• Suprateek Chatterjee
    Suprateek Chatterjee
    HuffingtonPost

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    By the time the climax showed up, featuring a not-so-subtle nod to Titanic, the film’s lapses in logic, bad performances, and simplistic understanding of world politics had left me in a stupor. I never thought I’d say this, but it almost made me want to re-watch Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

    Almost.

  • “Phantom” is a run-of-the-mill action thriller that fails to take its rather clever idea and make it rise higher. Instead, like a Phantom, it disappears into thin air.

  • Rachit Gupta
    Rachit Gupta
    Filmfare

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    Phantom is slightly lacking in cinematic intelligence and guile. Especially when you consider Kabir Khan’s last offering Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The film’s sense of patriotism is kiddish and it tries a little too hard to make a hero out of its protagonist. Even then, it does enough to entertain you and keep you hooked. It would make a decent Sunday watch if not taken too seriously.

  • Considering how Phantom cheerfully borrows from real life and makes no bones about ISI being in cahoots with Lashkar-e-Taiba, it isn’t surprising that the film isn’t being shown in Pakistan. However, considering just how much of a bore Phantom is, for once the Pakistani courts may just have done our neighbours a favour.

  • Gayatri Gauri
    Gayatri Gauri
    Firstpost

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    If you’re in Mumbai, go down to Colaba and take a walk alongside the Taj Mahal Hotel. Watch the tourists and remember for a moment the images of the hotel’s distinctive dome with plumes of black smoke winding out of it. It’ll be more poignant than 147 minutes of Phantom.

  • Sweta Vinod
    Sweta Vinod
    BookMyShow

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    Phantom offers action and revenge but not of the mindless variety. The violence is always far enough that you can turn a blind eye to it. Pakistani civilians are shown to be innocent and humane (some great performances here), even if the establishment is not. This is a film that entertains, engages and offers “insaaf”, without ever becoming too serious or too sentimental.

  • Anuj Kumar
    Anuj Kumar
    The Hindu

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    On the surface the way Kabir and his writers build up the narrative is dull and tedious and with no humour to spice up the mood, the spy games fail to spur the imagination. I laughed only when Katrina was introduced as Nawaz. Unfortunately, the name fails to rub on her and she remains as detached from the character as she has been all these years. Saif seems to think that he is doing the sequel of Agent Vinod with a more simplistic script and less budget for costumes.

  • The plodding pace, choppy editing and amateurish exposition are relieved by slick action sequences, suitably dressed-up foreign locations (including Beirut) and convincing production design. Every effort has been made to make sure that this delusion of vengeance looks as close to the real thing as possible, right down to the actors who play Headley and Hafiz Saeed. This is art imitating a fantasy about life, made with the hope that life will eventually catch up with art.