Judwaa was a superhit, and while Judwaa 2 might be the same, it will surely at least be a hit. In a time of serious movies, revenge dramas, and horror flicks, Judwaa 2 is a slapstick comedy that is sure to give you a good dose of laughter. The movie might not really require any use of your brain, but, isn’t that what is relaxing sometimes? The locations and the extravagant sets are totally a treat to watch. Where it might not be fair to give the movie any more than 3 stars, it would still be recommended for your weekend watchlist.

Salman Khan’s Judwaa (1997) wasn’t a great film, but it has nostalgia attached to it. This is why most of us were keen on seeing how close Varun Dhawan gets to Salman in Judwaa 2. He doesn’t disappoint. The film also entertains without making a demand on your mental faculties. However, your ability to watch it twice or not will depend on your appetite for slapstick. From 1997 to 2017, what has not changed at all in this film is its inherent misogyny and racial jokes. They come at you one after another, without a pause. But you laughed in Judwaa! Well, you may laugh this time as well. I never said it’s completely unfunny, and there are other gags that totally work. The onus is on Varun Dhawan to fill into Salman’s shoes and he does that. He appears to be enjoying the PJs. You may have objection to the content, but this is nothing other than what they promised in the trailers. However, both Jacqueline and Taapsee have been reduced to mere glamour elements. Jacqueline dances on her own songs and Taapsee keeps jumping into the pool. But to their credit, they try their best to support Varun Dhawan in making a joke work. Judwaa 2, like the original, isn’t a piece of art, in fact it’s mediocre, but it’s that one film which may lift your mood. At 149-minutes, this slapstick comedy has some really laugh-worthy moments.

David Dhawan has tried to be faithful to the plot, for the most part. Some of it works, much of it doesn't. Judwaa 2 manages to make you laugh in parts. Watch out for Varun Dhawan's Shah Rukh Khan impression - "Ammi jaan kehti thi..." Johnny Lever's comic timing stole the spotlight from Varun Dhawan in the scenes they had together, but unfortunately, he is on screen for a mere five minutes. Expect lots of seeti-worthy dialogues. However, Judwaa 2 is a huge letdown in the music department. The revamped songs are not a patch on the original, whether it is Oonchi Hai Building or Tan Tana Tan. Fans of the 1997 film have something to look forward to, though. The "original Judwaa" Salman Khan makes a guest appearance at the end of the film. All four Judwaas grooving to Tan Tana Tan? Check. As the villain in the film keeps saying, "Let's come straight to the point." And the point is this: Judwaa 2 is meant to be old wine in a new bottle. But this is no ageless wine, and maybe, David Dhawan should have checked the expiry date before making the film.

The laughs are too scattered in this Varun Dhawan film. Varun Dhawan wades fully into both characters, and shows a nimble-footedness here and there. He is better at the broad, physical, crotch-lowering ‘gali ka gunda’, than the straight, subdued fella, and judging by the roars and claps of the mostly youthful crowd at the first-day, first-show, he knows it too.  For a comedy whose plot would make a wafer look thin, the lines have to be razor sharp, and delivered in just the right rhythm. This is where the director falters, even as his son tries his best to give us two for the price of one on the other end of the screen. Fernandez and Pannu show up and do what they need to when called for: squeal and act surprised and swing to the beat; the latter making the most of her part. Pannu is the real surprise here, and a welcome one. But the material gets too thin and stretched around Judwaa 2’s flab. A character keeps saying: ‘main seedha point pe aata hoon’. You wish the film did too. Want to see what David Dhawan was capable of when he was on point? Watch the rollicking ‘Aankhen’, and while you’re at it, even the earlier ‘Judwaa’, when asking a girl out for a ‘nau se baarah’ show had real sting. This one is strictly the Multiplex Millennial Two Point Oh version.

The script (if you can call it that) is a combination of familiar gags borrowed from Manmohan Desai films. The sidekick stammers, the hero repeats dialogue from various masala movies, the villain develops amnesia when hit by a coconut, a football butt allows his memory to return, etc. There's nothing intelligible here so please stop searching. It's basically innocent fun meant to pander to the child in you. The only 'wicked' thing here are the heroines' skimpy costumes (just kidding). The girls, Samara (Taapsee) and Alishka (Jacqueline) are brought out for chartbusters - Chalti Hai Kya 9 Se 12 and Oonchi Hai Building. They sportingly kiss, cuddle and are happy horsing around doing precious little. Lame lyrics, loud gags and leggy lasses never really hurt anyone. Believe me, at one point, you're tempted to join Varun when he is doing those perfect pelvic thrusts. Judwaa 2 could be a substitute for your Dussehra party. Consult Salman, even he sportingly shows up in a cameo in the end.