Phantom, an espionage thriller, is a film swinging from taut momentum to dragged screenplay giving us a fairly engaging film but with lots of speed bumps. Like any other good thriller, Phantom doesn’t give up its ace cards altogether and keeps the plot suspenseful. But the patriotic theme gets overdone especially with some clunky dialogues.
Phantom has smartly written episodes in first hour. The plot feels real and the mission feels exciting. The high point of the film has to be the Jail episode where even the execution peaks. But things start getting repetitive and predictable. The Syria episode particularly brings restlessness and the brisk pace takes a beating.
The second hour is relatively more thrilling but the film misses the heart that other recent films in this segment had namely “Baby”, ” D-day”, and “Vishwaroop”. Even if it grabs your attention for the entire last hour, the film misses a connect. Also there are glaring cinematic liberties which may not seem bonafide.
The film has rich beauty and visually there’s lot the film offer than a regular Bollywood film. The action scenes are extremely well handled and especially the hand-to-hand fights.
Saif Ali Khan surprisingly sinks totally into his portrayal and submits himself perfectly to the character that demanded earnestness and yet the smart Alec trait. Saif’s performance alone is worth the price of the ticket. Katrina has seemingly awkward role and her imperfect performance doesn’t help either.
Phantom is definitely not your high octane must-watch thriller but it has enough in store if at all you plan to watch it. It does feel long and dragged but some terrific episodes including the entire last hour and Saif’s standout performance are enough to not disappoint you unless you’re expecting a classic.
Rating – 2.5/5
Tags: Kabir Khan Katrina Kaif Member Reviews Phantom Reviews Saif Ali Khan
