Movie Review of The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian

Movie Review of The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian

The best thing about this weekend was that I actually got asked out for a movie. For a first date, he took me to watch The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian. The movie was quite awesome….and I am not saying that just because the company was great. Here is my review of the movie.


The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian – 7/10 – Fantasy Action flick starring Ben Barnes (Caspian), William Moesley (Peter), Anna Popplewell (Susan), Skandar Keynes (Edmond) and Georgie Henley (Lucy).

I have never seen the first Narnia movie - the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe nor have I read the Narnia books written by CS Lewis, so I had no idea what to expect from this film. The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian starts with the birth of a son of the Prince’s uncle. The uncle, who is the illegal ruler of Narnia, a kingdom in a different era, wants his own son to be king and attempts to kill Prince Caspian who is the rightful heir to the throne.

Prince Caspian makes a run for it. When he is surrounded by his enemies, he blows a magical horn that calls four children who live in today’s world to help him out. The children – Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy who are waiting at a train station to go to school suddenly find themselves transported to the mysterious land of Narnia. In this land they are kings and queens and display strong skills in dueling and archery.

The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian then displays the adventures of the four siblings as they attempt to reinstate Prince Caspian to his rightful throne and bring peace to the Narnians. They face many challenges and battles before they are able to accomplish their goal. The romance between Prince Caspian and Queen Lucy who is 1300 years older than him adds a bit of spice for older viewers of the film.

The best thing about The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian is the awe inspiring scenery and beautiful locales the film was shot in. The innocence in the children’s eyes and the character of the lion – Azlan were also great. Though, the story of the film seemed like a mix between the Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series, I still liked it.

Have you seen The Chronicles of Narnia – Prince Caspian? What did you think of it?

Forbidden Kingdom - Movie Review

Forbidden Kingdom - Movie Review

This weekend I watched 'Forbidden Kingdom' at PVR Naraina. The movie is loosely based on characters from the Chinese book 'Journey to the West' which I used to read over and over again as a child. The 'Monkey King', I thought was quite cute, though I always imagined him to be thinner and less hairy. Pigsy and Sandy were missing from the movie, though still pictures of them were shown in the opening credits.

Forbidden Kingdom - 8/10 - Kung Fu Fantasy Classic - starring Jackie Chan (double role), Jet Li (double role) and Michael Angarano. The movie is about an American kid - Jason, who is obsessed with classic Kung Fu movies. One day, he witnesses some school bullies shooting the owner of the Chinese video shop. Before loosing consciousness, the store owner gives him a golden staff and tells him to 'return it to its rightful owner.' Jason runs away from the thugs and ends up falling from the roof, entering a new dimension.


Here, Jason meets Jackie Chan, a drunken beggar who informs him that the staff has to be returned to the 'Monkey King' who has been turned into stone by the Jade Warlord. As he and Jackie make their way to the mountain, they meet the Quiet Monk (Jet Li) and the Golden Sparrow (a girl whose parents were killed by the warlord). Together, they go about on their rescue mission armed with nothing but their stunning Kung Fu moves and lots of comedy.

The locales of Forbidden Kingdom were stunning. Screenplay was good. The Director stressed more on realistic Kung Fu action rather than the fake special effects we have come to expect from most Hollywood movies. The acting and comedy were great. With CGI being used sparingly, the movie seemed more natural, believable and full of life than hits like the 'Lord of the Rings'.

All in all, Forbidden Kingdom is an awesome paisa vasool summer flick that you just should not miss. Have you seen Forbidden Kingdom??

Khuda Ke Liye - Movie Review of a Pakistani Film

Khuda Ke Liye

Khuda Ke Liye is a hit Pakistani film that was recently released at multiplexes in India. I wanted to see what a Pakistani film would be compared to Bollywood films, so I watched the movie when it was shown on cable. The experience was completely different.

Khuda Ke Liye - 6/10 - (For God's Sake) - Very serious drama starring Naseeruddin Shah (India) and some Pakistani actors and actresses. The film is set in the post 9/11 era when the Taliban rose in popularity amongst Pakistani youth.


Khuda Ke Liye is about an NRI Pakistani girl - Mariyam, who is sent to Pakistan by her father and tricked into marrying her extremist cousin who lives in an isolated village. She is in love with another man who lives abroad. Here, amidst her misery she befriends some young girls and learns that people can still be happy even if they have nothing. The young girls ask her to teach them English. Meanwhile, she makes several attempts to escape from her husband in the village and finally succeeds in filing a court case. After she wins, instead of going back abroad, she returns to the village and starts a school for girls.

The other track of Khuda Ke Liye explores the life of the brother of the extremist cousin who travels to Chicago, USA to study music. Here, he marries an American girl who is also a musician. Later, the police arrest him on charges of being a terrorist and he is tortured in jail. He writes a letter to his wife saying something like - "I don't think all American's are bad because some of them tortured me, likewise, don't think all Muslims are terrorists just because some of them attacked your country."

An art type film with no songs, Khuda Ke Liye should win many awards. Acting was fine. Since, the movie was a major hit in Pakistan, I suppose many of the values it brings out are accepted by the mainstream people. A good film on modern social issues that need to be tackled strongly such as arranged marriages, terrorism, religious fundamentalism and state torture.

Did you watch Khuda Ke Liye? What did you think?