War 2 – Movie Review

Overview & Context

Release: War 2 hit theaters on 14 August 2025, timed with India’s Independence Day weekend
Cast & Crew: Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film stars Hrithik Roshan, marks Jr NTR’s Bollywood debut, and features Kiara Advani in a prominent role.
Universe Fit: It continues the YRF Spy Universe, following films like War (2019), Pathaan (2023), and Tiger 3 (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes score stands at a low 15%, making War 2 the least well-reviewed film in the franchise Wikipedia.

Wikipedia analysis notes largely negative critical and audience responses:
- Times Now: 3/5 — applauded performances, action, and dialogues; criticized pacing in the second half.
- Firstpost: 2.5/5 — cited excessive, purposeless conversations and fights.
- Bollywood Hungama: 2/5 — called the screenplay clichéd, directing subpar, and editing dragging; praised visuals and design.
- The Hindu: Criticized Mukerji’s loss of narrative control, especially juggling the two leads.
- Variety: Described the intended “action homoeroticism” as falling flat.
- Indian Express (Shubhra Gupta): Rated 1.5/5, calling it a “glossy snooze-fest.”
- India Today (Vineeta Kumar): Rated 2/5 — found action unrealistic and plot confused.
- Cinema Express (Kartik Bhardwaj): 1.5/5 — panned it as a bland, factory-style cash grab Wikipedia.

Early box office were underwhelming: a reported opening of ₹84 crore globally, short of its massive ₹400 crore budget Indiatimes.
Internal criticism surfaced: a Pathaan assistant director called it the “weakest spy film” from YRF The Times of India.
Fans, however, praised key elements:
- The chemistry between Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR was widely celebrated The Economic Times Maharashtra Times.
- Early mass response and audience energy were high, with hopes of a ₹1,000 crore milestone Maharashtra Times Vijay Karnataka.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Star pair performance: Hrithik’s screen presence; Jr NTR holds his own www.greatandhra.com The Times of India IMDb	Weak, clichéd script with thin narrative foundation www.greatandhra.com The Times of India Wikipedia
Spectacular, globe-trotting action sequences and high production values	Overlong runtime (~3 hours) with pacing issues, especially in the second half
Visually slick cinematography and design presented as a blockbuster affair	Poor narrative coherence, editing, direction, and lack of emotional depth