Don 2 *Reviews and Spoilers*

[Mumbaiker]

Sorry don't know if the thread's already been set up.

Caught this today in 3D no less - well as 3D as a kind of semi-baked 2D can get. Shocked to say I actually crashed during a few action sequences, and jolted awake with the next onset of explosions. It's all a bit meandering and self-indulgent, with Shah Rukh's lines all epic and slightly hammy. When a film starts with a capture of Shah Rukh in his avatar with a title card saying 'SHAH RUKH KHAN - AS AND IN DON (2)' you pretty much know what to expect - but I will say this:

HE HAS NEVER. EVER. EVER. LOOKED SO GOOD.

That's really all that stands out, and I'm not really fan. For the first time ever I kind of saw a physical appeal, in a lot of scenes!

The songs - and there aren't many - were just pathetic. The Lara Dutta number was so tinny and tuneless (she can't dance, it's quite an awkward watch) and slapped in just to show Don's supposed bravado without moving the story anywhere that I actually found myself wondering if it was best they just made the film without any numbers, which for me goes against what the soul of mainstream Hindi cinema is all about.

I don't think it was explained how Lara replaced Eesha's character at all. Lara's pretty and has a beautiful voice, but she needs - if possible - to slap up some interesting stuff quick because she has nothing interesting to do in anything anymore. Don 2 included.

Priyanka did whatever she had to do as the lines required it, but it's not a movie that really moves her backwards or forwards in any way in terms of acting prowess or a laudable performance. Her looks always suit her.

I really didn't buy the Don/Roma chemistry - sorry, love dynamic. When you pursue a man in a bid to avenge the death of your only family, falling in love with him - I would imagine - takes a very special personality. I think Don's way too cocky, untrustworthy and raspy for that, I'm afraid.  In Don, Roma thought she was in love with the street performer - that's the only (and vital) thing that made her open to the situation at all.  Here it is actually the man who just killed her brother and innocent sister-in-law - yet they play on the supposed 'love' thing a lot. I don't get it.

At the end I don't think I cared. The Priyanka and Shahrukh song that we all thought was awful on the board though, turned out the be quite a nice post-movie watch - kind of raucous and interesting the look at, I think they touched it up after the crappy promo we all saw.

Loved the prison scenes. Beautiful to look at cinematography wise.


SEMI-SPOILER MOMENTS...

*SPOILER* The Hrithik mask moment was so WTF ridiculous, what was Farhan thinking? Did they not consider that no prosthetic face, no matter how good it is can be whipped off in one quick reveal. We're talking hours of putting on and a good few minutes at least of peeling away when you're done. That Don would have had to be wearing contacts under the mask to explain Hrithik's eye colour on 'the face'? That Hrithik is about 6'1 and Shah Rukh is about 5'8 so the dance sequence made no sense for it being the same person*SPOILER*

*They've left it open at the end again. I think they're trying to create a kind of anti-hero Bond series set-up. I just want it to end*

[Sanyogita]

Thank you for the review Mumbaiker  

A few questions, if you don't mind, I' still deciding if I should go watch it  :

Does the terrible song promo with SRK swapping breifcases and the gori agent in a maroon dress who checks him for weapons appear in the film?

Does PC actually have a lot to do? Does she have a stronger role than in the first installment?

Do we get to see a lot of Kunal Kapoor/ Hrithik prettiness?  

Is there any kind of character development/ backstory for Don or is all just explosions and car chases?

  

[Mumbaiker]

Thank you for the review Mumbaiker  

A few questions, if you don't mind, I' still deciding if I should go watch it  :

Does the terrible song promo with SRK swapping breifcases and the gori agent in a maroon dress who checks him for weapons appear in the film?

Does PC actually have a lot to do? Does she have a stronger role than in the first installment?

Do we get to see a lot of Kunal Kapoor/ Hrithik prettiness?  

Is there any kind of character development/ backstory for Don or is all just explosions and car chases?

  

I don't remember that song featuring! Would you link me the promo - maybe I dozed off throughout it! 

Priyanka's character Roma basically has a lot of harrassed-and-vengeful-agent-trying-to-resist-falling-in-love-isms throughout the film. She moves the plot in some ways, but I wouldn't say you leave feeling anything in the film really rests on her. I guess for that reason she hasn't really got much to do. Definitely not stronger than the first installment.

More Kunal - but he's not so much handsome as casual. 'Hrithik' appears in about an 8 minute sequence. You'll understand the '' when/if you see it.

No real character development - no real backstory. We don't know why Don is the way he is - what his background in life is. A lot of car chases and fight sequences.

[mysticgoryfilms]

I don't remember that song featuring! Would you link me the promo - maybe I dozed off throughout it! 

No, I don't think you dozed off. There are only two songs in the movie - the two you mentioned in your review. The rest, like the one Sanyogita is talking about, were for promotional purposes.

And I decided to read your spoiler, now I just ruined it for myself. Lol. I have got to stop.

[Parallel_Worlds]

I didnt read the comments because of possible spoilers. For those who have already seen the movie, is it worth it...?
Could someone give me the plusses and minusses without spoilers..?

[corbie]

If there are spoilers I won't read anything. The theater is only showing the 2D during the day when I am working!  Usually I would go on Sunday, but I am having company this Sunday!

So I will be forced to go see a late 3D in Monday. Then go again next Sunday for the regular if still there. If they kept Desi Boys  for 3 weeks, I am sure it still will be. 

I called the theater and they said Regal made the decision to do it this way. I do object to being forced to watch 3D! And the price. But am I going to do it? Miss Shah Rukh Khan? No way. Anybody else, I wouldn't do it.

[MrB]

Times of India review. They give 4/5.

Don 2
Nikhat Kazmi

Story: Don (Shah Rukh Khan) is back, with characteristic savior faire. This time he has a monumental heist plan where he wants to steal the currency plates of the Euro from a high security vault in Berlin and disappear into the horizon as a free bird. Does he succeed? Specially when there is hot cop Roma (Priyanka Chopra) doggedly chasing him....

Movie Review: Don 2 is a classic action/crime thriller that doesn't let go, even for a moment. More importantly, the plot has been finely crafted, with every twist and turn falling into place like a complicated albeit neat little jigsaw. With a canvas that goes on a cross-country ride -- Thailand, Malaysia, Zurich, Berlin - the film challenges you to hop aboard its high speed scuttle and attentively follow the exploits of its glamorous gangster. One who oscillates between two avatars -- Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible) and James Bond - without losing out on his desi charisma.

The high point of the film is Shah Rukh's delineation of the character of the Don. The actor interprets him as an arrogant, agile, wicked and wild dare-devil who has the most bizarre schemes up his sleeves. But that's not all. He also has the chutzpah to carry them through. Taking off from the climax of the first film, the gangster resurfaces in Thailand after a suitable time span, creates mayhem and then, in an unprecedented and inexplicable move, surrenders before his old enemies (cop Roma), only to be sent to a Malaysian prison. Get ready for a breath taking prison-break sequence, where our maverick escapes with another old foe, Vardhan (Boman Irani). The rest of the film is essentially the execution of a meticulous plan where the duo chooses to rob the Germans of their currency plates. Easier said than done, but with the devious Don, rest assured, no mission is an impossible mission. Shah Rukh remains in command and never loses his foothold, neither through the dramatic sequences nor through the action cuts. But of course, didn't we know the actor always loved playing wicked despite his romantic hero image. Remember Darr and Baazigar, two of his unforgettable films?

Action is the other alluring selling point of Farhan Akhtar's film. The chases, the fights, the demolition, destruction, break-ins, escapes have all been done with a finesse that rivals the best of Hollywood. Watch the car chase between Priyanka and Shah Rukh and you'll get the point. It's not only high voltage that drips with passion which makes it seem almost like foreplay. The other notable sequences include the heist, the escape and Shah Rukh's larger-than-life leap from a high-rise while his assassin wrings his hands in dismay.

The film does lack a bit on the emotional quotient and human relationships are hardly given a chance to grow. But just when you think it's all sound and fury, there's a sensuous tango between Roma and the Don as the cop opts to help the gangster she once loved and the gangster is determined to save his junglee billi (wild cat), any which way. A word about the dialogues: brilliant. A word about the music: mediocre (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy).

[Prem Rogue]

http://www.the-nri.com/index.php/2011/12/film-review-don-2/

Film Review: Don 2
Pulkit Datta
December 23, 2011
An otherwise slick and stylish film is brought crashing down by lackluster script and dialogues.

There’s a serious condition ailing the mainstream Hindi film industry – the unnecessary compulsion to talk more and show less. In one sequence in Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2, the conniving lead (Shah Rukh Khan, back with his grimaces) explains in detail to his accomplices the plan to blackmail a high profile target. Once the accomplices nod and agree to the plan, they then execute the plan, exactly as was explained earlier. And after the same thing has been told and then shown, it’s told again in a summary of sorts where the cops hunting for Don realize the plan and feel the need to spell it out. Again. This, unfortunately, is what unceremoniously drags Don 2 down from its high expectations and even bigger hype into disappointment.

Akhtar has established himself as a quality filmmaker (amongst his many other talents), managing to balance style with story in a fresh, new age way. He has done this right from his directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai, and followed it with Lakshya and even the first Don film, which was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan cult classic. Conjuring up an original sequel to a remake of a cult classic is akin to playing with fire. This is why Don 2 comes with such high expectations and is an unfortunate letdown. The script and dialogues become the biggest weakness of a premise that had the potential for oh-so-much.

The story continues some time after where the first one left off. It begins with the elusive Don resurfacing, creating some more havoc and in a surprise move, he turns himself in. His goal is to see Vardhan (Boman Irani) again, his arch enemy who was caught and imprisoned at the end of the first film. Conjuring up another plan, Don now wants to collaborate with the one man he trusts the least, starting with plotting both their escapes from prison. The premise is intriguing and, knowing the dynamics between these two characters in the first film, the sequel could have been taken in so many different directions to make for a taut and thrilling ride. But the intrigue fizzles out soon after, as Vardhan is reduced to a mere sidekick for most of the film. He listens to Don’s plans, asks a couple of clarification questions and then agrees each time. Yes, he too has his own motives but his character’s dramatic weight is significantly lessened here.

Akhtar and his team have designed Don 2 as an action thriller, using the cat-and-mouse chase template that has proven to be such an entertaining genre. The problem with this film, however, becomes the sheer lack of depth in the story which drags the film considerably. The first Don had a lot going on – multiple players in a drug trade, a police department with embedded criminals, a powerful female lead with a personal agenda, a wronged man looking for vengeance, all encompassed within an intricate, if bizarre, master plan hatched by an all-powerful elusive villain. In Don 2, this master criminal just wants to rob a bank in Berlin.

The cop team of Roma (an uninspired Priyanka Chopra) and Malik (an even more uninspired Om Puri) are back on the hunt for Don as they follow him from Malaysia to Germany. Don’s new arm candy accomplice is Ayesha (Lara Dutta, oozing glamor), who is actually one of the more effective characters for how little she needs to speak. Her expressions and actions say it all as she dutifully and confidently helps put Don’s puzzle together. The other new character is the tech whizkid Sameer (Kunal Kapoor, functional but underused), who is hired by Don to execute his plan.

Good action films also need lots of one thing – good action. The few chase and action sequences Akhtar orchestrates are snazzy. The car chase as Roma tails Don through the streets of Berlin tries some new stunts and is a thrilling watch. But even the action sequences fade out in the second half and especially the climax. The part of the film that should have been the fastest in pace, twists and should have left the audience breathless is instead riddled with mundane dialogues, as the characters literally stroll casually through a high pressure, time-sensitive situation.

The best thing in Don 2’s favor is its production quality. It is by far one of the slickest and most stylish films seen in Hindi cinema recently. In that respect, it more than lives up to one of Akhtar’s trademarks as a filmmaker. The camerawork by Jason West is a pleasure to watch. The one and only song-and-dance sequence in the entire narrative, Zara Dil Ko Tham Lo, is brilliantly shot and the action sequences have an artfulness to them that is still rare in commercial Hindi cinema.

At a runtime of two and a half hours, Don 2 simply doesn’t have enough to justify its length. While Khan managed to carry off the character effectively in the first film, he seems forced this time, turning his character from a wicked and clever baddie to just a nuisance. It’s hard to connect with him or any other character in the film, while the script leaves hardly anything to the imagination. If you must watch it, go for the visuals and the action scenes. Otherwise, it’s an underwhelming film in many ways from Akhtar, which is disappointing considering his impressive track record.

[Sanyogita]

Mumbaikar: Thank you so much.  The fact that Don has no backstory or character development 2 movies in, is especially discouraging. 

I'm surprised to see that even Filmfare has given Don 2 a lukewarm review. They usually rave about anything that involves SRK- Ra.One included.

http://filmfare.com/articles/don-2-2868.html

[starrysky]

Mumbaikar: Thank you so much.   The fact that Don has no backstory or character development 2 movies in, is especially discouraging.  

I've always found the first Don (the first with SRK, that is   ) such a shallow film, that I don't think any backstory would fit in with the "style". At least it wouldn't be consistent with the mood of the first installment. There is no attempt at any sort of "realness" there, I think. Which is probably why I never cared for "Don".

But I have watched an interview of Shahrukh's where he said he suggested to Farhan adding some sort of tragic backstory to Don's character to justify his villainness.

Aha, found it. It was here, at 40:33.

"I tell Farhan sometimes that, you know, suppose we show him in one scene that he was really treated badly at birth. People will think of him as a hero, that he was an orphan and he was beaten up. But we don't want to have that justification or glorification."

Maybe some backstory could have been added in the "Don" style, not necessarily "tragic" and serious.  It's just that when I start thinking about any possible backstory for Don, it starts looking more like "Company" or "Vaastav" than "Don"... Can't think seriously of "Don"...

[mysticgoryfilms]

I think it's better if Don doesn't have a backstory. Sometimes villains should be... I don't know, bad? Should there be a reason for them to become bad? I think it's better that this time there's a villain who doesn't have an emotional story to justify his actions (Baazigar, Darr, Anjaam... especially Baazigar). 

[farida]

But I have watched an interview of Shahrukh's where he said he suggested to Farhan adding some sort of tragic backstory to Don's character to justify his villainness.
Aha, found it. It was here, at 40:33.
"I tell Farhan sometimes that, you know, suppose we show him in one scene that he was really treated badly at birth. People will think of him as a hero, that he was an orphan and he was beaten up. But we don't want to have that justification or glorification."

Doesn't that mean that he was against the introduction of a back story?
Anyhow, in 1995 he had already done a film about a mistreated-orphan-turned-into-a-gangster: “Ram Jaane“.  

[Spencer]

Masand

Heist makes waste

Don 2

Rating: 2/5

December 23, 2011
 
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, Kunal Kapoor, Aly Khan, Om Puri
 
Director: Farhan Akhtar
 
In his interviews leading up to the release of Don 2, director Farhan Akhtar has repeatedly said that viewers seeking anything other than pure thrills and entertainment from this film are likely to be disappointed. Going in with strictly those expectations, I’m sorry to report I still came away feeling cheated.
 
For the film’s plot – which basically involves our flamboyant criminal protagonist (Shah Rukh Khan) assembling a team to pull off a seemingly impossible heist in Berlin – the makers borrow ideas from some fine capers like Ocean’s Eleven and the Mission Impossible movies. Still what they deliver in the end is a clunky and spectacularly boring film that is neither smart nor particularly fun.
 
Sequel to the 2006 film, which was itself a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Don 2 suffers from lazy writing. This is the kind of film in which a most-wanted international criminal can roam around a prison unsupervised, so he can smuggle deadly chemicals into the premises, and poison the inmates’ dinner.
 
There are ample car chases, explosions, and plot twists; there’s a globetrotting adventure that kicks off in Thailand, moves to Malaysia, then unravels in Europe. But what’s missing is the slightest hint of urgency or nail-biting tension.  Take that freefall sequence from a Berlin skyscraper; it’s shot stylishly and gracefully, but without any of the messy unpredictability it could’ve done with. Remember that edge-of-the-seat Burj sequence in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol?
 
For what’s intended as a slick action thriller, Don 2 moves at an unforgivably slow pace. The heist-planning sequences are tedious and repetitive, and involve more talk than action. To be entirely honest, the action itself has a been-there-seen-that feel to it, and some set pieces aren’t even competently plagiarized. A scene in which an A-list star makes an uncredited cameo defeats the very intention of the scene, given that the audience is in on the trick from the word go.
 
Looking leaner, meaner and less androgynous than he did in the earlier film, Shah Rukh Khan is expectedly the driving force of Don 2. With a cocky swagger and a mischievous smile, the actor delivers cheesy dialogue that belongs in a school play. The bedrock of a good heist film is the interaction between its team, but Shah Rukh towers above his comrades, giving them precious little to do. Boman Irani returns as Don’s nemesis Vardhan, who has been enlisted to help him on the new job. Lara Dutta is his fetching moll, Kunal Kapoor a hacker handpicked for the assignment, and Aly Khan an influential banker blackmailed into volunteering his services.
 
Priyanka Chopra, on the other side of the moral divide, is Interpol officer Roma, who has some unfinished business with Don. Their scenes together offer some of the film’s most unintentionally comical moments, and while Priyanka looks the part of the ass-kicking tough-chick, the script seldom lets her fly with it.
 
Don 2 is nicely shot, and there are moments where Shah Rukh Khan is riveting. But that’s not enough to hold your interest for well over two hours…even the actor’s most loyal fans will find themselves yawning. I’m going with a generous two out of five for director Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2. Although packed with fast cars and bikes, this is one slow ride.
 
(This review first aired on CNN-IBN)

http://www.rajeevmasand.com/reviews/our-films/heist-makes-waste/

[Darshana]

I haven't seen the film yet, and of course I will, but this NY TImes reviewer, DAvid Dewitt, nonetheless seems to me to probably have put his finger on what's wrong with this and other current Hindi films that stuff themselves up with well-roduced"action" scenes - the deeply disappointing lack of any emotional structure to the story that would make these action sequences amount to anything beyond a display of filmmaking craft.

Especially sorry if Farhan is doing things this way - and still holding a tiny hope that I'll find some level to this that reviewer didn't catch.  But - it's just like one tiney lit match at the moment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/movies/don-2-with-shah-rukh-khan-and-priyanka-chopra-review.html?tntemail0=y&_r=1&emc=tnt&pagewanted=print

Bollywood Baddie Is Ready to Take On Europe

By DAVID DeWITT

If “Mission: Impossible” and “Ocean’s Eleven” had a bombastic, funny and slick cousin, it might be “Don 2.”

This zippily edited sequel to a 2006 Indian hit is not the least bit coy about its intentions: the young criminal kingpin Don (Shah Rukh Khan, left) is back, and “now my target is Europe!” Soon enough, after a prison escape art-directed within an inch of its colorful life, he’s hatching a grand plan to rob a Berlin bank of its euro printing plates. The lovely Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and her wise mentor (the great Om Puri) are on his trail, though, and he can’t trust his partners. It’s indeed an impossible mission (Don even uses a peel-away mask) in the jokey spirit of Danny Ocean.

“Don 2” is more comic book than that, except most comics have nods to emotional depth. Don is a superenigma, an anti-hero way too extraordinarily capable to take seriously, which is fine when he’s doing something interesting (the big heist has twists, stunts and suspense aplenty) and simply auto-action when he’s not (all those car chases and, heck, the first third of the film).

The director, Farhan Akhtar, seems out to create a spectacular, international entertainment with “Don 2,” in a mix of Hindi and English and a dollop of German. And thanks to the unpretentious humor, he is mostly successful, though audiences will have to forgive the bland performances. Not the actors’ fault, really; when a cocky chuckle (Mr. Khan) or determined lips (Ms. Chopra) are your only character bits, you don’t have much character to explore. Only Kunal Kapoor, as a more sympathetic colleague of Don’s, has human moments. They’re almost out of place; subtlety is one language this playful film doesn’t speak.

[Nitika]

Saw this yesterday and really enjoyed it. Was slick stylish and SRK has not looked so good before. Performance wise SRK rules Boman was great enjoyed the scenes between Don n Vardaan Lara was only in it prob for 10 mins Kunal was ok as was other cast. Disappointed with PC she looked good her action stunts were brill but thats all. Great action, thrill & performances. the letdown is the music n background score. the cameo was nice surprise and I should have known since the 1st one that there would be twists/unpredicatable. Would watch again

[Smartkid]

On man, why did I read your spolier Mumbaikar! Totally ruined that surprised. I had read about the cameo when they were filming in Berlin but I had completely forgot.

[Vinita]

Just got back from watching Don 2.  

First, a fangirly squee.  SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

OK.  I don't think I got that out of my system yet.  So the rest probably sounds like a lot of squeeing too.  

Not a lot of coherent thought from me on this one yet.

I enjoyed it.  It was quite slick and the action sequences were very well done, for an Indian movie.  

I got bored with all the other characters very fast.  I still don't know what the point of the story was.  But SRK was drool worthy.  Can't wait to go see it again.  

[blue]

I watched this tonight. I really really enjoyed it. I had such fun watching it. It was a relief because I didn't like Ra One very much. I love evil Shah Rukh and he was full-on here not to mention, he looked seriously drop dead gorgeous. Don 2 is a simple but really well done heist film. Tight pace, (2nd half is even better) and the action sequences are brilliant. I loved the Prison scenes and the twist which I was not expecting.

Boman Irani was great as usual, Lara didn't have much of a part to play and Priyanka was good enough though I have seen her do a lot better. Anyways, it's Shah Rukh Khan's show all the way.

[los angeles]

I met up with Lena this afternoon to see this
I think it worked in its own genre, in what it was going for. Kind of like Ra.One, it's a fun, cheezy, ridiculous popcorn action movie with lots of car chases, fights, guns, etc [Though I'm mostly a romantic-movies fan, I love seeing the big spectacle pictures once in a while too ]
Boman I is a good actor, and Priyanka and Kunal seemed to be having fun.
The trailer for Imran-Kareena's romantic comedy showed during previews, as well as Sanjay D and Hrithik's revenge tale.
I couldn't help but compare Hrithik's cameo in Don 2 to his now-running trailer--much preferred his character's appearance in the latter. Couldn't quite handle the bowtie/poof-bouffant/pout he was sporting here Especially the bouffant--as Lena noted after we saw the movie, even Anil Kapoor doesn't wear his hair that high. HR's pompadour is Elvis-impersonator height in this movie haha:p

[Dolce~oro]

Especially sorry if Farhan is doing things this way - and still holding a tiny hope that I'll find some level to this that reviewer didn't catch.  But - it's just like one tiney lit match at the moment.

Nope, he pretty much summed it up to the T.  There is absolutely no pretense as to why you're supposed to root for Don: because he's Don and SRK is playing him. Bas. The fact that he is trying to take over the drug cartels in Europe (possibly THE most hateful type of organized crime there is, second only to human trafficking) in order to be the one and only druglord gets brushed off after the first scene, so at least they were subtle enough to not slap you in the face with it at the end of the film, but if you're anything like me, this will take away all the glam from Don's struts and poses.

I also seemed to have forgotten why there was a love story subtext between Don and Roma... so their scenes seemed out of place to me too (or at any rate forcing the chemistry card). I remember there was some sort of thing where Roma falls for the Vijay character in the first Don, but how and why that was a good enough reason to still have the hots for Don escaped me. I do blame my terrible memory though, I'm sure there was something there I just didn't remember.

Much like RaOne, this movie seems to have been made for the love of action scenes (which are actually pretty cool, to be fair) and one-liners (which get really annoying really fast for someone like me who doesn't find SRK "ZOMGsohot" just because he's being bad). My verdict could be summed up in one word: meh. Sad because the few times when SRK was truly cool was when he was doing action scenes especially at the end when he's "on the just side", so I was really wishing he had been in a role where I could root for him (was reminded of Main Hoon Na and how great that was for this exact reason).

But to leave on a good note, Lara, Kunal and Boman are the three actors that had my attention in this one. And I was delighted and surprised by the cameo! That was so much fun. I had forgotten those two make a pretty sweet pair.

[Poonam]

Don ko pakadna, etc. came a little too true in my case - I missed the first 20 minutes -pre-Christmas gridlock on the roads. When we reached, Vardaan and Don were already out of prison and weaving their machinations together. It was fun ride all the way. The action sequences were great - very stylish and often heartstopping. SRK looked fabulous and clearly enjoying every one of his cheesy Don-isms. I especially enjoyed his little "romantic" dialogues with PC. She was OK and so were the rest, but rather cardboard compared to Don. I wasn't too pleased with Farhan's flashbacks "explanations" but since I am not equipped with to suggest better alternatives, I won't whine too much.

If you go in expecting great depth, you wlill be disappointed. But neither is this a leave-your-brains-behind adventure, so there's plenty of scope for a fun day at the movies.

[zombeaner]

My review:

DON 2 Review

[Prem Rogue]

Sounds like this is strictly for SRK fans.

http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/don-2-dont/

The depressingly underwhelming (and numbingly long) Don 2 is less about Farhan Akhtar’s commitment to plot and character than hairstyling and haberdashery. Watch Shah Rukh Khan, in the opening scenes, resembling the world’s nattiest Naga sadhu. Behold Om Puri, gratefully grown out of his simian buzz cut in the earlier movie. See Lara Dutta’s ripe cheekbone framed by an inverted-comma cascade of silken hair. After the first Don, the reboot, the question on my mind was why they bothered. Why remake a star vehicle so identified with a one-time superstar? Why not simply write something new around a next-generation superstar? And Farhan Akhtar’s response was that he was bringing Don to a generation that had grown up without fond memories of the Bachchan blockbuster. I suppose his justification for Don 2 would be that he’s bringing Mission: Impossible and Die Hard to a generation that’s grown up without those blockbusters. Don 2 is so derivative, so dull that it makes us realise something we’d have thought hardly possible as the year began: Anubhav Sinha has ended up making the better Shah Rukh Khan film.

[Simran_Singh]

I loved it. Hats off to Farhan and his team for producing such a stylish film - truly world-class visuals, including the fight scenes/action sequences. This movie absolutely relies on Shahrukh's charisma, so if you're not a fan of his, you probably won't enjoy it. But I loved every minute he was onscreen (which is almost every minute of the film). Even in the beginning, with the long hair and linen suit - he looked like the epitome of a sleazy Asian gangster. I also found it hilarious that he has almost no 'real' dialogue - everything he says is a quip, and Shahrukh pulls this off beautifully.

I also liked that, despite having small roles, Priyanka and Lara are not there just as love interests or sex objects, they had work and they are shown as being competent.

Kunal Kapoor looked so handsome, and provided the movie with almost its only emotion. I don't know whether I should be mad at him for being too choosy about the roles he takes, or mad at the film industry for criminally underusing him.  

I also really enjoyed Priyanka's sidekick, played by (the Internet tells me) model Sahil Shroff - looking forward to seeing him in more things.

Hrithik's cameo was awesome. Afterwards my friend asked me, "What was the point of that? Was that just an excuse to have Hrithik in the film?" Pretty much. Loved it.

ETA: My only complaints are that it was a bit too long, and that there weren't enough songs.

[lena]

I enjoyed it, but I do think the script had major problems. The beginning and end were great but the middle sagged seriously. Don is at his best when he's on the run, making it all up as he goes along.  It surprises me that no-one has yet mentioned the most glaring plot hole--when we first see Malik, he's just retired, yet the rest of the movie proceeds as though  he's still on the job! Does Interpol have some kind of Obstacle Course clause, that if you don't make it all the way out to your car on your last day of work, they rescind your retirement? That kind of sloppiness persists throughout.

Don does spend too much time mouthing Donisms (like an evil Yoda) but when he does get going it's great. The car chase through Berlin was a rush, and I think it epitomized Roma and Don's attraction for each other--they both had looks on their faces of really getting off on the chase and on driving like lunatics. I don't think they "love" each other but they are obsessed with each other. Roma is torn between hatred of the man who killed her brother, attraction to the man she thought was Vijay, and I think the adrenaline rush of the chase; for Don, Roma is the best toy ever, just wind her up and watch her go. She's the one who it's the most fun to elude. (I did love the bit where, after she gives him a lecture on how he's a dog, he barks as he follows her.) There's a sense that the reason he keeps saving her from the (other) bad guys is because he regards her as HIS mouse to play with (to switch animal imagery).

Boman was definitely under-used, but the scene where he is being bored to death by the security expert and his Power-Point presentation on forged bank notes was hilarious.

The character of Sameer may have been the only one with "human emotions" but I found him too ill-defined and all over the place. He's a hacker who stole a ton of money to donate to an environmental fund--yet he's a "big fan" of Don? He's in love with his pregnant partner yet he ends up with Don? What kind of values does he really have? Why doesn't the script offer us just a little insight here?

I enjoyed it, like I said, whereas I loved the first Don--and one reason was that the script of Don 1 actually sewed up the holes in the plot of the original, whereas this one just created its own holes. So now, really, I want a Don 3 to fix them up! And it needs to be one where it's Don against the World--he's at his best when he's on his own with everyone against him; he's boring and pretentious when he's just the boss.