Malik – 6.5

If I didn’t know “Malik” is Arabic for “king,” I would have thought it meant “Godfather,” so much does this two-hour, forty-minute Indian epic borrow from the Coppola classics, not only characters and plot, but several scenes that are direct lifts. (Then again, maybe in the Malayalam language that’s what it means.) Unfortunately, Fahadh Faasil, who plays the godfather, lacks the presence, or maybe the acting skills, of DeNiro and Pacino. The scenes of criminal activity are beyond belief, but more important and credible are the personal relationships. Although the lightning-fast subtitles and unfamiliar culture made the non-linear story hard to follow, my attention and interest never flagged. [Amazon Prime]