An SRK movie on Diwali is like quite an occasion for me .Over the years , his Diwali releases have entertained me the most right from DDLJ, DTPH , KKHH, Mohabbatein, Veer Zaraa and OSO .Was super excited about Ra.one given the fab promos, SRK coming back after nearly 2 years and especially the fact that it is touted to be the biggest film ever!
Unfortunately Ra.One does not sweep you off your feat.The film works only in parts.There are several moments which are worth a cherish but deep inside it does not satisfy you .Something is missing and the high you get after watching such a big budget extravazanga is just not there.Its not a terrible film, far from it infact, but here is one movie that could have been so much more but ended up being so less .
The film narrates the story of Shekhar(SRK) who designs a brand new video game to satisfy his son .But all hell breaks loose when the game character that is meant to be played comes out of the game .
Ra.One has a fantastic first half .In fact the first half is so entertaining, well structured and executed that you are in for a complete treat .The very beginning brought a huge grin on my face as SRK takes on Bruc Lee’s three sisters and Sanju Baba .This entire sequence is amongst the most entertaining moments of this year .The film further gains momentum once the gaming angle is injected in the narrative .SRK’s shy and dorky character is quite funny .The unconditional love he has for his son is simply moving.
The entire concept of video game has been explained in a simple manner without getting over complicated .In fact the implausible situations do not look that far fetched for the execution is simply terrific here! Ra.one coming out of video game is quite convincing! The twist in the tale after the tragedy strikes is simply shocking and devastating .Quite emotional .Bhare Naina at this juncture is simply hear rendering .The pre-interval points are simply the best part of the film and I actually screamed wow!Very thrilling and super exciting .
Alas!The second half is not upto the mark .It leaves you totally underwhelmed .In fact, the film feels like a tacky farce post interval with forced action scenes and mind numbing jokes .The excitement factor that was built post interval comes crashing down mainly because
(i)The villain goes completely missing in this half .One wonders why Ra.One waits right till the pre-climax(Chammak Challo song)to strike back remains a complete mystery .
(ii)Forced comedy and situations .They are rather off putting and quite irritating .The whole Rajnikanth episode looks completely forced .Ditto for sexual jokes which look out of place in a supposedly family drama .The constant use of condom gets on your nerves after a point .
.(iii)The train sequence which is supposedly the biggest highlight of the film does not work .Its rather lengthy and cumbersome .Something similar was seen in Robots a year back which is why the impact gets further diluted .
But its the climax which is perhaps the most disappointing part.You do not connect to the characters and sit motionless as you see good triumphing over the bad.You do not get euphoric over the climax for the ease with which Ra.one is eliminated Is so simple .A Shadow being used as an indicator was not exactly an effective way to end the story .
However the movie is redeemed to a large extent by some superb special effects in this hour which take away your breath .The production values are absolutely grand.However the action scenes were just less in number .Only 4 major action scenes in the film!
The performances are quite strong with SRK topping the list .He is truly fantastic in both the roles and this performance ranks amongst his most accomplished works .His shekhar is truly adorable and you actually fall in love with his character.His’G.ONE’ does quite well too .His body language is simply fantastic here .
Kareena looks super gorgeous and performs quite well .Arjun Rampal makes quite an impact in the negative role .
The songs are quite a treat and well choreographed .Chammak Chalo is pick of the lot .It looked absolutely grand on big screen.
Overall, Ra.ONE is an average film that works big in the first half but disappoints in the second .You leave the theatre with a mixed feeling for the film tries at least something different even though it does not succeed hugely given the weak script .