Tiger 3 Movie Review: Not Even Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan Cameo Can Save Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif's Dullest Entry Into YRF Spy Universe (LatestLY Exclusive)

Tiger 3 Movie Review: I think every movie watcher may have had this experience where they didn't like the previous films in a franchise, but the latest entry makes them see the predecessors in a kinder light. Tiger 3 just took that route for me. Ek Tha Tiger was somewhat overdrawn, but it had a heart in the love track between Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, and the action scenes were cool. Tiger Zinda Hai had a very engaging storyline drawn from a real-life incident that got derailed when it threw logic out of the window in the last act. But Katrina was kickass! Tiger 3 is, just... sigh... long, boring, and blah. And this time, not even Pathaan can do much to salvage the situation. Tiger 3 Review: Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif's YRF Spy Universe Movie is 'Routine' But 'Watchable', Shah Rukh Khan's Cameo an Easy Highlight, Claim First Reactions.

Directed by Maneesh Sharma based on a story by Aditya Chopra (whose favorite icon on his laptop must be the recycle bin) and a screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan, Tiger 3 once again sees certain events that make the titular hero (Salman Khan) declared a 'gaddar,' this time by both India and Pakistan. How and why that happened has to do with Atish Rehman (Emraan Hashmi), a former ISI head who has a past connection with Zoya (Katrina Kaif), Tiger's ladylove, and the mother of his almost teenage son.

It's a convoluted storyline involving antidotes, nuclear codes, betrayals, double agents, and a Pakistani lady PM who seems to be very inspired by watching Main Hoon Na. Do any of those parts work? It's hard to say when nothing feels new, nothing feels thrilling. All spy clichés and no original play are making this Tiger a very dull boy.

Watch the Trailer of Tiger 3:

Before Aditya Chopra had this sparkling idea of bunching some of his biggest hits in the same genre as a franchise, each of those films seemed to have individuality, even if they did not lack the desired quality. Or at least some amount of energy, as with War and Pathaan. For Tiger 3, that energy dissipates after the hero's electrifying entry rescuing an old comrade from the clutches of the Taliban. Tiger is told that Zoya could be a double agent. Instead of giving us a tense confrontation, we are instead given a song that immediately halts the pace. A chase sequence in St Petersburg livens up the proceedings a bit, but the relief is temporary. Once it is revealed why Zoya did what she did, it is dullsville from then on.

It also doesn't help that Tiger 3 follows similar beats as Pathaan, which is surprising since the latter had released this very year. So we have a heroine, albeit temporarily, betray the hero. We see the hero incarcerated by enemy forces after carrying out a heist. Post-interval, just like how Pathaan was rescued by Tiger in the other film, here Pathaan returns the favour in a much more long-drawn and tedious action sequence that dilutes the witty banter we saw in Pathaan between the two stars, as if this was directed by Rohit Shetty. It doesn't help when SRK's exuberant energy in the fights clashes jarringly with Salman's, well... how shall I put it... lack of it. I never thought I would say this ever, but I am feeling a bit of Shah Rukh Khan fatigue on the big screen. PS: If Pathaan borrowed from a stunt from Furious 7 and a Jackie Chan cartoon show for that train escape scene, then Shah Rukh Khan borrows Joker's malfunctioning remote trop from The Dark Knight here.

YRF also should really keep an eye on the quality of visuals in the action scenes. Like with Pathaan and War, green screens continue to be discernible, and the stars don't display the kind of body language needed when they are in a stunt show. Apart from Tiger's intro scene, only Katrina Kaif's Turkish bath fight feels noteworthy, but even that is not a patch on her show-stealing fight sequence in Tiger Zinda Hai. Pathaan Movie Review: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham's Film is a 'Seetimaar' Entertainer With a Paisa-Vasool Salman Khan Cameo!

Coming back to Tiger 3's utter lack of originality, even Emraan Hashmi's antagonist is of a similar mould to John Abraham's Jim in Pathaan - gets declared a traitor by his state, loses his wife, and wants comeuppance on India. Sadly, he doesn't have the same scope to shine as John had in the other movie, especially when the film keeps him away from action for a large amount of time. Just dialoguebaazi, no shaanbaazi!

The second half of the film is where it suffers the most, especially once Tiger 3 bids farewell to Shah Rukh Khan. There are several overstretched sequences with some very boring action, and the third act, involving protecting Pakistan's PM, feels never-ending with its slow-mo fight scenes, expectant betrayals, killings that don't incite any emotional stakes, and some convenient payoff. Even the last standoff between Tiger and Atish passes muster.

Once the dust settles, there is a scene where Pakistani kids play the national anthem. The audience in my theater hall all stood up after a stanza or so, but it felt more out of force of habit and nothing to do with how we feel in the scene. And I am never a fan of how films use national iconography to invoke forced patriotism just because their writing couldn't do so. For its film's loud India-Pakistan bhaichara (or as Tiger calls the latter, his sasuraal), the inherent Islamophobia of the movie can't be ignored. There are two songs in the film, and both are utterly forgettable, but the background score is bombastic enough to not let you doze off.

Speaking of the performances, and in the case of its lead star, lack thereof, Salman Khan really needs to buckle up and show some modicum of enthusiasm when headlining a high-octane actioner like this. There are scenes where he really looks tired (the actor, not his character) and disinvested. A word for the directors - do not give Bhai scenes where he has to cry. Please just don't.

Katrina Kaif is just about okay, though she shows more gusto in the action scenes. Revathy and Kumud Mishra are passable in their roles, but Simran as Pakistani PM does impress in the third act. Riddhi Dogra and Ranvir Shorey also appear in small parts.

Final Thoughts

Tiger 3 comes roaring onto the big screen with high expectations but ultimately ends in a whimper. It's a film that treads very familiar grounds, lacking the thrill and energy we've come to expect from similar action-packed entries within this very Spy Universe franchise. Salman Khan's swag is not on form, while Katrina Kaif's fervour in action sequences is just not enough to infuse vitality into the proceedings. Not even Shah Rukh Khan's cameo is able to work the needed charm. YRF must introduce more innovation and elevate their technical finesse if they aim to leave us enthused about the upcoming Tiger vs Pathaan. Just bringing two of Bollywood's biggest superstars on screen as leads and relying on their star-power and bonhomie isn't enough of a job.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 12, 2023 11:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).