On the whole, Don 2 is a perfect combination of style with substance : 3/5
Story: After ditching the cops five years ago by becoming an indisputable don of Asian underworld, the story of Don (Shah Rukh Khan) goes ahead, initially by surrendering to cops Malik (Om Puri) and Roma (Priyanka Chopra) in Malaysia, with a certain motive. His aim is steal the money making plates from a bank whose source can only be traced through safety deposit box in Switzerland, preserved by Singhania (Rajesh Khattar) who was killed in the prequel Don. The only man who can take him to the deposit box now, is Vardhan (Boman Irani) who is in the Malaysian jail. As soon as he sets himself and Vardhan free, he is on the mission to conquer European underworld with an aim to fetch the plates from the bank. Now, how will Don accomplish his task with the help of Sameer Ali (Kunal Kapoor), Jabbar (Nawab Shah) and his sweetheart Lara (Lara Dutta) is the rest of the story.
Story Treatment: Shah Rukh Khan compels one to leave the bitter memories of Ra. One behind and experience an exhilarating ride with Don 2. Hollywood style crisp action sequences and different avatars of SRK, prisoner and eventually ultra-classy Don keep the spectator busy. The story picks up pace in the post interval portions with tremendous suspense value related to Kunal Kapoor. The vulnerable love sequence between SRK and Priyanka also commands for appreciation in terms how it brings the necessary twist in the story which can be called the forte of Farhan Akhtar as a story-writer.
Star Cast: The unmatchable charisma of Shah Rukh Khan with ultra-stylish dialogue delivery makes Don 2, worth a watch for one and all. Priyanka Chopra is at her best towards the climax switching lanes between helpless lover and revengeful cop. Lara Dutta plays her part well in the special appearance. Boman Irani is at ease with his character and plays it with no room for flaws. Kunal Kapoor gives a fine performance as an integral part. Alyy Khan as Vice-President of the bank looks classy and does justice to his role. Nawab Khan too is good.
Direction: Farhan Akhtar yet again shows his brilliance as a director. Barring few loopholes which can be neglected like Vardhan (Boman) despite in the hitlist of police gets an easy entry into the bank is highly indigestible, Don 2 impresses at various stages. The theft sequence is amazing shot with no room for technical goof-ups especially the way SRK escapes the inside chamber with plates in his bag.
Music/ Cinematography/ Dialogues/Editing: Music has less role to play in Don 2 with just title song in the film and promotional one in the climax. Cinematography is mind-boggling matching up to the standards of Hollywood. Ditto for editing which complements the camera moves and further strengthens the narration. Dialogues as mentioned earlier are classy and impactful.
3 Ups and 3 Downs: Shah Rukh Khan, direction, cinematography, dialogues and editing are the strong points. Lack of songs subtracting down the Bollywood masala element from the film which was prevalent in Don, sluggish screenplay in first half are the weak points.
On the whole, Don 2 is a perfect combination of style with substance. Definitely a one-time watch for one and all and treat for SRK fans.