There are certain set expectations when it comes to franchises. Especially when a film like Commando 3 is made, you know where it would be headed. After all, Commando and Commando 2 had well established its leading protagonist (played quite effectively by Vidyut Jammwal) and with the third in the series, producer Vipul Shah ensures that audiences get what they expected.
All of this means that action, thrills and an engaging narrative is something that binds Commando 3 together. With Vidyut in there, you know that martial arts would be abound. However, what comes across as a pleasant surprise is the confrontation that he has with the villain of the piece, Gulshan Devaiah. That is in fact the highlight of the film because the presence of a powerful villain makes a hero look even bigger and that’s something which turns out to be the USP of Commando 3.
This is where you end up getting a little more than what you would have bargained for as Gulshan’s menacing characterisation is something that makes you root for Vidyut to go out there and catch him. Playing a terrorist who operates from London and recruits youngsters in India for a call of jihad, Gulshan gets the dynamics of his part right. On the other hand Vidyut does what only a few in Bollywood can do it rather effectively, and that is getting the kicks and punches right, and that too with style.
However, the film is beyond just the kicks and punches and this is where one has to give credit to director Aditya Dutt for keeping the pace of Commando 3 quite good. He never lets a dull moment come by and even if there are some average scenes that fill in the frame, he helps them get elevated with effective use of background score.
As for the storyline, while it is predictable, one may have been just a bit more entertained if only there were more twists and turns with some surprising or shock elements as well. That doesn’t really turn out to be the case as the storytelling remains largely flat and though there are some thrilling sequences indeed, one may have been further enticed had there been an extra edge to make Commando 3 stand out from the rest of its ilk. Yes, an effort is made in that direction by bringing in some secular elements towards the climax but the impact is clearly missing.
The actors do make an impact though, and the leading ladies (Adah Sharma and Angira Dhar) do have a left to play as well in not just foiling the villain’s mission when it comes to kicking the bad guys. As Ms. Naughty and Ms. No Nonsense respectively, they are convincing in their respective parts.
The film as a whole could also have been a lot more convincing had it carried better depth (as was the case with Akshay Kumar’s Holiday, which was incidentally produced by Vipul Shah himself and had hints of a similar plot). However, given the fact that Commando 3 was never meant to be a spectacular or an extraordinary show, the film does it job in keeping audiences engaged during its playing time.