'Family Pack' review: Good plot on paper, middling execution otherwise
What's the story
Family Pack starring Likith Shetty and Amrutha Iyengar in principal roles amid a galaxy of other stars released on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday. It's about a young man taking the help of a ghost to tide over his problems. Though it's a novel storyline, director Arjun Kumar S doesn't score brownie points all the way, owing to the convoluted execution. Here's our review.
Story
Here's what the film is all about
Fed up with his parents, a young medico Abhinandan alias Abhi (Shetty) moves to a new house, which is haunted. There is a ghost (Rangayana Raghu) but he isn't scary at all and even helps Abhi woo the girl of his dreams (Iyengar's Bhoomika) besides rendering other help. What happens when their lives spill on to each other forms the rest of the plot.
Performances
Actors' work goes in vain due to poor characterization
Shetty and Raghu are bang on with their chemistry. Although it mostly works, it seems overdone at times. Nevertheless, it is a pity that their earnest efforts to lift the film did not really pay off because of the poor characterization by the director. Solid performances by Sadhu Kokila, Sharmitha Gowda, and Shruthi Ramesh have also gone to waste due to the screenplay treatment.
Pluses
The twist involving ghost is a nice touch
The cinematography by Shreesha Kuduvalli and Uday Leela aptly fits the environment of a supposed light-hearted entertainer as the makers intended it to be. Gurukiran's music is funky and goes along with the film's mood. Dialogues are organic, the sort that can be seen right in our homes. The twist involving the ghost works and the film earns half a star just for that.
Minuses
There's hardly any humor in the 'comedy-drama'
The comedy works only at a few places while most of it is juvenile and the VFX is tacky. Iyengar is energetic but does not have much to do other than just look pretty and pout. Had these elements been better worked upon, the engagement factor could've been taken a notch higher and the film wouldn't have been the tiring watch that it is.
Verdict
What could have made a difference?
While the director could be lauded for taking up a subject that is not the run-of-the-mill kind, he should have worked more on making the screenplay tighter. There are too many loose ends and the movie as such does not hold your attention beyond a point. Verdict: Family Pack bags 1.5 stars out of 5 for the poor execution of an otherwise novel plot.