HIT The Third Case Review : Good but not Exceptional

HIT: The Third Case comes as the third installment in the HIT series of movies. Telugu Funda tells you what the movie is about.

Telugu Funda’s reveal of the premise:

In the frost-bitten valleys of Jammu & Kashmir, Arjun Sarkaar (Nani), a fiery cop with a heart of steel, leads the Homicide Intervention Team. When a blood-chilling murder takes place, he dives headfirst into the chaos. As he peels back the layers, a sinister web unravels—gruesome killings, eerily alike, staining the nation’s map. Who is orchestrating this macabre symphony? When Arjun cracks the mystery, he has a danger to survive.

Telugu Funda’s take on the Performances:

1. Nani: He may not match the intensity required of the character, but his goodwill and consistency ensure that we fall in love with Sarkaar’s ways.
2. Srinidhi Shetty: Her character’s trajectory is found wanting. The dubbing contributes to reducing her to the status of a glam doll in the first half. Her saree look sexualizes her character needlessly.
3. Prateik Babbar: Not sinister enough as a rare antagonist.
4. The cops: Rao Ramesh is too routine. Surya Srinivas is better in comparison. Komalee Prasad is a good fit.
5. Others: Samuthirakani is the male lead’s father (stock character). Ravindra Vijay is seen in an extended small part.
6. The cameos: A Telugu hero with consecutive hits since 2016 and a Tamil hero who last year acted in a touching family drama rev up the climax to an extent.

Telugu Funda’s take on the Technical Output:

1. The music: The songs are not impactful. The film needed songs that could dish out ‘josh’. The background music is conventional.
2. The cinematography: Sanu John Varghese’s work has the skill.
3. Production Design: Sri Nagendra Tangala’s design of a dreaded hideout (where many important scenes take place) should have been better.
4. Overall production values: Wall Poster Cinema and Unanimous Productions ensure that the Kashmir portions are staged without compromises. All outdoor scenes look updated.

Telugu Funda’s Analysis:

HIT 3 works mainly because we get to watch a family-friendly actor in an A-rated, moody action thriller. Arjun Sarkaar has anger issues. He flies into paroxysms frequently. He could be battling single status issues (he has serially flopped in dates). The entry of Mrudula in his life feels sudden and incredible.

The Kashmir portions, though supported by rich production values, could have been written to sustain the tension longer. The hero accidentally discovering clinching clues is starkly lazy.

When Sarkaar zeroes in on the CTK (not revealing the abbreviation to spare you spoilers), he starts giving a long exposition. He might have done his research but it all feels like a rush.

The second half has loads of violence. If you are a fan of bloodletting scenes, you will like these stretches. Again, the writing could have been more nail-biting here. The police team comes across as ill-prepared. The scale of the police operation lacks ambition.

Telugu Funda’s Verdict:

HIT 3 is a mixed bag. Don’t be carried away by the initial hype. Yes, the action thriller has its super-engaging stretches, but this is not novel for the genre by any yardstick.

Rating: 2.75

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