Review - Acid Factory: fails the litmus test

Acid Factory

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do ^(?)

quick review:

An interesting premise and oozes of style too. But no detail to speak of and won't thrill an inch in you. You stay uninvolved and largely put off by what's going on, on the screen.

Director: Suparn Verma

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Dia Mirza, Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Bajpai, Danny Denzongpa, Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea

Running time: 110 minutes

Genres: Action, Crime

More Movie Info

Rustic, grainy look. Immense style. Everything else wannabe - story, acting, thriller. There isn't even an attempt to get us hooked. They try hard, really hard to get us curious. But it doesn't work. And most unfortunately, we get the feeling that they think they are succeeding and are feeling good about it.

So you have a situation with 6 people who have lost their memories locked in a clanky, metallic setting. No one knows who's who, including their own selves. Now doesn't that strike odd? No? How about I tell you even after watching the whole movie, identities known and all, it wouldn't matter which one of the 6 was which character. The personalities are pretty similar to each other. Age no bar, sex no bar. Even if they were interchanged at will, your reaction would still be an uninvolved, "oh ok, if you say so." That is if you are bothered to react after having already spent a good 100 minutes on the film already.

Of course there's so much that could be done with this situation, especially with the memory loss angle. But, na-ah, not a wrinkle on your forehead it brings. You are least interested in who's done what to whom. And it's difficult to point out why that is. Maybe because of the narrative style chosen. I usually enjoy two threads running together especially when they are set apart in time. But here, it just doesn't do it. Whether it is the lackluster story that happened in the history or whether the current situation is an overkill of drama for such a lame story in the background, I don't know. Both in parts, maybe.

The non-performances don't help the do either. They actually made Dia Mirza shriek. That's just not fair. She can carry herself off in an action role, the lady can also emote, why make her character a prop? The other long list of equal length roles are all plain plain.

You got to give some marks for the choice of texture for the film. Whether it was how the movie was shot or it was done in post-production is of little concern to the audience and the impact it has on them. The effect is pretty cool. And that's it. You enjoy the first 10 minutes and then what? There's nothing else to watch out for. Finito.

So, yet another nice concept goes down the drain. This time because there's nothing other than the concept to chug the film forward. Oh well, waiting for the Diwali releases already.

- meeta, a part of the audience

34 reviewers^(?) - 6 yays 10 so-so 18 nays

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

Thumbs up, by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, AOL INDIA : ...The idea of the story dictates the screenplay and the writer does a reasonably good job. The style of revealing goes well... full review

Thumbs up, by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice : ... Even though there are a number of characters, each one shines in Acid Factory and are incredibly believable.... full review

Thumbs up, by Martin D'Souza, Glamsham.com : ...The portrayal of every character and the eventual betrayal is carried off with style and delivered with conviction.... full review

Thumbs up, by Ankit Ojha, Planet Bollywood : ...this is the first action thriller after ages that has managed to provide the audience the thrill-a-minute factor... full review

Thumbs up, by Ganesh Nadar, Rediff : ...The helicopter chase, the innumerable cars blowing up, the bike race, the buggy race held my attention and indicate that producer Sanjay Gupta didn't cut corners when Suparn shot this movie. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Pankaj Shukla, SmasHits.com : ...The director has belief in his story line and the actors have belief in their delivery.... full review

So-So, by Tushar Joshi, aslibaat.com : ...Technically the film has its moment... full review

So-So, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...ACID FACTORY has enough going for it, thanks to its premise which is intriguing. But the plot is such that it takes time to come to the point.... full review

So-So, by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra : ...There has been lots of twists and turn in the story and it seems very stressful at times. ... full review

So-So, by Tushar Joshi, MiD DAY : ...After using intrigue and suspense as an asset in the start, the same elements become banal and cliched as the story moves ahead.... full review

So-So, Movie Talkies : ...Tinu Verma is good with the action scenes but a film like 'Fast And Furious' stills seems like a far fetched thought for Bollywood... full review

So-So, by Ashok Nayak, Now Running.com : ... Acid Factory has the sleekness; style is high on action, something we have come to expect from Sanjay Gupta films. But as the reels unfold, it fails to build and hold on to the mystery... full review

So-So, real bollywoood : ...Manoj Bajpai, Irrfan Khan and Danny are superb in their given parts. Aftab, Fardeen and Dino are well suited to their parts as well and act ably. Gulshan Grover and Neha don’t have much to do... full review

So-So, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...Had the makers delved into the suspicions, insecurities and hapless condition of the protagonists, the film could've made for a gripping brain-teaser.... full review

So-So, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...Cinematography is superb, while sound design seems to be of international standard.... full review

So-So, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...adrenalin pumps up in the second half, with Irrfan Khan adding the razor's edge to the proceedings with his silken smooth crookedness... full review

Thumbs down, by N K Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ... For a lover of action flicks, ‘Acid Factory’ packs in an ample dose of stunts, action, flying bullets and pyrotechnics... full review

Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...so Western in tone and tenor that the only reason the characters speak in Hindi seems to be the consideration that, otherwise, the films wouldn’t play in India?... full review

Thumbs down, by Bobby Singh, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...for an avid movie lover who is well familiar with this intense, psychological, brain twister thriller genre of the west, “Acid Factory” is just a rehash version of the Original... full review

Thumbs down, by Anand Vaishnav, Buzz18 : ...Dia Mirza's much-hyped negative role is a damp squib. Someone seems to have mercilessly edited her out of most scenes... full review

Thumbs down, by Udita Jhunjhunwala, DNA : ...Mirza's performance is as stiff as her spray-on black outfit. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com : ...you're also kept on the edge of your seat as Fardeen Khan's boss (Gulshan Grover) keeps getting outsmarted by the villains and mouths impactful speeches of defeat - "Bloody smart!" and "Bloody clever!"... full review

Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...As you’d reckon, cars chase helicopters chase bikes chase your senses.... full review

Thumbs down, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...Manoj Bajpai, trying very hard to play the "joker in the pack" stereotype.... full review

Thumbs down, by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com : ...It is more video game than movie, though video games have more interesting characters.... full review

Thumbs down, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...Call it convenience, coincidence or nationalism but all the players of this foreign gang are Indians... full review

Thumbs down, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...Verma and his producer Sanjay Gupta try and jazz up this premise with high-octane stunts and Diya Mirza in a dominatrix outfit but when the original is so mediocre, there’s only that far the copy can go.... full review

Thumbs down, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...Women are objects of classy but lustful adoration in Gupta's scheme of things. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Namrata Joshi, Now Running.com : ...The plot is so hare-brained, inane and absurd that it’s not even worth dissecting.... full review

Thumbs down, by Khalid, Passion for Cinema : ...don’t expect any kind of screenplay sustenance here.... full review

Thumbs down, by Hanumant Bhansali, Radio Sargam : ...The movie has been lavishly shot and Sanjay Gupta maintains his style of presenting things like men in black, stunning women, trendy gears, chic jackets, cool bikes and cars.... full review

Thumbs down, by Samiya Shakir, StarBoxOffice : ... Gulshan Grover who plays a top cop not only makes a fool of himself but gives a real bad name to international police as well.... full review

Thumbs down, by The ThirdMan, Upper Stall : ...Forget the various logical loopholes, sufficient to say no performance stands out to deserve any sort of mention either.... full review

Thumbs down, by SpiceZee Bureau, Zee News : ...With a brood of out of work actors – Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan, Aftab Shivdasani and Dino Morea, as well as the fact that the movie in question is a trite remake of ‘Unknown’ (2006), it seems Suparn Verma has boarded a sinking ship!... full review

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

3 readers - 0 yays 2 so-so 1 nays

So-So, by Hindilyrics4u.co.un

So-So, by Lyricswale.com

Nay! Thumbs Down, by Hindilyrics4u.co.in

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

Parental Guidance:

Violence: It’s the action genre, there's enough gun shots doing their rounds.
Language: Clean
Nudity & Sexual content: Dia Mirza wearing a bare-back outfit, if you consider that nudity, that is.
Concept: 6 people in a room who don't know each other and have lost their memory. Their actions and interactions.
General Look and Feel: It has a rough, dark look.