Maximum Review - In Brief
Two cops battle it out for supremacy while going against the underworld...
Maximum Review - Story Plot
Pratap Pandit (Sonu Sood) is an upcoming star in the Mumbai Police's Encounter Squad, who juggles his family life with the same dedication as he guns down gangsters in order to make Mumbai safe. However, even as he battles the underworld, Pratap has to deal with enemies within the department- in the form of Arun Inaamdar (Naseeruddin Shah), a wily veteran who boasts of a higher encounter rate. Thrown in the mix are unscrupulous builders, power hungry senior police officials and opportunist politicians, who go about making shady deals as the two cops turn the bustling city of Mumbai in their personal battlefield…
Maximum Review - Performances
This reviewer, though a fan of Naseeruddin Shah, was severely disappointed to see the veteran actor in this flick. Shah looks utterly exhausted and disinterested and one would not be blamed for assuming that the actor, known for his excellent acting skills, could not muster up enough enthusiasm for the role. However, having said that, Sonu Sood puts in a decent performance as the encounter cop, who is at the top of his game and later hurtles on a downward spiral as circumstances change for the worse. Sood looks dashing as Pandit-complete with faded jeans, tucked in shirts and a pair of aviator glares and it's not difficult to see him playing a solo hero in Bollywood in the near future. Vinay Pathak as the politician is wasted and so is Neha Dhupia, who hardly gets to do anything substantial. Arya Babbar too looks clueless in the role of a scheming builder though Mohan Agashe does portray the role of a crafty politician quite well.
Maximum Review - Direction
Kaushik, who made an impressive debut with cop drama Sehar, seems to have dropped the ball with his later films and Maximum is no different. Though the concept of two cops struggling for power is quite interesting, Kaushik ruins it mercilessly by muddling up the plot with random instances and unnecessary scenes. Moreover, the reasons behind the bitter rivalry between the two cops, who are shown gunning for each other with a vengeance, is not explored at all. The climax particularly is as unrealistic as it can get! We mean, two cops indulging in back-stabbing is acceptable, but surely the audience cannot be expected to believe that two cop factions would indulge in a 'no hold barred' shootout to slay each other on a railway station (that too in the presence of a news reporter!)
Maximum Review - Music
Except for the item song Aa ante amalapuram featuring Hazel Keech, the music is not really worth remembering and the sight of a plump Keech (whatever happened to the petite Keech we saw in the 'Sprite' ads!?) is enough to ruin the moment too!
Maximum Review - Final Word
Fans of Sonu Sood might enjoy the movie, but apart from that, Maximum really has nothing much to offer…
