Ok... Let me disclaim my bias first... Relative to the Big B, I don’t really care for King K and no, we are not talking Kong here.
The adaptation of the plot was handled in a mediocre fashion. I would have thought that with the surfeit of writing talent available in Bollywood, Farhan Akhtar would have made the plot more interesting. The only piece that really blew me from my seat was the anti climax. Also, given the overhang from the Arey deevano, mujhe pehchano Don of 1978, his incarnation almost three decades later sorely needed to overshadow the original - and I am not referring to the cameras capturing his walk through the sundrenched streets, at weird angles to boot - this certainly requires some tight writing, not pieces that inspire you and leave you wanting for more when suddenly you find its THE END and the subtitles have started coming up onscreen. I quite liked the fast paced 21st century undercurrent and the international backdrop against which the new Don was set. It stops there and at a couple of other places. Plot adaptation was strictly average and gets 5/10.
Ok, next - when I think up a mental picture of Don - forget Amitabh Bacchan essaying this role for a moment - when I hold up a mental picture, I think to myself, this has got to be a chap who is very suave and polished, a armani clad snake oil sales man who is at the same time a cold blooded and ruthless killer, someone who’s EQ is probably in the 10s or 20s - someone who is the quintessential James Bond-esque doppelganger. If I were to then hold up SRK against this mental morph, I hardly expected to see some Boyz Out Of The Hood character alternating with a pansy-look-alike, the one’s you catch in Esquire or G magazine modelling shirts in pinks and mauves like they are the current Saturday evening fashion statement - and one word of advice, please do not wear strikingly color coordinated ties under your shirt - it confuses people - is he still in the closet, out of the closet, in the closet [?]. And the character of Vijay the Bumpkin... Hated the portrayal. Ineffectual sums it up. Chewing paan does not automatically give you that uncultured and rustic look. Enough said. As for the others, I loved Priyanka Chopra - ultra sexy and extremely form filling costumes as well - like Zeenat Aman from 1978, her role was limited but what little I got to see onscreen I liked, a lot - Boman Irani’s character was well essayed and [author’s note: deleted as it contains spoilers, watch the movie and find out more] - Arjun Ramphal as Jasjeet was a waste of screen time, we might as well have cast . Cast performance gets 4/10 [2 points to Ms. Chopra ;-) ]
The soundtrack was something I truly enjoyed. A completely different spin and mix to two classics and two - three totally new tunes. Wow!!! I just loved the mix of fast paced percussion, the lovely vocals of Sunidhi Chauhan and the haunting mixes of Medieval Punditz. Very very stylish, very very happening and very very in tune with the screen play. I would have given this a 9 or a 10 however, my misgiving was the unnecessary lyric/monologue in Khaike Paan Banaraswala, which also served to underscore our sedentary Indian brethren in Kuala Lumpur and the degree of success with which they have managed to convert the local Malay bhoomiputras into performing a jhalak at one of our overseas desi dos. Soundtrack gets 8/10.
Cinematography was good. Fast paced and well shot, it was something that a lover of the big screen will truly appreciate. I quite liked the manner in which the plot kept shifting geographic theaters and gears within. No more said, the stunts were well choreographed, a chase was shot well, almost reminiscent of the chase in Goa in Matt Damon’s The Bourne Supremacy. I would give the cinematography 7/10.
Overall: The film gets a 4-5/10. If you have seen the original Don, go watch it for the anticlimax and cinematography. If you have not seen the original Don, watch it for the cinematography and soundtrack. If the former does not interest you, buy the CD at Rs. 160 from Crossword or Landmark. That’s your single movie ticket anyways!!!