'Raid 2' review: Well-performed film undone by convoluted narrative
What's the story
Raj Kumar Gupta's Raid 2, starring Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Saurabh Shukla, Vaani Kapoor, and Amit Sial, is a direct sequel to Raid (2018).
Well-performed and thrilling in parts, the drama is undone by its long-drawn-out, convoluted, and extremely exhausting narrative.
Its wry humor and performances uplift the writing, but the messy execution mars the overall experience.
Story
Amay Patnaik is after another politician
Raid 2 is set a few years after the events of Raid, and follows IRS officer Amay Patnaik (Devgn), who is now after a powerful politician named Dada Manohar Bhai (Deshmukh).
Dada Bhai initially seems like a benevolent, respectable leader, but Patnaik's probe gradually reveals that there's much more here than meets the eye.
Vaani plays Malini, Patnaik's wife.
#1
Positives: Shukla and Sial are scene-stealers
Starting with what works for the film, the characters from the first part—Lallan Sudheer (Sial) and Tauji (Shukla)—help you quickly and comfortably settle into the world of Raid 2.
The narrative feels organic and instantly believable, and both Sial and Shukla are effectively utilized to evoke nostalgia and make callbacks to the first part.
#2
More on their performances
Sial only enters the film in the second half, and yet, leaves such a memorable performance that it's tough to imagine Raid 2 without him.
He gets some of the funniest dialogues of the franchise, and delivers them so effortlessly that you constantly want to see more of him.
Props also to Shukla, without whom Raid 2 would have been a hollow, enervating affair.
#3
Deshmukh and Devgn hold the movie together
Deshmukh is a treat to watch both in comic and serious, dramatic roles, and Raid 2 is a solid addition to his filmography.
In most scenes, he lets his eyes do the talking, and he is a good support to Devgn, who doesn't miss a beat batting on his home turf.
Rajat Kapoor and Yashpal Sharma, despite their brief roles, stay with you, too.
#4
Negatives: Exhausting, tiring watch for most part
However, despite such a stacked cast and solid performances, Raid 2 is not a completely enjoyable affair.
The narrative is extremely, needlessly convoluted, there are long-winded explanations behind everything, and all the "twists" lack excitement and a sense of urgency.
At times, the movie is too fast-paced for its own good, and you'll run out of breath trying to catch up with it.
#5
We never feel the high stakes
The first part was mostly set in one house, so we felt the tension, and the story was crisp and taut.
Raid 2, sadly, cannot boast these same qualities.
It ups the ante, but in doing so, loses sight of the most crucial aspect of this genre: thrill.
Unnecessary songs, repetitive scenes, and an overstuffed screenplay mean the film meanders more than it entertains.
#6
Not as entertaining as the first part
While the first part was a to-the-point, unpretentious film where all the focus was on the storytelling, Raid 2 is desperate for eyeballs.
Some filmy dialogues, Tamannaah Bhatia's unnecessary dance number, ear-piercing background music, and useless romantic songs between Devgn and Vaani veer the film off track.
By the time the film reaches the gripping parts, it's too little, too late.
#7
No meat for female characters
Sheeba Chaddha was greatly wasted in the first part, and Supriya Pathak, who plays Dada Bhai's mother in Raid 2, mostly, if not completely, meets the same fate.
Unsurprisingly, this also stands true for Vaani's character, who is mostly absent from key sequences.
Both these actors only get a few moments to shine toward the end in this film dominated by Deshmukh and Devgn.
Verdict
Can watch on OTT, skip theatrically; 2.5/5 stars
Raid 2 has greater ambition than Raid, but it falls flat in execution.
With tighter, razor-sharp narration, Raid 2 could have been an engaging experience, but it ends up as a middling one.
Nonetheless, fans of the first part can watch it on OTT for Devgn and Deshmukh's performances and for the supporting actors who lend it immense gravitas (Sial, Shukla).
2.5/5 stars.