'Don 2' review

Published Dec 23 2011, 09:22 GMT  |  By Priya Joshi

If Shah Rukh Khan's over-zealous turn as a camp superhero in Ra.One prompted you to declare a ban on anything that involved Khan, a high-speed chase and some very suspect styling, Don 2 will go some considerable way to erasing the memory of the $50 million (£32 million) debacle of a film and restoring Khan's superstar sheen, as he redeems himself as the don of the Asian underworld in this classic action/crime thriller.

Reprising his role from the 2006 remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Don, the story picks up from where it left off, with Don (Khan), having established his dominion over Asia, now setting his sights on conquering the mafia community of Europe.

He devises an elaborate heist in which he plans to steal Euro currency plates from a high security vault in Berlin, to facilitate the mass production of counterfeit money. To pull off the elaborate heist, Don turns to his old adversary, Vardhaan (Boman Irani) who is interred in a Malaysian jail.

In a bid to gain access to Vardhaan, Don surrenders himself to one-time love interest and CBI officer Roma Bhagat (Priyanka Chopra). A nifty jailbreak marks the beginning of a complex battle of wits, wile and double bluffs that lead to the execution of a dramatic heist.

Khan ups his cool quotient, as the unkempt, straggly-haired, gun-toting drugs baron holed up in Malaysia gives way to a slick, sophisticated incarnation. Aside from a proclivity for jarring wisecracks, Khan's portrayal of Don is on the money. It's a welcome throw-back to the actor's convention-defying portrayals of psychotic lovers in Anjaam, Darr and Baazigar that first heralded him as the new anti-hero on the block.

But there's a darker, intelligent menace simmering under Don's cool, cavalier exterior that makes him at once alluring and deeply sinister, and Khan's characterisation is pivotal to rendering the story credible. Indeed, there is nothing quite so compelling as a villain with intellect and charm.

The elaborate plot is well delineated, and the backstory is expertly retold using flashback. The deceits, double bluffs and betrayals are expounded well, maintaining the sense of intrigue, and we balk at Don's temerity as, time and again, he evades his would-be captors by sheer guile.

The action sequences heighten the sense of drama, with expertly executed high-speed chases through the streets of Berlin. There are multiple car pile-ups, demolitions and explosions, aided by some slick cinematography and further enhanced in 3D, while Khan engages in some of the best fight sequences we've seen in Bollywood.

While there are obvious parallels with the machinations of Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Don achieves the noteworthy feat of trouncing Cruise's action thriller by dint of a plotline that isn't merely hinged on a death-defying stunt sequence, but keeps you engaged and guessing to the very end.

Priyanka Chopra is the only downside to the film, unconvincing as she is in her dogged pursuit of Don, and failing to demonstrate the necessary wiles that would make her a worthy nemesis. By comparison, Lara Dutta has the air of cool callousness and sex appeal befitting Don's partner-in-crime.

Boman Irani is the perfect foil for Khan as the unscrupulous Vardhaan, while Kunaal Kapoor impresses in an understated performance, providing the most surprising twist in the tale as a computer whizz who penetrates the security system.

The film's dramatic conclusion is brilliantly executed, and as the intricacies of his schemes are revealed, we are left to marvel at Don's evil genius. Don 2 is a thoroughly exhilarating action-fest, fashioned in a Bollywood-stylie - and a shot of adrenalin amidst the usual elf-inspired festive film fare.