Don 2 Movie Review by Komal Nahta

Business rating: 3.5/5 stars

Star cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, Kunal Kapoor, Om Puri, Hrithik Roshan.

What’s Good: The engaging post-interval portion, Shah Rukh Khan’s endearing performance; the canvas; the stylised acting and narration; the revelation of the suspense.

What’s Bad: The slow-paced first half; the technical details in the drama which will confuse a section of the audience; the music; the boring portions which spring up at several places.

VerdictDon 2 is a winner. It will score at the box-office and yield good profits to all concerned.

Loo break: A couple in the first half.

Watch or Not?: Definitely watch it for Shah Rukh Khan’s performance and the stylised narration.”

“Farhan Akhtar, Ameet Mehta and Ambrish Shah’s story and screenplay are basically about plotting and planning, which keep the audience’s interest alive. The first half, however, moves at a leisurely pace and takes a while to come to the point. It is after interval that the pace picks up but even in the post-interval part, the initial reels are too technical and get confusing for the average viewer. But the last few reels are very engrossing and the revelation of the suspense (like in the first part, Don) is the highlight. Intrigue, suspense, style and drama – the four highlights of Don – are in evidence in the sequel too.

By its very nature, the film relies too heavily on computer hacking and technicalities when Don and his team break into the bank and try to reach the plates. This portion will be difficult for the audience in the small centres to understand. The multiplex audience may find it engaging but the viewers in single-screen cinemas would not care too much for this part of the film. But the last few reels have a lot of appeal for all kinds of audience. Besides, the charm of Don works so effectively that the public would enjoy the film despite the aforementioned limitations. Because Don is such a charismatic character, the audience roots for him and feels a sense of elation when he accomplishes a task or proves one-up on his adversaries. This is indeed creditable because Don, after all, is a negative character. Credit for making this possible would go as much to the writers as to Shah Rukh Khan who plays Don.

On the minus side, all that Don and his team do seems so easy that it appears rather unbelievable at times. Besides the confusing portion of the drama, this is another drawback of the script. Farhan Akhtar’s dialogues could’ve packed in more punch and power as they, at places, seem quite tame, especially those mouthed by Don, given that he is so powerful. But his dialogue about his mother being happy if she were alive and about and his dialogue about ‘Sir’ not going well with his personality are brilliant. Light moments are few and far between and had there been more of them, the appeal of the film would’ve been bigger.”

“Don 2 Review: Star Performances

Shah Rukh Khan is the life of the film and charms his way into the audience’s hearts. He shines in the role of Don and uses all the charisma at his command to make his character supremely endearing. His dialogue delivery, facial expressions and wicked laughter add up to an enjoyable package. His attitude and body language are oh so endearing. Priyanka Chopra gets limited scope and is suitably restrained as the Interpol detective. She looks sexy. Lara Dutta is alright but somehow, she does not add the desired dose of glamour in a fairly long special appearance, and even her scope, is restricted. Boman Irani shines in the role of Vardhan. He is menacing and manipulative, as is the demand of the character. Aly Khan plays his part with calculated coolness. Kunal Kapoor leaves a mark. Nawab Shah is alright as Jabbar. Om Puri has been wasted. Sahil Shroff looks handsome and does a fair job as Arjun. Hrithik Roshan springs a surprise in a special appearance and does a fine job although the track looks forced. Others lend fair support.

Don 2 Review: Direction & Music

Farhan Akhtar’s direction is stylized and suited to the story. He has given the film a huge canvas and his approach makes it look like a very slick Hollywood film. His shot takings deserve distinction marks. But it must also be said that his drama and narration lack too many high points and excitement. In the absence of a solid antagonist, Don’s journey looks almost unchallenged and, therefore, unexciting at places. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is disappointing. None of the songs has a memorable tune and is far from being a hit. Given the ordinary music, the song picturisations (Vaibhavi Merchant) also lose their impact. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics are meaningful. Background score is effective. Jason West’s cinematography is outstanding. The brilliance of his work is evident in outdoor as well as indoor shooting. The locations of Germany, Malaysia and Switzerland look stunning. Action scenes, composed by Action Concept, are lovely. Anand Subaya’s editing is very sharp. Production values are grand. Technically, it is a very superior product.

Don 2 Review: Komal Nahta’s Verdict

On the whole, Don 2 may not give the discerning audience a great high but it will be loved by those who like style, intrigue, suspense and attitude. It will score at the box-office and yield good profits to Reliance Entertainment (worldwide distributors). The producers, of course, have already made a huge profit by selling the worldwide rights and also by getting heavy subsidy from the German government. Business in big cities and multiplexes will be far better than in smaller towns and single-screen cinemas. The film will work wonders in the Overseas circuit.”

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1 Comment
  1. sputnik 12 years ago

    Review: ‘Don 2’ belongs to Shah Rukh Khan

    Thank god for Farhan Akhtar. The man who is known for his sleek, stylish, uber cool films has managed to give Shah Rukh Khan a film which will hopefully erase the traumatic memory of ‘RA.One’.

    While the first film (Don: the Chase begins) had the burden of being labeled as a remake of an old classic, this film sheds such inhibitions and manages to surpass its prequel. The story is pretty simple. It takes off from where the first part ends when Don (Shah Rukh Khan) escapes from the police only to resurface in Thailand in the new film. After some inexplicable things, he surrenders in front of the police and old flame Roma(Priyanka Chopra). Don is then sent to a jail in Malaysia where he meets his old enemy Vardhan(Boman Irani). What follows is an elaborate planned out jail break and Don and Vardhan manage to escape. They land up in Berlin, where Don with some old and some new associates plans to rob a bank.

    The film’s plot isn’t original. It borrows from some of the most classic Hollywood thrillers like Ocean’s Eleven, Mission Impossible and Die Hard. Written by Farhan Akhtar, Ameet Mehta, Amrish Shah, the plot lacks freshness and is weak. But where the story falters, mind blowing action sequences make up for the loss.

    The film has some amazing stunts and chase sequences. The car chase between Priyanka and SRK is definitely a high point of the film and so is the sequence where Shah Rukh escapes the clutches of an assassin and jumps from a high rise building.

    The film belongs to Shah Rukh. So much so that a stellar cast comprising of Priyanka Chopra, Kunal Kapoor, Boman Irani and Om Puri fade in the background. Shah Rukh gives Don a completely different avatar. He has his smirk in place, he is cocky and he is evil. It is definitely refreshing to watch SRK play a negative character after ages with such ease. Remember Baazigar? Yes, SRK in Don plays the negative character with the same conviction and makes it look like no big deal. He almost glorifies negativity.

    Watch the film for some awesome action sequences. And watch it for the King. He is truly back. ”

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