Dabangg 2 (2012)

A Brilliant Conflict

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This movie faces criticism from people that this is a regular action comedy flick with no storyline but actually the fact is that they are unaware of the fact that this is Spaghetti Western genre. The story revolves around a fearless, humorous, witty Cop Chulbul Pandey(Salman Khan) referred to as Robin Hood by people he is loved by. In this sequel, he is promoted and transferred to Kanpur(a bigger city in the state of Uttar Pradesh) and he continues to be the same or becoming more fearless but is challenged by Baccha Yadav(Prakash Raj) who is the dreaded gangster in the city. Now what people don't know is that the protagonist in a Spaghetti Western suppose to have these witty, humorous and specialization in gun-fu skills. This genre was mostly used by American - Italian director Sergio Leone which made Clint Eastwood what he is today. I think this is a good (if not best) Spaghetti western made in India. If you closely observe the movie you would get the Spaghetti Western reference in this flick. Other Indian movies of same genre include Dabangg and Bullet Raja. While the Prequel was a better version of this genre but this is a good product.

Movie: Dabangg 2 Rating: 3.5/5Everyone knows how entertaining Dabangg was. Even I had the same thing in mind. Upon watching the film, I felt a bit disappointed. I had thought that the script of the film would be good enough to compete with that of Dabangg. But it didn't happen. However, in terms of action and masala, this one is just a redefinition of the first.Salman Khan is back as the same cop Chulbul Pandey, this time with more action than before. It's good that this kind of image suits Salman. Other actors too have given good performances. The music of the film is just OK, especially when it comes to compare it with the part 1. The action and technical department of the film is excellent. Every single action scene is shot perfectly and you get no chance to complain here. Even the VFX of the film is quite amazing. The cinematography of the film is also up to the mark.However, when it comes to the story, it is the biggest minus point of the film. The storyline is like the one with which we have been familiar with a number of times. Besides, what you get to see looks like a replica of Dabangg itself. The first part was well written and its every single scene was a gem. But, here except action and a few emotional and comical scenes, you don't get much. The excessive comedy too is a minus point. Dabangg had limited laughs and punch dialogues. But Dabangg 2 misses that magic, not completely, but partially.Overall, Dabangg 2 is an averagely scripted action movie that steals the show in the action and technical department but has less in comparison to Dabangg. But anyhow, its still entertaining. Entertaining enough to have a repeat value.

I'm pretty sure the blind-folded Salman fans are going to be disappointed by this review and unfortunately we have a lot such people in India. Movies like Dabanng 2 have some entertainment value but thats it. We as an audience always overlook good acting and stories for utterly unrealistic action and the saga continued with dabanng 2. The story was as bad as can be. Salman's acting is the pits anyway, so no need to mention that. Saying that, I have to admit that while I dint want to enjoy the movie for its height of non-sense, I still did. The lame jokes in the movie and the unrealistic, but intense action scenes even sucked me in. In fact, a movie like that once in a way is totally fine, but we get carried away by this genre and are only encouraging these kind off movies. Every second movie is the same BS. As entertaining as they may be, we need to realize the value and impact cinema can create and need to move into and appreciate even the movies of a more mature genre.

Salman Khan returning in the year's last festive season with his sequel of the blockbuster DABANGG was exciting news for many including myself. So, spiritedly as I glanced through the newspaper's entertainment section today, it was full of lists of theaters and uncountable shows of DABANGG 2 running all over the city like a carnival. Hence the very doubt of whether the film will work or not was completely out of question as there was no way it is going to flop with such a wide and mega release irrespective of its content. In fact that is the latest success formula of Bollywood in which you can make anything with the Stars and still churn out money, following this perfect business strategy without fail. Hence instead of thinking about the film's box office performance I was just interested in enjoying a good time in the theater with Salman and his hugely likable mannerisms and that's it.The film began with exactly a similar action sequence as seen in its part one and within few minutes it clearly revealed that there's only going to be a new city with some fresh villains in the storyline and nothing beyond that. Therefore in the entire first half we only have a smoothly progressing film with few occasional light moments and many songs but nothing great. However since its neither anything bad or intolerable so one doesn't mind watching it calmly till an impressive scene comes right before the interval providing you the much needed energy to stay in.Post intermission as one is willing to see many (predictable) fiery confrontation sequences with some never before kind of action performed by Salman Khan, it all suddenly happens pretty fast and ends on a very uninteresting note without making any kind of solid impact on the viewer. In other words, the second half doesn't have anything grand or significant happening on the screen in terms of clashes, dialogues or action which was a lot less than what was being expected from a DABANGG Part 2. Yet on the positive side, its clean entertainment all the way (except the avoidable FEVICOL song) lacking any novelty, reminding you of all those revenge based movies featuring Dharmendra in the 80s with titles such as PAAP KO JALAA KAR RAAKH KAR DOONGA. So all together we have a new age macho man here in the form of Salman Khan (who has a friendly image off and on screen), punching the villains in another new film of his based on a routine script and that's all.As a director Arbaaz Khan just calls the shots and rest is done by Salman Khan himself who visibly keeps improvising on the spot in most of his scenes. To be honest the Superstar seems to be enjoying every frame of his stardom in the film without any fear or doubt. And therefore we don't have Chulbul Pandey on the screen in reality but always Salman Khan playing the character given to him at his own pace or ease till the end. He entertains you with his dialogues, excels in his action and even makes you laugh through his awkward dance moments which in turn don't let you write off the film completely even if you wish to. Therefore as one walks out, he is neither willing to say that it is great nor able to rate it bad in actual terms which should be a good news for all the fans out there.Being a Salman Khan film, the entire supporting cast remains there to support only and never rises above that level as expected. Sonakshi plays it routine, Arbaaz is just okay, Vinod Khanna is fine but both Mahie Gill and Deepak Dobriyal remain wasted. Further it was really sad to see Prakash Raj once again being used as the same old villain waiting to be beaten by the hero in the end without any newly added gimmicks or flavor. To speak the truth here is an actor who is being used in great variety in South but always given the same repeated roles in each new big film without any vision here in Bollywood.Musically, it has a good soundtrack no doubt but still a little weak if compared to its part one. Though few of the tracks have already become chartbusters due to the star value associated with them, yet they are way behind DABANGG as far as the melody is concerned. Plus I have my own objections to the songs like 'Fevicol' which I have discussed in another write-up for all friends here in the link below.Summing up, DABANGG 2 doesn't really fulfill the responsibility of giving something different or new in the sequel after the big success of its original. Its just the same biryani with some newly added colours served to you in a fresh plate. But since the taste is not bad at all, therefore you may not mind having it once again just to satisfy your timely hunger.