Lal Jr.'s 'Honey Bee' targets an indiscriminating youngster population who are in the cinema halls to generally have a ball. As such, the energy levels in the film remain pretty high, the action invigorating and the execution quite explosive.
On the eve of her marriage, Angel (Bhavana) is woken up in the middle of the night by her best friends Sebastian (Asif Ali), Fernando (Baburaj), Abu (Sreenath Bhasi) and Ambrose (Balu). Sebastain confesses his love to her, and persuades her to elope with him. The morning after, Angel is shocked out of her wits to see that Sebastian's antics were merely the aftermath of his drunken stupor. The man claims that he doesn't remember a thing!
Lal Jr.'s directorial debut 'Honey Bee' is a mixed bag of affairs in that it manages to create a sparkle on an unremarkable story. It may not be an instant classic like some other films in the genre, but it is indeed a charmer in its own right.
Yep, it does remind you of the 'Hangover' series, but the similarity between the films ends precisely there. Thankfully, Sebastian's friends do remember what had happened the previous night, and together they flee for their lives with Angel's brothers led by the eldest one Michael (Lal) hot on their heels.
There are some genuinely hilarious moments in 'Honey Bee' that are studded along the frothy narrative. In fact, there are rare moments when the film actually reminds you of those immensely enjoyable Siddique- Lal films of yore, though in the long run it does not turn out to be a patch on those classic comedies. The film does have its share of crappy humor as well, but then if I were you, I wouldn't ask for too much in a scenario as this.
One cannot however remain unperturbed at the thought of how almost an entire generation has mistaken a genuinely problematic addiction as heroism. Every round of applause that accompanies visuals of alcohol or of the smoke rings that are blown away with indifference, points at an alarming trend to eulogize substance abuse.
The Fort Cochin scenario is fast turning out to be irksome, with one film after the other being set on the coastal town. The slang, the scenario and even the people are all as familiar to us as the back of our palms, and the repetitiveness has brought about a tedium that would in the near future turn out to be unbearable.
Sreenath Bhasi turns out to be the scene stealer this time around, and as Abu, he's a riot. Not to be left behind are both Baburaj and Balu. Asif Ali and Bhavana almost underplay their parts, and their efforts do seem to be paying off at the end of it all.
'Honey Bee' is a film to be savored like those quickie bites that you grab from a fast food restaurant. Its damn fun while it lasts in your mouth and you swallow it without much of a thought, knowing all the while that it never had plans to offer you something to chew on.
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