'Tiger 3' review: Third part of franchise is more action than story

THE third instalment of an action franchise, which has spawned a Bollywood spy universe with spinoff films Pathaan and War, returned to the big screen after two previously successful outings.

Salman Khan reprises his role of Indian super spy Tiger, and Katrina Kaif once again plays his Pakistani secret agent wife Zoya. This time around the deadly duo is plunged into another cross-border drama, which sees them battle against a rogue ex-Pakistani secret agent trying to overthrow his own government, and ultimately destroy India.

After a decent enough set-up, the big-budget action movie starts to unravel with a stretched-out story containing many elements that have been seen before. By trying to follow a formula and story elements that have worked previously, Tiger 3 turns out to be a lesser copy of better films.

What keeps you engaged are the eye-catching action sequences that pop up at regular intervals. This includes some great fight scenes and a cameo from Shah Rukh Khan, reprising his Pathaan role, which ends up being a major highlight of the movie. Trying to keep it afloat with the many action sequences means Tiger 3 has very little to offer in terms of story and is around 20 minutes too long.

Both Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are not really known for their acting skills, so they just go through the motions. The supporting cast, including a decent turn from Emraan Hashmi as the villain, deliver relatively strong performances. There are some eye-catching locations, but very little in terms of music. Ultimately, this is a movie that will appeal to die-hard fans of the lead stars. Others will see that Tiger 3 has been eclipsed by the year’s two biggest Bollywood action blockbusters Pathaan and Jawan.