I'm certainly no expert of Bollywood films, I'm not familiar with the actresses, actors and director involved and can't compare this movie to any others of this kind. I simply watched the film at the cinema because I like epic pirate movies. The plot summary sounded intriguing, so I watched the trailer which was decent enough for me to give this film a try. I expected a good average entertaining film but what I finally got is one of the best films of the year. I neither understand nor support the numerous exaggeratedly negative reviews for this movie. Watch the trailer instead and decide whether it's decent enough for you to give this film a chance just like I did.

The film starts in 1795 when the Indian subcontinent is progressively controlled by British invaders. One of the last few independent, powerful and wealthy kings gets tricked, humiliated and murdered by a ruthless British East India Company officer. His daughter survives the massacre and escapes with a veteran officer. Many years later the daughter has become a skilled fighter and the general has become the leader of a group of thugs who specialize in sea-based warfare and expose a serious challenge to the expanding British East India company. The officer in command who once killed the king wants to find the hiding place of the thugs and kill all of them. Charming, cunning and selfish criminal Firangi Mallah gets caught in this conflict and decides to take advantage of the situation by betraying both sides until his conscience finally comes into play.

There are numerous elements I liked about the movie. First of all, the opening sequence is surprisingly brutal, intense and suspenseful and sets the mood for an epic tale of vengeance. Secondly, the locations look absolutely stunning throughout the entire film. Thirdly, the sound and special effects are decent and not as bad as claimed by numerous reviewers. Fourthly, the story comes around with numerous twists and turns without ever getting too exaggerated. Fifthly, the film finds the right balance between facts and fancy with its historical references and supports values such as independence, liberty and loyalty. Sixthly, the movie takes the time it needs to tell its story of epic proportions instead of rushing it and you truly get value for money if you buy a movie ticket. Seventhly, the diversified characters are particularly intriguing, especially the philosophical former veteran officer and leader of the thugs, the cold-blooded company officer and the expressive criminal. Eighthly, the acting performances are great and especially Aamir Khan is as versatile as it gets and reminds me of Johnny Depp in his best years. Ninethly, the film has several similarities to the Pirates of the Carribean franchise but is not only better than that franchise that overstayed its welcome but also adds its very own twist to it in form of the costumes, dances and locations. Tenthly and finally, I'm usually not a fan of dance and song choreographies in movies but since this element is only present on three occasions in a film with a running time of nearly three hours and gives the film its unique Bollywood identity, I actually appreciated it for once.

Some people might rate my review down, not because it's badly written or because its content is useless but because they might disagree with my opinion and reasoning which only discredits these critics that already gave this film a bad name it didn't deserve. If you like epic pirate movies, you can't get around watching Thugs of Hindostan which turns out being one of the best films of its kind and one of the most entertaining movies of the year. Grab some popcorn, invite a few friends and enjoy this epic experience to the fullest.

Orion's Reign is one of the most creative, epic and passionate symphonic power metal bands I have ever come across. Inspired by veterans like Virgin Steele, more recent genre bands like Magic Kingdom and so-called supergroups like Avantasia, Orion's Reign offers eleven diversified, melodic and powerful anthems. The epic ''The Gravewalker'' with its grandiose vocal efforts and the colourful ''An Adventure Song'' with its balanced mixture of medieval folk and symphonic elements are highlights on an overall very strong release.

The record features some interesting guest appearances by Mark Boals, Tim Owens and Marit Minniva Børresen who fully convince in their respective songs. However, regular vocalist Daniel Vasconcelos is at least as good as the guest singers and finds the right mixture between technical skills and overwhelming emotions. The keyboards are the most important instrument since they provide the cinematic symphonic soundscapes that give this band its unique identity. The guitar play convinces most in the mid-paced to fast melodic solos while the riffs could at times be more gripping. Bass guitar and drums form the solid backbone of the vivid tracks without truly standing out.

If you like symphonic power metal, Orion's Reign offers some of the very best material in recent memory and might as well qualify for best power metal record of the year. If you like the power metal genre, you have to explore this wonderful band. Epic orchestral parts with cinematic vibes meet tracks inspired by medieval folk passages in eleven creative, energetic and entertaining melodic power metal songs.

Final rating: 93%

Italy's stunning doom metal quintet The Foreshadowing is back with an unusual digital single in support of the horror comic book series Paranoid Boyd.

The song starts with a collage of ambient sounds and dialogues before heavy breathing leads to the actual start of the song. Melancholic guitar melodies, droning rhythm section and bittersweet vocals immediately evoke a strong atmosphere. The song continues to elaborate upon the smooth start and becomes slowly more intense thanks to overlapping vocal tracks and cleverly employed bell sound. The track ends on a haunting finale that leaves the listener wanting more.

This creative gothic doom metal track represents everything The Foreshadowing stands for and if you like either genre, you are certainly going to enjoy this surprise release. In addition, the music suits the topic of the comic book series quite well and might make you want to check out the books as well. The atmospheric, colourful and mysterious cover artwork blends in perfectly and deserves more recognition than just being used for a digital single. This brilliant release sets the bar high for The Foreshadowing's future endeavours.

Final rating: 90%

Going into this movie, I didn't expect much since I have had my share of bad experiences with prehistoric epics like the awful 10,000 BC. Alpha turned out to be a relatively authentic documentary, moving drama and energetic survival adventure movie with many emotional highlights and a creative twist to finish on a high note.

While other prehistoric epics rely on senseless dialogues and complicated plots, this film goes off the beaten path and is quite charming in its simplicity. A teenager is left for dead after his first hunting trip with his tribe and his father who is their leader. He survives however and gets attacked by a pack of wolves. Injuring one of them, he nurses the wolf back to health, developing what would later on become the friendship between dogs and humans. However, both the injured teenager and the injured wolf must make it back to their respective families in order to survive the harsh winter conditions. They rely on each other and will live many adventurous anecdotes until the dramatic ending.

Aside the simple plot, I liked the scarcity of dialogues to focus on emotions, gestures and landscapes rather than unnecessary words. The acting performances are authentic and grounded and one can see the protagonist come to age throughout the film. The precise camera work, the epic soundtrack and the stunning settings enhance the movie's epic premise. It's also a film that will please both younger and older audiences because it teaches us about human values such as family, friendship, hope, loss and trust. Another positive point is the lack of overtly flashy special effects, unnecessary side stories and needless flashbacks that makes the film more authentic, credible and intense.

What I expected to be a mildly entertaining adventure movie turned out being one of the greatest films of the year. No matter of you prefer actions films, documentaries or dramas, Alpha offers something for every taste and is particularly balanced and focused in its genre mixture. Alpha is much deeper than you might expect and is a film you can watch with your parents, friends and even children.

A Quiet Place is a very creative horror movie. It takes place in the near future when mysterious creatures roam the planet that have acute hearing and kill anything and anyone they hear. We follow the lives of the Abbott family, consisting of a courageous mother, a survivalist father, their deaf daughter, their scared son and their curious youngest child. Over the course of about ninety minutes, we see the family face numerous emotive challenges, fight the mysterious creatures and try to find their weakness in order to survive.

The film is short and to the point, with an emotional and ominous atmosphere and story line. The fact that one doesn't know where the creatures come from makes the movie even more horrifying and mysterious. Despite the obvious lack of longer dialogues, viewers empathize with the diversified characters and their common goal to save their family by any means necessary. The acting performances are expressive since the actresses and actors rarely have the occasion to speak. The action sequences are brief and intense. The film has a few minor jump scares but otherwise focuses on its menacing atmosphere. The movie ends on a high note, perfectly balanced between emotional and intellectual elements, with one major problem resolved but many questions left unanswered that offer the audience some food for thought and make the movie unforgettable.

There are only two minor elements to criticize about the movie. First of all, it's hard to believe that a mother would willingly give birth to a child under the grisly circumstances described above, hence risking the lives of the entire family. Having sexual intercourse in an environment where every sound leads to certain death seems out of character for parents who are otherwise very careful, intellectual and organized. Not aborting the fetus seems like an unlikely decision in a world where earnest survival is more important than moral values. Secondly, the movie ended on a high note and certainly doesn't need a sequel. The impact of many great films has been harmed in the past by building a franchise around them when greed took over creativity. I'm not interested in watching a sequel for such a unique film and wished the creative forces behind this movie would reconsider that option and instead focus on another fresh idea.

In the end, if you like creative horror, science-fiction and survival movies, you can't get around watching A Quiet Place. It has outstanding acting performances, an ominous atmosphere and a unique concept. It's refreshing to have a movie that focuses on sounds rather than dialogues. People who have the tendency to talk all the time without saying anything at all should watch this film as well as Don't Breathe and take them as lessons that sometimes a gesture can mean more than a thousand words. Enjoy the silence!