Sunday, January 18, 2009

Movie Review: Chandni Chowk to China

Akshay Kumar has a flair for comedy and action, and CCTC tries to give you a combination of both. Does it succeed? Depends on how you look at it... if you are willing to keep logic aside and simply appreciate some silly jokes, literally flights of fantasy, and some great action, CCTC is a definite option this weekend.

Sidhu is a "vegetable cutter" from a dhaaba in Chandni Chowk, with dreams but no way to get there. Mysteriously, there appear two Chinese, convinced he is a reincarnation of the legendary warrior Liu Sheng, and the only solution to the problem of the evil Hojo, who's taken over their village. Sidhu, conned by the fraud Feng Shastra (yes, he knows both Feng Sheu and Vaastu Shastra) expert Chopstick, lands up in China. Now, add to this a story of two separated twins, Suzie and Sakhi, born to an Indian girl and a Chinese man who speaks Hindi. One is brought up in India, and lands up in China looking for her missing father and sister, the other joins Hojo. And of course, we can't not have Dada, Mithunda playing Sidhu's adopted mother, father, brother, teacher, mentor, guide and everything else. As one review said, you take all the masala Bollywood has been spicing up for years, and try make a mother of all masala movies, and you have CCTC.

So is it really worth watching? I think so, yes!

Here's what to watch out for...

1) Some simple jokes which will make you laugh. Try catching the "this is true love" joke...
2) An excellently choreographed title song - a dream sequence just before Sidhu lands in China. Probably one of the best ever usages of martial arts in a dance sequence!
3) Deepika's arrival on the scene as India's contribution to the "action heroines", a la Kill Bill. I'm not kidding - her fight sequence at the airport has to rate among the very best. And yes, apart from her moves, do check her facial expressions. Here's an actress waiting to be unleashed.
4) Some good fight sequences by Akshay
5) A short and sweet "floating with an umbrella" song sequence
6) Akshay's dance routine while waiting for the Chinese visa
7) Some amazing locales
8) Deepika. Deepika.

A little less loud, and minus Mithun Da's irritating dialogues, this would have been a show stealer :)

5 comments:

Ray said...

Good to read your reviews Mr. Siddhesh. Just watched CC2C and even if you kept logic aside, it is a very bad movie indeed. They have messed up an excellent story and added unnecessary plot elements. Yes I know its a masala movie but seriously it makes Singh is Kinng look inspired

Locales include only the Great Wall, Deepika(looking gorgeous)is barely passable. Doesn't help she is caught in a terrible role. Songs just hamper the lackluster proceedings.
Akshay Kumar, the bumbling cook is the only watchable guy. Agree with you on the dancing scene outside the embassy. Hilarious
Overall, appalling work by the man who gave us Kal ho na Ho(now don't say that movie had King Khan), then fell from grace to give Salaam e ishq and now this.
Cheers

Siddhesh said...

Ray, yes, there's no way this feels like the same guy who made KHNH - maybe it's because the King Khan was missing after all :)

Siddhesh said...

OK, OK, just kidding... but seriously, while I completely agree that there were too many story elements, for me the charm of the movie was in the amount of nonsense it had. Movies, for me, should be at one extreme or the other. Anything in the middle gets really sad.

Oh, and yes, the pissing scene was what soured it for me... that was something that was completely avoidable!

Anonymous said...

In ur list of "what to watch for" one more can be added...the sound "Meow" with each entry of "Suzie" reminding u of "Catrina" ??

For me personally ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ is like a trip you never wish to have made. This naan and noodle combination can seriously wreck a few wirings in your head if you watch it more than once...

Harsha Kumar said...

Well, I found the movie alright.. It's meaningless senseless fun really :) AK was a delight.. As usual, great comic timing.. Deepika's action sequence, absoutely Fab! She can So be a Bond Girl!

And the scene right before the interval where AK is insulted and his uncle is killed is very very nicely done. Does make you feel very bad for him.. Atleast it made me feel bad for sure.. Good flick overall.. Achcha timepass hai :)