3 Idiots is a great movie for the first 2 hours, and an okay movie for the last hour. And again a great movie for the last 5 minutes. I shouldn’t be rating movies by the hour, but this is what happens with Hindi movies. How many times have you heard “first half is good, second half is boring” for a Hindi movie? That’s because they cram all the fun in the first half (e.g. fun in Europe, carefree college, meet-cute love story) and then all of the plot in the second half. And the plot isn’t worth a naya paisa.
Of course, 3 Idiots has a different problem– it has a fairly good plot for those great 2 hours, but then adds more and more and more for the last hour. Have we seen a yeh shaadi nahi ho sakti yet? No? Let’s add one. How about extended hospital scenes with doctor sahaab mere bete ko bacha leejiye? No? Add one of those. And then maybe an is ladke se zyaada pyaar tumhe kahi nahi milegaa. Before we get to the actual climax.
But it is a great movie for the most part. Rajkumar Hirani is three for three in my book. The story, told in flashbacks Dil Chahta Hai style, involves three engineering students with different approaches to life. It’s funny, it’s mostly accurate, and it’s fresh.
∞
Aamir Khan is 44. Madhavan is 39. And Sharman Joshi is 30. And they’re all playing college kids. This is ridiculous and has to stop. Leaving your hair messed up and never tucking in your shirt doesn’t make you 18.
Things 
I saw this last night and your review is spot on. In the ensuing discussion with my wife, she noted that they needed some traditional “masala” for the movie to gain traction in local markets along with the international ones, even though it stretched the movie.
Shucks.. now I will have to tuck my shirt right back in and run a brush over my head….
but can I continue using collagen?
You didn’t ponder over the child delivery subplot in the common area… Does it mean you are pandering to the conservative blog readers. I knew redemption was coming for the ‘3’ from Virus, but didnt figure it will involve child birth.. did you ?
on the child deliver sequence, my only complaint was the use of “all is well”. Rancho introduces the mantra in the beginning as something to trick your mind/heart in to feeling better. And then they use it as magic words that actually produce results at the end. It felt forced. And yeah, I didn’t figure that child birth would be the turning point– especially not with a vacuum cleaner and inverter.
Ditto on the review.
Child birth scene was good because of, “Virus ko nikaal.” “Virus, nikal. Virus, chal nikal yahaan se.”
True. if only this worked on really viruses.
I rly lv dat film. Its one of da bst which i ever watched.
Gv me some sunshine, Gv me da rain….
Ooooopphhhhsss….Its so nc.
It is mindblowing film I think. Hearttouching.. coz ..it is also happen to my life in uni..
I feel it again..
‘Give me another chance to Grow up once again’ just made me cry.. thnx to all