White Collar Review

White Collar is a television series by USA Network.  This show is about an expert con-man teaming up with a FBI agent under the white collar division.  I know it seems like you seen it before in Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks but trust me guys the writers were able to add their own creative originality to it.  The con-man named Neal Caffrey played by Matt Bomer is being chased by a FBI agent named Peter Burke played by Tim Dekay.  After three years of struggle between the two, Peter captures Neal and sends him to jail.  Close to his parole Neal escapes in desperate hopes to find his ex girlfriend.  However, he fails to do so and is again captured by Peter and sent back to jail.  Peter is unable to solve a specific case and goes to Neal for some of his criminal expertise.  This is where the relationship between the two kicks off as Neal was great help in solving the case.  A deal is then struck where Neal can leave prison under Peter’s custody as a FBI consultant. (By the way this all takes place in the first episode).

White Collar is probably my favourite show just because of the brilliant script and the great cast.  Every episode has a smart script and always leads to a big twist.  Also, if you like the show Suits then I guarantee you will love this show.  I strongly recommend this show to everyone!

Games of Thrones Review

Set in the backdrop of a medieval fantasy world, Games of Thrones is a TV series airing on HBO based on a bestselling book by George R.R. Martin.  The series is very well casted, with all the characters very believable in their parts.  The story can be complicated at times, with several side stories running parallel to each other, however we are getting set for a big climax, as we see how each story is interconnected.  Although the series is set in a fantasy world, the themes and story lines are ‘realistic’ so you can easily relate to the show.  The themes are also relatable as each individual story deals with morals, good versus evil, and strong family ties. 

I have just recently started watching the show and instantly got hooked. If you were a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies then you will definitely love this.  However, I believe the show has a particular fan following.  I highly recommend you watch the first two episodes before making a final judgement about the show (the premier is not enough).  Give this show a try, critics love it and I am sure you will too!

The Dictator Review

The Dictator starring Sacha Baron Cohen is about Admiral General Aladeen, a dictator from a fictional country called the Republic of Wadiya.  General Aladeen comes to America to speak at the UN headquarters against the pressure they are putting on him to bring democracy to his country.  Along the way he gets kidnapped and is replaced by an illiterate look–alike. The movie then goes on to show the great lengths he goes through to stop democracy coming to Wadiya.

Overall reviews on rotten tomatoes on this movie are a 58% rating.  I read a lot of reviews on this movie and find them overly critical.  Come on guys cut this movie some slack.  The leading character is played by a stand up comedian; you seriously can’t go into this movie thinking it’s going to be the next Oscar nominee!

To be honest I have never been a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen’s movies like Borat and Bruno just because I find it to consist more of random stupidity than any real witty jokes.  This movie is definitely not a box office hit to be seen on the big screen but it’s good enough to be a fun mindless comedy for a Friday night rental.  Definitely a good laugh!

Spartacus Review

Spartacus is a Starz TV series based on the story of the well known Grecian gladiator, Spartacus, who helped his fellow gladiators escape slavery from the Romans.  The show is fictional, and only the major events are based from actual history.  The characters in the show are complex, and many of them deal with their own inner turmoil.  The show uses actual people who lived during Spartacus lifetime.  The story in Spartacus is very simple, and most of the characters evolve around the central storyline.  The show could benefit from introducing other storylines and provide a little more complexity to each episode.  The show is also very well filmed, as there are slow motion and CGI affects which enhance to the look and feel of the show.

Overall, I would highly recommend this show to people who are interested in the roman era.  If you are looking for a great script, smart humor and of course mindless violence, the show definitely has it.  The actors portray their roles brilliantly.  To me this show is the perfect mix between the movies Gladiator and 300 (both are among my favourite movies).  This is a solid yes from me! I recommend you start watching now so that you are all caught up for the premier of the next season. 

Marvel's The Avengers

Hey everyone, my name is Shan Pasha and am currently majoring in Finance.  I was born in Saudi Arabia (but from Pakistani background) and moved here when I was about two years old.  I have been living in Mississauga ever since I came here.  I love sports, especially Basketball!  I wanted to do my blog on the basketball finals but they were unfortunately taken.  So I chose to write about my best favourite pastime which is watching movies and TV shows.  I am giving you guys a heads up my reviews will definitely have a lot of spoilers.  You have been warned! 

I thought it would be best if I started off my blog by reviewing the Avengers due to the intensive amount of attention the movie is receiving.  Avengers is a superhero movie released in 2012 based on Marvel comics characters.  Several 'prequel' movies were made and these characters came together for this film.  The roster consists of Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr), Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo), Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), and Captain America (played by Chris Evans).  These were all characters that had their movie before Avengers.  Due to this, character development was extensive, and the viewers had a good understanding and attachment to these characters.  It was very interesting to see these characters interact outside the setting of being the one main super hero, as they had been in their individual movies.  Each character in Avengers had to show their own strength and become the 'hero' in their own way, while still sharing the screen with other superheroes.  This led to the audience learning about different sides to these heroes.

There were much hype and high expectations for this movie prior to release.  Assembling all the superheroes together was never seen before and no one really knows what to expect.  Many people were speculating that the movie was going to be to chaotic with all these actors sharing screen space.  However, the movie turned out to be higher than expected and is sitting at a solid 93% by critics and 96% audience review.  The movie also turned out to be the third highest grossing movie of all time behind Avatar and Titanic.  This was all accomplished by the brilliance of Joss Whedon.  Honestly, I have never heard of him until this movie.  All he was known for was creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  He turned out to be the perfect choice! He made this movie extremely entertaining with a great witty dialogue, great script, stunning visual effects, and of course superb use of the actors.  Robert Downey Jr never lets us down! He was able to bring his witty charm from Iron Man smoothly to this movie.  I strongly recommend this movie to everyone, not only superhero fans!