Review of movie BAAGHI 2

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Rating:3/5

 Baaghi 2 is an all-out action film with suspense and thriller elements. The first half is spent entirely in the setup. A distraught mother reaches out to her ex-boyfriend Ronny for help. But once Ronny starts investigating the case, he finds out that no one has a clue about Neha’s daughter. The build-up is slow but steady and by interval time the film does manages to pique some interest. Too much time is spent in establishing the story, the suspense and its characters. There are a few action sequences in the first half, but the main focus remains on Neha’s and Ronny’s relationship and the way their past affects their present.

The second half though is a completely different tale. The slow pace of suspense and the romantic track give way to twists and turns that culminate in a finale that lacks any reasoning or rationale. Ronny goes from the slightly confused soldier to an absolute blood-thirsty nutter with nothing but revenge on his mind. It gives Tiger Shroff the chance to exhibit his martial arts skills. He turns into a desi-version of Rambo as he annihilates an entire army with blazing guns and high flying kicks. It is here, that director Ahmed Khan’s movie trades style for substance. The action sequences look slick, but they feel completely needless and bit too excessive. It’s disappointing that the story suffers in this attempt to impress with the action choreography and stunts. There are quite a few plot reveals and character twists during the latter part of Baaghi 2, but they’re not done convincingly. The direction falters as the film’s initial pace, which is a setup for the thrills, doesn’t fit in with the high on action and adrenaline second half. The screenplay also takes random liberties. The honest cop suddenly becomes the boss of the jungle and such forced changes in the narrative seem jarring. Even though the screenplay tries to offer explanations for the irrational plots later on, they seem hard to digest. Right at the end, Tiger’s character just drops into the jungle from out of nowhere. These cinematic liberties and continuity errors foil the film’s impact. The dialogues of the film are definitely not its strength either. 

Even those who have grown up on Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies might find the sight of Tiger Shroff wreaking havoc as a one man army a little too over-the-top. He pulls off his trademark kicks and punches with effortless ease. He looks good as a ripped and intense soldier waging war against the bad guys. The movie sticks to its leading man's strengths and that allows him to make an impression. In the many flashbacks in the first half, Disha plays the charming college girl, otherwise she’s the beaten and bruised mother and at best, her performance is very average. The film also features supporting performances by Randeep Hooda, Deepak Dobriyal and Manoj Bajpayee. But these powerhouse performers have weak and clichéd characters that don't really do justice to their talents. Prateik Babbar plays Neha's brother-in-law, but he snorts and sneers through the role, leaving no impact. As in any commercial film, there's also music and dance on offer. But the songs disrupt the pace of the film. Remixes of Mundiyan Toh Bach Ke and Ek Do Teen, that features a special appearance by Jacqueline Fernandez, only add to the length of the film. At 2 hours and 25 minutes Baaghi 2 seems a little too long. With better editing and a taut screenplay this one could have packed a stronger punch. Nonetheless, the common man who enjoys mindless and impossible action could watch this film to kill time.