War Movie Review: Kabir (Hrithik Roshan), a senior covert commander in Indian Intelligence, leaves his office in shock after killing a senior official and going underground afterwards. Thinking he has turned a traitor, Kabir gets marked for death, and his protege Khalid (Tiger Shroff), who knows his mentor pretty well, is given the task to end his life. As the action hops from India to Marrakesh to Italy to even the Arctic Circle, we are left to figure out what made Kabir, said to be the most patriotic person in the army, to become a turncoat. Also, who will win this War of Brawns and Brains - the guru or the shishya? War Actor Hrithik Roshan Expresses His Concern for the People of Bihar, Affected by Floods (Read Tweet).

So how exciting is War? Well, you can see that the producers (Yash Raj Films) have spared no expense in creating a large canvas for War's action sequences with the film going continent-hopping within a blink of the eye. Some of these sequences feel 'inspired' from other Hollywood films. A bike chase sequence between Khalid and Kabir is inviting to draw comparisons from both Mission: Impossible II and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. The Arctic car chase sequence in the climax feels like a milder take on the ridiculous climax of The Fate of the Furious.

At times, you can sense the green screens used in certain stunts. Like when Hrithik's character is seen swinging from a bridge, and you can clearly decipher that the background in the closeups are not what it seems. But apart from these blemishes, War does good in the action department, especially more in the first half.

That said, why did I get this dull feel throughout most of the action sequences? The camerawork is partly to be blamed here. It is a mixed bag sort of efforts here; some sequences are lavishly shot, while in other scenes, you have this drab tone.

For me, a big plus for War is the third act. With frequent double-crossing and a couple of major twists, it is a heady mix of pulpy thrill and senseless entertainment, as Kabir and Khalid join hands for a temporary truce before all hell breaks loose. The way Tiger's character has been treated in these sequences will surprise and even shock the fans of the star, but they liven up the proceedings.

But before the third act sets in, War threatens to turn into a damp squib, when it attempts to become dramatic. There are two flashback portions on the film, both long enough to get you restless with boredom. The Vaani Kapoor subplot feels very lacklustre and could have been handled in a better way. With a runtime of two and a half hours, War was in dire need some serious trimming in order to become an even slicker product.

My grouse with the film is that you promote War fervently as a Hrithik vs Tiger saga, and yet it takes you about two hours to get to that aspect. The writing is slipshod and is filled with loopholes. Like for instance, Khalid is said to be trained well by Kabir so much that he can catch him, but save for a dance song ("Jai Jai Shiv Shankar"), we don't really get to see them bond. You cannot also discount the fact that, save for the twisty narrative, the premise of War is quite similar to that of last year's Aiyaary. Not just Aiyaary, you can find traces of other movies as well, including once again, MI-2, The November Man and even Face/Off.

The Performances

Even though, War is made to sound like a two-hero movie, Hrithik's character is the actual protagonist. It is a welcome change to see Hrithik Roshan get back to his hunk mode, after playing an 'ordinary' guy in his last couple of releases. The camera makes sure that you never forget that, as the actor is presented in a very stylish manner from every angle, even when he is battered and bruised, with an overdose of slo-mo shots.

Tiger Shroff is the surprise package of the film. War presents three facets of his character. As an eager-to-please protege, Tiger has this puppy-eyed look stuck on his face. He is disappointing when Khalid gets into the chaser mode. But it is in the third act where Tiger Shroff surprises you when he goes beyond the conventions of the type of roles he usually does. This could be one of his stronger performances, if not the strongest. Also, it is a treat to watch these actors together, either when they are matching steps with each other, or ending up beating the shite out of each other.

Vaani Kapoor, in a brief role, is glamorously presented and is very decent. But her arc doesn't leave the kind of impact you wish it would have done. Ashutosh Rana and Anupriya Goenka fit into their characters well.

Yay!

- Hrithik and Tiger

- When the Film become Hrithik vs Tiger

- The Action Sequences and The Large Canvas

- The Third Act

Nay!

- The Length

- Vaani Kapoor's Subplot

- A Dull Tone

- Lack of Substance in the Premise

- Heavy Inspirations From Other Movies

Final Thoughts

War has the kind of ingredients that could make the fan-bases of Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff lap it up with relish. Go beyond that shirt-tearing, abs-displaying razzle-dazzle, then what is left without the shine may not appeal to you much

Rating:2.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2019 01:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).