Mountains of the Moon (2013)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This was supposed to be one breakthrough movie for the Tollywood industry, a record budget, exotic locations, a masterpiece of a classic as a story, arguably the biggest star in the industry, as lead. And what did it achieve... did it achieve greatness? no, did it do justice to the book? no, did it establish Dev as an even bigger superstar? in my opinion another "no". Starting from Buno Haansh, Dev decided to do more meaningful roles, catering to a different target audience, and this was a big opportunity for him too. But the problem he has with his diction is a major one. The moment he starts reading the letter to his mom, it becomes so very apparent. To be fair to him, he though did wonderfully well towards the end of the movie when Shankar appeared to lose his sanity and that was the only time some power-packed acting came through. But the bigger letdown was the one playing Alvarez. He left no mark whatsoever in this critical role. It demanded some X-factor in its portrayal, but there was none. The Bunip was left as a mysterious creature throughout by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhdhay, director Kamaleshwar Mukherjee decided to elaborate on it, great for the kids, but not for mature viewers, who would have better liked it left as a shadow on the tent, its first show in the movie, and true to its description by the author. Through the middle of its running time, it felt more like watching National Geographic than a movie to speak of the locations used and shown. It may be a great kids' movie, I am sure they have lapped it up, but for more adult and mature viewers, a letdown and a missed opportunity. 5/10.

The movie is based on a novel written by a noted Bengali writer almost 100 years back. And the story still remains the main asset of this movie. It not only takes you through the visual marvels of the Dark Continent, but keeps you engrossed in a tale of adventure and thrill throughout.Dev as the protagonist (Shankar) appears a miscast initially and in fact over-shadowed by Gerard Rudolf during major part of the movie. The acting was constipated, lacking natural reactions and expressions. But as the movie progresses, Dev evolves. Especially the sequences towards the ending have been carried out brilliantly.The movie is high on production value. Well researched costumes, props, landscapes and use of CGI make it a visual delight, enough to make any filmmaker proud. In fact this movie costing less than 3 Million USD could easily parallel any international or Hollywood movie made on the same story. Hats off to the makers for that!Overall a good movie to watch, 7/10.

First of all I would like to congratulate Mr. Kamaleswar Mukherjee for a brave and inspiring attempt. Chander Pahar, the most expensive Bengali cinema till date, will definitely change the course of Bengali cinema in coming years. From cinematic point of view the movie is not anyway comparable to Indiana Jones or King Solomon's Mines or Romancing the Stone. Not even near to those. But we have to remember that it's a Bengali film with a budget of only 15 crore. So it will be unfair to compare this film with any of the Hollywood classics.Plus points.1. Marvelous camera-work. I have to admit that the photography is really stunning and near perfect. Specially the helicopter shots. 2. Direction. Despite a few loopholes, Kamaleshwar Mukherjee has done a commendable job. 3. Gerard Rudolf as Diego Alvarez. I really like this man. His screen presence is more enjoyable than Dev. 4. Background music. Some lack of variation, but appropriate for an adventure in Africa.Weakness.1. Dev's accent. Far better than Paglu, Khokababu etc. But still a long way to go. 2. Volcanic eruption. The CGI is below average. 3. Some variations from the original story. Like, in the original book, the Black Mamba didn't bite Shankar. He put the torch light into the eyes of the snake for three hours. After that the snake moved away. This would be more realistic. Another variation is the Bunyip. The mythical creature. Shankar never killed Bunyip. It remained a mystery till the end. This would also be more realistic and cost efficient. Overall, I like the movie. It's a memorable and entertaining journey which lasts for 2 and half hours. I recommend this film to everyone. Specially for Bengali speaking people, it's a must-see. Despite the flaws, with this film, the Bengali cinema will enter into a new era. And this feeling is making me very proud as a Bengali.

An awesome,fabulous movie. It has taken Indian movies to a new height!!Kudos to Mr.Kamelshwar Mukherjee and his whole unit who have dared to undertake such a risky project for the sake of Indian cinema. Dev has been really good especially during last part.Also liked the way Kamaleshwar has perfected the concept of Bunyip.Other stunts with the wild animals were also nicely done. A big round of applause to the dop.The photography is really breath taking. Altogether a very thrilling and adventurous movie....a nice break from the daily regular masala movies we generally watch!! So go ahead...and make an eventful 2.5 hours journey to "Chander Pahar".