magadalwarmayur

I wanted to like this. Hell, I needed to like this. A new Superman, a new DCU-this was supposed to be the clean slate. Instead, what we got is a bloated, confused, and emotionally hollow film that tries to do everything and ends up doing nothing well.

James Gunn clearly has a vision. The problem? This movie is more about the future of the DCU than the heart of Superman. It's a Frankenstein's monster of comic book cameos, shoehorned modern-day commentary, and half-hearted emotional beats that never stick. You can feel Gunn's fingerprints all over it-but instead of a clear voice, we get noise.

David Corenswet? He's fine. But he's not given room to breathe. Superman barely has an arc, let alone a soul. The movie is too busy rushing to tease Authority, wink at Supergirl, and throw Lex Luthor into the mix-all without earning it.

Even the "modern themes" the film tries to explore-identity, alienation, politics-are handled like checklist items. Nothing lands. Nothing sticks. Nothing feels earned. It's all so scattered, so smugly self-aware, it forgets to tell a good story.

This wasn't a Superman movie. This was a corporate presentation in a cape.

> "Hope, truth, and justice" deserve better than a marketing strategy wrapped in CGI.

I didn't walk out inspired. I walked out frustrated. Not because it was terrible, but because it had every chance to soar and instead fell flat trying to juggle too many things at once.

They didn't build a DCU-they buried Superman under it.

Deep Cover (2025) is hands-down the funniest film I've seen since 21 Jump Street. Don't go in expecting bullets flying every five seconds - this isn't an action movie with jokes. It's a comedy with an undercover plot, and it milks that premise for everything it's worth.

The genius of the film lies in how it treats the "deep cover" setup not as a thriller, but as a playground for absurdity. The characters are fully committed to their ridiculous circumstances, and the writing leans into that with sharp wit, deadpan delivery, and some scenes that'll have you pausing just to laugh.

What really works is the chemistry between the leads - they're not just funny individually, but bounce off each other like seasoned improv pros. The plot might be silly, but it never feels dumb. In fact, it's smartly layered with satire, poking fun at everything from law enforcement clichés to influencer culture (without feeling forced or preachy).

It's refreshing to see a comedy that doesn't rely on action to keep your attention, but instead trusts its characters and premise to carry the laughs. And it works - scene after scene, I found myself genuinely entertained, sometimes laughing harder than I did at The Nice Guys or Spy.

What Fails

Rogue Soldier Trope: The biggest letdown is how the film abandons military realism and indulges in the tired "lone wolf hero breaks protocol" storyline. In reality, such actions would lead to court-martial, not praise.

Fiction Over Fact: The real Ghazi Baba operation was a meticulously coordinated effort by Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, not a spontaneous raid by a BSF officer. The film erases this truth.

Surface-Level Supporting Cast: Characters around Hashmi feel underwritten - the intelligence officers, his unit, and even Ghazi Baba himself lack complexity.

Emotional Payoff Falls Flat: The final act tries hard to deliver an emotional punch, but it feels unearned due to the forced dramatization.

---

What Works

Emraan Hashmi's Performance: Hashmi delivers a committed, controlled performance as a tormented soldier torn between duty and conscience. His portrayal adds much-needed emotional depth.

Visual Authenticity: The film captures the Kashmir setting with realism - snowy landscapes, tense urban encounters, and gritty street visuals.

Tension in First Half: The build-up is gripping, especially as we see the procedural maze and mounting frustration of the protagonist.

Missed Opportunity

This story deserved a procedural thriller that celebrated the real-life coordination, patience, and intelligence work that went into neutralizing Ghazi Baba. Instead, it becomes another film about one man taking on the system - a trope that does disservice to those who actually risked their lives with discipline, not disobedience.

--- Verdict

Ground Zero wastes a compelling real-world mission by reducing it to a personal vendetta fantasy. While Emraan Hashmi gives it his all, the film ultimately sacrifices realism for drama, undermining the professionalism of India's security forces.

A gritty setting, solid lead performance - but buried beneath layers of fiction and misplaced heroism.