Mission Mangal depicts India’s space odyssey to Mars with Akshay Kumar heading a pack of talented actors. However, is the film an entertaining watch? Let us find out in the Mission Mangal film review at Film Comments.
With Indian Space Research Organization’s previous mission not going as planned, lead scientist Rakesh Dhawan played by Akshay Kumar now finds himself heading the Mars mission. He is only too aware that this is merely an excuse for sidelining him after the recent debacle. However, when colleague Tara Shinde portrayed by Vidya Balan steps in with an ingenious idea, things start to look up for him. Now bolstered, Rakesh Dhawan looks to assemble a team that will put together Mangalyaan that will take India into space. The only hitch is monetary and the fact that many at ISRO do not share his optimism.
Anyway, Rakesh settles for a second-grade team. It is up to Vidya Balan to motivate them to give it all they have. Can these underdogs achieve the improbable against all the odds? Your guess is as good as mine.
With a sufficient amount of humor instilled in the first half of the film, Mission Mangal is fun. It is also a surprisingly breezy watch for the most part.
Acting-wise, Mission Mangal is not a bad effort, particularly from Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan. Also, watch out for an amusing cameo by Sanjay Kapoor. On the flipside, both Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Purab Kohli fail to make an impact as they are squandered away in inconsequential roles. Dalip Tahil as NASA return Rupert Desai is amusing while Vikram Gokhale as the director of ISRO is competent.
The team members comprising of Sharman Joshi, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Kirti Kulhari, Nithya Menen, and H.G. Dattatreya do a decent enough job given the half-baked characters they have to negotiate. Although Sharman Joshi’s Parmeshwar Naidu comes off as the most underdeveloped, none of the other characters are well fleshed out either. They are just stereotypical and do not lend any substantial gravitas to the story.
The only interesting character is that of Tara Shinde. Her family life is hilarious with a hot-tempered husband and a son who has taken to Islam. There is no backstory to Akshay Kumar’s Rakesh Dhawan, and hence, we do not know the reasons for his passionate disposition toward the Mars mission. Even so, Akshay Kumar plays his role effortlessly.
The music by Amit Trivedi and Tanishk Bagchi is overpowering at times and distracts you from the story. The writing is not as impactful given the context, and some of the dialogues are underwhelming. On the plus side, the melodrama does not go overboard as
The chief folly of Mission Mangal is that as you walk out of the theater, there isn’t a single scene that you will take away with you. Humorous dialogue accompanies home science chatter, and this consistently peppers the screenplay to keep you invested. Although, for a film that speaks of such a vast endeavor, Mission Mangal seems oddly uninspiring. It is a lukewarm effort, that although gives you enough reasons to spend a couple of hours at the cinema, falls short as an impactful, thought-provoking, and inspiring film.
Even with a few bright moments in its first half, Mission Mangal lacks the scope and depth to join the top draw science-based films. Go for Mission Mangal if you want to see Akshay Kumar in yet another patriotic movie that is mildly entertaining. Although, do not expect either in-depth science or otherwise meaningful dialogue as well as well-etched out characters. With the little humor it has, one would be tempted to recommend it on that basis.
For its sheer ambition to tell India’s tale of going to Mars and the entertainment value it provides, Mission Mangal is recommendable even if only just.
Mission Mangal film review rates Mission Mangal 
(3 / 5)
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