Reviews of Ra.one:
Salon.com Andrew Hehir:
Pick of the week: From dazzling dance numbers to post-"Matrix" action, "RA. One" showcases Bollywood's confidence
A year of relentless hustling, hype and expectations inevitably numb achievements, whatever they are, into the obvious. You wish to figure if this was worth this much fuss.economictimes Gaurav Malani: On the Indian superhero scale, G.One is certainly way ahead of its Krrish counterparts but still miles behind Robot. Nevertheless Ra.One qualifies for a 'one' time watch.
twitchfilm.com J Hurtado: There was a fear that writer/director Anubhav Sinha had bitten off more than he could chew with Ra.One. Sinha is a director with a couple of minor successes and a couple of flops on his record, so taking on a project of this magnitude was a big risk for everyone involved. I'm happy to say that in my eyes, he's succeeded in a grand and captivating way.
baradwajrangan.wordpress.com: As I said, this isn’t a film that embraces tomorrow as much as it celebrates yesterday, and its most remarkable achievement may be that, with one foot tentatively toeing the future and one stuck resolutely in the past, it didn’t end up peeing all over itself.
telegraphindia.com Pratim Gupta:Ra.One is one of those lavish five-star buffet spreads where there’s something for everyone but not everything for someone. The game is risky but the playing too safe. The dream’s not dead but it doesn’t flicker back to life as often as G.One’s H.A.R.T. does.
hollywoodreporter.com Kirk Honeycutt: India’s first attempt at a superhero movie is both vigorous and emotionally fulfilling within the context of Bollywood traditions.
ibnlive.in.com Rajiv Masand: 2.5/5 What's missing from 'Ra.One' is a sure-footed director's touch. Anubhav Sinha fails to bring all the elements together, and while this superhero film has plenty sound and fury, it's sorely lacking slickness. I'm going with two and a half out of five for 'Ra.One'. Like the spaghetti and curds concoction that Shah Rukh digs into in an early scene, 'Ra.One' is clearly an acquired taste.
nytimes.com Rachel Salz: But if the storytelling disappoints (shocking!), the film mostly doesn’t. It relies on action and effects and Bollywood’s trump card, star power, to carry the day. This is Mr. Khan’s movie, and once he sheds Shekhar’s droopy locks, he shines as the deadpan, action-hero robot with digital snot and smooth moves on the dance floor.
Gulfnews - Manjari Saxena:
In all, a fun movie to catch and will definitely run full house during the Diwali weekend – making it a very happy Diwali for Shah Rukh Khan.
bollywoodhungama - Taran Adarsh:4.5/5 It's not merely a great looking film, but also has soul, which is so essential to strike a chord with the avid moviegoer. As for the business prospects, RA.ONE is sure to shatter all previous records and set new ones, in India as well as internationally.
emirates247 - Bindu Suresh Rai: All said and done, Bollywood’s advancement in FX and special effects is a boon for 'Ra.One', which heavily relies on the technical expertise to carry the story forward in the second half.
economictimes.indiatimes.com: 3.5/5 Here's a movie the Hindi film industry can be proud of. "Ra.One" can be touted as the first Hindi film that blends the elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities.
supergoodmovies.com: 3.5/5 The movie is completely made in Indian (Desi) style, made on par with Hollywood standards. If you are expecting something like Transformers or Inception then, the movie is not for you. Go watch it as a common Indian who usually stays away from Hollywood movies.
bollywoodchaska.com: 4/5 RA.ONE is the most ambitious, most expensive and the most technologically complex Hindi film ever made. It pushes the envelope further. It's not merely a film, but an experience, an event. It's a film that will rewrite the textbook of computer graphics in Hindi cinema.
timesofindia - Nikhat Kazmi: 3.5/5
Stardust: 3.5/5 Shah Rukh Khan has done a superb job in the flick in terms of acting and chasing sequences. The film is a visual treat with top notch computer graphics and other use of high- tech gadgetry. The film has raised the bar further for superhero flicks. It is certainly better than anything bollywood has offered so far and is more in consonance with standards of Hollywood.
deccanchronicle Khalid Mohamed: 4/5 Undoubtedly, the extravaganza belongs to Shah Rukh Khan. He’s ultra- high on energy and on infecting the viewer with his distinctive brand of tongue-in-chic chutzpah. Why the four stars? you may cavil. Answer: why not? Here’s a technical accomplishment with as much heart as hardware.
dnaindia.com Aniruddha Guha: 3/5 As Shekhar's wife, Kareena does little than preen at the camera in sexy outfits. Rampal scorches the scene with his screen presence. The kid Armaan, as Shekhar's son Prateik, who learns the importance of siding with the good against evil, is charming despite the awful hairstyle. Which brings us back to the film's best dialogue: "Raavan kabhi marta nahi". So then how can the good one ever be victorious? Oh well, we have the sequel to figure that out.
indiatoday Kaveree Bamzai: 3.5/5 Shah Rukh throws himself about, vaulting up and own buildings, leaping through the air and even landing on his feet with Kareena Kapoor in his arms. In the face of such indefatigable energy, we surrender. Go on, Shah Rukh, give it a rest. In the words of your superhero, you did good.
ibtimes Ralle Shele: Director Anubhav Sinha deserves all the accolades for making such a good film. He brought the best in Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and child artiste Armaan Verma. He did everything right from direction to screenplay to action sequences. Music by Vishal-Shekhar is also cool with songs like 'Chamakchallo', 'Dildara' and 'Raftarein' going down well with the music lovers.
ndtv Saibal Chatterjee: 3/5 As a vendetta saga, RA.One might be right up your alleyway. It delivers more than your money’s worth in terms of pure entertainment. It is impressively shot, technically good enough to pass muster and the hi-jinks drama has the pace to keep tedium at bay. What you see is passable, what you hear is enjoyable, but what you take away is insubstantial.
filmfare.com Rachit Gupta: It’s not very polished but it’s more than acceptable. In fact, had the storytelling been stronger Ra.One could’ve been a classic. Sadly it’s not but it is an enjoyable sci-fi and CGI fiesta that will transport you to a world of kooky fantasy and video game heroes.
AKON
Senegalese-American musician Akon is reportedly recording a song for the soundtrack of the upcoming Bollywood superhero action film Ra.One, starring Shahrukh Khan. It’s rumored that Akon will also make an appearance in the film.
The Grammy-nominated singer will join the ranks of other Western music artists who’ve contributed to Bollywood films in recent years. American rapper Snoop Dogg performed on the title track of Singh is Kinng in 2008 and Australian pop star Kylie Minogue performed a song in Blue in 2009.
In Ra.One, Khan plays a software engineer who becomes a video-game hero and combats a virtual monster he created. Indian actors Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal also star in the film.
