Research & Analysis Wing spy Tiger (Salman Khan) can jump off buildings, dodge bullets, knock hard punches, single-handedly stop trains and return with a high body count. Only glitch: he is sloppy at disguising himself or staying hidden (throwing a keffiyeh around your head and walking in slo-mo only attracts more attention). With puffy eyed Khan, Tiger also comes across haggard – he could do with a break. No wonder then that on his next mission in Dublin, Tiger falters. He falls hard for Zoya (Katrina Kaif). He is a loyal servant to India, she to Pakistan. But secret agents cannot be star-crossed lovers for too long. They don’t sulk and shed tears, they fight back. So the lovebirds criss-cross across the globe – from Turkey to Cuba to be precise.

Kabir Khan’s globetrotting action adventure like its lead pair meanders and offers a tepid take on the age old dictum “Make love, not war”. Khan and Kaif, last seen together in Subhash Ghai’s debacle Yuvvraaj, sorely lack chemistry. They never pass off as a couple up against all odds in this case the secret service wings of the rivaling neighbouring countries. This is a Khan vehicle entirely but his zealous fans will be disappointed with the lack of humour – the few good laughs are seen in the trailer. Even with a few nifty choreographed action sequences, heavily inspired by the Bourne series and clearly performed by stunt doubles, Ek Tha Tiger runs out of steam after the first half. This is Veer Zaara without melodrama and romance but with action that lacks a punch.