'Baby John' review: Predictable storyline drowns the overlong, inconsistent film
What's the story
Kalees's Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan, is an adaptation of producer Atlee's Theri.
Atlee's filmmaking imprint is all over the film, and Baby John will frequently remind you of his acclaimed actioner Jawan, released last year.
A cookie-cutter storyline that's 20 years too late, underdeveloped characters, and preachy storytelling make Baby John a chore to sit through.
All style, little substance.
Story
A doting father and his quest for revenge
BJ's storyline is similar to a hundred other Indian films.
DCP Satya, married to Mira, makes a powerful enemy in Babbar Sher when he kills his son, Ashwin, a rapist.
Sher retaliates, kills Satya's mother and Mira, and Satya is forced to fake his death, change his identity, and flee with his daughter.
But when Sher comes back, Satya picks up arms once again.
Information
Who plays whom in 'Baby John'
Dhawan portrays Satya, who changes his name to John after starting his second life with his daughter Khushi. Mira is played by Keerthy Suresh while Wamiqa Gabbi plays Khushi's teacher, Tara. Rajpal Yadav plays Satya's colleague and loyal friend. Jackie Shroff essays Sher.
#1
It fizzles out way too soon
It's somewhat possible to root for films that throb with intent and lose themselves somewhere along the way, but what do you say about a movie that looks like it's destined to fail right from the first frame?
The makers have said that BJ is an "adaptation" and not a "remake," but it even borrows its gags from Theri, and novelty is completely elusive.
#2
It's every South 'masala' film ever!
BJ will give you flashbacks of several Atlee/Shankar films.
It plays in a safe zone, picks up a template, and stays committed to it—dual avatars, a man turning into women's (and nation's) messiah, excessive slow-motion scenes, speeches, and crowd randomly coming together to clap for the "hero."
Sure, anything passes off as entertainment in masala flicks, but the bar shouldn't be so low.
#3
Everything feels inorganic, nothing strikes a chord
Thought the love story in Brahmastra was immature? Baby John one-ups it.
Mira-Satya fall in "love" on their first date, talk about babies on the second, and it takes Satya a speech to change Mira's mind when a potential conflict threatens to tear them apart.
Although Mira is a doctor, we see her at work just once, and her profession is never mentioned again!
#4
Weak supporting characters, so it's tough to stay invested
A film like this exists only for the main (male) lead, so everyone else is always at the periphery, and the film is not really interested in telling us their backstories, motives, ambitions, or just who they are as a person.
We know next to nothing about the psychotic villain Sher, and Mira's character could have been fleshed out much better.
#5
More on the above concern
The film has several experienced, charismatic actors, but the makers don't know what to do with them.
Shroff adds another forgettable role to his filmography, Gabbi gets only a handful of dialogues, and Yadav gets one powerful monologue only to be sidelined again.
And, I am begging filmmakers to cast Sheeba Chadha (who plays Satya's mother) in better roles!
#6
Salman Khan's cameo, too, packs no punch
If you plan to watch Baby John for Salman Khan's cameo, unfortunately, that is just as disappointing as the entire film.
I wish he were utilized better, perhaps similar to how he has been presented in the Tiger franchise, but all we get are a few minutes of mindless, soulless action.
Bollywood cameos used to be fun once.
What went wrong?
#7
Performances and background score try to infuse life into film
The watchable aspects of Baby John come from an exciting action sequence featuring Dhawan and Yadav that takes place pre-interval.
Propulsive, quick, and inventive, it took me by surprise, and I wish the entire film mirrored that scene in terms of pacing and writing.
Thaman S's rousing background score doesn't disappoint, and the actors try their best to salvage the sub-par, formulaic material.
Verdict
Can completely skip it; 1.5/5 stars
Baby John never stops to breathe, justice is served within minutes, and both love stories and rivalries intensify rapidly.
For a film that runs hurriedly with absolutely no brakes, 164 minutes is an awfully long runtime, and after a point, you stop caring about the plot or the characters (the makers couldn't care less either).
This Christmas, mark yourself safe from Baby John.