Tiger 3 movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert (2024)

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Tiger 3 movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert (1)

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“They’re here to witness my swag,” growls Indian super-spy Tiger midway through “Tiger 3,” a mostly staid but still satisfying Indian anti-terrorist thriller. Tiger is played by Salman Khan, whose square-jawed style sets the pace for the Yash Raj Spy Universe, a Marvelified Bollywood action series starring the Hindi-speaking stars of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.

Now Khan’s family-loving nationalist hero is going through the formulaic motions established by “Ek Tha Tiger” and “Tiger Zinda Hai.” In “Tiger 3,” flag-waving man of action Tiger (Khan) fights his own Pakistani super-spy wife Zoya (Katrina Kaif) to stop Pakistani terrorists from derailing Pakistan/India peace talks. Nothing looks new because nothing original was attempted.

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“Tiger 3” most closely resembles “Tiger Zinda Hai,” a superior sequel and a weirdly sunny hostage thriller set in contemporary Iraq. Unfortunately, Tiger and Zoya’s diplomatic capers now seem predictable, right down to this new movie’s introductory twist: Zoya’s plotting against her own Prime Minister with Pakistani terrorist Aatish Rehman (Emraan Hashmi), a disgruntled ex-spy.

This time, Tiger’s not just trying to foster good relations between two countries but also trying to keep his family intact. That superficially personal twist doesn’t greatly enhance or subtract from “Tiger 3”’s box-checking charms, including Shah Rukh Khan’s extended cameo appearance and a heap of Hollywood-cribbed story beats and clichés.

“Tiger 3” begins with as much cornball swag as a live-action “G.I. Joe” cartoon. Tiger boldly mounts a one-man rescue mission at the personal request of Maithili Menon (Revathi), the no-nonsense chief of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) spy agency. Tiger succeeds in his impossible-seeming mission and rescues Gopi Arya (Ranvir Shorey), his ex-supervisor at RAW. In exchange, Gopi implicates Zoya as a Pakistani double agent right before he expires, seconds after he and Tiger return to India.

Then there’s a flashback to Zoya’s past, which does and doesn’t explain Gopi’s accusation. Next, an unremarkable musical number where Tiger wonders, through song, if he can trust Zoya. Then, a bunch more narrative set-up and throat-clearing, all to prop up the plot against his wife and his son Junior (Sartaj Kakkar). There are very few surprises along the way, though, at one point, Salman Khan negligibly disguises himself with a red hippie sweatband and a shaggy paste-on beard. Tiger dramatically removes his beard before he fights his wife. Then they make up and plan to foil Rehman together.

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“Tiger 3” definitely feels like the fifth entry in a franchise, for the better (usually) and the worse (obviously). Tiger’s latest adventure features better action choreography and more storytelling polish than “Pathaan,” Shah Rukh Khan’s rickety comeback vehicle and the most recent extension of the Yash Raj Spy Universe. Tiger made a perfunctory cameo appearance in “Pathaan,” so nobody should be surprised to learn that the Badshah of Bollywood returns the favor in “Tiger 3.” It’s a superior guest spot, too, complete with goofier dad joke banter and more spectacular special effects and stunt work. If you cross your eyes, you might even believe Salman and Shah Rukh were simultaneously on the same set. Advantage: “Tiger 3.”

Salman’s latest seat-warmer also benefits from being a second sequel. The filmmakers clearly have a better idea of how to make this type of movie, unlike the creators of “Ek Tha Tiger,” Tiger’s lifeless 2012 debut. “Tiger 3” is also a better buddy movie. Kaif gets to steal a couple of scenes, just like she did in “Tiger Zinda Hai,” including a dynamically choreographed and lightly horny catfight set in a Russian bathhouse. Kaif still looks better with a gun than Khan, but even he seems more at ease than before as a pumped-up Tom Cruise clone, dangling from the ceiling and leaping into helicopters with his signature boyish smirk.

“Tiger 3” might be a milestone for the Yash Raj Spy movies. After 11 years, these programmatic wannabe blockbusters are finally defined by the same lightly likable, creative committee-calibrated genericism that’s come to characterize Marvel’s artery-stiffening fast-food cinema. “Tiger 3” could also be a passable fluke since who knows how convoluted and/or compelling the series might become once it unites Salman and Shah Rukh’s marquee-topping heroes with Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff’s characters from “War,” whose sequel is now in production.

You still might get what you want from “Tiger 3” during the action and musical scenes, which have their moments. A holiday crowd might be the ideal audience for this family-friendly potboiler. Everyone else should wait until “Tiger 3” suddenly appears on some high-trafficked streaming service, a swaggier and more surprising move than anything Salman attempts in his latest money-maker.

In theaters now.

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Film Credits

Tiger 3 movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert (9)

Tiger 3 (2023)

156 minutes

Cast

Salman Khanas Avinash Singh 'Tiger' Rathore

Katrina Kaifas Zoya 'Zee' Humaini

Emraan Hashmias Aatish Rehman

Revathias Maithili Menon

Kumud Mishraas Rakesh Ji

Sartaaj Kakkaras Junior

Anant Vidhaat Sharmaas Karan

Chandrachoor Raias Nikhil

Director

  • Maneesh Sharma

Writer

  • Aditya Chopra
  • Shridhar Raghavan

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Tiger 3 movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert (2024)

FAQs

Tiger 3 movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert? ›

That superficially personal twist doesn't greatly enhance or subtract from “Tiger 3”'s box-checking charms, including Shah Rukh Khan's extended cameo appearance and a heap of Hollywood-cribbed story beats and clichés. “Tiger 3” begins with as much cornball swag as a live-action “G.I. Joe” cartoon.

What is Tiger 3 story summary? ›

What is review of Tiger 3? ›

This movie is no exception. All things disappoint, from storyline to overcooked action scenes and from acting to less cooked script. The dish tiger 3 is over cooked from certain aspects and less cooked from others. All contributing equally to another disaster.

What was Roger Ebert's last review? ›

The last review by Ebert published during his lifetime was for the film The Host, which was published on March 27, 2013. The last review Ebert wrote was for To the Wonder, which he gave 3.5 out of 4 stars in a review for the Chicago Sun-Times. It was posthumously published on April 6, 2013.

Was Zoya a double agent? ›

This effectively means that Zoya is a double agent, pretending to be associated with RAW, but secretly working for the ISI. Zoya is at their home in Austria with their son Junior. Tiger begins to spy on Zoya and is later assigned to safeguard a RAW agent named Jibran Sheikh (Neeraj Purohit) in St.

Is Tiger 3 based on true story? ›

Tiger 3 is in theatres. The Salman Khan-starrer is the third film featuring the actor as the fictitious superspy Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger. But while Rathore is a work of fiction, Tiger indeed was a real spy. In fact, he was considered one of the best India has ever produced.

Who is the main villain in Tiger 3? ›

In the Salman Khan-starrer, Emraan plays the lead antagonist — Aatish Rehman, an ex-ISI agent.

Is Tiger 3 a hit or flop? ›

As per Sacnilk.com, Tiger 3 recorded its opening day with a whopping ₹44.5 crores, earning ₹43 crores in its Hindi territory and ₹1.3 crore and 20 Lakhs in Telugu and Tamil versions respectively. The film saw an upward trend on Day 2 (Monday) collecting ₹59.25 crores, with Hindi collections alone peaking at ₹58 crores.

Is Tiger 3 a good film? ›

Salman Khan good acting after years and one of the finest performances by Emraan hashmi. Zoya (Katrina) shines in her limited action role. Movie is emotional but story is too predictable. Weakest in tiger franchises.

Is Tiger 3 adult or not? ›

The Maneesh Sharma directorial is passed with 'U/A' (unrestricted but with a parental discretion advisory for children under 12 years) certificate without any cuts by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

How old was Ebert when he died? ›

On April 4, 2013, one of America's best-known and most influential movie critics, Roger Ebert, who reviewed movies for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV for 31 years, dies at age 70 after battling cancer.

Why was Roger Ebert so good? ›

Ebert wrote balanced reviews, by and large, that appreciate a movie's virtues and identify its faults. Orr tells us why Ebert didn't retire: “He kept writing about movies because he cared about movies…” One thing we can say for Ebert is that he wrote more meaningful sentences than that one.

How many movies did Ebert see? ›

Roger Ebert started writing reviews in 1967. As a professional, he watched over 500 movies and he reviewed about 300 movies each year. Over his 40 year career, he published about 10,000 movie reviews.

Who does Zoya fall in love with? ›

Zoya later expresses that she wish she said yes to him, especially because they are about to go into a battle that could kill them both. They both survive, and a few days later, Zoya admits to Nikolai that she loves him. The two begin a romantic relationship after that.

Who does Zoya love? ›

She is in a romantic relationship with Nikolai Lantsov. She is introduced as side antagonist turned protagonist in the Shadow and Bone trilogy and a main point-of-view in the King of Scars series. She appears in Crooked Kingdom in a minor role. Zoya is played by Sujaya Dasgupta in the Netflix series.

Does Zoya marry Nikolai? ›

With Ehri gone, peace made with the Shu, and her Grisha powers gone forever, Zoya will be free to marry Nikolai. After they get married, the now human Zoya will become general of the First Army, thus repairing the split between the Grisha and non grisha.

What is the moral of the Tiger? ›

Moral of the Story

If we treat others kindly we will receive kindness whereas if we are hurtful and deceiving to the people around us we might also end up getting hurt and deceived like the tiger. In the conclusion of the story, “we reap what we sow”.

Is Katrina Kaif bad in Tiger 3? ›

In the realm of action, Katrina Kaif has raised the bar with her portrayal of Zoya in the Tiger franchise. With Tiger 3, she elevates her performance, showcasing impressive kicks, punches, firearm skills, hand-to-hand combat, and even defeating opponents while clad in just a bath towel.

Who wrote Tiger 3 story? ›

With mostly overused plotlines, Tiger 3 screenplay is a house of cards with a swimming pool of recycled stereotypes. The story by Aditya Chopra confuses banality for thrills.

Will there be Tiger 4? ›

This revelation has generated excitement among fans eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Tiger series. Read inside to know more details... Salman Khan has officially hinted at the much-anticipated Tiger 4, confirming his collaboration with Katrina Kaif during the ICC World Cup 2023 Final.

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