Ajay Devgn in Action Jackson’s first fight sequence at a hotel is introduced with a Superman cartoon in the background. He picks up a set of tooth-picks to pierce into the skin of a set of goons soon. We actually believe he’s one. May we know why? Prior to that, he is imaginably invited as the nicest man on the earth. He does yoga. He helps a pregnant woman by holding onto her luggage. He saves a hotel crew from a snake. Being a caterer, he arranges a table for a set of waiting customers by re-positioning a swimming board. Yes, he is this good! Don’t bother to remember Munna Bhai or Rajkumar Hirani now. Prabhu Dheva just wanted a film to justify his character’s claim for a Nobel.
Forget a dangerous antagonist, how can an action film work when the actor never seems to be vulnerable? The lead actor in an avatar looks to be having a nap after Rohit Shetty’s Singham Returns, which literally works out to be a Titanic in comparison. He wears such an indifferent expression throughout in a bid to show that he’s another no-nuisance star. He looks very tired to reinvent himself, just like how Akshay Kumar was in Boss or Sanjay Dutt played himself in Luck. He and even the maker come alive only in the latter hour for about 15 minutes, when a scenario, in tribute to Amitabh’s Don ensures some dark-humour after a long wait.
With Prabhu Dheva in place especially with a title like Action Jackson, we don’t go expecting an action-musical paying a tribute to the singer or an out-of-the-box plot. Here, he drifts from his masala roots to do something glossy. He practically rushes on from scene-to-scene, even in Sonakshi Sinha’s or Kunal Kapoor’s threads that should have been his home ground. Interestingly though, Sonakshi Sinha too has a cartoonish beginning akin to her male-counterpart.
But, remember, Vishy (Ajay Devgn) is benevolent. He admits a child of a panipuriwala to a school after being refused admission. He doesn’t do anything ‘naughty’ with the actress when her bid to nauseate the hero misfires. ‘We are in love’, they decide amidst a Punjabi ritual. And a song named ‘Dating Karle Tu’ in a lavish locale unfolds! Yami Gautham’s ‘pati-parameshwar’ act is another case of miscasting.
Nothing registers an impact here. Instead, we’re requested to settle for cheaper and rather easier desires, like the vamp flaunting her skimpy costumes hinting a toned body, an extravagant ad for Thailand tourism (like Dubai in Happy New Year) and Ajay Devgn’s repeated quest to outdo Salman’s fitness-routines. The only surprise was probably the slow-motion action sequence after the interval, with the stunt choreography backed by a rock-styled background score, when the film boasted of some interest or energy. Otherwise, taking cue from the title, the result is as good as a ‘clueless jack’!
One Star
