Toolsidas Junior

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)

quick review:

This predictable, run-of-the-mill underdog film skips the training montage and uses fun layman language to explain the technicalities of the sport. Indeed, not enough to warrant your time and energy. But not a complete loss if you end up watching it anyway.

(Available on Netflix)

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Director: Mridul Mahendra
Running time: 130 minutes
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From the word go, you can predict where Toolsidas Junior is headed in the next 15-20 minutes. Of course, the climax will be the usual sports underdog drama. Understandably, there is not much a film in this genre can do with its finale. So, the audience is hanging on to the ‘how’. Alas, the film does very little to grab your attention, let alone keep it with the protagonists.

It invests energy in educating both its protagonist and the audience using relatable analogies and pop culture references. That is the only spark in the writing though.

“How will Toolsidas Junior deal with the obstacles laid on his path?” “Which ones will he overcome?” “What will he do with those he cannot overcome?” It is not that the film doesn’t do anything at all with these questions. Unfortunately, it uses annoying slapstick to get through them. It also repeats a lot of the tackiness under the guise of displaying a character’s memory.

Amidst the ennui, there is a spurt of elegance when Toolsidas Junior (Varun Buddhadev) learns the tricks of the trade. The film chooses to do away with the typical training montage found in such films. Instead, it invests energy in educating its protagonist and the audience using relatable analogies and pop culture references. That is the only spark in writing, though.

The spark shines brighter because Sanjay Dutt delivers the knowledge in a fashion that comes most naturally to him. Throughout the rest of the film, he broods and broods well. Varun Buddhadev plays the titular character with the earnestness of an eager-to-please twelve-year-old. The rest of the cast has characters written way too superficially for them to be able to do much with it.

We cannot say that Toolsidas Junior must have stood out on paper because the premise itself is nothing out of the ordinary. Given that, I am happy that it created some interest, even if it was for a few minutes. And you can only give so much credit that a movie skipped doing.

- meeta, a part of the audience

3 reviewers(?) - 2 yays 1 so-so 0 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Madhuri V, Filmi Beat : ...In one of the scenes when Mridal seeks advice from his mentor for always messing up with the black ball, the latter tells him about the 'finishing problem' where people start things well in the beginning, but fail to finish them. "Life ki chhoti choti cheezon ko khatam karna seekho. Kaaliya toh kya Gabbar ko bhi pocket mein thukaadongey," the trainer tells the snooker genius.... full review

Thumbs up, by Shruti Pandit, Free Press Journal : ...Credit goes to director and writer Mridul Mahendra for a tight script and apt direction. Kudos to Ashutosh Gowariker for putting all this together. Though one wonders why didn’t they have a proper release…... full review

So-So, by Archika Khurana, Times of India : ...Due to its honest performances and simple storyline, 'Toolsidas Junior' will undoubtedly win hearts and leave you with a smile on your face while you walk out of the theatre.... full review

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

1 readers - 0 yays 1 so-so 0 nays

So-So, by Raj : Family entertainer, nice..!

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: A couple of slaps
  • Language: Clean
  • Nudity & Sexual content: None
  • Concept: A son wants to take over his dad’s responsibility take his legacy forward
  • General Look and Feel: Generic

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

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Comments (2)

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Raj

As you rightly say - it is a clean wholesome family entertainer one can take kids to watch the movie in cinema halls. Nothing great - but it is nice

Yep!

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