Movie Review: Jolly LLB2….jolly good sequel

I have to say, I was skeptical about this sequel. While the original was a surprisingly good package for a low budget movie, I felt it had its flaws and this one would simply be a money spinner like most sequels tend to be. However, I was wrong and Jolly LLB2 is worth all the praise and goodwill it is receiving. While not a winner all the way, it’s a gripping and engaging watch for the most part with some sharp commentary on very relevant issues.

From its opening, the movie asserts that this Jolly is going to be very different from the original and he is not to be taken lightly. In fact, despite similar characters, the movie relies very little on the connect to its origin story despite the occasional nod to it. This works well and those who have not seen the original won’t be missing anything.

What the sequel misses though, as compared to the original is tight packaging. Jolly LLB had a simple case, that got more and more complex, more and more desperate for our protagonist and even towards the end just emphasized on the hopelessness of the due process which allowed criminals to get away. While making things difficult for the protagonist is still the focus, the other elements don’t come together really well.

Instead, part II relies on some really smart arguments and exchanges, strong performances and a gripping presentation – to keep you interested besides the gaps. The stakes are clearly much higher this time around and its no longer about a lawyer fumbling and stumbling his way through to a solution. Shots are fired, people get hurt and there’s hardly any room for error. I’ll stop here..

While Arshad Warsi was somewhat the weak link, despite his earnest performance in Jolly LLB, there are no such issues with Akshay Kumar playing the lead role here. While not a scene stealer, he very much holds his own despite a weakly written character for the protagonist. Sorabh Shukla is in great form again and slips into his, now familiar, character with ease. Annu Kapoor as the antagonist, is a shade better than Boman Irani but tends to get a little over the top.


The writing, like the original, is good with some particularly witty one-liners. The songs are few and don’t disrupt the pacing. Overall, Subhash Kapoor puts together a jolly good show this second time and this is definitely a case worth re-visiting.