Force 2 review: Logic is inversely proportional to John Abraham’s muscles

Force 2
Cast: John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha, Tahir Raj Bhasin
Director: Abhinay Deo
Rating: 2/5

A funny looking gangster is in the midst of negotiating a deal when a bike stops in front of him. The rider is a tough cop whose shirt is doing a bad job of containing his bulging biceps. Soon we are told that he doesn’t fear death... because he lost his wife five years ago. During the fight that follows, one of the gangster’s sidekicks attacks the cop and a nail pierces through his shoulder. It’s a good excuse for him to do away with the shirt. So, he removes his shirt, flashes his chiseled body (of course the camera angles are the key here), beats up the bad guys, and walks away in super slow motion.

Yes, this keeps repeating throughout John Abraham’s Force 2.

Mumbai police’s cynical officer Yashvardhan (John Abraham) receives a courier which is actually a code sent by his friend in RAW (Research And Analysis Wing). It turns out to be the beginning of a high profile case which takes him to Budapest. Agent KK (Sonakshi Sinha) is his boss and partner on the mission.

They are up against an international syndicate run by Shiv Sharma (Tahir Raj Bhasin): he looks like a regular guy, but deep beneath he is a highly motivated criminal.

On the face of it, there’s nothing wrong in this setting: Perfect for high speed chases and daredevil stunts. Trouble is, things start getting out of the director’s grip very soon into the film and that is not good news.

Here’s one example. Thousands of rounds of bullets are fired during a chase, and just when we thought it’s never going to end, John says: ‘They don’t want to kill us, they are here for something else.’

So, basically they are firing point blank just to say hello. And they get killed just for fun!

Similarly, Sonakshi Sinha says, ‘We have to save our next agent in 30 minutes.’ Rest assured, this half an hour lasts longer than eternity. What surprises even more is that the director has shown the end of the day and the beginning of the evening in one transition. How can you show such transitions when you are not sure about the time passed in between!

The talkative villain likes to play mouth organ, and that provides for a good background score for some action scenes. The only problem is that every such scene ends with Abraham pointing a gun at Bhasin’s temple. After a while you wish to see the villain dead just to get rid of the recurring shot. Nobody obliges though.

Initially, Abhinay Deo, the director, tries to infuse some quirky elements. Even John Abraham attempts dead-pan humour. But these efforts give way to lethargic chase sequences. Budapest’s scenic beauty takes the attention further away from what’s happening on the screen.

But what a location! Breathtaking aerial shots are Force 2’s biggest attraction.

Imre Juhasz and Mohana Krishna’s cinematography has captured the city in its complete glory. The geography of Budapest unfolds magnificently, but Juhasz and Krishna seem confused about the film’s tone.

They decide to go with a video game like camera planning during the climax. This abrupt move makes the viewer think about the characters’ movements in other scenes. None of them, not even the writing, give any indication of the characters’ mechanical movements or a set thought process. So, when the final action sequence begins, it seems like another film rather than the part of the ongoing one. Brave experiment nevertheless.

From Mission Impossible to The Peacemaker to A good Day To Die Hard, many Hollywood hits have their reflection in Force 2. However, the blending doesn’t work.

Watch: Trailer of John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha’s Force 2

Mardaani presented Tahir Raj Bhasin as a talent to look forward to. He has treaded a similar path here, and is in a good form. He stands tall to John Abraham who is film’s biggest attraction. His action hero image is working overtime in Force 2 and he somehow makes the film bearable. Sonakshi Sinha’s underwritten role doesn’t let the director’s feminist take on certain issues blossom.

Force 2 has a noble heart. It wants to get the undercover agents, who selflessly serve the nation, their due. But the narrative hasn’t taken a favourable shape. Sadly, it’s mostly about muscles and very less about intelligence.

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