Mission Mangal Review (Spoilers)

Even though it was marketed as an Akshay Kumar film it is Vidya Balan who shines in this true story loosely based on ISRO’s launching of a satellite to Mars.

The graphics were great as it looked just like the rocket was flying through space. This just goes to show you that Bollywood is catching up to Hollywood, although some other scenes looked a little fake. I’m referring to the scene where the team of scientists stand next to the rocket as it’s taken to the launch site. It’s worth noting that the scenes of the rocket in space are made entirely on a computer, giving a more realistic look, while the actors couldn’t actually interact with a real rocket resulting in the use of a green screen.

While the movie doesn't fully dive into the actual science behind the Mars Orbiter Mission, the home science demonstrated is simple enough for casual moviegoers to understand. For the science fans hoping this movie will portray rocket science, you'll be disappointed.

The more enjoyable parts of the film are the interactions between the characters. Akshay Kumar's character seems to get all the funniest lines and has a great back and forth with Dalip Tahil's character, a former NASA scientist returning to India to help ISRO. Tahil plays the perfect antagonist for the film as an Indian-American with more experience dismissing all the crazy ideas proposed by the M.O.M. team. Vidya Balan's character is entrusted with all the more delicate and important moments in the story. She comes up with all the ideas that help the mission move forward every time they get stuck. She is also the source of all inspiration in the film and ultimately the matriarch of not just her family but the M.O.M. team.

One problem I had with the movie is the song where they were redecorating the Mars room. Not that I have anything against songs in Bollywood films; in fact, this song worked as a montage to forward through all the preparation for the launch. My main problem with the song is if they have limited time and a tight budget how can they afford to redecorate the room? Also, it robbed the building of its old, rustic feel and, as pointed out by Akshay Kumar's character, its similarity to the planet Mars. Of course, for the scientists to carry out a mission to Mars they would need a proper lab as opposed to an old building with only desks and computers.

Another problem I had is something all true story films are guilty of i.e. the dramatizing of moments in the story. The biggest culprit of this is the storm immediately clearing up as soon as everyone gets in their cars. I see the need for this as it builds up to the highly anticipated launch of the rocket (which you know is bound to happen as it happened in real life and the movie is approaching the end of its runtime). But it's pretty unrealistic.

Mission Mangal is the perfect Independence Day film to promote nationalism and prove that dreams do come true. In addition, Akshay Kumar had said in an interview that the movie serves to make India seem a worthy superpower as Hollywood has done for the USA. I give the movie 7/10.