Director/Writer - Deeno Dennis

Starring – Mammootty, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Divya Pillai, Sidharth Bharathan, Iswarya Menon, Shine Tom Chacko

Length – 151 Minutes

Score - 2

Bazooka, directed by Deeno Dennis, is like ordering a fancy heist-thriller and getting a weird mix of action, long speeches, and a lot of 'wait, what just happened?' It aims to be a slick, high-concept action flick set in the gaming and cyber-crime scene, but it feels more like someone tried to connect an Xbox controller to a typewriter. There's definitely some ambition here, but it's buried under a messy plot, mixed tones, and the lingering thought: was this whole movie just a side quest?

The tale begins in Kochi, where ACP Benjamin Joshua (played by Gautham Vasudev Menon, who speaks Malayalam like a human version of Google Translate) faces a new enigmatic threat — a master gamer who treats the city as his chessboard, executing carefully orchestrated heists while taunting the police with hints of crimes yet to happen. Struggling to keep pace, the police seek help from a wildcard: Mammootty’s John Caesar, a long-haired ex-forensic whiz who exudes intensity like a leather jacket and only shows up after the film has already meandered through a bunch of unnecessary plot twists.

Mammootty still commands the screen like he always does, but for most of the movie, he’s mostly just frowning and throwing around strategic metaphors. It’s not until the last half hour that 'Bazooka' begins to pick up and show the potential of being a smart, slick thriller. Sadly, by that point, we’ve already wasted almost two hours on confusing action scenes, unnecessary side plots, and characters that feel as shallow as video game avatars made just before a LAN party.

The main problem with 'Bazooka' is how it was done. The heists are pretty dull, the pacing is all over the place, and the stylish touches often feel out of place. There's a scene with a shootout at a roadside dhaba that comes off more like a joke than an action scene, with ridiculous blocking and confusing choices. Plus, the soundtrack — though it has its catchy moments — jumps from overly dramatic scores to that vibe you get when you search for 'epic beats' on YouTube.

The casting is a bit of a mixed bag. Mammootty brings some seriousness to his role, but Gautham Vasudev Menon seems like he stepped in from a completely different movie. His way of delivering lines, particularly in Malayalam, is off-putting — and it's pretty odd that the film has him voicing the anti-smoking disclaimer, which could be the weirdest choice in a movie that's already packed with odd choices.

The idea of mixing gaming elements with real-life heists is pretty cool, but the movie doesn't really explore it. Instead of creating a smart, layered thriller, 'Bazooka' feels like a messy mix of recycled concepts and half-baked surprises. It's more of a digital jumble than a groundbreaking experience.

Ultimately, 'Bazooka' is a film that seems stylish in the trailer and sounds thrilling in theory, but it ultimately falls short of its lofty goals. While Mammootty fans might enjoy the last part, many viewers will find it a movie that ends up losing its spark way too soon.

Read Also: The Bourne Identity Review: A Brainy Spy Thriller That Fizzles Out

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