'Tiger 3' review: Salman-Emraan-Katrina's panache undercut by drudged screenplay
What's the story
Maneesh Sharma's Tiger 3 is like one of those fireworks on Diwali that light up briefly, giving you moments of exhilaration, but then disappear into nothingness, failing to reach their full potential.
A tale of two halves where parts work substantially better than the whole, Tiger 3 has both stupendous thrills and frustrating disappointments.
Note: This review contains the plot discussion of Tiger 3.
Plot
Here's what happens in 'Tiger 3'
It's tough to jot down the plot without giving a long-winded explanation because there's so much happening.
Sharma throws everything at the wall, hoping something will stick.
Aatish Rehman (Emraan Hashmi) is Tiger (Salman Khan)'s threat, having incriminated him and Zoya as India's traitors.
Eventually, Tiger and Zoya (Katrina Kaif) collaborate to stop Rehman from overthrowing Pakistan's prime minister and unleashing his sinister plans.
#1
Positives: What works for 'Tiger 3'?
Let's begin with the aspects that work in Tiger 3 and keep its boat sailing throughout its extremely fast-paced first half that moves like a tracer bullet—the stakes are high, and there's no time to wait.
Action sequences often tire me out, but here, most of them are so pulsating and pounding (especially a bike chase) that they demand your unadulterated, rapt attention.
#2
Globetrotting adventure offers some spectacular moments
The globetrotting adventure takes us to Turkey, India, Pakistan, and Russia, and Tiger 3 doesn't gasp, at least before intermission.
It knows when to pause, slow down, and take a breath; the narrative of deception, lies, and cheating makes you question everything in a few places.
Special mention to a goosebump-inducing moment (and I don't use the term lightly) where India's national anthem plays.
#3
Avinash 'Tiger' Singh Rathore is human and vulnerable
Tiger—of all heroes in Yash Raj Films's Spy Universe—has the most well-rounded story, considering he laid the foundation on which the film universe has been architected.
Here, that story goes a little bit further and deeper, and Tiger, despite his all-guns-blazing machismo, is still as human and as vulnerable as he has always been.
Previous Tiger films have been given some sweet odes, too.
#4
Flaws: Is Spy Universe biting more than it can chew?
Sometimes, more is actually more; nobody should know it better than the Spy Universe, which sometimes feels like it's milking India's biggest cinematic universe dry.
A layer of people-pleasing attitude looms large over the film, and there's no bigger testament to it than the cameo by Shah Rukh Khan, who, alongside Khan, gets some of the most juvenile dialogues.
Larger-than-life stars, but immature treatment.
#5
Second-half is hodgepodge, complete mess
I fell in love with Tiger 3 in the first half, but post-interval, this affection evaporated as quickly as it had arrived.
In the second half, it becomes a chore to complete and not a film to enjoy because the plot becomes a khichdi. When the number of sub-plots outnumbers the number of characters, you can sense that the movie is inviting trouble.
#6
Why have supporting actors if you don't use them?
Another aspect in which Tiger 3 sags and disappoints significantly is the way it wastes its supporting characters.
Sure, this is an out-and-out Khan show, but completely ignoring the rest of the ensemble (Revathy, Kumud Mishra, and Ranvir Shorey, among others) means that Tiger 3 yearns for—but never receives—emotional heft.
It makes its star bigger than the film itself—not always the best idea.
#7
In many scenes, it felt like restructured version of 'Pathaan'
The film's most shocking aspect is how Rehman's backstory—which Hashmi tries to fuel life into—is the same as that of Jim from Pathaan.
Two anti-heroes, same universe, but the same story?
What went wrong in YRF's writers' room? Could nobody rustle up something novel?
We are also disconnected from Rehman's life because the film never stops for a moment to brew some emotion there.
Verdict
Khan's fan? Watch in theaters; otherwise, wait for OTT release
If you're a hardcore fan of Khan and the YRF Spy Universe, I suggest you throng the theaters to enjoy this film curated in such a way it will appeal directly to Khan's fandom.
If not, waiting for its OTT release is not a hard ask for this venture, the weakest in the Tiger trilogy.
Shiny gloss but a hollow core.
Verdict: 2.5/5 stars.