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Attack: Part 1

Also known as Attack

1 April 2022Hindi2h 3m
ActionSci-FiThriller
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 8 scored reviews · 4 not rated

John Abraham's physicality shines, but thin writing undercuts the action spectacle.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: action sequences and choreography
  • Criticised: weak derivative screenplay

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Critic consensus

What 12 critics are saying

Critical reception for Attack: Part 1 is mixed, with most scores clustering in the average range. The action sequences and John Abraham's physical performance drew the most consistent praise, with several critics noting the Hollywood-adjacent quality of the choreography. However, the screenplay was a frequent target of criticism, with reviewers pointing to derivative plotting, lazy writing, choppy editing, and underdeveloped characters. Some critics also flagged underwhelming visual effects as a shortcoming, particularly given the film's AI-driven premise.

How the 8 scores spread

4 not-rated reviews aren't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 12 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (12)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review

    We know exactly how things will pan out, no strain on the brain. Everything is straight-forward, no complicated characters, no morally ambiguous situations.

  2. IndiaTvNews

    Film review

    John Abraham's Attack is Bollywood's new-age action entertainer, a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a complete cinematic package. Director Lakshya Raj Anand introduces a new style to the genre that in Hindi films has long been overshadowed by the South Indian cinema-inspired fight sequences. The second half is Attack's stronger suit with fast-paced editing and novel camera angles that breeze through while keeping you on the edge.

  5. Filmfare

    Film review

    The technical finesse is impressive but the story and the screenplay needed to be worked on more. The plot is heavily borrowed from such diverse sources as RoboCop (1987), Die Hard (1988), Universal Soldier (1992) and Olympus Has Fallen (2013). While the action sequences are world class and John Abraham delivers on all fronts, the film suffers from a poorly constructed narrative that makes the situation too easy for the hero.

  6. Rediff

    Film review

    John Abraham is impressive in Attack. Sadly, the story is not. But what lets him down is the story and the visual effects. It's disappointing that the makers have not gone all out when it comes to VFX, as the movie is basically about AI.

  7. Wogma

    Film review

    You are promised an action film; you get an action film. The action is slick, even if a tad monotonous by the end.

  8. KoiMoi

    Film review

    This time he not only acts but even gives the story idea. It is literally every cinemagoer who watches one film and pens an imaginative amateurish story in his/her diary in their adolescent years. But John is decades old in the industry and this is not the standard we expect.

  9. Firstpost

    Film review

    Whatever might be the measures taken by an earlier John Abraham film, there seems to be a renewed bloodlust in Attack, that's actively trying to court the 'masses' of Uri and The Kashmir Files

  10. Hindustan Times

    Film review

    John is often credited for carrying a film on his shoulders, however, with Attack, the actor and debutant director Lakshya Raj Anand took this a bit too seriously, as John, as a 'super soldier' is literally the single man out there, killing all the bad men.

  11. News18

    Film review

    Attack was a huge potential missed with choppy editing and lazy writing. What could have been a suave and sleek action thriller, turned merely into just another film on the block. The film, instead of feeling like a coherent whole, was a patchy journey.

  12. The Hindu

    Film review

    With Action, he aims for level 2... and doesn't disappoint. Taut and fast-paced, the action choreography is closer to the stuff that Hollywood offers and the electric background score provides reason for the adrenaline glands to make their presence felt.

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