Intellectuals/aatels/non-droolers please step aside.

M and I watched Dhoom-II yesterday. There are about 20 shows going in E-Square, which is the multiplex closest to home. All the shows were sold out. Well, except for the neck-craning seats. Without a second's dilly-dallying, we jumped into a rick and sped to Inox. This is the snazzier multiplex in town. The theatres are decorated a la Moulin Rouge and tickets sell at 130 bucks for a morning show. We didn't care.

Now, the movie is not as tight as Dhoom. It gets soppy towards the end, and there are issues of redemption and 'thief-turned-lover.' But Hrithik.....oh my God! He is lithe like he's never been, hot like he's never been....and THE GUY CAN KISS! Well, visually at least. His eyes change colour in a certain sizzle-scene. I am not a Drooler by nature. No, really. But.....he is utterly Droolable. And Sighable. And Crushable (er). And he's pulled off marvellous stunts and his body (gulp).
Audience sympathy lay almost totally with him. Judging by the shouts of 'Abhishek you're a loser' and 'Hrithik, kick his ass', at least. The ladies in the movie look good. That's it. Aishwarya is, like, ok in her duh, good-hearted bimbette role. Bipasha, in a seriously slapstick double-role does fair justice to Bengali beauty. Rimi puts in a pregnant appearance.
Among the lesser men, Abhishek is pretty good. His role seems to have been given a few negative subtleties, but at the end, he emerges as this benevolent-God-like guy.
Uday retains his lovable-ness....this being the only role I like him in.
The music is danceable, though the songs have been timed at rather unnecessary moments. The thief is softer, more humane with a girl whom he trusts. The cop has loosened up and shrugged off his wife a little.
In all, Hrithik stands out for sheer presence.