Director: Ayan Mukerji
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani, NT Rama Rao Jr., Anil Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Rating: 5/10
War 2 had quite a lot of hype behind it. The next instalment in the YRF Spy Universe, the partnership of Hrithik Roshan and N T Rama Rao Junior (NTR) on screen, and an in-form director in Ayan Mukerji. But none of that seemed to have helped in making the movie worth watching.
War 2 follows Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir as he goes ‘rogue’ and the efforts of India’s spy organisations to bring him to justice.
The first half was incredibly entertaining. The action sequences were fun to watch, the emotions were right on point, and the story was engaging. But after the interval, the movie just goes off the rails.
Let’s do this in order.
Action: Like most of the other films in the YRF Spy Universe, none of the hand-to-hand action sequences in this movie were fun to watch. It was just a mishmash of quick cuts and shaky cam wizardry, designed to confuse the audience.
However, the set pieces were impressive. Two sequences, the car chase scene and the train scene, stand out.
Both Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR do commendable jobs in convincing the audience that they are trained secret operatives. But I was more impressed by Kiara Advani’s turn in the action scenes. Never awkward and effortlessly cool, Kiara embodied a secret agent through and through.
Song and Background Score: The background score does nothing for the movie. It doesn’t hype up the entrance of a character and it barely prepares you for an upcoming action scene.
Hrithik and Jr NTR are two of the most talented dancers in India right now and to misuse them would be a grave sin. But what could be a bigger mistake? Not using these talents at all! The only opportunity these two performers have to strut their stuff is in one song. And that’s the most lacklustre dance song in the entire Spy Universe.
A poster of the movie
Story: Like I said earlier, the first half is entertaining and you are always on the edge of your seat.
But the second half is where the story goes off the rails. Unnecessary action sequences, illogical twists and a dull climax sequence leaves the audience feeling unsatisfied. Also, War 2 is two hours and 50 minutes long.
The one good part about the second half is the flashback sequence that shows the origins of Hrithik and Jr NTR’s characters.
War 2 isn’t a horrible movie, but it is a disappointment. There was so much potential and almost none of it was utilised.
The movie could’ve benefitted from a cameo from other IPs within the Spy Universe.
But Anil Kapoor as the newest addition to the Universe is an inspired move. Let’s hope the next movie is better.
Verdict: If you’re a hardcore fan of the spy universe, watch it with the audience.
- Deviprasad Nair
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