Go Goa Gone reviews + Box Office Update

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Posted: 12 years ago
#1
Go Goa Gone
By Taran Adarsh, 9 May 2013, 09:19 hrs IST
Bollywood has dabbled with ghosts, spirits and paranormal movies aplenty. Besides, the supernatural and horror genre is fast gaining popularity with dream merchants, after a hiatus. Now, storytellers in Mumbai are geared up to take the genre to an altogether new level, introducing the spectators to zombies. GO GOA GONE, directed by Raj and DK, is India's first 'zom-com'.

Romance, action and comedy continue to be the most privileged genres in Bollywood, but the past few years have witnessed a number of experiments catching the audience eye. Fear and hilarity are opposite sides of the coin. To amalgamate them in a movie script requires a truly fertile mind because you don't anticipate humor and horror to go hand-in-hand. The expectations from GO GOA GONE are, evidently, colossal, in view of the fact that something like this hasn't been attempted on the Hindi screen earlier, although cineastes have witnessed zombies in Hollywood films. A zom-com can pave the way for movies of similar genre in times to come, if it finds an audience...

GO GOA GONE is looked forward to for varied reasons: The zom-com aspect, zany look of the film, Saif's bleached getup [he plays a zombie killer in the movie], wicked one-liners and enticing music... But the challenge lies in educating the spectator about zombies, since there's no zombie folklore to enlighten them thus far. Let's face it, making a zom-com means treading into untried, alien territory. It's always a peril if you think out of the box, when you offer something innovative to the spectator. At the same time, a subject like this offers ample opportunity to its maker to break rules.

But Raj and DK pull it off with flourish! A film like GO GOA GONE pushes the envelope and that, without beating around the bush, needs to be lauded!

Hardik [Kunal Khemu] and Luv [Vir Das] tag along to Goa with their best buddy, Bunny [Anand Tiwari], on his office trip. Luv comes across Luna [Puja Gupta], who invites him to an exclusive rave party on a remote island. The party is the brainchild of Russian mafioso Boris [Saif Ali Khan] to launch the ultimate party drug. But the party goes horribly wrong... All of a sudden, they are accosted by zombies!

GO GOA GONE comes across more as an adventure flick than a conventional horror film. Sure, it has its share of violence and gore, besides some cuss words, rave party et al, but the fun quotient is smartly integrated in the screenplay and what comes across is crazy, madcap amusement. The humor is smart and the factors that have resulted in an 'A' certificate have been done aesthetically and don't come across as distasteful or offensive. Frankly, Raj and DK make a genuine effort to give the viewers something they haven't watched before. The aim is to make you giggle and also shriek the next moment.

Perhaps, Raj and DK are enthused by Hollywood movies and there's no denying that GO GOA GONE is a film with Hollywood sensibilities. But the best part is that the film never gets dark or depressing. The wit and humor, generously interwoven in the narrative, keeps you smiling all through, despite the blood and gore. The only time the film loses its balance is towards the middle of the second hour, albeit slightly. Also, Anand Tiwari's back story of how he escaped from the clutches of the zombies could've been more persuasive, but the final moments bring the narrative back on track.

The soundtrack [Sachin-Jigar] is essential to the script and has its place in the proceedings. The film comprises of energetic tracks with some amusing, quirky lyrics. 'Khoon Choos Le' and 'Babaji Ki Booty' match the theme of the film wonderfully. The background score is electrifying. The music piece at the rave party in particular is trippy. Dialogue, much like the content of the film, are aimed at the youngistaan and if one may say so, make you chuckle on varied occasions. Cinematography is perfect.

Saif balances the suave and uncouth persona with effortlessness. Even if the narrative tends to dip at times, Saif makes sure he breathes life into the proceedings. Kunal Khemu, Vir Das and Anand Tiwari are a riot. The youngsters pull off their acts and indulge in dramatics without going overboard. The camaraderie is great! Kunal is a revelation. He sheds all inhibitions and delivers a punch-packed performance. Vir Das is a complete natural. He essays his part with super conviction. Anand Tiwari is in terrific form. This film should prove a big turnaround in his career. Puja gets a meaty part to make her presence felt and she does very well.

On the whole, GO GOA GONE is experimental since something like this has never been attempted earlier. But it's fun, witty, amusing and yes, thoroughly entertaining. The youngistaan is sure to love this mad, mad, mad ride!

Edited by Mr.Afg - 12 years ago

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Posted: 12 years ago
#2

Go Goa Gone' Review Roundup: Zom-Com's Take on Gore Will Leave You in Splits

Bollywood's latest release "Go Goa Gone", starring Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari and Puja Gupta, is a zombie comedy directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK.

The trailer of the film had fetched over one million viewers in just days of its release, and the songs have become chartbusters already.

"Go Goa Gone", touted as India's first 'zom-com', received an 'A' certificate for violence, gore content and drug references. The film which is a humorous take on the insane and all things savage has evoked positive reviews from critics.

Have a look at the reviews:

Meena Iyer of Times Of India says: "Go Goa Gone is positively different from anything you seen before. And for the young and restless(tattooed, ring-pierced, rave-party enthusiasts) or even those who like whacked-out fun, it's a great ride. With easy performances from Kunal, Saif, Vir and Anand and the crackerjack dialogue, the film will keep you in splits for the most part. What is a little tiring though,is the pace of the zombies, who are a bit too monotonous. Sachin-Jigar's Babaji ki booti adds to the mood, almost tempting you to light up and lie back. The shores of Goa and Mauritius seem enticing enough. However some of the situations in GGG are repititive. Hence, the laughs that were coming spontaneously till a point become a bit forced at some juncture."

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV says: "Made by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (whose films thus far have demonstrated a healthy disregard of things predictable), Go Goa Gone thrives on an imagination that is allowed to run riot. True, not all of it clicks into place without leaving behind a bit of a mess, but the sheer audacity of the act - transporting the zombie flick to an Indian landscape puts this film in a league of its own.

"Go Goa Gone goes so insanely off-kilter at times that it is hard to see that the film also has an obvious underlying "say no to drugs" message.

"Thankfully, the message isn't the medium. The directors stay true to the demands of the genre, but they approach it with a tongue-in-cheek shuffle that randomly mixes up the key devices of the narrative.

"Go Goa Gone is only mildly scary, but it is often very, very funny. What works is its refusal to pull back and away from its chosen course. It goes all the way down the path to the bitter end, even at the risk of turning far too jokey to be effective.

"... the film as a whole - it's crazy but cool. It gives you what you least expect and in ways that you least anticipate. That is a rare attribute for a Hindi film. I am going with three stars for Go Goa Gone."

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama says: "GO GOA GONE is looked forward to for varied reasons: The zom-com aspect, zany look of the film, Saif's bleached getup [he plays a zombie killer in the movie], wicked one-liners and enticing music... But the challenge lies in educating the spectator about zombies, since there's no zombie folklore to enlighten them thus far. Let's face it, making a zom-com means treading into untried, alien territory. It's always a peril if you think out of the box, when you offer something innovative to the spectator. At the same time, a subject like this offers ample opportunity to its maker to break rules.

"GO GOA GONE comes across more as an adventure flick than a conventional horror film. Sure, it has its share of violence and gore, besides some cuss words, rave party et al, but the fun quotient is smartly integrated in the screenplay and what comes across is crazy, madcap amusement. The humor is smart and the factors that have resulted in an 'A' certificate have been done aesthetically and don't come across as distasteful or offensive. Frankly, Raj and DK make a genuine effort to give the viewers something they haven't watched before. The aim is to make you giggle and also shriek the next moment.

"On the whole, GO GOA GONE is experimental since something like this has never been attempted earlier. But it's fun, witty, amusing and yes, thoroughly entertaining. The youngistaan is sure to love this mad, mad, mad ride!"

Ananya Bhattacharya of Zee News says: "Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, both known for their comedies, this 'zom-com', as the film has been promoted, is also a comedy - with generous dollops of bloody-gory-hungry zombies. And with an ensemble cast consisting of Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari, Puja Gupta and Saif Ali Khan, 'Go Goa Gone' makes for an entertaining watch - however, only if you are willing to tolerate the very graphic scenes where zombies tear human flesh apart and so on."

"The music of the film, composed by Sachin-Jigar, consists of four songs. 'Slowly slowly' and 'Khoon choos le', by now, are almost on their way to the top of the chartbusters for the catchy tunes and the 'different' lyrics. 'Khushnameed' is a slow, pleasant number. 'Babaji ki booty' is another insane song from the makers!

"'Go Goa Gone' is a pleasant watch, and despite the innumerable scenes depicting flesh and gore, doesn't leave one with an urge to vomit. The dialogues are witty and are mostly responsible for invoking a laugh. Sense, logic and sensibility be damned - go 'keel dead peepal'!"

Shubir Rishi of Rediff says: "When I first saw the trailer of Go Goa Gone, I was NOT impressed. And though I was pleasantly surprised that they were finally making a zombie movie here, I half-expected it to be a rip-off of some lesser-known European production. I was wrong.

"The first 20 minutes of the movie are kinda forgettable, but I guess, necessary - same old one-liners, same old antics - one bad boy duped by his girlfriend, the other losing his job (after a really silly, bad-taste episode) and then the two of them piling on the nice guy and off they are to Goa.

"The fun starts only when we have our first sighting of the zombies. Like all zombie movies, they have a silly explanation for why there are zombies. Usually, zombie-fests are blamed on military experiments and viruses imported from some godforsaken, obscure country, but here they just put it on to a drug, which is apparently the baap of cocaine and other such substances and screws you up pretty good.

"The message is simple: Drugs turn you into a zombie. (heh)

"Please go watch this movie sans-kids, and you are in for somegenuine giggles. And of course, there is a promise-like for a sequel."

Piyasree Dasgupta of Firstpost Says: "Go Goa Gone works in a manner similar to why Delhi Belly did. Superbly paced and smartly edited at just over two hours in length, the directors don't let you dwell too much on the ridiculousness of the story they are telling you. Unlike horror films that Bollywood has made in the past, it is neither shot in a solemn tone of a biopic nor peppered with supposedly stirring visual metaphors like a hyperventilating crow, self-obsessed door and woefully suspicious domestic help.

"Watch Go Goa Gone if the utter boorishness of a troika of losers has the potential to entertain you instead of sparking off a feminist offensive. You can take my word for it, you won't regret putting your money on it."

Nabanita of Oneindia entertainment says: "Go Gone Gone has its share of violence and gore, and mildly scary. But, the best part of the movie is that, the filmmakers enthuses for its audiences oodles of laughter which keeps you rolling till the end. There are times you find yourself laughing aloud with the three boys and their wisecracks.

"Go Goa Gone is funny, witty, amusing, crazy and thoroughly engaging. And yes, it's definitely a one-time watch."


Mr.Afg thumbnail
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Posted: 12 years ago
#3

Go Goa Gone, Gippi have poor opening at Box Office

Posted by: Shekhar
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013, 17:38 [IST]
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Mumbai: Two highly-talked about and much-awaited Bollywood movies Go Goa Gone and Gippi have hit the marquee across the country this Friday. But both of them have got poor opening at the Indian Box Office. At the ticket counters, the film starring Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari and Puja Gupta in leads has an edge over other new release featuring Riya Vij, Taaha Shah and Divya Dutta in leads.

Go Goa Gone is Saif Ali Khan's next big budget outing after Race 2, which hit the screens earlier this year. The pre-release promotions had created huge hype for this zombie comedy movie. Trade experts had predicted that the film, which released in large number of screens today, would get record-breaking opening at the domestic Box Office.

But for their surprise, Go Goa Gone has had an ordinary start at the desi Box Office. The movie has registered 30% to 40% occupancy at multiplexes in metro areas, but the footfalls are quite lower in other parts in the morning and matinee shows. It has bagged positive reviews from film critics and the word of mouth is now going viral on the social networking sites. They are expected to take its business upwards in the evening/night shows.

Whereas Gippi is also one of the most-hyped Hindi movies of 2013. Its makers have had huge promotions for it prior its release. But this film has started on a slow note because it clashed with Go Goa Gone, which is also targeted at multiplexes. It has got rave reviews from critics and the word of mouth is expected to improve its collection in evening and night shows.


Mr.Afg thumbnail
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Posted: 12 years ago
#4
Go Goa Gone Opens Below The Mark

Friday 10th May 2013 11.00 IST

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

Go Goa Gone had an average opening of around 25% at multiplexes as metros opened at 30% and other major centres at 20%. Single screen opening will be much lower. The film is mainly catering to premium multiplexes and these tend to do better in the evenings.

The business of film will be mainly restricted to cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore while not much can be expected from other cities. The film will find it very difficult to collected in UP, CPCI Rajasthan etc with even the premium properties in these areas finding it tough.

The key will be how the premium properties go in the evening. The other release Gippi is a film totally dependent on word of mouth and as expected has started with low figures.


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