Ten years later and I’ll still say that Race has been my all time favorite film and it isn’t only because of the melodious songs, the pace, the plot twists, and the star cast. It was because I was unable to guess the next turning point in the story.
If something in a movie isn’t obvious and I find myself being astounded by the reveal, that movie automatically enters into my favorite movie list. Race had everything that I like in a movie and I didn’t realize how important each element is into making a successful thriller until I watched the third installment in the Race franchise.
While Race 2 was also lacking in execution and interesting plot twists, it made up for it with panache and memorable songs. And yes, the direction. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t realize how important direction is until I watched Race 3.
The problem with Race 3 doesn’t lie in its expectation to be like its predecessor, but in the movie’s inability to grasp the very factors that made the previous installments likable to viewers.
When you think about adding style to a movie, it should be organic and seep into the story. The actors shouldn’t be told to get out of the car in expensive suits and pose for a whole minute. Yes, that is what it felt like in some of the scenes in Race 3.
The disappointment for me as a Race fan came in buckets. The director was different, the title song was sung by someone else, the star cast missed an important actor from the previous movies. Indeed, Race 3 feels dull without Saif Ali Khan’s natural flair and I didn’t realize it until I watched Race 3.
The movie begins with Shamsher Singh being ruthless and eliminating an enemy. His family is quickly introduced- twin kids (Sooraj and Sanjana), their step-brother Sikander, and an associate Yash who is treated like family.
Naturally, Shamsher favors Sikander because he is his elder brother’s son, much to the chagrin of the twins. The property left behind by their mother is divided unfairly as well: fifty percent to Sikander and fifty percent to bother Sooraj and Sanjana.
Then there are some twists thrown in that are hard to put in order because of the reveal later on. Seriously, the timeline of it all does not fit.
Jessica is introduced who is planted by Sooraj and Sanjana to seduce Sikander. But wait a minute, it was Yash who had planted Jessica in the twins’ life. Jessica seduces Sikander who when he finds out the truth, asks her to help him instead.
What happens to her and Yash’s deal? Who knows. And is she being paid by the twins as well? Jessica sure knows how to make money on the side. Oh yes, she is actually an Interpol officer who planted herself in the family’s lives.
So far so confusing.
Because Race is known for plot twists, try to solve that conundrum or wait until later when more is revealed.
Race is also known for style which Race 3 thinks it means to show expensive cars and women wearing short dresses. The venues are supposed to be expensive as well and the dances are supposed to be enticing.
None of this impresses. There are long action sequences that will make you lose interest, and cars and trees blowing up for no reason.
In the midst of all this, there is something to do with revealing the politicians’ dirty secrets and blackmailing them. The evidence lies in a hard disk that only one man knows the password to and he needs $50 million.
When the video on the hard disk is shown, turns out it is of the mother who recorded a statement. Turns out Sikander, Sooraj and Sanjana are real brothers and sisters. Guess what? Yash is actually Shamsher’s son.
Now here comes the best part: Sikander knew this all along…for ten years. Yes, TEN YEARS! Yet, he doesn’t bother to reveal this to his siblings and lets them hate him. He could have told them, they could have all escaped Shamsher or have him put behind bars. After all, the mother did tape a statement against him.
But nope. If all that had happened, Race 3 would not have to be made and that was okay to me at this point.
I can’t get over the fact that Sikander knew this, allows Shamsher to play with their lives, create rifts between siblings and try to take over the property. Did he not once think that by keeping this a secret, Shamsher could have decided to kill of the twins when he wasn’t around? He could have found a loophole in the will or coerced the twins to give it up to him because as it is shown in the movie, Sikander was away from home for at least six months.
And then there is the fight scene between Sikander who is defending himself and Yash who is defending his corrupt father. Although a bit interesting, the scene ends on a cliche. Yash is about to fall on spikes when Sikander saves him. Why? Because he knows that deep down, Yash feels bad for what his father did. To this, Yash nods. Seriously? One dialogue and Yash agrees to surrender?
Then just to show that the “Race” hasn’t ended, Shamsher is shown to blackmail the police officer, Yash is shown training in jail and smiling, and everyone else is laughing about there being another race. Like seriously, they actually ask: “So there is going to be another race?”
The cringe-worthy dialogues will leave a bad taste in your mouth and you find yourself wondering why this star cast ever agreed to mouth these lines.
All in all, Race 3 is simply not worth your time. I would rather watch Race thrice instead.
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