Review of War2 (Hindi version)

by S. Prabhakar

The much awaited YRF Spy Universe movie War2, starring the two biggest stars from Hindi and Telugu film industry for the first time, which in its self is a sensation, has not set the silver screen on fire as expected and the blame for the same lies squarely at the doorsteps of director Ayan Mukerjee, not a name you can associate to handle such mega stars with mega budget at his command.

It is no less than a crime to dish out a movie which looks like any ordinary action movie of 1990s or 2000s when you have top action heros and mega budget at your disposal.  

What went wrong with War2 – almost everything

Story screen play and direction: War2 has wafer thin story line, very loose screenplay ( Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala) and a thoughtless direction by Ayan Mukerjee which has nothing to write about.     There are no emotional scenes, gripping and heart pounding action scenes and story moves on predictable lines and keep dropping at many places despite best efforts by both Hritik and Jr NTR to lift it up by their respective brand of acting.  

The first part of the movie has more action scenes and moves bit faster but after interval bang, when we are taken on flash back to children hood of both heros and their bonding and then some 10 years back for some (un) romantic scenes between Hritik and Kiara the movie gets on to your nerves, towards climax the movies lifts a bit but never really flies high

If one wants to know the difference between a mediocre director (Ayan) and great director (Rajamouli) just compare the introductory scene of heros of RRR and War2.    We all have seen such an elaborate and well-crafted action scenes were mounted in RRR to introduce Ramcharan and Jr NTR and both looked brilliant.   

In War2 Hritik was introduced with a samurai style action scenes set in Japan.   First the art director made a mess of the red colour set, we saw many chine movies in 1990 with far less budget having great and eye-catching red colour backdrops.   Action choreography of that scene was so ordinary, neither Hritik nor other stuntmen moving swiftly.   How I wish the director and stunt director have watched few videos of dozen of Ninja movies released in 1990s or Tony Jaa Ombak (1, & 2) or The Wrath of Vajra and borrowed the fantastic action scenes designed by the stunt directors of those movies

As if it is not enough Jr NTR intro scene was much worser than this, the lighting was dim, unlike in RRR a shirt less Jr. NTR wasn’t given a proper elevation overshadowed by poor vfx while landing on to a ship.   The action scene that follows is equally pedestal. 

The same trend continued in the entire movie.    Very well designed and executed Action scenes (minimum 5 to 6) is what make action movies watchable.   Right from Enter the Dragon to most of Jakie Chan movie, James Bond and MI series or any Arnold and Stollone movies, we recollect each movie for the action scenes which we relished.   There is not even a single such scene in War2 which you can appreciate that it is well designed and executed.

VFX : with the type of technology that is available and the sort of budgets producers pump in (reported to have been made at approximately Rs. 400 crore budget), sky is the limit for imaginative VFX affects to make the action scenes and movie rich.    The VFX of this movie is so poor, both in imagination, designing and execution, movies released 20 years back, or movie with one tenth of its budget (like Narasimha which creased ripples for its special effects though made at a budget of just 4 cr) looked far better.   The train chase scene, the action scene on top of the aero plane looked pedestal and childish.   Both heros and few goons are shown fighting on top of an aeroplane flying at some 500 kms per hour, their hair are intact, and their faces are as stable as if they are riding a cycle, they were running, flying and sliding from one end to the other end of plane holding to a small rope – can there by anything more ridiculous than this in the name of action scene.   How I wish the director and action director have seen (and copied) the climax scene of Jakie Chan Armour of God where in the climax scene Jackie and dozens of  goons stage an action scene when a huge turbine fans kept switch off and on, not only their hair, cloth keep flying, the entire skin on face of Jakie displaces due to use of heavy blowers by stunt director, that much effort goes to make the action scene look real.   

Same goes with car chase scene (far inferior to what we have seen in many Bond movies some decades back) and speed boat chase (the boat chase Scenes in Face Off and Puppet on the Chain released some 30 to 40 years back without any VFX effects looked better).

We have some home-grown top stunt directors, foreign stunt directors like Peter Heins and Kicha settled permanently in south and Solomon and other US stunt directors whom Rajamouli engages effectively.    If director of an action movie fumbles in picking up right kind of action director and design well thought action scene and cannot extract best out of them, then he is not the right candidate to make an action movie.   Indian stunt coordinator Sunil Rodrigues Hollywood veterans Spiro Razatos are credited as Stunt directors of War2

Make Artists and Stylists: This is one field where we made tremendous progress in movie making and old and aging stars like Rajnikant, Kamal, and Chirajeevi and Nagarjuna are transformed by the make up and stylists professionals fantastically.     But in War2 the guys who did make up styling job of Jr. NTR have done a pathetic job, for most of the movie specially first half Jr NTR is looking horrible, dusky, sickly and worn out, neither his hair style nor his look are anything to write about.   There are dozens of professionals in Telugu industry who present Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and Jr NTR himself so well movie after movie.    Jr. NTR looked far better in Telugu movies like Temper, Brindavanam and Janata Garage.    Special efforts and attention should have been paid to this aspect specially when he is pitted against a Greek God like Hritikh. 

Music and Dance : Pritam has never been in top bracket music director and known for giving chart buster music except one or two Punjabi beat numbers.   His music – both songs and BGM score is a total wash out.   Even the song for the much-awaited iconic dance number with two top dancing star is disappointing and has not become popular.  

The choreography of the dance number is also equally poor, both Hritik and Jr NTR are given one dancing movie which they kept repeating.   Both being very good dancers did well but there is no scope in the song or the way the number is designed to exhibits their skills full throttle.    A great opportunity to have a `Natu Natu’ moment has been robbed by elementary director Ayan. 

Acting: Despite all flaw in the story, screenplay, lack of emotional drama and moments, both Hritik and Jr NTR did very well.    Hritik is looking as smart and handsome as ever, though has slowed down considerably in action scenes.   Jr. NTR had an excellent outing, specially he was brilliant in long climax scene and stole the thunder from Hritik in that scene though over all his role is not well conceived.   He did an excellent job in dubbing in Hindi himself without any flaw or south Indian accent and that has lent depth in emotional scenes.   Considering that it is a straight Hindi movie, he should be more careful in selecting subject which show case his acting and dancing skills.    He will be better in the hands of talented directors like Rajamouli, Koratala Siva, Prashan Neel and Trivikram and go for PAN India release of Telugu movies rather than messing up his chances in the hands of pedestal directors like Ayaans.     Next time whenever such mega budget movies are planned with top stars from Hindi and Telugu or Hindi and Tamil the direction responsible be better given to some one like Rajamouli, Prashan Neel, Lokesh Kanagarj or Sandeep Vanga.  

Overall the movie at the most is a onetime watch and I am sure you will return with a feeling that a great opportunity has been lost to make it into a far better engaging and enjoyable action movie with a better story screen play writer and director.  

I, being a sworn action movie buff and grown up on Chinese, Hong Kong and Telugu action movies and have seen hundreds of out and out action movies which are far better than War2 and hence very disappointed than many of you could.

At box office Hritik is a big pull in North and Jr. NTR is a better pull in both Telugu states.  The movie may break even at Rs. 400 to 500 crores but not going to shake the box office specially facing stiff challenge from Rajnikath Coolie, which is packed with stars from all industries.

S. Prabhakar

15.8.2025