Action 3D Review

"Sometimes the regurgitation is so literal that it's difficult to digest."

                                                                                   - Kalpana Lajmi, filmmaker
                                                                     
Touted as India's first 3D comedy film, 'Action' does not come with any other first.  Frankly, it is an inspired comedy with influences ranging from Kollywood to Tollywood to perhaps Bollywood (where many writers/directors have stopped being original themselves).  Above all, it is unoriginal, having lifted whole ideas (scenes that really are entertaining) from Hangover, the 2009 American comedy, which was itself based on a real life incident that happened to one of its producers.  The Hollywood film was set in Las Vegas, this one is set in Goa.

Consider the following -

• A handful of thick friends whizz off to Goa to do whatever their animal spirits naturally prompt them to.
  
  
• One of the guys (Allari Naresh) has a fetish for short-cut money for a noble reason and he predictably has a life-changing experience in one of the casinos of the beach paradise.
  
  
• Wherever there is big money involved in a comedy, there is involved a funny don.  And thanks to the 'hangover' (of both the director and his characters), we here have two additional quirky 'badshahs'.
  
  
• If it is Indian cinema set in Goa, can a club dance be far away?  Only, the mediocre song is followed by an interesting twist due, again, to Anil Sunkara's copy cat spirit.

In how many films have we already seen one or more of the above elements?

The predictability in the case of those who have watched 'Hangover' aside, it is devoid of Telugu nativity, too.

There of course are a few plussus.  The male bonding is subtly writ large on the script and the denouement, intertwined with the climax song, does full justice to the idea.

It is to the credit of the dialogue writers to have come up with witty lines.

Everyone delivers a neat acting output without exception.  The average Allari Naresh fan may be disappointed a bit with his relatively understated comedy, but it is no reason to blame him.  Naresh doesn't get to do the usual slapstick comedy and it is a welcome change.

He is matched by Raju Sundaram's brilliant comic timing.  Vaibhav is slowly making a mark for himself.  Kick Shyam leaves no impact.  Sunil and Posani Krishna Murali serve no purpose.

Sneha Ullal fits the bill and her spicy presence only adds to the glamour quotient.  One wished to see Kamna more, but it was not to be.  She only has an insignificant role.

Our directors must get rid of the itch to portray pointless spoofs.  MS Narayana parodying Mahesh (Dookudu), Siddharth (Bommarillu) and Pawan (Gabbar Singh) is remotely funny, so also the Rayalaseema Katthi Restaurant idea where Bharat and others fail to impress.  The guerilla episode is awkward but for the humorous lines.  Ali's Jim Carrey act is forgettable, so also Brahmi's inconsequential role.

Even though Bappi-Bappa Lahari's music is far from satisfactory, two songs stand out for the RR as well as for the filming.  Sunny's BG score is passes muster. Anil has paid an earnest tribute to K Raghavendra Rao.  Swathi muthyapu.. would have raised the roof had it been a big star, but Neelima Upadhyaya makes up for the loss.

The cinematography and other technical departments do a fine job.  The 3D work is fairly good.

Verdict: Get rid of the memory of 'Hangover' before you would watch this one.  Others may watch it for the witty dialogues and the twists.

Rating: 2.75 / 5