Every director has a signature that he leaves on his movies. No matter how different the story/background/actors, this signature is visible to anyone who cares to notice. Race is no different. It has a typical "Abbas Mastan" flavor to it. If you’ve seen Humraaz, Naqaab or Baazigar, you will know what I am pointing at.
But this movie sees them in arguably thier best attempt of movie making so far, just slightly short of baazigar if at all. The pace of the movie is refreshingly fast so you dont sit and pray for it to get over. This is perhaps Race’s biggest USP. Unlike most hindi movies, this one keeps you on ur toes all the time. Some might argue that it gets a little predicable, I wont go into that argument coz its purely a matter of perspective. I quite enjoyed it.
Most importantly, this is not a cheap rip off some hollywood flick. At least not that I can tell. And I watch a lotta hollywood cinema. So when you go to see this movie, you wont get the picture of Tom Cruise doing the same stunts a few years ago and doing them better.
The music of this movie is just as important as any other character. Especially when you are watching a thriller, songs can sometimes break the pace and loose their audience. Not so the case in Race. The music is peppy, and very very catchy. You probably listen to these songs on FM when driving to work and tap along everyday, well, watching them wont be a let down either. Even the background music blends in very well with the songs. They are not disjoint. As is the case with many hindi movies.
Among the actors, Saif truly stands out. He looks the look and walks the walk. I dont think he will consider this as his best "acting" performance ever. Thats because the script just wants him to walk around with a serious look on his face, and look handsome. He does both these things just about as well as any other. Akshaye is at par with his role. Looks every bit the spoilt brat that he potrays. Bipasha refuses to act, as she always does in all her movies. She is a big let down. You get the feeling she is too busy trying to look good. In every movie, she remains expressionless, whether she is crying, laughing or romancing someone, the expressions hardly ever change. This time is no different. A word of praise for miss katrina kaif who manages to look fabulous despite the atrocious wardrobe. Acts better than the other ladies as well. I think she is improving with every movie and surprising a lotta people. She sure as hell surprised me. Anil Kapoor is a veteran in this industry, but hardly looks it. Almost looks the same age as the leading actors.
All in all, a very decent effort thats very high on the entertainment quotient. Watch this movie and see bollywood raise its standard of movie making. I am not saying this movie is redefining in bollywood history, but it surely stands witness to the steady improvement in technicality and story narration.