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Abbas- Mustan, the formidable director duo of Bollywood, teamed up with Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bobby Deol and a host of other stars to come up with an official remake of the iconic Hollywood heist drama ‘The Italian Job’. ‘Players’ has hit the screens worldwide and the movie has been promoted extensively. Let us see how this film stacks up.

Story:

This is an official remake of the Hollywood flick ‘Italian Job’ so the foundations of the story are the same. Some changes and ‘twists’ have been incorporated into the story to give it a native feel. Charlie (Abhishek) is a con artist who sets his eyes on a huge hoard of gold that is set to travel by train from Russia to Romania. He plans to hit the train and hatches a plot with the help of his master Victor Dada (Vinod Khanna).

Together, they assemble a crack team of specialists – Ronnie (Bobby Deol) the illusionist, Riya (Bipasha Basu) the seductress, Spider (Neil Nitin Mukesh) the technology and security expert, Bilal (Sikander Kher) the explosives expert and Sunny (Omi Vaidya) the makeup specialist. They are joined by Victor’s daughter Naina (Sonam Kapoor) who is an ethical hacker with an agenda of her own.

The heist is pulled off successfully and just when everything is set for a happy ending, one of the members turns rogue and betrays the team. Who is it? And what do the others do? That is the story.

Performances :

Abhishek Bachchan is good as Charlie, the con artist with a good heart. He is stylish and he has delivered a convincing performance. Bipasha Basu sizzles in the role of Riya. Her performance is the one to watch out for. She is utterly devastating on screen. Neil Nitin Mukesh is superb in the role of Spider. His expressions and casual style will impress you. Vinod Khanna shows his experience and class in the small yet crucial role.

Johny Lever and Omi Vaidya provide good comic relief in the movie. Sonam Kapoor delivers an average performance. Bobby Deol is just about ok in his minor role. Sikander Kher fails to make an impression.

Plus Points :

The movie has some impressive action sequences and the technical values are very high. The robbery sequence has been executed very well and it is a treat to watch. Good use of technology by the team makes it interesting. The iconic Mini Cooper chase from the original Hollywood movie is present in this version as well and it has been shot impressively. There is considerable skin show and glamour in the film and most of it comes from Bipasha. It is hard to ignore her charms

Some of the twists are good and keep the interest in the movie alive. Direction of Abbas Mustan is good and they have lived upto their reputation of coming up with racy thrillers with slick action sequences.

Minus Points :

The movie is excessively long and it is a big handicap. There are many scenes in the film that should have been chopped off by the editor. If cut by about 20-25 mins, the movie will improve tremendously.

While logical loopholes are a given in any Bollywood masala entertainer, some of the scenes in this film are extremely silly even by Bollywood standards. Screenplay is not too good. A tighter screenplay would have really elevated the film. Needless tampering with the script spoils the gripping narrative that was a hallmark of the Hollywood version. The emotional depth is missing from the movie, especially in scenes of betrayal and revenge.

Technical Aspects :

Cinematography is simply superb and it will stand out as one of the highlights of the film. Action sequences have been composed very well. Editing is below par and better editing would have made a tremendous difference to the movie. Dialogues are poor and do not provide the necessary depth. Music is strictly average. Background music is ok in some places but is a letdown in some sequences.

Verdict :

Players is a film that has some pretty strong positives going for it. Trouble is, the handicaps are strong as well. The biggest problem I have with this movie is the length. It is too long and it should have been trimmed by a good 20 minutes atleast. On the whole, Players is a movie that deserves a watch for the slick action sequences, superb cinematography and some sizzling visual feast from Bipasha Basu. Don’t forget to take a lot of popcorn with you though. It will keep you company during the unimpressive sections of the film.

Mahesh K.S

123telugu.com Rating : 3 /5

 

Legend: 5 – Flawless

4 – Must Watch

3 – One Time Watch

2 – Wait for the DVD

1 – Stay Away