Less comedy and more suspense, the film will attract the tech savvy gen-next.

Mickey Virus is an okay film that’s powered by its first half, when it is with Dilli ke bachche who wear funny T-shirts, speak sadak-chaap language, but are accomplished and cool. Varma’s Mickey Virus is the latest in a long line of films set in saddi Dilli. The film’s dialogue writers have very creatively used Dilli ki patent Hindi-Punjabi, and kept it funny and crisp. But for those not in Dilli state of mind, some topline words/phrases require translation:

The problem lies in execution. Mickey Virus tries too hard to straddle the two worlds of cutting edge tech and laid-back teeny Delhi in a Bollywood film. This results in “hacking” that looks as if Andy Warhol designed the VFX.

Mickey Virus is one of those films that have an interesting premise and characters but ultimately, the whole is much smaller than the sum of its parts. It desperately wants to be hip and different but yet it falls in some of those standard Bollywood traps.

…if stripped of all tripe treatment had the scope to be a thoroughly entertaining film but falls short and ends up disappointing the audience.

…the flaw in MICKEY VIRUS; the writing is plain juvenile. In the end, the writer feels the need of explaining each and every scene that preceded the climax. The audience too, is taken to be as daft.

Quite evidently, it is a film made on the premise that the hacker has novelty in Bollywood. It may be, for the technologically-challenged or the IQ-challenged. Without any authentic ring to it, and with artless performances and a predictable story, the last thing I could do, while sitting through its more than 2 hours of running time, was suspend disbelief.

What seemed like a smart script, with quick-witted dialogues, falters at many levels and even starts looking foolish and falling all over itself by the time it reaches the final point. As if a good script has been attacked by a nasty virus. By the end of it, you lose count of the ‘good’ guys and the ‘bad’ guys. And after a point, you simply stop caring.

For the crisp writing, humour and Manish Paul’s antics this one’s worth your time.

The trouble is that writer-director Saurabh Varma makes this story so unnecessarily convoluted and long that by the time we have the great climactic reveal of who did what, we don’t really care. The forgettable songs and synthetic leading lady – Elli Avram – don’t help. Neither does the somewhat forced desi dilli vibe – you know characters going on about siyapa and chand mar deni hai. Or the laughable scenes of hackers with names like Floppy and Chutney congregating.

Mickey Virus isn’t unwatchable, but at 2 hours and 15 minutes, it certainly overstays its welcome, offering little by way of laughs or thrills. I’m going with two out of five. Walking out of the cinema, you’ve forgotten it already.

Mickey Virus will appeal to Manish Paul fans who want to see him in a different role other than a TV show host.

The comic-thriller is fast paced, constantly taking you from one unexpected situation to another. The dialogue is witty, full of repartees and with many smart one-liners that most characters, even the supporting ones get to mouth and display their comic mettle. When the film slips into thriller territory it does remarkably, keeping the dramatic tension intact, gradually building up the tempo to a lively, entertaining climax. To its credit the film’s humour is quirky but not once below the belt.

It’s all fun up to a point, and despite a couple of amateurish edges, the director shows potential.

Despite the many virus attacks that the screenplay faces, Mickey Virus is a passable film.

Mickey Virus is a good entertainer but very very simplistic. Hence, a section of the computer-literate world will not appreciate the over-simplification of the job of a hacker; as for the computer-illiterate audience, the drama, in any case, would be Latin and Greek for them and, so, incomprehensible. Besides, the extremely dull pre-Diwali period will take its toll on the film. Commercially, it will not be able to do much at the box-office.

Mickey Virus is quite a breather from the low IQ comedies we are subjected to on many Fridays. A tauter script, with more humor and a steamier story could have helped this film in rising above being merely a moderate entertainer. Side step your regular expectations, if you at all decide to give this film a shot. For a few laughs, a not-so-dull second half and somewhat interestingly made suspenseful story, Mickey Virus can count as an average, not a must-watch, but if you insist on going to the cinemas, this will be the sheenier one from the lot that released this week. I am going with a 2.5/5. Quasi original and sort of passable, I managed to sit through this one till the end!

Mickey Virus is two films divided by an interval. The first half is a marathon of the now (thankfully) defunct TV show Dil Mil Gaye and the second is a suave, well-scripted suspense.

If you have time to spare and the strength to tolerate the first half of the film, book your tickets now.

MICKEY VIRUS is a well-made, engrossing thriller that should be liked by the youngsters.

Varma allows his characters to flourish in wit and humour. The plot is intelligent; there are laughs (sample: a tee printed – ‘Jab Tak Hai Trojan’), some suspense and surprises too. Though direction is not error-free, it could’ve been more innovative and he often tips the balance between comedy and thriller. This virus won’t crash your system. Watch it!