Brothers

Viewers willing to embrace its skillful and emotionally real depiction of a man making impossible choices -- and especially fans of Akshay Kumar ready to see him excel in a physically and emotionally challenging role -- will be well rewarded.

Almost all the second-half drama feels sketchily conceived; that canvas of narrative and thematic groundwork O'Connor set down before his brothers in arms went head-to-head simply hasn't travelled.

This story of a fractured family is high on manipulative cinematic tools but fails to make an emotional connection. What stays with you are the no-holds-barred action sequences and the hummable theme tune.

Brothers is a film that plays emotional rope-a-dope with its audience.