- BOTTOM LINE: An Ordinary And Tacky Thriller
Rating: 5.75/10
| Platform: Zee5 | Genre: Sci-Fi |
What Is the Story About?
A doctor dies under mysterious circumstances, a boy from streets is kidnapped, a politician’s life is under threat, the police is looking for a sharpshooter, and then, there are a journalist and a teacher in all these. How are all these seemingly unrelated incidents connected to a larger plan of action named Pralay? What is it and why it needs to be stopped is what the series is all about?
Performances?
Prateik Babbar is the lead of the show in a traditional sense, although there is another character that can also stake claim to the same. Leaving that aside, he is given all the scope to shine, from romance to action to emotion, but Prateik fails to make that strong impression. He is a serviceable presence at best.
It is not to say that the series doesn’t offer Prateik Babbar much to do, there are enough moments in that regard from the start, but he fails to go beyond the usual by merely going through the motions. He is passable and after a point seems like going through the proceedings mechanically with no real interest.
Analysis
Four films old Soumik Sen has been entrusted with the responsibility of adapting to screen the popular novel Skyfire by Aroon Raman. The book is a page-turner with a proper mixture of thrill and suspense.
Unfortunately, Soumik Sen has failed in capturing the thrilling experience via his visual translation. The visual experience and direction is the biggest casualty of Skyfire. It reduces the impact of the thrilling and suspense elements of the script.
It was a problem we felt and suggested in our early impression. The same continues for the rest of the episodes as well, but direction wise it gets sillier. The execution gets laughably bad progressively. Still, if there are any interest and engagement, it is due to the essential suspense elements on offer.
Coming to the all-important revelation of the suspense, one can guess it by a mile. The exciting part is the suspense moments before the final revelation. Despite all the campiness and silliness, they engage in parts.
Some elements require a grand vision and making. All the sequences involving *spoiler* ‘Harp’, for example, are terrible. They give a tacky vibe. That could be excused keeping in mind the budget constraints, but some of the character behaviour and acting done towards the ending episodes showcases similar tackiness, but here it is the direction that gets the blame. It is done in a rushed manner, and it is so visible on screen with even post-production work left incomplete.
Overall, the basic premise is intriguing, and there are a few suspenseful moments, in parts, but as a whole, Skyfire fails to engage and sustain all the way. It is for series like these the fast-forward option comes handy on the streaming platforms. If you have nothing else on watch-list, watch Skyfire making best use of the option.
Other Artists?
Sonal Chauhan has an undercurrent calm and relaxed expression throughout the series whatever may be the situation. It could be due to the relief that she gets to play a part that is devoid of the usual dumbness and skin show. She is also integral to the narrative, which can’t be said about her movie outings.
Jatin Goswami plays the mandatory superhero cop that is seen in thrillers. He plays it in a formulaic manner reminding all such acts we have seen previously. There is nothing unusual in his action that makes it stand out. But, considering everyone else is on the same page, he gets highlighted at times undoubtedly. Shataf Figar overdoes the smooth and suave white collar criminal part with a high penchant for violence. The kid playing Gopal is alright.
Music and Other Departments?
The theme song by Ravi Singhal playing over the opening credits is neat. The background score provided by Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur is good in parts. The cinematography by Maneesh Chandra Bhatt is below par. It lacks the grand feeling the series so required. The editing by Rajesh G Pandey is fine. It helps the flow of narrative smooth and uniform irrespective of the actual content and happenings on screen. The VFX is bad. The dialogues by Niranjan Iyengar are par for course with few unintentionally funny lines.
Highlights?
Basic Story
Suspense Elements
First Few Episodes
Drawbacks?
The Final Few Episodes
Direction
Tacky Effects
Poor Climax
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes very few parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes but with huge reservations.
Skyfire Series Review by Siddartha Toleti
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