Agent Vinod Reviews - Page 20

Guns N' Poses--Masand's Verdict

Agent Vinod

Rating:

March 23, 2012

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Ram Kapoor, Adil Hussain, Shahbaaz Khan, Prem Chopra, Gulshan Grover, Dhritiman Chatterjee

Director: Sriram Raghavan

The most gobsmacking brilliant portion of Agent Vinod is a roughly 3-minute shootout scene set in a seedy East European motel. Even as bullets fly in the lobby between RAW-agent Vinod (Saif Ali Khan) and deadly assassins hot on his trail, a love ballad drowns out the gunshots. The action is captured almost poetically, as Vinod and his accomplice run in and out of corridors and motel rooms, dodging the firing. Now imagine all this in a single tracking shot!

The rest of Agent Vinod, unfortunately, is missing the deft hand that writer-director Sriram Raghavan brings to this spectacular sequence. And it's not for want of imagination or ambition.

Our super-spy hero is in pursuit of an ISI Colonel (Adil Hussain) who's threatening to set off a nuclear bomb in New Delhi. The film kicks off with a series of convoluted events that you later realize are connected by the two sides trying to lay their hands on the nuclear bomb detonator.

In the midst of it all, Agent Vinod meets undercover Pakistani spy Iram (Kareena Kapoor), who realizes she's a pawn in a terror plot, and quickly joins him in his efforts to seize the detonator. As the story hops across the globe ' Afghanistan, Moscow, Morocco, Latvia, Somalia, Karachi, India, and London ' Vinod discovers more clues that point to a deeper international conspiracy.

Frankly you must appreciate the clarity and smoothness with which our hero goes about this mission, given that as an audience you often find yourself playing a complicated game of cat-and-mouse with director Sriram Raghavan. The film's plot is suffused with undercover agents and double agents, as well as characters that are introduced and bumped off before you can blink. It's as if the phrase "deliberately obtuse" was invented to describe this film, especially as you try to navigate through the fog of the first half.

In the style of those 70s spy thrillers that are evidently a big influence on Raghavan, Agent Vinod offers a bunch of farcical baddies ' the one-eyed Pakistani general (Shahbaaz Khan), a grey haired Russian drug-baron (Ram Kapoor), and a ponytailed Moroccan crime-lord (Prem Chopra). Even good ol' Gulshan Grover pops up as a most-wanted Dawood-like don based in Karachi. He's so blas that when the masterminds require him to be a cog in yet another terrorism plot, he replies dryly: "I'm so bored!"

To be honest, by this point, so are you.

For a large portion of Agent Vinod, you don't know where things are going'and then it all stretches on so needlessly that you stop caring. Given that this is a film that sees itself as a desi-style Bond, it has glaring loopholes that are embarrassing. Like a tacky scene in which Vinod spots a familiar scorpion tattoo on a doctor's wrist that helps him deduce that he's actually an assassin. Or the ridiculous pre-climax portion in which a grievously injured character is gasping out a password to our hero, as he frantically tries to disarm a bomb while flying a helicopter.

The action in the film is choreographed slickly, but you can't help feeling a tad let down. In these days of visceral fight scenes and breathless chases that you're accustomed to seeing in the Bourne, Bond, and Mission Impossible movies, the rapid editing of the action sequences here never allows you to take in the repercussions of the violence. What cripples the film even further is its uneven pacing.

Although littered with quirky supporting characters, none of the actors in the film stand out, save for its two leads. Kareena Kapoor performs adequately in a role that mainly requires her to look wan and sad; then performs a mujra with much-needed gusto. Saif, meanwhile, was born to play the suave super-spy. He has the body language, the swagger, the physical chops, and even that hint of humor ' you're most entertained when he's on screen.

Speaking of humor, the film benefits considerably from its stray tongue-in-cheek dialogue and occasional script zingers. While wolfing down spaghetti, even as Iram stares on blankly, Vinod tells her "Kuch paane ke liye, kuch khaana padta hai". At another point when the local police in Latvia arrives to question him, he says "Aap katar mein hain", referring to the fact that more than one country's authorities are looking to get their hands on him.

It's moments like these ' sadly too few and far between ' that bring a smile to your face during the two hours and forty-odd minutes of this disappointing film. Director Sriram Raghavan ,who gave us such taut thrillers as Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gadaar previously, injects Agent Vinod with so many varied influences that it never finds its own distinct identity.

I'm going with two out of five for Agent Vinod. He's a spy who knows how to save the day; he just needs a better plan.

Originally posted by: Koizakapoor

No offence but i think saifeena is the most jinxed on-screen couple

LOC kargil

Tashan

Kurbaan

they dont even have an average grosser, all flops!

lets hope AV does that, it doesnt look like that though coz not only is the opening poor but the word of mouth is inclined towards negative as per taran's reports!

Agent Vinod Review

Saif Ali Khan returns after a long break, his last solo-film was Kurbaan way back in 2009. He had a significant role to play in last year's Aarakshan, but the film almost entirely belonged to Amitabh Bachchan.

Agent Vinod is one of the most keenly awaited films of the year for various reasons; it's directed by Sriram Raghavan, director of fantastic films like Ek Haseena Thi and Johnny Gaddaar; the film stars real-life couple Saif and Kareena; it's a spy thriller, something that we haven't seen in Bollywood in a long time. Does it work?

Official Synopsis: The Agent Vinod story begins with a series of seemingly unconnected events, all over the globe. In Uzbekistan, an ex-KGB officer is tortured and murdered. In Cape Town (South Africa), a group of international business tycoons discuss a rumor that the dead KGB Officer had a nuclear suitcase bomb hidden away. In Moscow, an Indian secret agent is exposed. The agent is shot dead while trying to send a code red message to India. In India, the head of RAW sees the incomplete message. All it contains is a number 242.

Enter Agent Vinod. Vinod (Saif Ali Khan) is the kind of agent who first kicks the door open and then finds out what's behind it. His unconventional approach puts him in dangerous situations but he manages to get the crucial leads. Vinod is sent to Moscow to investigate why his colleague was killed. Vinod leaves for Moroccco, where he meets an elderly mafiosi Kazan and the beautiful but mysterious Dr Ruby. A series of twists and turns take Vinod across the globe from Marrakesh to Riga, Karachi to Delhi and finally London, where he discovers the ultimate conspiracy.

Agent Vinod Review

Agent Vinod is high on production values, has good songs, some brilliantly shot action sequences, breath-taking foreign locales and the performances are good too. Except, in his third outing, Sriram Raghavan disappoints big time, both as a director and screenplay writer. The story just doesn't work. You neither feel for the characters, nor does the plot keep you hooked to your seats in anticipation.

The music by Pritam is a mixed bag. The mujra song looks good on-screen, but it's Maryam who outshines Kareena. The 'pungi' song is likable.

Pooja Ladha Surti's editing should have been crisper. Muraleedharan's cinematography is outstanding. Daniel George's background score works at times. Saroj Khan's choreography is good. In the mujra song, watch out for the junior artists.

Coming to the performances, Saif Ali Khan does very well. He's charming on-screen, convincing in parts but it's his character that let's him down . He isn't the best when it comes to action sequences, but it's pretty evident that he has put in a lot of effort. Kareena doesn't disappoint, she's good. Chemistry between the lead pair is missing. Prem Chopra returns to playing negative characters and plays his role with ease. The rest are okay.

Overall, Agent Vinod tries to be intelligent, but isn't. The thrill is missing and the climax is a huge letdown. From a director like Sriram Raghavan, you expect better, much better. Disappointing.

Rating:

http://www.indicine.com/movies/bollywood/agent-vinod-review/

Originally posted by: wat_up

I agree one should see a movie coz they want too, not because some critic.

@desu, I know its hard on you as they your dream pair, but go enjoy it.

My viewpoint, based on what being said

regarding a romance, I guess they could have shown some sparks btw the two, Plus maybe they thinking on a sequel without Kareena, like many thrillers. don and don 2 was crazy too , but SRK has his base so he can pull in people.

i guess like someone said Salman has a huge base with the masses and Aamir has his own, that they can pull in people.

Maybe, they should have asked Katrina to do the Mujhra lol