Chak De! India

...it's an immensely satisfying movie experience, I'm going to go with four out of five and two thumbs up for director Shimit Amin's Chak De India. It's got a predictable premise and you know exactly which way the story's going to go, but sometimes, when the characters win over your heart and you're rooting for them to win, that's all that really matters.

Sure, you know what's going to happen, but it's a good ride -- and especially satisfying to see Swiss flower-fields replaced by Australian stadiums. Not to mention the return of the King.

I cannot recall a single dull moment in the film. From the word go, the movie grips you like a vice and keeps you riveted until the end credits roll. During this 'Chak De' ride, you go through myriad emotions. You empathize with the pain of the protagonist, cherish the clashes and camaraderie of the girls, and you are filled with an uplifting, charged-up feeling as you see the underdogs rise to the occasion.

Shah Rukh Khan has moved away from his typical image yet again after Swades. He breathes life into the character and fits the role to a t. It's a treat to watch the Baadshah do something so drastically different, in the process successfully convincing the viewers.

CHAK DE INDIA is a team effort and no one person can take credit, but for commercial purposes alone, it's Shah Rukh Khan who will pull in the audience. As for the women, I suggest they go in groups and bring the house down. This is one film that celebrates women power!!!

Great performances by a bunch of unknowns, a gritty pace and a marvellous restraint make Chakde India an unbridled ode to patriotism without any hysterical chest-beating. And yes, for all you SRK fans and bashers, this time the verdict gotta be unanimous: Chakde Shah Rukh! Can you better this?