Crew movie review: of chocos and momos

Crew movie review

Stars, budgets and brands has hit the stands but still the bells have not rang. You leave the theatre feeling nothing after watching a movie like ‘Crew’ which has managed a rare casting coup – Tabu and Kareena Kapoor in one frame for so many times but still you have serious complaints regarding this heist caper by Rajesh Krishnan that may have looked good on paper but has gone frustratingly wrong.

Rajesh Krishnan who has made a decent quirky comedy Lootcase previously, fails to shape the characters of Tabu and Kareena as per their calibre/popularity as he did with Vijay Raaz in Lootcase, such a waste. Adding more salt, pepper, chutney and mirchi to the wounds, at times we see Tabu and Kareena not very comfortable at slapsticks moments.

Am not saying that Crew is a complete disaster, it has a couple of really good gags like the humour that gets generated from the dead body of the aged crew member of the flight. The landing of the private jet during the climax, these were really funny and the beginning when the custom police questions Geeta, Jasmine and Divya.

The men had not much to do in this female centric film and we see the popular comedian Kapil Sharma restricted to play Tabu’s husband who makes his living by making butter chicken in his home kitchen.Diljit Dosanjh as Jai Singh Rathore, Sub Inspector, CBI has a very limited role. Saswata Chatterjee as Vijay Walia too is wasted and ironically Rajesh Sharma as Pruthviraj Mittal, CFO of Kohinoor Airlines has comparatively more meat in his role than Diljit and Saswata.

But the same cannot be said for the brand placement competition we just saw in Crew. The highlight was the placement of this Momo brand during an important conversion between siblings – WOW.How, how can anyone do that?!, unfortunately Crew finds itself in the midst of so many ‘Do It’, without having it much in its platter for all.

To make matter worst, the final heist is nothing but window shopping in an exotic hotel in Middle East, it kills whatever the fun element it had in the first half.And the chemistry between Tabu, Kareena and Kriti wasn’t striking enough. As said earlier Tabu and Kareena were not utilised to their potential when they shared the frame. Poor Kriti, in spite of having a better role then her much qualified seniors Tabu and Kareena, she is reduced to say “Oh Geeta Mam’ to Tabu repeatedly when they three are together. Though Tabu, Kareena and Kriti had their individual sparks.

Why the background of ‘Choli Ke Peeche’? from Khalnayak?, are these flight balas ‘Khalnaika’s’ (pun intended/not intended) you decide.  

Crew – final words

All said and done, I feel the heist capper Crew that boosts a very talented cast may have had a good time during its making and/or discussing the movie on paper but unfortunately for the audience like me, it seems like the flight (movie) Crew (makers and the actors) had entertained themselves more than the passengers (audience).