Yahoo! Movies Review: Dabangg 2
Cast: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Arbaaz Khan
Direction: Arbaaz Khan
Rating: ***
Arbaaz Khan knows that he owns a very successful franchise and to score big with 'Dabangg 2' he needed to do more than just replicate the same format. 'Dabangg 2' tries to deliver on its promise as much as possible and our hero indulges his fans in true Salman Khan-ishtyle.
Chulbul/Robinhood Pandey (Salman Khan) has now taken a transfer to Kanpur where goon-turned-politician Thakur Bachcha Lal (Prakash Raj) needs to be tamed. There are quite a few encounters between Chulbul and Bachcha bhaiya's men and every time our supercop manages to beat the bad boys to a pulp in his inimitable style.
Chulbul has made peace with his stepbrother and stepfather and is a more domesticated man now. He is no longer the brash, presumptuous lover but a more romantic and understanding husband. While some of the interaction between Chulbul and his once-estranged father and brother is endearing, I somehow liked the arrogant Chulbul Pandey much better than this one.
The problem with 'Dabangg 2' is the same that plagues most sequels; unless there is an essentially original plot and an unpredictable twist, there is nothing new in this story. The gags, the stunts, the catch phrases, even the song placement at regular intervals give the film a very repetitive feel.
What works for the film is the fact that the length is just right and prevents the film from becoming tedious. Salman Khan is at his entertaining best as Chulbul/Robinhood Pandey.