It's really unclear to me why this is such a highly rated film. It certainly starts out well, but that's the best that I can say about it. The opening scene in the airport really sets a particular tone, and I thought we were in for a dark look at autism and terrorism, which might have been interesting. The flashback to Khan's childhood and the problems/redemption he experienced was a bit clichéd in terms of the plot, but reasonably well executed, so I was still pretty much on board.

So then we have the move to the USA, and all of a sudden the film takes a major shift in tone, transforming into a romantic comedy between Khan and the love interest. Cheesy for sure, but I thought, 'OK, this is an Indian film, and this is how they roll.' So I'm willing to suspend disbelief given the nature of the story. If you stop watching the film here, it will probably seem OK and worth your while.

The second half is such a complete disaster it's difficult to know where to begin. The acting and pacing takes a serious nosedive as the plot elements are multiple so greatly that it's difficult to feel any sense empathy for the characters in any particular situation. This is particularly the case for the characters introduced in this section, who are complete flat. So I have to ask some questions: Why do we need roving reporters as characters? What's up with the inclusion of the Katrina-like event shows a portrayal of black people that could seriously only be filmed outside of North America (not to mention that the town in which they live looks like Sleepy Hollow)?

Then there's the tragic scene that sets up the expedition to meet the President is so terribly filmed and acted that it almost comes across as unintentional comedy - this makes the subsequent plot elements involving this feel incredibly shallow. Oh, and on bad acting, check out the resolution to this plot element. Additionally, the confrontation with the cleric that has really dumb consequences later on (I was hoping it was a dream sequence when I first saw it). And for more minor quibbles, why is it that every Indian in the movie speaks with an Indian accent, even though some of them must be 2nd generation (particularly Khan's son)? Do American senators really watch news broadcasts in their office where the dialog is partially in Urdu?

So if you want to watch the film, please stop after the first half - you'll save your time and effort for better things.