It leaves a smile on the face. And you do feel a swell of pride as the ‘yaan’ comes into view and settles successfully in orbit. Despite the over-arching presence of the latter-day Mr India, ‘sab mangal hai’.

All films to do with science invariably have to dumb things down — films about rocket-science doubly so — but here things are regretfully oversimplified. So while there are times Mission Mangal plays out pleasantly enough as a cheesy entertainer with a message, complete with a caricaturish villain in Dalip Tahil with an unholy accent, there are other times everything feels like too much of a stretch — even the runtime.

It’s hard to make intelligence look entertaining. But it’s harder to make intelligence look stupid. And yet, this is exactly what Mission Mangal manages to do

Despite its creative shortcomings, director Jagan Shakti makes the film evoke patriotic fervor in the audience. Truth be told, in the climax, one can’t help but be filled with wonder and pride when the satellite swings into sight!

And yes, given that the film doffs a hat to the true-life heroes who accomplished the impossible feat, one hopes that the film’s collections at the box-office are ‘Mangal’ too.

‘Mission Mangal’ is well worth your time. It is educational, but entertaining. Positive without preachy. And family friendly in a genuine way.

Decent, righteous, progressive, the men are eager to play second fiddle whereas the women don’t cry their feminism hoarse.

It’s an impeccable if calculated scenario whose love for speeches, including one from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its end, reminds us Earth might be a foregone conclusion but we’ll always have Mars.  

This isn’t Mission Magnificent. But it isn’t Mission Mangled either. Mission Mangal is watchable, if not always exhilarating, if you can get over its excesses.

Under the vision of creative director R Balki and an average execution by filmmaker Jagan Shakti, ‘Mission Mangal’ makes good with its emotional highs and drama.

For all its flaws, “Mission Mangal” is an uplifting film. The film’s enthusiasm about its subject and its ability to make you care about its characters help even out the bumps in its path.

It is an inspirational tale, but not a masterpiece. Watch it for Vidya and Akshay’s patches of brilliance.

Despite its flaws of excessive sermons and some crucial characters like Taapsee and Kirti not fleshed out completely, Mission Mangal makes for an entertaining Independence Day watch. The flight might face some turbulence but it lands well.

…the movie depicts a mission showcasing an achievement with a very predictable storyline. It fails to hold on to what was important for the script, instead includes irrelevant sub-plots dragging the narrative.

MISSION MANGAL is engaging and entertaining while being patriotic in its feel. At the box office, it will be accepted whole heartedly by the audiences and has the potential to emerge as Akshay Kumar’s highest grosser ever!

On the technical front, the CGI left much to be desired and so did the production design. The cinematography and editing were decent enough though. All-in-all, watch the film to savour a path-breaking milestone in India’s space exploration history, never mind the scientific inaccuracies…

Most movies suffer from what’s called the ‘curse of the second half’. Mission Mangal is a rare one that reverses that principle. It gets much better towards the end!

‘Mission Mangal’ had a promising premise but it’s oversimplification robs the viewer of the authenticity and complexity of a sophisticated operation.

India should be proud of this inspiring film, just like it is of Mangalyaan

The cast overall remains a big draw in a film that somehow becomes mediocre somewhere down its runtime, despite its subject. ‘Mission Mangal’ ends up an ordinary film about an extraordinary feat. 

A motivational patriotic movie, what else can one ask for on this Independence Day. Go for the sheer content and the lead characters who play out their personalities brilliantly.

Mission Mangal has a lot going for it especially in terms of narrative, dialogues and performances. It captures the spirit of scientists in a relatable light-hearted manner

Mission Mangal consistently champions scientists and science. Yet, by linking the team’s breakthroughs to puris and pillowcases and stray comments by family members, and by explaining everything in layman’s terms, it diminishes the complexity of their achievements.

Releasing on the day ISRO completes a half-century, Mission Mangal seems a timely tribute to the unsung heroes who don’t wear a cape. But for a film that documents a singularly inspiring story, the writing doesn’t manage to conjure the thrill surrounding this epic achievement.

With the nation’s conscience keeper Akshay Kumar at the helm and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech featured in a special appearance, the idea behind Mission Mangal quite clearly is to ignite our supposedly latent nationalism.

‘Mission Mangal’ is an out-of-this-world cinematic experience, but there’s a good chance that you will pivot around the women’s skills in this film.

Seriously a ‘dramatic representation’ of India’s Mangalyaan…Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan starrer Mission Mangal tells an untold story, however, it holds attention intermittently.

As ISRO completes a half century today (August 15), despite its set of flaws, ‘Mission Mangal’ turns out to be a heartfelt tribute to our space heroes who give us many reasons to be proud of our country. Copy that!

A space opera with a little bit of science…