War 2 Review: Hrithik Roshan & Jr NTR’s Action Spectacle

by reviewzinsight.com · 14 August 2025

War 2 premiered on August 14, 2025 in India. The film released in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. Directors and producers targeted massive reach. They showed it in premium formats such as IMAX, 4DX, D-Box, ICE, and Dolby Cinema. These venues deliver booming sound, vivid visuals, and physical motion—tricks that make audiences feel like they ride the action right alongside the characters. They showed the film early in the morning and packed theaters busy into the night. The team treated War 2 like a festival rather than a regular action film.

Story in More Detail (Still Spoiler-Lite)

The film follows Kabir Dhaliwal, a top agent played by Hrithik Roshan. He tracks down Vikram, played by Jr NTR, who used to work with him. The two share a complicated past. The story kicks off with a major heist or explosion—something that jolts the world and pulls Kabir out of retirement or hiding. Vikram acts like a ghost from Kabir’s past, and Kabir hunts him across cities like Dubai, Istanbul, and New York—or imagined equivalents. The chase features sleek offices, dark alleys, aircraft hangars, snowy peaks, and rooftops. Kabir teams with Kiara’s character. She brings warmth and intelligence, though the story rarely dives into what she really wants. She moves the plot along and supports Kabir, but she could do much more if the script gave her room.

Performances: Deeper Look

Hrithik Roshan stands calm and confident. He controls scenes with subtle facial gestures—like a raised eyebrow, a half-smile—and intense fight moves. When he gets into action, he flows through punches and counters like a choreographed dance. He lets pain show through flickers in his eyes, even when he keeps his voice steady.
Jr NTR brings electricity. He paces the frame when he appears. He talks softly, then attacks verbally with sudden fire. He flips his expressions from playful to menacing in a beat. In emotional beats—like recalling betrayal or hinting at regret—his voice cracks just barely, but strongly enough to land.
Kiara Advani shines mostly in brief scenes. She stands firm when she speaks truth to a villain. She looks tired in mission scenes, as though she carries fear but hides it. That subtlety helps a lot. But the script keeps her in support mode. Few scenes let her make a choice that flips the story.

Direction & Visual Storytelling

Ayan Mukerji laid out scenes for maximum impact. He sets scenes with long, smooth shots that start wide and slowly move in. He frames Kabir alone against towering architecture to show his isolation. He places Vikram in close, tight shots to build anticipation. He borrows from spy and comic books: flat colors break through dark corridors; silhouettes flicker behind glass. He uses day-night contrast—a daytime chase feels urgent and loud; nighttime fights feel cold and surgical. His vision seems to say: “I want to make India’s first style-heavy spy epic.” But he focuses more on frame composition and rhythm than emotional beats.

Action & Effects: Scene-By-Scene Feel

Intro chase: Kabir races along an elevated road in a motorcycle chase. The camera trails close behind him. You feel dust and wind. He leaps onto a moving vehicle.
Close combat: In a confined room, fists fly fast. Cuts snap from one punch to the next. Sound hits—bones cracking, breath gasping.
Car crash: An explosion rattles glasses off tables. The echo pulses across corridors. You feel tremors in 4DX.
Airborne stunt: A plane takes off. Vikram jumps from a window. He freefalls, then parachutes. The background blurs. But here, CGI stands out. The cloth texture looks flat. The clouds feel recycled. That sequence tries for awe but slips into artifice.
Final confrontation: They battle in a derelict platform—half-open sky, half-darkness. Shadows dance. Every hit lands hard. You feel each breath. You feel the weight of their rivalry.

Characters and Emotional Stakes

The script tries to build emotional history. Kabir hesitates when Vikram evokes their shared mission. Vikram’s line—”I did this for our country, you abandoned me”—rings with accusation. The film hints they trained together, fought together, then someone betrayed. That would make the tension personal. But the story mentions betrayal too briefly to hit home. It tells us “they were brothers-in-arms,” but it doesn’t show it through flashbacks or lingering glances. Vikram acts like a villain. Kabir acts like a hero. They never sit and talk or argue like friends before enemies. Without that depth, the emotional pull stays on the surface.

Technical Craft: Sound, Music, Editing

Sound design thuds with energy. In IMAX, the action roars. Footsteps carry thunder. Gunfire echoes long. That base layer keeps the adrenaline up.
Editing starts fast. The film starts with quick cuts, then opens as the chase spreads across countries. The pacing shifts too much. The second half slows into dialogue and reveals. That skews the energy.
Music drives momentum. It fuses orchestral strings with electronic percussion. Theme music plays during entrances or revelations. It builds anticipation. When characters face off, the score rises.
Color stays uniform. You see shiny golds in sunlit sequences and chilling blues at night. Nothing ever feels dull. The palette feels like polished metal—smooth, cold, reflective.

Spy-Verse Easter Eggs

Fans recognize small nods. A silhouette in a control room might reference an earlier spy character. A phone ring tone or code name echoes lines from previous films. Some props appear briefly—like a vintage watch or insignia. These touches excite returning viewers. War 2 rewards longtime fans. If you don’t know the past films, you don’t lose the story. But if you do, these touches bring a smile.

Box Office: First-Day Pulse

On opening day, War 2 made around ₹21 crore to ₹29 crore by evening. Telugu regions showed fuller houses. Jr NTR’s star power delivered early turnout. Hindi screens filled steadily but not explosively. The film clashed with Coolie, another big star release. War 2 didn’t lead by margins yet. Analysts expect the Independence Day weekend to offer clear results. A strong weekend could crown it a hit; a flat response might limit its trajectory.

Early Feedback and Audience Reactions

Positive points:

The two-hero dynamic delivers magnetic energy.
The film looks slick and polished.
The first half moves at a thrilling pace.
The film’s scale and format (IMAX/4DX) enhance immersion.

Negative points:

The plot stays familiar and thin.
The second half drags.
The emotional stakes feel vague.
Some CGI feels hollow.

Audiences mention the popcorn value. They cheer big moments. They clap at entrances and fight reveals. Conversations online say, “I felt alive in the theater,” even when they note “the story didn’t hook me.”

Should You Go Watch It?

Watch it in IMAX or 4DX if you crave spectacle and raw energy.
Expect stylish action, fast pace, and dazzling set pieces.
Don’t expect tight plotting or deep emotional arcs.
Enjoy the star performances and visual polish.
Skip it if you want subtle or thoughtful spy drama.

This movie plays like visual water—cool, flowing, crisp—but it doesn’t hydrate you with substance.

After Theaters: What’s Next?

War 2 doesn’t hit streaming right now. Industry insiders suggest it will land on Prime Video about three months after the theatrical release. Yash Raj Films could also roll out a director’s cut or deleted scenes online. Fans might get behind-the-scenes documentaries, cast interviews, or extra battle footage before the next Spy Universe entry arrives. These extras could add depth and context that the film misses.

Conclusion

War 2 stands as a massive, star-driven action spectacle. The visuals shine. The stars sizzle. The world looks dangerous and beautiful. It paints an epic in every frame.

But the backbone—the story—doesn’t feel strong enough. Writer should sharpen character ties. Dialogue should deepen emotion. Effects should stay grounded in realism when they want grit, and soar when they want fantasy.

Despite that, if you want pure, hi-octane fun on a large screen, War 2 delivers. If you want something that lingers in memory beyond stunts, you may want more.