Don

SRK is pathetic...

This movie can not be compared to its Original, except the special effects. SRK is nowhere close to Amitabh. Twist at the end is the only good thing about the movie. October 24, 2008

Purani Botal ... Nayi Sharaab

Orignal (Amitabh Bachchan's) DON was much better. This one is real bad remake of DON November 3, 2007

SRK pulls it through

Ok, I've seen both Dons and I have to admit I like...DUPLICATE better lol. At least the good guy wins by being...well the good guy.
In Don SRK shows not only why he is the Baadshah of Bollywood but that
!yes! he can act if you give him a chance outside of the "loverboy" box they got him in. The rest of the cast barely made an impression on me but they supported the story ok, I guess. This one makes more sense than the old one to me, but you need to watch the ending to know why..hehe. Then again, in my book it goes:
#1} SRK
#2} Dilip Kumar
#3} Big B June 11, 2007

Not only is it difficult to catch Don - it's impossible!

So, this one's the latest in several remakes of the original film DON, which came out in 1978 and starred Amitabh Bachchan as the titular character. With this film's charismatic yet totally irredeemable lead role, it's certainly yet another argument made for villains holding a deeper fascination for the average person than the more boring heroes. Being bad is good, and Don intrigues us because not only is he "cool," but also able to do and say things that most of us hesitate to do. This 2006 version did very well in the various box offices, and, having finally watched it on dvd, I can see why. It's actually closer to Hollywood than Bollywood in its sensibilites. Bollywood motion pictures certainly have their own merits, but they normally just aren't as glitzy and smooth as Hollywood flicks. There's also a pervasive John Woo element present which adds oomph and stylishness to the stunt and action sequences. And the story itself?

In Europe and Asia, drug trafficking is thriving. To put a halt to crime boss Singhania's international drug empire, law enforcers from Malaysia and India have teamed up. The resulting plan of attack hinges on taking down Singhania's canny and ruthless lieutenant Don (Shahrukh Khan), who bloodily handles Singhania's business affairs. After several fruitless attempts, Don is finally captured but then dies. Chief Investigating Officer DeSilva comes up with an alternate plan. He unearths Vijay (also Shahrukh Khan), a simpleton who is Don's lookalike, and convinces him to pose as Don and infiltrate Singhania's gang. And that's the basic plot.

The labyrinthine story, of course, teases the audience's ability to keep up with what's going on and to accept things at face value. There are twists and turns in abundance here, and betrayals and shocking reveals. One look away from the screen and one risks missing a vital hint or a key revelation. It's a good thing my eyes were glued to the feature. In fact, I'm tempted to watch it again right now but, this time, with an eye for catching all the throwaway clues that I missed.

DON is a slick production, shot mostly in gorgeous Malaysia. The slick cinematography and dynamic action sets lend DON a modern, professional looking gloss, adding a certain relevance to it. It certainly made me take it more seriously, since the filmmakers were. There are several noteworthy acting turns here. Not having seen the original DON, I can't compare Shahrukh Khan's performance with Amitabh Bachchan's. But I know what I like, and I thought Khan's rendition of the flashy, clever, and evasive Don to be mostly quality stuff. I do admit to not caring for his version of Vijay as Vijay. But his portrayal of Vijay posing as Don is engrossing. It was fun to witness Vijay growing in confidence and ability the deeper he got into his impersonation. It's evident that Khan relishes getting a chance to deliver several classic lines from the original flick: "People don't leave Don, they leave the world" and "Not only is it difficult to catch Don - it's impossible!"

Boman Irani is intense as DCP DeSilva, and he actually brings a surprising physical presence to his role. Kareena Kapoor manages to be memorable in her virtually cameo-like appearance as Kamini (and "Wow!" to her musical number). Priyanka Chopra is not the best actress out there, but, in her admittedly not too challenging part of Roma, she is an asset to the film. And, even if her martial arts fail to look convincing, the concerted effort she puts in warms me to her. And, c'mon, from a cheesecake angle, she's very hot. Meanwhile, Arjun Rampal and Ishaa Koppikar are solid and will make their gender opposites drool a bit.

DON is a Bollywood feature, so there's bound to be musical numbers. Three songs stand out for me. "Main Hoon Don," of which catchy strains echo thoughout the film, and the awesome "Aaj Ki Raat," which showcases Priyanka and Ishaa Koppikar in full and tasty dance mode even as an assassination simultaneously takes place. Kareena Kapoor, by the way, does justice to "Yeh Mera Dil" with her racy rendition.

The dvd set is darn extravagant. Disc 1 offers the film presentation, with song and scene selections and an English sub-title option. Disc 2 has "The Making Of" featurette (52 minutes, with a good dosage of English thrown in); 10 minutes of deleted scenes (no sub-titles); Bloopers - about 10 minutes long, again with no sub-titles, but still fun to watch; the movie trailer; and the boring "Clap Track" - which pretty much is a track of the clapboard (or marker) cue-ing up scenes throughout the movie. The packaging also contains a cast booklet and a "Movic," which is a comic book narration of DON, but with movie photo stills subbing for the normal pencilled and inked artwork.

I'm not normally into gangster flicks, but I was drawn into this one by the story's timeless "look-alike" hook. This movie is absolutely dominated by Shahrukh Khan's presence, and I can now see why he's such big news in Bollywood. As Don, he's very cool, with just the proper amount of showy over-the-topness. DON is three hours of sleek, convoluted, action-packed fun. As such, it gets four stars from me. But what exactly is a "paan"?
May 26, 2007

I'd Like This Better if I could Get Subtitles

Maybe I'm a complete idiot but I can't get the subtitles to work. This is annoying because the movie looks and sounds great and the double disc set is packed with fun features like an extended blooper reel. I finally gave up and watched the first half anyway since I know what the movie is about. Based on that, I have to say that I do vaguely remember the original and this version is a fun remake. Sharukh Khan.. I finally see why he's such a superstar .. the man just oozes charisma. Malaysia ( my dad's home country and Singapore's neighbour) looks gorgeous. Main Hoon Don is a fun techno number and Karisma does alright by the original Helen item number Ye Mera Dil. Now, if only I could get the subtitles to work!!! March 12, 2007

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