Arani Das

Huma Qureshi steals the show, but the others did excellent as well (except a few, including the child actors, who were rather average). The story packs enough twists and also manages to not make it all about the twists, which has been the bane of a lot of series and movies these days. The pacing is a bit off at times but all in all very much an enjoyable experience. This made me a fan of Huma Qureshi. I liked her in Gangs of Wasseypur, but she absolutely hit it out of the park here, like Nawaz did there.

Do not get swayed by idiotic controversies. The movie is quite good, infact, one of the very bests in last couple years from Bollywood. Honestly, this would be a 4, but had to give a 5 to counter the review bombers who most definitely haven't seen it. Do not go expecting Forrest Gump. This is not THAT great, but is probably the best adaptation you could hope for. The performances are all solid. Even the child actors did act, unlike most Indian movies. The plot in Indianised, and is quite decent. Aamir is in fact the weakest point in this movie since his acting will constantly remind you of 3 Idiots and PK. He failed to create an unique identity that you can differentiate as Lal Singh Chaddha. That's the only reason it is not a 5.

The movie is about nostalgia (both watching it and the plot). If you have any other motivation behind watching it, don't. And be warned, don't expect it to be equal of the OG Matrix. It's not in the same league and isn't trying to be. The Good: 1) Fan service. When you watch it for nostalgia, you definitely want it. 2) Absurd logical leaps. Just like the original trilogy. Love how they explained the older movies. Truly Matrix style. 3) The Analyst. Excellent antagonist, just needed a bit more screen time. 4) Most of the support cast. All passionate actors, giving their best. The film doesn't really let us get close with them, which would have been better. The Bad: 1) New Morpheus. Made the iconic character a joke. 2) Mr Smith. Lacks the vindictiveness. And no idea what happened to him in the end. 3) Keanu. Sorry, but he really was one dimensional. That worked in the previous installments, but this was supposed to be about emotions. The Ugly: 1) The Exiles. Especially Merv. The less said about them, the better. 2) Storytelling. It starts off to a solid ground, ends at... probably somewhere. I just can't figure out what to make of the story.

An awesome story, but a missed cinematic opportunity. The whole plot is frustratingly clear from the start. Characters take weird decisions for the sake of the story, which could have been avoided by modifying the story to a more believable one (for starters, Danish needn't be an idiot following dangerous terrorists with his daughter). The last punch should have been more hidden, but that plot rather makes you wonder from the start, what's the point? Acting, music, costumes, etc, are pretty good though.