Review: 'Tiger 3' roars mostly due to its quintessential flavor & a formidable Katrina Kaif

Tiger 3

Salman Khan aka Salman Bhai. It wouldn't be unfair to say that at this point in time, Khan needed Tiger 3 more than ever. His recent track record has been dismal, and it isn't just about the box office but the quality of films. But hey, he is Salman Khan - a phenomenon. He needed Tiger 3 to give himself a reminder that audiences can still flock to the theatres in huge amounts and watch him and celebrate him. The OG creator of the YRF Spy Universe and the third instalment in the Tiger franchise returns as Avinash, aka Tiger, along with Katrina Kaif as Zoya and a new antagonist, Emraan Hashmi as Aatish Rehman. Having had the chance to see the film with a pretty much houseful crowd in a morning show, here's what I thought about it-

Being 'Tiger', The India-Pakistan Saga & Other Things

The mind-bending action that defies the laws of physics is actually a prerequisite with the Spy Universe now. To be innovative and creative with it is always a task, especially with only a few directions it can ideally go to. And even though it is exhausting in a few instances, the film is as Tiger-esque as it can get. Khan becomes the unkillable Tiger with ease, and, if nothing else, his aura and screen presence is something that has always helped him be the superstar he is. The music, background score, and mostly the iconic Tiger theme lend just the right amount of assistance needed for these sequences to be as entertaining as they are.

Let's talk about Katrina Kaif, shall we? The actor's growth in the industry can be equalled to the three Tiger movies and the time span it has amassed. As Zoya, she not only goes from strength to strength with Tiger but actually holds her own more than ever this time. Kaif's hard work, finesse, and precision being an action star should now be taken into account by filmmakers. I would love to see a Zoya spin-off now. Emraan Hashmi was described as a 'brainy' villain by director Maneesh Sharma, and that promise is fulfilled. Hashmi, unfortunately, doesn't have a lot of backstory to work with to be the 'bad guy', but even then. Being understated, brilliant with his dialogue delivery and having a sheer presence against Salman Khan, he is fantastic indeed.

The India-Pakistan saga that continues to be a constant in the Tiger franchise does feel a little mundane now because, again, there are only a select few things you can do with it. Hence, the storyline, predictable developments, twists and betrayals are something that doesn't bring the intended impact to the film.

Tiger-Pathaan-Kabir & Factors That Could Have Been

Tiger 3 does become a case of 'could have been.' It could have been a solid continuation of the spy universe and even taken a new direction with proceedings to keep things interesting. But that doesn't happen. You will have moments of not caring about what's going on the consistent India-Pakistan friendship or enemyship.

To our delight, after a basic first-half, you know things are going to pick up in the second -half, even more so because of the awaited Shah Rukh Khan cameo as Pathaan. That doesn't fail in any manner. The Khan duo fight crazier challenges in this one with some ridiculous jumps and kills - but their chemistry, fun banter and just lovable on-screen bromance makes it totally worth it. Now not a spoiler, Hrithik Roshan's Kabir also gets a rather interesting appearance and even more so, because it isn't in the cliched manner you would have imagined it to be.

The Verdict

In the end, Tiger 3 has more flaws than both the previous Tiger films but still does enough to entertain you at the movies. You will be spending a lot of money (probably) to go for a gala time and with the scale, grand action, immense testosterone boost and another reminder of the OG Khans being what they are is just about enough for Tiger 3 to be a decent watch. Is Tiger 3 the weakest film of the Spy Universe? Yes. But does it still qualify to be good time? Yes.

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)