I read the comments for the movie and I watched it anyway, yes stupid me. I thought nearly all failures and trivia where summarized but I was stunned by the amount of unmentioned and absolute stupid things I noticed during watching it.

First of all I laughed my ass of reading joeytonz comment, leading me to the decision to watch the movie. I really enjoyed "house of the dead" by Uwe Boll (I bet everyone heard of this "famous" man). To this point I rated "hotd" worst movie I've ever seen but also most funniest movie I've ever seen and great for enjoying some cold beer with friends and making fun about errors and bad acting. "Raging Shark" just climbed to the top! It is really, really bad. The stock footage scenes don't fit in there, the actors don't deserve this term and characters are non present, they are just empty talking flesh bags trying to survive the attacks of the growling sharks.

I don't know what the editor of this movie was, but not a clever persons, that's a fact. I barely could stop laughing when the female diver tries to find her missing friends and somehow calls their names and communicates with the base. What's funny about that? you might ask... well, did you ever tried to speak with the breathing equipment in your mouth? There's no helmet, no radio, just a simple scuba gear ( in deep sea, can't be healthy). She simply has to be telepathic gifted. There are aliens, so why not? Another example for telepathic gift delivers the man who calls Corin to inform him about the deep sea accident. Just seconds earlier we see a shark destroying the energy and radio-cables and we learn that the ship on the surface can't contact the base and obviously no one knows what's going on below them. Back to the telepath, he describes to Corin in detail what happened at the base, two friends killed (even their names), cables destroyed and various other informations AND the ship can't make ANY contact to the base. So what? how does he know? AFTER that scene we see a diver sent by the ships captain to explore what happened down there. (They need a mini submarine to get to the surface but super-diver can dive the whole way down... sure) OK, we learn he didn't dive down to the base but discovers that the cables are destroyed... noticed something? the telepath knew it long before him.

Here's my theory: It wasn't any human who called Corin but the shark who killed the two divers and destroyed the cables himself! There are aliens, people can communicate under water without radio, so why shouldn't a shark call someone to lure a new victim to the scene...

By the way time doesn't seem to play any role in this movie. Everything happens instantly, or at least we don't get a single information about time passing between events. in combination with really bad cuts it's simply disturbing.

I bet there are a lot more of stupid mistakes I nor the other commentators mentioned but where is the fun if you can't discover some on your own? Summery: lots of errors, plot holes and incredibly stupid stuff to discuss with friends during building up a tower with empty beer bottles. If you're really going to watch the movie ask everyone to shut off ones brain, relax and laugh, discuss and rotate on the floor.


This movie was a hoot! Bad stock footage, bad acting, bad story, just plain bad. Lots of opportunities for a laugh. I don't think they meant it to be a comedy, however. I especially enjoyed (was highly amused is a better term) the growling sharks. They appeared to be great whites in several shots, but sounded like 'tigers' (g). The acting was rather wooden which contributes to the overall poor production.

Basically, an alien space accident results in a module being cast into the ocean. A few years later, a portable lab is positioned close to the module, which we later find out triggered a signal into space. This apparently causes the sharks to go into protect mode and they begin killing off anyone coming close. The module contains a material which, when mixed with something (Deuterium?) produces cold fusion. The government (or military/special ops) knew about the module (how?) but had not been able to locate it until the lab stumbled upon it, thus setting off the signal (how was the signal detected?). Various action scenes ensue with many people being eaten (no truly great footage here, only a couple of good shots. One such shot of reporters falling into the water after their 25+ foot boat is attacked and sunk by a (as in one) 'raging' shark. The shark chows down and we see a camera with an arm from the elbow down still holding on.).

Many things to criticize. Ten minutes of oxygen left in the lab turns into several minutes of chase/fight scenes with fires blazing everywhere. The starring couple (Vanessa Angel looking rather pouty with her botox-laden lips) starving for oxygen at the end while sitting in a diving prep room full of tanks (and them in wet suits). The lab disintegrating at the end and yet the couple miraculously appearing in full scuba regalia and surviving the accent (several hundred feet in seconds?!?!). Many, many other such inconsistencies.

If you can maintain a sense of humor throughout it's a fun movie, however poorly acted/scripted. If continuity issues bother you I wouldn't recommend this movie.

2 of 10 - above a 1 only because I like Vanessa Angel, though not one of her better films.


There's a great drinking game hidden in this movie. All of the scenes, plots, characters, settings, dialog seem to be lifted from other movies. Sadly, this movie would be better if they just cut and pasted all the clips from each movie together, rather than reshooting them. But I think if you recognize something ripped off from another movie, you should get to drink.

ie. Star Wars: film opens with alien space ship passing before camera

The Abyss: incidental appearance of nuclear attack submarine unfriendly commando(s) underwater research station aliens at the bottom of the ocean Operatic music when aliens appear husband and wife together in underwater base

Deep Blue Sea: smart sharks that are team players

Jaws: the beach scene, including water-level camera angle

Jaws2: aircraft gets attacked by shark

Alien: blue collar crewmen, sassing the female boss

Aliens Pvt Hudson & the unwilling tech guy ("Game over man", vs. "I'm not going out there")

The Black Hole cowardly dude gets what's coming after stealing the escape pod

Leviathan: sunken cargo ship with dangerous cargo symbolical breaking to helpless support ship

and lots, lots more. I'll stop here, because my BAC is approaching critical.

Favorite bits: the seaplane approaching the base, yet with the shore only a few hundred yards away. Our heroes, who swim faster than a nuclear sub, and faster than the sound of the explosion which would have otherwise concussed them. Fearless leader, who suspects the health inspector is from the CIA, which is obviously your first choice when thinking about groups of really mean guys Sub Captain, who lets any old health inspector aboard his nuclear attack vessel, without making that phone call to check up on them, first.


Watch it. Love it. Regret It.

Wonderful stock footage of sharks, of people of the beach, of submarines, sewn together with bad acting and an even worse script. A must see for bad movie fans. In particular this is worth a watch just for the one shot of the tug-boat hand pulling off his hat and crinkling his face as he responds to the tragedy of a diver's sudden choppily-edited, stock-footaged death in the mouth of a Raging Shark. Even the credits are hilarious as you read the names which all seem to end in 'ovo' or 'vala' as this film was some sort of Bulgarian production. And remember as you come to the conclusion that there is a lesson here: There are literal Raging Sharks, but there are also metaphorical Raging Sharks: Humans.

Great Stuff!


This film was on TV the other night and I knew nothing about it beforehand. After the opening scene I thought it's some late '80s shark flick and it would be a fun passtime to watch it for typical B-movie elements. Geez, they made such a film in 2005!!

OK, let me tell this straight. I didn't watch the film expecting a great thrilling storyline or great ideas or things like that. It's pretty obvious that this film would contain the lamest story possible (sharks come near alien waste underwater and they go insane) with the lamest dialogues ("Man this is Bermuda triangle... do you know how many ships drowned here?") and the cheapest effects.

I watched it expecting a bit gore and hints of nudity etc. Well, the seems like they wished to make a G-rated film. I mean there were three pretty girls in the underwater lab and none of them attempted to remove their cloths. Then why should anyone watch such movies for? Plastic shark heads moving under shallow water? Pardon me for those women-objectifying wishes, but I know where to expect what.

Why are these things made again and again?


Raging Sharks starts in outer space as some alien spaceship collides with another, two aliens on-board escape in a small pod thing & crash land on Earth in the Ocean right bang in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. Jump forward five years & an underwater scientific research laboratory called the Oceania is conducting experiments in the area when they notice an increase in Shark numbers & activity. While diving outside two of the crew are attacked & killed by the Sharks which then bite through the power cables & oxygen supply rendering the laboratory crippled & those left inside trapped underwater, surrounded by killer Sharks & their air supply quickly running out. Help comes in the form of a US submarine which for some reason isn't equipped to carry out an underwater rescue, are the scientists in the Oceania doomed or can they find a way escape a watery grave?

This straight-to-video Bulgarian American co-production is yet another awful Nu Image Films 'Creature Feature' about killer Sharks, co-produced & directed by Danny Lerner this is one truly terrible film. Raging Sharks isn't even in the dubious 'so bad it's good' category, nope it's just plain so bad it's very painful to watch. The script is awful, it starts off like some cheap alien film set in outer space but then when it switches to Earth things just go from bad to worse, if the US government knew that a spaceship crash landed in the Ocean why couldn't they find it? Didn't they have radar? Wouldn't they have used radar to know of it's existence in the first place? In the space of five years they couldn't have searched the area? Initially I thought the Bermuda Triangle setting was going to lead to something but it quite literally never does, why emphasise the fact that your film is set in this notorious region & yet make absolutely nothing out of it? How were the Sharks controlled? Why weren't other sea creatures under the same control? If they were merely protecting the alien pod why did they attack that beach? Why hadn't they attacked anyone or any boats within the last five years? If a potentially world changing new source of fuel is discovered by the US do you think they would send one single guy to get it? Wouldn't they like send in the entire Navy? Why wasn't that submarine equipped for an underwater rescue when everyone knew that's exactly what needed to happen? Why did it suddenly catch fire & all the doors jam? Why is the ending so bad? How did those two scientists survive being blown up with the laboratory? How could she stay underwater for so long without breathing gear & yet survive? I could go on all day, these are just some of the general problems with the plot but there are loads of individual scenes which make no sense & are just plain stupid. Even die hard 'Creature Feature' fans might have a hard time sitting through this one, I know I did.

As well as being conceptually terrible Raging Sharks is technically terrible too, this is one of the worst edited films ever with really almost all of the Shark attacks achieved with the sue of stock footage inter-cut with the actor's so the Sharks & actor's very rarely appear on screen together & the same piece of footage is used over & over again. I must also say that the Sharks in this film growl & roar like Lions or Tigers which is plainly just absurd & makes the already pathetic attack scenes unintentionally funny. The gore is minimal with some bloody water & nowt else. Apparently a lot of the Shark attack footage was lifted from other Nu Image Films including Shark Attack 2 (2001) & Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002) which is probably why the editing looks so choppy & the scenes so disjointed.

Obviously shot on a low budget Raging Sharks is set in Bermuda but was filmed in Sofia in Bulgaria & it shows. The 'star' names in the cast are Vanessa Angel & Corben Bernsen who both obviously needed the money.

Raging Sharks is a terrible film & it's as simple & straight forward as that, even as far as rubbishy 'Creature Features' go Raging Sharks is terrible. Not even good in a bad way, one to avoid.


Geez! Unfortunately, I didn't connect to the IMDb to check on this before we went to the video store, these sharks (and their lousy producers and cast) chew away $4.00 from me. As it happens very often in a bad movie case, I found myself making fun of the movie and wondering how in the world there are not authorities to prevent these disasters from even getting to innocent hands like ours. My poor daughter was hoping for a "Deep Blue Sea", and she got the "Deep Goo Sh**".

The people commenting here about this movie are so right about the spoofs they found out, that I wont repeat them. But it chocked me mysteriously that when the female star decided to go "to help" the poor people that were actually being eaten by the sharks outside, the producer magically omitted the at least half and hour or more that takes to change into a diving suit. Who she thought she was? Superman, that changes inside a phone booth in an instant??? Oh wait...there are no phone booths undersea!...Oh well.

If you are in a bank account suicidal drill or just love Animal Planet (and I'm not referring only to the sharks), don't let us commenters stop you...go ahead and rent it... Don't say we didn't warn you.


To be fair, I didn't watch this entire fiasco. I missed the beginning, which would have detailed some type of alien cylinder that is placed in the ocean, one that drives sharks into a feeding frenzy. One that apparently also provides them with super powers, like the ability to growl while they are under water.

But this missing piece only increased my appreciation for the horror that is RAGING SHARKS. Finally, a Sci Fi Channel acquisition that was so bad, so incompetent, that it descends into the realm of the ludicrous. This movie is Ed Wood bad. It's startlingly, stunningly bad, even by Sci Fi Channel standards.

My favorite exchange occurs when the hull of the sub/underwater station is compromised. There are explosions. There are fireballs. People run screaming this way and that. Water rushes into the structure. Pipes and walls burst. Then, Corbin Bernsen gets on the radio, looking rather dapper in the command set that he never leaves (like Basil Rathbone in an old Roger Corman movie), and puts out a desperate inquiry: "How long will it take to repair?" "About 15 minutes," comes the answer.

Or did I just dream this sequence? It's one of those movies where you can zone out for 5 or 10 minutes and miss absolutely nothing. At least he doesn't scream every line of dialog like many of the actors (who appear to have been plucked from a high school play). To be fair, it's probably not their faults. Many are shot in close up and appear to be acting in completely different scenes, even when they're having interactions. It adds to the insane charm of the piece, which is why I gave it a 2 star rating instead of a 0.

Great sets, though. A pity they were wasted on such an abominable piece of work.


Hey, this was a good movie for some quick acion thrills. Why people rated it so low is beyond me. I thought it was good. It had aliens and sharks and an under water lab. I liked how the people in the lab went crazy and started fighting with each other on top of the problems with the sharks and submarine. It was funny to see them swearing at each other and how the chain of command was quite rusty, ha ha ha ha. Maybe people wanted more nudity from the girls and that would of been cool, because sex never goes out of style. But this movie was an OK ride, kinda like a resident evil game. I had fun and thats all that mattered! I recommend!

Rob the movie man out!!! :-)


This movie was Horrible!!!!!!! My 13 year old daughter and 10 year old son were laughing at how bad this movie was. I rented it thinking it was another Deep Blue Sea and instead we got a Sci-Fi movie of the week full of stock footage.

This takes place deep under water and yet many of the shark attack scenes show a shark swimming at the surface.

The plot is incredibly thin. Who would design a research platform that when exposed to some trauma where the life support was cutoff would require the occupants to swim outside to engage the back up life support? We are told in the movie at 1 point that they have a 10 minute supply of air and yet fires are raging out of control all over the station.

The acting is shoddy!!!!! Save yourselves people!!!! It's too late for me. Don't rent this


we watched this film because we had nothing to do else, though we knew that this film must be cruel. but we didn't expect kind of barking sharks, wires falling down under water with the speed of falling on land, talking divers though used a normal mouthpiece instead of a full face mask. And in the scene, when the navy aircraft lands on water, the sea is flat, the sun shines and you can see land. but the whole beginning of the film there is storm and bad weather and no land anywhere. the story could be from a better porn film, the actors, too. they seem to be porn stars. in future i will see more of these films. i like it. was much fun. you needn't listen to the story. great. euch noch nen schönen tag. lg bis dahin manni


I'm not sure what the people behind this bomb were on, but whatever it was, I want some. A shark movie that begins with alien spaceships fighting should be warning enough that you are about to have 90 minutes of your life sucked out your rectum with a straw.How do you get a budget and a cast to even do something like this? If you're fond of Ed Wood, you'll want to see this and get an idea of what Ed could have done with an actual budget. But then again, Ed Wood movies are so bad they're watchable over and over again. With RAGING SHARKS, once is twice to much. If you're in the mood for seeing rehashed Discovery Channel and National Geographic shark footage, this one's for you.


Now i know what your thinking, that you have seen many of these shark movies before and that they all look the same. yes this movie had the same feel like the other shark films did, but thats what was partly so good about this film, i will add though that it did have a twist. As well as killer sharks they had an alien plot and an assassin twist to it so that made the film the same as the others but also a little bit different at the same time. Another thing that i like about this film was that there station wasn't just some office at a beach location, and it was under the ocean. Yes that wasn't really believable but it was part of the fantasy of the film. This film like most other films should never be taken seriously but just looked as an adventure, just enjoy it. Also if your a B grade film lover then raging sharks is right up your ally.


OK, don't get me wrong here, this is an awful movie. Awful story. Awful acting. Yet AWFULLY entertaining! Yeah? See what I did there?

It's aliens, sharks, a thermos full of orange goo and Parker Lewis. How can you lose on this one?

I don't know what it was about this movie, but, for as awful as it was, it was strangely entertaining. It made zero sense, but was fun to watch. Think SciFi Channel on a Saturday afternoon. It's that kind of entertaining. Keep in mind before watching it though, that it's going to suck. If you can shut your brain off for a minute and enjoy the (repeating) bits of stock footage, you might just get a few (unintentional) laughs out of it.


I've seen this movie,and i said to my self after about 45 min in to the movie,what is this i'm watching?. It felt like watching discovery channel. The acting was bad and it seems like it was made on a low budget... The acting felt like they wore reading to each other. You can actually see that the sharks clips they are using in this movie actually comes from different documentaries. Well that's all i can say about this movie that it is a waste of time. There are a good movies & bad movies this one is a bad....

Well you can listen to the other comment but in the end you will see that i have truly said what kind of movie this is.


I have to begin by saying that I am an avid B-movie fan, especially when it comes to sharks. I have had some good laughs at deep blue sea and Jaws 4, but rarely has a movie been so bad that it breaches (no pun intended) bad and moves to just plain annoying. I agree with a previous fan that the best part of the entire movie was the old man slowly removing his hat in sorrow. And can I ask a question? How did the main character (the one who doesn't die) get to all of the places that he shows up in in the beginning of the movie. I know that there were some major time lapses, wetsuit changes for example, but...what? It was probably just the alien tube, some wormhole door. It's good to know that now a days, when the movie running time is too short, its OK to show clips from previous parts of the movie. That's OK now. And so is showing an actor deliver the same line, but just from a different camera angle. And were all of the actors just placed in this movie because they had no lines as johnny depp's or Angelina Joli's stunt doubles? Oh and I figured out how the lady (who is without oxygen for a substantial amount of time) lives after the explosion of the lab which...gently opens that hatch door. Her lips suffice as an oxygen reserve. Who knew! It's a good thing too, because her husband took that "please secure your own mask before helping others" too an extreme. But I guess over-all the movie wasn't that bad. I mean, I'm sure I never would have thought to use the hundreds of air tanks to breath with once the oxygen ran low. I'm sure I would be too distracted by my inability to act and the symmetrical bursts of fire. I probably would also be distracted by the growling sharks. The only time is was OK for anyone to put a growling noise against a shark was at the end of Jaws when they played an old dinosaur roar for the sinking great white after it had been blown-up. I know the movie was terrible, but it could have been 100 times better (and I only say that because anything times zero is still zero)without the Sahara sound-effects. Oh, and next time they want to use computer animation for sharks, they should just give me a call. They can just use my screen saver. It would save them money, because there is no way they actually made a profit off of this movie, and they could continue on the theme of cutting and pasting footage from other movies. I also have a toy shark that squeaks. Maybe they should just use that. People who loved this movie will also love:

~Open Water II (make sure you watch it on an old TV, because will be throwing things at it) ~Shark attack 3 - Megaladon (contains one of the most amazing pick-up lines ever)

I will give it a 3. 1 for the old man on the boat. 1 for the made-up alien language. and 1 for better luck on their next film.


Eva Loebau plays Melanie, an almost socially retarded young teacher who moves to Karlsruhe to begin her career. Her shyness and painfully embarrassing inability to read people makes for one social and career error after another.

She awkwardly befriends a hip and attractive neighbor and then, with her pathetic neediness and constant visits (not to mention her failure to understand subtle interpersonal cues) drives the neighbor to hate her. This, coupled with her legion of problems at work, precipitates Melanie's mental breakdown.

The subject matter, direction, and Loebau's acting makes the film VIBRATE with unease and tension which makes parts of the film almost impossible to watch. Add to this the fact that it was shot on video, giving it a "you are there" realism, and you may need a shot of homemade schnapps to keep from squirming.

A.


The first few minutes of the film, i couldn't get over the 30fps video hand-held format. I was thinking, "are they crazy? at least shoot 24p..." But soon enough, the story sucked me into Melanie's plight settling into a new environment, struggling with loneliness, desperation, and upholding her facade of "everything is fine," when everyone knows that she is physically and emotionally deteriorating. I thought that the acting was superb. Not once did I feel like the actors were acting, but the video format and the emotions elicited conveyed a painful sense of realism.

This film touches upon a universal struggle of the human condition in such a realistic, frustrating, and true-to-life approach. Her inner tug of war is something that all of us have experienced at one point or another to some degree of severity.

It is truly a touching story.

I haven't felt such pity, frustration, empathy, and genuine identification with the protagonist in a long time.

Find this film and go see it.


Melanie is, simply and unalterably, who she is and has always been. She cannot effectively assert herself. She cannot control other people's impression of her. She cannot draw people close to her, or even get them on her side. This applies to her out-of-view family (we know them only from overhearing her end of unrewarding telephone conversations with them), her students, her staff peers and her neighbors and would-be friends.

Emotional isolation has never felt so completely real on film. Nothing is over-dramatized. No scenery chewing here, Thank God. No dishonest cutaways to a colorful fantasy world inside the main character's head. No Hollywood situations or developments. What happens throughout feels inevitable, and thus real.

I was turned off, in the beginning, by the shot-on-video character of this film, because by default it seemed to mean a dispensing with classic film language, and a less articulate camera. --And there are times I thought a score would have helped. But eventually the deliberately flattened style (call it Bressonian) grew on me. I realized the film wasn't an over-hyped thriller (as the video box more or less lead me to believe) that needed or invited a lot of flash style in the telling. Directness is the best decision the makers could have made in a vehicle built to carry emotional truth.

I recommend this film for people who want something emotionally naked, at times painful to watch, with a psychological preoccupation. If you look at Melanie and see some piece of yourself in real life, this film will probably bring you down. On the other hand, it might also broaden your view of yourself and the world, and impress you again with the fact that no one is weird; people simply are.


I thought this film was very well made given what was probably a very small budget. The acting was very fine, and the story was painfully realistic in many ways. I got it from the local library because it was about a young teacher. My wife teaches so I thought she might like it. Fortunately I watched it on my own first, and decided that she would probably find it very disturbing because of the realities depicted, but frustrating because of the inability of the young teacher to do what was necessary to help herself.

I found myself very moved by the young teacher, and had the feeling that I'd like to help her through her difficulties...difficulties revealed to the viewer, but ones she was unwilling to admit or express to those who might have helped her in the film.


This is certainly an interesting film. I discovered this film by accident at my local blockbuster store.At first as another viewer had mentioned found it difficult to get used to the camera format at first. The movie experience was almost like getting sucked into a novel possibly a modern day Camus perhaps.The story also perhaps was focusing on the lack of a social support structure in modern societies. The alienation and loneliness is realized through the character of Melanie in depth. The ending was open to interpretation by the viewer and i am guessing that she is moving on from her teaching position to one which might be more fulfilling. Overall a good job.


I watched the movie at a local festival for foreign films and it was obvious that the audience had a hard time to understand the movie or to sympathize with Melanie, the central character of the film. The average American just has a hard time to understand that getting rid of a few bags of trash may become an almost insurmountable problem, that finding new friends among your neighbors or colleagues at work can be so difficult. Of course, our heroine makes one mistake after another, but shouldn't somebody around her see how lonely she is? Ridiculously, she brings home-warming presents to people in her apartment building when she moves in. Doesn't anybody see this as a cry for help? Despite her best intentions, Melanie fails miserably as schoolteacher - why doesn't anyone of her colleagues or the principal rush in to help? The only other young teacher at the school, a guy, senses that she is in trouble, but she can't get herself to open up to him. Melanie tries to win the friendship of the owner of a fashion boutique by buying expensive clothing that she probably can't afford, helps her with cleaning up her apartment, only to get coldly rejected when due to a misunderstanding she dis-invites the boutique owner's boyfriend. Eva Lobau does a fantastic job playing the young schoolteacher who doesn't seem to fit in.


Since the two women live in such close proximity to each other, Tina(Daniela Holtz) really has no choice but to invite the schoolteacher over for her birthday shindig. Tina knows from previous visits to Melanie's place that the comings and goings of her apartment can be easily surveyed from a picture window. Although Tina is leery about Melanie's clinginess and persistent attempts to ingratiate herself in the shop girl's social circle, she doesn't want to hurt the woman's feelings.

In a new town with a new job and new apartment, Melanie Proschle(Eva Loebau) assumes that it'll just be a matter of time before she makes new friends. But in spite of Melanie's best efforts, her students and colleagues reject her, as "Der Wald vor lauter Baumen" offers us a harrowing glimpse of a young woman's mystifying inability to connect with other people. Shot on high-def digital video, the camera is unforgiving in catching every setback that registers on Melanie's face with unerring clarity. Her innovative teaching methods, which she trumpeted at a small faculty luncheon with naive impudence, fails to reach the hearts and minds of both her fifth and nine grade students, who challenge the inexperienced teacher's authority every chance they get. The jagged film ably captures the insanity of trying to teach non-compliant children through the beleaguered teacher's reaction shots to the schoolhouse cacophony. Melanie looks as if she's afraid that the unruly students will eat her alive. Not only do the students hate the young educator, but the teachers as well, with the exception of Thorsten(Jan Neumann), who preys on her needs for a confidant's shoulder that she can depend on for a good cry, or lean. Watching this balding science teacher in action is a study of how the workplace is like a singles bar without the alcohol and smoking. Out of desperation, Melanie eventually goes on a lunch date with Thorsten, in spite of the fact that she normally takes her breaks in a storage closet to avoid him during school hours.

While her professional life lays in shambles, Melanie counts too heavily on Tina for companionship, who might of been a model before she opened up her own boutique. The schoolteacher first laid eyes on Tina in her flat, bawling her eyes out after an animated conversation on the phone. Later on, when the schoolteacher sees Tina on her cigarette break at work, she doesn't let on that they're neighbors. Melanie is every bit as calculating as her colleague Thorsten in this respect; she knows that the right time to insinuate yourself in somebody's life is when the person is at their most vulnerable. If Tina wasn't distracted by her relationship problems, she'd be more cognizant to Melanie's orchestration of their first meeting, and be leery about her ensuing intrusiveness and sense of entitlement to discuss the boyfriend as if they were longtime intimates. Under normal circumstances, Tina probably wouldn't give Melanie the time of day. They simply don't travel in the same social circles. "Der Wald vor lauter Baumen" is almost unbearable to watch whenever Melanie violates the parameters that Tina set out for their commingling, by glomming onto her jet-set friends at private get-togethers that she crashes uninvited. Tina and Melanie's coupling bears more than a passing resemblance to the model/non-model friendship in "Veronica", the celebrated novel by Mary Gaitskill about a high-fashion model named Allison who befriends the titular character, an older, less glamorous woman, with AIDS. Tina may like Melanie, but she's ashamed of her. She's her dirty little secret.

With great economy and precision, "Der Wald vor lauter Baumen" shows us to what lengths a human being will go to make contact with another human being.


Melanie comes from college to start teaching at a school where she wants to be "a breath of fresh air." The thing is that she's a doormat and a pushover and that's why the students don't obey her and why the other teachers make fun of her. Melanie tries to be friends with her neighbor but she tries too hard and is too clingy. I didn't like the way this film was shot but I got used to it by the end. I also noticed that there is no plot or storyline. She doesn't solve any of her problems at all and she's back where she started from. On the other hand, I did like the acting and the attempt of Melanie to find a friend amidst the chaos she was going through. I did like this movie because it was different from other movies that I usually see and I understand about the way it was shot. It's an independent film and a really great one. I would have been her friend because she seemed like a nice person.


This will contain slight spoilers...

This wasn't an awful movie...but I don't think it's a wonderful look at the human condition either.

I'd like to like Melanie- but this woman is beyond all help. It's one thing to be a bit shy or awkward in trying to find new friends, settle into a new job, and that sort of thing. But, when you get to the point where you're nearly stalking a neighbor who clearly doesn't want to be your friend- how can most of us relate to that? How can I care or even get anywhere near sympathizing with a character that I want to reach through the screen and choke? I mean, wow- she's so utterly pathetic it's not even sad...it's beyond the point of it being sad.

In the end- not much happens. We see the most mundane aspects of her day. She folds some clothes and sits in her apartment. She's in class, simply refusing to get any of these brats in line. She's back at her apartment again sitting at a desk. It's just void of a lot of action. Which is fine, if we were getting a realistic character storyline here, but as I've said, I don't think she's all too realistic. I don't know that I've personally met anyone this frustratingly sad and pathetic. And her refusal to tell anyone the truth about how bad things are going. I didn't get it. She's so pathetic, she'll stalk her neighbor, but she suddenly has too much pride to be nice to the one co-worker who is trying to be friends with her? Too full of pride to even be honest with her own mother as to the troubles she's having? And that ending- Call me stupid, but I just didn't get it. She loses it and then sits in the back of her car as it drives itself? Over my head, I guess, but I wasn't sure what the message was.

The cheap quality to the video didn't help this film either. It looked to be shot on a midrange home camera of sorts. Maybe if the main character wasn't so unlikeable for her sheer lack of ANY social skills, the film would have overcome the limitation in video quality, but I don't the story did that. Being socially awkward or downright inept doesn't always turn you off from a character- outright stalking, in my view, does. Being a weirdo makes it hard to sympathize with you, and much harder to feel sorry for you.


"Fanaa" is not a word in common parlance. In Persian, Urdu, and chaste Hindi, it means "annihilated", "destroyed", or in the context of the latest offering from Yash-Raj Films, it signifies "devastated, ravaged, or consumed by love". Any film bearing such an intriguing, if somewhat grandiose, title would have the onus of living up to enormous expectations. In addition, this is Kajol's first film after a self-imposed hiatus, while Aamir Khan, paired with her here for the first time, is also seen infrequently on screen due to his reputed fastidiousness in choosing movie projects.

I say good for them, for this is a superb collaboration between the actors. Aided by strong writing, a different story, able direction, and slick production values, they make it an entirely worthwhile proposition.

The storyas much as I can divulge in a reviewstarts off in fairly formulaic boy-meets-girl fashion: Zooni Ali Beg (Kajol), a beautiful blind Kashmiri young woman, comes to the big city (New Delhi, in this case) for the very first time, after having lived a sheltered, happy life in a pristine little town in Kashmir. Right off the bat, she meets a tour guide with the gift of the gab and a roving eye named Rehan Quadri (Aamir Khan), and against the better judgment of her friends, takes up with him.

Aamir looks a bit long in the tooth to be playing Romeo, but does so gamely, and successfully gets the smitten Zooni to agree to a no-strings romance. This is where I realized that the times, they are a-changing: sweet, blind (in more ways than one), sheltered Zooni is so consumed by love that she permits Rehan to bed her before he weds her, a phenomenon that is exceedingly rare (or used to be) in Hindi films. Her parents agree to the match, and the footloose Rehan readies himself for marriage to just one woman.

Then hell breaks loose. Rehan is killed in a terrorist bomb blast, or so we are led to think, while the Indian authorities launch a search for the criminal mastermind that planned this and several similar attacks. Years later, a Major Ranjeev, bearing a disturbing resemblance to the dead Rehan, shows up. So what are we to think?

From this point on, the film takes off into novel terrain, becoming an extremely satisfying viewing experience. Differing perspectives of nationalism and terrorism are exploredone man's terrorist act may also be looked at as a fight for an independent homelandas well as conventional familial and romantic relationships. Notions of love, loyalty, betrayal, patriotism, and morality get turned on their head, making for a pretty complex film. Is this overly ambitious for a commercial Hindi blockbuster? Perhaps, but the intellectual sophistication of the film-making team more or less pulls it off. There are some plot holes, but they can be overlooked in the interests of the big picture.

Kajol grows in stature as an actor with every film, and her Zooni goes from naive and school-girlish to anguished widow and conflicted wifea challenging character arc, by any measureyet, she makes it truthful and believable with her wonderful transparency. Also wonderful is that neither motherhood, nor her absence from the screen for five years, have dimmed her youthful looks or charm. If anything, she is more svelte, and her face shines with increased character. Kajol has been blessed with sublimely expressive eyes, and now that she has acquired more life experience, they register even greater pain. One almost feels like looking away at times, to allow her privacy in her grief. I welcome her return to the screen, and if she displays similar care in choosing her next project, it will be worth the wait.

Aamir Khan picks his projects with a mix of sensitivity and savvy, and presents the film-going public with a different persona each time. He contrasted his feisty village yokel role in "Lagaan" nicely with the glib, self-absorbed urban youth undone by love in "Dil Chahta Hai", so that in the same year, folks got to see two completely different Aamirs. I haven't seen his "The Rising: The Song of Mangal Pandey" or "Rang De Basanti" as yet, but I am confident that he burrowed deep into the souls of the characters of those films, too. Here he inhabits the skin and soul of Rehan Quadri/Major Ranjeev with total conviction and allows you into the thought processes of these men. He does look too old to do the romantic shtick demanded of the Rehan character, but comes into his own while playing the older Major Ranjeev, a profoundly troubled man dealing with adult ethical, ideological, and moral conundrums. To comment any more on his performance would be a disservice to the plot twists of the film, so I shall stop right here.

The director, Kunal Kohli, handled the fun and light-hearted "Hum Tum" with aplomb, and here he tackles subjects far weightier than those of the Rani Mukherjee-Saif Ali Khan film. His occasional missteps result in some unevenness of pace and tone (which some judicious editing would have remedied), but with the overall wallop the film packs, these are minor lapses. I personally felt the second half of the film needed no songs, but that is my own quibble. The millions in the majority would have none of that, I'm sure. Aamir and Kajol do their own singing in a small but powerful scene, and this, I felt, was far more effective and poignant than the over-produced orchestrations of Jatin-Lalit and the vast array of playback singers they assembled.

Rishi Kapoor, Kiron Kher, Tabu, and others offer strong support, while child actor Ali Hajji as young Rehan is amazingly unaffected and natural.

After witnessing the combustible chemistry between Kajol and Aamir (why were they never paired together before?), and being privy to the volatile, seismic shifts in their relationship in this film, I conclude that "Fanaa" is indeed the title that says it best.


Fanaa is a complex movie. Aamir Khan has continued his trend of working on unusual plots and delivering extraordinary performances and Kajol has outshone Aamir on many occasions in the film.

The emotional intensity of the movie gets to the core of the viewer's heart. It may help people to look at the Kashmir issue from a different angle but it does certainly portray one fact, and that is a seemingly ruthless terrorist can actually be a simple and kind man fighting for his land's freedom. For him, making judgement on greater good or lesser evil is a constant struggle. Even though Rehan (Aamir) did not derail from his cause (terorrism apparently) till the last breath in his body, he will draw sympathy from the viewers.

The splendor of light, sound and colors in big budget Hindi movies is achieving new heights every day. Viewers will be simply spellbound to the screen during most of the song sequences. The music of the movie was like a breath of fresh air. The viewers will also enjoy a ride of convincing and innovative action sequences.

The first half of the movie could have been made better though. Sometimes the pace felt a little off. The constant exchange of poetry did feel irritating at times. Perhaps, if Aamir could shed off a few kilos, things could have looked a little more natural. It was also unusual for a blind Muslim girl like Zooni (Kajol) to indulge into a physical relation with Rehan (who did not pledge any commitment to their relation) so early. But I guess these things follow typical commercial Hindi film unofficial rules.

Overall the movie is certainly worth watching and, compared to most of the Hindi films, quite a unique one.


It tickled me no end to read some viewers comment that a Kashmiri Muslim girl fell in love and allowed a man to bed her in a span of 8 days romance. They thought it slightly implausible. This might have held true for some two decades back but not nowadays. We have to understand Zooni (Kajol) came from a fairly modern family (she was no village bumpkin) in the movie and the apple of her parents eye. More so because she was blind and her mother always encouraged her to look forward to her Prince Charming the day he arrived. She was this inexperienced girl full of ideas of romance and blind to boot and Aamirs winsome voice and poetry won her over and she just went into the relationship headstrong girl that she was knowing and accepting that there might never be anything permanent (she just wanted to live for those 8 days she was able to be romanced by the person she was besotted with) a very common occurrence actually in todays scenario.

The story of a man torn between love and duty might be hackneyed but I sure as hell didn't know how it was all going to end and was eager to sit through the whole film and watch it to the very end. I don't know how some people thought the first 90 minutes was horrible and the rest even more so! I found the first half extremely entertaining and the second half was a pleasure to watch just for the sheer pleasure of watching two very high class actors perform as they never have.

Kunal Kohli is an extremely sensitive director and while there may have been slip ups in pace here and there (it was an emotional rather than an action packed movie after all) on the whole the movie shows a director of competence and someone who has a very bright future.

The cinematography is breathtaking and the supporting cast of Rishi Kapoor and Tabu adds to the movies worth. Rishi especially is brilliant.

But the movies strongest point is the performance of the two lead actors especially Kajol who had the more author backed role. Kajol and Aamirs chemistry leave you wondering WHY they never acted together before. And they look so good its hard to imagine Kajols a mom and Aamir a divorced dad of two.


Fanaa is a love story which has been written as a love story ,directed as a love story and acted like a love story. Fanna belongs totally to Aamir and Kajol ,who both have delivered a brilliant performance. Kajol plays Zooni with such a class and natural , she reached ,with Fanaa, a place that no other actress ,today, can reach or even come close.she was breathtaking. Aamir plays Rehan, though it's a unusual role that many of Bollywood actors would turn down(nobody wants to play the anti-hero anymore), he makes it real to the core,you follow him through the whole transition of his character,you love him and you hate him at the same time !Aamir is the master of acting today. The chemistry between Aamir and Kajol was terrific!Kajol matches Aamir ,like the sun matches the sky,they delighted every frame of the screen! an award the best Jodi of 2006 will be simply fair! The other actors were efficient! The music of Fanaa is beautiful and the videos makes it just better:a high note to Dekho Na,Kunal managed to control the little space of the shot with ease and closeups of Aamir and Kajol were fantastic.however,it's Mere Haath Me that steals the show,it was just superb,and it will be fair enough to say that this video will be the reference for any romantic song !(the reference was for a long time,Suraj Hua Madham of k3g). the script of Fanaa has some mistakes for sure,but when you watch Aamir and Kajol together you just forget and forgive! Beautifully shot,Fanaa makes you following the journey of two lovers who maybe wanted and deserved their part of happiness,so they knocked the heaven's door but another destiny was writing for them. go watch Fanaa once for Kajol,twice for Aamir,a third time for Aamir and Kajol,and watch it again and again and again for all those reasons!


After all the recent pornographic movies such as Murder and the like, it's really refreshing to have a D E C E N T Indian film which the entire family can watch. Sure the film wasn't brilliant but it beats the other crap Bollywood has been spewing out ever since the arrival of Mr. Imran-Gigolo-Hashmi. What a treat to see Kajol on screen again. She truly is the gem in the crown of Indian cinema. And as for Aamir...well, his done it again. After his stellar performance in Rang De Basanti, he pulls off the role of Rehan with immense warmth and passion. I know this is probably a pipe-dream, but it would be fantastic to see these 2 set the big screen ablaze again. Kudos to Kunal Kohli for reminding the world of what a true Bollywood film is made of!


Fanaa- This truly is a good movie- not just in the entertaining sense. There are a few bloopers, of course, but they may be easily overlooked, an easy enough thing for sensible and regular watchers of Indian cinema.

True, Aamir and Kajol have performed brilliantly, the cinematography is excellent and the music heavenly. The background scores are worth more than a mention.

But the movie goes deeper and makes one think about the power of love and our utter helplessness before it... how it shapes one's life and choices. The importance of choice is given the limelight in this movie- the choices that are so unique and personal to each of us, given the same situation. It also asks, importantly, how much can love forgive?

Put yourself in the place of these characters as you watch the movie and see how much is asked of you at each step, what strength is required to make the choices they make.

This movie, in some ways, is a lesson in love. It puts to shame our cautiousness, rigid moral standards, emotional walls etc in love. You cannot walk into love with tiny steps, wearing a steel armor and praying not to get hurt. There is no such thing as going too fast or too slow, or all these clichés we've come up with to explain relationships :)

To love, you truly HAVE to be free. At heart.


Well, if you have had that experience you will know what I am talking about. The character of Zooni is straight out of Bronte sisters' romantic novels. The strong willed, intelligent girl out to meet her prince, the supportive mother, the mysterious and charming lover, the lonely house in the middle of nowhere, the retired colonel as the only family friend who sometimes comes and shares a drink with the father; it's all there.

Fanaa is one of the most intense romantic movies to have come out of Bollywood for a long time. Perhaps, since Silsila. The pairing of two of the best actors of our generation (maybe, perhaps of all time) needed a story just like Fanaa. You need to scratch the surface to reveal the passion of this unique love story.

The director, Kunal Kohli has exploited the potential of this pairing admirably. Look at the picturisation of the song 'Dekho Na'. The camera hardly seems to move away from the two faces. There are innumerable scenes in the film where just these two faces share the screen.It is hard to think of any other actors from the present who would be able to pull off such a form of narration. Ultimately, the film belongs to Zooni and Kajol comes out with her best performance to date. Rehan asks, "KOI KISISE ITNA PYAR KAISE KAR SAKTA HAI?" and it shows in Zooni's eyes. What a role to make a come back and what a performance to make a comeback! And Aamir never ceases to surprise. He holds his own in a story primarily about Zooni and complements her character brilliantly. His performance is so amazingly understated, and yet so powerful. Rehan is one of the most complex and difficult characters played by Aamir. And it's all about the characters of Rehan and Zooni, their ideals, their emotions, their dreams and their passion. It's really like reading a 19th century English novel. It is not easy to narrate a story this way in a mainstream film and this is where the narration stumbles. The scene where Rehan takes Zooni from the train and carries her in his arms looks very cliché and awfully out of place. The tag line '.....TERE ISHQ MEIN MERI JAAN FANAA HO JAYE' is repeated to death in the film. There have been some cinematic liberties taken in the screenplay, like Rehan infiltrating the Indian Army, Zooni fumbling with the radio transmitter and speaking to the right people. The Urdu couplets, although all very good, seem to hold back the flow a bit. Also, the discussion on the political history of Kashmir at the meeting of the Intelligence Heads seems a bit off track. A better place to put that discussion would have been a friendly chat between Rehan and Zulfi (Zooni's father)over a drink.

But these are minor skirmishes in a remarkable film. The story remains true to the title of the film and if you have a liking for 19th century English novels, you would simply love this one.


This is hands down the best romantic film since .....well in a long time , all the people i know who haven't liked this film is because its got impossible situations in it and its slow in the 2nd half all i have to say : stop watching Hindi films then and continue watching 25 sec ads which have diminished your attention span .

The characters are given amazing dept and lo and behold they take the film to an all new high .Kajol has proved shes the best actress of her generation and with this film is giving serious competion to her late legendary aunt nutun as the best actress of the family .

Aamir is splendid though i felt his character got a bit sketchy in the 2nd half not his fault the director and writer could have made his motives more clearer for us . however what ever hes given to work with he electrifies every scene hes in .

kudos to all the crew especially kunal kohli


I watched this movie last night and was quite thrilled with it. Aamir Khan and Kajol were both at their best. One of the other comments already has the story told so I would not tell what happens in the movie, but I will tell this much that most of the Bollywood movies that I get to watch are filled with flaws and stupidities, but this movie by far exceeds my expectation. The movies has a very humorous start, however, the ending is quite sad, but that was meant to be by the title of the movie "Fanaa". The music was quite different and very enchanting. The supporting actors/actresses (rishi kapoor, Haji Ali) did very good in the movie. Overall, the movie is excellent and worth watching, Bollywood does not produce such movies that often.


well lets start with Kajol. OHHH GOD i love you She's soooooooooooo GREAT.(like always) she must be the only actress in front of whom all the other actresses look fake. she does her role of a blind girl so good so believable even more believable than RANI in Black. cuz kajol doesn't look up and hey blind people don't always look up. ya JUST SPLENDID Great comeback of Kajol and in many ways KAJOL doesn't make her role look miserable. like we usually see in movies like Blind people don't have life or something. SHE does a good role as a Happy Blind girl.

now for AAMIR no words can describe this man's awesomeness. he is the only actor in India who looks REAL and "NOT FAKE". he's so SOOOOOOOOOOO GREAT like always. he nails down his role very easily.

AS for the movie well the first half was Normal AND Believable but the second half got a bit abnormal for me. well however the movie does have some emotional moments. thanks to the GREAT DILOGES by the director KHOLI and the actors.

as for direction it is NOT SO GREAT(Kunal Koli can do much better). for me i guess it would have been better if ADITYA CHOPRA would have directed this movie(and then maybe it would have that "dilwale dulhaniya.." GRACE) the story has many LOOP HOLES.

this movie could have been made in a simple way. and then i would have been much happier. but unfortunate with the story not so appealing well what can we do. anyways THANKS TO THE GRACE OF KAJOL AND AAMIR. ya they look good together. the first half scenes between them are well HANDELLED.

well for the second half I GUESS they put too much effort on the second half.

anyways it's the SCREENPLAY that doesn't work.

all in all a GOOD movie but not a GREAT one. kajol fans and aamir fans must watch this movie. also recommended to those who want to see real and Believable and emotional performance. 7/10


Excellent acting and input my the Aamir Khan....excellent feels understated. The characters were well defined and expressive. The director has finally managed to bring our Aamir's potential. His acting is simply so natural and marvelous that no actor in Hollywood is comparable to him including the overstated SRK.. A must see though its does leave u slightly emotionally wrecked but kajol is looking very pretty too. Nice change from the annoying Preity, ash or Rani. Aamir has changed his look throughout the movie and managed to carry each of them with maturity and excellence. Its just amazing to c him wear his attitude and not expensive designer wear.

Very refreshing and well made. Aamir simply grows on u with each scene!


OK the much awaited movie. Aamir after RDB and Kajol after a long break. The movie starts off with some brilliant locales and Kajol going to Delhi for a dance program where she encounters Rehan (Aamir). The sher- shayari bit in the first half is really good maybe coz of the way Aamir says it .

Then there's a twist in the tale just before the interval and the story changes. I don't want to write a professional review , just things which i felt. First of all the side cast is amazing . They have been well chosen and do justice to their roles . The story is pretty mediocre . Aamir is fantastic as the happy-go-lucky tourist guide and Kajol glistens as the docile , demure blind girl.

There are instances of Kunal Kohli's trademark sequences like putting songs where they just aren't necessary and some elongation of scenes . But the thing that makes this movie from being a common fare to a must watch are Aamir and Kajol . Their screen presence is amazing and the chemistry they share was just too good. They are the only 2 actors who could make a simple hug look like the reunion between two lovers . The ending sequence was also brilliantly handled .

There are many mixed reviews to this movie . As i normally don't like any of the Yash Raj movies , this one i found to be quite touching . I would recommend this movie just for the magic that Aamir and Kajol create on the screen.


The most sensitive romance enacted by Bollywood. Fanaa is the epitome of elegant love story brought alive by the two world class and best ever actors in Bollywood, Kajol and Aamir Khan.

All the scenes by Aamir and Kajol, which represents the majority of the movie, are worth repeating watching on the big screen. Their scenes tugs your heart in happiness, regrets, hopes, sadness, helplessness and so on.

Little flaws in the narration of the movie (which are basically negligible, compared to other Bollywood flicks and even many of Hollywood flicks) are forgiven by the powerful yet very subtle act by the two actors.

Excellent, go watch it.


A great made after the comedy Hum Tum. Kunal have done a brilliant job. He had wrote the dialogs, the story brilliantly. I think its totally different film of Indian cinema. As bollywood freak I recommend this film to all audience even to kids too. Its has huge stars and brilliant director. Kunal gave his best even more than Hum Tum. Way to go Kunal you surely winning in this year. Nominations for sure even awards too. I believe you deserve more this year than Karan Johar from KANK. The direction you made has been the best. I even liked KANK but after I saw Fanaa I think its a way different film and making its mark separate from all films from past. The direction of Kunal has been the best direction I seen so far this year. This film should win the best-playback and direction as well. The film stars huge cast for sure. It has Rishi Kapoor whom I really adore. He is brilliant even in small role of a father. Aamir Khan is superb just superb. I can't even say in words how he gave his performance. Great comeback from KAJOL. I am a huge fan of her since I began seeing films. Kajol is the best actress ever of new generation.

After K3G she has made a great come back. Her performance is just brilliant. Its just marvelous. She was truly character in the film. It for one second you can't say that she is not acting as blind. Her acting is better than Rani from black. I don't say Rani didn't act good but she was good but Kajol is the best in blind role. The film is a must see. When you think you know whats happening but the second next you don't. The dialogs are written brilliantly. The lyrics are just very touchy. The music is worth it that you can't even comment because it's from the soul. Sonu sang the song beautifully. The Tere haath main mera haath ho. This song is sang by Sonu Nigam beautifully. I think he should win awards this year from this song from Fanaa. The tittle song from Kank he also sang brilliantly but he sang this song even better. Yashraj are still ruling. Making the greatest movies. Bollywood awards sometimes are differ from our choices but if i was the jury I would the award for best director of this film. I would also give Sonu for best playback singer from Tere Haath mein Mera haath ho. I would also give the award for best story and dialogs . An excellent film. I am sure this film is getting many awards but these i mentioned I think it should be the winners. As far as acting Kajol is the best and should get an award too. Aamir is brilliant but I think Shah Rukh has acted better in KANK. Kirron Kher is in both so i can't say but she is not much in this film. I give this film 1000000 out of 1000000.


Fanaa is a gripping tale of true love, terrorism, loss, and freedom. It's also about making the right choices, and listening to your heart, which is cheesy but kind of true.

Zooni Ali Beg (Kajol) is a beautiful, confident, witty Kashmiri girl, whose only problem in life is the fact that she can't see. She's blind. Despite this, she shares a warm and loving relationship with her parents, Nafisa (Kiron Kher) and Zulfikar (Rishi Kapoor), who adore their daughter and always dream of her finding her 'prince'. Zooni travels to Delhi with her friends, who are also her dance troupe, for a performance, and secretly hopes to bump into love on the way. Once in Delhi, Zooni meets Rehan, their tour guide, who has a roving eye for women. Rehan is completely fascinated by Zooni, and she by him, despite her friends' warnings about his Casanova personality. Rehan shows Zooni how to see without her eyes. How to view Delhi's beauty despite her blindness, and bowls her over with his poetry. The two soon fall in love, and Rehan admits Zooni to a hospital for an operation that will regain her vision. Zooni's eyes open, but they never see Rehan. He was killed in a bomb blast by IKF - Independent Kashmiri Front - a ruthless organization that desire an independent Kashmir. Zooni's world is destroyed, and she returns home, where she later delivers a baby boy, who she names Rehan Jr, in memory of her love. Seven years later she gets a desperate knock on the door, by a wounded army officer in need of urgent medical attention. Zooni helps nurse him back to health, but she has no idea how this one man can turn her world even more upside down, and cause her to make decisions in life that she never thought she could.

Kajol owned all the way through. I though Aamir was very good also but just could not match her. She looked completely stunning and held the top spot till the end. I strongly believe this is one of her best performances, and was quite surprised because I have seen a lot of Kajol's movies and I have never thought she'd play a blind girl with so much conviction. But she was amazing. Aamir was not as powerful compared to his female counterpart but he was extremely convincing as Rehan. But I liked him much more in the 1st half, sprouting poetry. He looked a little old in the 2nd half, which was slightly off-putting. Tabu delivered a very fine performance, second only to Kajol. Her new look really suited her and she was great as the intelligent Anti-Terrorist official. Rishi Kapoor and Kiron Kher were perfectly cast as Zooni's parents, and an honourable mention goes to Ali Haji, who played Rehan Jr. He was so cute and outstanding for his age. Shiny Ahuja and Lara Dutta made small, forgettable appearances.

For me the best thing about Fanaa was the chemistry between Aamir Khan and Kajol. They were superb individually and when they were together it was even better. Some of Aamir's best moments were when he was with Kajol, and vice versa. I never thought they'd make a good on-screen couple but I was proved wrong.

The soundtrack of Fanaa is a big plus point. Each track is beautiful and I thought worked very well in the film. My favourite was 'Mere Haath Mein', a lovely song with even an even better picturization. Not forgetting that Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan together is like sex on lyrics!:) 'Des Rangila' is an inspirational melody, and 'Chand Sifarish' has a really catchy tune to it. 'Dekho Naa' is also worth a mention, I loved the way it was used to create a romantic mood. The dialogues and choreography were great.

All in all, Fanaa is a very well made movie, that isn't exactly up to the standard that Kunal Kohli set with Hum Tum, but close. And Kajol's performance makes it worth it.


Great movie with breath taking scenes and good songs. Seems original too. But that is where it ends. See: "Eye of the needle" with Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan. You will see the immediate connection. The isolated Kashmir background mimics storm island. The WWII German role of Donald mimics Aamir's struggle as a Kashmiri living on "foreign" soil. The role played by Rishi Kapoor as the heroine's father is similar to Kate's husband in EOTN. The role played by the isolated colonel who dies at the hand of aamir is similar to the lighthouse event in EOTN.

In fact the final struggle is also similar. A helicopter awaits aamir and a German u-boat waits Donald.


The movie 'Fanaa' has some of the very good actors of Hindi cinema in it's casting. It has one of the best producers and distributors backing it (Yash Raj Films). Therefore there has been no paucity in presentation and the screen fills up like a colour palette. Add the good music(it grows on you slowly) and you come up with a good treat. Well that's why it was a disappointment!! At one point the storyline (not much of a story) went haywire and the ending leaves you with a feeling of being discontented. You feel as if the movie is moving in breaks and there is no continuity. I believe the director's previous movie 'Hum Tum' was better and sorry but I have to say 'Fanaa' was tad little better than his first film. Maybe he should stick to romantic movies and steer clear of saddling serious issues with romance.


Its all about patriotism and what not, just like some movies i watched earlier, Mission Kashmir? Or Dil Se, the movie seemed pretty straight forward and not so much of the Amir "Khann-ish" type. Kajol looked amazingly gorgeous, the sets were amazing, i wouldn't pay for watching it on theaters though! Should have waited for the D-v-d release and rented it! Over all i guess performance wise it seems pretty decent. First half was happening, as soon as a monument blew up, the rest half seemed like a wold goose chase, more like a chicken run! S-t-r-e-a-t-c-h-y...Could have had better twists! A friend of mine actually spoiled the whole fun of the movie after reading out some reviews and using her own deductions. She basically came up with the main plot. The dialog's were pretty "poetic". My other friend on the other came up with dialog's, i guess if they were put together they can come up with a better plot! I seem kind of bitchy..but hey what the hell? Its all cool and yeah hopefully you guys enjoy it better than i did!


Aamir is brilliant. Kajol looks stunning. The storyline wants you to suspend your disbelief an hour too long. Pretty much sums up the movie. This 3 hour saga left me confounded at the kind of stories and sentiments dished out by bollywood. Sadly, the songs cant save the movie either. The only good number is within the first hour and not when I needed it the most. A leitmotif runs throughout the movie - good, but overused and got to my nerves. And watch out for the scene with a desi version of the MI3 score.

The movie starts out on a fun note and has the quintessential love at first "sight" scenes. And there is some skepticism about the hero's devotion and commitment - not in the girl's mind but in her friends'. Some of the scenes are particularly entertaining and most of them have a repartees in shayris. All that remains now is for the girl and boy to get married and remain happily ever after. But, no. Life, as they say, is full of surprises.


For the first 2 minutes I thought that its a spoof on Karan Johar movies. Then I realized what I was in for! 3 long hours of pure crap. I went with very low expectations. But I was secretly praying that Fanaa would not be a simple love story. It would be something with a twist like 1947 - Earth.

Kajol looked great though. But rest everything is so totally crappy. There are thousands of close-ups, obscene sentimental background score at every 2nd dialog.

Amir was a big disappointment. He has proved the innocence of Shahrukh Khan - "If the director is adamant for sentimental crap, you can not do anything about it". I liked first 3-4 instances of Shayari. But after 10 minutes, it started giving me a headache. It was like the sound of a big metal trunk being dragged on the floor. Yes, his expressions are becoming repetitive and his tummy is getting bigger. I guess he is stressed because he is pregnant.

Fanaa was worse than Kal Ho Na Ho and slightly better than Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon.

So bad, they chose this very cute kid to play young Rehan. Otherwise I would have hunted him down and given him the beating of his life. The child's character was so boring and irritating. Something like Amisha Patel; cute, but irritatingly stupid/retarded.

The biggest itch in the balls : I can't find people who share my view. Especially girls are going crazy about this movie, as expected. Indian audience doesn't deserve good movies.


The movie begins with Aamir Khan trying to win over kajol..The first 90 minutes was so bad..i thought i would die..I think i had a good idea of what it would have felt, if they hung me upside down with a bee up my ass..the first 90 minutes was so very bad.

Then the next 10, the story took a turn and i was like maybe I will live through the movie and not go to rehab or bang my head against the wall..but that's when it goes downhill again. The film doesn't walk downhill, it falls straight down and drags you by your balls.

The next 90 minutes were worse than the first 90.. i never imagined that could be possible but it was... i ceased to exist as an individual after that movie and now roam the roads of New York like a homeless bum..

The second half of the movie is supposedly taken from one of the best novels of all time _ the eye of the needle..Bolloywood has a great talent.. they can take the best and turn it into a piece of crap in minutes..

Eye of the needle is so good that you support the bad guy, and when he's about to die you feel bad for him.. here i felt bad for myself all the people who had actually paid to watch this crap...they need to pay us back and pay for our visits to the therapist...

If someone can really walk out of this movie and say with a straight face that it actually OK..i will not only be surprised but will know that there are dumber people than Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson in this world..

I really have seen porno films with a better story line than this..and that too after they copied it from a great novel.. SCREW BOLLYWOOD..

and aamir khan is supposed to be good and he doesn't act in any movie, he picks and chooses the best.. if this is the best, i want to see the ones he rejects.. Wow, if that was possible..

3 hrs of crap with icing on it..ENJOY..


I have just returned from watching Aamir and Kajol's latest movie. This movie bored me to death. I had a lot of expectations after Aamir's totally awesome Rang De Basanti and Kunal Kohli's Hum Tum. But this movie was a total waste of time and money. Yashraj films have been cashing in with their standard sugar coated lovely dovey movies for a long time but somehow the formula just didn't work in this one. Fanaa tried to have too many genres in one movie including James Bond, Mission Impossible and some trash Hollywood love story to name a few. The premise, as promoted, of the movie is about a blind girl falling in love with a terrorist which is technically correct. First half is about Aamir and Kajol's never ending sickly sweet love story, at least that's how it felt like. Second half focused on Aamir's terrorist character, and how he re-kindles his love with Kajol ... again a total drag. One thing is for sure that Kajol is so beautiful and Aamir Khan needs to shed some weight. In one of the wet sari songs one could see his tummy through a white t-shirt he was wearing.


OK this movie really sucked, i mean i liked aamir khan but kajol just sucked. I think they shouldve added srk to the movie with kajol it would be a little better, but o well. I watched and the first half was pointless but at least the second half was a little better with the Twists. Aamir Khan hands down is a good terrorist, but adding a blind girl? eh no!hopefully Aamir KHan will do much better at Mani Ratnam film. Does anyone know if they are still making the Mahabatra? anwayz i advise anyone do not see this bad movie, itll make u sleep, and its soo freakishly long. I couldn't stay up watching this, but I mean I think Veer Zaara is much better then this story.So If id give this a movie out of 5 id give this a 1 or a 0.5


Here is a movie from the "biggies".. the YASH-RAJ, who seem to be thinking that a sales is everything even if the product is a total crap. The whole movie is so much pain to heart and brain. OK, bollywood movies are generally unconvicing, but even in the David-dhavan kind of un-realism, you expect a comedy plot, sufficient to make you feel, time worth spent. Here seemingly "underpaid" writers wrote 1/3rd of the dialogues and repeated each at least 3 times to make a regular 3-hr movie. Director Kunal Kohli somehow manages to make sure that none of the scenes, I mean not even a single one, is something one could think logical. Even hypothetically logical.

After watching this movie, I have more respect for the directors and writers of recent movies I watched like "Begin Cirus", "Taxi number 9211". True, ther is no limit to how stupid a movie can be, and funaa proves the point.


I am really feeling bad about fanaa movie, in this movie they are showing a terrorist has a hero, if this is the case then all terrorists will think them self has heroes, what about he killed more than 100 Indians and their wife and their sons/daughters? We should not support these types of movies, if we are really Indians and we supports our nation then we need to burn the movie and also the actors they played in this movie.

I know only this types of movies can run in India, if it is in any other country if movie like this came in their country against their own country, then they may banned and burned it at that movement it self.

If these types of movies will run in India then only GOD has to save India. Because of inefficient and always loving characters our ancestors we lost our great India now also we are doing do same mistake and we going to loose our India one day.


Title "FANAA"....as it says "Destroyed in Love"...well suits the theme.

Rehan (Aamir Khan) is on a mission where he meets Zooni (Kajol), playing a role of a blind girl who is on a visit to Delhi for the performance. The story starts with them falling in love with each other. The dialog here are very interesting especially for Hindi / Urdu poetry lovers. It is a beautiful expression of exchanging their feelings in enchanting wordstruly mesmerizing. The viewers who are enthralled by this love story in the first half are astonished to see the twist of the second half. Here comes the silent message and the sad end (as the name suggests) where Zooni has to choose between right or wrong, between the life with her son and lover/husband who has returned after years or the country's wellbeing that is in danger if Rehan succeeds in his plan. Zooni chooses the right thing as taught by her parents.

Over all, it is a good plot, well written and well directed. It is a love story with a twist finally depicting that the love for the truth and for the country is far greater then one's personal feeling. As mentioned, there is always a choice between good and bad but what defines one's life is the right choice.

Lyrics are very melodious and the music is also very good that gifts us the hit song of the month "Chand..."


Fanaa came, saw & well....did well! Aamir Khan & Kajol has shown once again that they're amongst the best in the industry with their performances. Rishi Kapoor, Kiron Kher & Tabu have also been impressive as usual. And the songs & cinematography were beautiful. The story is good but the way it was handled....I cringed when an intelligent actress like Kajol is made to do those heavy-duty unrealistic emotional scenes so associated with Bollywood that we thought its passe now. That's where Fanaa went wrong. Some of the scenes were so filmi and we truly thought Bollywood has come of age. Kunal Kohli's touch is like Karan Johar - loads of mushy stuff! Anway, a wonderful comeback by Kajol.


Indeed this movie is worth watching for the on screen chemistry Aamir & Kajol portrays!I never expected Kajol to look so gorgeous and as for Aamir, he was looking really good....Besides their good looks,their acting was spectacular and should be applauded by everyone.Moreover, the brilliance in acting depicted by the supporting casts complemented the movie fabulously.Although the storyline might be 'biasa' (meaning normal/common) among love stories,it was worth watching for the cinematography and the bitter sweetness it instills in the heart as the love between Kajol & Aamir unfolds.Besides the poignancy it renders in the end, i would say it's a must see for romance lovers!All in all, the cast & crew have done a remarkable job of the movie...! :@>---


Very good movie, with mixture of patriotism and romance. The acting of Kajol as a Kashmeri is really appreciable. Aamir is doing very good films, and by chance Rang De Basanti was also full of touch of patriotism. The songs especially "Chand Sifarish" is very sweet and the whistle in the song will surely become popular. Though other songs are good too, but it is matter of personal choice too. The expressions on Kajol face when she meets Rihan after having here eyes in her house not knowing him are also very good, the illusion she has is nicely filmed. The last fifteen minutes of movie are really heart touching. Recommended for everyone!!


FANAA what can i say? this movie has never been done before! on the outside the package looks like a masala bollywood film but in reality it is truly a Hindi film. Romance laced with terrorist and blind girl, high end nuclear weapons, and a sweet child in the mix in the snow-caps of Poland (where the shooting took place). Pure genius of Indian cinema. Was never a big fan of Aamir Khan's until this film something about his portrayal as Rehan completely floored me as none of his other performances has! Kajol as usual is wonderful, sexy, and packs a punch with the emotion she excludes. Their son in the film is adorable and hope so see this child in more films! The director and producer have done an amazing job packaging this film and it's timing is relevant. When love always wins, the love b/w Rehan and Zooni wins only when a mortal sacrifice is made. Yashraj Films has definitely changed the face of romances with this one just as is did with DDLJ and Kajol's so-called comeback is smashing as her breakthrough in DDLJ! Best wishes to the team of Fanaa for a impactive film!


After months of speculation, we now know what the Demon was looking for in Sam- a leader of his demon army. Sam wakes up in a mysterious ghost town- nothing is there. He meets up with fellow psychics Ava and Andy and they try to work out why they are here. They also find new special children, Lily- who stops peoples hearts when she touches people and Jake- who seems to have super strength. Sam explains to them about the Demon and they all are trying to figure out how to get out of the ghost town.

Meanwhile, Dean is with Bobby and they are trying to work out where Sam is. Dean gets a phone call from Ash at the roadhouse saying that he has some important information. They travel to the roadhouse, but something unexpected has happened.

Im not going to give too much more away, but this episode was one of the best of the season. We get to learn a bit more about the boy's mother Mary and the question we all have is- how is she involved in all this?

With twists and turns and unexpected occurrences, this episode is not to be missed and if you love the boys as much as i do, you are going to need a tissue for the last part of the episode- it's heart warming.


This is one episode that is definitely better on a re-watch. I found the commercial breaks to be distracting during the original airing, causing the entire episode to feel disjointed and off kilter.

When I was able to sit down and watch the episode without interruption, I found that it worked much better for me. The plot is heavy on the "Special" kids storyline, as the summary implies, and light on much of anything else. We do find out some new information, though it remains to be seen exactly what will come of it. As a whole the episode is flawed and far from perfect, but still good.

Jensen Ackles hits us again with his powerful acting skills, and Jared Padelecki shines as well, despite a few false moments from him in the course of the episode. Katharine Isabelle and Gabriel Tigerman are wonderful in their respective roles.

And despite the fact that the promo for this episode gave away one of the most emotional moments, that moment is still moving and wonderfully portrayed. All in all a job well done, but one that desperately needs its second half to feel entirely correct.


Dean parks the car in a diner and waits in the car while Sam brings some fast food and pie. Suddenly he realizes that Sam vanished and finds the staff murdered. Without any lead, he meets Bobby and calls Ash; later, Ash calls Dean and when they arrive in the Roadhouse, they find the place burned to the ground, Ash and other hunters dead and Ellen missing. Meanwhile, Sam awakes in the ghost town Cold Oak, South Dakota, with Andy and Ava and they meet two other strangers, Jake and Lily. The Yellow-Eyed Demon visits Sam in his dream and explains that only one member of the group will survive and become a soldier in his army of demons.

"All Hell Breaks Loose: Part 1" is another engaging episode of "Supernatural". Now it seems that the war of the Yellow-Eyed Demon and his army of demons is set in motion with the contest of the gifted children in the haunted town. The conclusion is absolutely unexpected and probably Dean will make a deal to save his brother. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Demônios a Solta  Parte 1" ("Demons Break Loose  Part 1")


Okay, first off to really appreciate this episode you need to be a huge 'Supernatural' fan, or more specifically a Sam Winchester fan as nearly the entire episode centers around him. This is actually my favorite Supernatural episode of season 2, and it has to be because of the wonderful performances put forward by the actors and actresses, not only Jared and Jensen's, but those of Katherine Isabelle as Ava, Gabriel Tigerman as Andy and Fredric Lehne as Yellow-eyes. I remember i was busy the night that it aired and had to tape it. I got home at about midnight that night, but insisted that i watch it before i was able to sleep. I ended up watching this amazing episode on this crappy tape with bad reception about 6 times. Each time i watched it i became enthralled with a different aspects of the ending.

-Spoilers-

Comments like 'No goodbyes for Dean' and 'Sam dies in his brother's arms' are just small, seemingly insignificant comments that mean so much. For Supernatural fans having Sam die in such a sudden, almost unexpected way was effectively executed and felt almost as if someone close to them had passed (i knew some people who, the next day, wore black arm bands in respect). The performances, from Jensen especially, are amazing. As an audience we are pulled into this situation. These are brothers. One is dying. What would you say if you knew this could be the last time that you spoke to the person you love the most? The relationship between the brothers has become so deep that it is a real shock to the system when anything this horrible happens to one, or really both of them.

I urge you to watch this, or if you already have, to watch it again more closely. The way in which Dean lovingly strokes Sam's lifeless face, Dean's anguish as his brother slips away and Sam's empty eyes would make even the most cynical person believe that this episode is a true masterpiece.

The only quarrel i had was the fact that i knew the ending before it happened, thanks to an all too detailed description in TV week the week before. Thanks for nothing you guys.


I have been neglecting my reviewing duties and so haven't gotten around to doing one for the finale until now. And wow, what a finale it was. *bows to the creative genius of Kripke and co.* The reintroducal of Ava and Andy was brilliant, and they worked brilliantly against the two new characters also. This is one of those brilliant but oh so sad eps. We got to see Ava and Andy again, but then had to say goodbye to them *sniff* I totally didn't see the whole evil Ava coming....and neither did Andy it would seem. Ava was a great special guest, which is why i was sad to see her go too, even with her new found evil character self. And if loosing Andy and Ava wasn't enough, we also had to say goodbye to Ash!? I loved his character and took it pretty hard. Excellent use of him brining in a big secret though, and then dying before revealing it. A definite way of keeping the mystery about the show. And the hands down saddest moment of supernatural so far.....Sammys death. We all know he was going to be brought back to life because you know, whats supernatural without dean AND Sam?! But it was still one of those heart wrenching moments which had me in tears (im a girl, its OK to cry at supernatural....saying that though i defy even a boy to not cry at that scene!). Especially that heart tearing 'SAM' from Dean. Got me right in the gut that one. oh before i go, i loved the whole dean having a vision thing, and his whole 'bring me some pie' routine in the beginning. It reflects the brilliance of the supernatural team when even during the most tense and saddening finale, they can still manage to inject some humour to keep things from becoming emo sad. (no offence meant) also round of applause for Jensen's comic timing which turns brilliant writing into fantastic delivery! awesome, that is the word i would use to sum up All hell breaks loose part 1! XsarahX make sure y'all watch it!


One of the weaker episodes. Why? For being a great show and all the plot build up the writers of Supernatural had a hard task at hand. No one can blame the writers for the story climax of season two being such a let down. The town, the special kids duel and Sam's mother knowing the demon where all cheesy. The story would have made a great regular episode, but the writers had hard time trying too match the brilliance of the season one's final episode. I was not surprised if the writers are tring to add new ideas for the season 3 story lines. 7 out of 10. I feel like there is a need for more. Maybe I need to watch this episode a second time, or wait to see if season 3 will make sense out to the season 2's story climax.


Okay, the episodes are pretty much all excellent from Seasons 1 and 2, this episode was well executed. Jensen and Jared are exceptional actors and are always surrounded by wonderful counterparts, whether a guest appearance or a regular.

"My take; Sam and Dean's Mother is some sort of part supernatural being and was kind of hiding out from whatever past she had. The yellow-eyed demon finally found her and corrupted Sam because he was an infant, Jared was older and more self aware. In the final episode Jared will somehow trap the demon and be forced to make a deal where the demon will bring Sam back and Dean will let the demon go."

Or, Sam's real father is the yellow-eyed demon, which would make for a really bad cliché. I have faith in the writers that they will not make this show just another cliché.

Peace,

Slackwoo


Okay, what is there to say about this episode except for "WOW!" and "I can't wait till part 2 of 'all hell breaks loose'". I am a great fan of this series and I usually root for Dean but today I'm rooting for Sam because something BAAAAD is gonna happen and Sam got all to do with it. His death is not without a real good reason. because if you pay attention to the different points raised during the season, we know that GOD, LIFE AFTER DEATH, Sam and their mother, their dad too and obviously HELL and the Yellow eyed demon will be key factors in part 2. I just hope the inevitable doesn't happen, Sam going darkside and SUPERNATURAL turning into Sam vs. Dean ... Evil vs. Good. because even though Dean is tough he is no match against a possible 'demoniac Sam'. I think I've said enough and most of it wasn't about this episode. all I've got left to say is i feel sorry for Sam, I empathize with Dean and i'm disappointed with Ava's reappearance and missing Jo Harvelle ... she is gotta appear again.


Series Note: see main body of review.

Elementary school teacher and noted author "Remy" (Alix Koromzay) has man problems. Unfortunately, they're getting worse as the men she has problems with are ending up dead and she's the prime suspect. At the same time, we see that at least one of the superbugs from Mimic (1997) has survived. Remy, her wannabe boyfriends, a couple students, the police, the superbugs and some X-Files-ish mysterious government types are on a collision course in this film.

I usually try to write my reviews within 24 hours of watching a film, at most. The fresher the film is in my mind the easier it is to record my feelings about it. I also have a tendency to forget films fairly quickly if I haven't seen them a few times. If I wait too long the review is not likely to make it even past the larval stage. Mimic 2 I watched a couple days ago already. The main reason that I'm bringing this up is that the more I think about it, the more I can't remember why I didn't give it an even higher rating (I jot my rating down immediately). It seems in retrospect that this film should have been at least a 9 for me. But usually my first judgment is right, at least at the time, and so an 8 it is on this viewing.

Of course, even an 8 is a lot higher than most folks are giving this film. A large part of the reason why is that Mimic 2 is completely different in tone than the first Mimic. Although Remy is a returning character (she had a very minor role in the first film), there's no reason that you need to watch the original before this one, unless you just want more background on the superbugs.

I suspect that the other reason why most folks are rating Mimic 2 much lower than I is because writer Joel Soisson and director Jean de Segonzac couldn't care one whit about making the film "realistic". Mimic 2 is a campfest, a cheesathon, and a frequently absurdist celebration of filmic artificiality for its own sake. I happen to love those qualities. If you don't, you'll likely hate this film.

The embrace of artificiality is beautifully present in the production design and lighting. An early indicator is near the end of the opening sequence, as "species extinguisher" Lincoln Trahm is making his way out of the subway system. He emerges onto a "New York City street" amidst glowing neon and other lighting in strong primary colors straight out of Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977). The film takes place primarily on two sets, the "outside surfaces" of which are covered in attractively garish graffiti. The school set has an architectural style of "retro-dilapidated", and there are unusual touches such as the "desk nest" which blocks the hall during later, pivotal scenes.

Much more bizarre and frequently funny are the characters, plot and dialogue. Remy is a noted entomologist and author of at least a popular scientific account of insects, yet she teaches elementary school. She is a serial one-time-dater, apparently with commitment aversions, but she doesn't seem very choosy with her dates. Afterwards, she takes Polaroid photographs of herself making grotesque faces (mimics?) and then writes the name of the date-gone-wrong beneath the image before adding them to her wall of shame. It a behavior that, not unsurprisingly, resembles a serial killer to Detective Klaski (Bruno Campos).

As for the superbug, Soisson and Segonzac decided to take the human mimicry from the previous film more literally. In Mimic 2, the main bug is clearly sentient, becoming just another psycho boyfriend for Remy. It's delightfully goofy, although not without precedent--to an extent it resembles the alien insect from Invader/Lifeforce (1996).

"Delightfully goofy" couldn't be more apt for this film overall. It seems as if Soisson and Segonzac couldn't take the premise quite seriously, so in lieu of the intense, high-action dingy glum of Mimic, they went the tongue-in-cheek route and gave us something not that far removed from, say, a later Frank Henenlotter film. Another angle, which is probably the reason for the stressed artificiality, is that it parallels the superbug's attempts, which are far from perfect, to mimic humankind. It's as if the sets, the lighting, the characters, the plot, and everything else is mimicking reality at the same time it's superficially mimicking the previous film.

Segonzac still achieves an alienating gloom beneath all of the camp, and the film is routinely suspenseful--it's difficult to not be suspenseful when you're dealing with bugs. An important story point on that end is that Mimic has its share of smaller bugs, too--the kind that can easily be behind your desk, in the back of your shelves, in your closet, under your bed, or right outside your door or window. The creature effects are all excellent. It's also wonderfully gory in some parts, although it's mostly bug gore, but that tends to have a higher "ewww" factor for me than human gore. Even more powerful, there are some instances where the two types of gore are effectively "mixed".

While I'm sure I won't help resell the film to viewers who have already seen it and hated it, hopefully I can help sway those on the fence, and help guide those who don't know if they'd like to bother. It's important to develop a taste for camp and for the purposefully unrealistic and ridiculous--it's a common approach from filmmakers. Films like Mimic 2 do not tend to have their odd differences because of incompetence. Rather, there is usually an artistic reason for making particular decisions. That fact won't help you acquire the taste for these kinds of films, but at least it can help you understand why they exist as they do.


I liked this movie a lot, in many ways much more that than the original Mimic. In particular, Alix Koromzay is great playing the slightly flaky, completely adorable bug-nut scientist/teacher. She is much more interesting than Mira Sorvino, who wasn't bad in the first movie. The story here is simpler, not a bad thing in a horror flick, as the plot stays on a straight course with good effect. For those looking for big-time special effects, Mimic 2 might not satisfy. But for some good campy fun and scares, check this one out.


I just finished watching Mimic & Mimic 2 together. I had seen Mimic when it originally came out and didn't remember it all that fondly. I rewatched it though and was surprised and how much better I liked it this time. Perhaps due to lower expectations. Anyway, on the the "sequel."

Only 1 character from Mimic is here, Miro Sorvino's partner Remy. In Mimic she disappears about half way through, her job in the plot done. Here she carries the movie and does a decent job of taking her 10 minutes of screen time in the first film and giving her more here. Her use of her camera here is a nice continuity touch. Other characters are generally disposable (and nearly all of them are disposed of).

No creative people return and yet the style and tone are very reminscent of the first film. The plot is mostly rehash of the first movie with a group of people trapped in a confined space with human sized mutant cockroaches. Of course, the style and look of the first film were mostly borrowed from Species and the Alien series (particularly Alien 3) so this one follows suit.

This time, an undeveloped plot about the military (basically replacing the CDC of the first film) is introduced but not fleshed out. Given the film's extra short 82 minute run time, more certainly could have been added. This almost seemed more like an unused idea for the first film rather than a seperate plot line of it's own.

The science here is weak (and accounts for the one glaring continuity error when Remy explains what DNA went into the Judas breed) but the plot doesn't hinge on science. It's a giant bug movie. My expectations of credible science are minimal.

None of the characters behave in the typical ultra-stupid "I'm in a horror movie so I'm not gonna scream for help but instead hide until I get eaten" manner which helps. Ultimately, if you go in expecting a low-budget straight-to-video sequel to a decent giant bug movie, I don't think you'll be disappointed.


This is actually an above average sequel. Yes it's low budget and there are no celberities(except Eddie Albert if he counts) but the film is done tastefully. There are some good scares and it's a good follow up to the original. The original actress who played Remi in the original returns as a teacher who suspects the judus breed has returned. It's not as good as the orginal but it's very decent. Plus the special effects are good, good action, good suprises and it's short which always helps.