The 1 AM (2:30 AM, actually) Movie Review: Don 2

Sometimes I remember that underneath it all, I still have a Hollywood sensibility that sets me apart from some die-hard Bollywood fans. I've read many a fan bemoan how movies like Don 2 are too like one to be the other, failing on both counts.

For the most part, I'm going to have to disagree. I loved Don 2. After a couple of painful fails on my queue (Dil Aashna Hai? Ugh...), Don 2 roars back with the thing I love best from both genres: over-the-top.

Don (Shah Rukh Khan) jumps back into the fray, trying to overtake the European drug business. When the cartel gets wind of this and attempts to silence them the old-fashioned way, Don responds by doing what he does best - offering to throw them under the bus to Roma (Priyanka Chopra). This time Roma doesn't bite, and off Don goes to prison, conveniently in the same place as his old nemesis Vardhaan (Boman Irani). From there, Don launches his master plan to get everyone, including the cartel, Roma, Vardhaan, and the Central Bank of Germany, under his boot.

Don 2 is a fun, shameless amalgamation of elements from MI, The Italian Job, and and Ocean's 11 that pulls from each without losing it's own identity. The stunts are great, Don's dialogue (if maybe not poor Roma's) is witty and sassy, and the movie twists into a satisfying Hollywood ending.

Do I miss seeing SRK dancing? Well, as a self-actualized embarrassing SRK fangirl, of course I do. The dancing is one of the things that drew me to Bollywood in the first place, so it is disappointing to have movie that even stars dance fiend Hrithik Roshan without his signature moves. Priyanka seems a bit over-concerned with being sexy and under-concerned with her dancing, which sort of reflects the film overall.

However, dancing aside, Shah Rukh Khan is a right in his element as a cocky, naughty, self-absorbed villain. (I mean, come on, now. Underneath it all, don't we all believe that SRK IS Don, a little bit?) The controversy surrounding the off-screen relationship between SRK and Priyanka, I think, tends to put some Bollywood super-fans off of their feed regarding the on-screen chemistry. This, however, doesn't concern me at all. Do I hope SRK didn't cheat on his wife of 20 years? Sure. But as a movie-goer, I want sizzle between Don and Roma, and I got it.

I think Gauri Khan's wrath has probably killed any chance of a third movie in the series, which is kind of a bummer, because I'd so stand in line for Don 3!