The Hindu : New Delhi News : A spicy action feast topped with sci-fi and garnished with wit Cinema

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A spicy action feast topped with sci-fi and garnished with wit Cinema

ZIYA US SALAM

An ACTION-PACKED WEEK: “The Iron Man” and “The Forbidden Kingdom” ensure that the week does not lack action even if “Mr. White Mr. Black” fails miserably.

An ACTION-PACKED WEEK: “The Iron Man” and “The Forbidden Kingdom” ensure that the week does not lack action even if “Mr. White Mr. Black” fails miserably.

THE IRON MAN

(At Fun, Pitampura, Filmistan and other theatres in Delhi and elsewhere)

Formula reigns supreme. Director Jon Favreau sticks to the tried and tested formula in this sci-fi bonanza that delivers a decent but not a knock-out punch. Though replete with political undercurrents, Favreau plays it almost by rote: his hero, actually a superhero – played with professional poise and restrained relish by Robert Downey Jr. – flexes his muscles. His heroine – the likeable Gwyneth Paltrow – gets her dainty finger on the button to avoi d a calamity! She gets to smile, sulk and slide. The hero’s friend is a good-natured Black guy, his enemy is lean and mean; he glowers and scowls.

There is a tough fight between the hero, who manufactures arms and dreams of peace, and the villain who dreams bombs, and believes war is the only way to peace. Yes, there is the predictable victory of the good man but alongside there are little barbs at war mongers in the US: remember, the film starts off in Afghanistan where the billionaire arms manufacturer is held captive, being asked to make similar weapons for the war-torn desultory state by local warlords. There is a nice little twist here: the man instead makes himself an iron suit, one that cannot be penetrated by bullets, and enables him to defy gravity. That in turn gives the cinematographer an opportunity to explore the earth and the sky, evoke sighs of awe with special effects that one has come to expect in cinema of this genre.

The kidnap in Afghanistan and the smart pull-out appear more than incidental similarities, but add an identifiable factor to a film that otherwise operates in the realms of make-believe. Ditto about the debate back in the US: should one stop making arms because they kill innocents and risk being killed oneself? Here as Downey’s Tony says farewell to arms, there is a little sermon at the climax, one that gives more length, less teeth to the film.

Be that as it may: “The Iron Man” may not carry a deadly punch but it has enough steel to last at the box office. Before this film based on the adventures of a Marvel comic hero, there have been other offerings of superheroes in recent times. We have seen, heard, understood and appreciated many of those. One more time here, however, won’t hurt because the director is able to weave in a story of science fiction with a dash of contemporary politics. It is politically correct cinema. It is unpretentious, not too serious. And quite enjoyable as long as it lasts.

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM

(At Spice, Noida, and other theatres)

The proliferation of the big screens, courtesy the current multiplex boom, has failed to arouse more than occasional interest among Indian cinemagoers for foreign films. Even a combination of Jackie Chan and Jet Li has failed to get a better opening than a routine Bollywood movie. Which is quite sad considering the film presents a chance to catch up with a full-fledged kung-fu class! Not in a fleeting manner, but in a manner becoming of the two finest exponents of martial arts.

Director Rob Minkoff’s film has an incredible storyline – well, when was logic the forte of a Chan-Lee film? – of a young man from the US discovering a Chinese stick weapon and actually going back to a time when the kings ruled, when the price for giving a bad piece of news was a cold-blooded murder, when women were just objects meant for royalty’s gratification.

Fortunately, the director stays clear of the more lurid details. Instead, the focus is on two masters who between them have held aloft the flag for Asia in Hollywood. While Chan plays a guru who must teach the young American the tricks of the trade, Lee is a sage who is no mean practitioner of the kung-fu craft himself. The film comes with some fine one-liners and little but powerful dialogues. For instance, Chan says early in the film, “He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know….” Truer words were seldom said on the big screen. More so in a film that lives, breathes and thrives on its bloodless violence.

Go for it if you are a fan of the deadly duo -- or love films where the actors do not have to rely only on special effects to evoke awe. Looking for a powerful storyline with an undercurrent of emotion? Stay away. “The Forbidden Kingdom” is only for the valiant lovers of gallant cinema.

MR. WHITE MR. BLACK

(At Golcha and other theatres)

Want to watch this Deepak Shivdasani film where the director’s name is missing from most of the promos? Hurry! Book your seat in advance to avoid disappointment. Not because the film is attracting hordes of crowd and running to houseful shows. Rather, if you twiddle a bit longer, you might just miss the bus because come next Friday it would be over, in dust and forgotten. Which might just be fine considering how painful this film is.

There are films that give you a headache. There are films which reduce you to tears. Here is a film that leaves your entire body aching. With a plot they could have used in the black-and-white era with some success, this film has little to recommend itself to even regular cinemagoers today.

The film has a been-there-done-that look that does nothing to cheer the viewers. Suniel Shetty plays a country bumpkin who comes to Goa to find his brother – or is it cousin? – Arshad Warsi, a full-time crook with a look-alike that pops up only to confuse the already befuddled viewers. Is he a plumber, as he tells Sharat Saxena’s even more confused cop? Or is he a good guy as he tells his girlfriend’s father?

Add some bikini-clad girls, including the obviously desperate Sandhya Mridul and Tania Zaetta. Give a dash of crude invitations for intimacy. Don’t forget a slow tempo to complement a weak script. And a music score that borders on listlessness. And you have all the ingredients for a forgettable masala film ready. Shivdasani does not disappoint. He delivers a film he also forgot: it has been lying in the cans long enough for termites to set in.

How one wishes it had stayed there! For all the comic timing of Warsi, it is a no-win situation. Take it here now in black and white.

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