Ek Tha Tiger Review

Need a reason to believe in God? Learn from Salman. For the past three years, every one of his Ramzan releases - including Wanted and Dabangg - has pretty much ruled the BO. And we have good reason to believe that Ek Tha Tiger will surely make the cut. And the reason would be... well, it's a long story.

Once upon a time, there was an ass-kicking, ball-busting, ISI-exterminating RAW spy, called Tiger (Salman Khan), who was posted in Iraq to do what he does best. What are RAW and ISI, you ask us? Shhhh... not so loud. It's a secret. So secret that even when these people uproot entire towns, it never gets out.

Back in India after his mission, he's itching to go back to the field. What he ends up with, though, is a kitty-cat of a mission. "No killing," says superior to Tiger, "just observe." Apparently, a mad-professor stereotype of a scientist (Roshan Seth), who now teaches in Dublin, has been leaking information about an anti-missile system that he helped create.

So gun-toting Tiger has to put away his claws, fly down to Dublin, and keep an eye on the good scientist. Enter Zoya (Katrina Kaif), the professor's housekeeper and a dance student. She helps him out with an appointment, and he promptly falls in love with her.

Much coochie-cooing happens in the idyllic settings of Dublin, so much so that you're just waiting for them to get to the inevitable big interval-wala twist. And although the portrayal of that twist is a bit of a let-down, things get pretty exciting post-interval.

The movie has been marketed as an out-and-out spy flick. That could be a bit misleading, as the romance is as important as, if not more important than, the action. And the espionage angle is nothing more than a rather pale backdrop that you notice once in a while when people start throwing around words like RAW, ISI and information.

Despite a few yawn-worthy moments here and there, the chase sequences, more than a few LOL lines, Salman's cool-as-a-cucumber spy act - all in slickly executed settings - make Ek Tha Tiger one helluvan entertainer.

As far as Katrina is concerned, holy sizzling hell, the woman's hotness during fight scenes can shatter thermometers. Proving once and for all that she can be much more than just an astonishingly pretty face, she manages to pull off a multi-faceted role with a surprising competence.

The music includes numbers like Mashallah and several others which are already making their presence felt in the Indian music scene. The locations and the cinematography deserve a special mention - Iraq, Dublin, Cuba, Delhi, Italy, and all the other locations used have been shot in such a way that the local flavor is used to the optimal level.

A movie under the all encompassing Yash Raj banner and starring Salman Khan is the stuff of legends. And Ek Tha Tiger, despite its rather run-of-the-mill story, definitely lives up to its promise.