Phantom

Rating: 15 strong violence Genre: Drama Action Thriller Directed By: Kabir Khan Run: 2hrs 16 minutes Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang The title speaks for itself and so does the tag line! Phantom = Not true - illusory and 'A story you wish were true'. Bollywood does it again... another below average churn out. Based on the book 'Mumbai Avengers' penned by Hussain Zaidi, the response has been surprisingly debatable. Personal interest for me because this was the last Bollywood movie I worked on last summer as a Supporting Artist. I have to say I had more fun working on Phantom than I did watching it! But as usual, I ended upon the cutting floor, not even a view of my shoulder could be seen! But, I had more excitement spotting my fellow thespians than the actual plot of the movie. I won't bore you with details of the plot or synopsis but it's nothing you haven't seen in past from 24, Spooks, James Bond. Mission Impossible or Fury, only Phantom, was lacking in alertness, inactive. Both lead characters had no charisma - it was apparent their heart & soul was not in it. It's hard to comprehend that Kabir Khan released two movies in the space of a month that can be from extreme to another. Bajrangi Bhaijaan gives the message of hope between two international waters, peace and brotherhood and then you have Phantom that just ruins the concept of a novel by making it a predictable cliché. If Phantom does not encourage hatred between two countries I don't know what will. As I said earlier Bollywood churns out movie's like there is no tomorrow. There is no commitment to quality of the end product, from the actors, to the action, to the story line. But, then again that's 95% of Bollywood movies ingredient!! Ms Safirah Irani Twitter@Safirah63

I was a little apprehensive about watching this given its low rating. Then i checked some of the reviews and decided to give it a go. This is a reasonably good movie. It reminded me of the TV Show 24. Parts of the movie had that type of suspense and kept you on the edge.

Definitely not the best acting or script. Saif doesn't quite fit the role, nor does Katrina. Neither do they do anything to develop a strong character. Some parts are a bit cheesy or predictable. But then again you get the same with Jack Bauer and 24.

Don't trust the low rating. Its much better than that. Perhaps people who didn't like the plot dragged the score down by rating 0s.

I personally liked the movie. I disagree that it passes on the message of hatred towards Pakistan. It portrays hatred against terrorism and brings justice to the people of 26/11 attacks.I read other reviews and for some odd reason I felt connected to each and every scene of it.

Though some the scenes like planning the murder is Chicago,fight scenes in Syria doesn't seem like realistic but then it's supposed to be a movie which has drama as its genre.

A very honest attempt by the director and the Script Writer to bring attention to the Govt of Pakistan to hand over the terrorists to India.

Arijit's song added the extra niche of brilliance which is sung with so much emotion.

Good work Saif Ali Khan. Thumbs up !!

Tackling the easy part of the review first: looking strictly technically, this movie is very well-made. The suspense is gripping, and the thrills keep you on the edge of your seat. I felt my heart beat faster during the climax! The action scenes are awesome as is the cinematography with so many diverse locales captured so aesthetically around the world. The chaos shown in war-torn Syria is very well-depicted. Direction is also on par with some good performances.

The story is very gripping. Films based on books (Mumbai Avengers) are almost always better than those copied off other films (which unfortunately seems to happen a majority of the time in Bollywood). The machinations behind murders, sequence of events surrounding each incident, and the plot in general is very clever. The final two scenes really pull at your heartstrings and are very powerful.

Phantom brings many disturbing truths to the surface. Most shocking to me is the U.S.'s harboring of terrorists within its borders and using refugee camps as an excuse to supply weapons to jihadists. However, honestly, I am not surprised as the U.S. government is known to spread more violence throughout the world than any other country to profit from the business of bloodshed, and I know the American government gave birth to the Taliban during the Cold War in an effort to crush Russia. It's something that makes me ashamed of being an American.

It must be apparent now that I am not an advocate of war, violence, or hatred. I am a Gandhian and fully believe in the fact that "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Given that, I do not support the path of vigilante "justice" proposed in Phantom. Bloodshed only gives birth to more terrorists, even if the person dying deserves to be killed. I never supported America's "War on Terrorism" (some paradox that is) nor would I support India carrying out something of this sort. The film raises the point, "If America can do it, why can't we?" My answer to that is, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

In conclusion, the movie is very well-made with a great story and plot. You do cheer for the protagonist--after all he is trying to kill the masterminds of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai--something very painfully close to all of our hearts. How can one not want to see them die? However, putting aside the passion invoked in the heat of the action scenes, I do not support the message delivered--one that promotes hatred, violence, and revenge. We've had enough of such movies going back to the highly provocative Gadar and all the J.P. Dutta films. Through movies like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, we need to build a peaceful world for future generations.

Kabir Khan delivers a yet another winner with 'Phantom'. An engrossing, action-thriller, that also has a patriotic touch to it. Though not without its flaws, 'Phantom' still packs a punch!

'Phantom' Synopsis: A disgraced Indian soldier carries out a series of assassinations (the evil heads behind the 26/11 terror attacks) in the hope of restoring his honor.

'Phantom' is an action-packed tale, with a patriotic punch to it. This is a story you indeed wish was true, as justice to served to those who caused a havoc. Khan successfully begins the film & mostly sustains the pace well, as the action is simply superb. The second-hour also engages you, with the final 30-minutes holding your attention completely. You root for the protagonist in his violent journey, which shifts from one country to another. However, Khan & Kausar Munir's Screenplay, which has been Adapted by Hussain Zaidi's book Mumbai Avengers, could've been smarter. The first-hour isn't crisp, as some of the sequences are uneven & even the escapism in this tale, is a bit unbelievable at times. But, otherwise the Writing is solid. The narrative is fast-paced & offers enough scope for some relentless action, which certainly works.

Khan's Direction is stylish. He has handled 'Phantom' with precision. Cinematography is lavish, capturing all the locales with flourish. Editing needed to be sharper in the first-hour, but is good otherwise. Action-Sequences by Sham Kaushal are awe-inspiring. Music by Various Artists is nice. Background Score is well-done, as well.

Performance-Wise: Saif Ali Khan is in terrific form here, enacting the heroic part to perfection. Its so good to see the talented actor in an action-ordinated role after a hiatus. Katrina Kaif is flat. Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub is first-rate, yet again. Sabyasachi Chakrabarty is impressive.

On the whole, 'Phantom' isn't entirely power-packed, but yet it scores higher on pluses. Recommended!