Do you like fantasy films? Permitting you to make it all possible? The exercise where you can see a better future or even present? If yes, you may like Action Replayy. If not, just give an easy skip wide and large.
Time machine stories are not new for Hollywood. Bollywood however have only handful (or not even handful) of them. Action Replayy is another Time machine story. Love Story 2050 taken bollywood for a future journey whereas Action Replayy takes us to a past journey on time.
Beautiful Tanya (Sudeepa Singh) is all pleading brilliant Bunty (Aditya Roy Kapoor) to marry her. Bunty loves Tanya, but when he thinks of the fighting workaholic Dad (Kishan, Kitchen Kumar, Akshay Kumar) and Shopaholic Mom (Mala, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), he is a no no for marriage. It is the 33rd marriage anniversary of Kishan and Mala and their fight continued. The wedding anniversary party will soon witness a separation. Bunty is not willing to accept this fact and thought of changing this situation. Tanya’s grand father Anthony Gonsalvas is a scientist of time and he is all set for a time journey. Bunty starts a journey with a determination to make a change in the past of his ever hating father and mother, i.e. to make them love before marriage. He landed in 1975, before the marriage of Kishan and Mala takes place. Will he change the present by changing the past and how is Action Replayy all about.
Recreating past is not easy and to do that in style is more difficult. Action Replayy did it in style and creates a world of its on. Even when the story begins in present, the entire drama is unfolding in the past. With the colours and drama, it is a refreshing experience to watch a ’different’ film in the middle of the changed present. Wait! There is a warning. It takes some time to reach to the past and the entire present episode was a disaster. So, if the first 15 minutes or so disappoint you heavily, just wait as there is chill in the past. There is good fun once they enter the past and how I wished to remain there for even now? Direction by Vipul Shah is excellent in all places where the past is involved, where we cannot say about the same about the present.
Akshay Kumar as the simpleton impresses as the film progresses. The beginning was a let down but slowly but steadily Akshay reestablish his position. Same goes with Aishwarya Rai. The make up worries of the present let down the oldie but the youngster Aishwarya rocks as ever. Suddenly Aisharya Rai is happening again. Not only the colourful costumes and accessories, the actress in Aishwarya too impresses. The surprise package of the show however is Aditya Roy Kapoor. With energy, style and pleasantness, the youngster rocks!! Rest of the cast is all ok.
Action Replayy got one of the colourful (fine one too) choreography of recent times. It is a visual treat and the amount and efforts thrown behind it are visible. Each song is pictured quite well. Songs are adequate. If songs lacked a little more simplicity, and also a sin of resorting to western rock than classical bollywood songs, the choreography compensated for it and the combined result comes to good.
Cinematography is very good for the entire past sequences. The present could have been a bit better though. Editing is good. Sets are adequate and costumes are wonderful (no need to say colourful).
On the negative side, the screen play could have been better. The need for Bunty for such an adventurous time journey is not stressed. Audience didn’t feel the need there. If the boy is so talented, even in the present he could have patch up the issue. The reason for Mala to be ’shopaholic’ is silly. Multi Crore success by the simpleton Kishan is not explained. Nor it says how the action beauty marries the simpleton in the first place. Then, wait! Didn’t I know that this is a mindless film for light entertainment where the first rule to enter the hall is to make sure that there is no brain carried along? That is right. It is a mindless effortless film for a Festival season.
The flavour of the movie is romantic and funny in nature. Treatment is light and mindless. Choreography and performance will be the highlight of the film. For anyone looking for a serious film or one who don’t like fantasy may skip it. Otherwise, it is a film which makes an experiment and breaths some fresh air, and it could have been done better.