The basic eligibility required of a RAW officer is a martial arts degree: sample ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ (2012) and now ‘Force 2’, and that of an ACP the ability to decipher cryptic messages too – that is, if our filmmakers are to be believed.

The top brass of RAW is in a quandary when three of their agents get bumped off in quick succession across different cities in China. Zeroing in on a mole in their set-up (courtesy our clue-solving agent), they dispatch Kamaljit Kaur aka KK (Sonakshi Sinha). But as she’s a little raw herself, Mumbai ACP Yashwardhan aka Yash (John Abraham) is sent along as a reinforcement. Tracking and unmasking the mole Shiv Sharma (Tahir Raj Bhasin) is easy; understanding the rationale behind betraying his country is what director Abhinay Deo sets out to expound in this two-hour-plus film.

‘Force 2’ has no pretentions of any sort, apart from being an outright action film. Most of the action and chase scenes are shot in Budapest and cinematographers Imre Juhasz and Mohana Krishna have done a decent job of presenting the Hungarian capital in all its splendour. But if the impassive reactions of pedestrians is any indication, running along the pavements with guns in hand in Hungary would be considered a national pastime. Flaunting his six-pack-abs and using his shirt like a weapon (a certain Salman can take note), John Abraham, after starting off with erotic thrillers like ‘Jism’, seems to have finally found his calling.

When not lifting cars or culling his would-be assassins, the desi James Bond manages to look grim and unflustered. Sonakshi Sinha has nothing much to do except keep the co-producer John Abraham company, while Tahir Raj Basin as Shiv shows promise in most scenes. There are cameos by Boman Irani (Shiv’s father), Freddy Daruvala (as Harish, Yash’s slain friend from RAW), Genelia D’souza (Yash’s beloved) and Raj Babbar (RAW Chief).

Two things work in Force-2’s favour – the absence of a romantic angle and the fact that there’s just one song ‘O Janiya’ – a catchy tune which unfortunately lapses into a remix of Mr. India’s ‘Kaate nahi katte’.