Velayudham Review

Velayudham - Extremely Hopeless Movie

Velayudham Oh My God! The most horrible movie I have seen in a long time. I also have a few serious questions for Vijay (at the end of this blog post).
Velayudham is the masala story of a milkman trying to eradicate corruption, first unknowingly, then knowingly. This is a direct copy of Assassin’s Creed without any exceptions. The start of the movie gives a good idea of how the movie will end, but never expected the end to be the worst one I have seen in many years.

Genelia looks like a direct import from the north, with zero tamil accent – but at least her dialogues are original and she speaks exactly the way she knows it. Hansika Motwani is another heroine in this movie, who looks much bigger in size when compared to Genelia.
Vijay is introduced with just what you expect from a funny Vijay movie, without any serious story build up. The scene in the train when Vijay makes everyone eat the food cooked by his sister is the best. Santhanam comes as ‘Speed’ and is consistently excellent in the timely delivery of his dialogues. Until this point the movie is exactly what we expect from a good time pass movie.
If you are seriously thinking of watching this movie, see if you can enter into a deal with the guy at the ticket counter to sell you the ticket for half price in return for watching only till the interval – that would be the best deal you could get for this movie.
After the interval, as each scene goes, the quality of the movie goes down and down, and finally achieves the most horrible level towards the end of the movie.
WARNING: Some of the content below this might be too dramatic for many people to take. Please read at your own risk

I am guessing it has become very normal for Tamil movie fans to accept the hero killing 100 people in each movie. I remember the same starting from Nanbargal, Subramaniapuram, Endhiran and even in 7am Arivu. Vijay just goes one step further and kills about 200 people in this movie and the way he kills them is even more worse.
By the way, I am not talking about the throwing of people against electric posts, from the train, from the bridge, etc, (all these are also in this movie) as I think that has become normal in fights. I am talking about taking these fights to the next level of cruelty.
In one scene, Vijay cuts one guy into two half not horizontally, but vertically. If you felt bad thinking why he did not cut horizontally, he does that in the last scene, where Vijay reserves the straight cut of the hand and then the horizontal cut of the head for the head of the bad guys (that guy ends up as the head without a head!). Oh, also, in between, Vijay also pokes a few bad guys with his sword, just that his sword is so sharp that it enters from front and comes out from the back – I guess it is ok! If that was normal, here is something new, he stabs one guy from the throat and the end of the knife comes out of the back of the top portion of the head! What is wrong with you people????? Are you barbarians??
Vijay, you are seen as a leader of the masses of the future. You go to Anna Hazare’s Anti-Corruption movement to support his cause. You give all signals in the movies and in your actions in Indian political scene, that you are interested in becoming our leader in the future. Is this what you want the kids of the future to remember about you?
Just one last dialogue from you in this movie to people that every one has a Velayudham inside you for 30 seconds do not erase the memories of all the killings shown in this movie with your multiple swords – It never justifies any of your actions. You are justifying your actions, I guess by saying the Government and law is helpless. That is against what you say in real world, then why act something else and say something else in real world? Vijay – dont confuse people by educating them to take the law in their own hand in their own hands in your movies, and then talk about Gandhiji style of protests in real life. Standing up for your rights is one thing, showing that killing bad people is ok is not acceptable – then why do we need all these laws? Did not expect this from you, Vijay.

Be the change – Vijay – both in reel and real life. Be the change.

7am Arivu Review

Just came back from wasting three hours of my life watching this movie called 7am Arivu.
7am Arivu movie starts with Chinese martial arts – Shaolin Temple and explanation about how Bodhi Dharman, the third prince of Pallava rule travels to China, reaches Nanyang village and teaches medicine as well as martial arts to the natives there.

The first fight scene in China itself is full of unbelievable stunts (also called as ‘reel’ in tamil). Normally my mind is tuned to accepting such stunts performed in english movies or Rajini movies, but this happens to be Surya and so could not accept it. I guess the director wants to see us thinking  it is Bodhi Dharman defeating 100 people. So the benefit of doubt in this one goes to the director.

Bodhi Dharman is known as Damo in China and with the fifteen minute introduction, the China scenes are done. My recommendation is the director should have ended the movie here saying this is the documentary about Bodhi Dharman..but the director had other ideas in mind.
The story then comes to present day and takes the form of Operation Red, an operation executed by a Chinese guy called Dong Li. He is sent to India for this.

Dong Li is very tall,  smart and handsome, but he suffers from a disease which I realized as the movie progresses. (Will discuss about it later in this blog, but want to retain some suspense.)
btw, Operation Red – the director could have called it Operation Halwa, would have been apt for Deepavali.
Surya has matured into a fine actor. His looks, body language and mannerisms show the confidence that has developed in him and it only brings out his good acting skills. Some of Surya’s jokes are excellent – especially the one when Surya and Shruti are on top of an elephant, when Shruti says are we sitting on a patient and Surya says yeah in this case we cannot carry the patient.

Shruti looks slim, elegant and presentable. I wish I could have added the adjective ‘beautiful’, but something is definitely lacking. Shruti looks amazing in many scenes and reminded me of Tabu in many scenes and Sonam Kapoor in a few.
I am not sure if the director told her to talk as much as she wants, as it is her first movie, she just keeps on talking about genetics and DNA forever. Also, she talks great about tamil, but her tamil is so bad to hear that I felt she is better off talking in english itself.
By this stage, the story is very clear – the usual blah, blah, blah and blah.(I will let your creativity run for now).
Munnandhi Chaaral song is quite melodious, while the train soft solo song by SPB is just average. Harris Jeyaraj has shown his class in almost all the songs. They are just amazing.
The second half starts quite interesting with Dong Lee chasing Surya and Shruti.
Around this stage, the director has no clue how to end the movie. So he exposes the disease that Dong Lee suffers from. It is called hypnotic diarrhea. Dong Lee just hyptonises every single person and makes them fight against Surya and Shruti. It was so effective that one person in the theatre got hypnotised and ran towards the screen chasing them.
The actual story should have been that Dong Lee suffers from this disease and he comes to India to get it cured, but the director had other plans in mind.
Finally, at the end of the movie, Surya delivers the big halwa dialogue to every one asking us to go home and relax.
Went to the theatre after seeing all the hype about 7am Arivu.  It was very interesting to note that there is not even a single banner or poster for 7am Arivu, while the theatre is full of Ra.One posters.  I was not sure what to interpret from this, but it was interesting.


What a waste of time! I am guessing Velayudham will be a big hit..thanks to 7am Arivu.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Apple iPad 2 - PART 4

Performance:

If there’s one thing we utterly adore about the two, it has to be the fact that they offer a solid one day’s worth of normal usage – without the worry of having to recharge at any point during the day. On that note, having spent quite some time with both tablets, it seems that in our experience that the iPad 2 has an edge over its rival, but nevertheless, they still offer tolerable levels over the existing crop. Once fully charged in the morning, we didn’t have the need to plug it up even before getting some sleep at the end of the night.


Conclusion:

Literally, it’s a coin toss between the two mainly because they are priced evenly and have their own unique strengths that appeal to certain individuals out there. In terms of design though, we know that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has the prestigious title of being the thinnest and lightest, but when thinking about their starting price of $500, the iPad 2’s thin profile, solid construction, and choice of premium materials radiates more value for the buck. However, Android 3.1 Honeycomb on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers a higher degree of personalization, better implementation of notifications, and an integrated experience that’s barely contested by the iPad 2. Additionally, Samsung’s tablet is the go-to device if you’re intimately interested in shooting photos and videos. In the end, it’s truly the platform experience that vastly separates the two, but no matter which way you dissect it, both are undoubtedly regarded as being the top contenders in this ever-growing tablet space right now.

Test Center Scorecard
	20%	20%	15%	20%	15%	10%
Apple iPad 2	9	8	9	8	9	8	8.5 Very Good
	20%	20%	15%	20%	15%	10%
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1	9	7	8	6	9	8	7.8 Good

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Apple iPad 2 - PART 3

Camera:

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the superior one when it comes to snapping photos. Blatantly, its 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera produces images that are filled with better detail and color production. Looking at the same shots, you can clearly see that the iPad 2’s results are filled with soft details and washed out looking colors – making it look rather muddy and hazy overall. With macro shots, it’s obvious that images taken by the Galaxy Tab 10.1 are sharper looking. Additionally, there’s a noticeable amount of digital noise evident with the iPad 2’s shots in low lighting, which is something less prominent with the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Apple iPad 2
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Apple iPad 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Apple iPad 2 Outdoor samples

At the same time, 720p video recording with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is considerably superior again versus the iPad 2’s production – and it’s like night and day between the two! Granted that they both shoot at the rate of 29 frames per second, we notice that there is a slight jerkiness to the Galaxy Tab 10.1’s video, but it’s nothing too detracting from its overall good quality.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Sample Video:



Apple iPad 2 Sample Video:




Multimedia:

Sadly, there isn’t any headway with the music player on the iPad 2 seeing that it carries over the same one that we saw with its predecessor. Naturally, it’s more than functional in playing some tunes, but it’s obviously lacking that polarizing presentation that’s found with Cover Flow on the iPhone. However, the music player on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is tastefully full of eye-catching visuals – especially with its 3D like carousel interface. Packing on left and right speakers, the Galaxy Tab 10.1’s output is rather neutral in tone, and it’s surprising to find the single speaker of the iPad 2 outputting deeper bass tones.

Music player of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The music player of Apple iPad 2

Without a doubt, both tablets excel when it comes down to playing high-definition videos since their processors effortlessly work in producing smooth playback. And since they have the ideal screen size for watching videos, they present a conducive experience for those long trips on the road. However, Galaxy Tab 10.1’s 16:9 aspect ratio is the preferred choice since for movies, while the 4:3 screen of the iPad is better for internet browsing.

Watching videos on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

The video player of Apple iPad 2

Unfortunately, neither offer any dedicated HDMI-out ports to easily share content with the big screen. However, you can accomplish that and get treated to a mirrored experienced with the iPad 2 by using an optional HDMI-out dongle. With the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, it’ll likely emulate the same functionality, but it’ll probably be in the form of some kind of pedestal dock.

Again, there is nothing new present with the photo gallery on the iPad 2 and it pales in comparison to the glitzy presentation and sharing prowess of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. In fact, the 3D stacked look of the gallery app on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 emulates a field of depth as you tilt the tablet accordingly. Besides the bedazzling look of the gallery, there’s a decent amount of sharing options with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Oppositely, the only sharing function that you can execute with the iPad 2 is sending photos via email – that’s all!

Although both tablets are available in 16GB and 32GB varieties, it’s only the iPad 2 that pushes it up one notch by offering a 64GB version. Happily, we’re still more than content to see pricing on the same level with both tablets – even though we have seen others priced below the $500 mark.


Software:

On the surface, the YouTube apps on both tablets might have the same layout with its presentation, but we slightly lean towards the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on this one since there is more control given to the user. Specifically, you have the ability to choose either low or high quality with the Wi-Fi Galaxy Tab 10.1, but with the iPad 2, you can only get low quality if you’re streaming over a 3G connection – with high quality enabled all the time with Wi-Fi connections. Furthermore, the YouTube app on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 packages in the usual variety of sharing functions that we come to expect out of Android.

Being a Google powered platform and all, there’s no denying that the Google Maps experience with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is going to be drastically better than the iPad 2. First and foremost, you get free voice guided turn-by-turn directions with Google Maps Navigation on the Android tablet. Secondly, it provides integration with some of Google’s other services – like Google Talk, Latitude, and Buzz. And finally, 3D map view with select cities just about rounds out the depth of features found with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. As for the iPad 2, it only delivers the most basic functions with Google Maps – such as getting directions, enabling satellite view, and getting street view.

Primarily because it had a head start, there are more tablet-optimized third party apps found with iOS on the Apple iPad 2 versus the Honeycomb powered Galaxy Tab 10.1. Despite being approximately 3 months old at this point, we still find a lack of venerable third party Honeycomb apps in the Android Market.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Apple iPad 2 - PART 2

Interface and Functionality:

Considering that dual-core processors are all the rage nowadays, it’s not surprising to find them on these two premier tablets – a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 1GHz Apple A5 processor on the iPad 2. Needless to say, they’re more than equipped to handle the rigorous demands of their respective tablet platforms. With most basic operations like opening up apps and maneuvering between their homescreens, they’re effortlessly accomplished with barely any pause with their operation. However, it’s quite evident that the iPad 2 is more gracious with its movement since everything has this wickedly smooth feel to it. Interestingly enough, there is some evidence of slowdown when navigating across the homescreen of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in portrait – though, it’s probably related to Honeycomb’s programming.

Ultimately, the biggest differentiator between the two is the tablet experience they have to offer. We’ve visited this before and it’s more of the same between the two as iOS on the iPad 2 is by far the easier and straightforward platform with its simplistic nature. Oppositely, there is a sprinkling of complexity attached to Android 3.1 Honeycomb on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it undoubtedly offers a ton more appreciable personalization with its live wallpapers and widget offerings. Moreover, Honeycomb better implements multi-tasking and notifications, which is still something not as clearly defined with the current available iOS experience.

The interface of the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

The interface of the Apple iPad 2

When it comes to inputting text, neither has a drastic advantage over the other since their on-screen keyboards are well sized and responsive – thus, minimizing mistakes while speed typing. However, if you’d rather input text a different way, say like using your voice instead, Honeycomb on Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers voice recognition to easily speak what you want to write. Besides that, the overall traditional typing experiences on both tablets are identical to one another in terms of functionality, speed, and responsiveness.

Samsung keyboard	Honeycomb keyboard	TalkBack keyboard
On-screen keyboards of the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

On-screen keyboard of the Apple iPad 2

If Gmail is your kind of thing, then it’s a no-brainer reason why you shouldn’t stick with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on this one – especially when it’s running  Google’s tablet optimized platform. Of course, there are some additional features available at your disposal that tastefully emulates the desktop experience on the Galaxy Tab 10.1. However, the layouts of both email interfaces are basically the same as they utilize a familiar two-panel layout that’s more than informative and adept at displaying emails in full fidelity.

Email on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

The e-mail app of the Apple iPad 2

Taking a gander at their organizer apps, like the calendar and address book, they’re closely similar in presentation since they fully take advantage of their confines. For example, you have a two panel interface with their respective address books as one side acts as your scrollable list, while the other displays all relevant information associated to the selected contact. Again, we see similar elements in place with their calendar apps.

Calendar on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

The Calendar of the Apple iPad 2

Internet and Connectivity:

Thanks to its Adobe Flash support, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers you that true desktop-like experience with web browsing that some are sure to adore and appreciate. Although it’s lacking on the iPad 2, it still delivers a resounding experience seeing that it’s easily more fluid with its navigational operation – like kinetic scrolling and pinch zooming.  Complex pages load in a timely manner with both, but we still have to hand it to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on this one seeing that it has a tiny bit more features, like Flash support and incognito mode, that rounds out its overall appeal.

Web surfing with the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

Safari browser on the iPad 2

There is nothing out of the ordinary with these Wi-Fi only models, especially when they retain a solid connection to our local Wi-Fi hotspot. Furthermore, they both sport the same set of connectivity options like Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, aGPS, and their proprietary dock connection ports. As we know, the iPad 2 is available in 3G form with AT&T and Verizon in the US, but the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will more than likely have the cutting edge when we see the LTE version arrive for Big Red.