silvan-desouza
In 1975 Amitabh gave a classic DEEWAAR which is remembered even today in 2004 Amitabh returns again with another DEEWAAR this time as an old prisoner of warThe film deals with the story of prisoners of war from India who are caught n arrested since 1971 The film deals with how they wanna escape and how Akshaye wants to save his father The film takes inspiration from 2 English films and also is too filmy Also another problem being the casting of the other actors who are arrested with Bachchan don't look oldThe torture scenes are well handled and Akshaye's journey to Pakistan is well handled too Sanjay Dutt's scenes though cattering towards the masses are well handled The escape is well handled but Sanju's escape is too filmy Even Akshaye- Amrita track could be avoided rest the film is well handled and the second half gets better and till the end keeps you engrossedDirection by Milan Luthria is good in parts, overall average Music is okayAmongst actors Amitabh carries the film on his shoulders and is fantastic throughout 2004 was the best year for him, after KHAKEE, DEV this was his 3rd powerpacked performance Akshaye Khanna excels, sadly nowdays we see him doing c grade films mostly But he was outstanding in this serious role Sanju plays to the gallery and is fun to watch in a clichéd role Kaykay excels in his role Aditya Shrivastav too is fantastic Amrita Rao is avoidable, Tanuja is okay
elshikh4
I love (Amitabh Bachchan); he is a big star who has a good actor, sometimes super good, in him too. Yet, after his return from the short retirement at the start of the 1990s, he used to make a bunch of movies per year where one is good, and the rest is not ! Typical I think for a man who wants to be in business all the time. In 2004 he made 11 movies, at least (Deewaar) wasn't one of their "worst" ! The movie's intro was so impressive and engaging. It promised me with real great work. And to tell you the truth, the movie was kind of entertaining, but why after its ending, it collapsed easily ?! Now this is a movie which wants to handle the issue of the Indian internees in Pakistan, and how they're victims of both sides. So the personal solution is the only way. But the treatment of the whole thing made it as another B movie, with the good and bad meanings of the term. Despite that everything and everyone looked serious, it was handled usuriously. All the characters were just stereotypes, without any possible deepness. There was some naivety behind a lot of the events. So ultimately the movie was superficial more than simple.Observe carefully; (Sanjay Dutt)'s character seemed at first as the perfect opportunist selfish who could literally run over the dead bodies of his fellow prisoners just to flee. Then SUDDENLY he became that faithful altruist patriotic who sacrificed his own life for the others, and cried to not be buried in Pakistan ??!! Then this lame sadistic warden ? What's his story ? And why he is for-no-reason a forever evil ? But originally why to answer all of that since he is here as the B movie's villain ! Moreover, (Akshaye Khanna) as the son; aside from being so pale and non-charismatic, his role was so empty to the utmost: what's his work beside being a saver ?! For a moment I imagined that he was an officer in his country's government who got angry and resigned for doing what that government's law unable of, but none of my reveries was true. (Bachchan) was just an angry "old" man, and the genius presence would solve the rest. He was a character without any particulars nor history. As a whole this movie had no real humans, rather characters in a cartoon; where Mickey is good, Pete is bad, and Goofy is goofy ! Extra annoying points : How the son sneaked into the enemy's country ? How he knew already that his father has been transported to another prison ? And the Indian prisoner, who was hiding under the Pakistani military car while the transporting, what did he intent to do anyway ? Though, still the strongest Mumbo Jumbo here was the storyline of the traitorous; what a lousy one ! It makes you ask eagerly : if he was that long time rat, then why he didn't inform about the whole matter of the tunnel from the start ??! There is a clear general irony about it; as it has some attractive moving plot, however with hasty dealing. It isn't lazy in making action, though it is in making the rest. For instance, what could be the difference between someone who was never in a Pakistani prison, knowing nothing about its life's details, and the one who wrote this movie??! Totally NOTHING ! Sure the script lacked distinctive details to separate the movie from other movies such as (The Great Escape), to have its own personality, be more original, and live longer among its likes.The love story between the Indian boy and the Pakistani girl could have been one of the highest points of the script, representing the peaceful tone of the movie, and epitomizing implied message about circumstances made this love impossible. But sorry, that line had been epitomized itself ! I extremely loved the first sequence. The prisoners' anthem. The respectable, always intense, performance of (Bachchan) despite that the role didn't give him what could make it one of his finest indeed. The smart, enjoyable, and technically dexterous directing of (Milan Luthria); it got wonderful moments but the best of them was the scene of hanging one of the Indian prisoners as the new prison's reception; that was one memorable piece of "cinema", to the extent of being a visual poetry.(Deewaar) determined to be the commercial Indian movie. So, no wonder that everything was just hot moment after another, no wonder that there was an erotic number, and no wonder that (Bachchan)'s character killed the warden brutally at the end while it would've been better if he was kept alive, taken to India as an internee and tasted an equal portion of his torture. But who said anything about sane ending; it is A BOLLYWOOD FLICK where all the good Indians must triumph, all the evil Pakistanis must go to hell, and all the audience must come out of theaters happy, entertained and satisfied. Just thank god that it didn't contain : 700 songs, forced melodrama, superfluous comedy, or over-the-top acting.It's above average as an action movie. But needed less shallowness and more authenticity to be a great one.
Zardoz St.Germain
Where to begin? #1 Amitabh's son, played by Akshaye Khanna, is 30.Amitabh's been in prison for 33+ years... heA) Telepathically transmitted the sperm home?B) Asked a nice Pakistani guard to mail it for him?C) They allow conjugal visits in secret Pakistani JailsD) All of the aboveE) The producers were having a little too much bhang atthe time they approved the script?#2) Amrita Rao (Yummm!) wants Khanna - he's yum, yum, yummy... and apparently he wants her - who wouldn't, right?!... But, when her dad gets ratted out, and then killed (I hardly think this is a 'spoiler' as you'd have to be brain-dead and blind not to see this coming in the film) he's pretty emotionless towards this catastrophe and with the tip (metaphorically) of his hat, leaves her behind to save his dad, never mind her loss, and says (paraphrasing) "If god wills it, we'll meet again"... Basically meaning, "I'm gonna get my dad and MY job done, sorry for your loss - CYA! Buh Bye!" - callus beyond even low-life Hollywood standards...#3) There are so many holes in this horrible waste of time called a movie, that you can drive all the jeeps, trucks camels and any extra stuff through it. Pass - really, complete and total waste of time - Oh! There is a great dance sequence (yes, only one - as in dance sequence - regardless of quality) great belly dancing - but NOT worth watching just for this.Rent Veer-Zaara or Lakshya (will Hrithik Roshan ever take acting lessons?) for better Indo-Pak conflict movies... In fact, Veer-Zaara is pretty damned good - 7.5/8 I'd say!
Avinash Patalay
Amitabh should sincerely think twice about the credentials of the director and most importantly the script before giving the nod. And the same I would say for Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna. I mean how is that everyone just overlooked the basic fabric of the movie-making.Agreed that it the premise of POW has never been attempted before on Indian screen, but that doesn't give you the freedom to take cinematic liberties to such great extent. Yes the movie is mash of so many English POW Escape movies. But if that was the case, why didn't the makers decide to choose one classic English POW and make a complete re-make of it. Pakistani bashing - Oh my God!!!! Its so clumsy and cheesy that makes you wonder why it has been forced in such a gawdy manner. Guys - you need to watch Gadar and thats what I call classy Pakistani bashing.Romantic track - when do Bollywood film-makers ever learn to do away with conventional movie-making!!! Akshaye-Amrita track is so very cliché'd and aptly justifies the word "force-fit".Marhaba-Marhaba song - my personal opinion the latest Remix albums are much better. Milan Lutharia no but Sridhar Raghavan Yes, I was expecting a lot from him. But as a writer he was a big downer. The script doesn't have holes, it has craters!!!It looks like Milan Lutharia was in a hurry to finish the task at the earliest. Having said of POW premise, please correct me if I am wrong - LOHA was one movie I watched as a kid and was a bloody good engrossing movie.
