War 2019 Movie Review

War Movie Review: Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff film is 154 minutes of only action

War, starring Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana and Vaani Kapoor is what results out of a delay in kickstarting Dhoom 4.

If we told you that the Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff starrer War was actually directed by Abbas-Mustan, and not Siddharth Anand, you’d believe us by the end of the 2-hour-34-minute action thriller. Such are the twists and turns. A particular scene where Hrithik Roshan aka Kabir literally drives off an about-to-crash Army plane in a Jeep quite like Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham’s Race 2 makes it extra believable.

But then, it is no Abbas-Mustan film; it's Aditya Chopra all the way. And quite frankly, the result of all the pent-up Dhoom 4 energy. We feel ya, Adi. We’re not complaining.

Kabir is the best agent India has, because when has Bollywood ever made a film about the second best? He reports to a rather paunchy Ashutosh Rana aka Colonel Luthra, who in turn reports to a Nirmala Sitharaman-looking Defence Minister. We meet Kabir at a point when he’s supposedly gone rogue killing highly placed India administrators, against orders, of course. Like in every other spy thriller Bollywood gives us.

The very next scene introduces us to Tiger aka Khalid, a promising young fellow, with dreams of making the nation and his Ammi proud in his squinty eyes. But with zero preparedness, he jumps into a room where, we’re told, a weapons’ deal is being hatched, in his white linen pants, a blue tee, no guns and the ugliest cell phone we’ve ever seen since Siemens C35. He, of course, beats them to a pulp, singlehandedly. And you know that, if nothing else, War is going to be paisa wasool.

After much persuasion from Rana, where he most likely yelled Sangharsh-style at least once, Kabir lets Khalid join his uber-secret team that’s about to set out on a mission to nab a 'global terrorist'. No, we’re not taking names. But Kabir and Khalid have a bone: Kabir shot Khalid’s 'gaddar’ father dead; can Khalid accept his father’s murderer as his boss? Yes, he can, if it’s about the watan and that right there, is what makes War a perfect Gandhi Jayanti release.

What follows is a series of high-profile chase scenes from two years ago in order to first establish Kabir and Khalid’s camaraderie, which includes a dance duet, and from present-day to establish how Kabir’s best student is the only one who can bring him down. Frankly, the chase scenes are a haze, partly because of the dust storm they conjured up, and partly because they all look the same; only bikes turn into cars.

The plotline has enough loopholes to put a tea-infuser to shame. But, in War’s defence, it delivers what it actually promised since its promo: two good looking men (one more than the other) clashing, along with action that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If anyone went in expecting path-breaking cinema, well, why?

Now to the performances. Tiger tries, and the more he tries, the more he squints. His voice gets shrill and shriller until the climax, and you need to watch War for that. Hrithik, on the other hand, doesn’t walk or run to the top spot. He glides, with a swagger he had mastered way back in Dhoom 2, and then in Bang Bang. Yet, in scenes where both men clench their teeth and pop their veins, which, in Bollywood-language translates into intense acting, Ashutosh Rana emerges as more natural and thus, more human.

The film also stars Vaani Kapoor, and since she doesn’t make an appearance until after the interval, and that too, for literally three scenes and a song, you will need this reminder.

War credits Vishal Dadlani, Daniel B George (background score) and Shekhar Ravjiani for its music, but it is strictly passable. The background score works when accentuated by the sound of engines revving, but otherwise remains unnoticed. Ghungroo stands out in comparison to Jai Jai Shiv Shankar. That’s just about 50 per cent for Vishal Dadlani.

War is a crowd-puller, but it isn’t meant to further the cause of cinema. It will entertain you. But if you plan to take something away from a film, watch Joker instead.

2.5 stars out of 5 for War.