Film Review - Phantom

Agent Rambo

Film: Phantom

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Mohammed Zeeshan  Ayub
Directed by: Kabir Khan
Duration: 2 hrs 27 mins
Rating: * *

After Kabul Express, Ek Tha Tiger and very recently Bajrangi Bhaijan, director Kabir Khan is on familiar terrain again with Phantom. Without a trace of doubt, this is his worst outing so far. The spark and drama of Bajrangi is not there and the fairly terse action drama of Ek Tha Tiger is missing. What we end up with is a screenplay which has as much fizz as a cola that has been left open for a week.

Based on Hussain Zaidi’s book Mumbai Avengers, Phantom is a cross between Agent Vinod and D-Day. The Sriram Raghvan film was superior because at least it had some interesting filmi references while D-Day was an enjoyable action thriller. Phantom is literally all over the place – Chicago, Syria, Pakistan we get to see it all. But what we miss is a screenplay that will keep us engaged.  

The idea of an Indian secret agent going solo and striking against terrorists responsible for the 26/11 attack itself sounds like a daunting plot. Starting with a rather unnecessary chase on the streets of Chicago we are introduced in flashback to the man involved, Daniyal Khan (Saif Ali Khan).  There is more than one explanatory flashback in the film and our directors still like to tell and show, sometimes the other way round. In a scene during the climax, we clearly see two dots on the radar screen retreating back towards Pakistan. Promptly, the officer says “Lagta hain yeh dono boat Pakistan ki taraf ja rahi hain” explaining verbally what has already been shown.        

Katrina Kaif plays an agent working for an American company called Darkwater (an obvious reference to Blackwater) that supplies arms and takes up contracts in conflict zones.  There is another of those silly background stories (with a flashback of course) as to why and how she landed up with such a job.

Meanwhile Daniyal Khan has been recruited on the sly by RAW. His job is to exterminate all those who are spreading terror in India. The fine actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub plays a newly recruited RAW agent who comes up with this idea. “Jab Pakistan hum pe hamla karta hain to zyaada se zyaada hum kya karte hain, sirf cricket khelna bandh kar dete hain.”  Well, we have also started making fictional films on those attacks now.  

There is David Headley who becomes Daniyal’s target along with the big fish Hafeez Sayyed (mentioned as Harris Sayyed in the film)

As far as the patriotism and jingoism is concerned, the film tries to walk the fine line but fails. In the process of attempting to be a crowd pleaser, it digs itself in a hole.  

The shoddy screenplay is to be blamed and the direction doesn’t rise above the ordinary. You can’t have the hero strutting around like a fictional James Bond or Jason Bourne kind of character in a story that alludes to real life references.  And it is also time for Saif Ali Khan to give up on such roles. It is a bit too late to play Rambo. 

The effort to infuse some romance is so lame that a door and a latch have more chemistry than Saif and Katrina. 

You will need lots of patience and the ability to withstand triteness if you encounter this Agent Rambo.

Published in The Navhind Times on 30th Aug 2015
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Film Review - Bang Bang!

Big Bang Theory

 

Film: Bang Bang

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Cars, Boats

Directed by: Siddharth Anand

Duration: 2 hrs 36 mins

Rating: * 1 / 2

Bang Bang has many ingredients – an A list hero and heroine, foreign locations, songs, guns, fancy cars, boats, action and more. What it doesn’t have is a cohesive story that can keep you awake or prevent you from yawning. By the end, you are as exasperated as someone who gets promotional text messages on the phone all day long. 

Meant to be an official remake of the Cruise-Diaz starrer, Knight and Day the question is, why would anyone want to remake such a dull film anyway? 

Well, director Siddharth Anand (Tara Rum Pum, Anjaana Anjaani) makes a complete hash of it. Clocking over two and a half hours, the film looks like one long commercial. In the very beginning, a dreaded terrorist Omar (good old Danny) manages to escape from the clutches of MI6 in London.  If you think ‘dreaded terrorists’ are kept in high security prisons, then you are dead wrong.  They are kept in glass buildings for the convenience of henchmen (Jaaved Jaffery, wasted). 

There is an extradition treaty to be signed between India and England and the most wanted man on Interpol’s list wants to prevent it. How? By getting someone to steal the Kohinoor (yes, same one,) which is housed in England. The jewel thief turns out to be Rajveer (Hrithik), who among his other talents, can cross a lake in a single breath. Gulp.

 

Katrina Kaif plays a bank receptionist in Shimla who has no one to date and has to resort to a dating website to go out with someone.  The men in that lovely place might get a serious complex after watching this film.

The chase scenes and romantic rendezvous look out of place - one day they are in Prague, they next day they are somewhere else. You couldn’t care less because logic and common sense went out of the window at the very start of the film. 

Both the lead characters are not in their element- Katrina was not exactly Meryl Streep to begin with but she is embarrassing in some scenes. Hrithik also looks like someone who is not particularly interested or convinced in the proceedings.  It would be fair to say that the stuntman did more work than him in the film.  In one word, this film is avoidable. 

Published  in The Navhind Times on 5th Oct 2014

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Film Review - Dhoom 3

                              

                                         The Dhoomsday Conspiracy

Film: Dhoom 3

Cast: Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Uday Chopra

Directed by: Vijay Krishna Acharya

Duration: 2 hr 52 mins

Rating: * *

Going by the hype and frenzy of Dhoom 3, you would assume that the previous two films were cult classics but nothing could be farther from the truth. It is just that the franchise has got a name for itself and more over, this film stars Aamir Khan and in the last few years, everything that he has touched has turned to gold.

Dhoom 3 has already offered the film makers gold at the box office but beyond that there is not a great deal to gloat about. Clocking almost three hours, the plot is more labored than the labor room of the government medical hospital on a particularly busy day. Yes, it is a very slick film with lots of action but most of it is ineffective, pretty much like the Zimbabwean currency. Moreover, the screenplay doesn't make an effort to be convincing and there is a lot of ‘inspiration' that is drawn here. If imitation is the best form of flattery, Christopher Nolan will be mighty pleased to see Dhoom 3.    

Rewind to circa 1990 in Chicago where an Indian magician (Jackie Shroff) is having a tough time repaying the bank loan to keep his Great Indian Circus going. Looks like they don't want EMI's, they want the whole sum back which leads to him taking drastic measures.

His magician son Saahir (Aamir Khan) grows seeking vendetta against this particular bank. He vows not to rest in peace till he brings the bank and the owner whose name is Warren Anderson, to their knees.You may have heard of the rupee being floated by our V for vendetta guy believes in robbing the bank and lets those green backs fall from the sky. Now if you rob a bank will you try to make a quiet getaway or try your best to draw as much attention as you can so that you can race the cops on the bike? In this film, the answer is the latter. Especially considering that the bike he has a Transformer type BMW that can change its shape and also become a speed boat. I hope we get such bikes in India, might come in handy considering the traffic.

Speaking of India, we meet Inspector Jai (Abhishek Bachchan) who makes a grand entry in what is the most strongly built auto rickshaw ever, beating up baddies along with his side kick Ali (Uday Chopra). I can't remember the last time when we saw the same vehicle pass through so many walls.  

Considering the ineptitude of the Chicago police in tracking the culprit, the Indian police are summoned to crack the case. "Do we know who's responsible for the robbery?" asks the bank owner. "At this point, all we know is that he was a thief." says the policeman. Such an enlightening conversation.

Katrina Kaif is also seen a minuscule role, she auditions to be a part of the circus by showing her dancing skills and by impressing Saahir with the several layers of clothing she wears.  She becomes a part of the circus all right and they also get a standing ovation in America for singing Hindi songs in front of the audience.

The film makers have spent considerable amount of effort and money in making the film look good, except in the writing department. Aamir Khan's character drawing attention after a theft once can be pardoned once but to see the same thing every time, you would need a bottle of Hajmola to digest that.

A bit of tongue in cheek action is fine but mixing that up with a serious plot doesn't yield good results - for instance Samar's intention of shutting the bank are serious and so is the cops objective. As a result, most of the humor generated is unintentional except where Ali is involved to provide comic relief.

The cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee is from the top draw, the editing though could have been sharper, minus all the flashbacks. This may not be Aamir Khans most memorable performance but still he manages to carry the film through by adding that zing to his character.

If it was shorter, Dhoom 3 would have made it to the so-bad-that-it-is-good category but at three hours no bad film can be deemed as good. 

Published in The Navhind Times

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