Fighter

Great interval episode which lasted about 30 minutes. Great aviation scenes. Very rarely we see such scenes in Indian movies. Hrithik's screen presence is as usual great. He suited the part. As far as the authentic Indian Navy's portrayal on to the screen is concerned, they did their best. That's all is what I can think about what worked for me in the movie.

Everything else is just decently packed and never impressed me in any sorts. The story itself is thin and predictable. A lot more writing is needed to make a solid movie. The love track was meh. Unnecessary and stretched. No proper character arc for Anil Kapoor. He hates Hrithik, dances with him, again hates him, and again loves him.

Nothing really happened in the first hour of the first half and the first 30 minutes of the second half. Whatever happened in the last 45 minutes was boring / predictable/ rushed.

I left the theatre with a bit of disappointment. One would expect more from this combo, especially with Sid after War and Pathaan. Not a bad movie either.

Can't remember the last time I watched a Bollywood movie that focused solely on Indian Air Force. This Siddharth Anand's film surely falls in that category.

India's best combat aviators join forces to form Air Dragons at Srinagar Airbase in attempt to deny their notorious neighbor Pakistan who along with a terrorist group are planning yet another attack on Indian military bases.

Visual effects in this movie are above Bollywood standards with scenes of Sukhoi and Dhruv flying are treat to watch.

Casting team too did their part as one cannot think of anyone better than Hrithik and Deepika leading a pack of Aviators.

Surely a must watch that too in theater.

I am surprised a crew as stellar as this would come together for something as average as this. It contains so, so many cliché plots, over dramatization that really does not fit the narration directions. I watch every Hrithik movie because he is a fantastic actor. This was pretty average barring some great action scenes in the better half of the movie.

*May contain mild spoilers below*

The plot's centric towards an over abused topic in the industry unfortunately and relies solely on action scenes and the fitting of multiple repeated storylines to fit into one narration. It is hopefully fairly easy for everyone to guess what happens next in pretty much every scene.

It's like you've heard these 20 songs for a long time and someone released a new song with rhythms borrowed from all of them together to fit into one song with a normal average length. Is the problem that it borrows ideas from multiple narrations or is it the fact that each one of those narrations itself is mainstream meaning it would be borrowed already?

To start with some positives:

1. VFX from Bollywood's standards is top class

2. BGM goes well with the movie

3. HRX, Deepika & Anil acted well with the limited scope offered by their roles and writing

4. The fight sequence between the 2 fighter jets close to the end was really the time I actually was enjoying the movie. Well shot & choreographed

5. HRX body on full display as a service to his fans

6. Deepika looked amazing

Negatives:

Be hold, there are many.

1. The patriotism felt out of place and forced a number of times

2. Dialogues are ridiculous & cringeworthy.

3. Script & writing leaves the movie pretty shallow, lacks intensity and first half felt boring

4. Not sure why all villains have to be stereotyped and shown with scars, surma even the Pak pilot had similar characteristics.

5. The Director went over board with the slow mo stunts which felt over used and over done & forcefully placed at times.

6. The antagonist was the weakest link throughout the movie. Extremely underwhelming. Lacked screen presence and the director felt the only way to make him dreadful was by giving him conjunctivitis (one red eye) with scars. But the silky mulayam long hairs didn't help that cause and neither did the dialogues. Very shallow character.

7. A number of elements are of course taken right out of the Mavericks movie.

After watching the trailer, I went into the movie hall with low expectations but even after that the movie felt quite underwhelming.

May be if the movie came 5 years ago might be really good. But after watching uri and other really good armed forces movie , man this movie just average . Acting was good and photography was good to but not that much on story .little sloppy on screenplay . Except for the first song rest of them were really misplaced . Even if they removed the songs wouldn't bad. Hrithik was good and did hold up his own , but might not be right role for him. Rest of cast did good and were apt . Villan was good looking but man had a single line dialogue. Should have more . One time watch that too if you hardcore fan of Hrithik .