6 days ago
War 2 review: This Spyverse-Sholay khichdi is overcooked, overlong, and underwhelming — except Hrithik and NTR
Sholay celebrates fifty years since its release in 1975. And Bollywood is still paying homage to Jai and Veeru in what will be termed as 'totes cringe' in this film. Now let's get one thing straight: Both Hrithik and Jr. NTR have fans who would burn the cinemas down had they turned one of them into an antagonist. So YRF has to gingerly add very obvious twists and turns to make both of them look good. And how good does Hrithik look?! He is so gorgeous on screen that even the wolf is mesmerised by him.
So there's the table, which has its own rules, and Vikram hasn't earned a place there because he works for Gulati. Throw in a Berlin nightclub and Hrithik working as a mercenar,y you will also have flashes of John Wick thrown in for good measure. But not for long because you will choke on your coffee when you hear Vikram's great voice say, 'Jahan choohe nahi hote hain, wahan billi hoti hai.'
Thankfully, there were only a few diehard fans at the FDFS who were recovering from the name of the evil group. It is called 'Kali'. Not 'Kali' the goddess, but 'Kali' as in 'flower bud'. Why would they choose to have such a delicate name? Because the dialogue writer can then have a good guy spout this before dying: Jab jab Kali apna sar uthayegi, tab tab tumhe Kalki banna padega! (does not translate in English!)
The chooha-billi chase takes us to gorgeous settings through Italy (The gorgeous Sunset has to be a Tuscany one, and a romantic duet all over Rome. And for the sake of the environment and the marble, don't throw coins into the Trevi fountain, like the two did), Switzerland, supposedly to Japan, Delhi, and also 'Somewhere in the Himalayas', and yes, the fab chase scene in Playa de Anaya in the wonderful city of Salamanca in Spain. The last fight is so good, you forget that John Wick also fought the Ballerina in an ice cave like this one.
The chemistry between Hrithik and NTR is so good, and the dialogue so intimate, you will wonder why they had to introduce a romantic thread between Hrithik and Kiara Advani. Her great bikini bod seemed tepid when compared to Kabu-Raghu's connection. And the little backstory of the two pals is so good, it deserves a movie on its own. So beautifully shown, you will forgive the glitches in the VFX when the train crashes into the tunnel.
The dosti saga is laid on so thick, the inclusion of the famous Pran song 'Yaari hai imaan' made you wish they hadn't carried on and on about 'Deewar' between the two friends. The cement company ad wrote itself when Hrithik says, 'I did not realise how strong the wall between us would be…'
As I said, if you don't have the cinematic references, you will love the action or you will come away saying, 'Deshbhakti sehat ke liye haanikarak hai!' (Patriotism is bad for your health)
Verdict: Great action, Gorgeous Hrithik and NTR. Sus storyline. For great cinema, watch Dhadak 2 instead.
Manisha Lakhe is a poet, film critic, traveller, founder of Caferati — an online writer's forum, hosts Mumbai's oldest open mic, and teaches advertising, films and communication. She can be reached on Twitter at @manishalakhe.
