If you love watching movies in theaters that waste no time and throw you straight into the adrenaline-pumping action, then ‘7 Dogs’ is made for you. Famous director duo Adil Al Arabi and Bilal Fallah, who gave superhit movies like ‘Bad Boys for Life’ and ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’, have once again proved how action can be presented as entertainment on screen. The film follows one rule from beginning to end: ‘Just keep moving!’
Starting with the scary scene of the airplane
The opening scene of the film sets the pace for the film. An epic gunfight and stunts take place inside a mid-air crash plane as two men somehow survive. The first is Khalid al-Azazi (Ahmed Az), a highly capable Interpol officer. The other is Ghali Abu Dawud (Karim Abdel Aziz), a dangerous criminal and key member of the dangerous international syndicate called ‘Seven Dogs’.
Khalid now wants to leave the field work and lead a peaceful married life with his fiancee. But his plan goes awry when a new, deadly drug called ‘Pink Lady’ wreaks havoc in a worldwide crime network. Khalid must return for one last mission to take down the syndicate. The biggest twist is that he has to join hands with his old enemy and criminal Ghali.
The pursuit of death and the global Chinese touch
The biggest feature of the film is its scale. Seven key members of the syndicate are hiding in different countries around the world, making the entire mission a ‘global cat-and-mouse chase’. The style of action also changes with each new location.
CHINESE SEQUENCE: The China part featuring Lee Chang (Max Huang) takes the film to a new level. Priscilla Chan’s famous Cantonese song ‘A Thousand Que Songs’ plays in the background. The choreography is so elegant and energetic that it adds a wonderful touch of fun even during the bloodshed.
Blast for Indian audiences: Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt
The biggest attraction of the film for Indian fans is Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt’s cameo. Though his screen time is less than expected, he steals the limelight whenever he comes on screen.
Salman Khan (Johar): Salman is seen in his special style and swag in the role of ‘Johar’, Khalid’s very close and loyal companion. Not only are they given a massive gun-fight, but they are also given a super fun action-ride with an auto-rickshaw that will keep Indian fans on the edge of their seats.
Sanjay Dutt (Ranjit): In the Indian scene, Sanjay Dutt is seen in the avatar of a dangerous criminal ‘Ranjit’. The makers have given him a unique style rather than a traditional villain – even during fierce battles, he is seen fighting like a blogger holding a camera on a ‘selfie stick’ in one hand. This scene is strange, new and very entertaining.
Action figure of the female characters and courtesy of Monica Bellucci
Julia aka Monica Bellucci enters Las Vegas and desert locations. Monica adds a dark, beautiful and dangerous atmosphere with her presence in this fast-paced film.
Another thing to appreciate about this film is that it doesn’t limit its female characters to just ‘glamour’ or ’emotional support’. Khaled’s female co-stars are also shown shoulder to shoulder with the men in deadly action scenes and gun fights.
A compromise of comedy, family and speed
The film does not try to limit itself to just gunshots. It also includes Khalid’s relationship with his fiancee, his past dealing with the death of his father, and the emotional side of Ghali’s family. In the middle of a very chaotic action sequence, Khalid gets a call from his fiancee – who is unaware that he is saving her life and asks him to decide the status of the marriage – bringing a very endearing comedic angle to the film.
However, the emotional aspect is the weakest part of the film. The story moves so fast that the audience doesn’t get a chance to feel the depth of a relationship.
Final decision
Its climax full of dust storms, fireballs and explosions in the middle of the desert is worth watching on the big screen. ‘7 Dogs’ is not a movie that will keep you thinking about it for weeks, but it doesn’t let you get bored for a moment in the two hours you spend inside the theater. Salman and Sanjay not having much screen time might be a little jarring, but if you are looking for pure, non-stop and high-octane ‘mass action entertainer’, this film will not disappoint you.