War 2 Review: Hrithik Roshan Spy Sequel Falls Flat
War 2, the much-hyped sequel in the YRF Spy Universe, lands with a thud rather than a bang. Directed by Ayan Mukerji and starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, the film promised a globe-trotting spy saga but ends up recycling the worst clichés of Bollywood action cinema.
The film opens with Hrithik Roshan battling a hoard of ninjas in a sequence that would have felt outdated two decades ago. The fight sequence choreography is painfully predictable, relying on the familiar Bollywood trope where villains patiently wait their turn to attack, ensuring the hero always emerges unscathed. Coupled with poor VFX, these moments drag the film down right from the start.
The story revolves around Kabir Dhaliwal, the RAW agent once again caught between loyalty and rebellion. On paper, the premise of a rogue agent on a secret mission might sound engaging, but the execution is uninspired. The central villain, an industrialist named Gautam Gulati, leads a so-called “consortium” of villains from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. The setup is unintentionally comical, a caricature of geopolitics that feels more cartoonish than menacing.
Anil Kapoor, stepping in as the new RAW chief, is reduced to a damsel-in-distress figure in the hands of this consortium. Jr NTR’s much-awaited Bollywood debut is marred by over-the-top staging, including his bizarre entry while hanging topless on a UAV before single-handedly dispatching pirates with his fists. Here again, the fight sequence choreography follows the one-man-against-many formula, stripping the action of tension or realism.
Kiara Advani fares no better. Cast as a strong IAF officer seeking revenge for her father’s death, her arc is undermined by needless song-and-dance routines, including bikini numbers that serve no purpose other than pandering to outdated formulas.
The film isn’t entirely without merit. The car chases shot in Spain stand out for their slick choreography and technical polish, suggesting that a foreign crew may have been involved. Unfortunately, these moments of brilliance are drowned out by ill-timed songs, jarring tonal shifts, and a screenplay that confuses spectacle with storytelling.
What hurts War 2 the most is its arrogance. Bollywood’s big production houses still believe that multiplex pressure and glossy marketing can substitute for quality. But audiences have consistently shown that they value good content, as proven by the string of Hollywood successes at Indian box offices. War 2 is proof that the industry hasn’t learned its lesson.
For those who expected a worthy follow-up to War, this sequel feels more like a parody. Other than a few thrilling car stunts, the film is a loud, bloated, and lazy attempt at cashing in on a franchise name.
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
