Excerpts from film reviews of Hero: Hero is a ‘80s’ film that should never have been taken out of the vault. Hero is ill-conceived, outdated and lazily made, with neither director nor crew giving a hoot for details like continuity or logic. Pancholi and Shetty deserved better; not because they’re star kids, but because as actors they commit as much as they can to the colossal ineptitude that is their debut film. On the plus side, things can only look up for Pancholi and Shetty after this, because it’s going to be tough to find a project as forgettable as Hero. Here’s to their future. – Deepanjana Pal (Firstpost.com)/ An ineffective remake of a 1983 box office hit mislabelled as a classic, Hero is yet another instance of the resilience of the ancient Indian tradition of nepotism. The only draws of Ghai’s Hero were its male lead, Jackie Shroff, who has never needed to take off his shirt to prove his virility, and Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s hit score. Sooraj Pancholi sheds his upper garments often enough to elicit a squeal from Radha, and Bhatena too makes his gym trainer proud. The bare-chested gimmick is no surprise, considering that this movie has been co-produced by Salman Khan Films. But even the Boss of the Beefcake has shown greater on-screen passion than the raw leads, whose youth and inexperience show up painfully in the many scenes of tender romance. Slow motion, soft light and molar-dislodging action fail to make Sooraj Pancholi a convincing action hero or give Athiya Shetty a serious shot at joining the list of actresses who dominate the screen. The next time round, try a little ardour? – Nandini Ramnath (Scroll.in) He’s sure worked on his physique but Sooraj is dull and low on magnetism. The youngster tries too hard to fit in the space of his mentor, Salman. He’s okay in scenes where he doesn’t need to speak. As is Athiya, her dialogue delivery alternates between grating and goofy. Except occasional flashes, their chemistry is tepid and devoid of passion or playfulness. Honestly, I wasn’t floored by either of these newcomers in the acting department. Although I do think Athiya has the potential to do better if she plays her strengths. She looks tough, spunky and original -- she ought to project it better. Same goes for you Bollywood, about time you used your imagination to create a brand new Hero instead of living off past laurels. – Sukanya Verma (Rediff.com)