Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Veer Pahariya, Sara Ali Khan, Nimrat Kaur
Director: Sandeep Kewlani, Abhishek Anil Kapur
What’s Good: The performances, especially of Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya, the camaraderie between Akshay and Pahariya’s characters are etched well, the buildup in the second half is interesting, some of the combat sequences are shot well, the real-life officers are paid a befitting tribute in the end.
What’s Bad: Dialogues and some of the scenes appear too preachy, the emotional scenes do not strike that required chord with the masses, Sara Ali Khan looks underutilized, more chemistry could’ve been shown between the IAF officers, the songs also don’t connect with you.
Loo Break: A totally misplaced dance number occurs in the first half of the film out of nowhere. We suggest to opt for the loo break during the same.
Watch or Not?: Akshay Kumar’s fans can watch this one but the movie could have been passed off as an OTT release too.
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical Release
Runtime: 125 minutes
User Rating:
Director duo Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur’s Sky Force is an honest attempt to pay a befitting tribute to the Indian Air Force. The movie celebrates the sense of sacrifice, patriotism, and valor embedded in each soldier of the Indian Army. However, this one tends to fall flat because of a preachy undertone and the ‘Deshbhakti’ theme which combines with a tint of jingoism in some places.
The plot revolves around the Tiger Squadron of the IAF wing conducting an airstrike on the Pakistan Air Force in Sargodha on September 7, 1965. This was in retaliation to an attack that took place in the IAF airfields at Adampur, Halwara, and Pathankot. The movie is a retelling of the real-life incident wherein the airstrike took place under the command of Wg Cdr OP Taneja. Tiger Squadron Leader Kumar Om Ahuja (Akshay Kumar) is a no-nonsense IAF officer who is an elder brother figure and mentor to IAF officer TK Vijaya aka Tabby (Veer Pahariya). However, Tabby’s inclination to take excessive risks leads him to be kept as a standby on this dangerous mission.
However, sensing a threat to his comrades, he goes on a dangerous mission despite orders to abort. Tabby soon goes missing in action, and Ahuja goes to all lengths to try to locate him. Meanwhile, Tabby’s wife, Geeta (Sara Ali Khan), has her hopes pinned onto Ahuja to find her husband. While trying to search Tabby, Ahuja discovers that his missing comrade has not only risked his life to protect his fellow soldiers but has also changed the course of aviation history and technology.
Sky Force Movie Review: Script Analysis
Sky Force’s biggest drawback lies in its writing and screenplay, which relies too much on preachy and jingoistic dialogues and moments. The movie definitely has its heart in the right place, but somehow, the emotions do not connect. Watch out for the dialogue wherein Akshay Kumar’s KO Ahuja introduces himself to a Pakistani officer as “Tera Baap, Hindustan.” While the chemistry between Akshay and Veer Pahariya’s TK Vijaya is endearing, there could have been a little more focus to showcase a sense of brotherhood between the rest of the Squadron team members.
Sara Ali Khan’s character is just reduced to a worrying and pregnant wife, and there was an ample scope to develop her chemistry with Pahariya’s Tabby. The second half grows slightly more interesting due to an investigation surrounding Tabby’s disappearance. But the conclusion of that, too becomes predictable after a point. The writing for Sharad Kelkar’s character as a prisoner of war looks half-baked.
Sky Force Movie Review: Star Performance
Akshay Kumar brings out his best in both the emotional scenes and as well as the action sequences. However, his performance does not bring anything new to the table and looks like a repetition of his earlier patriotic movies. Veer Pahariya, however, impresses, and how! As for his first film, the actor exudes confidence, intensity, and the right amount of vulnerability in his performance. Sara Ali Khan is, however, underutilized, and her performance lacks the required emotions or the chemistry with Pahariya. Nimrat Kaur does her best in a brief cameo appearance.
Sky Force Movie Review: Direction, Music
The air combat sequences are choreographed well, and the background score is also convincing. A fine amount of research has been put up behind exploring the dynamics of the military aircraft of both the Indian and Pakistani air forces. However, the soundtracks do not strike a huge chord. It looks like a repetition of the other patriotic songs from Akshay Kumar’s previous works.
Sky Force Movie Review: The Last Word
Sky Force had the potential to hit it right at home but somehow missed the mark. However, Veer Pahariya definitely makes one of the most promising debut performances of this year.
2.5 star
Sky Force Trailer
Sky Force releases on 24th January 2025.
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For more recommendations, read our Azaad Review here.
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