Another week gone by, and we have another sequel to add to our movie watching list. Last week, it was Rock On 2 which left us and its financiers underwhelmed. So I was a little apprehensive when I went to watch this week's sequel, Force 2. The original Force was directed by Nishikant Kamat, and was a remake of Tamil hit, Kaakha Kaakha. This time, the sequel is directed by Abhinay Deo, and it will an entirely new premise. John Abraham returns to play the brawny hero with a wounded past, and he is joined this time by Sonakshi Sinha. However, my fears and concerns were allayed. Force 2 is not only a better sequel but also one of the best action thrillers in the recent times.
Force 2 continues the journey of ACP Yashvardhan (John Abraham), who is still in mourning over the death of his wife in the first film. He is outraged to learn that his best friend, a RAW agent is killed by the Chinese, because someone betrayed his identity. With the of another RAW agent (Sonakshi Sinha), Yash sets off to Budapest to find out the mole. However, little did he know that this new threat will turn out to a very dangerous nemesis. Here are five reasons why Force 2 is a must watch for you, if you are craving for a good action thriller.
An engaging thriller
While the first film merged a thriller and love story, Force 2 is purely a thriller and a good one at that. The story is very engaging with enough twists and turns. Though there are a few clichés, the movie does its best to avoid many of them and instead focuses on the cat and mouse game between the heroes and the villain. There are shades of Hollywood thrillers like Day of The Jackal and Jason Bourne's series in the screenplay, but overall you will have the experience of watching something novel. Credit is to Abhinay Deo's polished direction and his experience of making Anil Kapoor's 24. One more thing I liked about Force 2 is that, despite being set in the world of espionage, Force 2 doesn't bring Pakistan at all in the narrative; instead our other neighbour China is the threat. And yes, the movie avoids jingoism.
Very few distractions
Apart from two short songs, Force 2 offers you no hindrance to divert from the main plot. Like Wazir, even here the hero is visited by the ghost of his past, but it is just restricted to two scenes (bringing in the cameo of a lovely Genelia D'Souza) and a reference. The director has also avoided forcing a romantic track between John and Sonakshi. Even though the back story of a couple of characters is touched upon, again, it's all linked to the main plot. So there are very few opportunities for the viewers to check their mobiles while watching the movie.
A brilliant villain
After impressing us with a brilliant negative performance in Mardaani, Tahir Raj Bhasin continues his wonderful form in Force 2 as well. While we can draw similarities between his characters in both the films, as long as he is stealing the show. Tahir may not be as brawny as the hero of the film, but his character's intellect is enough to give the good guys enough worry. The writers have written his character in the same vein as a few of Marvel's Netflix villains or Civil War's Zemo - smart, malicious but with a tragic, personal background.
Brilliantly executed action scenes
After Shivaay and now Force 2, it's great to see Bollywood taking action sequences to an international level. Each and every action sequence in the film is distinct from the other. While John's entry sequence has a massy appeal, the climax fight sequence uses POV technique a la Hardcore Henry. The chase sequences in the interim are also brilliantly shot.
Honest performances
Apart from Tahir, even other actors have given good account of themselves. John Abraham may be a limited actor, but the director has smartly camouflaged his deficiencies to highlight his one big strength - to kick serious ass. This could be John's best performance in recent times and he was even good in the lighter scenes. Though I didn't care much for how her character was written (a daft RAW agent who is often upstaged by a nefarious villain and an ordinary cop), Sonakshi still gives a good account of herself. Even the supporting characters like Adil Hussain, Narendra Jha, Farhad and even those cameo appearances are spot on.
In short, the 'Force' is really strong with this one. So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets now...
