Baby John movie review: When you think about it, most action flicks stick to a similar formula: a wronged guy or a noble cop faces off against a powerful foe. Everything in his life gets flipped upside down, and he’s on a mission for revenge. The story wraps up when the bad guy is taken down or meets their end.

The real challenge is making your movie memorable even with that predictability. Take Rowdy Rathore, for example; it was a blast mainly because Akshay Kumar brought his unique charm to his double role. When that happens, you often overlook the film's weaker moments. So, does Baby John manage to pull off the same trick?

What’s the story behind Baby John?

Varun Dhawan, the main star, finally steps into his first full-on action role with a remake of Vijay’s 2016 Tamil hit, Theri. He’s been eager to dive into this genre for a while now (remember Dishoom from 2016?), but this time he gets a grand introduction as ‘VD’. The plot kicks off with Baby John, who lives in a charming part of Kerala with his little girl, Khushi (Zara Zyanna). He usually steers clear of trouble, but everything changes when a cop calls him ‘Satya’—hinting at a deeper story. Flashback six years, and we meet IPS Satya Varma, a principled guy who’s all about positive vibes. His world shatters when a teenage girl is brutally raped and murdered by the son of a powerful figure, Nanaji (Jackie Shroff). What unfolds next is the crux of the film. I won’t spoil it for you, so if you haven’t seen Theri yet, you’re in for a treat!

The successes and the failures.

The movie kicks off on a pretty rough note, lacking any real vibe for the first 40 minutes. It feels aimless, and the cute girl trying to boss her dad around doesn’t really add anything. Atlee, who previously directed hits like Jawan and Theri, is behind the story here. The hero’s double role seems to be a recurring theme for him, just like with Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan. Oh, and he has a thing for pigeons, using them to create some drama—definitely a repeat from Jawan. There’s also a social message thrown in, but it feels like a jumbled mix.

Things finally pick up when the elevation scene hits just before intermission. Varun, who’s been pretty average up to that point, finally finds his rhythm as Baby John. When he throws a punch, it feels real thanks to the action crafted by Sunil Rodrigues. The background score by Thaman S really amps up the atmosphere after intermission, although the music he composed falls flat.

The second half brings in the much-needed fun. Keep an ear out for Ramsevak/Jackky’s (Rajpal Yadav) hilarious line about comedy—it’s a real crowd-pleaser! Jackie’s performance as the villain is spot on, adding a lot to the film. A strong antagonist is crucial for these kinds of masala films; it wouldn’t be as exciting to watch the hero win if the villain isn’t up to par.

Wamiqa Gabbi plays Tara, Khushi’s teacher, and while she’s fine, her character doesn’t really impact the story. Keerthy Suresh makes her Hindi debut as Meera and does a solid job. She plays Satya’s wife, introduced as a doctor, but her profession kind of disappears as she settles into her ‘perfect life’ with a loving husband, a motherly mother-in-law, and a sweet kid. Those are her words, not mine.

Here’s the last bit.

Baby John doesn’t really have anything special going for it besides the action. It’s okay to watch if you can get past the dull songs and the terrible first half hour. And seriously, can we stop using Salman Khan for a cameo in every single movie? How many times are you going to do this, man?

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