Review: Commando 3

Release date: November 29, 2019
Running time: 133 minutes
Starring: Vidyut Jammwal, Adah Sharma, Gulshan Devaiah

In Commando 3, super soldier with a heart of gold Dogra (Vidyut Jammwal) must hunt down and stop a terrorist threat in London before an impending attack in India occurs.  Agent Dogra is racing against the clock and in unfamiliar territory, but is helped along by a diverse set of agents each specializing in a different field and with their own strengths and weaknesses.  Dogra is ultra-patriotic, excels at everything, and has a body builder's physique; essentially your typical Bollywood movie super soldier.  

Although this movie has a lot of your typical Bollywood action tropes--a smoldering male protagonist who knows everything, speaks slowly and with conviction at every turn, is amazing at every type of combat, and fights with plenty of slow motion action--Commando 3's unique angle is the impending terrorist attack on India.  Dogra has a clock he must beat while also navigating international diplomacy issues being an Indian super soldier in London.  It makes for some interesting character dynamics and intrigue with both the British military and his own team (half of whom are British).  And although the team does some very questionable things in the pursuit of justice and preventing the attack, overall the plot is fine for a Bollywood film; it gets the story moving along and keeps you interested.  And the team itself, and the supporting characters in the film, are cast and acted well.  Each team member has their strengths and weaknesses, and seeing them interact across cultures and specialties is fun to see. And the antagonist in this film, played by Gulshan Devaiah, is perfectly cast, with a wild, intense demeanor that always captures your attention and leaves you wondering what will happen next. 

Commando 3 doesn't have a ton of action (much of the movie is investigating, intrigue, and police work) but the action sequences themselves are very good.  The fights are well choreographed and the chase sequences are exciting to experience.  There is a good variety of martial arts, gunplay, and vehicle chases that keep the action interesting.  And one pleasant surprise is the high quality CG throughout most of the flim.  CG can often be distracting to me in Bollywood films, but here there were only a few instances where the CG was even noticeable.  It really helped to not break the suspension of disbelief and I'm hoping this will be a trend in more action movies from India!  

One thing that is tough for me to comment on is the nationalistic message in the film.  There is some overtone of everyone being Indian regardless of what you believe and where you are from; an overall good message that might come off a little patronizing depending on your viewpoint.  I also don't have exposure with the conflicts between Hindus and Muslims that form a major part of the plot and message in this film.  It was prominently featured and to my outside observer's eye, it seemed like there was an overall good message from the film, but I don't know how this will effect people who have actually experienced this.  I want to highlight it just so you know that this is prominently featured in the movie.  

Commando 3 is an exciting action movie with all the spectacle you would expect from top budget Hindi movies.  It has a charismatic lead, exciting action sequences, and a strong message.

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