Fantasia Fest Review: Son Of Sardaar!
I`ll start this off by stating that the only other Bollywood movie i`ve ever seen was The Guru, which wasn`t even really Bollywood. So when i saw the trailer for Son Of Sardaar, i got really, really excited to see it. So before i get into the plot and production stuff, let me gush a bit.
I was not disappointed, it delivered everything i hope it would! The lead was charismatic and fun, the leading lady was beautiful and engaging, the main bad guy had awesome presence. That alone would have made me happy, but the supporting cast was also spectacular to me. Their characters were entertaining and quirky without being annoying. And the colors… oh my god the colors. It was like a giant rainbow butterfly dropped shrooms and vomited glitter and dreams all over the movie.
Ok, gushing done. Evidently i loved watching this movie, but lets face it, i`m not the world`s harshest movie critic. I love cheesy flicks, flashy images and silly dialogue. They make up half my movie library. So if you are looking for more than just light entertainment and eye candy, this is not for you.
The plot can easily be compared to the same old Romeo & Juliet story. An idealistic young man and fresh young lady falling for each other before knowing they are on opposing sides of a feud going back many generations.
Spoiler Alert: Except that in this story, a positive attitude and a healthy fight for ideals win over all, and a happy ending ensues. Yay we ended the feud and we can live happily ever after! End Spoilers.
Other than the tired plot line, i can honestly say this movie was way too long. Sure, it was filmed with an intended intermission break, but since we saw it all in one big chunk, i think more than just a few scenes could have been a great deal shorter and yet still retain their intended impact. That or like, watch the first half one night, and save the second half for the following night.
Some of the slapstick was a bit meh. You have a great dynamic comedy thing going here, there is no need to pull from the Three Stooges. Thankfully, these were few and far between and didn`t make me hate the movie in the least bit.
What i enjoyed, well now, there was quite a bit. I very much liked the leading lady, played by Sonakshi Sinha. She was a headstrong girl with a good sense of humour and adventure, while remaining respectful and dutiful as a Sikh woman. I liked how they presented her. Plus she is a very pretty girl hahahah
The main antagonist was an interesting character as well, dealing with his own very human hopes and dreams of marrying his love, Pammi. The relationship between these two is very sweet, and shows a very different side of the man trying to kill the hero. It made me go awwwww a few times đŸ™‚
His goon squad, lead by his two right hand men (his cousins i think) were really funny and formed the coolest, more colorful and least intimidating (to me at least) angry mob the world has ever seen. They were determined though, i have to give them that.
The film was extremely dynamic, both when fighting or dancing, sometimes both at once. Extravagant action scenes with ridiculously fantastic stunts had the crowd cheering and clapping. This was definitely a refreshing and surreal show, and i would see it again. I seriously still have the theme song stuck in my head.
I give Son Of Sardaar a 4 out of 5 Sophies on a Sugar Rush.
