The Himalayan Climb

A personal reflection on my journey in the pursuit of meaning

Ansh

  • Black Adam

    Black Adam

    2h 5m

    2022

    Jaume Collet-Serra

    3/10

    It was a shit film. Nothing exiciting about it. The only cool thing I would say is that we got to see Hawkman and Doctor Fate on the big screen in action. It was cool to see The Rock as the long awaited Black Adam, however, we were just seeing The Rock cosplaying as him and didn’t get to see him embody the character. I think the supporting characters were horrible especially the mum and the son and they should have done a better job casting these characters. I think that this is a film that can be easily bypassed and not missed.

    Acting 4/10

    Cinematography 6/10

    Plot 3/10

    Immersion 4/10

    Score 4/10

    Payoff 3/10

  • Alien vs. Predator

    Alien vs. Predator

    1h 41m

    2004

    Paul W.S. Anderson

    6/10

    I think that this was a fun film to watch but took a while to get started which broke the immersion and made it boring at times. The action sequences between the aliens and the predators were great and the deaths of the humans were all choreographed in a very cool way. The predator’s character was also shown in a different light which I really liked and the final battle was very fun to watch. I think this is a fun film to watch if you got the time.

    Acting 6/10

    Cinematography 6/10

    Plot 6/10

    Immersion 7/10

    Score 5/10

    Payoff 7/10

  • Predators

    Predators

    1h 47m

    2010

    Nimród Antal

    7/10

    A fun film to watch if you have the time. I like the character dynamics and each one of them add something unique to the story. The action sequences are great and don’t at any point feel tedious and boring to watch. It is a good addition to the predator franchise.

    Acting 7/10

    Cinematography 5/10

    Plot 6/10

    Immersion 7/10

    Score 5/10

    Payoff 6/10

  • Taare Zameen Par

    Taare Zameen Par

    2h 42m

    2007

    Amir Khan

    Amole Gupte

    9/10

    This movie is a brilliant piece of art and a must-watch. It dives into the world seen through the lens of a dyslexic child. This film brings out all of your emotions as you see the hard times that Ishaan goes through as the society around him is not willing to accept his difficulties and help him persevere through them. Darsheel Safary brings Ishaan to life and adds a layer of realism to the character, adding to the story’s immersion. Amir Khan’s brilliant directing not only shows how harsh Indian society can be to children suffering from learning difficulties but also how we as a culture can improve together by showing love to one another. Bollywood needs to make more movies like this that emphasise characters and develop them with time throughout the movie. The family dynamic is also great and feels very real and personal, you can feel the genuine love that they feel towards each other even when they are fighting. You can’t help but emphasise the father when he is punishing Ishaan as you can understand his motivations and his fear which all stem from the brilliant writing in this film. All the mini-arcs of the teachers also leave a satisfying ending there is no single antagonist in this film, rather the antagonist is the cultural norms that refuse to see and accept children that do not excel in traditional academia. Overall, I think this film is great in helping us understand the trials and tribulations experienced by children with learning disabilities and I think it is worth taking out the time to watch this movie.

    Acting 10/10

    Cinematography 9/10

    Plot 10/10

    Immersion 9/10

    Score 8/10

    Payoff 10/10

  • Rush Hour 3

    Rush Hour 3

    1h 31m

    2007

    Brett Ratner

    4/10

    I think that this movie did not live up to the other movies in any department. I think that the plot in this movie did not hold up and the surprise villain was very easy to guess from the beginning. It felt as though they were just reusing older storylines and moments to bring in the money but didn’t care that much about delivering a great plot and humour. Some of the action sequences in this one also seemed a bit off which ruined the immersion as well. I think that the female lead did not deliver again as there was no emotional attachment to her character. However, I think that the brother angle could have been explored a bit more as I think there was substance in that storyline but the movie was not able to deliver on it. Also, what was going on with the camera work and the colour grading made the whole movie seem a bit off as it did not have that classic look that we have grown to love. Overall, I would say that this movie can be overlooked and I don’t think that you will miss anything significant. The only saving grace this movie has is that we get to see the Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker dynamic again.

    Acting 6/10

    Cinematography 4/10

    Plot 4/10

    Immersion 4/10

    Score 6/10

    Payoff 3/10

  • Rush Hour 2

    Rush Hour 2

    1h 30m

    2001

    Brett Ratner

    7/10

    I think that this is another great addition to the Rush Hour franchise. The great dynamic between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker is still there and some might say that the chemistry is even better now. It feels as though these two have been good friends for years with the way the dynamic acts comparable to the initial movie where Jackie Chan’s performance felt a bit held back in engaging in the friendly banter. However, I feel as though the female lead was a bit lacking in terms of acting and at times only served as eye candy for the viewer rather than adding anything meaningful to the scene. The romance between Jackie Chan and Roselyn Sanchez did not feel as natural as it should, but I don’t believe it took much away from the overall movie. The main antagonist is not as great as the first film and I feel the story of the antagonist was not that greatly written. I think that the movie does have its iconic moments. Overall, I think it does not live up to the first movie but is still a great film to watch.

    Acting 7/10

    Cinematography 6/10

    Plot 6/10

    Immersion 7/10

    Score 7/10

    Payoff 6/10

  • Rush Hour

    Rush Hour

    1h 38m

    1998

    Brett Ratner

    8/10

    The jokes still hold value to this day, this film does not fail to make you laugh. The chemistry between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker is off the charts, it is great to see how this film really capitalises on the American and Chinese dynamic and really shows how the two opposing nations view each other with the classic stereotypes and squeeze the gold mine of jokes that comes with it. The plot serves as a good foundation for the two protagonists to really show off their chemistry and go along the ride with them. This movie is filled with iconic moments from the beginning which are memorable till this day. Julia Hsu as Soo Young really made us feel for her and I think gave a sense of realism to the story which strengthed the plot and made us want the good guys to win. The antagonist was great and a bit unexpected when he was revealed which further added to the plot. This is a must-watch comedy film with a classic story filled with laughs.

    Acting 8/10

    Cinematography 6/10

    Plot 8/10

    Immersion 8/10

    Score 7/10

    Payoff 7/10

  • of course, I’m ill on the third day

    of course, I’m ill on the third day

    Tuesday 19th November ’24

    Today I woke up with a very familiar pain. My tonsils were hurting. Just ruins your fucking day to have a tonsil infection, hurts to talk, hurts to drink water, hurts to eat, hurts to think. I’ve had recurring tonsil infections since childhood, I have an infection around six times a year and half the time it leads to a fever. Apparently, my tonsils are naturally quite large and are prone to irritation. My dad’s said to remove them but it just feels wrong to cut a body part away which has put off the operation for years. But, I didn’t really let this ruin my day too much.

    Did affect the time I wanted to wake up though, woke up at 11am even though I had said to myself I will wake up before 9am. But it was a pretty productive day, did some experiments which is shown in the picture, but I can’t be asked to write anymore my tonsils are killing me.

    Anyways, see you later.

  • 4.

    A tired restless mind

    clicks of the keyboard repeat

    On and on and on

    This haiku was made after a 14 hour workday so I have no fucking idea what I am writing, my brain is fucking fried right now.

  • the uni grind halts the start

    the uni grind halts the start

    Monday 18th November ’24

    Today was a long day, but I am happy. It was a very productive day, it has been a while since I have been this on work, I don’t actually remember the last time I worked so dilligently, must have been months ago. Anyways it feels good, like I’ve done something useful with my time and have given my future self a bit of a break from the work that would have otherwise piled up on him. I think that there is a lesson to be learnt here, DO THE WORK NOW.

    Also if your wondering, I am a Masters Engineering student, specifically doing Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, whew that was long. I know what you are thinking, “wow that must be so hard”, yes you are write it is dreadful but it has its up moments. There are specific instances in this course where I just get into the flow and just don’t feel like stopping. Let’s say today for example, I started working in uni from 9:30am and worked basically continuously till about 9:30 pm, then I went out for dinner with my flatmates and had a full chicken to my self, after which I came home at 11pm and studied till 1am.That is fucking 14 hours of work I have done in one fucking day. Bloody impressive. I was thinking of maybe sharing something but my mind is so fried right now that I can’t think of anything else to write on this blog so I will see you guys tomorrow.

    See ya.