Movie Review: KICK (2014)

Despite popular opinion, I’ve always been pretty forgiving of Salman Khan‘s films simply due to the fun filled family entertainers that they end up being, which is sometimes hard to find in Bollywood. I’m sad to say his most recent work was probably his most irredeemable movie and character ever, with some pretty shockingly horrible plot points. Here is my movie review of KICK…

Blank Page Rating: 2 out of 5 Rickshaw Cycles

Bollywood movies consistently have the same issue which destroys a halfway decent concept into a messy and unappealing story that just goes through the motions for mass consumption. KICK is the most recent to suffer from this. The movie starts out as a whimsical and flighty story with a concept that takes a while to get behind. But once we do, the entire thing does a 180 and becomes something unexpected in a bad way.

KICK is about Salman Khan’s Devi Lal, basically an adrenaline junkie, going out of his way in everyday situations to complicate the lives of everyone around him fo the sake of some form of temporary exictement for himself. This initially comes off with some charm and childlike quirk, and in some way can even make the character seem adventurous. But the whole thing starts breaking down when you realize he’s a genius engineer, who basically just gets drunk with his dad, can’t hold down a job because it bores him, and other traits that basically are sterotypical of the deadbeat loafer that we’re supposed to know and love. Then some random-ness happens and he becomes a mastermind theif acting as Robin Hood, but with devastatingly ridiculous results.

Ah the love story, that’s doesn’t really love…

Devi Lal’s transformation from deadbeat to cat burglar occurs after experiencing firsthand the helpless-ness of an orphaned young girl suffering from cancer. This experience changes him, and helps him find a passion; robbing the rich to help underprivileged kids. This is also on the heels of his breakup from Jacqueline Fernandez’s Shina, for all the aforementioned reasons. Years later, in a twist of fate, Shaina is now being arranged for marriage to Randeep Hooda‘s Himanshu, who also happens to be the cop in charge of catching Devi, or Devil as he now goes by, in one of the best name-disguises ever!

I can’t even…

What’s annoying is the orphan girl, and how she is so excruciatingly used for tears and sympathy, but ends up making no sense. Her parents kill themselves to avoid watching her suffer, but leaves her with nothing, but a slow death without any support. Despite getting her the money, Devi still leaves her alone as an orphan to suffer through, presumably countless chemo treatments and possible remissions later in life, still by herself. Far from the happy ending that the movie would have us believe. It’s a non sensical plot line, that was meant to give the main character motivation, but it instead throw into question the entire concept of morality that these characters seems to employ.

KICK fails in many ways, one of which is that the  entirely core concept of the title, is valid for only the 1st half. The rest of the movie devolves into being about a criminal with no conscience, putting his former lover in harm’s way just to save himself, questioning why the audience should care about this character at all anymore.  There is no saving grace for the character of Devi, as he kills, destroys and puts in danger everyone around him, with the justification of his Robin Hood complex, however, the film still portrays him as the typical Salman Khan charm, implying his ‘good guy’ persona. Despite anti-heroes that the audience is supposed to root for, the character of Devi has no redeeming values given his callous attitude towards everything other than himself, however, the film still ends with him at large and exchanging giggles with Randeep Hooda, who now respects his disregard for justice and blatant reckless-ness.

somehow starring at a map always pays off in catching the bad guy…

The execution of the film is just as poor, with editing that skips scenes with no explanation of the progression in story. Continuity errors and a lack of common sense plagues the script, with unnecessary twists and turns that go absolutely nowhere. Randeep Hooda is wasted in a film where he’s relegated to not doing anything but inadequately playing off of Salman Khan’s double meaning dialogue and one liners. Nawazudding Siddiqui is another actor who is just brutalized in an over the top and almost cartoonish role which, again makes very little sense. Why is an apparent humanitarian billionaiire also a wrecklesss and callous murderer? Who cares?

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