'War 2' Review: Hrithik Roshan-Jr.NTR's Combo Promised Fireworks But Left Us With Smoke

War 2: In Theatres

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Jr. NTR, Anil Kapoor, Kiara Advani and more

Directed by: Ayan Mukerji

Produced by: YRF

When War released back in 2019, it had one mission: to thrill us, to make our jaws drop with its gravity-defying action, and to give Hrithik Roshan his most stylish avatar yet. It succeeded so naturally, War 2 came with towering expectations. After all, this is the YRF Spy Universe we’re talking about, the same playground that brought us Tiger and Pathaan. Add Jr NTR into the mix, rope in Kiara Advani, and put Ayan Mukerji in the director’s chair, it sounds like a recipe for the grandest action spectacle of the year.

But with War 2, the bullets fire, the cars flip, the boats race, and the locations change faster than your Instagram reels feed… but somewhere in all that noise, the soul of the story gets lost.

The Plot – Big Moves, Small Payoff

On paper, the premise is thrilling. Kabir Dhaliwal (Hrithik Roshan), once R&AW’s sharpest agent, has gone rogue and is now a high-profile contract killer. A shadowy organisation called Kaali unites enemies of India to destabilise the government. They want Kabir on their team to pull off the ultimate takedown. Enter Vikram Chelapathi (Jr NTR), an elite operative with orders to hunt Kabir down. Kiara Advani steps in as Wing Commander Kavya Luthra, with her own complicated past with Kabir.

Sounds solid? Absolutely. But the way it plays out onscreen feels like flipping through an expensive travel brochure, New Delhi, Spain, Dubai, without knowing why you’re there. The pacing leaps from one scene to another with zero breathing space, so you never feel rooted in the stakes. One moment we’re chasing someone in a crowded market, the next we’re on a yacht in Dubai, then, wait for it, racing boats on an F1 track. Because… why not?

The Spy Universe Effect – All Style, Little Substance

With YRF’s Spy Universe, there’s always the promise of interconnected storylines, cameos, and a larger-than-life conspiracy. But here, those elements feel more like obligatory checkboxes than organic plot devices. Instead of drawing us deeper into this cinematic world, War 2 often feels like it’s rushing to remind you, “Hey, remember, you’re in the Spy Universe!”

There’s even a sense of déjà vu, moments that echo RRR vibes, Hrithik-Anil Kapoor banter reminding us of Fighter, and the emotional beats from part one recycled but with less impact. The callbacks could have been clever; instead, they feel like reheated leftovers.

Hrithik Roshan & Jr NTR – Sparks Without Fire

Now, let’s talk chemistry. You’d think pairing Hrithik Roshan’s smouldering screen presence with Jr NTR’s raw intensity would set the screen ablaze. And sometimes, it almost does, especially in their face-off sequences. But strangely, their dynamic feels… off. There’s a weird protectiveness one moment, sudden aggression the next, and an overall bromance that feels forced. Both actors dive into their roles with commitment. Hrithik nails the brooding ex-agent persona, while Jr NTR gets all the punchlines and swagger. But they’re let down by a screenplay that doesn’t give their cat-and-mouse game enough bite. By the time the big emotional scene between them rolls in, it’s too late to stir anything deep.

Kiara Advani – The Cameo That Wasn’t Meant to Be

And then there’s Kiara Advani, whose fans walked in expecting a strong, layered female lead. What they get instead is… an extended cameo. She appears in bursts, gets a couple of intense moments, but has no real arc or depth. It’s a missed opportunity, especially in a film where her character’s backstory could have added genuine emotional weight.

Action, VFX & That Dubai Tourism Segment

Credit where it’s due, War 2 looks slick. The cinematography is gorgeous, the action choreography is polished, and the production design screams “big budget.” The VFX is a step up from Pathaan and Tiger 3, though still not flawless.

But sometimes, style tips over into self-parody. That infamous Dubai segment is a prime example, starting on a yacht, jumping onto motorboats, zipping past The Palm, and somehow ending on an F1 track. It feels less like an espionage mission and more like the Dubai Tourism Board handed Ayan Mukerji a brochure and said, “Make it look pretty.”

And about the action, while some set pieces are thrilling, others feel unnecessarily drawn out or added purely for cool factor. At one point, you genuinely wonder what material the villain’s car is made of because nothing and I mean nothing can scratch it.

The soundtrack is a mixed bag. Pritam delivers catchy numbers like Aavan Jaavan and Janaab-e-Aali, and their melodies cleverly bleed into the background score. Sanchit and Ankit Balhara’s BGM pumps energy into the fight scenes, giving them a heartbeat when the story falters.

But the screenplay? That’s where the cracks show. The rapid location changes, erratic scene jumps, and random flashbacks break the flow. Sometimes it’s not even clear why we’ve jumped to a certain place or time. It’s almost like the film assumes the audience will just roll with it, but after a point, you stop keeping track.

Things That Worked vs Things That Didn’t

When War 2 works, it works because of its cast’s charisma, the shiny visuals, and the occasional twist that lands well. The spy gadgets, the swagger-filled dialogues for Jr NTR, and Hrithik’s quiet menace all have moments where you think, “Yes, this is what I signed up for.”

But what doesn’t work is the uneven pacing, the lack of emotional stakes, and the overreliance on gloss over grit. The first half has some promise, but the second half drags and overstays its welcome. At almost three hours, you could trim at least 30 minutes without losing anything crucial.

The conspiracy at the film’s core never feels urgent. For a spy thriller, that’s a serious flaw. And despite the vast potential of Kaali as a villainous organisation, they never feel as menacing as they should.

One of the strangest creative choices in War 2 is how the younger versions of Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR are portrayed in flashbacks. While Jr NTR's younger version seems apt and is all cool and rowdy, casting for Hrithik’s younger self feels wildly off. You’re expected to believe this street-smart, unpolished boy grows up into the chiseled, smouldering Kabir Dhaliwal, and it just doesn’t land. Then comes the Anil Kapoor angle, a genuine surprise entry as RAW chief Vikrant Kaul.

For a moment, you think his character will bring the gravitas and sharp one-liners the film desperately needs. And yes, he even gets a high-octane shootout scene, firing away with a mini-version of Ranbir Kapoor’s iconic machine gun from Animal. But despite the style points, the scene lacks that punch of intensity to make it iconic. The same can be said for the film’s dialogue delivery, which is often functional and rarely memorable. You keep waiting for that one whistle-worthy line, and it never arrives. The cameos are equally underwhelming; no big reveal or crossover moment truly spikes the excitement. A subtle hint of Alpha is dropped in the mix, but without giving anything away, it’s far from the thrilling tease it could have been. And don’t even get started on the so-called love angle between Kiara and Hrithik, it’s barely there, poorly written, and ends up feeling like a box ticked rather than an organic thread.

Final Verdict – Style Over Substance

War 2 had all the right ingredients, two powerhouse leads, a director known for grand visuals, the backing of YRF’s Spy Universe, and a budget to match. What it lacked was a tight, gripping narrative to tie it all together.

War was far sharper, far more entertaining, and had a clear identity. War 2, in trying to outdo it, ends up bloated and confused.

Watch it for Hrithik’s swag, Jr NTR’s punchlines, and the occasional adrenaline rush. Just don’t expect the war to change the game.