I have decided to dedicate Sundays to the cinema. Not just because it reads as an alliteration but because Sundays are the only day I get to indulge in my other love: movies. And so after cinematic abstinence during my 6 week zen holiday in China, I was all too eager to book myself some seats. The only film worth watching was Wolverine and so The Wolverine it was.
That’s one good enough reason to watch the film, in the cinema, in 3D.
I love superheroes and more so, mutants. They stand out and so The Wolverine, despite spoilers and warnings, was an engaging watch. For one, Hugh Jackman is worth the watch, barring that epic disaster called Australia and even Les Miserables, which failed miserably in comparison with the 1998 original starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. Secondly, anything shot in Japan, fascinates me. Yep, I do have an obsession with Japan as well as China.
Five reasons to watch The Wolverine:
1. Hugh Jackman and the whole werewolf turned mutant phenomena.
2. The Nuclear Bomb: You realize that drones are nothing compared to the nuclear bomb that USA dropped on Hiroshima/Nagasaki. If Japan can rise from the ashes then Pakistan can too. Okay, maybe not in Nawaz Sharif’s tenure but impossible is nothing.
3. Japan enigma: the Samurai psyche, the sword fights and the way technology, chemistry and metaphysics come together with ancient tradition. Watch out for the riveting scuffle between Wolverine and one of the ninja thugs atop a speeding bullet train. Wowzah.
4. Rila Fukushima, who would be Japan’s Lisbeth Salander if the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo were to be made there. A bad ass with a cosy attitude, she’s quite the bodyguard that Wolverine picks up.
5. There’s emotional drama as well as high brow superhero action and so, while Vipers and Wolverines can never seem real, they do become somewhat onomatopoeic and relatable: personal demons, saving bears, falling in love, compassion and physically vulnerability all add to the sub human-drama.
In a nutshell, fans must watch.
What else did my Cine-Sunday bring me? The very lousy and disappointing The Big Wedding, which should be avoided at all costs. DDLJ, which made me realize how good Shahrukh Khan looks now. My heart did race a good ten minutes the first time I met him at a fashion week in Bombay and now he returns in Chennai Express. CE may not be as racy as Wolverine’s bullet train but it’ll probably be just as riveting, if not more. Excitement up ahead!
Cricket fan galore though Humayun Saeed, I fear, is not big screen hero material.
But before CE hits theatres, I have to decide which one of Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi, Josh, Zinda Bhaag or the Punjabi Ishq Khuda, which features Shaan in an over-stiff moustache, I want to watch next Sunday. I think I’ll wait for Shaan in Waar, where he looks more like himself. The kids saw the Afridi trailer before Wolverine and their love for cricket compelled them to it, so I guess we will be booking that. As for Josh (missed the premiere last week) and Zinda Bhag, I will watch, for the love of Aamina Sheikh and Amna Ilyas. I’m sure it’ll be worth it and we really do want to encourage Meera and Saima to retire. How else will that happen?
Shaan is the only true, blue blooded hero that Pakistan can boast of today. Luckily, he looks better than he did fifteen years ago.
By the way, all trailers are on the Atrium Cinemas website. How would you rate these films? Write in…
