Sunday, December 22, 2013

Movie Review: Dhoom 3

Can't say if the third in the Dhoom franchise is worth the reported ticket price of 900 in some theatres, but this is definitely a must-see this weekend.

So what works for the movie? Without doubt, the vroom of the mean machines, some very slick VFX, and pretty much some of the best executed and visualized chase sequences in Bollywood, through busy American streets, high octane, perfectly shot and beautifully complimented by the sound track. The other hero of the movie is Chicago - presented absolutely beautifully, a stunning city with it's skyscrapers, an enthralling skyline, and some amazing locations that have been captured so wonderfully on camera.

The child actor, the young Aamir Khan, is brilliant, and wins your heart.

Aamir Khan is schizophrenic. His tense, taut, weird expression meant to make him look menacing and focussed is silly - reminds me of the constipated expressions usually seen on the face of the real life wife of his nemesis in the movie. But when he relaxes, when he smiles and talks normally, he is charming and lovable. Aamir Khan's much publicized tap dance, for which he apparently spent a month practising in a foreign land, is a damp squib, and he looks amazingly taut and tense, with that silly kung fu panda expression - tap dances should create the tap sounds; imposing them through music again completely takes away the credibility. In comparison, the beautiful Senorita dance in ZNMD and SRK-Kat's amazing sequence in JTHJ, are legendary!

Katrina absolutely sizzles and scorches the screen with her strip tease and her acrobatic dance numbers - completely redefining item songs, although she has very very little to do otherwise.  Uday Chora's Ali act adds a little color, but you really need to set the benchmark really low to appreciate it. Abhishek's entry sequence, with the autorickshaw chase on shanty tops is hilarious and outrageous, and would work well in Dabangg, but in a movie like Dhoom 3, it seems strangely out of tune. His chemistry with Ali would invite censure under 377, but given that the other pretty lady, the firang police officer, has no interest in them, I guess one can look the other way!

The songs are a little noisy and long winded, but absolutely beautifully choreographed, a visual treat, that allow you to ignore the words and just enjoy the spectacle.

There are too many liberties in the story and screen play, which hurt credibility. The story is weak, and the much-touted suspense never really builds up - the audience is suddenly told that there is a twist in the tale, and it happens way before half time. At almost 3 hours, the movie makes you want to reach for the FF button, especially in the first 15-20 mins, and in the post-interval session, when the action gives way to senti stuff, but it won't hurt you much the first time you see it.

Go catch it at a theatre near you, sit back and enjoy the visuals. Definitely not a two time watch, but don't miss it!

And a small footnote - Aamir Khan's character liberally copies from the King Khan's Samar and Sahir characters in JTHJ and Billu Barber :) Wonder if it was a tribute to our Thalaiva, or simply a childish way of saying, you do it, I can do it too!

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