Tiger 3 Movie Review:
Tiger is on a mission again. But, this time it is personal. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif reprise their most iconic characters in the third film of the Tiger series and the fifth film in the YRF espionage universe. After Kabir Khan and Ali Abbas Zafar, Maneesh Sharma is directing a Tiger film and incorporating all the elements of a true mass entertainer. But, is it worth the hype? Does Salman Khan look as believable as RAW Agent Tiger as he did in the other two films? And does the pairing of Salman and Katrina hold the same magic as it did in the previous films? Here’s how the Tiger 3 shapes up.
First things first, Tiger 3 is a complete package of a true blue action entertainer that is worth watching on the big screen. Salman is doing brilliant action in this but for the first time in many years, he is not the only one carrying this film on his shoulders. Every actor has a role in making Tiger 3 a quintessential Bollywood film. Katrina Kaif’s Zoya Nazar gets a backstory and a lot more to do in Tiger 3 compared to the other two films in the franchise. Zoya and Tiger mature together, having to protect a teenage son, fight enemies, and try to make peace between their countries. It will always be a joint mission for them now and they are good at what they do. But, while the action goes up a notch, their chemistry doesn’t. Salman and Katrina always look good together on screen but their chemistry in Tiger 3 is not even half the magic of the magical number ‘Dil Diyan Gallan’ from Tiger Zinda Hai.
Tiger and Zoya have to protect their family and do shady things to ensure that. Aatish Rehman, the villain, who reminds you of Ravana from Sunil Shetty’s Main Hoon Na – a man who will never allow peace between India and Pakistan. Emraan Hashmi looks stylish in his black suit and bushy brown beard, but not as menacing as he needs to be to play Tiger’s arch enemy. After all, a strong villain makes your hero stronger and perhaps this is why Tiger 3 starrer Emraan fails in the scenes who tries hard but is unable to land his first villain role. However, the lack of a strong villain is made up for by solid background music. Tiger 3 has one of the most memorable background scores of all spy films ever made, combining stylish action and drama. However, it lacks songs that can stay with you long after you walk out of the theatre.
Kumud Mishra returns as technical man Rakesh Ji, who is part of Tiger’s household army. Tiger’s new associates include the extremely dedicated Anant Vidhat Sharma and Chandrachud Rai. However, the biggest piece of cake in the entire film is taken by Shahrukh Khan, who lights up the screen like a Diwali lamp with his shock of hair as Pathan. He comes, conquers and gives you the pleasant feeling of eating all the festive sweets without gaining weight. Shah Rukh Khan as Pathan is the main attraction in Tiger 3, but who will complain when you see two superstars doing comedy, action and bromance for one?
They promised to make Tiger 3 a complete festive entertainer and it is. The first half of the film is good but the real magic starts after the interval when you have a lot to do including the totally amazing Pathan’s cameo. Tiger 3 takes you to the best of Turkey, Austria, Old Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai and you don’t look away. This is an entertaining movie where things are happening fast and you cannot miss a single scene. When you know how things work in the espionage world of Bollywood action entertainers, especially YRF, the story does get predictable in parts, but there are no major hiccups. There is no logic in applying this logic as this is a movie of clapping, hooting, eating popcorn and cheering every time Salman mentions Diwali. Sample this: “We have three days of Diwali. Your fireworks will destroy me. Or his telling everyone that “The Tiger is not defeated until he dies”. Another whistle-worthy dialogue comes from SRK’s Pathan when he promises new-age Jai-Viru camaraderie and says, “Tiger was alive, will be alive. This is Pathan’s promise.” And if you were still missing the essence of patriotism, where country is everything for our spies in this universe, our national anthem is being played on the sitar in Pakistan.
Tiger and Zoya are the heart of this universe but Pathan is the soul. Tiger 3 looks like a happy-go-lucky mass entertainer, a film that deserves good family attendance in theatres, especially during the festive period. Also, don’t miss the post-credits scene where Hrithik Roshan appears as Agent Kabir on a new mission to destroy the biggest villains in the spy universe. It’s for fun and good feelings!
Stars: 3.5
