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Singham Again, the third installment of Rohit Shetty's Singham franchise, relies heavily on the epic Ramayana to give an update to the usual masala potboiler. Does it still help? (Also Read: Singham Again vs. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Review and Live Updates Release)

Singham Again Review: The Story

I can sum it up in one sentence. A villain's (Jackie Shroff) relative Danger Lanka (Arjun Kapoor) is back for revenge and Bajirao Singham's (Ajay Devgn) wife Avni (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is kidnapped but he can't save her alone, so he gets friends on board.

This is where the strange case of Singham Again begins. A common complaint with many films is that while the first halves are always good, the dip comes in the second. Here the opposite is the case. Six people have been credited for the script: Yunus Sajawal, Abhijeet Khuman, Kshitij Patwardhan, Sandeep Saket, Anusha Nandakumar and Rohit. I wonder what so many people were doing because the first half is chaotic. Actually, I understand it now. Too many cooks spoil the broth. The attempt to connect Ramayana's story with Singham's universe is novel, but the execution is muddled. It takes forever to evoke the thrill that awaits us.

Singham Again review: The verdict

Rohit has a good concept in his hand – then he decides to take the entire first half only to realize, “Look at the Ramayana, look at the same scene, look at the symbolism.” Whatever What doesn't help is that we know what will happen next, as does the template of the masala films. The “India ghuske maarta hai dushmanon ko” is a narration added to make the film seem in tune with real life. All it does is disconnect you as a viewer because we didn't sign up for a political science class when we bought the ticket.

What doesn't help is that the makers pretty much showed everything in the trailer. I can only imagine the disbelief in theaters when they say that Deepika Padukone's role in the film was kept a secret. But every entry that is supposed to be a highlight of Multi-Stars comes across as cold, as we had already seen in the trailer.

The break comes pretty quickly. It can only go downhill from here, right? The second half begins and it is a completely different film. Seeing the one-liners, the inside jokes and just a few stars – Deepika, Tiger Shroff, Ranveer, Akshay Kumar and Ajay – in one frame is worth the price of admission. Yes, film universes are here to stay.

What is worth mentioning here is the decision to shoot the portions in Kashmir and real locations. The over-reliance on VFX has led to a certain laziness in filmmaking lately, which is why films don't feel great visually. Rohit and his team captured the valleys of Kashmir very well and that definitely helps.

“Singham Again Review: Testimony from the Actors”

The performances in Singham Again are mixed. Ajay is his brooding self and we see the original Singham, albeit occasionally. This is a toned down version of the supercop we first saw in 2011. Action scenes are his forte, but what's missing is the anger that defines Singham as a character. Akshay's entry as Sooryavanshi invited hooting, the man still got it. When he handles a gun, you know he means business. Deepika, much like the trailer, just fails to convince us that she is a crazy cop in Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe. Tiger is passable.

And Ranveer – you realize how much you missed seeing him just enjoying himself on screen in a well-written role. His presence gives Singham Again some much-needed energy. Be it him telling Kareena in a scene that someone's wife always gets into trouble in the CopVerse – “Aur phir sabko aana padhta hai, sabka date milna mushkil hota hai”. I didn't expect a Rohit Shetty film to be meta! Same goes when he looks at Deepika after the climax and says “Dekho abhi, family bhi badh raha hai”. Is it the CopVerse he's referring to or her own baby? Imagine that!

Arjun Kapoor as Danger Lanka… he just doesn't manage to evoke terror as an antagonist. His gaze is sharp, but when he opens his mouth you know it's Arjun. Beheading someone on screen isn't enough to demonstrate invincibility. For someone as crazy as Danger Lanka, the unhinged attitude should start with the crazy look in the eyes that is nowhere to be found here. The weapons, the fistfights would come much later.

Overall, “Singham Again” delivers in some ways. I am all for masala films if they are done right. Watch the second half. And Ranveer Singh. PS: You miss the opening music by OG Singham. If only art were put above ego here. Enough said.