Movie Review: Agent Vinod
Agent VinodStarring: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Adil Hussain
Producer: Saif Ali Khan
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Music Director: Pritam
So Saif Ali Khan’s much hyped espionage thriller is finally here. Only, it doesn’t thrill the way it should have, is entertaining only in parts—mostly when our superspy hero mouths his clever one-liners, has a screenplay that sags in the middle, and disappointingly, has a lame climax. At the same time, you marvel at its huge canvas and struggle to keep pace with the many events and characters that unfold on screen as the story hops across the globe—Afghanistan, Moscow, Latvia, Morocco, Somalia, Karachi, India, and London.
Saif himself is super cool as the secret agent on a mission, and delivers a knockout performance. With his swagger, charm, and wry wit, he certainly is a spy to die for. But action isn’t Saif’s forte and that’s pretty evident in the action sequences, though the scenes have been shot fantastically. Kareena as Iram, the Pakistani undercover spy, slips into her role effortlessly, exuding a lethal blend of mystery and vulnerability.
The baddies here, almost farcical—Prem Chopra as a ponytailed Moroccan crime-lord, Ram Kapoor as a Russian drug baron and Shahbaaz Khan as the one-eyed Pakistani general—are a throwback to the eighties. Even good ol’ Gulshan Grover is there in a cameo. You can’t really take these guys seriously. The music is good: the techno mujra is catchy, Pungi is a runaway hit and Raabta is soulful and imaginatively picturized. The background score is terrific. So is the cinematography. The editing is smart and sassy.
On the whole, Agent Vinod is decent fare but doesn’t send your adrenaline racing, as a desi Bond type of movie ideally should have.
TOP 10 SONGS1. Pyaar Ki Pungi (Agent Vinod)
2. Chaahat (Blood Money)
3. Anarkali (Housefull 2)
4. Piya Tu Kaahe Rootha Re (Kahaani)
5. Thehree Si Zindagi (Paris, London, New York)
6. Ek Main Aur (Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu)
7. Piya O Re Piya (Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya)
8. Chikni Chameli (Agneepath)
9. Ooh La La (The Dirty Picture)
10. Bipasha (Jodi Breakers)
TOP 10 MOVIES
1. Housefull 2
2. Kahaani
3. Blood Money
4. Agneepath
5. Agent Vinod
6. The Dirty Picture
7. London, Paris, New York
8. Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya
9. Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
10. Paan Singh Tomar
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