Excellent, a Must See

Absolutely brilliant

A Major Disappointment

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Surprisingly, it's become one of my favorites. Yes, it's really quite uneven and over-the-top in places but it has this very human core and philosophy that won me over... I cried quite a bit. Ram Jaane is not afraid of death... at all. And that's why he evokes so much pity.I thought Shahrukh really shined in this one. I too thought at first that he was overacting, but really, it's the character. He's supposed to be like this... Quite unhinged... a bit loud, a bit over-the-top and all over the place. But also carefree, simple, lovable, soft and smiling. And why not? Why always think in stereotypes based on Hollywood films that such a character should be more restrained and cool? I thought SRK created a really unique and memorable character. As he always does. All his "baddies" are different. Watch "Josh" for the "cool" one.Ram Jaane is a whole other story... SRK was plain brilliant in some scenes... many scenes. For example, the one where he learns that Bela loves Murli and not him, and asks Bela what it is that Murli has and he doesn't, and turns away hiding tears.Juhi is very beautiful and charming as usual. Since I've recently watched quite a few of her and SRK's films and really loved them ("Yes Boss" being the favorite), Juhi is fast becoming one of my favorite actresses, along with Rani, Kajol and Madhuri.Vivek Mushran as Murli was perfect. I really liked his character.And last but not least -- the music is great. I listen to the songs quite often and like them all: Ram Jaane, Chori Chori Chal O Gori, Ala la la long Pehla Love Song, and Phenk Hawa Ek Chumma Mein. They may not seem great at first but after a listening to them a few times they really grew on me.All in all, technically speaking, this film is not a masterpiece but since it's really endeared itself to my heart, I'd give it 9/10. For SRK's acting, for the story, for the music, and for the scorching chemistry with Juhi. I'd choose this over many SRK hits that are better known, like Don or Kal Ho Naa Ho or Mohabbatein or Dil To Pagal Hai or whatever.

It wasn't until the very end of Ram-Janne that I realized I was watching an homage to the 1938 "Angels With Dirty Faces" with James Cagney. If you can hold out that long, the final 15-20 minutes of the film is worth the wait. Until then, this is pretty typical masala fare with Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla dancing their way off to exotic locales not remotely related to the movie. It's those musical interludes -- and a few comical moments during "Ramjanne's" childhood -- that make the majority of the first half of the movie bearable. As much as I love Juhi, her character was a cardboard cutout in most scenes, Vivek Mushran's "Murli" (the alter ego of Pat O'Brien's "Father Jerry Connely" in "Angels") was less saintly than saccharine, and Pankaj Kapur as "Pannu Technicolor" was just plain annoying. Even Shah Rukh's version of Cagney's "Rocky Sullivan" (the title character, "Ram-Janne") couldn't prop this film up most of the way through.But the film's final scenes vindicate the patient viewer. Yes, it's still Bollywood at its melodramatic best. But the same elements that made "Angels" the classic it is are all in place for the big finish. And perhaps Ram-Janne -- being a masala film -- lends itself even better to this denouement than did its predecessor.Because it's this kind of scene that Bollywood does better than anyone else. Seeing SRK begging for his life on the way to the gallows is somehow more believable than watching Cagney blubbering in fear on his way to the electric chair. And give credit to F.C. Mehra for at least choosing to remake a film that's not been (re)done to death.A remake -- by definition -- will never change the course of cinematic history. But if you have an evening to spare, there are far worse choices you could make.

I was quite excited when I saw that this movie was a gangster flick with my favorite Indian actor, Shahrukh Khan, nevertheless SRK's mere presence doesn't make the film any better, actually for once I think it makes it worse.The movie is a pathetic remake of WB's Angels with dirty faces starring James Cagney (in the part taken by SRK) and I think that SRK has mixed up a lot of Cagney with a bit of Amitabh Bachchan's simpleton in Don (the chewing thing). But this cocktail rather turned me off. Though I sincerely love him, his overacting is truly dreadful, one of the worse performances of his career, but the rest of the cast, though less excessive, is not this wonderful either. The film is replete with a series of nerve-raking songs that never end, when I saw SRK and Juhi on a boat near a sunny desert island, it was really too much!!Moreover it seems to last forever! The first half hour is tolerable, and has a very nice action scene in a bar. If you wondered where Farah Khan got the great idea of SRK sliding on his knees between the legs of a villain in Main Hoon Na, that's where she got it, and it works damn well. But apart from that there is not much to save.A pity to remake an overall good US film into a dreadful Bollywood flick, nevertheless they have been luckier with other remakes such as Nayakan (Mani Ratnam) which is a remake of the Godfather and really worth watching.Keep trying boys ! my grade: 4/10 (5 if U like the fact that SRK never wears a shirt under his jacket, which is pretty sexy but useless)

I have seen Angels with Dirty Faces (James Cagney) before I saw Ram Jaane. In fact, I was so impressed by "Angels..." that I thought if I were to make a movie it would be a remake of "Angels...". Then I saw "Ram Jaane".Cagney certainly is the best in the original.Sharukh Khan has played the James Cagney's role and Vivek Mushran played the role Pat O'Brien played and Juhi Chawla revived role of Ann Sheridan. Personally I feel that they never came any where closer to the original. The ending, in the original is much better and underplayed compared to the loud ending in "Ram Jaane" that makes "Angels..." much better movie.If you have seen Ram Jaane you would find "Angels..." much better movie, however if you have already seen the original DO NOT WATCH RAM JAANE.Music of Ram Jaane is worth forgetting and watching "Angels..." make you wonder if the songs were needed for Ram Jaane!