Krrish 3 Movie Review

The tacky CGI animation — characters flying through walls and catching planes mid-air — reminds you of the special effects in Ramanand Sagar’s “Ramayan” television series two decades ago. Lead actor Hrithik Roshan twitches his facial muscles in his attempt to play an annoying old man, while flexing his biceps to play a younger avatar. And instead of a credible story, the plot of “Krrish 3” involves, among other things, a pen that captures the sun’s rays and brings the dead to life.

Hrithik Roshan does double duty here, playing ageing scientist Rohit Mehra and his son Krishna aka Krrish, who is married to Priya (Priyanka Chopra). All is going well till Kaal, a diabolical villain clearly inspired by Magneto from Hollywood’s X-Men series, makes an appearance.

Kaal, whose hobby is to create Manvars (mutants formed from humans and animals), releases deadly viruses in the air, killing thousands of people before his company manufactures the antidote. However, Kaal’s plans hit a roadblock in India, where the Mehras are able to produce their own antidote.

In one sequence, a huge statue of Krrish is unveiled, the Mehras dance to a song — complete with skimpily clad dancers who appear out of nowhere — while Kaal and his minions are shown fuming with anger as their evil plans are foiled.

“Krrish 3” has many such moments — where you are left wondering if the writers (five of them, including director Rakesh Roshan) meant the scene to be funny. The song sequences are there just to showcase the leading man’s dancing abilities, the dialogue is unintentionally hilarious, and there are so many brands advertised that the film seems like a long and rather tacky commercial.

“Krrish 3” could have been salvaged if the story had been a little less convoluted, but there are too many unnecessary complications and sub-plots. The director spends more time resolving those plot points than giving us some good action, which is what every superhero film needs. If only we’d been spared lofty speeches on how good always triumphs over evil and had been given some sleek action sequences instead.

But what would Bollywood films be without morals and family values? Ironically, it is these elements that drag the film down. Rakesh Roshan wanted to make a world-class superhero film, but unfortunately “Krrish 3” only has the power to transport us two decades into the past, which is where this film belongs.