'Players' is the official remake of the Hollywood classic 'Italian Job'. The director duo, Abbas-Mustan who are well known for churning out thrillers almost every year fail miserably this time in their attempt to recreate their magic.
The movie is quite stylish and the cinematography by Ravi Yadav is mind boggling. But the problem lies in the screenplay. Abbas-Mustan have tried to put too many twists and turns in the plot that at the end you feel tired and want to walk away. I wonder why Abbas-Mustan have tried to tamper with the original source with so many unwanted twists. Why didn't they just simply replicate the story of the original when they had the official license to do so? As far as the movie stays true to the original, it is watchable. Once the typical Bollywood formula of twists and songs and dances pop in the latter half, it simply sucks.
As for the performances, Abhishek Bachchan looks like he can't get over his 'Dhoom 2' and 'Game' hangover. His mannerisms and facial expressions are just the same as they had been in the aforementioned flicks. The only best performance definitely comes from Neil Nitin Mukesh. Not only does he look handsome, but his acting can give seasoned actors a run for their money. As Spider, Neil proves once again that he is in his best form after his debut 'Johnny Gaddar' and ' New York'. He proves yet again that good looking actors can act really well too. Bobby Deol is terribly wasted in this film. I wonder what made him choose such a minuscule and insignificant role. He wears a sad expression on his face throughout the movie. Thank god, he's only in it for half an hour. Bipasha Basu is always cast in a negative role in all Abbas-Mustan flicks that she has done so far. 'Players' is no exception. Still, she impresses with her acting with a new level of maturity and proves that she's really getting better with every film. Sonam Kapoor is horrible! That girl can't act to save her life. She sports a glamorous look for the first time but an actress she is not. The worst scene of Sonam in the movie was when she brags about being an ethical hacker. She seems so annoying and cannot emote with her eyes. Her emotions look fake and contrived. Sikander Kher looks bored and ready to walk away any time. Omi Vaidya irritates. Vinod Khanna is wasted. It was a delight to see Johnny Lever after such a long hiatus. He's the only one who provides relief with his comic timing in the horribly boring second half.
The length of the movie is also a minus point. The first half moves at a brisk pace once all the characters are developed. But it is the sluggishly paced second half that gets under your nerves.
Pritam's music is disappointing, unlike the previous Abbas-Mustan flicks where the music elevated the mood of the films. Dialogues are contrived and bad.
On the whole, 'Players' disappoints. Given that the film was hyped and was the first release of the year, this film might find a tough competition in the box office. I advice Abbas-Mustan to think of more 'Races' than 'Players'.
The movie is quite stylish and the cinematography by Ravi Yadav is mind boggling. But the problem lies in the screenplay. Abbas-Mustan have tried to put too many twists and turns in the plot that at the end you feel tired and want to walk away. I wonder why Abbas-Mustan have tried to tamper with the original source with so many unwanted twists. Why didn't they just simply replicate the story of the original when they had the official license to do so? As far as the movie stays true to the original, it is watchable. Once the typical Bollywood formula of twists and songs and dances pop in the latter half, it simply sucks.
As for the performances, Abhishek Bachchan looks like he can't get over his 'Dhoom 2' and 'Game' hangover. His mannerisms and facial expressions are just the same as they had been in the aforementioned flicks. The only best performance definitely comes from Neil Nitin Mukesh. Not only does he look handsome, but his acting can give seasoned actors a run for their money. As Spider, Neil proves once again that he is in his best form after his debut 'Johnny Gaddar' and ' New York'. He proves yet again that good looking actors can act really well too. Bobby Deol is terribly wasted in this film. I wonder what made him choose such a minuscule and insignificant role. He wears a sad expression on his face throughout the movie. Thank god, he's only in it for half an hour. Bipasha Basu is always cast in a negative role in all Abbas-Mustan flicks that she has done so far. 'Players' is no exception. Still, she impresses with her acting with a new level of maturity and proves that she's really getting better with every film. Sonam Kapoor is horrible! That girl can't act to save her life. She sports a glamorous look for the first time but an actress she is not. The worst scene of Sonam in the movie was when she brags about being an ethical hacker. She seems so annoying and cannot emote with her eyes. Her emotions look fake and contrived. Sikander Kher looks bored and ready to walk away any time. Omi Vaidya irritates. Vinod Khanna is wasted. It was a delight to see Johnny Lever after such a long hiatus. He's the only one who provides relief with his comic timing in the horribly boring second half.
The length of the movie is also a minus point. The first half moves at a brisk pace once all the characters are developed. But it is the sluggishly paced second half that gets under your nerves.
Pritam's music is disappointing, unlike the previous Abbas-Mustan flicks where the music elevated the mood of the films. Dialogues are contrived and bad.
On the whole, 'Players' disappoints. Given that the film was hyped and was the first release of the year, this film might find a tough competition in the box office. I advice Abbas-Mustan to think of more 'Races' than 'Players'.