Holiday Review: Akshay Kumar shines, movie doesn’t!

Vipul Shah and Akshay Kumar have a decent track record with hits like Waqt, Namaste London and Singh is Kingh behind them. So when they team up with the director for ‘Ghajini’ to remake the Tamil Blockbuster Thupakki in Hindi you expect it to work wonders. The makers have promised a taut thriller which can appeal to the masses as well as the classes. Do the promises hold true? Lets find out!

Story: Captain Virat Bakshi (Akshay Kumar) is a soldier in the Indian army and goes back home on holiday. His family members coax him to meet a girl (Sonakshi) for marriage whom he instantly refuses because she is too submissive. But when he discovers that she is actually a boxer his views change and he immediately runs back to her. Meanwhile, his duties as a soldier come back to the fore and he is entrusted with the duty of deactivating terrorist sleeper cells threatening to blow up the city of Mumbai. A game of cat and mouse ensues leading to a predictably action-filled climax.

When a director makes the same film in a different language you’d expect that the loopholes in the previous film would be taken care of. But alas, AR Murugadoss has no such plans as he makes almost an identical frame-by-frame remake of his own film. Holiday turns out to be a case of a good film lost in translation. It has too many subplots for a taut thriller and the romantic angle is given undue importance. The pace of the film is acceptable, though. But the problem is the faux pas patriotism and the fake realistic approach, and the regressively misogynist storyline.

Holiday
Holiday Movie Review

A film like Holiday needs to hit all the right notes in the technical department and the crew try their best to make Holiday look like a slick action thriller. The action scenes are well-choreographed. The editing is lax but the cinematography suits the nature of the film. The music by Pritam is a big letdown and you come out with only two memorable songs – Shaayrana and Ashq Na Ho. Background music is okay.

Acting: Not many can match Akshay Kumar in the action department and when he is at it, he leaves you spellbound. But the tragedy of Holiday is the over-reliance on Akshay’s acting abilities rather than his action capabilities. Sonakshi Sinha has played the same character that she has played in almost all of her films barring Lootera. She doesn’t have much to do and her pairing with Akshay has become irritating now. Sumeet Raghavan does his role a lot of justice and provides the comic relief. The main antagonist of the film Freddy Daruwala is the worst find of the year. He can’t act even if his life were dependant on it. Vidyut Jamwal would have been perfect if he was cast in his role. Govinda makes an alluring cameo.

Conclusion: ‘Holiday – A solider is never off duty’ could have been an intelligent commercial entertainer but it fails to live up to its potential. Regardless of the shady intentions of the makers, the film does have its moments where the heightened stakes work well. Holiday had the potential to be so much more than a strictly-one-time-watch film.

Box office: Due to the lack of high voltage promotions, Holiday will take an average opening at best. But due to the lack of competition and the favourable release period, Holiday might turn out to be a decent grosser.

Positives:

  • Akshay Kumar is outstanding
  • Sumeet Raghavan is impressive, provides comic relief
  • The action scenes are well choreographed
  • Background score is decent

Negatives:

  • Sonakshi Sinha is again typecast. The Akshay – Sonakshi pairing is getting boring now!
  • Faux pax patriotism
  • Tacky dialogues and fake realism
  • Music is disappointing
  • Loopholes in the story are too many

Rating: ★★½☆☆

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60 Comments

  • LOL Indicine said yesterday that they loved the the film
    And 2.5 stars? below Jai Ho,boss,etc
    So it means indicine SUPER-LOVED JAI HO,boss

  • Well done INDICINE……!!!!

    Day before yesterday,you told we loved the film…and then did’nt gave the review,no boxoffice prediction..and then you saw other critic’s reviews and changed your review ….very nice!!!

    Now it gets just 2.5 stars

    Jai ho was a mediocre film,nothing of a music and got 3 stars
    Dhoom3 4 stars,despite being the most illogical film of the century
    Then Dharma films:
    GTPM got 3.5 stars
    2 states got 4 stars despite a major lack
    HTP got 4 stars
    Why?Just to get a retweet from Karan Johar..

    I think there is a certain planning kind of things surrounding a big release,i think most of the critics have tried hard to bash this film and affect the growth in the business over the weekend…

    Poor work,did’nt expected this from you guys..

  • Indicine only likes srk’s film..they will give 4 stars to HNY EVEN THOUGH IT WILL BE WORST FILM.

  • Gajini is a blockbuster still its director couldn’t get a descent opening with a star like Akshay. Poster, songs, trailer were all quiet descent. Its hightime director shud realize they wouldn’t get any merit with Aamir and Salman movies cos all the merits will be credited to them. it all started after they became megastars with Gajini and Dabangg. Just think, director of the “blockbuster movie” couldn’t even get descent opening! This only happens with Salman and Aamir movie directors. Dhoom 3 director, bodyguard director even Arbaaz Khan will get weak opening with a normal star. Only Raju Hirani escaped from this, only due to his previous movies which became cult. Here we will know the importance of SRK. His “super hit movies” directors always got good opening, no matter who the star was.

  • As if Dhoom 3 had no loopholes?? Why it got 4 stars??

    Aamir goes and robs bank without any mask or something but the poor FBI guys can’t find a single evidence and he goes in transparent helmet cover and no one in the public report to the police about this,no photographs ,nothing..
    And then these poor FBI guys call Abhishek and Ali from india saying Hey we are unable to catch a unmasked man,would you help us please…lol

    Everytime he roams on the streets of chicago,no policemen tried to shoot him,may be US’s defense budget was contracted that time..??

  • I feel sorry for Akshay. Many had complained about sonakshi sinha, the poor music, not casting Vidyut jamwal, etc. It will be sad if holiday also joins the list of akki’s 70 cr club because thuppakki was an excellent film.

  • @aeeyy
    Dabangg 2:3.5 stars
    jai ho:3 stars
    CE:3.5 stars
    D3:4 stars
    boss:3 stars
    k3:4 stars
    gunday:3 stars

  • I watched its gonna be blockbuster for sure… d3 got the 4 stars becouse of amir his acting was superb

  • @indicine, this is not fair. you only see boxoffice result then you review and give star 2.5, better give 0.0 star. Wait and see indicine collection of HOLIDAY.

  • @Babaji ka thullu no use on pointing loopholes in Salman and Aamir movies as they already became big blockbusters and it was the footfalls that made them blockbusters and nobody cares of loopholes when the movie is entertaing and action packed with outstanding stunts like Dhoom 3 or Dabangg series.

  • @babaji: i agree wid u ! The most pathetic review was for GTPM which was 3.5/5 by indicine which is same rating for bmb and ranjhaana. .how come the former is in the same league wid the latter two? ! !
    However, i agree wid the point of repeating pair of akki and sona.ppl are bored of dat.
    As for now, i cann’t blame the review by admin. I have to watch it first.

  • I dont understand y they hav a romantic angle in the film? Is it too hard to make a proper thriller without including unnecessary romantic angles?

  • Holiday is remake of Thupakki. Change Thu with Flo and it becomes– Flopakki Lol.
    Akki improve. Dont behave like Hrithik.

  • Jst saw holiday, a strictly mediocre film!!! Definitely had better expectations… alas Thuppaki was much better film!

  • Holiday is always enjoyable but this Holiday is Boring….Lets see Akki’s next Its Entertainment..

  • @sachin11 movie becomes entertaining only when they dont have loopholes and shd be logical. U call those stunts outstanding? I have never seen such crappy sh!tty stunts.!!

  • Haven’t watched it yet. Gonna watch tomorrow!!
    But I can’t stand Babajika Thullu crying out loudly!!
    By the way, what is the lady in red dress at the right of the pic trying to do to Sonakshi?? LOL!

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