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It’s likely that the new Bollywood action-adventure “War” will appeal only to fans of marquee actors Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, the former of whom stars in the goofy but likable superhero series “Krrish” and the latter of whom will star in an upcoming, officially licensed Indian remake of the James Bond film “Rambo.” “War” is Maximum Masala in terms of style, and it may contain more tonal shifts and berserk plot twists and convolutions than even the most seasoned Indian film fans can take in a single sitting.
There are a couple of decent musical numbers in “War,” as well as “Top Gun”-levels of homoeroticism, whether intentional or not; way too much who’s-the-mole intrigue; a superfluous romantic subplot that coincides with a random Christmas scene involving a cute widdle kid; an entertaining motorcycle chase in which the two dueling stars link arms and spin around like computer-graphics-enhanced dervishes; an endearingly s On this film, a large number of muscle shirts, computer-graphics artists, and wind machines were employed to both great and terrible effect. Fortunately, long-time Desi/Bollywood fans may discover that “War” rewards them more than it tests their endurance (barely, but still).
Roshan and Shroff star as Kabir and Khalid, two smoldering Indian anti-terrorist spies on the hunt for evil international arms dealer/terrorist Rizwan Ilyasi (Sanjeev Vasta), who appears to be cosplaying as Fran Leibowitz and dressed in red circular-framed glasses, cream-colored khakis, and a white pinstriped jacket. The film is directed by Sanjeev Vasta, who also cos However, before Kabir and Khalid set out to apprehend Vasta’s flamboyant-looking, but underdeveloped, baddie, the two leads take some time to get to know one another. Which makes sense, considering that “War” is basically structured like a bonkers “Marvel Team-Up” jam session, only with two of Bollywood’s biggest contemporary stars instead of Spider-Man and Ben Grimm as the main protagonists.
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No matter how much fun a (truly entertaining) action scene in which Khalid disarms an entire room full of drug dealers in what appears to be one long take has been, Kabir is adamant about not working with Khalid. Kabir’s on-sight animosity toward Khalid is explained by a pair of sour reasons: Khalid’s father betrayed his country! There’s also the matter of Khalid’s poor peripheral vision!—but these are all just pretexts to get Roshan and Shroff to give each other sultry looks, declare their love for India, and dance together (it’s an okay dance number, mind you, but both actors have done better).
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The same can be said for, oh, pretty much the entire immaterial plot as well. Both of the film’s handsome leading men have bloody scars on their chiseled cheek bones and jawlines, and they are forced to work together despite their mutual fear of betrayal. Take, for example, Kabir’s hetero-romantic subplot with single mother Naina (Vaani Kapoor), a civilian asset who becomes reluctantly involved with Kabir’s plan to capture Ilyasi; Kabir and Naina’s romance is only emphasized at the beginning of the film’s second half, which takes place after the intermission. “War” frequently promises and occasionally delivers a series of over-the-top confrontations between Roshan and Shroff, the latter of whom goes to bizarre lengths to make Roshan appear to be the more stoic of the two stars (Shroff pouts a lot, that’s all I’ll say about his performance).
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It’s likely that fans of Roshan and Shroff will flock to “War” for a handful of amusing, gonzo set pieces that are immodestly dispersed throughout a litany of densely overwritten, haphazardly thought-through dialogue scenes. Both of these types of scenes can be entertaining. In a later scene, Kabir retroactively explains, through a series of flashbacks, the underlying method to his investigation’s maddening trajectory, and it is one of my favorite scenes in the film. Consequently, while the metaphor of the “four invisible chess pieces” that Kabir employs to both explain and applaud himself is absurd, the montage that is used to illustrate Kabir’s insane plan is as dynamic and goofy as the explanatory kicker at the conclusion of a satisfyingly pulpy whodunit. Anyone planning on attending “War” should prepare themselves for some high-toned nonsense before they arrive.
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A Michael Bay-meets-Bollywood version of the “Mission: Impossible” films, like the latest installment, is the best way to watch “War.” Because there’s more “Mission: Impossible II”—and the “Heroic Bloodshed” spirit of John Woo, the director of that sequel—in this film than I suspect many readers will appreciate, it’s a risky proposition (for some). bungee jumping scene that comes out of left field ends with one of the heroes nervously walking away from oncoming police officers after the other guy swings around a bridge and swan-dives into the water beneath him. Despite the fact that this scene is bizarre and not particularly well-made, fans will appreciate the dedication of its creators to flamboyant excess.
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My only piece of advice for those who are interested in “War” is to not go into it expecting a pleasant experience. Too much narrative padding is present, and only a small portion of it is amusingly ridiculous. This year, there have been crazier Indian action films (“Saaho” being the most recent), as well as more effective spy thrillers (“India’s Most Wanted,” of all things) released in the country. “War,” on the other hand, is satisfying for what it is: a star vehicle that is both too bizarre to be dismissed and too plodding to be completely effective.
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