haklaster Reviews

Sooryavanshi (2021)

A tribute to 90s Akshay Kumar action films with a grander scale

[7/10 · 1 April 2022]

SOORYAVANSHI is an out an out commercial masala action film. Movie for the big screens.

Movie with a repeat value.

Positives:

• ACTION. Best action among all cop universe movies. It is because this time it is not over the top. Akshay Kumar performing those round house kicks, parkour, Helicopter stunt, Bike chase, gun shots and hand to hand combats was an absolute treat to watch and his fitness is impeccable. The action scenes of Akshay Kumar will remind you of the 90s action he used to do.

• BGM. The epic background score in entire film lifts the film to another level.

• Screenplay. This movie is fast paced and to the point. No time wasted.

• Strong villain characters. Very convincing performances by Jackie Shroff, Kumud Mishra, Abhimanyu Singh and the Bad Man Gulshan Grover.

• Cameos by Ranveer and Ajay Devgn take the climax to a whole new level. And the action between NSG commandos led by 3 Cops vs the entire gang of terrorists in the ATS headquarters was outstanding. Massy entries by Ranveer and Ajay Devgn blasted the screens. Ranveer was really energetic in action scenes and surprised in that zone. Ajay Devgn's towering presence was enough.

Negatives:

• The characterisation of Sooryavanshi. There is absolutely no considerable depth or insight in the character of Sooryavanshi which is present in Simmba and Singham.

• In order to be neutral, the film tries to preach at some places and it happens more than often which makes us feel bored.

• Akshay Kumar's look. Looks too slim and even old sometimes in the film. Don't know why Rohit Shetty gave such look to him.

• Rohit Shetty needs to get over with Singham's slaps and South style action. The only action scenes which were not fit in the film were given to Ajay Devgn in the climax.

Katrina Kaif had nothing much to play but she adds to the glamour part well specially in Tip Tip Barsa Paani. Her chemistry with Akshay looks good.

Javed Jaffery was good in his role.

Direction by Rohit Shetty is good. It's an improvement and his best film post Singham (2011).

Songs were decent except the romantic number.

Some dialogues were really good and impactful.

Overall from a movie point of view 6.5/10 Entertainment value - 8/10

A superb commercial entertainer after a long time.

Bachchhan Paandey (2022)

Decent Commercial Entertainer

[6/10 · 1 April 2022]

Bachchhan Paandey is a decent tumepass entertainer.

Positives:

• Akshay Kumar's flawless performance and the character Bachchhan Paandey. Akshay plays effortlessly in this ruthless, funny, loveable and hateable character. He was literally into this role. After a long time Akshay looked in this form and that too with a Mass film. His look is perfectly designed.

• Cinematography of this film made it a treat to watch. Superb cinematography and excellent use of colours as per the scenes.

• Mass Entertainment.

• BGM. The entry scene BGM and the Rajasthan fight scene whistle bgm were superb.

Weak Points:

• The trailer promised action which was almost missing in the film. There is 1 action scene which has been shot and choreographed well but that's it. For such a massy film there could have been 2-3 more action pieces.

• Songs. Maar Khayega is title song and it's pathetic. 2 romantic numbers are just average. Bewafaa song is average. Also the punjabi lyrics songs seem misplaced in a UP based gangster film. These songs add nothing to storyline and they fail to lift up the entertainment value.

Now, there is one point which is neither very good neither bad.

• Humour. This film has the humour which mass audiences like. Somewhere it is actually good and at some places it falls flat.

The last scene of Bachchhan Paandey with his mother is very nice and it changes the tone of the film and the character. Superb acting again. However the transformation of the character could have been handled in a better way.

Direction by Farhad Samji is average. It's not good not bad. He handles some scenes well and also keeps some scenes undercooked. Farhad Samji has however improved in terms of direction from his previous ventures.

Also there could have been more one liner dialogues for such a film.

Supporting cast does their job decent but it's an out n out Akshay Kumar show. Even with some flaws in the film he keeps the excitement up.

5.5/10 for this one.

Desi Boyz (2011)

A decent entertaining film

[6/10 · 14 September 2021]

Desi boyz is a light "comedy romance drama" film with urban touch. Nearly 10 years but film still looks fresh.

As a debut movie of Rohit Dhawan it was a decent attempt. Movie never bores and it is lavishly shot. Comedy and romance are handled well. There are some places where direction is lacking in dramatic scenes but mostly the story is handled well.

Acting : Akshay gets a tailor made role as Jerry aka Rocco. He looks cool. Nice one liners in his kitty. Superb comedy by him. John as Nick aka Hunter looked dashing. He looked natural in romance. Deepika looks beautiful and acted well. Chitrangada looks stunning and played her role well. Anupam Kher was nice in his typical comic role. Sanjay Dutt in his extended cameo did pretty good job. Omi Vaidya is given a cartoonish role still he is funny because of his accent. Mohnish Behl had a small role nothing much to do. Virej Dasani as Veer was cute in his role.

Best part of the film were it's songs. A chartbuster album. What an album it was!!

Superb music by Pritam. Personal favourite is Allah Maaf Kare by Sonu Nigam.

Chemistry between the 2 lead pairs is amazing. Songs lifted the mood of this movie.

Camerawork, locations and costumes were superb.

It had some flaws. The humour became slapstick at some places which it didn't fit well and sometimes it fell flat too. Due to over urbanish treatment at some places, sometimes characters looked fake and not grounded according to the situation. The male escort plot was explored less which was expected from the title.

Overall it's an entertaining film with a simple story. Still wondering why was it was rated with 'A' certificate.

Bellbottom (2021)

A well made espionage thriller without any "over the topness" and jingoism

[7/10 · 14 September 2021]

Bell Bottom, the first notable hindi movie to release after 2 waves of Covid in theatres, is a fast paced espionage thriller with zero dull moments.

Superb storyline having required thrill elements, emotions and drama. Very well researched and made by director Ranjit M Tewari. Some amazing detailing in the film, especially in the 1st half where they show working and training of spies.

Crisp and impactful dialogues which are much required in such kind of movies are present. Some good plot twists in 2nd half.

There were nice emotional moments in 1st half and good humour which was relevant to the movie.

Retro Background score and production design are superb and very suitable for a spy movie of 1980s.

Acting is very believable and controlled by everyone. Akshay Kumar shines always in such kind of roles and looks in top form. Lara Dutta with her unrecognizable makeup as Indira Gandhi is superb and noteworthy. Adil Hussain was amazing in his role. Huma and Vaani both have played their parts well. Villains played their part well. Others were nice too.

Music is decent.

Screenplay is decent to good, a stronger screenplay would have done much more work.

Climax could have been better. Due to such strong build up towards climax, more and bigger action was expected. Also emotions in the end were lacking. Won't make you feel like Airlift, Bajrangi Bhaijaan or Kesari in the end even though it had such scope.

Vfx was avg to good. Doesn't look bad anywhere but nothing overwhelming too.

This movie surely makes a good theatrical watch and also makes us realise the mindset, love for country and hard work of Spies.

Good Newwz (2019)

Perfect Comedy from start to end. Ends the decade with a bang!!!

[7/10 · 11 January 2020]

Good Newwz is a classic feel good comedy film with witty one liners and intelligently written humor. The actors have done perfect job and their comic timing adds freshness to the scenes. Can't find any negative points about this movie, just that story is on a thin line. But overall it's an entertainer of the year kind of film. The concept is fresh and completely new. It is a very funny story however in real life it can turn out to be very sensitive topic. Songs of this movie are super hit and give relief whenever they come in the movie.

Some top notch moments and highlights of the film : Akshay Kumar in rich businessman look and his comic performance. His laughter after getting high was a fun ride scene. The scene in doctor's cabin with 2 couples when they first know about exchange. It is really genuinely super funny. Diljit's loud and childish but super funny moments and dialogues. Emotional monologue by Kareena. Kiara-Kareena chemistry in the later part was good to watch.

Overall all the actors performed really well and the story was a treat to watch. Superbly directed by debut director Raj Mehta with tight screenplay and no overdoing. Very entertaining movie made with an emotional touch in the end. Good Newwz can be considered a benchmark film for an urban comedy.

Some jokes in the first half are referring to Sex and Family Planning which are requirement of the movie and those moments can make one not very comfortable to watch with family but in the second half the humor is generic and nearly no such moments are there. This movie will have a repeat value.

A perfect new year release.

2019 - A LANDMARK YEAR FOR AKSHAY KUMAR. KESARI, MISSION MANGAL, HOUSEFULL 4 and GOOD NEWWZ all Hits/Superhits/Blockbusters

Housefull 4 (2019)

3.3 seriously?? I think there should be an end to the fake voting now

[9/10 · 13 November 2019]

I'm giving it 9/10 because there are too many fake negative reviews posted by specific group of people. Some have genuinely disliked but then that's their opinion. But most of the 1* reviews are of those guys who have a specific agenda and this anyone can verify by visiting their profiles.

Coming to Housefull 4 review. My review 5/10. IT PROMISES ENTERTAINMENT AND IT DELIVERS. If Golmaal Again is ok Total Dhamaal is ok then Housefull 4 is definitely OK. A thumbs up for the team from entertainment lovers.

It has slapstick moments as well as some hilarious situational comic moments. The blend of period and comedy works well. It is the grandest comedy to come out of Indian Film Industry. It is the first Reincarnation comedy to come out from cinema.

Positives: Bala and Harry, characters that will be remembered for a long time by comedy lovers. Some ROFL moments in Akshay Kumar style. IHIYEYEE whenever this thing happened the audience were guaranteed to laugh.

Kriti Sanon who perfectly fits in the drama as well as comedy scenes.

VFX and locales. Its a movie to be watched in a theatre.

Johnny Lever and Ranjit provide some genuine laughable crazy moments.

Background score is nice one.

Climax is a laugh riot...right from the Mujhse Shaadi Karogi song played :P to the 4 knives xD.

Treat to watch characters in 2 eras.

Negatives: Badla kawali in 2nd half.

Riteish Deshmukh was a bit underutilised.

Songs this time aren't as peppy and foot tapping as previous parts.

As it has slapstick humor some jokes fall flat and some are like laugh when the audience laughs.

Bobby Deol is kind of misfit in this movie as comedy is not his cup of tea although he tries.

Comedy movies have been bashed by critics but enjoyed by audience. Be it Dhol, Phir Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhag, Dhamaal or Bhool Bhulaiyaa all have been given negative reviews. Housefull 4 is not in this league but it's decent in parts.

Mission Mangal (2019)

Simply yet entertainingly told an extraordinary story of the result of those 17000 ISRO scientists' hard work

[7/10 · 15 August 2019]

ISRO Rocks!! First of all hats off to scientists.

Positives - -25 minute CLIMAX which is one of the best in the Indian cinema history. -First Bollywood movie centrally based on space. -In a very simple way the key notes of launching a satellite and its path and trajectory were explained. -Very nice tribute to APJ Abdul Kalam sir and the real ISRO scientists. Icing on the cake was PM Narendra Modi's real speech cutting in the end.

• Vidya Balan and Akshay Kumar's chemistry and passion.
• The scene where each scientist was taken back to the inception of their dream

to become a scientist.

• Realistic and controlled performances.(Vidya, Akshay, Vikram Gokhale)
• Some of the humor really worked.(Akshay, Sharman and Dattana's)
• A very good debut from the director Jagan Shakti.

Negatives:

• Sub plot of Vidya's son.
• Metro sequence.
• Dance Bar sequence.(However Akhiya Milau was an enjoyable fare)
• Film sometimes went off track and scenes which are not related to main

story line were shown.

• References of virginity and some similar stuffs could have been avoided as

nothing was related here.

But when the movie ends there is nothing but proud moments, hard work and inspirations. The climax is so effective that all the minus points of the film are overshadowed.

Among the actors those who impressed were Vidya, Akshay, Dattana, Dilip Tahil, Vikram Gokhale, Nitya, Sharman and Sanjay Kapoor in small role.

Overall - 7.5/10

Kesari (2019)

A tribute to the brave heroes.

[7/10 · 22 March 2019]

Kesari is a well captured Period War Drama. It's first of it's kind as other periodic films mostly have love story as base or many other commercial elements are involved but unlike those Kesari is a story about those 21 brave 36th Sikh Regiment Soldiers who had the responsibility to save the day and honor of theirs. Important thing about this movie is they haven't twisted the history and facts in order to make it intriguing or exciting, in fact the war scenes are very realistic and well choreographed as well as long enough to enjoy which was missing in most period movies till now except Manikarnika and Bahubali series.

Movie locations are spectacular. VFX was very nice. Dialogues were powerful and sometimes less words did their work very well, eg "Chal Jootha". Action sequences were very realistic and a treat to watch. Emotional connect was from start of the movie till the end. Some techniques during war were impressive. So many moments of Goosebumps. BGM was awesome and fully justified. Bonding between the Sikh soldiers gave a good feel.

On the other side, film took too much time to the start of war and that's where editing was required. Roles of Afghanis could have been added and the drama could have been made more interesting in the first half. As the War scenes were eye candy I wish the makers could have added 10 more minutes of the action and war scenes. Hand Grenades were used at that time by soldiers which were missing.

When it comes to intense and such powerful roles Akshay Kumar will not be a first choice in anyone's mind but here he proves everyone wrong as he was born to play Havaldar Ishar Singh. A role for a lifetime he played. His acting was one of the best thing that lifted up Kesari. His intensity is spectacular. The other 20 Sikhs were played powerfully especially Gurmukh Singh's character was played very well.

In the end you will feel what those real soldiers would have gone through.

Total Dhamaal (2019)

Total Dhamaal is entertaining

[5/10 · 12 March 2019]

Don't go with too much expectations. It's a light, clean comedy movie. Dhamaal was all time comedy movie. This one is not that much but still a good comedy in recent times. A colorful slapstick movie with some good gags always lightens the heart. As story there is nothing new. It's a mad mad mad world story. After a long time a multistarrer like this. Songs are not that good but the only song I liked was not released "Oh My Mehbooba". There are some genuine laughable scenes.

Positives - The fresh and colorful environment created. Javed Jaffery's comic timings and Riteish Deshmukh and his pal's comic moments. New cast Ajay, Anil and Madhuri are also well in their roles. Sanjay Mishra is also in good form. The story of Dhamaal which is replicated is still not boring. 1st Half is very nice. Scene of Helicopter and the intro scene of Adi-Manav also the scene of Ajay and Boman were funny. Anil-Madhuri's tiff and taunts are funny.

Negatives - VFX in the 2nd half. Sometimes gags are predictable and they fell flat. Arshad Warsi not used properly I missed the long haired "ungli karne wala" Adi in this film and also he is looking too fat now. Although there was no logic in this movie required the last 25 mins are more than normal illogical stuffs. Remade bad songs. Missed Sanjay Dutt and Baman-Baman.

On the whole this movie is for those who want light entertainment. Family entertainer with some good moments. Though my real reaction to this movie will be when I watch it 2nd time. Golmaal Again was liked by me in theatres but I wasn't able to watch it 2nd time. This movie looked more funnier than that. Decent clean Slapstick. 5.5-6/10.

2.0 (2018)

Best Indian Sci-Fi Superhero movie by a big distance

[7/10 · 19 December 2018]

So, highest budget for any Indian movie tag will give anyone sky high expectations especially when it is directed by a visionary like Shankar Shanmugham. 2.0 hits the correct nerve. It is a well shot 3D spectacle which has set benchmarks of 3D and VFX much high for any Indian movie.

Coming to the story line it is not just wafer thin but it is not huge too. The imagination is really grand and original very much unlike other Indian Superhero films. Some sequences are really masterpiece example Bird chasing Chitti is one of the highlight scene, flashback scenes leave their impacts and help in building up the story. However when a very high budget movie comes out much more is expected and there 2.0 is a bit lagging which was plus point in Robot.

Vfx was unexpectedly very good after seeing it's average impact from promos. Story could have been more complex and the budget might be the restriction. First Half was to the point and no second wasted. The song "Tu Hi Re" should have been played in 2nd half after NILA fixes Chitti. Second half was good but could have been better. The concept and visualization of cell phones travelling and taking up different shapes was very intriguing and classy. The scientific reasoning was very well researched.

The swag of Rajinikanth is very nicely shown and its a treat to watch even if one is not his fan. Pakshirajan's character build up was very strong and nail biting. Nila and 3.0 were surprises and were very entertaining. Logically very correct movie which is not the case with most of sci-fi superhero Indian movies.

In my opinion if the character of Pakshirajan was given more power in the climax and 20-25 more minutes then it would have been the movie that can compete with any holly wood movies. The surprise of 3.0 was very entertaining but irritating at the same time as it stopped the fight sequences. The concept of pigeons was good but they should have shown that pigeons were robots and looking exactly like real ones as Pakshi couldn't identify them and also the story could have looked more believable.

The climax could have been much more grander and imaginative it looked like the makers are out of budget and time and this is where I cut out 3 points out of 10. 2.0 should have been destroyed ruthlessly by Pakshi and then 3.0 should have took over Pakshi.

Coming to the acting, Rajinikanth rocks in this movie with 4 different characters played by him. Can't imagine someone else who can do such thing at his age. He is totally original as Chitti and fresh as 3.0, evil as 2.0 and also kind as Vaseegaran...he is the best. Akshay Kumar had much to excel and he proved once again. He has brilliantly acted in both the characters and hats off to him for his dedication. His hard work can be seen on the screen. Amy Jackson played Nila which was really a role suited for her and much different than the roles usually a female gets in a superhero movie. Others have done good in their respective roles.

Music score in the background was very nice at moments but at some places it wasn't up to the mark...When Nila saw Chitti and the Tu Hi Re tune playing was very nice and Pakshi rap was cool. Songs could have been better, not of A.R. Rahman level. Technical team gets a special mention here for their hard work which was visible on the screen.

Overall 2.0 is a visual delight. In terms of entertainment Robot has an upper edge and in terms of screenplay maturity and visual grandness 2.0 is much ahead. Its easily the best superhero movie of Indian cinema as other movies like Krrish, Flying Jatt, Ra.one and others haven't impressed much. It has a huge budget and hard work which can be seen. Some scenes could have been much better and more imaginative as well as complex. WATCH 2.0 AT LEAST ONCE IN 3D ONLY TO GET ITS REAL EXPERIENCE DOT!!

Gold (I) (2018)

Best Independence Day release post 2010...

[7/10 · 6 September 2018]

Wanna get patrioti-fied ??? watch it asap....The feeling of India getting the first Gold as an independent nation is very gracefully conveyed. The narrative is straightforward. Reema Kagti has made her best movie till date and it is very well researched. Gold is a journey that takes you through the times when British India won Gold in 1936 to India winning Gold in 1948 Olympics after so much struggle.There are many sequences in the movie where the hall is transformed into stadium. Despite being a bit similar to Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Chak De India, Gold has its moments for sure. Positives: -That feeling of dependence and independence which connects you to people of those times. -Partition sequence and world war sequence -Well researched plot -Performances of the entire cast -The final 30 minutes of the film are forcing you to stick to your seats with your nails between teeth and then that feeling of achieving your dream after so many hardships.... Negatives: 3 Songs, Actress, Vfx(sometimes) Situations could have been made more intense and intriguing rather than keeping light Olympics and hockey part should have been elaborated more.

On the whole Gold of Akshay Kumar, Amit Sadh, Sunny Kaushal, Kunal Kapoor and Vineet Singh is a joyride...its few negatives mentioned above stopped it from being an outstanding movie like Chak De India or Dangal...But its surely best independence day release post 2010. In the end Jana Gana Mana acts like an icing on the cake.. People may be against Akshay Kumar's patriotic roles or say he is overdoing it but the fact is he is the best in these kind of roles. He knows how to evoke patriotism as it comes from his heart... Akshay Kumar saying Vande Mataram in the end- No other actor can say it with that feeling and expression. 7.5/10 For Gold

Bhagam Bhag (2006)

Much underrated comedy. Critics bashed it then public beg for such movie now.

[8/10 · 1 March 2018]

My actual rating is 7/10 but after seeing other reviews and critics reviews I made it 8. Bhagam bhag is an entertainer of all time. One can't change the TV channel when it's Bhagam Bhag on the screen. Its a film which is connected in all aspects. It needs to be watched with attention and dialogues need to be heard carefully to understand this movie. Each and every scene in this movie is very well acted funny and entertaining. BGM is the powerhouse of this movie its one of the best BGMs of all time. Locations are very nice. Editing is done very well, there is no scene extra. There is no scene you can say why is this in film because everything is interconnected so well. Performances are like when it comes to Priyadarshan Comedies its obvious that you just can't sit without rib tickles by some actors. I will go by order of best performances I felt. Paresh Rawal is master of this film. Manoj Joshi is simply amazing. Then comes Akshay Kumar then Rajpal Yadav, Govinda, Shakti Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Jackie Shroff, Asrani, Sharat Saxena and others. The suspense part of the film is gripping. Comedy starts from starting of the film till the end. The police chase scene is the highlight scene and shows acting class of the actors in that sequence. Climax could have been better. Some scenes you can consider illogical but they are taken in a comic way. Dialogues I would say people haven't heard them well and they are really awesome, appreciable and making us laugh very much. The suspense and Comedy are mixed is a very nice way by the director. And if this is considered lame comedy by critics then Jim Carrey, Mr. Bean and Charlie Chaplin comedies are lame too. It is one of the best comedies ever made. Overall Bhagam Bhag is a joyride and is an all time entertainer by all means.

Pad Man (2018)

This one deserves to be in IMDB 8+ list.

[8/10 · 1 March 2018]

PADMAN, the movie full of motivation, is about India's one of the real Superhero. Necessity is the mother of innovation is said somewhere, here it is implemented.

Padman is a movie which has romance, comedy, serious as well as heart touching moments distributed equally. This is a brave topic to come up with so hats off to Twinkle Khanna, R Balki and the entire team. Special hats off to Mr. Arunachalam Murugnatham for his extraordinary contribution to the society.

The film has many moments which make us laugh naturally and its not forced humor. Chemistry between Akshay Kumar and Radhika Apte is also good. The problem of unhygienic sanitation habit is shown in a bold way and its seriousness can be felt while watching the film. The film has some emotional moments when Padman fails as well as when Padman comes to know that his first Pad which was tested was successful. Best part of the movie includes the scene before interval which reminds of Toilet Ek Prem Katha scene. Mr. Arunachalam is given perfect tribute also in the starting credits as well as in the end which is a good part. The machine making is shown which is a very good part. BGM is very nice. Music of the film is fairly well and justified.

Flaws in the film, I found 2 flaws. This film is spanned over some 8-10 years they could have shown some age difference in the looks of the characters it felt as if everything is happening in the span of 1-2 years only. 2nd flaw is the romantic angle in the later part of the film could have been avoided nevertheless it was also justified but it was looking like extra part in the film.

Talking about the performances, Akshay Kumar as Lakshmikant Chauhan is fantabulous, one of the best performance of his career. Its another feather to his collection and it should not be a surprise if this act is considered for a national award. He has nailed it in every scene may it be demonstration of his machine or monologue in the end or testing pad on himself or making of the machine. Radhika Apte, has given amazing performance, she is having some amazing emotional scenes and she has performed beautifully. She perfectly suits in a village woman role with a narrow minded thinking. Sonam Kapoor as Pari has her moments in the film. She is the hero along with Lakshmikant. She has some amazing dialogues in her account. Other performances of Lakshmi's mother and sisters as well as 2 friends and Pari's father are also remarkable. And then there is the one and only Amitabh Bachchan, R Balki's favourite in the special appearance. Its just 2-3 minutes role but he stole the show in his own style. Amazing dialogues by him in just those 2-3 minutes. There are some clap worthy and whistle-able scenes too.

R Balki's direction is classic. This is his personal best along with Paa. The camerawork is awesome. Locations in the film are not much important according to film but still Maheshwar is beautiful and it captures true village environment. Editing could have been a bit better but its good there is no unnecessary nuisance in the film.

Overall the film is enjoyable, entertaining yet giving a very strong message and motivation. There is no logical error in the film as a normal audience and there is no scene which makes family audience feel awkward. There is no boring moment in the film which makes us feel that when is it ending. Its a motivating film after Dangal. Please don't miss it as we don't have many good movies coming every year.