"RAW is an agency that operates on secrecy".

For a movie based on the life of an intelligence agency operative, these are hardly intelligent lines.

Named, Force 2, the movie features John Abraham as the tough and tenacious cop from Mumbai who is out to seek revenge for a buddy ( an Indian spy) , killed in the line of duty.

Jingoistic in demeanor , the story crawls on a tight rope from the beginning before falling and drowning in the sea of stupidity.

John ji provides glimpses of his robotic genes, Sonakshi does well to portray an incompetent intelligence officer. Tahir Bhasin tries to play the slick and deviously clever bad guy but ends up looking like an irritating moth that is harmless per se but for its annoying presence.

The movie borrows set designs from countless American spy flicks. The chase sequences are a tribute to Bourne and company . However, speaking existentially, the movie's main plot is inspired from Soldier (1998) ( if you search it on IMDb you will have to use the general search button since the auto recommendations are other movies),which is basically about a guy avenging his father's death , who was killed and branded a traitor by the bad guys.

Melodramatic, cheesy with bad jokes and ordinary editing, the movie is boring. To add insult to injury there are quite a few sequences that attempt to recreate The Da Vinci Code(2006) moments. To be fair, The Da Vinci code itself was pretentious and this fits well in the scheme of things here.

I have nothing more to add. You can avoid the movie.

Action films based on Indian RAW agents have been fairly successful in Bollywood. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer "Ek Tha Tiger" was a blockbuster while Saif Ali Khan's "Phantom" was turned down by the audience even though both the films were made by Kabir Khan. The sequel to 2011's hit, "Force", "Force 2" is yet another attempt to salute the RAW agent, the unsung heroes of our country. Will it do justice to that ? Let us find out ...

Yashwardhan (played by John Abraham) partners with RAW agent KK (played by Sonakshi Sinha) to track down the mastermind criminal, Shiv (played by Tahir Raj Bhasin),who is on the verge of swiping out every RAW agent India has produced. The cat-and-mouse game begins which leads to the mystery behind the killing of the Indian RAW agent.

Directed by Abhinay Deo, who previous laugh-a-thon "Delhi Belly" and suspense thriller "Game", "Force 2" is a complete out-an-out action film which is a treat for action film lovers. The movie does start with a bang with the introduction of each primary characters and takes it forward. Initial few reels does have nail-biting moments like car lifting scene, the chase scene between John Abraham and Tahir Raj Bhasin in Budapest and the twist before the interval. However, the second half loses the steam and few of the action scenes looks repetitive. The good part is that screenplay will keep you engaged though it has share of flaws.

Few scenes will arise while watching "Force 2" - Why on earth a criminal be escorted to India from a foreign land only by 2 officers ? How come so many people start popping out every time Shiv is being taken away by India police? Despite, these shortcoming, I felt the thrills and punches are good enough to keep you at bay. Cinematography is good. I like the first-person camera fight in the climax. Art direction is just about okay. Dialogues are fine. Editing is bad and so is the music.

Performance wise, it is Tahir Raj Bhasin who walks away being a hero of the film. The actor is definitely talented but should do more variety of roles rather than doing the same stuff similar to "Mardani". John Abraham does a fine job as rugged and tough officer. Sonakshi Sinha could not do justice to her part this.

Overall, "Force 2" is a treat for action film lovers. Despite few shortcomings, the stunts and nice action scenes will keep you engrossed. Good 3/5

• Ketan Gupta

A sequel to a previous commercial disappointment Force, 'Force 2' again boasts some exhilarating action, but in terms of story, its very ordinary. I enjoyed the action & watching John's portrayal of a one-man army, but in terms of narrative, this sequel underwhelms.

'Force 2' Synopsis: ACP Yashwardhan (John) teams up with RAW Agent KK (Sonakshi Sinha) to get down a mastermind (Tahir Raj Bhasin),who's rapidly terminating Indian RAW Agents.

'Force 2' has a good-pace & the action, undoubtedly, is super. The climax is particularly kick-ass, when John's gun fires are shot as a first-person shooter. BUT, the Screenplay is predictable & engages in brief doses. Abhinay Deo's Writing begins well, but surrenders to clichés & the motive behind the villain's evil doings, is predictable & beaten to death. The Writing still works in its first-hour, but in the second-hour, it just doesn't engage much. And how much of stylized Action can make up for an ordinary story? Sadly, not much!

Deo's Direction, on the other-hand, is sharp enough. Cinematography is well-done. Editing is crisp, but the second-hour drags on for a little too long. Art & Costume Design are decent. Music by Various Artists, is good enough.

Performance-Wise: John reprises his role of the bad-ass ACP Yashwardhan & he scores. He looks every bit of the part & leads the show. Sonakshi's character isn't strong enough & hence, she doesn't leave a mark. Tahir Raj Bhasin's villainy was nicely shown in Mardaani & he portrays a yet another negative role. He's fine, but he ought to choose roles that offer him the scope to show his range. Narendra Jha is first-rate. Raj Babbar & Boman Irani are perfect in cameos. Genelia D'Souza is cute in her brief bit, as well.

On the whole, 'Force 2' has killer action as its ace, but a not-so-interesting story-line spoils the fun.