Pilotos de Combate

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?

First half has superb dog fight sequences but whose effects are marred by unnecessary songs, irritating characters and a villain who evokes laughter with his Tere Naam look. Hrithik is part time fighter pilot and part time planner of Balakot strikes, who has RAW level info, which he just divulges in front of top officers, probably for great appraisals.

If you have seen Animal and felt that its second half was pointless, this second half is set to lower the bar even further. There is unnecessary drama and futile attempts at reviving nationalist sentiments.

We were among the 12 persons in the matinee show here, at Gurgaon. I remember watching Pathaan by the same director, in a matinee show 10 days after its release and the hall was buzzing.

This will stream on Netflix by Feb end. Should be seen in the safety of your room, where it can be fast-forwarded at will.

I rated this movie 5 out of 10 because

Scenes copied from the movie Top Gun Maverick .

First half is good & intresting but second half is so boring & irritating .

Some scenes are good and interesting .

But

Unnecessary & irritating songs .

Unnecessary showing Hrithik Roshan's body .

Deepika Padukone role has no major contribution, it doesn't have the vibes. Same old type script for her.

Same Old Story .

Repeated stories in Bollywood movies .

Unnecessary Drama .

Boring movie .

Waste of Time .

Unnecessary and over emotional about nation .

Terrorist are more powerful than Army it's a joke 🤣

Bad story line .

Okay okay movie .

The movie disappoints on multiple fronts, starting with unnecessary romance shoehorned into the narrative, distracting from the supposed focus on the fighter pilot storyline. The bad acting further exacerbates the film's shortcomings, with performances that fail to convey the intensity and authenticity expected from such a genre.

Plot holes abound, creating a disjointed viewing experience that leaves the audience questioning the coherence of the storyline. The movie leans heavily on clichés, offering nothing fresh or original, making it feel like a recycled and uninspired attempt within the Indo-Pak war genre.

Pilots consistently disobeying their commanding officer throughout the film not only strains believability but also undermines the credibility of the characters. Lastly, some of the film's scenes blatantly resemble to Top Gun comes across as a cheap imitation, ultimately leaving viewers longing for the authenticity and originality found in the iconic predecessor.

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.