The laziness in the writing just gets more and more obvious as the film progresses – usually in a dance film, you are waiting for the climax because that is often the grand piece, but here is no such yearning because you’ve already had enough by then. To be fair, the finale, though it takes a long time to come, is splendidly done.

Despite the over-the-top-ness and the general inanity on display, you might even find yourself rooting for ‘India Stunners’ in the movie’s appropriately emotional climax. That’s the surest sign of a genre film having gotten at least the basics right.

Anybody can dance, but not everybody can watch them do just that for 154 minutes (the film’s run time) at a stretch. Enthusiasts, who feed on dance reality TV marathons and expect this to be little more than the best of Dance India Dance, will find it to be an audio-visual delight.

Remo has invested his whole cinematic vocabulary on dance and is left with only ABCD when it comes to the emotional choreography. At one point of time Suresh tells his sweetheart, ‘why do you take tension? You know how it is.’ This perhaps echoes Remo’s advice for the audience.

ABCD 2 does not, even for a moment, pretend to be anything else but a dance movie. Which means if you go looking for a coherent plot line and an insightful portrayal of characters, you will be let down. Yes, it can get better, but ABCD 2 is definitely one step in the right direction.

Yes, it is a dance film but unlike in a dance reality show or a dance DVD, in a film we need the semblance of a plot. We cannot move from one of piece of choreography to the other with an incongruous narrative. Except the dance sequences, every other element in this film seems like an afterthought.

If only director Remo D’Souza had curbed his enthusiasm and trimmed this film by a good half hour, it wouldn’t feel like such a slog. Despite all the high-energy up on screen, you feel drained after 155 minutes of non-stop song and dance. Sure anybody can dance, but it takes more work to keep an audience consistently engaged.

If you ask me, the performances are not a patch on the earlier movie; they are patchy, not fluid. Moreover, you lose the grip on the movie within the first 30 minutes after you realize that there is no plot to take it further. It’s just a push and shove scenario, hoping to get lucky.

Nevertheless, for dance freaks, this could prove to be a good outing.

ABCD 2 is blatant about how little it cares for the writing. And it’s very clear about its passion for hip hop. So, if you don’t care about the story and are looking for groovy hip hop moves, ABCD 2 is just the right thing for you.

When people aren’t in motion on screen, ABCD 2 is a snooze. Luckily, that’s only 20% of the time. D’Souza, who worked for years as one of Bollywood’s most successful choreographers, packs the screen with writhing, seizing, arching, flying bodies. It’s thrilling stuff, all those flashy moves, rendered even flashier in 3D by Vijay Arora’s roving camera, accompanied by Sachin-Jigar’s EDM-heavy score. It is also choreographed to a T, and after a while I found myself wishing for something more free-flowing, with less precision and more personality.

ABCD 2 is too melodramatic and too impressed with itself to be able to deliver an eye-popping dance spectacle that you expect and deserve. If you’re looking for that great Bollywood dance-off film, you’ll have to wait and see if ABCD 3 does it for you.

Reliably, ABCD 2 livens up when the action shifts to stage, thanks to some splendid choreography by the inspiration behind its source — Suresh Mukund and Vernon Monteiro (featured in the closing credits). Even if you’re not a fan of this sort of dancing, the upshot of the troupe’s sheer coordination and dedication is tailor-made for applause, a sentiment you increasingly experience in the concluding half of the movie.

…is a surefire hit. It has hit music, great choreography, brilliant sets, outstanding camerawork and superb masala for everyone. It will easily join the 100-crore club. Its opening day and opening weekend’s collections may be the best of this year so far.

Like most dance movies (made in the West or Bollywood), the malady we are hit with is that while the dancing is professional, the writing is amateur. So, you whoop and whistle when the dances are on. But stifle a yawn between the gravity-defying grooves.

Since ABCD 2 aims to be bigger than its predecessor and magnifies its spectacle to 3D proportions, it takes no chances. Apart from God, Vande Mataram is also invoked to help the Mumbai Stunners conquer hearts in Las Vegas. All that is missing from the rousing climax, in which all races and nationalities rise to applaud this Make in India moment, is a Swachh Bharat message.

You may be in for a surprise if you thought that ‘ABCD 2’ would be totally as you predict. Roaring towards the end, the movie is absolutely realistic which is a great plus and you need to watch to know it all. Don’t let your weekend be monotonous, grab a ticket – it’s worth it.

Varun Dhawan stand outs among the cast because everyone else around him is mediocre. As an ambitious and earnest dancer, his character is graceful and fluid. Except for the honest note he strikes, the rest of the film could have been just a bunch of music videos and no one would have been the wiser.

…might work for you if you just want to enjoy some cool dance numbers. There is little in the film apart for that to entertain you.

3D films in Hindi cinema are a rarity. Movies focusing entirely on dance are just as niche. Put the two together and you have a solid proposition for a commercial entertainer. Great looking lead pair, dancing their socks off and the visuals are pretty neat too. ABCD 2 is a dance film that makes its viewer feel like dancing. Michael Jackson would approve!

Remo D’Souza, evidently a far better choreographer than a director, resorts to predictable clichés, unnecessary Bollywoodish twists and worst of all, insipid dialogues, instead of dwelling into the crests and troughs of the emotions of the troupe members, as they go from utter humiliation to grand jubilation. The oversimplified treatment and the superfluous screenplay makes things worse. And the film is 30 minutes too long.

As someone who wholeheartedly enjoyed ABCD, I have to say this has proven to be a disappointing and unworthy sequel. The film ends with a quote by Remo that says, ‘Life is all about the next step’. We certainly hope Remo’s next step has us dancing again!

ABCD 2 had a chance to say something important: about ambitions and the price people pay for them, about carving identities through something that’s typically considered frivolous, about coming to terms with lost pride. But ABCD 2 couldn’t hear these stories. You wonder why. Maybe we do know the answer: The sound from the box office cash register must have been quite deafening.

Apart from its fantastic dance sequences, the film gives you a sincere Varun Dhawan (How can you not love him?), 3D put to good use and a climax that you will enjoy.

Much of ‘ABCD2′ is inspired by real life: a Mumbai group made it to the world hip-hop championships a few years ago under tough circumstances. The film sets out to prove that all of us can do with second chances, and that Indians can do hip-hop as well as the rest of the world (which we can easily believe given the astonishing degree of expertise we see on our reality shows) But a dance movie needs to electrify. That’s missing: all the I-love-my-India drippiness overwhelms the choreography. And why is it so long? It just goes on and on.

It is one of those rare films where you need to pacify your Attention-Deficit-Disorder-ed self because you don’t want to leave the theatre without seeing the end credits roll. In all, this week’s big release is a lovely watch, and will leave you by saying, ‘Naach Meri Jaan!’

ABCD2 is the happiest film of the year. Remo’s coming-of-‘edge’ dance-and-drama razzmatazz is suffused with a steep quotient of what the French call joie de vivre and what we down here refer to ascheez badi mast mast.Despite its patchy portions the storytelling is so infectiously endearing you’d be seriously tempted to spring out of your seat and groove with the onscreen revellers .

There is never a dull moment here.Even when the characters are bored and tired of dancing, we are are not.

…a fun watch for all those who love dancing. If you have two left feet when it comes to dance then at least get thrilled watching this. Surely, India’s best attempt at a dance film.

For dance freaks, there is much on offer. For lovers of cinema, ABCD 2 is a hazy blur of a movie.

You should watch ABCD 2 irrespective of whether you are a dancer or not, because the performances more than compensate for the forced emotions, poorly-written dialogues and the badly-woven storyline.

…makes for a good viewing and this film will surely find its way to its target audience – the youth, as the film has the right mix of content and visuals in it.

ABCD 2 is a great movie for the weekend watch, irrespective of the age, you can enjoy this good 3D dance movie and have a smile on your face through out. Filmibeat verdict says, ABCD 2 is a must watch on this great weekend.

… it is needless to say that this flick deserves a watch. It doesn’t matter you are a dancer or not, you would be moved by this Remo D’ Souza presentation.

Varun-Shraddha proudly takes India to world…it is needless to say that this flick deserves a watch. It doesn’t matter you are a dancer or not, you would be moved by this Remo D’ Souza presentation.

The film suffers majorly from poor writing and poorer editing. The dance group has three months to prepare for the international championship; alas, they spend three days that felt like three years to convince Prabhu Deva to be their choreographer. The film in the second half is as sluggish. You lose patience.
…if you are a DID/Jhalak Dikhhlaa Jaa/Just Dance fan. If you have broken your fingers, sending a thousand messages to save your favorite contestants on reality shows!! If Dharmesh, Punit, Cockroach, Raghav are familiar names who bring a big smile on your face, then you must watch ABCD 2.

Had Remo focused on the dance, and cut out the rest of the mush, this would’ve been a great watch.