War 2 tries to up the ante for Bollywood’s Spy Universe, but ends up proving that scale without substance is just noise in Dolby Atmos. Ayan Mukerji swaps his usual flair for human moments with postcard tourism and physics-defying stunts that are more parody than thrill.
The Story (sort of):
Somewhere in this globetrotting blur, there’s a mission involving patriotism, betrayal, and a cartel that’s supposed to be menacing but instead feels like a filler villain in a video game. Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir and Jr NTR’s mystery agent have the charisma to carry action, romance, or drama — but here, they’re reduced to moving action figures in a screenplay that keeps changing its mind about what it’s trying to say.
The Action:
Yes, there are fights on planes, under water, in snow, on trains, inside fire — but none of them land with weight or wit. When NTR survives a near-heart shot and wakes up without so much as a ruffled chest hair, or when Hrithik and Kiara leap from a bullet-riddled jeep glowing with pristine headlights, you start laughing at the stunts instead of with them. Poor CGI and suspiciously flawless six-packs don’t help.
Performances:
- Hrithik Roshan: Still magnetic in moments, especially when his eyes narrow into “Kabir mode,” but stranded in a script that doesn’t deserve him.
- Jr NTR: Brings physical presence and a certain smirk to the role, but never gets a proper arc.
- Kiara Advani: Criminally underused; her Air Force officer exists mainly for swimsuit shots and sunny Spain transitions.
- Ashutosh Rana: Back for another obligatory Spy Universe colonel cameo.
- Anil Kapoor: A cameo so feather-light you wonder if it was written after the trailer was cut.
Direction & Style:
Mukerji’s strategy seems to be: if the plot’s not working, distract with locations. So we hop from India to Spain to Russia to Switzerland, with Manali thrown in, making the film feel like a travel ad with random explosions. It’s spectacle for spectacle’s sake — expensive, yes, but narratively empty.
The Verdict:
War 2 isn’t just a step down from War, it risks deflating the entire YRF Spy Universe. All gloss, no grit, and certainly no memorable hook — it’s a film that mistakes louder for better, and global for grand. By the end, neither the villains’ plan nor the heroes’ invincibility matters. It’s just an overlong, overproduced postcard from nowhere.
If the Spy Universe wants to survive, it needs stories worth telling — not just bulletproof cheekbones and international hotel bills.
