Krrish is an Indian superhero film which makes for interesting viewing in the light of such mixed Hollywood outings as Daredevil, Spiderman, X-Men etc. Hidden by his mother from the enemies of his late, genius father, hero Krishna has inherited enhanced superpowers granted to his dad by kindly aliens in the first installment of the saga. Swept off his feet by a visiting female journalist in his remote retreat, at length he reluctantly returns to Singapore only to discover that elements of the past tragedy may not be what they seem. Soon he is forced to don a mask to hide his real identity and battles against a technological conspiracy which has at its heart a personal imperative.
Overlong and entertaining, Krrish has many of the merits and faults of Indian popular cinema, while still providing a novel experience for fans of the western superhero genre. Most interestingly, the Indian superhero has few of the neuroses and persecution complexes which mark out his western counterparts, never viewing his superhuman nature as a curse for instance. His special talents seem part of nature and not a dubious mutation of it. The first half of the film, consisting of a slow moving romance as Krrish, living with his overprotective auntie, discovers his heart and his destiny, has one or two decent moments but one longs for more outright drama. Notable scenes include the first meeting with his co star as he romances her, Tarzan-like, descending down a tree together in a prolonged arboreal embrace after a hang glider crash above. But these are meager highlights in what proves a slight and generally unmemorable opening act.
Things pick up considerably however after the half time intermission as, once installed in Singapore, Krrish moves into a different gear entirely. In the film's best and most excitingly choreographed sequence, the hero first dons his improvised mask to rescue victims trapped inside a burning circus tent while later, in another impressive moment, he leapfrogs across boats on the river to reach his enemies. Most of the wire-work based stunts in the film are well done and some - such as the moment when he slides his motor cycle along a warehouse floor to unseat several other riders, are exciting and new. Krrish's super powers mainly consist of Dr Doolittle-like communication powers with animals, super strength and speed, but there is no denying that in the requisite black mask, with streaming hair and Matrix mac he looks very cool when required. Ultimately though it has to be admitted that the film is not a complete success; the central conceit of a computer that can 'foretell the future' for instance is a clumsy one and, while Krrish is a great action figure, the film itself seems uncertain on which elements of his character to concentrate on, which leads to some loss of focus. But a decent enough effort all the same.
Overlong and entertaining, Krrish has many of the merits and faults of Indian popular cinema, while still providing a novel experience for fans of the western superhero genre. Most interestingly, the Indian superhero has few of the neuroses and persecution complexes which mark out his western counterparts, never viewing his superhuman nature as a curse for instance. His special talents seem part of nature and not a dubious mutation of it. The first half of the film, consisting of a slow moving romance as Krrish, living with his overprotective auntie, discovers his heart and his destiny, has one or two decent moments but one longs for more outright drama. Notable scenes include the first meeting with his co star as he romances her, Tarzan-like, descending down a tree together in a prolonged arboreal embrace after a hang glider crash above. But these are meager highlights in what proves a slight and generally unmemorable opening act.
Things pick up considerably however after the half time intermission as, once installed in Singapore, Krrish moves into a different gear entirely. In the film's best and most excitingly choreographed sequence, the hero first dons his improvised mask to rescue victims trapped inside a burning circus tent while later, in another impressive moment, he leapfrogs across boats on the river to reach his enemies. Most of the wire-work based stunts in the film are well done and some - such as the moment when he slides his motor cycle along a warehouse floor to unseat several other riders, are exciting and new. Krrish's super powers mainly consist of Dr Doolittle-like communication powers with animals, super strength and speed, but there is no denying that in the requisite black mask, with streaming hair and Matrix mac he looks very cool when required. Ultimately though it has to be admitted that the film is not a complete success; the central conceit of a computer that can 'foretell the future' for instance is a clumsy one and, while Krrish is a great action figure, the film itself seems uncertain on which elements of his character to concentrate on, which leads to some loss of focus. But a decent enough effort all the same.