John Abraham’s story is novel for Indian audiences. No Bollywood film has ever tackled this idea. Lakshya Raj Anand, Sumit Batheja and Vishal Kapoor’s screenplay has its merits. The writing is quick and effective. The entire idea of the super soldier is explained in such a way that even a layman can comprehend it. Sadly, the writers mess up the climax. Also, a few plot points give a déjà vu of several Hollywood films in this space. Lakshya Raj Anand, Sumit Batheja and Vishal Kapoor’s dialogues are conversational.
Lakshya Raj Anand’s direction is quite good, especially considering that this is his debut. ATTACK – PART 1 is an actioner and he ensures that the film has enough fights to keep the interest going. He also excels in the romantic portions. The emotional moments also stand out. One can feel Arjun’s pain when he’s confined to his bed or wheelchair. The way he turns into a super soldier and understands what he is capable of makes for a great watch. On the flipside, the goings-on reminds one of films like CAPTAIN AMERICA, AVATAR, INCEPTION and several other Hollywood films. Arjun talking to his AI assistant Ira is similar to Iron Man’s J.A.R.V.I.S., Spider-Man’s E.D.I.T.H. and Eddie Brock conversing with Venom. While the dramatic build up is done in a massy way, the action sequences are westernized. The mass audience might not be able to fully relate to it. A few developments are very convenient.
ATTACK – PART 1’s beginning is decent. The film picks up when Arjun woos Ayesha in the flight. Arjun’s accident and the scenes thereafter are moving. The scene where Arjun finally is able to move his hand after the surgery is clapworthy. The same goes for the sequence where Arjun fights the thieves. The intermission point is exciting. Post-interval, a few scenes stand out like the home minister (Rajit Kapur) insisting on agreeing to the terrorists’ demands while the army officer opposing it and Arjun fighting the baddies in the library and later in the Central Hall. The climax, as mentioned above, is an anti-climax.
John Abraham is in great form, and much better than what he was in his recent films. He shines in the emotional scenes and of course, is at his best while doing action. Jacqueline Fernandez is lovely in a cameo. However, it’s too similar to her role in the recently released film, BACHCHHAN PAANDEY. Rakul Preet Singh puts up a confident act. She has a crucial part to play. Elham Ehsas is okay as the villain. Prakash Raj is quite entertaining. Ratna Pathak Shah is fine and has a crucial part in the first 30 minutes. Later, she disappears. Rajit Kapur is great while Kiran Kumar (army chief) is wasted. The actor playing Rahman Gul is nothing special.
Shashwat Sachdev’s music is weak. ‘Ik Tu Hai’ works due to the situation. ‘Main Nai Tuttna’ and ‘Phir Se Zara’ fail to register. ‘La La La’ is the only song that stands out and is quite catchy. Shashwat Sachdev’s background score is stylish and works. Will Humphris, P S Vinod and Soumik Mukherjee’s cinematography is refreshing and a few takes are memorably shot. Garima Mathur’s production design is realistic, especially the Parliament Hall. Rohit Chaturvedi’s costumes are glamorous yet straight out of life. Franz Spilhaus, Amritpal Singh and Amin Khatib’s action is one of the strengths of the film. Famulus Media And Entertainment’s VFX is terrific and one of the best from Bollywood. Aarif Sheikh’s editing is sharp.
On the whole, ATTACK – PART 1 works due to the novel concept, action, VFX and John Abraham’s first-rate performance. Hence, despite the limited buzz and a weak climax, the film can work at the box office and take advantage of the clean two-week run.
Courtesy : https://www.bollywoodhungama.com
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