Movie - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

#Movies

For quite sometime I have been looking for a light-hearted children fantasy movie which is nothing but entertainment. I have watched Harry Potter, Narnia, LOTR etc. multiple times and wanted something new and 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' was most definitely what I wanted. :)

Although released in September 2016, I got the chance to watch it only now and I am disappointed that I couldn't watch it on big-screen.

Talking about plot, it revolves around Miss Peregrine (played by Eva Green) and Jake (played by Asa Butterfield).  It begins when Jake finds his grandfather mysteriously murdered and it changes everything in his life. From childhood his grandfather has told him stories about 'Peculiar children' i.e. children with some special abilities. And now, he sets on a path to find these children.

Miss Peregrine herself is a 'peculiar' and can manipulate time. The way it is shown is rather impressive. 

There are many other characters in the movie as well and they have special abilities like one can float and manipulate air, one little girl can lift boulders, one boy is invisible etc.

The primary antagonist of the story is Mr. Barron who - how should I explain - is a rather dangerous man and travels with hollows. Honestly it is very difficult to explain this side so it will be better if you watch :P

Overall it is very good movie and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. 

My rating to the movie - 4.5/5.

Do watch it and let me know how you found it.

Love and Cheers

Stranger Things - A show worth watching...

#StrangerThings  #TVShows

I had watched this web series few months ago and I can't believe I forgot to write about it... :(

If you are a fan of sci-fi horror shows then it is the one... Honestly I won't call it horror per se but it is a good thriller show that will keep you on your toes.

Created by Duffer brothers, it is a Netflix show that revolves around mysterious disappearances in 1980s in a fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana - USA. There are 8 episodes in first season and second season with 9 episodes is due in 2017.

The story begins with mysterious disappearance of a 12 year old boy named Will Byers. The place 'Hawkins' is considered almost crime-free but ever since his disappearance crime-rate and mysterious activities increases alarmingly. His family, friends and police sheriff try their best to locate the boy but the biggest mystery is - Is he even on same dimension? And who (or What) has taken him? Will they be able to locate him alive? And even if they do, what is the danger they face?

Another twist that comes up in the show is the appearance of a 'strange and mysterious' girl called

'Eleven' who somehow has supernatural powers. She is a runaway (from a top-secret government organization) and meets with friends of Will. She is most incredible character of the show who speaks less and does more. Together they set on journey of finding Will (against the strict instructions of their parents).

The story is engrossing and each episode is thrilling - which reveals new aspect of Will's disappearance. You just can't stop yourself from watching the next episode. Thankfully it is only 8 episodes as it really grows over you and I remember finishing all 8 on a weekend. (Yes, later they haunted me in my sleep).

If you have already watched this show then you know what I mean and just like me, you are waiting for second season. If you have not watched it, you should give it a try... I am sure you will like it.

My rating to the show - 5/5. A must watch for lovers of this genre.

Love & Cheers

Humour + Super Hero - Dead pool takes it to a whole new level

#DeadPool  #MovieReviews

P.S. Spoilers ahead... (not many though :P)

They have taken hilarious to a whole new level. The punches and dialogues are mind-blowing. There were times when whole theatre was ringing with laughter and even in the grimmest situations, they made you laugh. Deadpool is the eighth instalment of the X-men series. Yes, it is part of X-men series but it does not star any of our favourite mutant heroes, maybe that's why they are promoting it accordingly.

The story revolves around a former Special Forces operative who now works as a mercenary and is tricked into mutation. Although he becomes a superhero but is unable to return to his normal life due to his hideous skin condition. He is now looking for revenge and he is getting it in the funniest ways.

Ryan Reynolds plays the role of dead pool and has done an exceptional job. He has always been one of my favourite stars and I loved him in the movie. The dialogue delivery has been very good and not to mention the humour and action. Superb!

Ed Skrein played the role of Ajax who is the super villain in the movie. He is the  mutant with enhanced strength and an inability to feel pain. Many people will not agree but to me he was not an apt villain. He could have done a better job. Other side characters like Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand and Stefan Kapičić also did a good job. However, Ryan completely stole the show.

In my opinion, if you like super-hero movies, this one is a must go. And even if you dont but like good action and humour, this one should not be missed.

My rating: 4/5

Enjoy the movie.

Love and Cheers

Sense8: One hell of a show

#TVSeries   #Sense8

PS: The post contain some spoilers... not many but yes, a few :)

Sense8 is a science fiction drama web television series aired directly on Netflix and it is one hell of show.

The show revolves around eight strangers from across the globe and are connected in their minds, mentally and emotionally. They are referred to as 'sensates' in the show, hence the name Sense8. Imagine that one fine day you are not alone in your head and there is not just one but seven other people sharing your thoughts and feelings - sounds kind of creepy isn't it? But in the show it has been beautifully depicted. 

The places to which these eight strangers belong to are Nairobi, Seoul, San Francisco, Chicago, New Mexico, Berlin, London and our beloved Mumbai. These are total strangers who suddenly start to live together in each other heads. The way they start having visions, the way  they start to accept each other and even get closer is wonderful. In some places you can actually feel what these sensates feel. Well, I don't want to dwell into it, you should watch it to know more.

The actors especially the sensates have done a fabulous job, my personal favourites are Max Riemelt (the Berlin guy) and Miguel Ángel Silvestre (the New Mexico guy). The girl from Mumbai is played by Tina Desai and she has done fine job as well. In recurrence we have Anupan Kher and Purab Kohli from India and they add a nice touch. Don't want to add too many spoilers but in a scene Purab Kohli dances on "tujhme rub dikhta hai" Indian song and it is hilarious... All Indians should watch that... 

The cinematography is amazing and I guess it is one of only shows which is set across eight countries and they all marvellously distributed. The script writing is good too - the dialogues suit each of the country's cultures.

All in all, if you get a chance to watch it, do give it a try. But be careful, do not watch it with kids for it has some serious adult content in it.

I hope you enjoy the show as well.

Till then

Take Care

The Shannara Chronicles: An undecidable show...

#TVReviews   #Shannara

I am a big fan of Teen Wolf, an MTV show and 'The Shannara Chronicles' was on constant promo loop with its new season premier - hence yes, I had to watch it :)

To start with, the show is based on "The Sword of Shannara Trilogy" by Terry Brooks. 

It was a 2 hour premier and honestly I don't know if I am intrigued by it. The story line is good and fast-paced but it doesn't present with any wow theme.The setting of the show looks post-apocalyptic but no where in show has anything being mentioned. I guess it is just left to guess like what happened or how various races are ruling the Earth and etc.

The key races in show are - Elves (the most powerful ones), Druids (the magical ones), Trolls (the ugly ones), Demons (the not-so scary ones) and Humans (no comments there). What strikes me most about the show is it's resemblance to Lord of the Rings movies. Well, LOTR is one of its kind movie but the show looks like a loose adaptation in terms of background, theme, characters etc.  

Talking about characters, the show has some popular cast which allows it a default fan base

(like Manu Bennett from Arrow, Hobbit etc., John Rhys-Davies aka Gimli in LOTR). The other characters are decent too and in terms of acting they all do a fine job. No where you feel they are not upto mark.

There are certain things which I found pretty disappointing in the show, to start with the main demon. It looked like a low rank, poor Orc. After watching so many shows it didn't do any magic on screen. Secondly, the jokes about elves-ears. If they were intended as a joke, they honestly didn't come across that way. And lastly, the fact men-will-be-men when it comes to a woman came across so easily (although it is a big fact but still)

The cinematography of the show is good and the scenic beauty it offers is amazing. Although on

certain instances I was reminded of movies like Avatar. Some scenes had striking resemblance. The effects in the show are good too

Overall, I can say it is light fantasy drama with no heavy stuff. If you wish to watch it I would recommend keep the critic side of your brain away and you should enjoy the show.

I would rate it 2.5/5. 

If I decide to watch further and it improves, I will definitely  update my post :)

Till then

Take Care

The Walk Movie: Nothing less than a WOW Experience...

#TheWalk  #MovieReviews

WOW! is the first word that comes to mind after watching this movie. Considering it is based on real

life incidence, the film gets even more mesmerizing.

The film is based on real life story of Philippe Petit who walked on a wire between twin towers and is dedicated to the victims on September 11, 2001 attack. 

The set up is in France and New York, where a young talented wire walker is obsessed with walking between twin towers. Ever since he sees the picture of twin towers in a magazine he makes it his mission to walk on it. During his journey we see how he forms alliances, how he practises, succeeds and fails. All in all its his persistence and dedication that makes him successful. Mind you it is not easy to stand on the edge of a building of 1400 ft height, let alone walk, turn, lay down and kneel on a wire across 200 ft.

The character of Philippe Petit is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and he did a wonderful job in it. To fulfil a dream as crazy as this one needs dedication and persistence, which in turn converts a man into a arrogant, stubborn mad-man. Levitt did a fabulous job in passing as stubborn mad-man. 

All the other characters were okay, they were there to support him and they did fine job.

Overall, movie is a must watch, but only in 3D. The effects and scenic beauty are just mesmerizing. Over years, across all the movies I have watched, this has been the only movie where everyone clapped in the end - And it was well deserved.

My rating - 4.5/5

Loved it. Hope you like it too

Till then

Take Care

Terminator Genisys Movie: My Reviews and thoughts

#TerminatorGenisys  #myreviews

I was really excited when we got the tickets, but now I have mixed feelings. Honestly not sure if I liked it or not.

Umm what I want to say is that yes it is good but not at par with the expectations. 

The movie starts with futuristic view where the usual machines are controlling and dominating human kind and then Kyle Reese double back to past in order to save Sarah Conner. However, there is major twist here. The timeline has altered and the Sarah Conner, that we saw in Terminator's first instalment, is not the same. Instead she is brave soldier, a protégé of a terminator himself. She doesn't need Kyle's protection, she is capable of protecting him instead.

The movie works in multiple timelines where the past, as we know from previous parts, has changed completely and the saviour of the human race is now the saviour of machine's race. Honestly it is a little confusing, also it does not resonates well. I am sure most people who have watched the latest part will say the same.

In terms of characters, no doubts we all waited to see Arnold Schwarzenegger. Man, he is around 67 and still can do epic job in action movies. We also have our Game of Thrones favourite Khaleesi (Emilia Clarke) in the movie, she play Sarah Conner and she too did a fine job. Jason Clarke plays John Conner and Jai Courtney played Kyle Reese. In terms of acting all did a 10 on 10 job, however for me Arnie and Khaleesi stole the show.

The graphics are brilliant and 3D effects are cool. Only if they had not modified the plot so much, it would have been the movie of the year...

My rating 3.5/5 for Arnie, Khaleesi and awesome graphics & effects

Hope this helps

Till then

Take Care

Jurassic World Movie: My Reviews and thoughts

#jurassicworld    #myreviews

I have been very excited for this movie ever since I watched its trailer and honestly I am not disappointed. Jurassic world has taken the science fiction adventure to all new different level.

It was a interesting watch and at some places it got a little scary, well you know what I mean, not the ghost scary but chilling your nerves kind. The movie is a pleasure to watch in 3D, in normal 2D it will look like another normal sci-fi but a good 3D will just blow your mind away. The graphics of the movie are simply awesome and not at any place would you feel it's all computerized. Hats off to the team doing this job. 

The movie revolves around a theme park which doesn't have normal regular animals but some mind-blowing dinosaurs. It is set in 24 years after the tragedy of 'jurassic park', the movie that was released in 1993 and had set its own new records. If you may say, the story is same, some rogue dinosaur gets on a killing spree and there is chaos and death everywhere. Although the story is in these lines it has been very nicely done. Also I found the end super nice, usually its humans who hunt down the rogue dinosaur, but here 2 dinosaurs fight against each other and its a damn good sight. Also, some of the dinosaurs are so big, it will leave you in the awe.

The characters include Chris Pratt (who trains dinosaurs and actually fights alongside them, it's kindda cool), Bryce Dallas Howard (park manager and harassed aunt of two boys who choose to spend a day in theme park when a dinosaur attacked. She could have had a better hairstyle), Nick Robinson & Ty Simpkins who are the two boys around whom the story revolves. We also have an Indian actor Irrfan Khan, who is the owner of the Jurassic world (honestly very proud to see an actor in such high profile movie. No doubt he is one of the best and he did a fine job in acting but maybe he could have done a better job with his accent, many Indians were not able to understand him, it was a shame)

Overall, if you are a fan of sci-fi movies it is a must watch but only in 3D. Some scenes will make you laugh yes, but most others will freeze you and keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't miss out as you will only regret it watching it on DVD

All in all, a very fine watch, I would rate it as 4/5.

Hope the review helps

Till then

Take Care

San Andreas Movie: My Reviews & Thoughts

#sanandreasmovie       #myreviews

Note: my review contains not a lot but some spoilers. You have been warned :)



It has been few weeks since the release of this movie, I held back due to all the bad reviews that were pouring from all over. However, when I watched it today, its not so bad. Yes, 3D version of the movie is not up to the mark and  the story is kind of predictable, but isn't it the same for all the natural disaster movies?

The movie is similar to any other natural calamity movie made in Hollywood, there is a strong charactered father who fights against the nature to save his child, we have seen this is many movies like 'Into the Storm', 'Day after tomorrow' etc. Usually every movie has different calamity, this time it's an Earthquake which is the strongest ever recorded in the history (9.6 on Richter scale). The story revolves around a series of these earthquakes that occur alongside the San Andreas Fault line which in turn creates havoc in the entire area starting from Nevada to San Francisco.

The main characters are Ray (played by 'The Rock'), Blake (Alexandra Daddario), Emma (Carla Gugino), Ben (Hugo Johnstone-Burt) and Ollie (Art Parkinson). Although Ray and Blake are the focus of the movie, you see father trying to save his daughter from this disaster, for me Ollie is the show stealer. He is the best and not to mention cutest character of the movie. His perfect expressions and apt dialogues will make you laugh every time. The treat for all boys is Alexandra, she is looking pretty good in the movie and not to mention 'The Rock', he is a charm like always. The movie also has Colton Haynes (many know him as Roy in 'the Arrow') and Ian Gruffudd (from the series 'Forever'). Both of them don't do justice to their fans. Where Colton is supremely idiotic and a side-kick, Ian is insanely selfish. 

The screenplay and the story is also decent enough. The plot line is well paced and doesn't drag unnecessarily. The sense of urgency is clearly visible throughout. The special effects are pretty good too. Yes, critics have yelled stating they are not good enough, but one should not judge the whole movie based on one or so instances, anyways, I found them pretty good and rather scary. In so many instances you will find yourself speaking, "Oh Shit!" or "Oh God!". The effects of scenes when dam collapses, bridge falls or when buildings just crumbles down, will give you serious goosebumps. 

It is not just an Earthquake that hits the San Francisco city, it is followed by a bad Tsunami. Something that usually happens in reality as well. I remember from 2004 news, when worst Earthquake had hit Indian Ocean, most of the countries like India, Indonesia, Thailand etc. were devastated by the Tsunami that followed it. Similar thing is shown here, which depicts reality. I agree some scenes are a little out there but overall it was all acceptable to a naive mind

One thing that sincerely matches the reality is the fear that such events bring. After watching this movie my heart ached for the people who recently suffered this calamity in Nepal, I am sure many people felt the same. It indeed comes to 'survival of the fittest', and such movies and instances force you to sense check yourself, are you really fit? Given the condition of weather and Earth, given the global warming, one desperately need to start a fitness regime to survive in the long run.

Having said that, I would recommend this movie to everyone who enjoy a good natural disaster movie. It grossed over $140 million worldwide, people are not stupid to watch it. My rating for the movie: 3.75/5

I hope you enjoy the movie too

Till then

Take Care

The Following Series... My Thoughts and Reviews

#TheFollowing     #MyReviews

For those who haven't yet watched this series, my review contains spoiler. 

The Following is a crime thriller which has a strong following of its own. It is one of those psychopath killer mystery that makes you wonder about its script writer i.e. how could a normal person write the extents that are shown here, yes it means it goes to that extent.

Just to give you a quick summary of the show, it is based on a psychopath serial killer Joe Carroll, played by James Purefoy, who is fixated on and is obsessed with an ancient writer Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote in 1800s. He is that charming professor in a college on whom every girl has her eyes on, however, being a professor was not just his profession, he also liked part-time killing job. In his obsession he murders 14 innocent women in most gruesome way and shows no remorse whatsoever. If you cannot tolerate murder shows, the description itself will give you nightmares, hence wont write here. 

Ryan Hardy, played by Kevin Bacon, is a retired FBI agent who catches Joe initially and now is reinstated in Bureau after Joe's escape. Its Ryan's job to catch Joe again, as he understands him best, however it should be noted that they both share a different relation in Joe's head which is not of cop & criminal, instead it is of friends and best buddies ever.

The series attraction point is the cult that Joe creates even while he is in prison. He has numerous followers which neither FBI or any other agency is able to comprehend. Although their loyalty is worth noting, the factor that haunts the viewers is the fact that all his followers have murdered at least once and they take pleasure in doing it. In few episodes they even  describe which is the way they like murdering best, is it stabbing, strangling, suffocating or something else. One of the dialogues of the show is, 'I like killing, Killing is what I do...'. Kindda scary hey!

The show has 3 seasons so far and in each season the writer introduces a next level psychopath. The first season it is Joe Carroll, who is charming professor who kills women to satiate an undefined need to kill. Next is Lily Grey & her twins who are obsessed with Joe Carroll and their psychopathy is even beyond him. The latest is Theo Nobel who is a genius, ghost, excellent hacker and kills just to have fun. Throughout the show many other psychopath killers are introduced as well, some of them are so aggravating that they will chill you to your soul and make cases like 'Suitcase murder' (not that I should compare with real life incidence) look like child's play

You might wonder why would someone watch such gruesome show, and the reason is, it's simply awesome. It is one of the only murder shows where FBI is short-handed and criminals are at least 10 steps ahead of them. They play, lure and kill agents and officials as if only they are trained to get murdered at hands of these killers (well apart from our 3 lead FBI agents Ryan Hardy, his niece Max Hardy played by Jessica Stroup and her boyfriend Mike Watson played by Shawn Ashmore). 

Apart from awesomeness, the show presents excellent thrill which keeps you on edge of your seat and always makes you wonder what will happen next. However, it is a very 'heavy on mind' kind of show and the one that you cannot watch just by downloading or ordering a CD or Netflix. After an episode, you need a break, although I didn't do that and had a Following marathon weekend, trust me and don't do that, I got worse nightmares.

The show also teaches us something very crucial. It teaches us that we should always be on guard because a psychopath doesn't show traits of psychopathy in his/her usual behaviour. The most charming person you know, your neighbour, person behind you in a queue and even your partner can be a psychopath. Not saying that you stop trusting people and start accusing everyone, but its always good to stay on guard so that you are safe at all times.

My rating for the show and creative psychopathy is 4.5/5, however, don't watch if you can't tolerate shows with ruthless killing and murdering for pleasure kind; It is not for weak-hearted people. However if you can watch all this and like a good thrill and mystery then its is must watch and don't think watching & liking this show will make you or show  you as psychopath. I love this show and hey, I am not one.

The show just finished airing season 3 and I would have loved to see it come back for season 4, but unfortunately, much to my and all other fan's discontent, FOX has cancelled Following.  They always do this with good shows!!!

Anyways, all in all, it was a good watch, if you catch on running on your TV do watch, else grab a copy, you are missing on something really good.

Till then

Take Care

The Vampire Diaries Series... My Thoughts and Reviews

#thevampirediaries     #myreviews

For those who haven't yet watched this series, my review contains spoiler. 

The Vampire Diaries, a teen drama which has a great number of followers and when it comes to supernatural vampire related drama, it is one of my favourite shows. My interest in fantasy stuff introduced me to the novel series 'The Vampire Diaries' by LJ Smith and soon I was introduced to this show as well. As I progressed with the show I realised the novel just doesn't do justification to the title. The show is very interesting and engrossing. Also the effects they bring its scary but simply awesome. And unfortunately enough it does include some pretty lame stuff but apart from that, its quite good.

As the name suggests,  the show revolves around vampires. Basically, it revolves around a human girl who is torn between 2 vampire brothers who are 163 years old. Sounds kindda lame, isn't it and it always has to end up around a girl. Well yes, that is the main story but it also does has other characters and some side stories which make the show whole. Also it not just has vampires but also has werewolves (no vampire story is finished without them) and witches. In few seasons the show also has the original vampire family (the 1st vampires ever) which is pretty awesome.

Moving back to main plot, Elena (the human girl) played by Nina Dobrev is loved by 2 immortal brothers, Damon & Stefan played by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley respectively. Stefan is a good kind vampire who doesn't feed on humans and tries to protect them, whereas Damon is the worst kind of Vampire who not only feeds and kills humans but also preys on them, manipulates, and uses them. 

Damon & Stefan are shown to have pretty interesting history, where they loved same girl as their human selves and now the history repeats again, as they again love same girl as vampires, i.e. Elena. 

Elena, she is the epicentre of everyone's life and she is also their doom. Its she who draws vampires back to Mystic falls, its her doppelgänger (a double of a living person), who brings havoc to everyone's life, its she after whom the worst of all original is, it is she due to whom her friends suffer and its she who tries to control everyone. Well said that, she is also very loving, caring and compassionate character. She tries to protect everyone and always tries to do the right thing. Yes, she is complicated but that is the purpose of the whole show.

In the beginning of the show she is madly in love with Stefan, with Damon conspiring to get her. But as Damon changes for her, she falls for him and after becoming a vampire herself she chooses Damon, leaving Stefan heartbroken. Yup, most of all viewers hated that part but between Damon & Stefan, one will always choose Damon

There are other characters as well who surround the story, like Jeremy, Elena's annoying drug addict brother who eventually turns into a Vampire Hunter (ironic given his sister is a vampire). Bonnie is best friend of Elena and is a new witch. She is forced to sacrifice again and again for Elena but eventually turns into a very powerful Bennett witch. Caroline, an uptight, control freak character who actually improves when she becomes a vampire (most people turn dark, but she got positive). Alaric is a high school teacher but also is a Vampire Hunter, who is trying to solve mystery of his wife's murder. Tyler, with werewolf gene who is kind of an ass as human but gets better when he turns in a werewolf and many others. 

There are many antagonists in the series as well. My favourite is Klaus Michelson who was born in 10th century and is a hybrid (i.e. born werewolf turned vampire). He is ruthless, manipulative yet has the best heart of all. He is seen in Season 2-5 in Vampire Diaries where he plots to kill Elena and is successful (though Elena doesn't die because her father sacrifices himself for her). Klaus is peculiarly interested in Caroline and moves to New Orleans when she rejects him. There is a spin-off series called the Originals which revolves around lives of the Original family. Apart from him there are other antagonists as well and the one in recent season Kai (a psychopath Gemini witch) is kind of weird and interesting. He is one of the few villains whom most of his viewers loved a lot.

The season 6 of the show recently ended and so did the tenure of Nina Dobrev with show. As per news she has quit TVD, which is heartbreaking for many TVD fans but I for one is happy because she was way too overrated. Her exit should bring a complete new twist and excitement to the show. 

We all loved the bad Damon, who became good because of her and with her gone, writers predict he would go bad again. I am very much interested to see that.

All in all, if you are watching the show, you know why I like it, and if you are not and like supernatural fantasy, do watch it, you will love it. It gets so engrossing at few points that you won't be able to leave screen in anticipation. And if you are comparing all vampire drama with Twilight movies, then my friend you are making a huge mistake... it is nothing compared...

I would rate the show as 4.25/5 and seriously hope that it gets higher in upcoming seasons.

Till then

Take Care

Jane the Virgin Series... My Thoughts and Reviews

#JaneTheVirgin  #MyReviews

For those who haven't yet watched this series, my review contains spoiler. 

Jane the Virgin, as name suggests is based on a 23 years old virgin in United States, which from the show looks like a big deal. Unlike India, they don't believe in waiting till marriage... well, don't want to delve much into that so let's talk about the show.

Jane the Virgin is based on Venezuelan telenovela Juana la Virgen. Telenovela meaning Indian version of Spanish shows, it's just that telenovelas don't stretch more than a year and our Indian shows... well suffice it to say if they last less than a year, they are not considered successful :)

Jane the Virgin caught my attention on rottentomatoes.com. It has 100% rating with 48 reviews (compared to other shows it's good) so I started to watch and instantly liked it. It is not like any comedy, mystery or thriller,  it's a simple drama which contains up's and down' of lives of its characters especially Jane.

Jane Gloriana Villanueva, played by Gina Rodriguez is, like said, a virgin but is artificially impregnated with Rafael's sperm. Rafael Solana, played by Justin Baldoni is a rich hotel owner who recently had cancer and this is his only sample. By the way I must add Rafael was also a very handsome playboy and very often he is shown shirtless to get girls to drool over him. 

Well, look at the pic, isn't he gorgeous & drool worthy ;)

Jane, who is upcoming writer, high school teacher and a waitress (yes too many jobs for a pregnant woman), has a perfect life. She lives with her mother, Xiomara "Xo" Gloriana Villanueva & grandmother Alba Gloriana Villanueva. They both are typical moms' if I may say. Xo is little too modern but she loves her daughter incredibly. Also sometimes the fight between these Xo & Alba get on your nerves but it's the affection between 3 generations (4th soon to come) that steals the show

In the beginning of the show, Jane is in love with Michael Cordero played by Brett Dier and they plan to get marry soon. But everything turns upside down in their relationship when Jane decided to keep the baby and falls in love with Rafael. I know this makes her sound like a bad person, but she is not, the writers of the show have written it brilliantly. During the course we do feel bad for Michael, he is pretty good guy but weighing options between Rafael & Michael, Rafael will always win. ;)

The highlight of the show and the best thing is the Spanish narrator who speaks in the background. It is thoroughly enjoyable and he won't let you forget who was who, and what happened when. Also the sarcastic punches he throws in between are usually hilarious. 

The low-light of the show is Jane's father, Rogelio de la Vega played by Jaime Camil and Rafael's ex-wife, Petra (Natalia) Solano played by Yael Grobglas. Where former is innocent yet incredibly irritating character, latter is a villain who is a fraud, cheat, liar and most manipulative person in the show. I know the show won't be complete without these to annoying tag-along characters but still...

There are various other things and side stories that fill up the gaps and mood in the show but best that I like is how Jane goes through various stages in her pregnancy. Unlike other shows where the focus is on relationships and pregnancy is just on the side, here the show revolves around how relations change with pregnancy and what a woman goes through. We all have heard being pregnant is difficult, this show proves it but in a very gentle way. I for one have learnt a lot of things that could go wrong and could go right, not sure about others :)

This week the season finale was aired on The CW and honestly the ending way far too stretched. They have unnecessarily added a new twist. Well just to write in 1 line, Jane had a beautiful baby boy and he is kidnapped. The whole show revolved around that baby from day 1 and after 5 mins of his appearance he is doomed. I am sure writers will write an exciting plot in season 2 but with all the drama and other things, I am disappointed. They could have ended season on at least 1 happy note...

Anyways, apart from the stupid far-fetched ending, I like it and would rate it 4.25/5. And if you get a chance do watch it, if you like light dramas with no vulgarity or ruthless actions, you will like it :)

Till then

Take Care

#Forever Series... My Thoughts and Reviews

#FOREVER     #MYREVIEWS

Forever series attracted me with its name... my first question was, what are they representing that can stay forever, because if you realize,  your shadow too leaves you in the awe of light. However when I read its synopsis and watched 1st episode I liked it and the series clicked me instantly.

It was rather funny to watch someone die and reborn again and again multiple times in 1 episode. However it was not as frequent in subsequent ones. It was tastefully placed in some episodes but I would have preferred to see more artistic ways in which Dr. Henry Morgan (the lead protagonist) could die.

Ioan Gruggord, who played Henry did 100% justification to the role. Many of us know him as Mister Fantastic from Fantastic Four movies. Other characters of the show are also good especially Henry's assistant Lucas Wan, who is that character who always breaks ice and tension by saying something stupid yet funny.

Detective Jo Martinez played by Alana De La Graza is one of the very few female characters on English television whom you don't want to kill (even for their very existence in the show). She is shown intelligent, smart and in the last scene of the finale episode pretty understanding too.

I also liked the main antagonist of the show, Adam. Can you beleive he is said to be 2000 years old? He is villainous and fearsome but in no episode he did anything exceptionally bad. In finale it was mentioned that he was good once and 2000 years changed him. Well, its kind of true, and given the levels of brutality in his actions, this statement is fully justified.

Although I liked the show, there is one thing that is weird and kind of lame. You see its that a medical examiner is the show-stealer of every episode & crime scene. If I am not mistaken its the detectives who specialize in finding hidden clues, however here, its the medical examiner who does the job. But well, can't complain much here as that is the sole purpose of the show, isn't it ;)

So, to rate the show, I can easily rate it 4.25/5

If you have not watched it yet, apologies for spoilers but I would definitely recommend watching it  :)

Till then

Take Care