If 2019's War had more plot holes than gunshots, the sequel, which was released on Thursday, blows logic out of the water. Packed with slow-motion fight scenes and gravity-defying stunts, War 2 is an action spectacle made for fans of South Indian superstar NT Rama Rao Jr (NTR) and Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, a group that is likely to devour every frame.
Director Ayan Mukerji, taking over from War's Siddharth Anand, sticks closely to the first film’s all-action formula that made it the highest-grossing Indian release of 2019.
Once again, a shadowy cartel of international criminals is bent on destabilising India. Speaking only via holograms, the group comprises powerful operatives from neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China and, of course, Pakistan. Their mission is to assassinate the Indian Prime Minister and seize control.
Super agent Kabir (Roshan), who at the end of the first film chose to work for India from the outside, is given the task of unmasking the group, who call themselves Kali. But the mission takes a twist when Kabir is ordered to eliminate his own mentor Col Sunil Luthra (Ashutosh Rana). To stop Kabir, another formidable agent, Vikram (NTR), is despatched, setting the stage for a high-octane clash.
It's not so straightforward, though. We soon find out that Kabir and Vikram have a complicated history. A globe-trotting battle of deception and shifting loyalties then unfolds, taking the heroes from Valencia to Venice and Abu Dhabi.
But despite earnest performances by Roshan and NTR, the convoluted story fails to hold your attention. The action scenes are big, but they are also so over-the-top that they strain even the most willing suspension of disbelief.
There's a fight scene on top of a plane cruising above the clouds, with no oxygen mask in sight. In one sequence, Kabir and Vikram race on speedboats across Abu Dhabi waters, then tear across the Yas Marina Circuit as cars roar past, before plunging back into the Gulf.
In between the non-stop action, Kabir and Vikram also squeeze in a dance-off, clearly aiming to capture the same energy as the Oscar-winning Naatu Naatu with NTR and Ram Charan.
It's clear War 2 is designed to showcase the star power of Roshan and NTR, leaving the supporting cast with nothing much to do. Actress Kiara Advani plays Kavya Luthra, the daughter of Col Luthra, gets to do a few action scenes without a single strand of her perfectly blow-dried hair out of place. The always-dependable Anil Kapoor, who plays the new chief of the Indian spy agency, however, is criminally under-used.
If writer Sridhar Raghavan and director Mukerji set out to repeat the success of the first film, flaws and all, they push plausibility too far in War 2. Fans of South Indian megastar Rajinikanth, whose film Coolie also released on Thursday, were having much more fun – I could hear them cheering from the cinema next door.
