Wanted Movie Reviews

WANTED rides on Salman, Salman and only Salman Khan's star power. A masala film that's aimed at the masses, WANTED is backed by tremendous hype and hoopla, which will result in the film taking an earth-shattering start at the ticket window. The Idd celebrations in the coming days will only enhance the business of the film, which means that the film will have a solid Week 1. The holidays in Week 2 should also be bountiful, thereby ensuring a strong place in the 'Hit' category

Brawn is back. So is Salman Khan. Rattled by a barrage of recent flops (Yuvvraaj, God Tussi Great Ho, Hello, Heroes), the actor appeared in dozens of television shows in the past few weeks hoping to stay alive in the viewer's mindspace. He even went around a Delhi football stadium waving at crowds. He needn't have. In Wanted, the remake of a superhit Telugu film (also made in Tamil), Salman is like a force of nature. Unstoppable. Unbreakable. Unbeatable.

The good part of Wanted is that it isn't pretentious and delivers what it promises - time-pass popcorn entertainment. There are times when you care a damn for nutrition and want to indulge in some lip-smacking junk food. Wanted is just that recipe. Never mind some extra calories! Try watching it in a single screen - the cheese melts faster there.

Welcome to non-stop action, top-notch production values, an asli desi masala entertainer and Salman Khan in full glory. Producer Boney Kapoor achieves what no other producer could giving Salman a film worth his stature and Khan lives up to it. Wanted, directed by Prabhu Deva, is a Salman Khan show from start to end. The actor plays Radhey, a gangster with dollops of attitude and principles.

An out and out action flick, Wanted pays no heed to a logical storyline and ignores the innumerable loopholes in the plot — and is yet entertaining for the most part. Wanted’s greatest strength lies in the fact that it is a no-pretensions film that doesn’t even try to make sense. But it single-mindedly delivers what it promises — paisa vasool entertainment. And in the middle of it all is a man called Salman Khan.

If you are crazy about regular commercial masala films leaving your brains at home, Wanted is the right choice. Wanted is a canvas painted in south Indian colours where you can get a glimpse of Rajnikanth in our macho man Salman Khan. Woah hold down It’s a Prabhu Deva film, Bingo. On the whole, ‘Salman Khan’ factor will pull the audience to make this film survive. Infact, half the battle is won, courtesy loads of hype. My verdict: One time watch.

Salman Khan fans, congratulations. This film has been made for you. Sit back and enjoy your favourite star fight, dance, act funny and entertain you in trademark 'bhai' style. Even if the ghosts of God Tussi Great Ho and Yuvvraaj still linger, worry not. This is Sallu at his best, even if the writing doesn't always help. For those have who have no tolerance for inane sequences, unwanted songs and a plot that stretches over 150 minutes, stay away.

The film is a showcase not so much for Salman's acting, but for his scorching screen-presence and his infectious enthusiasm for dancing. Film after film the actor has been accused of sleepwalking through his roles; this time he's wide awake and having a blast. For die-hard fans of the star who don't have a problem with extreme violence and juvenile comedy, this might be a treat. For others though, it's strictly average entertainment.

For those who have missed the priceless Wanted promo, here's a recap: various shots of Salman Khan walking, talking, 'loving' and firing guns are set to a rather unbelievable voiceover telling us that 'He walks casually... he talks casually... he eats casually... he loves casually... he kills casually... but... he dances seriously.' On cue, of course, we cut to a montage of Salman dancing his feet off. I kid you not.

From afar, mainstream South seems a circular sort of film industry. A movie is first made in Telugu; then remade in Tamil, if not the reverse. Mahesh Babu plays the hero in one. Vijay, in the other. Both movies make a suitable bang at the box-office. The nation’s mental health be damned. Pokiri (Rowdy, 2006) was one such type. Each sequence of intense action is alternated with a comic number, a song, or a light romantic moment. The script reads almost like a simple dance move

There’s a knock-knock at every second scene, and you can’t tell who’s getting their backsides whooped; never mind, why. Bashing a cop into bits, of course, remains the ultimate national fantasy. Eventually, the film must climax into the mother of all action sequences. It does. Salman the bhai finally takes his shirt off. The hinterlands will be happy. But what’s the story? Well. That’s what producer Kapoor paid up Rs 12 crore in copyrights for, by the way. Such s**t, better be hit!