No, this is not some WWE wrestling main attraction. This duel is between two movies, which although in different languages, revolve around a similar theme- a super hero trying to fit into society. Released back to back, it is inevitable that these two movies will be compared with/ against each other. So, after seeing both movies here I am with my comparision:
On one side........
It is Superman Reurns. The story is based on how Superman, an alter of nerdy reporter Clarke Kent tries to save the United States from submerging into the ocean. The movie is laced with coy, dry humour and poignant pauses. Brandon Routh acts ably but Bryan Singer, the director, makes this movie more of a romance than an action/superhero film. Perhaps the shortage of time is the reason why Singer couldn’t fit in both genres into the movie.
On the other side.........
It is our very own Krrish. Hrithik Roshan is finally back on screen...... this time as a super hero. This film is a sequel to the hugely successful Koi..... Mil Gaya (2003), and leap frogs twenty years. Rakesh Roshan has spent Rs 50 crores to make this firts-of-its-kind Indian movie match up against the best in the world (read Superman Returns). But other than that, this is a truly Indian film at heart.
Storyline:
Since other reviewers (on MS and otherwise) have already gone into detail about the script, I will simply give a brief outline.
SUPERMAN RETURNS- After a five year visit to his home planet, Superman returns to Earth to fight for truth and justice. But he finds that things are not the same......... noeither professionally nor personally. Up against a deadly nemesis, he also has to deal with the fact that former girlfriend Lois is now in love with some one else.
KRRISH- Rohit Mehra’s son, Krrishna Mehra turns out to be as powerful as his dad. To prevent him from attracting the wrong sort of attention, grand mom Rekha takes him to a remote village...... where he grows up with exceptional strenghts.
Critical Analysis
After seeing both movies, I say this: Superman Returns appeals more to the brain while Krrish is a story of the heart, ornamented with a typical array of Indian emotions like love, grit, duty etc. While Superman gives verbal reasoning as to why the world needs a superhero, Krrish provides visual reasoning.
A similarity in both these movies is this: technology, if in the wrong hands, can wreck havoc and destruction. While Superman concerns itself with a "continent of crystals", Krrish deals with the disastruous repurcussions of knowing the future. All in all, Krrish has a better impact because it is one of those "end of the world" stories while Superman restricts itself to the destruction of the North American continent. As an Asian, I can say that the fate of AMerica does not really affect me too much does it..........
Action:
If you want to see better special effects (marginally better), look no further than Superman Returns. But if you want to go the full monty and want a story of emotion, betrayal, vengeance and duty, buy a ticket of Krrish.
Brandon Routh and Hrithik Roshan both do a wonderful job and suit the roles to a T. So, little to distinguish here. But ofourse, Hrithik’s dance sequences mean that he steals the show with his floricking extravaganzas, something which Routh cannot do.
Overall cast Performance:
KRRISH
- Hrithik Roshan - 10/10
Hrithik portrays a multi-faceted character perfectly and his metamorphis from an innocent village boy to a svelte superhero is awesome to watch. To be frank, if I was a gal, I would have fallen in love with Hrithik right there and then.
- Rekha - 7/10
As a grandmom, Rekha tries too hard to speak and act older tahn she is. To be frank, this sort of a role does not come very naturally to her but she somehow pulls it off. Thanks to Rakesh Roshan, she atleast has a well-defined character to play around with.
- Priyanka Chopra- 6.5/10
An average performance. Neither good neither bad because she did not have much to do in the movie. She plays a reporter drom Singapore who finally falls in love with Krrishna after manipulating him for some time. It is in the dance sequences that Hrithik really takes centre stage and Prriyanka is forced to play side-kick.
SUPERMAN RETURNS
- Brandon Routh - 10/10
Playing Clark Kent as well as Superman, Brandon does a good job of juggling both characters and giving them distinct identities. His character is well etched (obviously) and he fullfills his duty with aplomb. A convincing performance.
- Kate Bosworth -7/10
Playing Superman’s love interest and reporter Lois Lane is Kate Bosworth. It’s amazing to notice that even Chopra plays a reporter in Krrish.... Anyway, Bosworth is acceptable in some scenes and good in others. A decent performance.
- Kevin Spacey - 7/10
A funny and expressional villain is also common to both movies. But Kevin’s full potential is not tapped and his performance looks half-hearted. Naseer’s performance in Krrish is brilliant.
FINAL VERDICT
The jury (comprising only me) has made a decision. Krrish is officially the more exciting and enticing movie. But even Krrish is far from faultless. A few action scenes could have been better and a couple of songs could have been deleted. The first half stretches for too long and somehat bores the viewer. But Superman’s bland feel (the dry humour doesn’t help) and concentration on Lois Lane’s character mean that Krrish walks away laughing to the bank.........
PS- I was a sceptic and doubted if Raksh Roshan could have made a good film on these lines. But I was pleasantly surprised.
Note- The ratings given for cinematography, cast performance etc. are for Krrish.