Baby John

Baby John (2024), directed by Kalees, is a remake of Atlee's 2016 Tamil blockbuster Theri. Starring Varun Dhawan in the titular role, alongside Keerthy Suresh (in her Hindi film debut), Wamiqa Gabbi, and Jackie Shroff, the film follows Sathya Verma, a former cop who goes undercover as Baby John to protect his daughter from a dangerous enemy. With high-octane action sequences, a star-studded cast, and a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film promises thrills but struggles to deliver a cohesive experience.

From the outset, it's clear that Baby John heavily leans on choreographed action and song sequences, visually impressive but loosely strung together by a weak and uninspired storyline. The screenplay and editing, crucial elements for a gripping narrative, falter significantly, leaving the film feeling disjointed. As the captain of the ship, the director shoulders much of the blame for allowing these technical snags to slip through.

The superhero-like heroism in the fight and dance sequences stretches believability, often pulling the audience out of the experience. While some moments provide spectacle, they fail to maintain the emotional crescendo necessary to sustain the film's momentum. The predictable climax, punctuated by Salman Khan's tired cameo, ends the roller-coaster ride on a disappointingly flat note.

The performances, however, stand as the film's saving grace. Varun Dhawan, Jackie Shroff, and the rest of the cast give it their all, doing justice to their roles despite the lackluster material. Keerthy Suresh's Bollywood debut is commendable, though her talent feels underutilized in this setup.

Ultimately, Baby John feels like a missed opportunity-an action-packed visual extravaganza that fails to resonate emotionally or narratively. The film's reliance on spectacle over substance leaves it feeling hollow, making it a challenging watch for audiences expecting more than just surface-level thrills.

Rating: 2/5 stars - Baby John offers brief moments of visual entertainment but suffers from a weak storyline and missed opportunities, making it a forgettable addition to the action thriller genre. Watch it for the cast's earnest performances, but don't expect much beyond that.

Pros & Cons:

• Varun Dhawan gave his 100% effort to shine as a Mass Entertainer, BUT the Director & Script let him down big time by making him a Superman/1 Man Army in one moment than a complete coward & punching bag for Babbar Sher's thugs the next moment.

• Jackie Shroff is an acting legend. He was terrifying in the movie. But because of his old age he was reduced to playing a Daadu role and couldn't fight with the Hero Satya head on and had his goons do all the work for him, which made the Hero vs Villain angle very boring & blend instead of exciting.

• Rajpal Yadav was spectacular in his sidekick role. Both Jackie Shroff and Rajpal Yadav did far far better acting than the main character, Varun, who was doing his typical overacting here and there.

• Every song in this movie was extremely boring and stretched the film out making it 30 minutes longer than it should've been. This was supposed to be a very serious movie about very serious crime topics like human trafficking, selling women in black markets and forcing them into prostitution etc. So why so many unnecessary songs were added that just kept on coming out of nowhere without any context.

• All in all this movie is not bad, but it is also not great either. It's just a so-so movie good for a one time watch with your family on OTT platform.

This is a good movie to relax and just watch ,remake of theri which was released years ago, the world suits in that movie but in baby John somethings seems outdated and overwhelming VARUNDHAVAN-it suits him , in massy scenes he was top notch in some scenes he went lil too much but okay .. better than his other movies but his best will be still badlapur.. action wise it's good .. the title track is awesome but .. songs in the first half and one in the second half really breaks the continuity of the movie and the songs are also not that great ,RAJPAL YADAV-in a new AVATAR .. keerthy Suresh felt like she was copying Samantha from the original movies THERI ..overall just be tension free and watch the movie JACKIE SHROFF-was good but could be better to conclude good entertainer but the cinephiles would not enjoy this movie much.

Baby John: A Disappointing Imitation of "Theri" "Baby John" sadly falls flat as a pale imitation of the South Indian action-thriller "Theri." While attempting to replicate the successful formula of its predecessor, it stumbles into a realm of overacting and predictable plot points, leaving the audience feeling thoroughly unimpressed.

The film's narrative, a thinly veiled copy of "Theri," lacks originality and fails to captivate viewers. The predictable storyline, filled with cliches and formulaic plot twists, offers little to no surprises. The protagonist, Baby John, while attempting to embody the charismatic persona of Vijay from "Theri," comes across as a shallow imitation, devoid of the depth and nuance that made the original character so compelling.

The acting performances, unfortunately, are a major letdown. The actors seem to be overcompensating for the lack of a strong script, resulting in exaggerated expressions and melodramatic portrayals. This overacting further diminishes the film's credibility and detracts from the overall viewing experience. The dialogue, too, is often cringeworthy, filled with forced humor and predictable one-liners that fail to elicit any genuine laughter.

The action sequences, while attempting to replicate the high-octane thrills of "Theri," fall short in terms of execution. They appear poorly choreographed and lack the finesse and impact of the original. The special effects are also underwhelming, further diminishing the impact of the action scenes.

In conclusion, "Baby John" is a disappointing cinematic experience that fails to live up to the expectations set by its inspiration, "Theri." The film suffers from a lack of originality, poor acting performances, and underwhelming action sequences. Viewers seeking a thrilling and engaging cinematic experience are advised to steer clear of this predictable and underwhelming imitation.

Baby John is the kind of film that makes you question why certain stories still make it to the big screen. It's a loud, brain-numbing mess that recycles the same old masala formula, sprinkled generously with over-the-top slow-motion action sequences that feel more like filler than flair. Not a single punch, be it in dialogue or combat, lands with any real impact.

Keerthy Suresh, despite her undeniable talent, is reduced to a forgettable prop, adding zero charm or depth to the narrative. On the flip side, Wamiqa Gabbi emerges as the film's only silver lining, effortlessly holding her ground and adding a dash of charisma in an otherwise dull affair. The child actor is another unexpected gem, delivering a surprisingly heartfelt performance that momentarily lifts the film out of its monotony. And then there's Jaggu Da, who slips into his role with his usual effortless brilliance.

But if there's one thing that truly tests your patience, it's the background score, a relentless, ear-piercing racket that makes you wonder how anyone survived this in a cinema hall. And just when you think the nightmare is over, in walks Salman Khan during the end credits, hammering the final nail into the coffin of what's now possibly the most cringeworthy cinematic universe ever attempted.

Baby John isn't just avoidable, it's a straight-up endurance test. Watch it only if you enjoy cinematic torture.