In Race 2, directed and written by Tony and Tim Graver, there is plenty action, lots of loud gases, lots of highways, lots of beauty, and all this is all in glamour, full-on, assured, bold unapologetic. The storyline of the movie, a mess of shots fired, betrayal, double-crossing, adventurous locales, with the driving force of the story believing to be found in a revenge mission of Ranveer Singh to the deadly Turkish world. Though the story may be fantastic in most times, it is merciless pace and overbearing tone that keeps viewers at heels, taking them into the world where form is more important than the content and every turn tends to stun or obfuscate.
The acting is a hit and miss affair but mostly successful in the campy world of the movie. The suaveness of Saif Ali Khan is the centre of this mayhem and John Abraham along with Deepika Padukone sports the star power and the glamour. Anil Kapoor adds comic relief and makes the darker parts of the movie with his pleasant demeanor. The style of Abbas-Mustan is smooth and suave, with shiny visuals and close editing to pump up the adrenaline levels. Exotic places are shot with amazing quality that the vibrant score takes this movie to another energetic level, and at some point, the music seems to be too amplified.
The aspect of “Race 2” that struck me the best was that it is utterly absurd and it has no intention of appearing to be realistic or trying to think much deeper about the characters; it is purely an entertainment. It somehow manages to be boisterous, trashy, screaming, and full of amusement park rides which makes me thrilled and nostalgic by the ways of Bollywood blockbusters that gave priority to spectacularity rather than delicacy. Despite the fact that it is far not as good as it should be, it does what it has to as a popcorn-perfect treat and leaves you with the whole impression, that you have been on a crazy, glamorous ride, that you are never going to forget.
