Tezz

TEZZ (2012) - April 29, 2012
An enjoyably cheesy and over-the-top Indian action film about a guy who plants a bomb on a passenger train that will explode if the train goes slower than 60 mph, and the cop tasked with taking him down.  It sounds like Speed meets Unstoppable, and that's basically what it is for the first little bit, but then most of the action after the first 40 minutes or so shifts to the cop trying to catch the terrorist (who the cop continually -- and hiliariously -- refers to as the "scoundrel").  There's absolutely nothing subtle here, from the ham-fisted dramatic moments to the over-the-top action, but it's fast-paced and entertaining throughout.  The first hour or so, which sets up the plot and focuses more on the train (and features a couple of tacked-on musical numbers -- a must for a Bollywood film, apparently), is just barely passable.  The second half fares much better, with some genuinely exciting action sequences directed with a slick competence by Priyadarshan (including a parkour-heavy foot-chase that almost plays out like parody, with all kinds of unnecessary flips and acrobatics).  The performances were all fine, though Anil Kapoor was definitely a standout, essentially playing a Jack Bauer-esque badass.  **1/2