War is a spy thriller sans the thrill as it lacks both a gripping narrative and crafty execution. It does, however, showcase the brawn of its two leading men effectively. And for Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff fans, War is worth every penny. We take a look at it in the War film review.
Kabir, played by Hrithik Roshan, is a star agent of the Indian Intelligence Bureau who has gone rogue. His protégé, Khalid, essayed by Tiger Shroff, has to track down and eliminate him. However, the question that plagues Khalid’s mind is how come someone like Kabir, who he used to look up to for his steadfast dedication, has so badly gone astray. While Khalid tries to uncover Kabir’s hidden agenda, the latter is busy plotting his next move.
Only a fleeting glance at its premise, and you realize that it has the potential to be a taut spy thriller. However, the filmmakers do everything to ruin it and instead dish out a movie so inept that it raises doubts over their capability. While the elaborately orchestrated action scenes work for the film, there isn’t much else to write home about.
The plot twist in the final act is so improbable that it forces you to question its believability. Even fans of the stars would not appreciate the near-complete lack of execution on display. There are so many roll-your-eyes moments in this movie that you fail to keep track of them all. Although, War does take its viewer on a world tour, with locations as diverse as Kerala, Marrakesh, and the Arctic, to name a few. However, without a proper narrative in place, all this seems futile.
Had the director focused more on the story and its execution, we might have had a better movie. Instead, all we have is a bunch of scenes that flaunt the machismo of its stars. Also, if you fancy Hrithik and Tiger move to the rhythm of the beats, you are in for a spectacle. But, for all its action and dancing, you cannot help but wonder whether these two talented stars deserved a better script.
Even the leading lady of the film (if you can call her that), Vaani Kapoor, makes only a brief appearance at the halfway mark. She can only do so much with her half-cooked role. Ashutosh Rana, who is otherwise so dependable, is also unconvincing in his part. Although to be fair to him, the movie is so obsessed with Hrithik and Tiger that it leaves hardly any scope for the others to make an impact. Don’t the general audience, for whom films such as War exist, deserve better than this? One can go on about the film’s shortcomings and yet it will not convince those who have already made up their mind about it.
Another perspective to look at a movie like War is to see it from the point of the diehard fans of Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. If one has to ignore its inconsistent story and focus merely on the two stars and their shenanigans, then oddly, War seems less of a debacle. The film does moderately entertain you, and to be fair, isn’t such a drag considering its runtime of nearly two and a half hours. The credit for this has to go to the final act that, for all its implausibility, is somewhat fast-paced.
If you can overlook its absurdity and be okay with it, then War might be for you. Those who appreciate an intelligent spy thriller should stay far away from this one. Even the action-film aficionado will walk away dejected as it lacks the visceral punch of a high-octane thriller. In short, only the most diehard of Hrithik and Tiger fans will find something worth cherishing in War. And, if you cannot wait to see the two action stars share the screen again, another one might be in the offing.
War film review rates War 
(2 / 5)
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