How long can you watch a handsome face with all the expressiveness of a rock?
That question will haunt you as you sit through John Abraham’s new action thriller, Rocky Handsome.
This film, directed by Nishikant Kamat, is only for those who like watching villains being sliced open with a knife or bullets being sprayed wantonly by the hero.
Abraham, who can work a black suit, plays an inscrutable businessman who runs a pawnshop in Goa.
He walks around like an emotionally unavailable zombie and the only person who can make a dent in his hard exterior is his nosy neighbour, a small girl from a troubled home.
The cloyingly sweet little Naomi gets kidnapped when her irresponsible drug-addict mother (Nathalia Kaur) steals heroin from one of Goa’s biggest drug lords.
Her vanishing incident unleashes the monster in Abraham who goes after the villains like a wounded animal. His bloodshot eyes indicate that he’s hurting and his bloodied hands are proof that he turns into a brute when provoked. The action, which focuses mostly on producer-actor Abraham, is slick, but it does get tedious.
The biggest let-down are the bad guys who run a drug and organ-racket cartel. They are unintentionally laughable and come across as a bunch of clowns who mouth ridiculous dialogues. Lines such as ‘never hunt a wounded lion’ and evil laughter to underline the meanness of a character isn’t exactly inspiring.
Even director Kamat, who plays the bald unscrupulous criminal Kevin Periera, isn’t memorable in his first acting role. But the same cannot be said for Abraham’s ripped torso, which is rock sturdy. We wish the film stood on a steady ground, too. Watch this if you are an Abraham loyalist, otherwise it’s a good idea to duck this all-brawn-no-brains film.
Out now
Movie: Rocky Handsome
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Cast: John Abraham, Nishikant Kamat and Shruti Haasan.
Stars: 1.5 out of 5
