Akshay carries a preachy, logic-thin vigilante drama that wears out its welcome.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critical reception for 'Gabbar Is Back' skews negative to mixed, with the majority of reviewers finding the film formulaic, logic-deficient, and heavy-handed in its treatment of corruption. The most consistent praise across reviews is directed at Akshay Kumar, whose screen presence and physical performance are credited as the film's primary saving grace. Common criticisms include a weak, incoherent screenplay, preachy and repetitive dialogue, unconvincing action sequences, and a second half that fails to sustain the energy of the first. Most critics recommended the film only to dedicated Akshay Kumar fans, with several advising general audiences to avoid it.
5 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 34 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
From the clumsy plotting and a manipulative back-story featuring a visibly disinterested Kareena Kapoor, to the been-there-seen-that action scenes and the uninspired score, there's little to recommend in this movie. At best, Akshay Kumar lays on the charm in a few well-timed sequences. But it's too small a reward in exchange for sitting through this boring film. Not surprisingly, your migraine's back too!
Top critic
Film review ·
I've said this several times, but I'm ready to implore again: can Bollywood please, please stop making these tired, tiresome remakes? And let sleeping Gabbars lie?
Top critic
Film review ·
Clearly, nobody put the makers of this film through the paces. They might have then known how to make the best of their limited cinematic resources and craft something less mucky. Watch Gabbar Is Back only if you are a diehard Akshay Kumar fan.
Top critic
Film review ·
Even as an exploitative gimmick, it could have been used more cleverly, but here we have a full-length cinematic equivalent of Bali Brahmbhatt's Gabbar Mix. Using the very name of the most fearsome villain in our cinema should mean something, but here it just gives the filmmakers an excuse to cast a dark-skinned actor as an executioner just so Akshay can tease him (even though he's just an innocent fellow doing his job) with the "Tera kya hoga Kaaliya?" line. Ugh. Stay away from theatres, I'd say. 50-kos away, even.
Top critic
Film review ·
For me, the final straw was Gabbar's last speech, in which he exhorts the youth to stand up against corruption and says that his mission was inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. It hit the sweet spot between outrageous and spectacularly dumb.
Top critic
Film review ·
Akshay Kumar remakes a Telegu version of a Tamil film and it's a disaster. The only ray of light in this rumbling assault of stupidity is that the film is only two hours and ten minutes long, short enough to return home and assuage your grief by browsing Vijaykanth's resplendent clips on YouTube.
Film review ·
...finds the ideal icon in Akshay Kumar to spearhead it's on screen crusade against corruption. The super fit B-town Action Icon is stunning cutting a dashing figure with style, seriousness, populisms and the 'cool' quotient. Lovers of Akshay Kumar and Bollywood masala action khush hoga.. Shabaashi Dega...
Film review ·
Gabbar Is Back knocks the bottom off the action genre with a breathless ode to Swach Bharat. The film may appear louder-than-life to the dainty-hearted. But the tone is unapologetic massy.You can't change the disintegrating social order by being subtle. Miraculously Akshay Kumar does exactly that.
Film review ·
While Gabbar is Back is rife with theatrically orchestrated chaos and carnage, there is a brilliantly devised adduction sequence with hundreds of masked men that's a real treat to watch. Despite the flaws and gimmicks, 'Gabbar is Back' simultaneously entertains and makes us think. Recommended!
Film review ·
...is an action-packed film which has Akshay Kumar doing what he does best. Catch the movie to check out his all new action avatar and also to get an idea about how corruption is rotting various systems in our country, be it the government or the health industry.
Film review ·
With gritty reality, Gabbar has glamour too - Shruti charms with her soft, pretty appeal while a cameo by Kareena adds sheen but doesn't divert. The second half's blood pressure doesn't fully match the first (Patil's insistent 'I am a brand!' gets repetitive while CBI officer Pahwa looks clueless without Sadhuram's 'axellent' work) - but the climax pushes up the adrenaline again.
Film review ·
The filmmaker Krish has tried to bring forth the point that how youth can do wonders if the energy is channelised on the right path. The way and mechanism through which Gabbar stings the corrupt officials, thereby creating a sense of terror among everyone is incredible to watch. The film never loses its momentum—with some power-packed punches and high jumps.
Film review ·
...an average entertainer which will draw huge footfalls over the weekend due to catchy massy title, action drama and the fact that it is releasing on a holiday. Post the weekend, the film will have to rely on 'PWD' (Performance on Week Days) to see it sail through. If you are sick and tired of corruption in India, then, you shall find GABBAR IS BACK inspiring, else you may find it boring and preachy.
Film review ·
In spite of being a remake movie, Gabbar Is Back is the best version ever made. Watch it for Akshay and watch it because it is an entertaining movie that will kick the boredom out of you like how Akshay kicks his villains.
Film review ·
The movie is entertaining, in the sense, that it touches on a very important topic of corruption and how the common man is taken for a ride. This one is even better than the much touted film on the common man, KHATTA MEETHA (2010).
Film review ·
Gabbar Is Back is a full on 'masala' film with a lot of applause worthy scenes. The buck stops at Akshay Kumar.
Film review ·
If you enjoy films which have the good vs evil story with full on action and 'Dhamakedaar' dialogues, this is your film. For Akshay Kumar fans this one is a treat as the weekend watch. I found it entertaining in parts...
Film review ·
This Gabbar is meant strictly for the masala-of-yore fans...
Film review ·
There are more hits than misses that the film sees, however, if you are expecting it to break records like the iconic Hindi film villain 'Gabbar' did, think again. Go for this one for Akshay and the dialogues that he mouths, one of them being, 'System bachchon ke diaper jaisa ho gaya hai…kahin se gila aur kahin se dheela'.
Film review ·
While the director and the actor's hearts are in the right place, it would have served the viewers a lot better if they had paid more attention to the script. Gabbar is Back is strictly for Akshay Kumar fans who can tolerate his chest-thumping jingoism. He's a rebel with a cause and he makes sure that no one forgets it for a second.
Film review ·
'Gabbar Is Back' is not a complete waste of time, it is just a very problematic film.
Film review ·
Akshay Kumar has put sincere efforts in every department be it intense or romantic scenes. But all the elements of screenplay, editing, and storyline put together doesn't really help to drive the point back home. The climax of the film is a yawn and doesn't move you at all.
Film review ·
Watch it if you want to re-see Akshay Kumar's superhuman antics, which he's pretty much mastered by now - Rowdy Rathore, Boss, Khiladi 786, ad nauseam, ad infinitum. It's almost as if that famous dialogue from Sholay's Gabbar, "Ab tera kya hoga Kaaliya,' is directed towards the audience. Gabbar Is Back, and is back in a severely logic-less form. Yet, the film is a one-time watch. Akshay Kumar fans will love it, yes. As for the others, take a well-thought out call.
Film review ·
The only saving grace of this film is Akshay Kumar, who not only looks dishy with a beard, but does try giving a convincing performance in this not at all convincing film. But then he should have chosen better.
Film review ·
Whoever said "it's the thought that matters" clearly didn't have to sit through the 2+ hours of faux vigilantism that is Gabbar is Back. The idea behind it might've been right, but the treatment is all wrong.
Film review ·
This is a low-brow, gimmicky film that capitalizes on one of Hindi film's most iconic villains, and more unforgivably, on the aam junta's frustrations with the system.
Film review ·
The preachy overtones, the conscious sermonizing, silly antics, unbelievable action stunts, confounding logic in the sequence of events and Kumar's staccato dialogue delivery don't allow for much enjoyment here. Standard Stereotypes ,clichés, formulaic elements make it that much more difficult to make sense of. Director Krish and his editor manage to make it slick but the disjointedness and incoherence doesn't stay hidden for long. Watch it only if you are a die-hard Akshay Kumar fan!
Film review ·
Many a film have addressed corruption top to bottom and back to the top. This one hits a sweet spot by including malpractice in the private sector. Along with the bureaucrats, politicians, and law and order . Gabbar is Back takes on the misuse of power held by doctors and hospitals when a near one is unwell. Other than this one plot point the rest of Gabbar Is Back is as run-of-the-mill as it gets.
Film review ·
Director Krish and superstar Akshay's GIB is a hectic, loud film that skids from one episode to another introducing characters — all prefabricated, one-dimensional ones necessary for simulating a vigilante melodrama — and pushing the story to its inevitable end.
Film review ·
This loud movie predictably offers kindergarten representations of Indian corruption, and even the execution is awful. Buildings that resemble Jenga towers collapse in a camera-trembling earthquake, while tired combat scenes show Kumar barely touching his opponents. Don't take your children to this film, lest they watch Sholay later and exclaim that Amjad Khan shamelessly apes the original Gabbar played by Akshay Kumar.
Film review ·
There is no subtlety whatsoever in conveying the message everything is hammered and hammered hard. The background music is ear drum shattering and the dialogues are cringe worthy. Not quite sure which was more embarrassing - Shurti Hassan's character or her acting. Akshay Kumar tries his best to provide a silver lining but the cloud is as dark as a black hole.
Film review ·
This is a super hero film. Like all Bollywood super-star actioners are. The hero is expected to make a dozen men fly and eat dust with one stroke of his arm. That fauladi arm, as you know, belongs to Akki man. This means, as you might have also guessed: The presence of no one else matters on the screen.
Film review ·
Akshay Kumar gives his all to 'Gabbar is back'...Unfortunately Krish damages the reputation that 'Sholay' lend the legend.
Film review ·
In this story's fifth rendition, filming gimmicks and juvenile humour upstage logical writing and character development. The end result is a lackluster and utterly pointless film trying too hard to impress.
Film review ·
...is entertaining all the way. It will bring back the audiences to the cinemas and keep everyone smiling despite its high cost.
Film review ·
...a dated film, both in look and feel, and the cast seems to know it too. They all ham it up like the Bollywood actors of the 1980s. Kumar is required to throw in a few punches, which he manages to do with aplomb, but other than that, doesn't put in much effort.
From our readers
12 ratings · user score 5.1
i dont know why the critics say that its not a good movie. i think its a brilliant work by the whole team of gabbar is back. and i am sure that this is the 1st blockbuster of this year after baby. please give the right review. because this movie is most important for the all peaple.
Gabbar is Back, a film by Director Krish and remake of 2002's A Murugadoss' Tamil Film Ramanna. The iconic character and villain of Sholay - Gabbar's name is being used for the protagonist of this movie. Gabbar is absolutely non-erasable from Indian Cinema. As such, there is no similarity between Amjad Khan's Gabbar and Akshay Kumar's Gabbar. The former one had 'naam aur Kaam villain ka' whereas the later one has 'naam villain ka, kaam hero ka'. The theme of the movie is really relevant. It talks about the corrupt system existing everywhere in our country, be it government officials, builders, hospitals etc. We have seen this theme many times offlate. There was tremendous scope for this movie to be a great one, but the screenplay falters. Lot of punch lines and dialogues are used which at times goes overboard. Also, the songs pop out, which do not add much to the screenplay. In fact, we have seen this Akshay Kumar also in the past who tries to fight the system. Still, one can watch the movie for its theme. None of us can deny that fact that the system needs cleaning from top to bottom and that is what is shown in the movie. All of us can relate to various scenes, corrupt medical system - where a hospital is exploiting the patient's family, government officials demanding money to do every work, builders bribing the officials to get sanction for illegal constructions / or use poor raw materials for construction etc. I completely resonate with a dialogue of the movie: Himmat hai to power nahi, power hai to himmat nahi, and agar power aur himmat hai to corruption hai. So, to clean the system, lot of such Gabbar (s) are required. PWD (Power Wala Danda) is required. Akshay plays the role of Aditya aka Gabbar, who is in a mission to flush out the corruption from the society and he literally eradicates corrupt officials from the society. Initial shots show him surfing and finalizing the list of corrupt Tahsildars and very soon police officials get the information of kidnapping of 10 Tahsildars in and around Mumbai. One of them (the most corrupt one) is hanged with files tied to his body and rest of the nine although return home, don't speak out. Nobody knows the identity of Gabbar, nobody has seen Gabbar. So, Police officials and media keep discussing about how to catch Gabbar. Police officials, media, common people get a CD with Gabbar's voice in it that his mission is to get the corruption out of the system. There is Sadhuram (Sunil Grover), a junior personnel in the Police Department, who had the talent and aspiration to be an Inspector but could not get the much deserving post due to corrupt system. Opposite Akshay, there is Digvijay Patil,a real estate tycoon, who believes that he is a brand in himself. Patil blames Gabbar for the miseries caused to him. Then the fight starts between the two.What is the plan of action of Gabbar? How Sadhu manages to get some clues? Do you get to hear the unforgettable dialogue of Gabbar – Tera kya Hoga Kaaliya?
I could bet this is the nth time a film based on the theme of a common man turning into a city vigilante is made. Although I am not quite sure of the purpose of creating such movies, Gabaar is Back is no different from its previous/similar versions. A good guy who tried to fight with the bad guy ends up almost dead after his pregnant wife is also killed in an unrelated incident. Years later, the good guy, now convalesced and fit and fine, starts an underground vigilante group, hiring fellow students who he thinks has the ability to change the way the bureaucracy works (in India). Plus, a girl who had been roaming around the studio (while the film shooting) for a role was given to play the character of a girl who I have not yet been able to fathom the necessity of. The protagonist constantly repeats "Gabbar is back!" so as to reiterate the fact, which may be to wake up the audience if the ennui had rendered them dead asleep. The plot is straight preachy and deals with giving us superficial pleasure to know that corruption has finally been wiped off the tables. But once you get out of the theater, you may still get anxious that tomorrow you have that police verification for the issue of passport where you will need to grease few hands. Unfortunately, Gabbar is fictitious and will stay that way. If one fails to realize that, the film is a definite 10 on 10. Even a fourth grader could guess who plays the characters I have mentioned above, so I won't go over it. Their performances were fine, and there's nothing much to talk about, except maybe Kumar; he does a better job and the three stars are for him. Shruti Haasan acts like she was handed a textbook and asked simply to read. BOTTOM LINE: Gabbar is Back uses the same old formula where the common man turns into a rebellious smart-Aleck who suddenly has the skills of a martial artist-wrestler crossover and brains of a genius. The only difference is he's trying to eradicate corruption this time; its sequel will deal with attacks on women, and betel-nut- chewing Bhansali tells my sources that "Gabbar will be back after he makes love with his Girlfriend (2034)" will deal with selfie stick abuse and android sex. 3/10 - avoidable. Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Since morning the news that is trending has been the conviction of Salman in the "hit & run" case of 2002. Though it took quite an awful lot of time, the judicial system has once again reaffirmed our faith that no one is above the law & I am glad that justice has been served. Interestingly, I happened to watch Akshay's "Gabbar is Back" last night where an individual tries to rein in the corruption of the system. So was his fight against corruption, worth my time??? The film unfolds with the police being informed that 10 tehsildars across Maharashtra were kidnapped & even before they could unlock the mystery behind it; one of them was executed who incidentally turned out to be the most corrupt among the lot. This was followed by a message from the executioner "Gabbar" who emphasised that this was just the beginning of a series of executions in other similarly corrupt departments. Incidentally, Gabbar was the pseudonym of Professor Aditya (Akshay Kumar) who along with his band of former students had decided to crusade against corruption. So what had prompted Adi to take this step & can the police stop him from committing further executions??? Just like numerous other Bollywood movies, this was the remake of A.R Muragadoss's "Ramanaa" (which happens to be the only Vijayakanth film that I actually liked). Even though I knew the story, I was kinda keen to check it out after all it had Akki & it was also directed by Krish whose "Vedam" I had really enjoyed. Unfortunately, there was nothing much worthwhile in this movie as the whole product looked jaded with no efforts being made to make the proceedings engaging & it was made all the more appalling thanks to Shruti Hassan. So were there any positives in the movie??? Hmm...to be frank, nothing that I could possibly think of . None of the technical aspects, deserves special mention & even the BGM does give you a headache. Well Akki barely had much to do apart from exhibit his martial skills & he did seem to have done a fairly decent job, in a role which offers not much scope for performance. Shruti Hasan was downright pathetic & the way she keeps blabbering about "Google" made me wonder as to how come she never got an ounce of acting talent considering the genes she possesses. She has proved that the proverb "Practise makes a man perfect" isn't true coz it's high time she improved. Sunil Grover of "Comedy Nights" fame impresses while Suman Talwar had to mouth just one dialogue for majority of the time & flare his nostrils. Verdict: The film is unlikely to create any sort of tussle at the boxoffice & will sink without a trace. In short, you can check it out on TV but make sure to skip through the portions of Shruti Hasan or else you might end up spending money to repair the damage that you would do to your television!!! Rating: 1.5/5 Regards...Ben
Credits
Akshay KumarGabbar Singh Rajput
Shruti HaasanDevaki
Suman TalwarBadrinarayana
Sunil GroverConstable Sadhu
Ishita VyasVeena
Prakash RajSuryam
Govind NamdevChief Minister
Kareena Kapoor KhanCameo
Sonu SoodACP Balbir Singh
Nikitin DheerGautam
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