Botched remake of a good original

It is perhaps a safe bet to assert that Pope Benedict who retired a while back from the Papacy would be happy to see the Dharma Productions movie Brothers. It uses Christian imagery so liberally that it could well have been a movie funded by the Vatican City instead of Lionsgate films. 

During the film’s promotion, Siddharth Malhotra who plays one of the Fernandes brothers, yes that’s what they are called, asserted that the film is Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham mixed with dollops of MMA(mixed martial arts for the uninitiated). As ridiculous and incongruous that premise may sound it is what this weird pastiche of a movie delivers. 

The first half sees Jacqueline Fernandez and Akshay Kumar trying to save the film from Siddharth Malhotra’s scowling. 

The film which is supposedly an official remake of the 2011 Hollywood drama (a far superior film) has Akshay Kumar playing Joel Edgerton’s character and Siddharth Malhotra playing Tom Hardy’s character. Akshay Kumar manages to make an impression as the Physics teacher who has a family to support, especially a daughter who needs expensive medical treatment. 

One is tempted to say that Akshay Kumar has played his character a lot like Arjun Rampal’s role in Rock On. As the title misleadingly suggests Brothers is about brothers. 

It is about Brothers to some extent. Except Brothers who are deeply melodramatic for no apparent reason. 

Siddharth Malhotra who plays Jackie Shroff’s illegitimate son Monty has an irrational hatred for his brother who has always been kind to him. 

When an MMA event comes up Brother is pitted against Brother. Not surprisingly both of them vanquish opponents and reach the final of the MMA event which serves as the film’s climax. 

Here is where the film takes a massive detour from the Hollywood original, at least in the tone deafness which with the final fight is shot. The only worthy takeaway from the film is the training montage which reminds one of the Rocky films of yore. One must admit that the training montage is well shot. 

Alas, if one wanted to see a training video of how to get buff and <g data-gr-id="104">tonedone</g> would just see a video on YouTube instead of  this film. Watch it if you want inspiration for losing weight.

Shaun the Sheep is a meticulously planned stop-motion Claymation film, closely based on the British TV series of the same name. It is built around a simple storyline and simple pleasures, befitting its target audience. Beneath its pitch-perfect simplicity, lies great wisdom and beauty.