Controversy Surrounding Visual Effects in War 2's Sequel: Movie-Goers Mock Unrealistic Appearance of Special FX in Blockbuster Return
In the world of Indian cinema, the much-anticipated release of War 2, a project under Yash Raj Films' Spy Universe, has been met with a wave of criticism, particularly regarding its visual effects (VFX). The film, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, has sparked a heated debate, with some praising the action sequences, while others accuse the studio of overusing computer-generated imagery (CGI).
Social media platforms are abuzz with criticisms, with some users going as far as to call the VFX the worst they've ever seen. Comparisons have been drawn to PlayStation 2-era graphics, highlighting a significant gap between the expectations set by the film's high budget and the final product.
The criticism points to technical shortcomings, industry capacity issues, and broader structural challenges in Indian filmmaking. For War 2, fans criticized the effects as plastic-looking and unrefined, generating significant social media backlash even before the movie’s release. Some speculate that the studio rushed the effects to meet the August 14th release date, a claim that remains unconfirmed.
This VFX backlash is not isolated to War 2. Bollywood is currently grappling with a VFX crisis that affects multiple recent big-budget films like Tiger 3 and Brahmāstra, highlighting a systemic problem rather than an isolated failure. Experts note that Indian studios lag behind global standards because of outdated tech decisions and slow adoption of advanced tools such as AI and virtual production, which Hollywood has already integrated extensively.
Moreover, this technological lag combines with a director crisis, as described by Karan Johar. Bollywood filmmakers often lack the experience or vision for large-scale, technically demanding mass action spectacles. This causes Hindi cinema to imitate South Indian mass-action filmmaking styles without the same effectiveness, leading to shortcomings in execution including VFX and overall production quality.
In summary, the reasons for the VFX backlash in War 2 and Bollywood’s ongoing VFX issues include overburdened and under-resourced VFX studios trying to manage multiple large projects simultaneously, outdated technology and slower adoption of cutting-edge VFX and virtual production techniques compared to Hollywood, a shortage of directors skilled in handling large-scale action and spectacle films, and high audience expectations following global box office ambitions that expose the gaps in VFX quality when compared internationally.
This situation indicates a need for better investment in VFX infrastructure, skilled personnel, and creative leadership to align Bollywood’s technical capabilities with its storytelling ambitions. Despite the criticism, the trailer of War 2 continues to trend on social media, hinting at the film's enduring appeal.
Data-and-cloud-computing solutions could potentially aid in enhancing the VFX quality of movies-and-tv, including Indian cinematic productions like War 2, by offering state-of-the-art tools and resources to under-resourced studios, thereby bridging the gap between global standards and local capabilities in technology and entertainment. Technological advancements in AI and virtual production, which are already integrated extensively in Hollywood, could be harnessed by Indian studios to improve their VFX output.
