IB 71 released in theaters nationwide today on May 12. The espionage thriller is directed by filmmaker Sankalp Reddy, best known for National Award-winning 2017 war movie Ghazi. The movie is produced by Vidyut Jammwal and Abbas Sayyed, co-produced by Aditya Shastri. The film revolves around a two-front war between Indian intelligence agencies and the Pakistani establishment. The movie is based on true events and will tell the detailed account of the same. IB 71 is Vidyut Jammwal’s first production. The film features a power-packed ensemble of Vidyut Jammwal, Anupam Kher, and Vishal Jethwa from the Mardaani fame in prominent roles.
Plot:
Dev (Vidyut Jammwal) is introduced as the flawless spy at the start of the film. He has a critical mission and while his face gives away fear, he oozes confidence in front of the enemy, thereby successfully execution missions! However, the information revealed is dangerous – Pakistan is planning an attack in 10 days and something out of the world has to be done to prepare everyone for the war. This can’t be done in such short time, so he and Anupam Kher’s character have to hatch a plan. They do have one, but it is extremely risky. A failure would not just mean over 30 lives being risked, but an impending war and bad image for the nation. Will Dev succeed in yet another critical mission where the stakes are so high? If he does, how will he achieve the feat? That’s the central core of the story.
Performances:
Film’s lead Vidyut Jammwal looks better as an actor than time around after atrocious Khuda Haafiz and Commando series. This seems his best act till date though there is still room for improvement in dialogue delivery which seems flat at times. Anupam Kher is routine has nothing new to offer except promoting film right left and centre on social media and in previews. But the star of the film is Vishal Jethwa who is menacing and effective as he was in hai debug feature Mardaani 2.
Analysis:
Vidyut Jammwal is also producer of the film and here he fails miserably. Poor camerawork, tacky background score and uneven editing pull down the film. Screenplay is too sluggish in first half and though it redeems itself in second half but then some really unintentional funny dialogues add to the misery.
Director Sankalp Reddy has done his job well but writing and technical aspects could had been handled better as he was the captain of the ship.
Verdict:
IB 71 is a decent watch but has little chance in cinemas as it does not offer big screen actions or quality of Akshay Kumar starrer Baby. Poor writing is the biggest shortcoming of the film. It might find some audience when it drops online.
Rating:
Critic’s Rating: 2/5
Box Office Rating: 1.5/5
Stay updated with Movie reviews, ott reviews, latest bollywood movie reviews, box office movie reviews.
