Karan Malhotra & Karan Johar try once again to present an official remake of a hit Hollywood film. After the disastrous Siddarth Malhotra’s ‘We are Family’ from StepMom, will they strike gold with Warrior?
Released in 2011, this Tom Hardy / Joel Edgerton film, directed by Gavin O’Connor was a hard hitting, no holes barred film about a martial arts competition and 2 brothers pitched against each other in the same.
Unfortunately, this Ekta Pathak Kapoor adapted screenplay, turns out to be far from that. In a 160 minute film, unfortunately, the competition starts after 110 minutes or so, by which time the audience and their attention has been lost.
The film starts off with many flaws from the first scene. Garsin Fernandes (Jackie Shroff) is released from prison after serving what seems like around 14 odd years for his wife’s murder. In this process he has given up his addiction to alcohol too, but the minute he is released, his shaking hands search for his marriage ring and photo as if his life depended on it. Am sure, due to his model conduct he could have asked for the photo be given to him in prison.
The film takes it own sweet time to develop the plot, but half the film is too long.
Where music duo Atul-Ajay score in a heart touching background score, they fail miserably in the songs department this time. Lets not even discuss the horribly disgusting item number by Kareena. Rakhi Sawant does a better job at looking sluttish, since the intent of the song was nothing but objectification of the dancing lady. Seriously shameful.
Karan Malhotra is a good director and am a great fan of his debut film too. He does an excellent job in bits and pieces here. Like Kiron Kumar was a master touch as the Indianised Don King. Likewise the return of Ashutosh Rana is a welcome touch. The emotional moments of Jackie Shroff prove yet again the class that the actor is. But the sum of all things doesn’t make the total right. Jacqueline was nothing more than eye candy, again subject to objectification in her short 1 piece nighties barely touching her thighs. The daughter is cute and will definitely connect to your emotional strings.
The father daughter relationship is beautifully shown, just like Malhotra had done with the brother sister bond in Agneepath. But the brothers’ don’t seem to have any interaction besides 1 scene prior to interval and the final fight, which makes things too stretched out at times. Like the mandatory training song, showing both of them roughing it out in make shift gyms.
Shefali Shah scores yet again with an excellent performance, her 2nd this year.
In terms of performances, Siddarth excels in the emotional moments as the wanting son, fighting for his father’s affection, especially in the climax. But nothing more than that unfortunately. He doesn’t quite look the monster in the ring nor have that impact as Hardy had in the original.
Akshay on the other hand as the street fighter / teacher plays his doting father effortlessly, but somehow you don’t land up connecting with his character either.
All in all, the film’s editing by Akiv Ali and poor screenplay is to blame for making a strong film into a completely weak one, making the entire process to watch the film, strenuous and boring.
So, did they score this time, unfortunately NOT.
RATING: 1/5
By: Yusuf Poonawala
