Customer Reviews

Kaante

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I saw this movie when it came out on DVD, and I was very pleased at how this movie was made, and how different it is from other hindi movies. I thought the storyline was amazing. A few days later, I found out the movie is a direct copy of the English film Reservoir Dogs, and that pretty much all the scenes from Kaante were taken directly. When I heard about that, I was completely disappointed and bummed that the movie I was raving about was not as original as I had hoped.

Besides that, I think the movie was well made, and that all the actors did an amazing job, especially Sanjay Dutt and Mahesh Manjrekar. Kumar Gaurav, Lucky Ali and Sunil Shetty do an okay job, and are there to help complete the story. Amitabh Bachchan does his typical style, and as normal, pulls it off really well. Malaika Arora isn't even that hot either. I don't know why they picked her.

The movie was taped completely in Los Angeles, which allows people who live in America something to relate to, because the movie is so modern.

Besides the whole idea of them copying the concept from Hollywood, I think this movie is worth the money, because everyone does a good job, and its not your typical hindi movie.

Yes, it's "Reservoir Dogs." Yes, it does lag at times. But seeing Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt, who've had long careers as Bollywood heroes, shredding the scenery as foul-mouthed criminals is terrific fun. (The subtitling in the theatre didn't do justice to some of the riper swearing, by the way.) If you aren't familiar with their careers (and with Sanjay's real-world legal problems, to which there is a sneaky and very funny reference), it's worth a few minutes to look them up.

Kaante is the biggest attempt ever to extract a piece of good and the most genuine thoughts ever presented in a bollywood movie. For all those persons who compares kaante with other Hollywood flicks didnt know the fact that the per capita income of India is less that 1 dollar per day and still we are able to produce such a big movie is appreciable. Kaante may be inspired from Quinton terrentino's original legendry movie reservoir dogs but not all movies are created equal.
The object details are high except some scenes which create confusion like a bunch of chaps standing on the roof of the building shooting some illegal weapons and nobody nearby is bothered is quite unnatural. The technicalities are upto the Hollywood standard and the super 35 mm film is cleverly used to shoot the scenes. The acting is superb by all actors especially by Mahesh manjeaker'Bali' he was excellent. The background score is excellent and the stunts are breathtaking out and out an excellent movie

and it is not a movie full of weeping ladies and strict father's conflict with sons and its doesn't feature a drunk lover who dies for a girl

Kaante, Bollywood's latest attempt at imitating Hollywood, goes maybe a little too far by stealing scenes straight from many popular crime films, most particularly Reservoir Dogs along with more than a dash of The Usual Suspects and Heat. Ok, I'll be a little kinder today and call it a remake, or a re-imagining, if you will. The movie is, obviously, made for a foreign crowd that probably hasn't seen any of the aforementioned films, thus it might seem fresh to them. But I can tell you this for certain, had I not seen any of those three films, I still would have despised Kaante, simply because it's an example of poor filmmaking.

The film begins with six men (all of them Indian) in a jail cell who have just made plans to commit a major crime, turns out it's to rob a bank. When the actual bank robbing occurs (70 minutes into the movie!), something goes terribly wrong as the police are waiting for them. They make their escape and meet at the rendezvous point, but suspect one of them is an undercover cop. If you've seen Reservoir Dogs, you know where it goes from here.

Right off the bat, there are problems I have with the script. What police force in their right mind would place all these criminals together in the same cell, given that they were all accused of the same crime, a plot device that really goes nowhere and is only introduced as a feeble reason to string these guys together. Then comes the actual planning, intercut with scenes of flashback and "characterization," which takes forever considering this is obviously not as character-oriented as the writer would like you to think (only one character stands out, that's "Major"). As for the undercover cop, whose identity I won't give away, it strikes as me as odd that he chooses to wait until the bank robbery to tip off the police. Wouldn't it be wiser to do it before, so mass bloodshed could be prevented?

The film's centerpiece, the huge five-minute gun battle after the robbery, is obviously inspired from Heat, and it's directed in a heavily stylized, chaotic fashion. There are some nifty stunts and setpieces (the motorcycle going down the stairs, the guy sliding down the hill all the while shooting some cops, the latter obviously a signature from John Woo), but the director fails to put it together in a lucid fashion (outside of the gun fight, he overstylizes the movie, obviously trying to give it a slick Hollywood look and feel, but it rather comes off as a second-rate music video). Everything happens way too quickly and I'm still not entirely certain how all the criminals got away just like that.

Afterward, we get the virtual remake of Reservoir Dogs, complete with the criminals debating what to do and who could be the cop. Obviously, their common sense isn't working since they choose to argue rather than split the money and run. There's even a scene where one of the criminals is prepared to shoot a cop they kidnapped, but is stopped by one of his co-partners, reminding him that if he kills a cop, he'll be hunted the rest of his life by the police, apparently forgetting the dozens of cops they slaughtered outside the bank.

By the end, I'm not sure what it is the film is trying to do or say. As escapist entertainment, it's populated with far too many unlikeable characters and certainly doesn't feature enough outrageous action to fill up a 140-minute running time. As a character study, it's too over-the-top and shallow. ...

A great film that has changed the way Hindi films can be perseved. Yes it is has taken bits of Hollywood films (Usual Suspects, Heat,Reservoir Dogs ) but that has helped the film gel together into an excellent action movie. It is about a bank job that goes wrong and if you have seen Reservoir Dogs you will know who the undercover cop is. But then having seen recent hollywood films and you can literally count how many of them are fully original without taking bits from other films (XXX being a prime example). The film is well directed and acted too, with veteren actors like Amithab Bachan and Sanjay Dutt really showing their experience. If you do watch hindi films give watch to see a different movie to what you are used to. If you dont watch hindi films watch it for a well made gangster movie.

One of the best Indian movie I have ever seen. This movie contains some explosive action scenes . Sanjay dutt looks amazing and stylish.If you didn,t watch that movie then go for it .

This movie is the best. It is the best Hindi film I have ever seen. The entire movie was fast paced and everyone did a great job. Suniel Shetty looked incredible!!! If you have not seen it, I truly recommend it.

Amitabh Bachchan quips that: The Italians have their Mafia, the Colombians their cartels and the Chinese their triads. What do we [Indians] have? Nothing! With that poignant remark, the most esteemed actor in Bollywood cinematic history sets the stage for one of the more engaging action films ever to be produced from an industry that is rife with played out romantic dramas and comedies.

Quite a departure from the norm, Kaantes plot does not revolve, in typical Bollywood style, around a forbidden love affair between a man and woman, and their struggle to break free from the shackles of socioeconomic barriers, religious orthodoxy, overly stringent parents, meddlesome peers, and whatever other cultural convention that seeks to keep them separated. I am not saying that these films arent enjoyable. Many in fact are quite entertaining. Yet it still leaves much to be desired, especially by a male audience who seek a more masculine product. Sure, an open-minded man can relish a typical Bollywood film, but even he desires something to indulge his natural thirst for action and overall mayhem. Kaante satisfies this need quite nicely.

The story embarks in a logical place for a crime thriller of its kind to start - in a police jail cell. Its behind the bars of this cell were Major, played by Amitabh Bachchan, Ajju (Sanjay Dutt), Mark (Suni Shetty), Bali (Mahesh Manjrekar), Mak (Lucky Ali), and Andy (Kumar Gaurav) are all falsely imprisoned. Out of frustration at the injustice that has been imposed by them by an unscrupulous police force, this sextet conspire to not only get even with law enforcement, but also pull off a felony that will ensure their financial security. Their scheme is simple. Merely pull off one of the biggest heists in U.S. history by robbing a bank that is known to be one that is patronized by the city police force.

Kaante devotes nearly half of its roughly three hour length to fleshing out the characters so its viewers can see some of the motivation behind why each has reached the level of despair they have. Its hard to not sympathize with characters like Andy, a pensive, almost stereotypically passive Desi computer programmer who has lost his wife and custody of his son because of his inability to support them. Major, played in the characteristic emotionally charged, yet coolly reserved style Amitabh Bachchan is famous for, endeavors to head this criminal enterprise because his wife is terminally ill, and her only salvation is for him to garner the funds, by whatever means necessary, to pay for her treatment. Unfortunately, his honest efforts to attain this capital fall on deaf ears. Sanjay Dutts character Ajju may not be a figure that would elicit sympathy from the audience the way Major and Andys character does, but his character is a necessary component in this crime thriller because Ajju provides the criminal mystique to this crew, and its that mystique that provides this rag tag team credibility. Dutts portrayal of Ajju is dead on. From his sharp goatee and deeply entrenched ominous dark eyes, to his blunt delivery of dialogue and his nonchalant swagger, Ajju appears and behaves exactly the way you would want a thug to behave on the big screen. Surprising hilarity is interjected periodically into Kaantes narrative by Baali, played by little known actor Mahesh Manjerkar. Baali, not being endowed very well mentally, and furthermore being drugged out of his mind, stutters in Forest Gumpish fashion and makes mistakes with respect to dialogue and choices that would make many roll out of there seats dying of laughter. To add more humor Dutts character bullies Baali incessantly. All this verbal intimidation that Ajju foists upon Baali is not purely for humor sake, but instead will ultimately reveal that Baali is more than just a greedy hoodlum. He, like Major and Andy, has more noble intentions for committing the crime he is about to commit.

Though many may feel that the flashbacks and showing the interplay between characters during the prep work for the bank robbery, is long winded, it is the only way to create characters that the viewer can identify with. It just makes the film all that much more gripping. To have villains that are portrayed as all around evil, and have their adversaries, the police officers, have halos around their heads, is good material for a Saturday morning cartoon tailored to kids tastes, but it isnt fertile ground to make an engrossing crime drama. Giving characters well-rounded personas is time well spent. Whether the film allocates 6 minutes or 60 minutes to this endeavor is irrelevant, as long as the film does it successfully, and Kaante does just that.

Ultimately, after the prep work has been done, the crime is commited, and much to the chagrin of this posse, the police where made privy to what they were doing. What ensues is a bloody gun battle that, as noted from other Amazon reviewers, borrows heavily from Michael Manns Heat, though the action sequences were not as well choreographed or shot. Keep in mind this is a Bollywood film, and despite its efforts to mimic Hollywood in style, it is limited. But considering what has come out, with regards to action in the past from that industry, Kaante has made significant strides.

The remainder of the film has all six players caught in a struggle against time to find out who was the informant among their midst, that tipped the police off. What follows is a lengthy scenario of conflict that has the audience guessing until the end as to who the rat is. Of course, as some reviewers have noted, if one has watched Reservoir Dogs one can get a pretty good inkling as to who the traitor was, yet the film is still fun to watch in spite of this.

In my opinion Kaante would have been a complete disaster if it wasn't for the Hollywood style fight scene and a good song. The entire movie revolves around a heist in an American bank and the problems the various characters had to face in dividing the money and finding a police informant amidst them. Director Sanjay Gupta did a splendid work with the action sequences but as the plot advances it simply became a typical boring movie