Review of Ra.One (2011) by Rick_One — 30 Oct 2011

This movie truly pushes the boundary for Indian cinema. Though the plot might be a bit weak than my liking it has to be noted that India does not have a culture of Superhero comics like the ones from Marvel and DC. This puts RA.one at an immense disadvantage with respect to already being a popular character among the masses. So in this one movie they not only have to tell a story of a superhero but they have to first bring him to life from scratch. That is one humongous job in itself. Had the character been taken from a well established literature it would have given more freedom to the creative team to tell an awesome story. But it is not the case since I have already pointed out that India does not have a culture of modern superheroes who are already have a huge fan following(there are a few mythological). So this film is carried solely on the shoulders of a superhero in flesh and bones namely Mr. Shahrukh Khan. And after seeing this movie and a few of his others I can surely comprehend why he is the biggest Superstar in the other side of the Atlantic (if not arguably of the entire world). And has he mesmerised.....you bet. His screen presence and charisma is mind blowing. His acting in both the roles shows his versatility. Although I am also an admirer of another khan from bollywood....that is Mr. Amir Khan for his very intelligent work, I must say that it Mr. Shahrukh Khan who has something extra that makes him stand out and above in popularity and fan-love than the rest. Even my friends who are not Indians finds him irresistibly sexy after I have introduced them to Bollywood.

Then comes the visuals and sfx....... this is what makes this movie stand apart. Though it is not something that is unprecedented (like Matrix was when it came out), the sfx is upto the international standards. And the production value is great and it is quite apparent on the screen. Look out Hollywood you are not the only one out there who can produce such dazzling visuals. Another good point of this movie is it's entertainment value. Surely for a few things you have to leave your intelligence behind, but then when has a superhero flick ever demanded for that ( and I am talking about the pre-Nolan era of Dark knight) ? But what it gets right is that it never takes itself too seriously and presents the audience with an outright entertainer. Don't feel ashamed of showing the guilty grin after it is over. This can be a very good escape from the subtleties of day to day life into a world where action comedy drama sci-fi and musical numbers (oh are they catchy...) are all mixed into one package. The surprising thing is how it blends all together seamlessly (something even Hollywood can't do, I can bet). Where in many bollywood movies previously this everything and the kitchen sink approach has been a weakness, here due to a fast paced story telling it becomes a strength. So all in all not nitpicking on the flaws that are few and far between I give this movie a 10/10 because it served me with an escape from from an already overly "REAL and COMPLEX" world and brought a grin to my face after a weeks worth of hard work. Mission Accomplished for any medium of entertainment.