It’s undoubtedly the biggest release of the year. The craze prior to release, the mad-rush for tickets, with theatres overcrowded with people – is something that we have never witnessed for any film before. The very fact that Salman Khan, the biggest box-office draw in India today, is teaming up with Katrina Kaif (who has a massive following of her own) and Yashraj Films, is the reason behind all the hype and excitement.

But what about the film’s content? Salman’s last two films, have set the box-office on fire, but quality-wise it’s been disappointing. Prior to release, director Kabir Khan promised a film that will go way beyond the initial weekend – ‘content will take the film a long way’ he said at a press conference.

Is Ek Tha Tiger worth a watch? Ek Tha Tiger Review below..

Story: Ek Tha Tiger is about a Indian RAW Agent codenamed Tiger (Salman Khan). He is on a mission to track down a professor, who is suspected of selling secret missile technology to Pakistan. Here, Tiger falls in love for the first time, with a beautiful young girl Zoya (Katrina Kaif). What happens next? Is it all about love for Tiger or will he fulfil the task on hand? Watch Ek Tha Tiger to find out.

Ek Tha Tiger Review

What works for Ek Tha Tiger

• The film starts off very well, Salman’s introduction scene is something to watch out for. Director Kabir Khan has handled the love story beautifully, the moments that Zoya and Tiger share – their chemistry, innocence and banter – is a treat to watch.
• The action sequences are brilliantly shot. The first one on the train, while a bit over-the-top, works purely because of Salman Khan. There are plenty of chase sequences which finally culminates in the climax, where Salman jumps straight from a bike onto a plane! It’s the same old stuff though, every bullet that Tiger fires hits the target. The villains, unfortunately, left their contact-lenses back at home.
• The USP of the film is undoubtedly Salman Khan. Ek Tha Tiger is a celebration of Khan’s charisma and sheer larger-than-life presence. It’s also his best performance since Dabangg. He is in every frame – from start to finish – and does well in both action and romantic scenes.
• Katrina Kaif is gorgeous. What do we say? It’s hard to take your eyes off her. Her expressions are slightly ‘blankish’ in the second half, but overall she does well. Her costumes are beautiful and she carries them off with grace and elegance. Don’t miss the ‘Mashallah’ song during the closing credits.
• The music (Sohail Sen, Sajid-Wajid) is good – Saaiyaara, Laapata, Banjaara are all beautifully picturised. The cinematography is fantastic (Aseem Mishra).

What doesn’t work for Ek Tha Tiger (Negatives)

• No logic behind the storyline or scenes: Your left with a lot of unanswered questions towards the end of the film – (possible spoilers, don’t read if you haven’t watched the film) why does the RAW suddenly decide to help Tiger towards the end? What is Zoya really after? Why is the ISI so casual and ever-so-forgiving towards her? The professor’s character is shut out completely after the first half. The script has a lot of loop-holes and the twists and turns don’t work.
• Even though the runtime is short (134 minutes), the pace is sluggish in the second half. The plot is stretched way too long – there is nothing in the second half  apart from chase sequences, with Zoya and Tiger always on the run.

Overall, Ek Tha Tiger is for Salman Khan fans. It has good music, lovely chemistry between the lead couple, mass-pleasing action sequences and they squeeze in a topless scene for Salman too.

As for the rest, it’s neither a intelligent film nor does it provide the necessary ‘thrill’. The story, eventually, turned out to be the biggest disappointment.

Rating: