Race 3

Race 3 Story: The Singh family comprises of Shamsher (Anil Kapoor) his step-son Sikandar (Salman Khan), twins Suraj (Saqib Saleem) and Sanjana (Daisy Shah). They run a business of illegal arms and trade with the help of their friend Yash (Bobby Deol). Things get dramatic when Jessica (Jacqueline Fernandez) meets Sikandar and the family ties are strained under each character’s ulterior motives.

Race 3 Review: The Race franchise is known for its excessively stylized characters and high-octane action. These films showcase expensive cars and fancy set pieces, they have everything to please the an action movie buff and James Bond fans. ‘Race 3’ puts the pedal to the metal when it comes to making stylish statements. But as it zooms ahead in style, the substance is left behind in a cloud of dust.

This film is about a rich family dealing with a lot of double crossing and scheming, as you’d expect from a film of this franchise. The Singh family is executing a high stake heist, where they have to steal a hard disk from a bank, so the setup looks like it's going to have a lot of thrills and action. But the generous dose of action never translates into any serious thrills because the story is so flimsy. To say that the film has a wafer thin plot is an understatement. Unlike the action, the script lacks any real punch as the story does not engage the viewer at all. Trailer of the film had sparked off a bevy of memes on social media and when you watch the film you realise there are more such dialogues like, ‘Our business is our business, none of your business’ and that makes you wonder what the writers were thinking.

What redeems the tissue-thin plot is the larger-than-life action sequences. You have it all - car crashes, explosions, combats, cat-fights and wingsuit diving stunts. Yes, there's lot of smoke and fire, but no real steam - in the story or the performances. Most of the action scenes are in slo-mo, meant to heighten the drama and thrill obviously, but it often ends up making the scene a tedious watch. The best directed parts of the film are the songs, which look like elaborately designed music videos. The movie is mounted on a lavish canvas, and shot on some beautiful locales, but none of that holds your attention for more than a few minutes. It’s a visual delight to see a range of super cars in action, glamorous girls throwing kicks and punches, and of course, fans will relish the sight of Salman Khan and Bobby Deol ripping their shirts off to flaunt their well-greased and chiseled bodies.

There’s a star studded cast on offer so the fans will have plenty of moments to cheer for their favourite stars. Salman Khan leads the pack with the main role, and while he’s great with the action and the style, the character has very little depth. Anil Kapoor plays the father figure of the Singh family with ease. Bobby Deol and Daisy Shah are at their stylish best, too. Jacqueline Fernandez and Saqib Saleem look fantastic as well. ‘Race 3’ will work for Salman fans the most, as bhai kicks and punches with gusto.

But for all its big moments, ‘Race 3’ just does not work up the feeling of suspense and intrigue that made the previous masala movies from the franchise a guilty pleasure. While the film wants to keep you guessing on who will finish the Race first, you are left wondering when you will cross the finish line.