Super sequels, Olympic tunes

SPENDING IT

are here to challenge that crown.

Quite a few of us thought that Monsters Inc and not Shrek should have walked away with the best animated feature Oscar for 2002, but the Shrek sequel takes a whole jump forward.

There is some fabulous referential humour in the form of rescue missions (a la Mission Impossible), and digs at the conventional notions of fairytales (the fairy Godmother and Prince Charming are the 'bad guys' here).

A fabulous scene-stealing Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) also helps make this a far more enjoyable film than the first one. And please don't leave the hall before the credit titles have finished rolling, or you'll miss a wonderful special appearance. If family entertainment is what you are looking for, go for the ogre.

Kill Bill Volume 2, on the other hand, comes burdened with the expectations generated by a fabulous first part. And we wondered: can Tarantino shock us even more than he did the last time around?

The answer is: yes and no. While the Miyazaki-inspired animation sequence was the high point in visual acrobatics in the first film, this one is closer to what the director of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction is all about.

There are these wonderful build-ups to the Bud-Beatrix duel, which culminates (literally) with a bang. There are far more direct references to genres like the spaghetti western in the form of Ennio Morricone's legendary score for The Good, The Bad and the Ugly soundtrack, in the midwest sequences.

Sure, there is the explosive catfight (between Elle Driver and Beatrix) but the film is all about riveting build-ups. Like the pre-massacre dialogue between Bill and the Bride or the climactic superman soliloquy by Bill.

And the way it ends is less fun than the first movie's ending, but it's far more poignant. The irreverence is out, and Tarantino ends the film with a vision about the importance of parental pride and the sanctity of motherhood.

Uma Thurman earned herself a Golden Globe nomination last year; who knows what might happen this time around...

The TRPs will probably show that the Olympics still lag behind cricket mania, but that shouldn't lower enthusiasm for the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet.

EMI's official album for the 2004 Athens Olympics Unity [cassettes Rs 135, CDs Rs 350], is also one of the albums of the season, with a range of tracks that underline the theme of harmony and peace.

And it's heartwarming to see that artists who are known mainly for frivolous pop, can actually extend themselves when they want to. The listing is a who's who of musicians across genres: Avril Lavigne (her version of "Knocking on Heaven's Door" is the best track). There's also Sting, Macy Gray, Moby, Brian Eno and even Alice Cooper.

While the Olympics may still need brands to sell messages of harmony, the Chinese Government has decided to take the more traditional route.

In an effort to revive the Tang dynasty culture of a female classical music group, workshops were established after a gruelling set of auditions selected 12 musicians. A contemporary fusion of classical Chinese folk melodies with elements of jazz and even pop, make the 12 Girls "" One Band album [CDs Rs 400] a refreshingly different one.

And despite the Eastern mystique and surreal sounds, the best buy of the season is the double CD/cassette Now that's what I call Jazz [cassettes Rs 150, CDs Rs 399].

In terms of sheer quality and innovation [the compilation features work by rap group Arrested Development] this one rates miles above the usual.