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Animal (2023)
Don't feed the animals with the contents that are in your wallets or purses (cash or cards), especially this one..
As we are near the end of 2023, the industry is deteriorating at a rapid pace because most filmmakers are now relying on remakes and star kid launches that are ruining the movie experience for the audience.
Even films with original stories aren't really doing any justice because of its repetitive nature.
Meet Balbir Singh, an industrialist who leads a lavish lifestyle with his father, wife, and 3 children Ranvijay, Roop, and Reet. Ranvijay loves his father dearly and wants to spend time with him but Balbir's workaholic nature gets in the way. He is very over protective of his family including his sisters.
His overprotective behavior goes a bit too far when he goes after his sister's tormentors with a gun, resulting in Balbir sending him to boarding school in the U. S. After finishing, Vijay elopes with his school sweetheart and becomes a father of two.
One day, he comes back after hearing the news of his father's attempted murder and vows vengeance. How Ranvijay goes down a violent rampage by forming a gang to find the people responsible is basically what this film is all about and more importantly, fix the relationship that started all of this in the first place.
The teaser and the anticipation game was very strong for this film resulting in some excitement and ensuring that this will end 2023 very well but on the contrary, this one was a disaster.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga's vision in our minds was a crime drama that would pay homage to the Godfather with an engaging storyline but all this film has done is giving us just sex, violence, and foul language. These are the only things you would expect from this 18+ movie.
The storyline had a decent start in the first half but the 2nd half is where the problems begin. The 2nd half was outpaced and there was nothing but violence, sex, and Ranbir Kapoor trying to be like Emraan Hashmi.
There was nothing to write home about especially when the antagonist was introduced later in the end of the film.
Maybe a simple backstory or something that would help connect the dots of this film not to mention showing more of the family drama aspect rather than a bloodbath fighting 300 henchmen in a hotel that took almost an hour of the film away.
Acting was 50/50 to say the least and I am saying this with full conviction because we all love Ranbir Kapoor and it was inevitable that despite this film being egregious, he managed to deliver a power packed performance.
Anil Kapoor was also well within this element and performed exceedingly well as the father.
Rashmika Mandanna's role as the wife Gitanjali didn't make any sense to me at all. All she did in this 3.5 hour film was shout and spoke Hindi in a broken Telugu accent.
Bobby Deol was average as Abrar despite his good physique that was showcased on screen. Although he was mute, would've expected more from his role as he was a polygamous person but with a big ego killing people for even the smallest of things.
What kind of filmmaker would invite Tripti Dimri just for a sex scene and a few dialogues? Censor boards should also take a look at scripts rather than relying on the final cuts of any film. Sandeep, this is a theatrical film, not a film or a web series on an OTT platform.
The only two songs in the film that stood out were Arjan Vailly and Saare Duniya Jaala Denge. These songs had some resonance to the plot but the remaining songs were average.
The action sequences and the fight scenes were executed really well but that's pretty what the film has going for. The one thing that annoyed me was that enormous gun barrel machine cart that would fire 1000 bullets a second (maybe I am exaggerating), even action films in Hollywood wouldn't have anything like this or showcase something this ridiculous.
Let's be concise about the scenes during the film credits such as the mid credits scene which is a reenactment of SRK's film Duplicate but with a more violent take on it announcing a sequel called Animal Park which is one park that should forbid the audience from entering and a post-credit scene which shows an old Vijay thanking the audience in a weird way before the screen goes black.
Overall, the best way to describe this film is take Arjun Reddy/Kabir Singh (for the acting) and mix it with John Wick (action sequences and the usage of guns) and sprinkle it with K3G (family drama elements), and you have Animal.
2.5/5 - Sandeep Reddy Vanga should've said that he was going to make a spiritual sequel to Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh.
Tiger 3 (2023)
Not enough volume to make this Tiger roar but watchable in parts
Bollywood is looking for some way to attract the masses and make this industry an ATM rather than expressing art to the audience. YRF Spy Universe is a good model, but a plot is necessary.
Tiger 3 is the fifth film in Aditya Chopra's Spy Universe, which follows the events of Tiger Zinda Hai, War, & Pathaan.
The film has a backstory that explains a little bit about Zoya's life and how she joined ISI. Aatish Rehman is an ex-ISI agent turned terrorist who also has a part in Zoya's life and wants to exact revenge for the killing of his wife and to punish Tiger for it by having him declared a traitor as well as destroying India.
This film is precisely about how Tiger and Zoya, along with their agency comrades, work together to thwart Aatish's plans (abolishing the peace treaty between both neighboring countries by killing the PM of Pakistan to take over) and clear Tiger's name.
Let's just put it out there and say that the narrative was egregious and predictable on many levels. It was clear what was going to happen in every scene. It was nice to know a little about Zoya's life, and that was fine, but the narrative was a bit all over the place.
The positive notes were the cameo by Pathaan and the post-credit scene that featured Kabir (a start to War 2), which added some justice to the film's plot.
Performances were 50/50
Salman Khan has been consistent in his role as Tiger and doesn't cease to amaze the audience.
Katrina Kaif, as Zoya, was also decent in her performance but could have been better. She was rudimentary and acted at the level of a workshop exercise.
Emraan Hashmi as Aatish Rehman and it's not easy saying this, but the man deserves applause. The way he played the villain validates how second chances can be given. Although some areas could've been tightened, he was the one to watch and performed well.
The comrades played by Gavie Chahal as Abrar (ISI agent), Kumud Mishra as Rakesh (RA&W hacker), Danish Bhat as Javed (ISI agent who goes rogue), Chandrachoor Rai as Karan (RA&W analyst) and Nikhil (RA&W bomb expert) were also good. It did justice bringing them back along with Ranvir Shorey's 5-minute performance as Gopi.
Shahrukh Khan as Pathaan (cameo appearance) was a treat to watch, and he was the justice to the plot.
Hrithik Roshan as Kabir didn't have much in his 2-minute post-credit scene, but he looked great, and this one was a warm-up for War 2, which will come out in 2025
As Colonel Luthra, Ashutosh Rana was in the same post-credit scene as Kabir, but seeing him in this film was good. YRF can't have a Spy Universe film without this man.
Revathy does the same role for RA&W Chief Shenoy (played by Girish Karnad, who passed away four years ago) as Maithili Menon, who was also good but would've preferred Girish if he was still alive.
Sartaj Kakkar as Junior, Tiger and Zoya's son was sweet and nice
Vishal Jethwa plays Hassan, whom Tiger and Zoya rescued and adopted in Tiger Zinda Hai. How is it possible that an arab kid could easily pick up the desi accent that fast? He plays a hacker and helps Tiger and Zoya in their mission to stop Aatish, but his performance is cringe.
Pritam was extremely out of his league this time when making these two soundtracks. The lyrics and the composition of Leke Prabhu Ka Naam and Ruaa were horrible.
The action sequences and cinematography stood out at Hollywood's level. Editing needed a bit of work, but all in all, it was consistent.
Overall, the film was just okay, and like the mission's name in the intro, a time pass due to its inept narrative and music.
2.75/5.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)
Not the "Kahaani" you'd expect from Karan Johar
The B-wood industry has been yearning for one thing and one thing only - MONEYYY! This is an evident example of how talentless people steal the spotlight for those who have been trying to pursue their passion but can't thanks to the veterans who have been loaded for their children.
So this is a film that centers around 2 characters from different cultural/traditional backgrounds.
Meet Rocky Randhawa and Rani Chatterjee
Rocky comes from a stereotypical but affluent Punjabi background that consists of his parents Tijori and Poonam, his grandparents Kanwal and Dhanlakshmi, and his sister Gayathri a.k.a Golu. Dhanlakshmi runs a "mithai" empire and is considered the matriarch of the house with lack of respect for her daughter-in-law.
Rani comes from a conservative and traditional Bengali background that consists of her parents Chandon and Anjali, and her grandmother Jamini. She is a news anchor by profession while her mother is a literature professor and her dad, a Kathak dancing instructor while Jamini runs the household.
The fall in love element comes into play due to the past history of Kanwal and Jamini as they were in love a long time ago but due to their differences, they couldn't be together. So coincidentally, Rocky and Rani meet, fall in love, and decide to get married
Due to the family's oppositions, they decide to switch places to prove their worthiness and how their fate is what forms their love story along with healing the past and the present of the Randhawas.
Okay, might seem like a decent plot but the film focuses too much on the family drama aspect rather than the romantic aspect of the film that was supposed to be there. The screenplay was completely erratic and convoluted to a very high extent that tethered to the highest of predictability levels.
First a fall in love scenario and then the rest of the 90-100 mins on the family drama aspect. So it's like ADHM & HSKD in the beginning, then K3G & BKD in the middle, and lastly spice it up with a copied KKHH and 2-states climax.
So it's a hybrid from KJo's filmography. A typical ending to any KJo film, the guy wins the girl after all the maafi's have been done from both respective families .
This is clearly apparent how originality is diminishing from the face of this industry and how nepotism is being heavily triggered and this film is a clear example of this issue. Exploitation, nothing else.
When it comes to performances, this is one aspect that can be accepted as both the lovebirds performed immaculately in their roles.
Ranveer Singh was able to display a flamboyant persona on screen while Alia Bhatt was subtle and nuanced and did make herself leave a decent impression in front of the audience.
The veterans Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Shabana Azmi were also good in their respective roles and managed to bring a bit of that spark in this confusing film.
Jaya Bachchan reminded me of Yash Raichand, Dharmedra acted almost like Rishi Kapoor from Kapoor & Sons while Shabana Azmi acted like Farida Jalal from KKHH.
Dharmedra portrayed a aging and amnesiac grandfather with not many dialogues but his presence was doable.
Supporting cast were fine but Aamir Bashir's role reminded me of Ronit Roy from 2 States. Same anger and attitude along with that complacent personality.
Pritam has made quite a comeback with some decent tunes but What Jhumka was a bit too much despite its slight peppiness it adds as original music exists for a reason. Tum Kya Mile and Ve Kamleya were the major highlights of this album and the melodious voice of Arijit managed to add some magic to this film.
Cinematography was fine and the editing was decent but could've been more crisper since ADHM looked better than this. Wish KJo wrote this rather than having his pay-rolled staff pen this confusion and have him sit in front of the camera. This is exploitation
Overall, Karan Johar needs to see the potential talent in front of him despite how nicely Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh performed but the narrative needs work. Too predictable and I think 90% of the audience know your filmography thank you.
2.5/5 - A Dharma wound.
Bloody Daddy (2023)
Directed by the Bloody Idiot who wanted to impress Keanu Reeves
Bollywood's biggest issue is impressing other industries by remaking their original films thinking that the country is built on versatility and willingness but unfortunately it destructs on the basis of promise and anticipation.
Sumair Azad, an NCB officer who raided a drug bust faces a dilemma when his son Atharva gets kidnapped by the drug lord and demands his stuff to be returned in exchange for his son.
What follows is a bloodbath in the durg lord's hotel between the good and bad with 2 officers in the way trying to also stop the madness but at the same time, get Sumair's son back.
Ali Abbas Zafar did make some decent films but this guy really needs to wake up and smell the coffee of doing remakes.
Just like any action crime-thriller, predictable story and a haphazard set of dialogues using the COVID-19 pandemic as the back plot for it.
The stuff in the film that were stupid:
1. Making fake packets of drugs
2. Fighting in the arcade
3. The ending
4. Abu Dhabi location and making it look like Delhi-Gurugram.
Acting was average to say the least
Shahid Kapoor managed to shine as the officer but his impeccable acting won't salvage this film.
Ronit Roy and Sanjay Kapoor were just average in their parts as the villain parts in their career are just long gone and found them lacking that spark.
Rajeev Khandelwal and Diana Penty were a waste of time and their heroic performance was a huge letdown.
Vivan Bhatena and Ankur Bhatia were okay as well and they had some decent lines in the film.
Action was nicely choreographed but the cinematography and editing was below average.
Overall, don't waste your time on this bloody atrocity.
1.5/5.
Fast X (2023)
Luckily better than F9 in terms of action and despite the shocking twists and turns, the storyline fails to reach the finish line.
Fast and Furious films were the highlights of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker's careers and when the latter lost his life, it became a massive blow to the saga but despite that, they continued to make the films. Now, the saga is on the end of the road
So if you have seen Fast Five, you'll figure out the subplot that is connected to the main plot of Fast X. The heist in the 5th film had another villain and that was Dante Reyes, Hernan's son.
Now, the man is out for the ultimate revenge on the Fast family starting with luring the crew to Rome on a
fake mission in which they thought was assigned by Nobody to Letty being framed for that mess and Dom on the run to protect his family including his son.
After Justin Lin's exit, Louis Leterrier decided to step in as director for the final saga. The narrative did the only thing justice and that was not including stupid action sequences like the one in F9 where a car was launched into space.
In all honesty, the story was predictable but some shocking twists in the characterization development. A cliffhanger is not bad idea but wish it was releasing next year instead of 2 years from now.
The characters within the fast family managed to perform fine as usual but Jason Momoa was impeccable as Dante Reyes.
He had that antagonizing and psychotic feel to his character but his sadistic persona will enrage the audience because that guy is a next level villain.
Overall, the action was nice and a bit better for a change.
Now there are two more films. I am curious to know what story will the team have in mind for the final film after the sequel. A two-part film would've been better. This will be on Universal Studios if the franchise ends poorly.
Pathaan (2023)
The script is a mission fail but the comeback of the King still makes it a doable watch
Yash Raj Films is by far the most profitable film production company in the Indian film industry and probably the first to start in revolutionizing cinema.
In line with what Hollywood is doing, YRF has decided to launch a Spy universe focusing on the stories of Indian spies.
To ensure any understanding of this universe, Tiger and Kabir from War are part of this universe and have introduced a new character by the name of Pathaan which is this film.
Pathaan, a RAW agent who was exiled after a failed mission returns to stop a rogue agent and his organization Outfit X, from launching a major attack on Indian soil.
With the help of a former ISI agent and his crew, how Pathaan stops the villain is basically what this film is about?
For starters, the script done by Sridhar Raghavan was a total letdown because of its predictability and lack of engagement.
Assume making a milkshake out of the following movies which are Fast & Furious & Mission Impossible backed by excessive VFX of missiles and helicopters, that's what the script will deliver to the audience.
The action outweighed the potential of a good script
The dialogues had too many references from the previous films of this universe which are okay but some dialogues which involve social media sites and dating apps using RAW and ISI as a joke for that.
The dialogues were improperly balanced and out of line with the whole pacing of this film.
The acting in all honesty is what made this film a watch and thanks to SRK and his transition from a love hero to an action hero.
The impending outcome of seeing SRK as a RAW agent managed to exceed the audiences expectation. He was nuanced and very well within his element.
Deepika Padukone was quite a treat and seeing the amount of grit in her role as an agent was impeccable.
Some parts, she did trip up a bit but all in all, an affable performance.
John Abraham this time was just above average as the film's main antagonist because of his one sided expressions and acting with too much muscle. I mean his physique suited the role but his acting was very flat and ordinary.
Better watch Dhoom and see how his charm made him a better villain in comparison to this one. This one is too stylistic for an actor of his caliber.
The rest of the cast such as Dimple Kapadia and the usual Ashutosh Rana who plays Col. Luthra in the universe (kinda like the Nick Fury of this universe) were on-point with their performances along with the supporting cast that played raw agents, scientists, villains working for John, etc.
For any Siddharth Anand film, it's a must to have Vishal-Shekhar who have worked with him in all of Anand's films and this time, the music was average based on the poor composition but decent lyrics and good choice of singers.
Jhoome Jo Pathaan that was sung by Arijit sounded a bit too artificial.
The action was choreographed nicely and it did make the actors look good on camera but like before, too much ambition on a potentially wasted script.
Overall, a decent watch for all the SRK fans and quite the entertainment but too much effort on the scripting and music but all-in-all, not bad.
3/5.
Freddy (2022)
First half is an extraction that fails to heal but the second half treats it.
Psychological thrillers create that major impact in engaging the audience. It is all about creating a gripping storyline that will keep the audience to the edge of their seat.
Freddy Ginwala is a Parsi dentist with a disturbed childhood past who is extremely shy in nature but lonely in reality. His only friend is his pet turtle, Hardy.
During his shift, he falls in love with Kainaaz who comes in for a wisdom tooth extraction. Kainaaz is often physically abused by her husband, Rustom who owns a eatery.
They manage to start a relationship and plan to get rid of Rustom which becomes successful but only to find out that Kainaaz used Freddy just to be with someone else.
Devastated, Freddy and how he avenges his heartbreak and humiliation is basically what this movie is all about.
For starters, we live on a good narrative for a psychological thriller. The first half of the script was quite stretched and very cliched just showing Freddy's lonely life but the second half manages to salvage it with the revenge factor. In the first half, a little bit of maybe 1-2 subplots.
The film had it all for some such as obsession, a bit of romance, and revenge. This combination did add some spice to the storyline but the first half needed a bit more finesse in writing.
At least the second half has an integral factor to the genre of this film.
Karthik Aaryan should do roles like this more often as comedy gives him a one dimensional applaud when it comes to acting. He was very nuanced and well-balanced in his role as a vengeful psychotic dentist. This one was a save for his career.
Alaya F could give you nepotistic vibes when you see her role as Kainaaz who transitioned from an abused wife to a heartbreaker. She was out of character and just couldn't maintain enough effort for this role.
Music by Pritam for a film of this calibre was average to say the least. Tum Jo Milo had a nice melodious touch to display the romantic elements but Kaala Jaadu felt more like an orchestra that was sung by Arijit Singh.
Cinematography by Ayananka Bose was nice but the direction could've been more crisper especially the editing.
Overall, despite its bumps and Alaya F's underwhelming performance, still a good watch but once would be better.
3/5.
Shiddat (2021)
"Shiddat wala afos" (Rampancy of Regret) is a better title for this film. Kunal Deshmukh really took the audience for granted
Romantic films have been a huge staple in the industry but in today's generation, this genre is borderline dying because of the same chemistry and climaxes. The music might do justice to these films but the thing that engages the audience is the script and the way it is directed.
Joginder Dhillon a.k.a Jaggi is a Punjabi happy go-lucky state level hockey player who falls in love and flirts with Karthika, a girl who has come to India to train in swimming for the Olympics. Despite her getting married to a British-Indian named Karan, they both have feelings for each other and go their separate ways but with a promise to be reunited.
So how Jaggi's journey to love is basically what this film is about and how he takes the help of an IFS officer that Jaggi encountered before whose marriage is on the rocks.
Honestly, this film doesn't cut the mustard and it without a doubt the most underwhelming film on the platform. I know how desperate such people are to fulfill their love but this one is just too much to bear.
From a long walking trail to a long truck ride to Paris until lastly an attempted deep sea swim to England, I mean this is just ludicrous that even Imtiaz Ali would think of this as a drag.
The screenplay was over dramatic and beyond predictable as whether he gets to his manzil or not, you can still easily know what will happen in the end.
There was no twist or drama that you'd expect in the romantic drama and writers Sridhar Raghavan and Dheeraj Rattan might have had less sleep that night when they came up with something like this.
Acting is not that bad
Sunny Kaushal tries really hard to become like his brother who is now a big star but he still has a long way to go. He wasn't bad in Gold & Bhangra Paa le but this one, he tried too hard to pull of his Punjabi style Majnu but failed. But it's affable in parts
Radhika Madan wasn't bad and for a first in a romantic film, she hasn't done such a bad job with the emotions but the ending was definitely a justification of overacting.
Mohit Raina had some potential as an IFS officer who tried to help Jaggi but his mixed emotions couldn't do justice to his character.
Diana Penty was a ghost for a while and hasn't appeared in a lot of films but she was doable in certain parts of the film and she had that charismatic charm in the 1st half.
Music was pretty good and it wasn't all that bad. The title track has managed to stand out majorly as such along with Jug Jug Jeeve & Hum Dum.
Overall, this love sotry is dull and too underwhelming despite the music being the only standout, you would wanna either watch something else on Disney+ Hotstar or cancel your subscription.