Don - Remakes Work!!

Usually you wont find too many moview reviews on my blog. It's because likes and dislikes in movies is a highly personal and individual choice. So if some slap stick Govinda humour can tickle one it may give seizures to another and like wise Sharukhs stammering may seem "style" to his fans but gives me the hickups:-) So this is my view of Farhan Akhtars "Don-The chase begins" you are free to have yours.
The verdict upfront is that Remakes, if not the Remixes, work well!! You will return fully satisfied with the wholesum entertainment that this thriller offers. Even if you spend $25-for-two as I did, it will be "fultu paisa vasool". Except Sharukhs repetitve acting style of menacing sneers, stupid smiles, slightly improved stammering and a desperate but inadequate effort at matching the original Don (Big B) everything else in the moview is well above average. It is slickly shot and can easily compete any above-average hollywood thriller.
Acting Department: Sharukh is routine. But his extremely trendy wardrobe and a fitter physique make him look ultra cool.He is a delight to (just) look at. Priyanka Chopra and Isha Koppikar are regular looking gangsta molls, hot bods with attitude and everything. Even their acting is believable. Boman Irani, though a misfit (due to his physique) in his role of a crime branch action packed DCP, is excellent as usual. He has a meaty role in the movie and does full justice to this opportunity. Then there is a surprise guest appearance by a leading actress for the main event item number - "Ye Mera Dil...". She fails miserably to oomph even an ounce of sexiness in the gyrating moves of the song which the original protagonist - The sizzling Helen could do even in sleep. But still she looks hot, what with those lost pounds which she badly needed! Om Puri has no role worth mentioning. Arjun Rampal, gets yet another role where is shown handicapped. Poor fellow, as if his handicap of acting talent is not enough!!
Music & Choreography: Considering that new "Don" is a remake, I did not expect new songs. But unfortunately Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy did add few soundtracks of their own and ended up diluting an otherwise excellent remix score. "Ye Mera Dil" and "Khai Ke Paan" have some new foot tapping beats. Udit Narayan did really well at the latter song. But the best part was the background score throughout the movie. It is inspired from the original Don but the music directors were successful at adding a hypnotizing lull to that. There is one particular piece which stills rings in my ears. Dance sequences in all the songs were a treat to watch. But the director cum script writer Farhan Akhtar has got the "set" and "situation" for the rustic holi number "Khai Ke Paan" entirely wrong. Its difficult to digest traditional "Bhaang mixed with milk" being available in Kaula Lampur!
Script & Story: THIS is the biggest plus and stronghold of the new "Don". For a change there is a main stream hindi cinema which has strong, gripping and flawless script which covers all other flaws mentioned above. The pace of the movie is just right, not too fast nor too slow. Gives time to digest while keeping you on tenterhooks until (literally) the last scene. Suspence is maintained well and even and is very hard to guess. Be ready for a double whammy!
The script has many deviations from the original one, which I believe does not qualify this movie as a version-2 but a real remake complete with makeover. Though it is a remake it has its own personality which refrains the audience from comparing it with original Don. And for this I raise my hats off to Farhan Akhtar. It was very intelligent of him to do so, because it frees his new Don from shackles and shadows of original one which otherwise would have been its own dejavu! Well done. Here, take your five stars *****
Now lets wait for Ramgopal Varma's Sholay!