When we thought nothing could beat Jai Ho in being Salman Khan's worst blockbuster, here arrives Race 3 in taking over the crown. Replacing Saif Ali Khan who was the lead in the previous Race films, Salman's presence makes sure that the third part of the franchise has just got bigger, sleeker and.... dumber. The movie is directed by Remo D'Souza and also stars Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem. Here's the review of what I consider as one of the worst movies in 2018.

Shamsher Singh (Anil Kapoor) is a rich arms dealer based out in an island in the Gulf. His dysfunctional family consists of his loving step-son Sikander (Salman Khan), and his brattish twins, Sanjana (Daisy Shah) and Suraj (Saqib Saleem), who hate their elder brother. Then there is Yash (Bobby Deol) who is their bodyguard and confidante. Things get complicated in the family drama with the arrival of a femme fatale Jessica (Jacqueline Fernandez) and a heist that could make them richer. Will the family pull off the task or will they sink themselves in a web of deceit is what the rest of the movie is all about.

You know the movie is bad when Tiger Zinda Hai and Baaghi 2 look like Oscar nominees compared to this. You know the movie is bad when the best twist in the film is stolen from Housefull 3. You know the movie is bad when Salman Khan has stopped bothering to try the function of acting. Race 3 is such a movie!

The promos warned us, the songs warned us, even Salman Khan's lyrics in Selfish warned us that this is a really bad movie. And yet, we hoped that Race 3 might have something to surprise you when you see it on the big screen, Alas! No such luck unless you are such a die-hard fan of Salman Khan, that him ripping off his shirt for no rhyme or reason sends you to orgasmic depths.

To give credit where it's due, the technical values of Race 3 are really good. The production design by Rajnish Hedao gives the movie a really glossy feel. The cinematography by Ayananka Bose makes the lush locales of Dubai, Ladakh and Cambodia even lusher. And the action choreography by Anal Arasu and Tom Struthers is efficient, even if highly inspired from Hollywood movies and the action scenes being over-stretched till they tax your patience.

But a glossy product doesn't make a great movie, and with Race 3, we have not only the worst movie in the franchise but also the worst Salman movie in a decade (and that's saying something!). The major blame falls on Remo D'Souza's pedestrian direction and the writing. Like the previous movies, Race 3 is filled with twists in plenty, but save for one or two, they are so ridiculously written that we scratch our heads, figuring out what exactly was the writer (Shiraz Ahmed) smoking. Most of them are borrowed from the previous Race movies, but they are very badly visualised. The dialogues (Shiraz Ahmed and Kiran Kotrial) are trite and absurd. You have heard 'Our business is our business...' line, right? Now hear this gem - 'Isse Dil nahi Dell kholke dikhao!' Marvellous!

Remo might be good in staging grand spectacles on a stage, as seen in his ABCD franchise. But here, handling the non-actors (save for one, to whom I will get later) and making a good thriller prove too much of a task for the director. The dramatic scenes feel contrite and laughable that Race 3 sometimes feel like a much-polished version of Kanti Shah's Loha. The first half, that establishes the family's status quo and Jessica's dynamics with Yash and Sikander, is plain awful with not a single redeeming scene. The second half has a couple of interesting twists, but it's too late to save the movie by then. The much-talked heist scene in Cambodia is done away in a song, that leads to a needless Baaghi 2 inspired action sequence in a jungle camp and an endless chase sequence. Things get intriguing in the climax, with some revelations, but then even the fight there is stretched way too much. If seeing Salman and Bobby pounce at each other shirtless in the desert makes you yawn, you know that's a lost cause! That said, I must say I never laughed so hard seeing Salman Khan 'fly' across the heavens, instead of taking the car (read between the lines).

There are too many song-and-dance routines in the movie, and each song fails to create any impact. At two hours and forty minutes, Race 3 is quite a chore to sit through with so many adverse factors.

Talking about the performances, there is another rare redeeming factor for Race 3. And that's Anil Kapoor. I just so wish that the movie would have just focussed on him; such a gloriously entertaining act this was! He just lights the screen with his presence in every scene and when he is surrounded by really bad actors, you realise even a smirk on his face feels applaud-worthy. Salman Khan sleepwalks through a role, which barely causes him any inconvenience. Sure, he takes some efforts in the action scenes, but hardly takes any in the emotional ones. Also, what with the switch between various accents?

As for Jacqueline, when Salman calls you out for your 'over-acting' in the movie then you know it is a doomed performance. Despite being a factor in two big twists, Bobby Deol fails to make an memorable comeback, after that brief hiatus from acting. Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem over-act!

The movie ends with a promise of a sequel. And in response, someone in the audience shouted, "Bas kar bhai....jaan baksh de!" We really hope that the makers will listen to him!

Yay!

- Anil Kapoor (one star just for him)

- Production values

- Some twists near the climax

Nay!

- Every goddamn thing else!

Final Thoughts

Race 3 is a wasted exercise in making us thrill and ends up being a farce in the careers of all involved. We just wish that the money used in making this movie a polished product, would have been utilised in hiring a better creative team. Race 3 might sail through at the box office, thanks to Salman Khan's immense box office pull, but it's time Bhai needs to realise he cannot dump shoddy films like this on his ever-supportive fans! Avoid at all costs!

Rating:
1.5 out of 5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2018 01:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).