Watching
Bazooka
is
like
trying
to
figure
out
a
long
drawn-out
puzzle
that
never
makes
sense,
observes
Arjun
Menon.
Bazooka,
the
debut
directorial
effort
of
Deeno
Dennis,
the
son
of
legendary
screenwriter
Kaloor
Dennis,
is
one
good
idea
that
got
lost
in
a
dumpster
of
clumsy
writing.
The
film
features
Mammootty,
and
does
not
deserve
his
presence.
Watching
Bazooka
is
like
trying
to
figure
out
a
long
drawn-out
puzzle
that
never
makes
sense.
Bazooka
follows
a
forensic
expert
on
a
bus
journey
with
a
crass
gamer
as
his
co-passenger.
The
framing
itself
reeks
of
uninspired
and
stale
writing,
which
undermines
the
setup
quickly.
In
the
middle
of
this,
you
get
a
shoehorned-in
action
set
piece
featuring
a
biker
gang
that
doesn’t
do
anything
with
the
screen
time
that
it
gets.
You
also
get
a
bunch
of
archetypical
passenger
types
who
have
no
role
in
the
events
that
unfurl
over
the
remaining
running
time,
only
making
awkward
comments
that
just
do
not
land.
There
is
a
painful
attempt
at
mining
humour
from
these
interactions.
High
frame
shots
and
the
background
score
keeps
soaring,
but
never
reaches
a
crescendo.
The
‘game
thriller’
tries
to
subvert
the
tropes
of
a
routing
procedural
by
infusing
gaming
jargon
and
‘Gen
Z’
slang
that
feels
dated
and
tired
despite
its
effort
to
appear
young.
The
screenplay
sets
aside
a
significant
part
of
its
time
to
establish
ACP
Benjamin
Joshua
(Gautham
Vasudev
Menon)
and
his
team
of
cops.
We
get
a
glimpse
into
their
adventures
and
it
feels
like
an
afterthought
that
does
not
move
the
plot
forward.
Each
character
appears
and
exits
the
frame
in
slow
motion
and
you
feel
the
film
struggling
to
maintain
a
coherent
flow.
The
exuberant
soundtrack
by
Saeed
Abbas
introduces
themes
and
motifs
with
never-ending
novelty,
while
the
script
revels
in
the
optics
of
its
gaming
format,
rather
than
solid
plotting.
Mammooty
sleepwalks
through
an
underwritten
part,
except
for
the
last
15
to
29
minutes
where
the
film
tries
to
damage
control
with
a
particular
character
reveal.
There
is
so
much
swag
and
charisma
in
the
way
Mammootty
approaches
the
figure,
with
his
trademark
charm.
But
the
writing
is
so
superficial
and
blunt
that
none
of
the
‘hero’
moments
land
and
you
feel
the
constant
twitch
in
tone,
bringing
down
the
‘fan
service’
aspects
of
this
film.
The
investigation
of
the
series
of
robberies
at
the
centre
of
the
film
is
written
in
the
most
elementary
fashion
with
little
effort
in
making
them
work
as
individual
scenes,
rather
than
keeping
it
as
functional
as
throwaway
punchlines.
So
you
get
a
high-profile
crime,
a
genius
forensic
advisor
helping
the
cops
and
a
clueless
bunch
of
police
officials
who
become
spectators
in
the
bigger
picture,
do
the
math,
duh.
Characters
and
B
plots
are
introduced
with
trademark
nonchalance
and
you
start
twirling
in
your
seat
uncomfortably.
Nimish
Ravi’s
camerawork
keeps
the
visuals
exciting
to
a
point
but
there
is
only
so
much
panache
that
‘cool
frames’
can
do.
The
second
half
promises
a
hopeful
turnaround
with
Mammootty’s
character
but
falls
back
to
the
tired
bag
of
slow-mo
scene
building,
clumsy
exposition
and
amateur
lines
that
never
end.
Mammootty
cuts
through
the
jadedness
with
his
suave,
elegant
screen
presence.
Every
time
he
appears
on
screen,
he
starts
to
feel
like
another
exciting
adventure
stuck
within
the
confines
of
an
undercooked
potboiler.
The
ending
is
as
stale
as
the
rest
of
the
film
but
the
idea
might
have
been
promising
if
done
with
some
more
conviction.
Bazooka
ends
up
being
an
unnecessarily
long,
washed-out
template
thriller
that
pretends
to
be
something
above
its
pay
grade.
Bazooka
Review
Rediff
Rating:
