*Or “Yes, We Have No Bandanas”
Oh, meu Deus, there’s so much I didn’t like about this film….. the background music using cheesy portuñol lyrics (don’t they think anyone in India will notice, never mind the overseas masses?), the overwaxed physiques of Hrithik and Uday (this, after Yuva, must be the second film where AB 2.0 insisted on keeping his hair, and thank Heavens he did),
the inability of anyone shooting a rifle to hit or even come near their target, Aishwarya’s character speaking of herself only in the third person, the ubiquitous pastel-colored bandanas on Uday,
and the product placement.
In the 90 minutes before the Interval, I counted ten: (1) the Sony screen in the police briefing room, (2) the Sony VAIO laptop Hrithik uses in Bombay, (3) a Coca Cola can on a desk, (4) the BURP! truck for the stakeout, (5) Sony monitors in the security room, (6) jewels of the Taj (hotels), (7) Winch 6000, (8) Cinemax cinemas, (9) Cars, the animated film, and (10) Sugar Free Natura. And I’m sure I’ve missed a few.
All that said, I still thought it was quite a fun ride, and I liked it as much as, if not more than, the original. For a two and a half-hour film, it actually flows along at a brisk pace, and this from someone who has very little patience for action sequences and chase scenes in Hindi movies.
AB o filho is back as Jai Dixit, the motorcycle-riding cop, and Uday Chopra returns as the goofy sidekick thief-turned-cop Ali. Rimii Sen is also again inhabiting the supporting role as Sweety, the now very-pregnant wife of Jai. Then there’s the new folks. Hrithik plays the master thief that Jai is pursuing, along with Bipasha Basu, a fellow cop, and Ashwarrior Rye is the light-eyed partner-in-crime to Hrithik. (Sound of record being scratched by needle) Hang on, when did Rimi get the extra ” i ” in her name ???
Jai’s entrance, just as Ali’s about to be done in by some goondas, was quite cool: like Shamu at Sea World, he shoots – vertically – out of the darkness of the sea riding a jetski and lands on the deck of a large boat. Later, during Shonali Bose’s (Bips) presentation on the super talented criminal only known as ” A “, Jai does some supercomputing numerology in his head and figures out that the green-eyed chor is heading to Bombay for his next job. After some more chases and the steamy establishment of Ash’s character, the action heads off to the Cidade Maravilhosa, Rio de Janeiro, as cop chases thief and the themes of love and trust and pairing off with someone special are all covered.
Bips does a double turn as a carioca twin sister – Monali Bose – who has lived in Brazil for many years. This allows the director to show her striding around the beach toting a surfboard and playing volleyball, all in a bikini that looks overly modest compared to what really passes for a swimming costume on Copacabana’s beaches (original home of the filo dental thong). Ali is smitten with the free-spirited babe who hugs at the drop of hat, and immediately does what he always does: picture himself and Monali married with kids.
No point in going over any more of the plot. It’s a caper movie, so you can imagine what ensues.
Visually, the film is a treat, though it seemed to me that there’s a strong leaning – when it came to the male leads – toward a certain homoerotic aesthetic, which is not really my cup of tea. Not to say that I’m keen on unibrows, but some body hair on a guy, please!
And I had to laugh, at the nightclub where Hrithik does his dancing entrance, at the greatly oversized screws hanging from the ceiling. What is the name of this club anyway? Piledriver?
Jokes aside, Hrithik and Ash appeared, to me, to generate more chemistry on screen than the alleged World’s Most Beautiful Woman has done so far with her not-so-secret boyfriend. Maybe it’s because they share similar light eyes and the same highlights,
but after that somwhat dramatic scene the morning of the heist, when Hrithik actually full-on, lip-to-lip kisses the Ice Princess, I thought it was quite tingly really, and I thought it quite a remarkable feat. Unlike the few other onscreen filmi kisses that I’ve seen before, which had about as much va-va-va-voom as a flu shot (I guess the actors are afraid to be labeled lascivious degenerates if they look like they’re enjoying it too much), this one looked authentic, and made so much more sense in that moment of the story, than if Ash had demurely looked down and coyly turned her head, allowing Hrithik’s lips to collide with her cheek.
The movie really belongs to the duo, as all Abhishek gets to do is scowl and be strong and silent, Bipasha looks stunning but doesn’t do much more, while Uday seems to be trying out for a slot as a new member of Siegfried and Roy.
The dance numbers are all pretty, and everyone looks tight and buff and shiny, though AB 2.0 barely dances at all, Hrithik is on a tight rein and not allowed to do anything much that would show off his ability, and the final number, set in Rio, has a plastic, antiseptic quality that’s the antithesis of the sweaty sensuality of Brazil’s beautiful city.
Oh yes, the stunts are pretty slick too.
See it or sip it?
See it, if you’re looking for what I call a “Sunday afternoon” movie, that is, one that’s not too heavy or depressing and is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours before returning to the office on Monday.
pleasa if any one find the song Mi amor Mi corazon try to tell me my e-mail [email protected]
m_roshan also perfect like u hes body hes face spacialy hes heys.nose.mouth.face.hieght.and all but problume is here that hes is muslim
Hello,
Please any one let me know the artist or album for the song “i wanna mm i wanna mm yeah i wanna shake it shake it shake it till you drop …..”
song in Dhoom 2 film….Any inputs would be really appreciated…
Thanks and Regards,
Tina
this was the best movie i ever seen
please any of you help me find song from dhoom2 “mi amore mi corazon”
my mail: [email protected]
Roshan thanks alot buddy, i wish we can find a longer version of this song.
Dilyana..thank you so much for the information..I don’t find it in mobango.com, I would appreciate if you can post the link plzzz.
Hello my name is Roshan I am from Uzbekistan /Pleeeeeeeeease help me to find song mi amor y mi corazon…
The background theme mi amor y mi corazon can be found on http://www.mobango.com under the name “hrithik_dies”. Enjoy
Hey 😉
I am looking for this spanish song which started like this ” mi amor mi corazon ” I looking since 6 Months for this Song 🙁 And i still nothing found. How i can find this Song? Maybe i will Phone to India Bollywood and ask them for this Song ^^
this movie is an ok movie.can watch the whole movie once but not any more..
sure ash looks gud but her acting is such horrible. hrithik was the one to watch out for.
hey doeas anybody know the name of songs that goes .. ;; mi amor mi corazon?? or the song when Shoo is walking on beach …goes : i wanna mmm yeah i wanna mm yeah i wanna shake it shake it shake it… pleaseee answer.i am searching for these songs for so long time..month or more and i cant find them out anywhere so if u know the names and artists of these song writteee 😉 cee ya
Can any tell me the name of bcagrounds used in Dhoom
Can anyone help to find the song MI AMOR MI CORAZON from Dhoom 2 – background love theme? pleaseeeeee if anyone knows it tell me….
Daria, it means
My love my heart
I need your love
___ love
thelearner, thanks for your kind words.
Like the humor.. you should write more like this, unaffected and funny, and a little sarcastic.
Â
The next words to Mi Amor mi corazon go…
Mi amor mi corazon
Si me falta su amor
Le amor …
I’m dying to find out what it is! Please help
Joseph, bemvindo and obrigada for your kind comments and fo stopping by.
You keep to whatever diminutive brunette fantasies you wish and I will say that yes, I do plan to write up Kabul Express, as soon as I see it!
The white space on my wall calendar for December has been all but obliterated with all the holiday events inked in, and I think the last movie I saw this month was – gasp – The Namesake and that was w-e-e-k-s ago. Dreadful!
In spite of the disappointing reviews of KE, I still want to see it, and I have to see mera pyare ChiChi’s return to screen, even though I hear the second side of BB drags, so, as they say, watch this space.
PS – do you have a very tall brother named Anthony by any chance? 🙂
TBG and GR, sorry, I don’t, not right now anyway.
Meenakshi, thanks for your comments and for stopping by. I’m dreadfully backed up on reviews to post (with the holidays and all), but will be writing up My Bollywood Bride and The Namesake soon. I took a quick peek at your blog and enjoyed the writing. Keep it up!
Hi there Maria,
Your reviews are terrific and your knowledge of Hindi Films and even India in general never ceases to amaze.How about a picture for all u’r readers that are curious to know what you look like! –just kidding— –Actually I have a crush on you and was wondering what you must look like—I imagined dark curly Hair,glasses and 5’2″—-ha ha ha. Here’s my actual question—-I was wondering if you were going to post a review for ‘Kabul Express’ ?
P.S:Is versification an actual word?
Hi there!
I saw your article in the India Abroad! Congrats, it was a good read!
Meenakshi
Can anyone help to find the song MI AMOR MI CORAZON from Dhoom 2 – background love theme?
Does ANYONE know where I can find the ‘mi amor, mi corazon’ background theme??? I think its an amazing song, but its not listed with the soundtrack.
Babasko, at least you can watch the kiss on YouTube. 🙂
Maja, I agree, the last dance number in the club was quite wha???-provoking.
Buddha, some of the songs are catchy, aren’t they?
I got the web address wrong in my previous post.
The website is http://www.itwofs.com
Do check it out!
I thought I should bring this to your attention as a recent atricle & some research on my own disturbed me to no end.Please listen to these following clips.
http://itwofs.com/audio/Dhoom-DhoomMachaale.rm
& then listen to
http://itwofs.com/audio/JesseCook-Mario.rm
Talk about blatant plagiarism.Only in India can people like Pritam(Music Dir of Dhoom 1&2) can get away with stuff like this.He is a serial offender actually.ALL the songs(huge hits) of ‘Woh Lamhe’ & ‘Gangster’ are direct lifts from other songs
Kya mujhe pyar hai [Woh lamhe (2006)]
Blatant lift from the track, ‘Tak bisakah’ by the Indonesian band Peterpan.
Listen to http://itwofs.com/audio/KyaMujhe-WohLamhe.rm
Tak bisakah
Listen to: http://itwofs.com/audio/TakBiskha-Peterpan.rm
The one that eally shattered me was one of India’s all-time favorite songs–Chura Liya by R.D Burman( One of India’s favorite composers) was also an ‘Inspired’ song. R.D.B was a big-time plagiarist apparently.
I was most shocked to see one of my favorite songs Chura-liya(Mehbooba from Sholay, Dum Maroo Dum & many many more) by R.D Burman a copy too.He aslo apparently was a big-time plagiarist !
http://itwofs.com/audio/ChuraLiyaHai-YKB.rm
&
http://itwofs.com/audio/ifitstuesday.rm
Even the incomprable A.R.Rahman copies too–but only very minor stuff like opening interludes etc-Never the tune itself– Do check out the website
http://itfows.com
the guy who started it is amazingly insightful in his blog!
I know that I’ve digressed far from the topic at hand (Dhoom 2 The movie) but I felt it necessary to bring to your readers’ attention thru your blog.The next time I hear a good tune I can’t help but think of where its been ‘lifted’. Movies are copied all the time but something about copying a 5-min tune and passing it off as u’r own that is inherently disturbing.I know that Film music is not u’r area of expertise but this is integral to a Movie’s success and hope that you will consider writing about this. U’r own cogent thoughts on this will be most welcome by all!!
Hello all,
Saw this movie last weekend – it was great fun. What I would qualify as the ultimate timepass. I INFINITELY preferred Bips to Ash though – when Ash strips off her jumpsuit to stand in front of Hrithik in those shorts & tank top, TBS was, like, yeh GI Jane kahaan se aa gayi?! 🙂 Bips is SO MUCH sexier. She’s NOT a barbie doll, but just works…
The drool factor for the audience was SO apparent. The last time I felt that much oestrogen in the air was when I went to see Sahara, and there were actually cat calls for Matthew MacConnaughy…(HOW do you spell his name?!)
I actually was walking around with “mi amor, mi corazon…” playing like a stuck record in my head.
Hehe, great review! I completely agree with you (except that I don’t mind the homoerotic stuff), there’s a lot of faults in this movie, but I still enjoyed it and I definitely liked it more than the first Dhoom. I don’t think I noticed those screwdrivers at all, I certainly don’t remember them, I must’ve been too busy staring at Hrithik and trying not to stop breathing 😉 But the most ridiculous thing for me was that song in Rio where they’re all in the club and Abhi’s like “So yeah dude, I know you’re A” and Hrithik’s all “Yeah and I know you’re a cop” and then they all go and have a nice dance together, lol. And then those stills of them show up during the song, the ones used on the second poster (the first picture in your review), what was that about?
The kiss was hot! I was so surprised because I really didn’t think Ash would kiss, but it was the perfect moment for it.
Oh yeah that’s right, the thumbs were really prominent in this film, I don’t remember ever actually noticing them on screen before (except in Koi Mil Gaya where it’s done on purpose).
i am sooo unhappy reading all those D:2 reviews… 😉
but only because it will be ages until i will be able to see it. no chance of a cinema screening here as it is way to expensive for our local hindi film distributor. and the dvd will take its time too since Yashraj usually take their time in releasing dvd´s of their hitmovies
so. *whine* i wanna see “tha hottness” too
[/girlish ramble mode off]
I think I agree with all of your points, Filmi! I saw it Sunday and overall enjoyed it, in a light sort of way. I do recommend it, if you go in ready to squash the inevitable “Oh, REALLY’s” that your logic centers will throw you about every fifteen to twenty minutes or so…
The thing I came away with, though, was the fact that this is the first film that I have seen Hrithik and Aishwarya in that I thought they generated actual heat. Very odd…as much as I have enjoyed them both to look at and particularly for their gifts for dance, I have never found them, or particularly him, sexy before. Ashamed of myself for reacting, cause I knew I was being manipulated by the “roulette” scene and the kiss, I didn’t care. It worked! And maybe it’s just me, but I swear Hrithik has been working on lowering his voice and making it more modulated. His voice has never before fit his physique as well. Bravo! It works!
And on the subject of thumbs up, you see his extra thumb very noticeably on two occasions.
T-hype, you’re gonna’ LOVE this movie!
*SIGH*
*SWOON*
How could anyone focus on a storyline with so much Hrithik to look at?
Anshul, thanks.
JRA032, well Ash does look amazing in it, so you just may find the two hours’ travel time well spent. I think the product placement is done first, for the money, definitely (Gawd, otherwise why the big fuss about placing the big jar of Bournevita on the breakfast table in Krrish?), but I think there’s also the cool factor you mention, especially given the huge middle class and the increase in disposable income. Thankfully, it’s no longer done like you describe from Taal, with condescension, but when it’s so overt, in any movie, Bollywood or other, I find that so annoying. Mark Kermode was ranting on about this last week when talking about the new Bond film, how an actress actually asks James Blond what brand of watch he’s wearing. Ugh.
I remember when the first Men in Black came out, looking online afterward to try and see what model of glasses Will Smith was wearing.
Jay, you’re too kind and your check is in the mail. 🙂
On Ash, it’s true, she looks the best I’ve ever seen her, even in that almost shapeless dress Hrithik leaves for her to wear at dinner, far more beautiful than Bipasha in that schmatte she was wearing at the picturization at the Cristo Redentor statue in that dreadful song that Uday does.
The twin sister in Brazil! Genius!
Don’t get me started on the homo-erotic element though. And Ash actually looks flesh and blood kinky and sexy here — she usually exudes a kind of frigidity to me. Anyway….can’t wait to watch Bips in Brazil Bikini, although now you have planted the image of what might have been has she donned the authentic dental floss Rio style I shall be tantalised all night.
Iif Bollywood has any ethical reason for existing outside the pleasures it gives to the Indian masses, it is so that Filmiholic can write about it — another marvellous post, you have the brilliant ability of being knowing, funny, critical and yet generous to the movies you review! I love ya!
Hey Maria,
I realaly enjoy u’r reviews.You have a wonderful way of dissecting a movie to its basic elements.Your tongue-n-cheek humor always cracks me up(My favorite was ‘everyone’s favorite Maglik’ when referring to Ms Rai!) . Haven’t watched this one yet—was waiting for your review–Not a very enthusiastic Thumbs Up eh?! Not sure if should do the 1 hr drive to see it now—probably will regardless, for the bewitching Aishwarya!
Question 4 u on the product placement—-do you think that ‘Product placement’ in Bollywood films is an organized effort by corporations for image/name recognition( like it is in Hollywood films) or is it just the director trying to make the Movie look ‘cool’ and give Desis abroad(and India for that matter) the notion that Indians are also ‘cool’ up-to date and modern etc. I think the latter is probably closer to the truth.I remember in ‘Taal’ there is a full 5-min sequence where a ‘US returned’ gentleman elucidates the Technological Marvel of a ‘Floppy Digital Camera’ to a Local(Also intended for the Audience,I suppose!).That irked me no end. Product placement doesn’t bother me as much as this kind of condescension does!
Nice review!