Prabhu Deva leads the way in ABCD 2 (ABCD 2 Review)
Are the dance competitions that air every weekend on television your favorite pastime? Then ABCD 2 is for you and of course fans of Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor, who we see playing the lead roles along with Prabhu Deva. The story of ABCD 2 is minimalistic without any significant subplots to distract you away from the central theme of dance. Suresh (Varun Dhawan) and his troupe of dancers are disqualified from a dance competition after being caught copying the dance steps from a Philippine dance group. Disgraced, most of them disband, and a distraught Suresh turns to his mother for inspiration. Suresh believes he can regain lost reputation by winning the hip-hop dance competition in Las Vegas. However, he along with his friend Vinnie (Shraddha Kapoor) and a few others must first convince, Vishnu (Prabhu Deva), a brilliant choreographer and dancer to guide them.
ABCD 2 is not really about any one individual as it always focuses on the fate of the entire group of dancers. Of course, you have the romance between the principal characters but then that’s hardly ever a distraction in the movie. You may even find it a welcome change from the otherwise dance-oriented theme of the film. You will appreciate the fact that the director never goes overboard and tells the story in a restrained manner. Even to someone not interested in dance, this movie is not going to violate your senses, which is an achievement in itself, and it speaks volumes for all those involved in the making of ABCD 2.
If you are in a position to appreciate the dance in this film, you will find yourself inundated by dance performances that come thick and fast as the movie progresses. As for me, I don’t understand hip-hop and as long as the dance is appealing it doesn’t matter. You will find the dance to be quite spunky, and even though it does get a little repetitive, it isn’t boring. Even though the focus is on the performance of the Indians at the hip-hop dance competition, the director does show participants from other countries performing as well. Although, as this is a film and not a live show, we do not get to see a complete performance and only shots from various acts. The finale, though, let me down a bit. I thought the costumes of the participants were a tad out-of-place for a dance competition. Also, the music and the lyrics, as well as the dance, on the whole, was not befitting a final performance. That’s my personal take on it, and you might feel quite the contrary. The music and lyrics are both patchy, and while there are a few numbers that will click for you, others won’t.
As for the actors, it’s all about dancing, isn’t it? There isn’t much of acting to talk about per se. And if it is through their dance that they have to impress the viewers, then Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, and the rest of them have done quite well. Though Lauren Gottlieb is introduced quite late into the movie, she does add a bit of spark to the film. There are many dancers who have done exceedingly well in dance competitions through the years have a chance to explore other avenues to showcase their talent. Films like ABCD 2 and its predecessor give such enthusiastic and talented individuals another medium to highlight their skills.
Finally, watching ABCD 2 in 3D certainly is a pleasant experience. Although it’s not one you will remember for a unique story or great performances, it does give moviegoers, particularly the ones who aren’t into dance competitions on television, a chance to watch Indians gyrate.
What do you think?