Ra.One Movie Review : What's Worth It?

RA.One review

By Kunal Guha | Movie Reviews – 6 hours ago

G.One clinging by a Mumbai local

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami, Tom Wu

Directed by Anubhav Sinha

Rating: Not even One

Science fiction is an oxymoron. And when this genre is sprinkled with moronic humour and logic takes a beating from hell, you know you've punched your tickets for 'RA.One'. With metallic blue and red costumes right out of Falguni Pathak's wardrobe, this out-of-console experience offers laughs, dances and androids touching humans in more ways than considered socially acceptable. Insert coin to read more.

The film sweeps us into a video game fantasy where anything is possible (with a 175-crore-budget, it better be). Game developer, Shekhar Subramanium (Shahrukh Khan) wants to earn his son, Prateek's (Armaan Verma) love and respect. And the only thing that gives Prateek joy is to see his joystick twiddling to spell doom for the most vicious video game super-villain ever. So daddy makes a baddie just like that and calls it RA.One (Arjun Rampal). The game also has a not-so-indestructible superhero called G.One (an emotionally challenged Shahrukh). Please read the box carefully for the 25 permutation-combinations in which RA.One and G.One can kill each other (something to do with the heart being in the body and not in the pocket or anywhere else during combat).

Anyway, it gets nasty as our virtual warriors tear out of the game, 'Terminator 2'-style. Also, thanks to some goofy programming, RA.One is hell-bent on killing Prateek. Naturally, G.One has to do the rescuing and being an android, do it without getting teary-eyed or romantic with Prateek's mum, Sonia (Kareena Kapoor). But who said robots can't ham or chant prophetic life-changing verses coded by its master? No.One!

Humour based on linguistic stereotypes may have worked in 'Zabaan Sambhalke' but now it hardly earns a chuckle. This is assuming the average audience intellect dictates that Tamilians don't always say 'Aiyoo' or pronounce 'keys' as 'kiss'. And even if they do, no amount of laughter track can make this seem funny. No.Fun!

'RA.One' does what no other Sci-Fi movie has done before: it mocks itself. So, the superhero who is manually stopping trains in one scene, is also burning his crotch or sneezing out metallic wires in another. No respect.

Shahrukh's robotic expressions will remind you of his 'My Name is Khan' role, as he confuses machines with differently-abled humans. Kareena's character covers the entire gamut of expressions but isn't memorable or mentionable enough to be regarded. Arjun Rampal has bagged his dream role: an android with mechanical expressions who allows his body to do the talking. Good job, Arjun Rampal's body!

The VFX award would go for most battle arenas, inspired from many popular games. It wouldn't go for the local train swishing out of CST station like a PowerPoint slide.

It's convenient to say that if you have no expectations from 'RA.One', you wouldn't be disappointed. But if you feel so little for the film, why go to watch it at all?

England Paid Back!

India v England, 5th ODI, Kolkata

Spinners condemn England to 5-0 whitewash

The Report by Andrew Miller

October 25, 2011

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India 271 for 8 (Dhoni 75*) beat England 176 (Jadeja 4-33, Kieswetter 63) by 95 runs 
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	MS Dhoni bludgeoned England into submission before his spinners sealed the whitewash © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Matches: India v England at Kolkata Series/Tournaments: England tour of India Teams: England | India

England chose a particularly humiliating route to their second 5-0 whitewash in consecutive ODI tours of India, as they allowed their resolve to collapse twice in one match - first with the ball, as MS Dhoni walloped 75 not out from 69 balls to take his series tally to 212 runs without loss - and then with the bat, as they squandered a 20-over scoreline of 129 for 0 to lose all ten of their wickets for 47 runs in exactly 100 deliveries.

India's stars with the ball, as in the first match of the series in Hyderabad, were once again the spinners, Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed 4 for 33 in eight overs, and R Ashwin, 3 for 28 in nine. They joined forces with the part-timers Manoj Tiwary and Suresh Raina, to choke England's innings in a sea of slogs and dot-balls. Of England's last nine batsmen, only Samit Patel (18) and Graeme Swann (10 not out) reached double figures. The rout was sealed with 13 overs to spare when Steven Finn top-edged an Ashwin carrom ball to the keeper and triumphant captain, Dhoni.

For the first two-fifths of the innings, England's progress could hardly have been more serene. Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter saved their best performances of the series for the very last gasp. Kieswetter brought up his half-century from 49 balls - and England's 100 with it - with a savage carve through the covers off Varun Aaron, and Cook was scarcely any tardier, reaching his own milestone from 51. For the majority of their stand, England were consistently 20 runs ahead of the required rate, without having needed to take any risks whatsoever.

The innings, however, was derailed by the extra pace of Aaron, who came round the wicket to extract Cook's off stump for 60 from 61 balls - the exact same score he had managed in the first match at Hyderabad. Eight balls later, Kieswetter followed suit for a run-a-ball 63, as Jadeja pinned him lbw on the front foot, and suddenly the innings was wide open.

Bell, playing in his first match of the series after Kevin Pietersen had been ruled out with a chipped bone in his thumb, scratched around for 2 from six balls before snicking Ashwin to the keeper, and three balls later, all hope had been truly lost when Jonathan Trott, England's likeliest middle-order ballast, pushed loosely at Jadeja and edged a simple chance to slip for 5.

Smart stats This is only the third time that India have achieved a 5-0 verdict in a bilateral ODI series. The two earlier instances were against England (2008-09) and New Zealand (2010-11). For England, it's their third such drubbing in a bilateral series. England's last nine wickets added only 47 runs, which is their lowest aggregate in ODIs. Only four times have England had a higher first-wicket stand in an ODI that they've lost. They also had a 129-run stand in the 1979 World Cup final, which they lost by 92 runs. MS Dhoni has 50 scores of fifty or more in ODIs. Onlythree other wicketkeeper-batsmen have achieved this feat in ODIs. Dhoni joined a list of two other batsmen who've remained unbeaten throughout a series, after batting four or more innings and scoring 200 or more runs.

In Jadeja's next over, England's innings went even further off-track, as the overawed Jonny Bairstow tried to hit his way out of trouble but instead skidded a thick outside edge to Ajinkya Rahane at backward point. Ravi Bopara squandered the chance to be a hero when he was bowled round his legs for a 16-ball 4 by Raina, and Tim Bresnan - so often England's most combative tailender - confirmed the general air of surrender when he chipped a loose drive off Tiwary for a fourth-ball duck.

Long before the final indignity, England had already blown their best chance to salvage some pride in the series thanks to another scruffy fielding performance which undermined another superb display of fast bowling from England's only shining light of the series, Finn. From a comfortable 71 for 0 after 15 overs, India slumped to 81 for 3 in the subsequent bowling Powerplay, with Finn sparking the loss of three wickets for no runs in ten balls with a brilliant double-wicket maiden.

First to go was Gautam Gambhir for 38, in near-identical fashion to his dismissal by Finn at Mumbai, as a lifting delivery outside off nipped off the inside edge and into the stumps. Then, after welcoming Virat Kohli with a series of excellent deliveries in the channel outside off, he bowled him with a final-ball beauty that zipped off the seam and crashed into off stump as the batsman offered no stroke.

Four balls and no runs later, and Tim Bresnan was into the act as well, as Kieswetter atoned for an earlier drop with a soaring leap to his right to cling on to a flying edge. A second consecutive maiden for Finn was then followed by an equally frugal first over from Bopara, and India's collapse should have been four wickets for one run in 25 balls when Swann at second slip dropped an absolute dolly off Suresh Raina.

India needed no further invitation to make England pay. Raina was eventually run out for 38 from 46 balls when his bat bounced in the crease as a direct hit came in from square leg, but it was the crunching hitting of the irrepressible Dhoni that left England's prospects in the dust. He saved his most savage assault for the new boy, Meaker, whom he battered for a massive six over wide long-on in a penultimate over that went for 21. Patel fared scarcely any better in the 50th of the innings, in which a further 18 runs were scalped.

By the end of it all, Dhoni had added 330 ODI runs since England last dismissed him at The Oval in September, and his personal dominance was a perfect reflection of a series in which the tables of the summer had been emphatically turned.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP1 PP2 PP3 Last 10 overs NB/Wides India 165 25 5 41 for 0 10 for 3 28 for 1 91 for 3 0/8 England 137 20 2 62 for 0 10 for 4 9 for 3 DNP 0/5

It's payback time

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India v England, second ODI, Delhi

Just the pick-me-up an India fan needs

October 18, 2011

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	Virat Kohli: The Spartan centurion © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Report : Bowlers, Kohli secure emphatic India victory Players/Officials: Virat Kohli | Vinay Kumar Matches: India v England at Delhi Series/Tournaments: England tour of India Teams: England | India

Choice of game
This series has been billed as "payback" for the miseries India suffered in England. Being one of the many Indian fans who went through a phase of severe depression during the England tour, I decided watching the team win from the stands would serve as an antidote. Considering the performance in the first one-dayer in Hyderabad, I thought an easy victory was on the cards for India.

I also desperately wanted to witness the debut of Varun Aaron, who is from my city Jamshedpur, but I guess that will have to wait now.

Key performer
For most of the game it seemed Vinay Kumar would get the title, for his spirited bowling performance. Then Virat Kohli walked in at a slightly tricky situation, and played an innings full of confidence and swagger. He turned the victory into a cakewalk and, for me, played the most influential role in the game.

One thing I'd have changed
The last time I had watched India play at Kotla, the match was abandoned due to poor condition of the pitch following a Sudeep Tyagi bouncer. The only thing I hoped was to get a full game, and I was relieved to witness that. I would have loved to see a close contest, something like the encounter in the World Cup, but will take the easy victory as the next best alternative.

Face-off I relished
Given that both teams are devoid of regular star players, there were hardly any match- ups worth discussing, unless you are really excited about Kieswetter v Vinay Kumar. Kohli against Graeme Swann was a face-off I thought would be interesting, but the moment Kohli stepped out and hit that exquisite drive through the covers, there was only going to be one winner.

Wow moment
In a relatively low-key and mostly uneventful match, there were few moments that really provided that "wow" factor. One that might qualify is the ball off which Vinay Kumar dismissed Craig Kieswetter, and the England scorecard read 0 for 2, leading to delirious celebrations in the crowd.

Shot of the day
I enjoyed watching Kevin Pietersen hit a straight six off Ravindra Jadeja and Kohli drive Swann. But one shot that stood out was a cracking pull by Kohli off Jade Dernbach. It was like a statement to the English bowlers to leave the short-pitched stuff back in England. You could almost sense a Gerard Butler-like reaction from Kohli, with his bat pointing menacingly: "THIS IS INDIA!"

Crowd meter
Many people, me included, only realised a week ago that Delhi was hosting a match. The stands started to fill towards evening once people got off work, and India started their innings. Still, I do not think it was more than 70% full.

There were the odd attempts to start a Mexican Wave, and some feeble "India, India" chants. The fans around me were either busy on their phones, telling their acquaintances how to spot them on TV, even describing in detail the colour of their clothes, or taking photographs to display on Facebook.

Fancy-dress index
One fan did a Ganguly, waving his shirt madly, hoping to feature on TV. I am not sure if his stunt worked.

Banner of the day
The only ones I saw were pre-printed by sponsors. One of them read, "A few losses do not bother champions" while another read, "Men in Blue will stick England in glue". Kindergarten stuff. Ironically, the second banner was torn in the middle and needed some glue itself

Overall
The comprehensive Indian victory served my purpose. I would have loved it if the stands had been packed, and there was a bit more excitement in the game.

Marks out of 10
7 for an easy Indian win and an exquisite Kohli century.

Series a test for Cook-Flower combination

Alastair Cook's goal is to revive England's one-day record, something that no captain has really been able to do over an extended period for close to 20 years. A hat-trick of series wins would be a decent way to start

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	India will give a better indication of where the Cook-Flower development stands © PA Photos Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Alastair Cook Series/Tournaments: England tour of India Teams: England | India

When Alastair Cook spoke to the media before flying out to India last week he talked about "my side" and the players "he wants" to take England's one-day side forward. His first summer in charge of the 50-over side - or, rather, about six weeks as Cook pointed out himself - couldn't really have gone much better. Series wins against Sri Lanka and India, the two World Cup finalists, are impressive additions to his CV while his success, and adaptability, with the bat surprised many.

It is always dangerous to look too far ahead when it comes to England's one-day cricket - many a poor World Cup has been followed by a brief false dawn under a new captain - but alongside Andy Flower there is a feeling something can be different this time as Cook shapes a team to challenge at the 2015 tournament in Australia and New Zealand. His tone at the Heathrow press conference was of a man with a strong vision, clear thoughts and a confidence that they can work.

Time will tell, and there will be more than a few stumbling blocks along the way, but the next three weeks in India will give a better indication of where the Cook-Flower development currently stands. The 3-0 series win at home was a commendable result, but as much as it showed many impressive qualities - the rejuvenation of Ravi Bopara, debut of Jonny Bairstow and pace of Steven Finn among them - there were also reminders of how far England's one-day game needs to come. More reliability is required during the death overs, they still haven't quite cracked Powerplay batting (particularly when setting a score) and Cook needs to hone his judgement of when it's worth maintaining pressure in the field. However, nobody said there would be easy fixes.

Again England will be pitted against a weakened India side but, this time, conditions won't be in their favour. India's scars from their dreadful tour, though, will remain and that is an opportunity England can seize. Throughout India's defeat-filled three months the common theme - more from the supporters, it must be said, than the players - was 'wait until we get you in our back yard.' That could well prove true, but an early defeat for India, in their first home internationals since the World Cup final, and the pressure (and anger) will quickly grow.

Like India, England are not at full strength with injuries to Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan, two key ODI players, while James Anderson has been rested. It means a chance to further test out the much-vaunted depth in the English game that was often on show during the recent home season. Kevin Pietersen is back (perhaps for a final chance to revive his ODI career) and brings some experience to the middle order, but the likes of Bopara, Bairstow, Finn, Jade Dernbach and Scott Borthwick are key parts of England's future.

The series will test England in all departments and they will need to quickly adapt to the surfaces they encounter. It will only be a matter of time before debate resumes about the top three which will include Cook and Jonathan Trott. The latter, despite an average of 51.48 and strike-rate of 78.35, is often the focus of attention and how he adjusts his game-plan to a situation will show how he's evolving as a one-day batsman. Cook has also hinted at a degree of flexibility in the order.

Pietersen presents his own fascination, but there's also the case of Ian Bell. He can lay claim to being England's best Test batsman after a prolific 12 months, yet he hasn't cemented a one-day berth. Being shunted around the order hasn't helped and he found himself at No. 6 against Sri Lanka which, he admitted, wasn't ideal but when given a run at No. 4 against India continued the tendency to waste good starts. It's difficult to see where he fits in the batting line-up especially with Bairstow's form demanding selection.

	England require more reliability during the death overs, they still haven't quite cracked Powerplay batting (particularly when setting a score) and Cook needs to hone his judgement of when it's worth maintaining pressure in the field.

With the ball Cook will rely on the experience of Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann. The captain will have to be aware of when to use his key bowlers now that the new regulations have altered when Powerplays can be taken and also the impact of a ball at either end. Dernbach's box of allsorts will prove valuable on flat pitches, but he needs to ensure the slower ball doesn't become the norm as batsmen can set themselves.

Finn, meanwhile, will likely complete the pace attack to leave Chris Woakes and Stuart Meaker waiting for their opportunities although both, along with Borthwick, impressed in the warm-ups. England view Finn as being a key bowler for 2015 where he can exploit the bouncier Australian surfaces and these one-dayers will show how much subtlety is being added to his raw skills.

The inclusion, on both sides, of some fresh faces (and absence of household names) has helped give this series an interest that it may otherwise have lacked. England-India is never without bite, but five more ODIs and another T20 on the back of the recent contests test the limits of endurance. International cricket needs the best playing each other, yet that needs to be balanced with retaining the uniqueness of the contest. It's a danger faced with the overload of England-Australia contests in the next three years and you don't want marquee series to lose their edge because they are too commonplace.

That, though, won't be an issue occupying Cook's mind at the moment. His goal is to revive England's one-day record, something that no captain has really been able to do over an extended period for close to 20 years. A hat-trick of series wins would be a decent way to start.