What’s it about
Inspired or not, Acid Factor opens with an engaging premise. Set against the backdrop of an acid factory, we are introduced to Fardeen Khan who wakes up not knowing where and who he is. Suffering from amnesia, he soon stumbles upon four other people (Aftab Shivdasani  , Dino Morea, Manoj Bajpayee and Danny Denzongpa) waking up in a state of haze and nausea. It doesn’t take long for the guys to realise they are in a mousetrap and the cheese is far from their reach! A flashback reveals the identity of these guys and how they landed in the factory. Sketchy and incomplete the details trickle in slow and steadily. Irrfan and Dia play the bad guys and the climax goes OTT in its effort to establish the film as an action thriller.

What’s hot
Technically the film has its moments. Camera work and action scenes are aesthetically crafted where required. As an ensemble the casting works, though the same can’t be said about their characterisation. Verma succeeds in playing a cat and mouse game in the first half. Despite the restrictions of the premise and setting, he weaves engaging subplots that keep the pace moving. Manoj and Irrfan impress with their antics while Fardeen is competent. Dino is effortlessly charming.

What’s not
The second half loses steam and the plot rolls down towards a predictable end. After using intrigue and suspense as an asset in the start, the same elements become banal and clichéd as the story moves ahead. An overkill of action and chase sequences also brings the tempo down. The whole undercover cop drama falls flat despite attempts to sustain the mystery. Dia Mirza does nothing but provide the glam quotient while Aftab could have toned down his hysteria. Gulshan Grover’s cop act is hilarious. Even a five year old kid could outsmart him in his job.

What to do
If watching cars getting blown up and mindless bullets zipping through the air is your mojo, then Acid Factory is worth a visit.