Puss in Boots (2011)

Another dreamy animation feature from Dreamworks. Cats, eggs, goose have been animated and given life in an outrageously creative manner. The visuals are surreal and even trippy.

Puss is a notorious cat who is like one of the stylish western outlaws on the lines of Clint Eastwood. He is 'wanted' in his village San Ricardo. He is basically a good cat but, he is led in the wrong path by his close friend and brother-like Humpty Alexander Dumpty, the egg. Both Puss and Humpty are raised by Imelda at an orphanage. The 2 friends part ways at a stage when Humpty is sent to prison while Puss escapes.

Humpty covets the magic beans that would lead him to the golden eggs. The golden eggs are supposed to be laid by a one of a kind golden goose. He forms a team to get this and he intends to include Puss as well.

The team includes Kitty Softpaws, a female cat and a greatly feared thief in San Ricardo. Puss also joins the team reluctantly as he had fallen on bad times with Humpty. Puss and Kitty are slowly but surely attracted towards each other. Jack and Jill are two outlaws who are also after the same treasure.

Puss, Kitty and Humpty set out on their great adventure to accomplish Humpty's vision and succeed in getting the golden goose along with them. Puss realizes soon that Humpty was just using him for his plan as a means to get even with him.

After some more maniacal adventure as a result of the Mother Goose coming to retrieve her golden goose, Puss succeeds in saving his town from the Mother Goose. He returns the golden goose back to its mother and clears his name among his town's folk.

The scenes showing Puss and Kitty dancing together to flamenco music are out-of-the-world. The stunts are super imaginative and buzz with energy. Really apt voices for all the 3 lead characters. The basic characterization of Puss is an ode to the stylish and heroic characters seen in the 'western' movies.

VERDICT: Top notch animation, stylish cats and a full-on adventure ride 

The Hangover Part II (2011)

The Plot
This time it is Stu's wedding and it is gonna be held in Bangkok. The Wolfpack is back for their bachelor party and their adventures and misadventures land them up in a mess, as usual.

Stu's 16 yr old brother-in-law Teddy is lost, Stu has a tattoo on his face, there is a monkey prancing around, Alan has a shaved head and the Chinese pocket-bullet Chow is also there to give them trouble. They use all the evidences to track things and finally Stu makes it to the marriage just in time.

Hits

• Alan's bald make-over is a shocker and Zack carries it off stunningly like a cool dude.
• The antics of the monkey as the middleman between drug dealers, are another shocking surprise. 
• Ken Jeong as Mr. Chow makes you laugh with his dialog delivery style and total irreverence. 
• Stu and Phil do their same routine as in the first part

VERDICT

Some light-hearted time pass with jokes spread over, Todd Phillips style. 

Due Date (2010)

The Plot
Peter Highman is supposed to get to LA to be with his wife for their first child's birth. But, he somehow gets mixed up with Ethan Tremblay and his dog, and they end up on the No-Fly list. Now they travel together on a road trip to reach LA. Ethan has to meet up an agent in Hollywood.

They have lot of bumpy adventures like a big accident, getting mixed up with the Mexican border authorities, having marijuana trips, dealing with Ethan's father's ashes that are enclosed in a coffee box, going to the Grand Canyon to free the ashes etc. etc..

Peter is somehow totally irritated by Ethan's nature and open talk. He even tries to leave him behind and drive alone. But, they stick together despite all the bumps and make it on time for the child's birth.

Ethan even removes the umbilical cord of the little baby girl from the mother and he later makes it big on TV while Peter and family look on in delight.

                                                                   
Hits

• Nice pleasant buddy movie with an adventurous road trip thrown in the mix. 


• Some of the jokes cracked by the eternal joker Zach Galifianakis and the reactions of the perennial dude Robert Downey Jr. are a real delight. The masturbation jokes, the moments involving the dad's ashes, the fun at the Mexican border, Ethan's attempts at acting etc. etc. FEEL GOOD TO THE CORE.

VERDICT

Another feel good, pleasant, funny buddy movie from the master of buddy movies Todd Phillips. 

The Hangover (2009)

What's it about:
             3 childhood buddies Phil, Stu, Doug and Doug's soon to be brother-in-law Alan, go on a bachelor party to Vegas to celebrate Doug's last few days of bachelorhood. They take a Mercedes and vow to have some crazy fun and also to not tell anyone about all this fun. In short, they want to forget what they would be doing in these days.
             As expected they have some amazing fun but unfortunately, Doug's whereabouts become a real mystery to the other 3 men, after they wake up in the morning at their villa . They find a tiger in their bathroom and a baby at their doorstep. Stu is missing a tooth and all the 3 have no clue as to what happened the previous night. As the wedding nears, the 3 friends need to find Doug and reach the marriage on time.
             After a lot of searching and roaming, they find that Stu had married a stripper the previous night, and that the tiger belongs to Mike Tyson. They piss off the cops and also get involved in a mix-up with a Chinese big shot over gambling at the Bellagio casino.
             Finally after a lot of confusions, they realize that they had left Doug on the terrace of their hotel, the previous night. They put the pieces together in the end and reach the marriage just in time. All is well and fun in the end after Stu breaks up with his control freak girl friend, Melissa
     

                                                                     
Hits

• Zach Galifianakis must be one of the most funny men around. Just seeing him, brings in the laughs and his style of dialog delivery is cool and unhurried. That makes it even more funny.
• Bradley Cooper looks every inch the cool dude and has great screen presence. Ed Helms impresses with his frustration and desperation as Stu
• Ken Jeong in a short cameo as Mr. Chow is a riot. His intro scene where he springs up naked, bashes the 3 men and runs away, is one of the most funny scenes ever. His dialog delivery is cute too. 
• The sound track is rocking and has many famous party songs.
• One of the most feel good, jolly buddy movies ever made. 
• Crazy comic situations and hilarious dialogs. 

VERDICT

This will be the very first movie that will come to your mind whenever you need a stress-buster and some wholesome hearty laughs ...