2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
War 2 movie review: Hrithik Roshan, NTR Jr try to light up the screen, while plot goes on vacation
War 2 movie review
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, Kiara Advani
Rating: ★★.5
"You're the villain!" War 2 movie review: Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR face off against each other in this YRF Spy Universe movie.
"No, you're the villain!"
"Actually, everyone's the villain!"
"Fine. No one's the villain. Can we breathe now?"
And thus marches War 2, a shiny amalgamation of every spy drama trope dusted off from the cinematic attic. The latest entry in Yash Raj Film's SpyVerse scored a casting coup: Hrithik Roshan and NTR Jr together in one frame, sending fans into an early frenzy. That frenzy, much like the film itself, has been both a gift and a curse.
War 2: What is the plot?
The plot? Kabir (Hrithik) seems to have crossed over to the dark side, so R&AW sends Vikram (NTR) to reel him in. In between, there is Kali, a club of global leaders and businessmen plotting to execute India's Prime Minister. Colonel Luthra's daughter Kavya (Kiara Advani) is nursing a broken heart and seeking revenge for his murder. But nothing is as it seems, which means you are in for a world tour stamped Amsterdam, Manali, Valencia, Yas Island and Davos. Yes, money has been thrown at the screen and it shows. But you know that feeling when you finally splurge on that fancy meal you have been craving, only to realise halfway through you do not even like it? That is War 2, directed by Ayan Mukerji.
The first half is spent on the grand entries of our two heroes, and to be fair, that part is done very well. But soon enough, it is back to the same old mission and dishoom-dishoom. NTR and Hrithik share good chemistry, but it does not tear the screen apart as per the expectations. Mostly because their characters are not all that interesting. Towards the interval, there is an interesting turn of events. Groundbreaking? No.
A dull affair
It is another recycled story from Shridhar Raghavan, who has already penned Pathaan, War and Tiger 3 for YRF. Kiara's character vanishes from the narrative midway through the first half, but you are too busy trying to make sense of what is going on to notice. The constant mishmash of action and chase sequences wears you out, and every entry of Hrithik and NTR is in slow motion, almost instructing their fans, "Here is your hero, clap."
The backstory tries to resuscitate the second half, but by then, scrolling Instagram seems far more exciting.
The action is fine. Elevated by the sheer passion Hrithik and NTR bring, but still fine. And if I may say, even without a convincing enough motive, NTR edges out Hrithik just a teeny bit.
The music is a letdown. Pritam delivers a beautiful composition with Aavan Jaavan, but Janaab E Ali, both in tune and picturisation, never takes off. One cannot help but recall how electric Jai Jai Shiv Shankar was in the first War.
In the end, War 2 is not really about who the villain is. It is about how even the biggest guns can fire blanks. The mid-credit scene was a bigger banger, just imagine.
