Movie Review: Ek Tha Tiger

By
Umar.Saleem
-
21
341

Ek Tha Tiger is Salman Khan’s best film since Dabangg. But because his last two films were Ready and Bodyguard, the bar is not exactly high. Still, Ek Tha Tiger has more of a story as well as greater coherence and emotion than both those films put together.
Director and co-writer Kabir Khan takes the larger-than-life Salman Khan persona and wraps it in an engaging story that services it. Of course it’s played out like a comic book but if you’re willing to suspend disbelief there’s fun to be had.
Salman is Tiger, a super-heroic RAW agent who sprints, shoots and crunches bones without a glimmer of worry or sweat. He’s also smarter than the ISI baddies he’s up against, all of which is established in a kick-ass opening sequence that has nothing to do with the film.
But he is only half a James Bond; unlike 007, Tiger has no women. In fact, he hasn’t taken leave in 12 years. But then, a mission involving anti-missile technology takes him to Dublin, where he meets Zoya, played by Katrina Kaif. Tiger’s steely resolve is no match for her beguiling smile. The intrigue goes for a toss and we move into-full blown romance.
I don’t want to reveal the plot but the love story doesn’t halt the action. The globe-trotting continues from Dublin to Istanbul to Havana.
Tiger continues in his superhuman mode, at one point even stopping a tram with his brute strength. But what’s enjoyable is that Katrina also kicks butt. It’s such a pleasure to see a Hindi film heroine not playing a damsel in distress. The action, choreographed by Markos Rounthwaite and Conrad E Palmisano, is spectacular. There are chases on terraces, runaway trams and lots of smashed cars. It does tend to go on and on. In places I got really exhausted.
But the screenplay by Kabir and Neelesh Misra requires Salman to emote and play a character. Thankfully, he makes an effort. Of course, he is always in invincible hulk mode — yes, there is a brief shot of him taking his shirt off — but there is also sweetness and a touch of vulnerability, especially when he first meets Zoya. He seems almost perplexed as he falls in love. Katrina doesn’t have enough to work with but she works hard to give Zoya some weight. Their romance seems effortless.
In places, Ek Tha Tiger becomes downright silly. So the modus operandi might be to think of it as a fairy tale with spies and guns. And enjoy the ride.

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21 COMMENTS

  2. Well, it should not be. Can't we Pakistani's react to what Indian film makers are up to, to always malign our nation's image? Ok fine with Aman kee Aasha but should we wellcome every nasty move they make without caring a fig about our aspirations. It is sad that we see and tolerate their negativity so smilingly under the garb of open mindedness.

      • Kashif you are absolutely correct. It had nothing against Pakistan & ISI. Instead it had a lovely message of peace and humaneness. It should have been allowed in the national cinemas so the money could have gone to the deserving people, the makers and so on.
        Also a big factor for the running business of the movie is contributed by the presence of Salman khan. When there is Salman you can't notice other people in the movie.

    • Zulfiqar,we the Pakistani's do a good job ourselves destroying the image of Pakistan,on top,we the Pakistani's have thinking like yours where we blame everything on others,take your blinders off and look around,not everyone is hatching a conspiracy against Pakistan lol.Its a movie first of all,second,there is no hate crime here so please remove your head from your rare end and just enjoy the movie

  3. The movie is to be released after releasing the innocent down syndrom Christian teenage girl accused of unwanted blasphamy law.

    • You are right though. I hope Mr. Blasphamy will be incarcerated thereafter.
      We don't need this cruel and orthodox law which takes our country down the hell.

  5. It is sad that the movie is banned in Pakistan. the movie is not very complimentary to either the ISI or RAW but cannot be slated anti Pakistani by any stretch of the imagination. It however does depicts the futility of one up man ship between the two countries. Pretty neutral in fact.

    • Imran, you hating Indians or Americans does not make any difference. 45 percent of uneducated or poorly educated people like you hate Indians, americans, afghanis, the whole europe and south american countries. Because your thinking and mind is very narrow and very soon Pakistan will hate sri lankans, nepalis, burmese, thais, indonesians, malaysians and timorese too.. .Pakistan against the whole world.
      What a lousy people you are ?

      • What a lousy person(not people) you are,Sarah,don't throw everyone in this category.I know a lot of Americans and Indians who share his sentiment,why ? because they too are uneducated,to not be educated is not just a Pakistani problem,its a global issue.Either people are uneducated or misinformed dear.

    • All Indians and Americans HATE pakistan and pakistani people , you deserve to know this pathological liars, pakistan sucks at world map.

      • Amit,would you please crawl out of the corner/hole you live in,hate will make you even darker then you already are lmfao.Being hateful does not help anyone,we the Pakistani's have a lot of Indian friends here in the United States and we get along great and are wonderful friends too.

    • pakistan ranks top amongst world's most porn hungry nations..ISI is so cheap…and without any credibility…

  9. ye pakistan ke logo ko hamaare ''hindi cinema'' se kya matlab? very hard to understand for me. jab inki har soch anti-indian hai to indian films hamesha ki tarah ban kyo nahi rakhate ,, hope soon pak gov will ban indian films there again completely!
    and these pakis people in bollywood, really one more sucking truth! while indian film industry never needs paki talents,,,as india has already plethora of ,,so much brain power,,,,

  11. while salman beats ISI ppl, he also crushes his RAW colleagues.
    It doesn't demean pakistan as a nation, rather concludes with a msg towards mutual peace – abt the time when neither RAW nor would ISI be needed. must watch

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