Raid 2 Movie Review: Raj Kumar Gupta returns to direct Raid 2, with Ajay Devgn reprising his role as the honest and unshakeable IT officer Amay Patnaik. It’s funny how the Raid series does for the income tax department what the Singham franchise does for the police force - scrubs it squeaky clean through fictional heroics with Ajay Devgn taking the honours. Never mind the total autonomy these heroic government officers enjoy; that’s part of what makes these films feel like idealistic daydreams. ‘Raid 2’ Song ‘Money Money’: Yo Yo Honey Singh’s Chart-Topping Party Anthem With Ajay Devgn and Jacqueline Fernandez. Set seven years after the events of Raid, where Amay clashed with the corrupt Rameshwar Singh (Saurabh Shukla), the officer has now faced about 73 transfers after 73 successful raids. Somewhere between all that relocation, his wife has magically transformed - from looking like Ileana D’Cruz to resembling Vaani Kapoor. Since Kapoor is new to the job of ‘hero’s wife’, two songs are squeezed in to establish their romance. She’s made to gaze longingly at her husband while he acts as if he is longing to be with his files. Amay’s 74th transfer kicks off when he’s accused of accepting a bribe. Wait, what? Has our paragon of virtue turned grey? Not really - the film barely allows two seconds of suspense before revealing that this was a planned move by Amay to get posted to Bhoj. Why? Because he’s set his sights on a new target - Dada Bhai (Riteish Deshmukh). Watch the Trailer of 'Raid 2': Dada Bhai is a beloved Cabinet minister in Bhoj. He’s the kind of man who washes his mother’s feet every morning instead of washing God's idol, offers social service galore, and has such a spotless image that his supporters would gladly fight and die for him. But Amay believes there's a dangerous, corrupt villain lurking behind that Mr Clean façade - and he’s determined to prove it. Things, of course, don’t go as planned. Dada Bhai is far shrewder than Amay anticipated, and the stakes are higher than ever. 'Raid 2' Movie Review - Change in Setting The first Raid film benefited from being based on a true event. The hero felt like an underdog, and the confined setting gave the narrative a tight, claustrophobic tension. Raid 2, in contrast, trades realism for a fictional setup, and urgency for cool detachment. Amay is far more confident - even when suffering setbacks - and the film loses that gritty underdog charm in favour of a slicker, more superficial power play between hero and villain. [caption id="attachment_6821505" align="alignnone" width="1486"] A Still From Raid 2[/caption] Unfortunately, the treatment doesn’t match the ambition. A smarter, tighter screenplay was desperately needed, but instead, we get a narrative soaked in convenience and lethargy - so much so that it feels like Amit Sial had to drag the film out of the mud in the second half. 'Raid 2' Movie Review - A Rocky Start The opening act involves a raid on Govind Namdeo’s sleazy maharaja, presumably to re-establish Amay’s back-in-action status. Yet the scene feels more like a filler than a rousing reintroduction. Hazy editing and aimless pacing plague the film early on, even after we meet the seemingly dynamic Dada Bhai. By then, we’ve already endured two unnecessary songs - reminders, really, that Vaani Kapoor now plays the wife. 'Raid 2' Movie Review - Smarter Villain, Lazier Screenplay The film finally finds its groove when Amay and his team carry out their first raid in Bhoj, and the hero realises just how cunning Dada Bhai truly is. This setback could have been a thrilling turning point, but Patnaik’s cool-headedness saps the tension. He never seems fazed, as if he's always hiding aces up his sleeve - and we’re not supposed to worry about where they are. [caption id="attachment_6821503" align="alignnone" width="1398"] A Still From Raid 2[/caption] It would have helped if the film maintained some ambiguity about Dada Bhai’s morality. But just like it rushes to reveal Amay’s masterplan, it’s too eager to confirm that Dada Bhai is indeed an evil mastermind. This lack of suspense hurts the film later, when the ‘big twists’ are far too easy to predict. Raid Movie Review: This Period Thriller Rides Purely on Ajay Devgn's Star-Power and Saurabh Shukla's Firepower. 'Raid 2' Movie Review - A Deus Ex Machina Hero The second half follows a suspended Amay as he plays a long game to bring down Dada Bhai. Ironically, this undermines Dada Bhai’s supposed brilliance, making him seem more like a bumbling figure than a mastermind. [caption id="attachment_6821504" align="alignnone" width="1488"] A Still From Raid 2[/caption] Amay’s 'clever' tactics often rely less on smart writing and more on conveniently placed plot devices, like discovering someone from the villain’s circle who just happens to have a personal history with the hero. Why even the villain gives him a huge clue about himself - in a moment of reckless smarminess - that Patnaik doesn't take much time to decode. An unnecessary item number featuring Tamannaah Bhatia adds nothing but titillation. Just when the film seems to be sliding lower and lower, in walks Amit Sial as Lallan Sudheer and saves the show. His oily, show-stealing presence injects a bit of life into the film. Not that things dramatically improve, but at least his performance offers some entertainment. Sadly, the twist around his character is so predictable that even the trailer couldn’t be bothered to hide it - though the film pretends it’s a shocking reveal. [caption id="attachment_6821501" align="alignnone" width="1424"] A Still From Raid 2[/caption] The climax offers some fun as Patnaik, living up to the film’s title, launches another raid while throwing back to the original’s threats and tactics. Saurabh Shukla’s recurring appearances as Rameshwar Singh add a few cheeky, enjoyable moments. And if nothing works, always bring in a mention of 'Lord Ram' so that you are in sync with the mood of the nation. 'Raid 2' Movie Review - The Performances Ajay Devgn is firmly on autopilot here, delivering his lines with a steady, low-key intensity, often relying on his shades to do the emoting. He either mumbles through some of the dialogue or delivers it with minimal swag that would make for cool trailer moments. [caption id="attachment_6821500" align="alignnone" width="1416"] A Still From Raid 2[/caption] Riteish Deshmukh, as the antagonist, gives a solid performance but is let down by a script that deflates his menace in the second half.Vaani Kapoor's casting may have come with a stipulation that she get to something to do in a narrative that has no place for her character. Hence, she is featured in a track where she seeks out help to expose Dada Bhai's amoral side in a very unconvincing manner. [caption id="attachment_6821499" align="alignnone" width="1384"] A Still From Raid 2[/caption] Supriya Pathak plays a mother who thinks her son is whiter than milk, and she performs the role with needed sincerity. Shruti Pandey, who plays Amay's subordinate and fan-girl, was nice. Amit Trivedi’s background score, with some aid from Amar Mohile, lends energy to the raid sequences, at least giving them some pulse. 'Raid 2' Movie Review - Final Thoughts Raid 2 wants to be a tense game of wits between a stoic hero and a wily villain, but it stumbles with a rushed narrative, lazy twists, and a screenplay that coasts on convenience. There are moments of fun, thanks to supporting players like Amit Sial and Saurabh Shukla, but the film never quite captures the spark or suspense of the original.