They were optimistic enough to leave the film open for a possible sequel. That one-star rating then is for courage alone.

It attempts to blend social conscience with a revenge-themed plot feels muddled…

The film too is unlikely to appeal to anyone older than 12, or to anyone seeking more than just a straightforward, literal adaptation. I was incredibly bored.

…the film rests largely on the able shoulders of Gulshan Devaiah, who succeeds in making you care for a character that’s not always likeable. Devaiah brings an everyman earnestness to Mandar, which protects him from coming off as a deviant. Too bad the film itself is promising but ultimately disappointing. A film, that in the end, delivers little else but cheap laughs.

It’s derivative and not particularly fun. Hardly the best way to spend two hours on a lazy weekend.

Warrier sets up an interesting premise, but cripples it with a deathly slow pace. ‘Coffee Bloom’ has a silly turning point involving a marauding elephant and a gunshot that make way for a farcical, half-baked investigation. The emotional outbursts between Dev and Anika, and their touching final scene, fare better in holding your interest.

Everything about it feels rehashed and redundant.

In the end, ‘Wild’ proves to be that rare movie about an epic life-changing journey that leaves you impressed by its scale and ambition, but largely unmoved by the person at the heart of it.

The unintentionally funny dialogues aside, it’s unlikely that you’ll be smiling through this misery.

Brimming with smart ideas and powered by the performances of its two principals, it’s a shame this promising film comes undone by the Curse of the Second Half. Watch it though for bravely treading new ground.