Jewel Thief Review: Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat's Netflix heist action thriller is an inconsistent ride of entertainment

Plot

Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat) has his eyes on the royal African diamond, The Red Sun, which is going to be exhibited at a highly secure art gallery in India. There's only one person who can do the task for him, and he's Jewel Thief Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan). Rajan knows convincing Rehan won't be easy, so he tricks his dad (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) into a crime and blackmails Rehan to work for him.

Initially reluctant, Rehan, who was expelled from his home by his dad 3 years back, agrees to take up the task.

What works for Jewel Thief?

Watching Saif Ali Khan play characters that let him show his swag and smart side while doing some cool action scenes always gives a unique pleasure to the audience. Those who still have the hangover of Race's Ranvir Singh will have several reasons to love Saif in Jewel Thief. His face-off with Jaideep Ahlawat raises the entertainment quotient.

The idea of executing the heist in the air adds a new dimension to the entertainment quotient, as there is a decent amount of twists and turns. The execution of the heist drama in the second half works for the film.

What doesn't work for Jewel Thief? 

The film takes a long time to get on its feet as the initial 50-60 minutes are nothing short of tiring. Saif doesn't perform at his best; most dialogues sound dated, and the drama looks routine. 

The drama gets better in the 2nd half, but it doesn't truly engage because of the one-sided nature of the cat-and-mouse game. Kunal Kapoor's Vikram Patel is shown as a no-nonsense cop who is supposed to give a hard time to Rehan, but Rehan is always miles ahead of him, and it doesn't work in the favor of what film wants to achieve.

The romantic track between Saif Ali Khan and Nikita Dutta is there just for the sake of glamor, and even that job is half done. You feel the lack of spark and depth. Music doesn't come to the rescue either. The only hit song, Jaadu, comes in the end.

Performances & Direction

Saif Ali Khan entertains the audience with his antics, cool demeanor, and action, but his performance feels inconsistent due to flaws in the writing. Jaideep Ahlawat is impressive, though not at his best. Nikkita Dutta doesn't get the scope to shine. She has her moments, but there are only a handful of them.

Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal have set the film on a large scale, which will be a treat for the eyes of Netflix subscribers. However, the direction couldn't lead the movie to a point where it could be a wholesome action heist thriller.

Final Verdict of Jewel Thief

Jewel Thief is a harmless entertainer if you have nothing exciting planned for this weekend. Watch it with your loved ones while keeping the expectations in check, and you won't be disappointed.

Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates on Jewel Thief, which is now streaming on Netflix.

ALSO READ: Jewel Thief: 5 reasons why Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat’s high-stakes thriller should be on your watchlist