It is physically painful to sit through a film that had as much potential as Rocky Handsome but fails to realize it. For action junkies, John Abraham returns with a bang and packs a punch heavier than ever before. But the most disappointing thing about the film is that it lacks soul. You can give full marks to the stunt pieces, that are nothing short of spectacular, but it has no story whatsoever to back it. And to top it all, there is far too much gore than any ordinary person can handle. Director Nishikant Kamat should run a statutory warning with this - Not for the feeble hearted. There is a line that is used to describe its protagonist, played by John, in the film...'Ek baar kuch log iski training dekhne gaye aur shock se faint ho gaye...' We came pretty close to it. But the experience of sitting through something so depleted of soul, was just plain exhausting. After a while, you want the drama to pace up, story to speed up and actors to step up and just ACT!
The first half of the film will remind you of Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum. The plot is on the same lines, but it lacks a similar kind of depth. The slick action thriller it set out to be doesn't quite condense. The drug mafioso, the bratty cop, a drug addict all remain constant. The only bright thing in this is the young Diya Chalwad. She makes up for a lot that isn't going right for the film. But eventually, both she and the extremely earnest John Abraham is pulled down by the average script. The narrative and its characters are familiar, the twists predictable and the climax is known. In such a case, even the best action can make a movie feel drab. Even at its humble 126 minutes, the film is far too stretched.
John Abraham's flimsy backstory doesn't work. The minute you see the first glimpse of Shruti Haasan, you know what her fate will be in the film. Let's not say it in as many words but the predictable plot of the film makes it difficult to invest in it whole-heartedly. How can there be any fun in just the boom-wham? Well, that's a lesson Mr Kamat needs to learn before moving on to his next.
It is one of those films that has potential. In every sense of the term, Rocky Handsome is watchable. One might feel - what's not there to like? Well, there is every ingredient to get you glued to the screen - John Abraham with his thunderous action moves and hot bod (ooh la la) - but good cinema is made of more. For starters, a good action film needs to less gimmicky and its screenplay more coherent. There are parts in the film you would want to laugh-out-loud. The unintentional comedy is the last thing that should've been on the menu. Kamat's heavy-weight repertoire is testament to the fact that his diverse skill set can churn out a memorable film. This time around, he was far too busy polishing his acting skills, that the film took a backseat. It doesn't have his keen detailing, curious storytelling or the drama he is able to extract just with his actors and a pulsating background score. The lazy screenplay, this time, just plays a spoilsport.
The only respite is John, who is in top form. His well chiseled body is put to good use. Every action piece is exquisitely choreographed. His brooding personality, minimal words does cast a spell. But every time the adrenaline rush of action settles, there is a lull. Nishikant and his aide Teddy, are laughable in their parts. Teddy overacts to the extent of hilarious and Kamat is just playing he wrong game here.
But there is a pattern that can be traced in the narrative. Action-boredom-repeat. It gets excruciating after a while to make sense of it and you'll want it all to end. Sans the bloodshed.
Thankfully, it does end. But there is hardly any joy or excitement of watching something entertaining. You wouldn't mind the movie but there was too much potential wasted!
We rate the film a 50%
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