While some believe Heart of Stone to be a failed Mission: Impossible, others appreciate Alia Bhatt’s debut Hollywood performance.
Actor Alia Bhatt had not even finished celebrating the success of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, when her Hollywood debut Heart of Stone released on Netflix on Friday. Keeping the glamorous Rani Chatterjee aside, Alia will now be seen as Keya Dhawan – a hacker on the run from a global peacekeeping agency, seeking justice. The film stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan as leads. But, the film is getting mixed reviews from Twitterati, with some even comparing the film to Mission: Impossible.
One user wrote, “#HeartOfStone is… bad. it’s a poor mission: impossible copycat filled with boring storytelling & blandly executed action. gal gadot, alia bhatt, jamie dornan are there & while i’ve no sympathies for the zionist, it feels bad to see alia & jamie’s talents being wasted.”
#HeartOfStone is… bad. it’s a poor mission: impossible copycat filled with boring storytelling & blandly executed action. gal gadot, alia bhatt, jamie dornan are there & while i’ve no sympathies for the zionist, it feels bad to see alia & jamie’s talents being wasted. pic.twitter.com/QAN3jFDqmO— Pramit (@pramitheus) August 11, 2023
Commenting on the film’s cinematography, another user wrote, “Why can’t @netflix make a sharp, glossy looking action film like Mission Impossible? Watching Heart of Stone and some of it looks like grainy Super 8 home movies. The Gray Man and others have a similar pallor. Hundreds of millions and iPhone video looks way better.”
However, in a twist of narrative, some netizens are appreciating this comparison. One person wrote, “Heart of Stone reviews calling it derivative of Mission Impossible 7, and as somebody that doesn’t like Mission Impossible 7, I consider that a good thing oddly enough lol, maybe I’ll have more fun with a movie that borrows that same concept but knows how to have fun with it idk.”
Gal Gadot’s array of stunts as Rachel Stone in the film warrant these comparisons. While talking about headlining Heart of Stone with Flaunt, the actor had also mentioned Mission: Impossible. “I grew up watching Bond, Mission: Impossible, Bourne, Die Hard—they were all perfect escapism…I always wanted to play in one,” she said.
While some netizens held that one needs to have “a heart of stone” to watch the film, others lauded the film for its gripping screenplay. One person wrote, “Heart of Stone” on Netflix will leave you breathless, shattered, and craving for more. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! #HeartOfStone #NetflixThriller #IntenseJourney”
#HeartOfStone was so enjoyable and fun. Great action, fantastic stunts ❤️The last 30 mins were amazing especially and the screenplay though predictable had exciting moments. #AliaBhatt so proud of you ❤️ An amazing character to play in your first HW movie !
Gal ⭐️ & Jamie
— sagar (@alianator07) August 11, 2023
Fans of Alia Bhatt also took to Twitter to extend their appreciation. One person wrote, “#HeartOfStone was so enjoyable and fun. Great action, fantastic stunts ❤️ The last 30 mins were amazing especially and the screenplay though predictable had exciting moments. #AliaBhatt so proud of you ❤️ An amazing character to play in your first HW movie! Gal ⭐️ & Jamie “
“Just finished watching #HeartOfStone and idc about others but I loved @aliaa08 as Keya she did such a great job considering it was her first english language film I’m so proud and overall it was a nice interesting watch ,” another fan added.