3

Th early reviews have been pretty borderline. But you are still gonna watch this movie.

I loved Spiderman 3. And I will watch it again.

Since I am no critic, I will quote from Rollingstone.com - one of the reviews I sort-of agree with.

The movie is too long at 139 minutes

Too packed with villains (did we really need three of those suckers?)

Too limp in its love story (Kirsten Dunst looks weary of playing Mary Jane)

Too reliant on a climatic battle scene (You always knew that it was gonna be a biggie with 4 guys involved in the 'finals')

But, audiences won't give a damn. In an era of cynical, cash-in sequels, Spider-Man 3, like its two predecessors, has a heartbeat that resonates strongly. Director Sam Raimi has always kept his focus on the human side of this Marvel Comic hero: that means screwed-up crybaby geekboy Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) over the superhero he becomes when he dudes up in Webslinger drag.

Peter's is consumed by Spiderman's awfully sweet media image, and it gets to his head. So much that he ignores the pain that MJ goes through. And once the symbiote gets to him - you see a side of Peter Parker you never would expect. Everything else he did when he gets 'bad' is fine by me - but using a blonde to piss of a red-head ain't cool.

Gwen Stacey (Bryce Dallas Howard) is pretty wasted.

Most enjoyable Special effects: Spidey flying through the corridors of Manhattan with the son of the Green Goblin in hot pursuit on his flying skateboard and a killer sequence in which a construction crane goes berserk and knocks the side out of a skyscraper.

Thomas Haden Church: enjoyable to watch after his super performance in Sideways.

James Franco (Harry) is gonna surprise everyone.

Topher Grace (Eddie Brock) as Venom - the real reason why I went for this movie.

Maybe the Sandman was not required. That part could have been filled by Venom itself. Apart from that (and Gwen Stacey), I liked everything about the movie, including the just-about-predictable surprises.

"The third chapter in the Spidey saga (a fourth is in the planning stages) is uneven, ungainly and frayed at the edges but there's lively mischief in it still. My guess is that when the summer blockbuster season finishes pummeling us with formula, Spider-Man 3 is going to look like one of the few that was touched by human hands. "

The weekend that was...

Quietly, I turned 30.

Last year, on this day - I was in Bali with Fred. Sigh.

As most people from my part of the world may have watched and read - the World Cup finals provided a fitting finale to the worst tournament in the sport's history. It was also the first game this year I watched in its entirety. For a few minutes, the whole world that tuned in (irrespective of intelligence) was bound by the same ignorance of what was happening on the pitch. Surely this can happen only a sport like cricket where the governing body is made up of such buffoons.

Thanks to the official pricks, it was a sad display of the sport to the rest of the world - the majority that do not care or intend to play the game.

It was sad that Australia did not win it the way the would have loved to - convincingly. There will always be a shadow of doubt - despite the fact that Australia were the deserved winners of the tournament. And the time between the last ball and presenting the World Cup to the Aussies; every other sport has a quicker turn-around time for the presentation of the trophy to the winners.

And you have to feel sorry for the Lankans. They won a new fan in me. Their attitude, graciousness and humilty are great attributes their neighbours could do well with.

As for the controversy regarding Mandira's saree: I am for the strictest form of punsiment to be meted out to this bitch. There was nothing fashionable or remeotely cool about the saree. She deserved to be locked up for wearing something as ugly as that and passing it off as a fashion-statement-for-the-moment. Stupid bitch.

Congrats to Manchester United for beating Chelsea to No.1 spot in England. If Chelsea do manage to squeak in (by some twist of fate and numbers) - I will buy Jose's biography. As of now - its Champions League and FA Cup for us to look forward to.

The pages keep turning...

Boris Yeltsin, one of the statesmen who featured on numerous covers of Newsweek while I was growing up, died earlier this week.

He became Prez round about the same time as Bill Clinton in the U.S. His legacy, very much like that of Clinton's, is pretty patchy - but unlike Clinton who's legacy got the rotten egg because of his womanizing, Yeltsin was a patchy politician. His presidency was dominated with instances of poor judgement and sometimes - impaired judgement (induced by some vodka). And yes - his method of privatizing state owned industries made millionaires out of a few. A few who contributed to his re-election campaign in 1996. Anybody wants to know how Roman Abramovich got so rich?

The day after BY's passing, a 'know-it-all' at work asked me (in front of my entire team) whether I knew who Boris Yeltsin was. This is the kind of ignominy I face daily at my work-place. But more about that when I quit this place.

Its my birthday week!! And I will hit 30 on 28th. Many folks I know who hit 30 before told me about it being a strange feeling. I always thought that if one felt young and kept fit - no increase in years really mattered ... especially 30. Come on!! Its just 30!! You know, 26, 27, 28, 29 ... and 30. Big deal!!

But I have to admit - I notice young people more often now. I look around - I see college kids and kids in school uniforms. And I think youth is wasted on the young*. As I get older, the skirts get shorter!! When I started working, I was 22. Back then if someone asked me my age, I said I was 26 - just to be taken seriously. Sigh.

I remember Sabarish. And Ranadeep. And Sajjad.

I figure that the sooner I get over the fact that in 10 years I'm gonna feel even more fucked when I turn 40 - 30 doesn't look or sound bad at all. And I reckon I am in terrific shape - both mind and body. All I need is to sort my life out professionally - and set the path ahead for my wife and the family I hope to have with her.

Releasing in June!!

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