Top critic
IBNLive
Film review ·
Tezz has many of the ingredients for an engaging, fast-paced thriller. What it needed was a director to assemble its parts and make them work. Alas, Priyadarshan is content with merely filming.


Slick action can't hide its Speed-lite DNA or Priyadarshan's grip on tension.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Tezz is mixed to negative, with most reviewers acknowledging its Hollywood-style action sequences and fast pace as the film's primary strengths. Several critics praised the chase sequences, cinematography, and the performances of Ajay Devgn and Anil Kapoor. However, a recurring criticism is that the film is a derivative, thinly veiled copy of the 1994 Hollywood thriller Speed, and director Priyadarshan is widely faulted for failing to sustain tension, with detractors citing weak drama, poor emotional connect, and an uneven pace that undermines the thriller format.
2 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 10 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Tezz has many of the ingredients for an engaging, fast-paced thriller. What it needed was a director to assemble its parts and make them work. Alas, Priyadarshan is content with merely filming.
Top critic
Film review ·
Upon watching 'Tezz', a dull and derivative film which is a mash-up of 'Speed' and a few assorted thrillers based on speeding objects meeting unmovable body parts,Kapoor is the cop who is put in charge of finding the bomber, and the bomb. He also tackles racist colleagues, and angry wives, and plays second fiddle to the main act. A fellow cop asks him : who do you think you are, Dirty Harry?Dream on.
Film review ·
On the whole, TEZZ is a taut, entertaining action spectacle. Those with an appetite for well-made thrillers should lap it up!
Film review ·
In conclusion Tezz is nothing new for western audiences, who will have seen a raft of similar films from Hollywood, but from a Bollywood perspective this will come as fresh and thrilling. It is a breezy entertainer, which is fine for a 'one off' watch and lives up to it's title of a fast, roller coaster ride.
Film review ·
There's a bit of the Keanu Reeves starrer SPEED and the Bruce Willis starrer DIE HARD in TEZZ. The three star rating is purely for the gripping, Hollywood-like action.
Film review ·
Despite slick action and stunning scenes - bullets ramming underwater into a sunlit stream, a violet flower-bush before a cop-car - Tezz loses speed often. Here's possibly why - director Priyadarshan's oeuvre is putting characters in desperate situations and watching them respond. It works beautifully in comedies - but Tezz needs relentless pushing, not frequent stops pondering over the unfairness of citizenship. You can't run fast carrying heavy baggage - that's why Tezz huffs and puffs a little too much.
Film review ·
In truth, the film is full of Hollywood-style car chases amidst a long-running game of cat and mouse between Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgn. Tezz is fast and lives up to its title, but it is also its title that gives away its source -- Jan de Bont's 1994 thriller Speed. That was an excellent film and though Tezz may not be as good as that, it doesn't make too many demands on your time. And that's not such a bad thing at all.
Film review ·
May be Priyadarshan should stick to mindless comedies, so we can be sure we're in safe territory. You won't be missing much if you skipped Tezz.
Film review ·
What's Good: Ajay Devgan and Anil Kapoor's performances; a few action sequences.What's Bad: The ineffective drama in the first half; the lack of emotional connect between the characters in the film; the below-average visual effects.Verdict: Tezz is an average entertainer at best.Loo break: A couple, especially in the climax.Watch or Not?: Watch if you want to see an Indian copy of many Hollywood train-bombing films.
Film review ·
From the trailers, it was pretty easy to guess that the film would be an action-packed adrenaline-punched one, and it has not let viewers down even a bit. An amalgam of thrilling moments and feverish pace, 'Tezz' doesn't disappoint the average action-loving moviegoer.Deficiencies apart, the chase sequences in the film are brilliantly shot, and the cinematographer deserves a round of standing ovation. The abundance of thrilling moments keeps the viewer taut all through the film. Watch 'Tezz' for action, energy, and adrenaline!
From our readers
1 rating · user score 3.0
IPL season is half through & with the viewership dwindling as opposed to yester years, Bollywood would love to make hay when the sun shines. So this weekend we have the maestro of comedies or more appropriately remake ustad, Priyadarshan coming up with a thriller "Tezz" for a change. So will it have takers or will it be yet another uninspiring ripoff??? Since the past many years, foreign locales has been the haven of Bollywood mainly to impart a classy feel to it & also to escape from hefty taxes imposed by different corporations. So within a fortnight, we have got yet another film based in London which maintains a stringent policy against terrorists especially after the tragic bombings of 2005. Priyan makes use of this subject for weaving the plot of his latest venture. Aakash Rana (Ajay Devgn) was an engineer working in London who gets his wedding annulled & gets deported to India for illegal immigration status. Now four years has passed & he is back in London to unleash his vengeance by planting a bomb on the London-Glasgow Express. So can the Anti Terrorist Officer, Arjun Khanna (Anil Kapoor) save the day or will Aakash have the last laugh??? Frankly speaking, Priyan has gone bonkers to have filmed based on such an illogical screenplay but even then if he had atleast paid attention to the execution he could have salvaged some pride after all as always this is a poor rip of the Japanese film "The Bullet Train" with liberal inspirations from "Speed". Instead of wasting money on the wardrobe, if he had invested some of the hard cash on the visual effects which seemed totally amateurish it would have made for more of an enjoyable watch. However, it does have a couple of bright spots like the bike chase involving Sameera Reddy & the parkour sequence of Zayed Khan. As for other aspects, except for Thiru's visuals the others didnt have much to sing praises about. There's a limit to how much an actor can bring to the plate especially if he doesnt have the backing of a decent script & that is what pretty much happened to Ajay Devgn. There is no doubt regarding his caliber to enact intense scenes but here it was neither required nor provided him opportunity. It was refreshing to see Anil Kapoor do something different than slap stick comedy while Boman Irani has done complete justice to his role. One of the best actors in the country, Mohanlal is reduced to a glorified guest appearance..the significance of which I still cant fathom. Verdict: "Tezz" will struggle to get a decent opening as it wasnt able to inspire any kind of anticipation in its promos. Add to that, crappy screenplay & childish visual effects..the film is doomed for sure. In short, you may as well fast forward to the two chase sequences & leave the rest to imagination!!! Rating: 1.75/5 Regards...Ben
Credits
Ajay DevgnAakash Rana
Kangana RanautNikita Malhotra
Anil KapoorArjun Khanna
Zayed KhanAadil Khan
Sameera ReddyMegha
Boman IraniSanjay Raina
MohanlalInspector Shivan Menon
Neeraj Vora
Lee Nicholas HarrisArmed Police Officer SO19
Bhavna PaniRadhika
Philip Martin BrownPolice Chief Inspector Alan Fisher
Dominic PowerJojo
Avika GorPiya Raina
Jing Lusi
Jamie Maclachlan
Sagar AryaVikas
Mallika SherawatDesi Club Dancer Laila (Item number in song LailaHindi films like Tezz