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At the outset, I must confess that I didn't find the film as awful as some of the reviews claimed it was. Firstly, Hercules is a myth, a fiction; he is not a historical figure, so questions of accuracy in the events are not of importance. Secondly, Kellan Lutz doesn't have the stunning good looks, alluring tuft of hair and the power beard of Steve Reeves or Reg Park or even Lou Ferrigno, so are we stereotyping Hercules here ? Thirdly, there are complaints of cheap CGI - I didn't find evidence of that except in one sequence near the end where Hercules breaks pillars he was chained to and wields the broken pieces of masonry which seem made of thermocol. Kellan Lutz doesn't continuously display Flashy superhuman strength of Hercules or a muscular physique unnecessarily - in fact both these attributes are superbly understated and implied in the movie. Some of the fight sequences reminded some of Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' - so should the fights have been like Chinese martial arts ? Are we sure there would then be nobody crying out: boy, the fight sequences are lifted straight off a Hong Kong import! . . . Guys, come on, let's give Lutz's Herc a chance !

Right. This one does not start with the typical but oh-so-lovely white ball rolling and the gun-barrel shot. The Bond theme isn't there either. Bond himself is too violent, too crass, too...americanized in his physical action sequences? Where's the suave intelligent British spy? Where's the impeccable Mr Bond that Sean Connery and even Pierce Brosnan made so famous? If you're interested in an action flick without any nostalgic nonsense about James Bond 007, then of course you'd be hard pressed to find anything better. This one's the perfect matinée popcorn action flick for action buffs, no question about it.

This erosion of the aura associated with an icon is becoming more commonplace than we really care for. Think about 'Superman Returns' which evoked gay sentiments by making a Superman with a narrower waist and a thinner underwear than we either were accustomed to or greatly cared for.

Watch Quantum of Solace whose showcase attribute is plentiful action, but which is not a Bond movie in the sense that it shows a man with a British accent named James Bond and working for the MI6, but who evokes no familiarity with the James Bond that we came to love over the decades.

Nice movie. An unsuspecting watcher will catch his breath when he discovers that Rohit (Koi Mil Gaya) is dead, and this one's a story about his son. De-commissioning the successful hero of a film in the sequel takes a lot of courage.

The fight sequences are spectacular. I can't remember when last I saw such polish on the Indian screen. And the movie just craves for a sequel! I'd particularly draw your attention to the brief sequence where Krrish is standing with his father and watching a spaceship slowly arrive. Jadoo making a comeback? Will the next film have Jadoo cure Roshan Sr of his brain-trauma problem and possibly of his age too? These anticipations are delicious. No question about the fact that the first Indian Super-hero is born in the celluloid pages of Krrish Saga.

Coming from the celebrated directorial team of 'Baazigar' (*Shah Rukh Khan) and 'Soldier' (*Bobby Deol), this one merits watching. The plot outline of Barry Levinson's gripping 1994 drama 'Disclosure' (starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore) has been nicely Indianized. There is no question that it is a remake of that Hollywood production, although the latter had a second plot-twist that Aitraaz doesn't provide.

Chances are that majority of the Indian audience may not have seen Disclosure and, therefor, will love Aitraaz. It is again proved conclusively that a good story-line and good storytelling are two absolute essentials in making a good film. Look at 'Ashoka' (starring Shah Rukh Khan). Lush photography, proved story-material, and what happens? Why does it bomb at the box office? Simply because such a gorgeous story wasn't told with consistency and well.

It happens. A proved material may bomb on revision because of uninspired direction (example: Hitchcock's 1960 classic 'Psycho' remade in 1998 by Gus Van Sant). Sometimes the opposite happens: 2001 remake of 1960's 'Ocean's Eleven' actually eclipsed the original.

See Aitraaz. The soundtrack is scintillating. The story is good. The direction is superb. Priyanka Chopra is exceptional. Kareena Kapoor is superb. Akshay Kumar is adequate. You'll like the film.

Paap is an enjoyable romantic thriller, made very well. It is one of the few Hindi films that is very enjoyable, although the musical score is somewhat disappointing. Even if you've seen 'Witness' (starring Harrison Ford) before, the film will engage you. Witness dealt with an Amish community, and this one is set in a small Buddhist community. Remake or not, this is good cinema. We ought to see more of this kind of films rather than the mindless ones churned out regularly from the Hindi film industry.

Some other remakes that are recommended:

1. Dewaange - Akshay Khanna - (after 'Primal Fear' starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton)

2. Aithraz - Akshay Kumar - (after 'Disclosure' starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore)