#WAR2 Review

#WAR2

Hindi - 2025

Starring : Hrithik Roshan, Jr. NTR , Kiara Advani , Asutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor

Directed by Ayan Mukerji

Plot : After going rogue, former R&AW agent Kabir turns into a freelance hitman, unknowingly taking assignments from the same client—the powerful Kali Cartel, a global syndicate led by high-profile figures from countries like Myanmar, Japan, and Russia. When they offer him a place in their ranks in exchange for completing one final mission, the act becomes a black mark that prompts the new R&AW Chief to deploy Special Ops officer Vikram Chelapathi to hunt him down. As Kabir and Vikram clash, the WAR turns personal, with the truth behind Kabir’s defection and the outcome of their battle forms the rest of the crux.

Performance wise , Hrithik is great as Kabir. He is more pumped and beasty in the film compared to the predecessor but somewhere the spark felt missing. He is stylish. Jr NTR as Vikram is terrific and is fully on Daya Mode (Telugu fans will get this reference). Though there are some scenes which he kind off goes either too subtly or too over the top , it works for this character. It is a very one sided character but Tarak brings his best to make it watchable. Kiara is wasted as she literally gets a second fiddle role. While her character intro was song , quickly her character is forgotten and brought back again from nowhere for the Third Act. Anil Kapoor gets a solid role and does what he does best and even stole the show with one scene with his stylish entry.

Technically, the film is a hit and miss. Cinematography by Benjamin Jasper is rich in capturing the essence of each and every location. Editing by Aarif Sheik is also pretty decent. Music by Pritam is average while the placements look very silly and forced. Very average VFX at places bogs down the magnanimity of the film.

The Film opens with a Solid John Wick type introduction for Kabir and then the film introduces the Kali Cartel, an Illuminati inspired cartel that wants World Control starting with India. Then we are introduced to Kavya Luthra and Agent Vikram. While the first 25-30 mins are solid, then the film partially begins to dip. Jr NTR's Intro feels unintentionally funny and they could've easily avoided such stuff. Though his stunt sequences are great, his intro was plain bad. The First half goes on a very normal and expected pace with stunt set pieces here and there. While Hrithik's Intro sequence fight stand out , the Train set piece and Tarak's intro stunt set pieces stumble. The Most hyped , Pre Interval flight stunt set piece is somewhere between Good and what the fish.

Janaab E Aali song was terrific on screen but the placement felt forced and was not as organic as how Jai Jai Shivshankar felt. The Interval Twist was kind of predictable for me but will work if you don't guess some stuff.

Post Interval the film goes all over the places. The Flashback which had to cement Kabir's Emotional connect did feel heartwarming but did not give the expected effect and could've been conveyed better. While the dynamics of Kabir & Vikram are portrayed in a well manner , the second half feels stretched beyond a point and again Aavan Jaavan song placement feels forced (Bikini Shot is there not removed just trimmed). While the Third Act actually puts everything in place and lands properly the film ends. The Climax fight feels stretched but definitely the Post Climax reveal was much much better than expected and the film ends on a decent note.

Talking about the Negatives, the film suffers from Predictability. The film's core is not new but the execution tries to keep it new but only succeeds partially. The Mediocre VFX at places even bog down the interest and hype of some scenes making it hard to watch. While the Emotional Arc was much better than previous films , it could've been much more stronger. And the level of What the Fish type of over the top scenes could've been reduced. Most of the scenes felt over the top or ripped off from somewhere, the genuine scene feeling was very less. Also the Runtime feels very lengthy , they could've easily cut down 15-17 more mins.

Coming to Director Ayan Mukerji, this multitude of a film needed someone like Kabir Khan or Siddharth Aanand or even Ali Abbas Zafar. YRF choosing Ayan felt like a misstep and unfortunately it is. The Story is mediocre but if it was handled by someone like Siddharth or Ali Abbas , the screenplay or presentation could've been better but unfortunately it is strictly average. Hrithik and Tarak do what they do the best but the film needed better writing and fresh ideas.

Highlights :

1) Janaab E Aali song 

2) Pre Interval Flight stunt and Interval Twist

3) Climax Fight 

4) Post Climax Reveal

Overall: WAR 2 is a strictly average film in the Spy Universe. Not sure whether it is the Weakest but definitely sufferers from VFX and Pacing Issues but is somewhat shouldered by earnest performances of Hrithik and Tarak. If you like the over the top cheesy Spy Universe films, then keep your expectations low and this film will satisfy you

Rating : 2.5/5

Digital Rights: Unsold

Television Rights: Unsold