Movie: Crackk
Cast: Vidyut Jammwal, Arjun Rampal, Nora Fatehi, Amy Jackson
Director: Aditya Datt
Stars: 2/5
In an era of careless and easily forgettable action films, Vidyut Jammwal, at 43, in ‘Crakk’ leaves some mark by carrying out outrageous stunts for our viewing pleasure. The movie is intriguing. And unbelievable. In this actioner, Nora Fatehi does not dance but acts (or maybe just tries), Arjun Rampal does not smile and Vidyut Jammwal’s thirst trap is to die and live for. Remember the recent nude photoshoot? Yep, our VJ does not disappoint in the film. Go watch, it releases in cinemas on the 23rd of February. After so many ‘gritty’ franchises and ‘message-oriented’ films, ‘Crakk’ barely attempts to strike a balance between memorable action sequences and sport. Guess what? ‘Crakk’ touches upon father issues, whopping cash prizes, ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ like do-or-die ‘sports’ stunts, nuclear bombs, geopolitics, but doesn’t really have any layer(s). That’s a shame because the movie rises but then almost immediately drops. Then, Dev (Arjun Rampal) enters wearing nothing but a dungaree and that compensates. ‘Crakk’ brings so much to the table that it’s confusing. So confusing, that your brain snoozes, and you end up laughing at the goof-ups of the narrative, editing, and a very shallow storyline.
The Plot
The strangely cloudy plot starts with Siddharth Dixit, aka Siddhu (played by Vidyut Jammwal). A Mumbai slum dweller, Sidhu, is hard-bent crazy about extreme sports. Amid action sequences, Sidhu is often called ‘crack’ for his potential to attempt extreme stunts. Hence, begins the journey of all ‘crack-heads’ to win in ‘Maidaan’, an underground survival sports competition. The ultimate showrunner of ‘Maidaan’ is none other than – Dev (Arjun Rampal) – the champion who defeated Siddhu’s elder brother to death years ago. The plot twists loopily and Siddhu’s purpose drifts away from just winning ‘Maidaan’ to finding out the truth about his brother’s demise. Soaring the temperature at ‘Maidaan’, enters Alia (Nora Fatehi) – a good-looking influencer and Sidhu’s love interest. In the middle of all the poor-Hindi-speaking international actors, homie girl, Jamie Lever provides relief with fun ‘Mumbaiya’ one-liners and punches.
Want To Watch It For Action?
After breaking my head over its ever-changing plot, concluding, the film is mainly meant to showcase cool stunts. In bits and pieces, it does make for a thrilling cinema but just like most action films, it digs up a visible hole. Both Vidyut Jammwal and Arjun Rampal are badass, brilliant action heroes. Glazed with heart-stopping sequences, it feels like being in an amusement park at times but be prepared for a very, very interrupted ride. On the brighter side, some utterly bonkers mid-air action sequences will make your head explode with rap-based musical design.
Come on, if you have nothing else to do.