Mickey Virus

I enjoyed the movie. The young hacker was well played by the newcomer Manish. And the two other major characters , the police ACP and his side kick Valla, was played quite believably by the actors. There are some welcome twists. Kamyani was played with delectable visuals by Elli avram. Her entry point as the cartoon character Kung fu chameli was stunning in an yellow sari. The rapid progression to love seemed forced but the focus of the screenplay was on the other issue. The laid back but shrewd character of young hacker was portrayed well. Shades of Noir thriller comes into the fore towards the end. Some amount fun is there in the interplay between the lead characters. Well worth a watch in an evening.

Bollywood finally welcomes a caper comedy which samples the much-awaited "hacking" element. Only, the film, with a let-down plot, overstays and gives an impression that it did got infected by the Trojan... the Bollywood Trojan!

The mumbo-jumbo is fantastic for a commoner, but if you are a computer-freak and know a thing or two about hacking and stuff, you are in for utter disappointment. Why? Because the samples, borrowed from various sources (other films, quotes, books, memes, usual parlance, etc.) lack plausibility. The degree of technicality is a gimmick: the film showcases the fictionalized material of computers, hacking & cryptography.

The plot is ludicrous, mind you! The makers/writers have taken a predictable heist plot and juxtaposed it with teeny Delhi & the computer fundamentals. Cast is fine, where Varun Badola stands out. Elli Avram should munch on probably the first & the last film of her career.

Music & songs are good. And the B'wood Trojan I was talking about is the climax sequence, which happens in a type of garage (remember the tons of movies that end at a derelict garage/warehouse?) where the characters narrate what happened so that the viewers can make sense of the plot; wonderful! And you will ask where the hell was the virus involved? You mean the Mickey Virus? Oh, please!

Finally, the witty lines, generous humor, Dilliwalli language, 2 plot twists and the sex quotient of the newbie makes me rate it average.

BOTTOM LINE: In an attempt to create a breakthrough, Mickey Virus gets infected halfway. Yet, for the heck of it, Mickey Virus is a calm/mindless watch on a Sunday afternoon. Of course, you could wait for the rentals. Faintly recommended!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Profanity: Very Mild | Nudity/Sex/Vulgarity: No | Mouth-Kiss/Foreplay: Very Mild | Alcohol/Smoking/Drugs: No | Violence/Gore: Mediocre

Mickey Virus is not a great film by any stretch of imagination but the creators of this film have my respect for trying out something new and unique. The majority of the film is quite enjoyable, but I didn't like how they handled the climax. I have no issues with the inaccurate depiction of hacking as such because it's understandable that the idea is to entertain the viewers and not to turn their experience into a college lecture.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. This movie has a fresh subject at it's core; the world of hackers. We do have heroes and villains, but it's not the usual story.

2. The movie takes you by surprise at multiple points with it's twists and reveals. I did not expect to see any deaths in the film, let alone the death of a key character half way through the film.

3. Manish Paul's comic timing is pretty good. Manish has done quite well in the past as a television host and this role almost felt like an extension of what he usually does. The expressions on Manish's face and his body language were extremely natural and never felt like he was forcing himself to act.

4. Elli Evrram or Elisabeth Emily Granlund Avramidou looked stunningly beautiful in the film. It's easy to see why she was finalized for this film but the thing to note is that she never came across as an expressionless beauty, this girl can actually act. I wish they hadn't dubbed her voice though, because the voice just didn't suit her and reduced the impact of her dialogues. Viewers can see that she is a foreigner, so why would it be a problem if she spoke with an accent? It's quite surprising to see that an actress who is not from India but can speak better Hindi than Katrina Kaif and Jacqueline Fernandez, looks absolutely gorgeous and is actually capable of acting, is still struggling for work despite being an active part of the Indian Film Industry for the last ten years.

5. The supporting actors are quite good. Manish Chaudhari's command over his craft reflects in every single dialogue of his; he is extremely grounded in his role of Siddhant. Varun Badola, the criminally underrated and underutilized actor is flawless as Inspector Bhalla. Among the friends of Mickey, Puja Gupta was quite charming as Chutney.

WHAT'S NOT GOOD :

1. The movie deserved a better climax than all major characters just standing in one location and reading lines from a teleprompter.

2. At one point, Manish Paul informs Varun Badola that he has reached quite deep inside the website of 'Bhram Gang', so how is it possible that he never bothered to check out the administrators of the website? That was a plot hole the writers conveniently ignored.

Micky Virus comes across as a light hearted entertainer that turns into an interesting thriller later on, but one can't deny that it's not a very polished product. It's definitely watchable, but keep your expectations on the lower side.

Overall it's a good movie. The script was strong too but didn't like the making of the climax. An above average performance from the lead Manish Paul.

When the trailer of Mickey Virus was unleashed on the internet, everybody started comparing the movie with critically acclaimed Vicky Donor(probably both the films were Delhi based and title sounded same). However, if Vicky Donor was heaven then Mickey is a ride through hell.

Delhi Cops are on the verge of cracking a case which involves high intensity of hacking for which they seek help of young-clad, computer geek Mickey. As they start solving the case, series of events unleashes new mystery involving lots of twist and turns.

First time director Saurabh Verma chooses the script which promises to deliver an intellectual-comic thriller but believe me neither there is any story nor any direction. The plot is confusing as is the screenplay. First half is monotonous and perfunctory. Chemistry between Manish Paul and Ellie Avaram is half baked. Things turns bit interesting after the murder but loses the steam with a blink of eye. Cinematography is okay. Art direction is fine. Editing is loose. Dialogues are over-the-top. Music is disappointing. Manish Paul shows some potential as Mickey Virus but needs to improve on his expression. Ellie looks gorgeous but has long way to go in terms of acting. Varun Badola steals the thunder and is the only silver lining in the film.

Overall, all the hype-hoolah surrounding film is drowned by a wafer thin plot. Neither comical nor thriller.Poor 1/5