. Anna, in turn, is dating Connor (Kevin Connolly), but is clearly less into him than he is into her. The final major plot arc is Neil (Ben Affleck) and Beth's (Jennifer Aniston) story. They have co-habited for several years, but break up when Beth desires to get married and Neil refuses.

Also a newspaper editor (Drew Barrymore) finds herself having trouble compehending the semiotics of dating.

The film is based on a self help book by the same name of Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. Surprisingly the title itself has been inspired from a line from SEX AND THE CITY.

The film is produced by Drew Barrymore and looks to woo the same audiences that made the chic flick SEX AND THE CITY a big box office winner earlier this year. And to help the cause steps in a lot of leading ladies.

WATCH THE TRAILER

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Paul Bettany, Sophie Okonedo

directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood

distributed by Fox Searchling Pictures

release date: Oct 17, 2008

The Secret Life of Bees is adapted from the immensely popular novel of the same name by Sue Monk Kidd.

Thanks to the efforts of producers Will -Jada Pinkett Smith, they have managed to really give a huge talent house to bring the spirit of the book alive onto the big screen.

The story follows 14-year-old Lily (Dakota Fanning) whose mother died, leaving Lily with an abusive father. Together with her caregiver Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), Lily runs away from her father, and the two wind up at a pink house and under the protection of four smart, strong, beekeeping sisters

While Dakota Fanning looks set to marvel us yet again, this time though in an older role...we also have the talents of Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Sophie Okonenda all chipping in. Even musician Alicia Keys plays an all important role in the movie.

MAX PAYNE

cast: Mark Wahlberg, Natasha Alam, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Ludacris, Chris O'Donnell, Nelly Furtado, Donal Logue, Joel Gordon, Kate Burton

directed by John Moore

studio: 20th Century Fox

release date: Oct 17, 2008

To think of a video game movie that really manage to translate well onto the screen is a tough task. We all know the disasters that flicks like the SUPER MARIO BROS, STREETFIGHTER, MORTAL KOMBAT, HITMAN, DOOM, RESIDENT EVIL all turned out to be. Let's just say...none exactly managed to hit home run.

Now Fox pictures try to give all its got to the hugely popular shoot em up game MAX PAYNE and even cast Mark Wahlberg in the lead.

Maverick cop Max Payne (Wahlberg) is hell-bent on revenge against those responsible for the brutal murder of his family and partner. His obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmarish journey into a dark underworld. As the mystery deepens, Max is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world and face an unthinkable betrayal.

From the first look of the trailer, we all know how the makers have managed to stay true to the feel of the game. However for starters, it also looks a lot like the Keanu Reeves starrer CONSTANTINE.

Meanwhile the man bringing to you this film is director John Moore whose previous directorial credits include the recent OMEN and BEHIND ENEMY LINES.

So will this be one of those big time solo hit that Wahlberg is on the lookout for?

VIEW THE TRAILER

W

cast: Josh Brolin, Ellen Burstyn, Richard Dreyfuss, Thandie Newton

directed by Oliver Stone

studio: Lionsgate

release date: Oct 17, 2008

An alcoholic bum's rise to be the most powerful figure on earth....

That is what director Oliver Stone now would like to show to the world with the latest of his biopics. This time titled W, it shall be a look into the 43rd President of the United States, George W Bush.

The screenplay for this flick has been written by Stone and Stanley Weiser and plays up the rivalry between W and the father. IT is also said to include moments like the time Bush was done in my Mr. Salty. This and many more of the equally well known events from Bush's reign shall make its way to the big screen.

So the question is does Oliver Stone has a potential eye opener here with this work?

Josh Brolin is cast in the role of Bush while Elizabeth Banks plays his wife.

The film was originally titled BUSH but was later retitled to the current one of W.

VIEW THE TRAILER

KUNG FU PANDA 2

cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie

studio: Dreamworks

release date: Jul 3, 2011

Ok there are some movies that really need not go the sequel way. But most major studios have no idea when to say NO to big bucks. So an animation movie makes money, they instantly want sequels after sequels. SHREK, MADAGASCAR, ICE AGE, TOY STORY...you name it!

So now with KUNG FU PANDA being a big hit globally, it was obvious that they would be thinking on the lines of a sequel. In fact Dreamworks chiefs claim that there could be easily five to six installments for this kungfu franchise. And for a change, I could actually agree because they introduced several characters yet never really utitlised them fully. So maybe they have an oppurtunity to make better use of them next time around.

However for starters, the studio have already confirmed that KUNG FU PANDA 2 will hit theatres in a 3D version and are locking the June 3 , 2011 date for this project. Jack Black and Angelina Jolie have been signed already for the return. The rest we shall know in the days to come.

GREEN LANTERN

proposed release date: 2010

The guys at DC now just cannot sit back and watch Marvel take away the game, right? Obviously they along with Warner Bros. execs shall be releived that The Dark Knight did deliver the goods in a big way. But Marvel does not seem to be in the mood to slow down, announcing already a stale for 2010 trying to make several of their comics leap onto the big screen.

So DC-WB also get back to their drawing board and one of the first movies that they are looking to push out is THE GREEN LANTERN.

GREEN LANTERN is a series of superheroes who take up the superheroes slot thanks to a green ring from which they derive immense power. The most famous of these Green Lantern heroes is the story arc of Harold Hal Jordan, a test pilot who is given a powerful green ring by a dying alien. Hal thus takes the identity of Green Lantern.

The early review of the script is up at LatinoReviews and the writer seems to have great things to say about the script. So is it sign of good things to come ?

As we speak, the makers are really looking at starting filming this movie by 2009 spring. So how about getting a cast and crew first ?

THOR

Marvel Studios is really keen on giving this film a high profile shot at the cinemas and really hoping that they can make some major breakthroughs in bringing the story of THOR.

However things only seem reaching dead ends as of the moment. Director Michael Vaughn was almost locked to take over the project ...but as of now he is no longer attached.

The latest news doing the rounds is actor director Kenneth Branagh is really a top choice. Maybe Marvel is really trying to give a Shakespearan feel to the whole THOR saga when you consider how strongly Branagh is attached to stage and theatre.

Even causing rumours to spread like fire is the casting stories. There has been talks of Brad Pitt being the man. A whole lot audiences also is suggesting WWE wrestler Triple H as a very likely candidate.

Controversies also follow with the plot and script as well. While THOR in the Marvel comic is about how a medical student realises his alter ego is a Norse God, the makers are trying to woo the LOTR fans with a period fantasy focusing on THOR himself. Hence it becomes an important plot device that could actually get the audience split over it.

The film is scheduled to release on JULY 2010...a few weeks after IRON MAN 2 makes it to the screens!

BLINDNESS

cast: Julianne Moore, Danny Glover, Mark Ruffalo

directed by Fernando Meirelles

studio: Miramax

genre: Thriller/ drama

release date: October 3, 2008

BLINDNESS is a thriller that is an adaptation of the book by the same name, written by Jose Saramago.

The film is directed by Fernando Meirelles, a director known for gems like CITY OF GOD and THE CONSTANT GARDENER. And keeing his track record in mind, he looked to be the right candidate to take a film adapatation of this literature nobel prize winner Saramago to screen.

Blindness takes place in a city which is ravaged by an epidemic of instant "white blindness". Those first afflicted are quarantined by the authorities in an abandoned mental hospital where the newly created "society of the blind" quickly breaks down. Criminals and the physically powerful prey upon the weak, hoarding the meager food rations and committing horrific acts.
There is, however, one eyewitness to the nightmare; a woman whose sight is unaffected by the plague follows her afflicted husband to quarantine. There, keeping her sight a secret, she guides seven strangers who have become, in essence, a family. She leads them out of quarantine and onto the ravaged streets of the city, which has seen all vestiges of civilization crumble. Their voyage is fraught with danger, yet their survival and ultimate redemption reflect the tenacity and depth of the human spirit.

The film was selected as the opening movie for CANNES 2008, but however the reviews from the audiences were not impressive. In fact most critics believe that this time director Meirelles has missed the mark in a big way and failed to do justice to the novel.

WATCH THE TRAILER

PANEL ROOM

This allegorical disaster film about society's reaction to mass blindness is mottled and self-satisfied; provocative but not as interesting as its premise implies.-ROTTENTOMATOES

even a hopeful ending can’t rescue from being a what-if story that’s become a pointless so-what movie. ONE GUYS OPINION D

A sharp view of humanity with a glimmer of hope, Blindness is a movie for our times-- flawed, brutal, with key moments of brilliance. CINEMABLEND 3.5/5

What was a poetic, exhaustively-brilliant piece of fiction has now become a clunky, clattering, ever-collapsing film of bludgeoning rhetoric. FILM CRITIC 1.5/5

Blindness feels incomplete and sketchy, even with this stimulating cast...self-consciously cinematic rather than vividly dramatic. CHICAGOTRIBUNE 2/4

With its loose narrative structure and limited character development, Blindness has the potential to confound and frustrate some viewers. On the other hand, there are those who will see this as an absorbing (if admittedly flawed) thought-piece. REELVIEWS 3/4

DRONA : Off to a bad start!!

cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay

directed by Goldie Behl

release date: Oct 2, 2008

Goldie Behl directs a superhero flick this time with good buddy Abhishek Bachchan.

The film will see Abhishek Bacchan in a superhero avataar with Priyanka Chopra playing his bodyguard. All this for a battle to stop the evil genius Riz (Kay Kay). This adventure flick which the promoters are daring to call a 'Indiana Jones meet Harry Potter' could be one of those flicks that could swing either way.

So will this fantasy adventure be the new Mr. India?? Will DRONA do the magic that KRISHH did for Hrithik babu?? This Eid, the audiences await...!

Hidden deep within the folds of our universe is a secret as ancient as time itself. A secret, which if unraveled, would bring about the end of the world. Only one man today can protect this secret and save us from total destruction.Drona: The warrior. He who shall protect the eternal circle of life and death.

Far away in a distant town, there was once a young man named Aditya, Brought up by a foster family, Adita was unaware of his real identity and the destiny that awaited him. Ever since he was a child, a recurring nightmare haunted him. And when he woke up in fright, there was no one he could ever hold on to except for a magical BlueCross petal that came wafting in the wind, never failing to make him smile through his tears.

Somewhere far from here, an evil sorcerer, Riz Raizada, a descendant of the asuras (legendary demons) had become dangerously impatient, in his thirst for the precious secret. The secret, which was the missing link, in this grand plan of taking over the universe. To get to the secret, he'd have to defeat the Drona. And herein, lay his problem. He didn't know who or where the Drona was!

One sudden day Aditya and Riz came face to face and Riz immediately recognized him as the Drona. Aditya's destiny had caught up with him and his life was about to take him on a journey he had never imagined.Aditya couldn't comprehend why Riz's men were hunting him down. Just when he was about to be captured, a cult that believed that The Drona was their Messiah came to his rescue.

Sonia, the leader of the cult, revealed Aditya's real identify to him. Baffled, Aditya found it all too hard to believe. Having no time to lose, Sonia decided to take Aditya back to his place of birth, the ancient kingdom of Pratapgarh where his mother, Queen Jayanti Devi would have all the answers to his questions. But before he could embrace his mother, Riz and his army of the darkest powers caught up with him.Aditya would now have to rise to the occasion and embrace his destiny. For the sake of mankind he would have to become the legendary warrior he was born to be. Drona.Thus began Drona's journey through myths and legends.

Along with Sonia, he would fight the evil spells of the absolutely lethal Riz Raizada. By battling odds, he would discover skills that he never knew he had. But would his fears catch up with him? Would the nightmares from his childhood come in the way of his epic journey?As good and evil clash in this contemporary fantasy fable, a breathtaking adventure beckons you into a world of mythic heroes and malicious magicians, of enchanted lands and life altering choices, of cunning curses and absolute innocence.

The magnificent world of Drona

UPDATE: The film is slated to be the main attraction this EID, but how big is it really going to be? Ask Bachchan junior and he would claim it is his biggest yet and is all excited about it working, atleast for good buddy Goldie Behl's sake (Indiafm).

Abhishek also another major reason to be proud of. This marks the first time he shall be acting opposite his mother Jaya Bachchan onscreen.

But also interesting is to note that the movie DRONA is going to fight it out this Eid shall be KIDNAP. KIDNAP by the way is director Sanjay Gadhvi's first flick after the DHOOM series, which has been one of the biggest franchise of Abhisheks career.

MoviemagiK-ill thoughts :

So Abhishek looks to be in danger. First of all he has never been the superhero material. And to make things worse, if that is his battle costume, then Drona needs all the luck in the world!

The real reason is that Abhishek is pitted against Kay Kay. Give him an atrocious look, horrendous lines, but Kay Kay is the talent that can easily eat up an Abhishek any day. And that is what looks like what we can expect. Kay Kay stood his own in front of papa Bachchan in movies like DEEWAR and SARKAR. Tho beta kya cheez hai?

The special effects that have been splashed across from the promos does not impress. The MUMMY -inspiration really does not help its cause either .

Inspite of all these, you still garner hopes for this project, only to be washed away when Goldie Behl claims that the film is emotional and sure to make you cry! What a way to promote an action hero!

PANEL ROOM e-valuates

The reviews are pouring in and certainly it does not look good at all. Disastrous seems to be the buzz going around...which spells out DOOM for Abhishek Bachchan and Goldie Behl.

And while Drona falls short of being an irresistible experience, it sure had the makings of one. REDIFF 2.5/5

DRONA is a big film in all respects -- big stars, big canvas, big expenditure on SFX, big ad spend, big expectations. Sadly, it's a big, big, big letdown as well. INDIAFM 1.5/5

The outcome isn’t half as emotionally appealing as the effort that may have gone into it. MUMBAIMIRROR 1/5

Like it or not, Drona is artless, arrogant, brazenly derivative and terribly acted by one and all HINDUSTANTIMES 1/5

Alas, it's a fantasy film without any of the fun and excitement that ought to go with it. IBNLIVE 1/5

HISSSS

cast: Mallika Sherawat, Irrfan Khan, Jeff Douchette

directed by Jennifer Lynch

music Anu Malik

status: Pre production

And Mallika Sherawat bags yet another project that garners international attention.

And why not...when Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David Lynch decides to get back to the directors chair, she opts for the tinsel town of Bollywood to get things rolling. And that too with a take on the urban legend of the Naagin which has made its way to the celluloid in several avatars over the period of time.

Now Mallika Sherawat is cast as the latest of the nagins ..this time in this project titled HISSSS. The legend of the Nagin continues to spread, but that does not stop a ruthless hunter George States (Jeff Douchette) after venturing into the deepest jungles on India capturing snakes. So when her mate is also captured by the hunter, the snakewoman takes a human form and ventures into the city in a quest for vengeance.

And as the Naagin goes out on her killing spree, we have Irrfan Khan playing a character chasing down this femme fatale.

The film is certainly getting the international boost with the hiring of Hollywood special effects wizard Robert Kurtzman. The makers Venus Films is sure that Indian audiences are going to be treated with special effects like never seen before on indian screens. Cinematography shall be by Madhu Ambat. Anu Malik shall be scoring the music.

So will this attempt by Lynch to make a thriller out of an urban legend do wonders at the box office? We shall have to wait and watch out!

FIRAAQ (Hindi)

cast: Naseruddhin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Sanjay Suri, Tisca Chopra, Deepti Naval, Raghuvir Yadav

directed by Nandita Das

FIRAAQ is the directorial debut of actress Nandita Das and is based on the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat. The film has opened in the festival circuit to rave reviews and is competing in the Asia pacific screen awards in Australia later this year.

The feature film produced by Percept Picture Company is expected to hit the Indian circuit only by early 2009. FIRAAQ marks both the directorial as well as the writing debut of Nandita Das, who has been so far known for her performances in movies like FIRE, 1947 EARTH among several others. Also to captivate the audiences visually she employs the skill of noted cameraman Ravi K Chandran.

Onscreen, Nandita Das has proven herself the most soulful of actors, capable of combining emotional expressiveness with unshakable integrity. Off screen, she has maintained an ongoing commitment to social justice in India. Das brings these two worlds together in her feature debut, telling the story of one of India's great wounds with both sincerity and passion.

Conflict between Hindus and Muslims continues to flare into violence in India, and is often stoked by political interests. Firaaq begins in 2002 in the state of Gujarat, where three thousand Muslims died in communal riots. In an early scene of almost Shakespearean gravity, two Muslim men dig a mass grave for the victims. From there, the story jumps forward one month, away from the direct physical effects of the conflict to the more amorphous – but increasingly persistent – inner discord.

When Hanif and Muneera return to the modest home they had fled during the violence, they find it ransacked. With their lives shattered not simply by vandalism but by betrayal from their neighbours, Hanif seeks revenge. Elsewhere, middle-class Hindus Sanjay and Arati were untouched by the hostilities, but are met with new moral challenges. Serene older musician Khan Saheb (Naseeruddin Shah) has tried to transcend religious differences, but as a Muslim living in a Hindu neighbourhood, he now finds this stance more complicated. At the same time, Anu and Sameer, an intermarried Hindu-Muslim couple, finally face the tensions they have long suppressed.

Das interweaves these stories over one twenty-four-hour period, as characters of both faiths and from many levels of society grapple with the new, post-violence reality. Through it all, a young boy named Mohsin embarks on an urban odyssey from his refugee camp towards a better future, wherever he might find it.
Firaaq is an Urdu word that means both separation and quest. Like this courageous and essential debut film, the word acknowledges divisions while pointing a way forward to hope. -TIFF

So this is one movie that needs to be watched out for. However I also see it running into trouble on the grounds of Gujurat. Afterall, where Nandita Das is there, controversy has a way of getting there!

BOLLYWOOD GOES ON STRIKE !

That seems to be the latest from the Mumbai city which sees studios being shut down and shooting all over the city being called off as thousands of cinema and television workers and artists take on an indefinite strike protesting the non-payment of dues as well as hiring non-union members for shoots.

The strike has the support of quite a number of leading names that even includes the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan.

Bollywood strike hits festival season - TIME

Bollywood strike is illegal - BUZZ18

RAB NE BANA DI JODI : First look!

RAB NE BANA DI JODI

starring Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma

Directed by Aditya Chopra

music: Salim Suleiman

First the big news that Aditya Chopra will be returning back to his director's seat after all these years. Aditya announces Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi as his third directorial venture will an eye on a December release.

Then the not-so-big news that the main lead shall be Shahukh (who else,eh?)

Now the latest news is that after making all those talent search for finding that perfect girl to play the leading lady....it seems Aditya is happy and content in just getting Sonam Kapoor. So now this junior Anil Kapoor-ess will play the 16 year old romancing the 40 year old SRK.

With SRK, this plot will never be taken in the same breath as Nishabd, right?

UPDATE MAY 09 : It has been revealed that the leading lady for the film has been confirmed as upcoming model Anushka Sharma. This is another tall gal from Bangalore who shall be making a debut opposite the King Khan, in similar fashion to Deepika.

UPDATE SEP: We have the first glimpse of the upcoming teaser poster for the flick. And must say for the first time, SRK has experimented with his looks in a big way.

And now the poster gives a totally different feel from what we saw a few months ago.

APPALOOSA

cast: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellwegger, Jeremy Irons

directed by Ed Harris

studio: New Line Cinema

release date: Oct 3, 2008

Hollywood decides to revisit its Western days with the latest flick of that genre. APPALOOSA brings together powerhouse talents of Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renee Zellweger.

The film is directed by Ed Harris himself, his second after POLLOCK.

Set in 1882 in the Old West territory of New Mexico, “Appaloosa” revolves around city marshal Virgil Cole (Harris) and his deputy and partner Everett Hitch (Mortensen), who have made their reputation as peacekeepers in the lawless towns springing up in the untamed land.

In the small mining community of Appaloosa, a ruthless, powerful rancher named Randall Bragg (Irons) has allowed his band of outlaws to run roughshod over the town. After the cold-blooded murder of Appaloosa’s city marshal, Cole and Hitch are hired to bring the murderer to justice.

While establishing new authority with equal parts grit and guns, Cole and Hitch meet provocative newcomer Allison French (Zellweger), whose unconventional ways threaten to undermine their progress and to destroy the two lawmen’s decade-old partnership.

A good ol love traingle, for a good ol western flick ...it is yet to be seen if this one has the legs to stay on course!

PANEL ROOM

Ed Harris makes a rather satisfactory directorial venture from the looks of it. However the film only ends on a rather satisfactory note without really aiming for the skies. So looks like it is a decent westerner that needs to ride on the USP of having Harris and Mortensen together. Actress Zellweger however ends up being the weakling in this one. But it would require a lot of promotion to stay afloat because, afterall it is a Westerner.

Flaws aside, Appaloosa remains a valid reason to be thankful that, while Westerns may no longer be as victorious at the box office , they are not dead. - REELVIEW 3/4

It’s no classic, but the pairing of Harris and Mortensen makes it rather special nonetheless. ONE GUYS OPINION B-

Harris leaves Appaloosa stuck in a limbo: It's too authentic to be populist, yet too familiar to transcend the genre and hang with the bona fide classics. FILMTHREAT 3/5

Overall it's a satisfying journey that doesn't require too much examination, even though Harris won't successfully revive the Western as America's most beloved genre CINEMABLEND 3.5/5

It's less a western than a loping buddy picture. In the end what you have is a mixed bag CHICAGO TRIBUNE 2.5/4

KIDNAP : Disappointing Stuff this!

cast: Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Minissha Lamba

Directed by Sanjay Gadhvi

music: Pritam

HINDI

release date: Oct 2, 2008

KIDNAP is director Sanjay Gadhvi's next after the successful DHOOM franchise. This time however there is no Yash Raj films backing this director up. Instead it shall be Shree Ashtavinayak Films that is bringing this film home.

Sonia (Minissha Lamba) lives with her mother Mallika (Vidya Malvade) and grandmother, due to the divorce Mallika gets with Vikrant (Sanjay Dutt). However as she approaches her 18th birthday, she is in for a bigger suprise that she was hoping, when she ends up being adducted.

The man behind this kidnap is Kabir (Imran Khan) who decides to take on the businessman Vikrant Raina. Obviosuly this does not seem to be money, because there are old scores to settle here.

Thus begins the cat and mouse game that brings Vikrant to India, carrying out tasks for clues that might eventually give him the chance to save his daughter. And hopefully find out what is Kabir exactly after in the bargain?

This David Vs Goliath themed thriller puts newcomer Imran Khan in the negative role opposite Sanjay Dutt. A year earlier, this would have looked like a questionable face off knowing the screen presence that Sanju baba commands. However post- Jaane Tu , Imran Khan has managed to come on his own and turns out to be the biggest USP of the film.

Actress Minisha Lamba again gets a chance to break into the big league. This time on the heels of her last month release BACHNA AE HASEENO, this time Minisha gets down to a bikini ..that is if her acting fails to impress the audiences. Nice safety precaution I must say. But if he got Esha Deol, Bipasha and bacchan bahu Aishwarya to don bikinis in the DHOOM series, Minnisha would have had a fair idea what she was getting into while signing the dotted line, right?

Music is by Pritam. However the film seems to really have no scope for chartbusting music, or it could be a case where Pritam failed to deliver in this outing. We just will have to find out when the movie released this Eid.

Meanwhile interesting to watch Sanjay Gadhvi take on Abhishek Bachchan this EID at the box office. After all DHOOM was Abhisheks'' first hit in a very looooong time!

The MoviemagiK review : HELL IS RIGHT HERE (2/5)

You may read my review which is now posted at Planet Bollywood.com

PANEL ROOM

Meanwhile the usual suspects have no problem in calling this one a dud right from the word go.

close your eyes, don’t breathe and insist on a shower if someone kidnaps you to this. HINDUSTANTIMES

The film doesn't succeed in seizing your attention. Here's a film that could have been so much more but settles for such little. IBNLIVE 1/5

On the whole, KIDNAP fails to grip you and that is its biggest flaw. BOLLYWOODHUNGAMA 2/5

This movie is only to be watched if you forgot to rent something more interesting on DVD. REDIFF 2/5

There is no other way to critically appraise such a film than to merely single out scenes, and let you in on a laugh. MUMBAIMIRROR 1/5

NICK AND NORAH's INFINITE PLAYLIST

cast: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings

directed by Peter Sollett

studio: Sony Pictures

release date: Oct 3, 2008

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a comedy about two people thrust together for one hilarious, sleepless night of adventure in a world of mix tapes, late-night living, and, live, loud music. Nick (Michael Cera) frequents New York's indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and a vague ability to play the bass. Norah (Kat Dennings) is questioning pretty much all of her assumptions about the world. Though they have nothing in common except for their taste in music, their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band's secret show and ends up becoming the first date in a romance that could change both their lives.

Michael Cera has it going all good for him. From the reasonable success on the small screen (Arrested Development), he has really shot to big screen status with the super success of films like SUPERBAD and JUNO. So Cera seems to be making a fan following of his own, with teen comedies with that certain dash of intelligence.

NICK AND NORA 's INFINITE PLAYLIST is a big screen adaptation of the novel by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. The entire movie takes place one night...and that shooting was wrapped up in just 29 days with a 8 pm to 8 am shooting schedule.

Obviously with the film that focuses on playlists and music as its common base, expect a great soundtrack too in the making.

PANEL ROOM

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist combines a pair of charming leads, the classic New York backdrop, and a sweet soundtrack. Rottentomatoes

Overall, however, it's hard to deny that the film is able to touch both the heart and the funny bone. Combine that with two winning lead performances and a top-notch soundtrack. REELVIEWS 3/4

Nick and Norah’s playlist may be infinite, but the enjoyment they provide is definitely limited. ONE GUYS OPINION C

Sadly, it's not as much fun as it looks. FILMCRITIC 3/5

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a surprisingly timeless story given its hip trappings, and will enthrall teen viewers who imagine such a adventurous, music-fueled life for themselves. CINEMABLEND 3.5/5

...is a modest charmer—the sort of date movie I would've liked when I was 16 or 17. CHICAGOTRIBUNE 3/4