'Sky Force' review: Decently engaging, but not everything comes together
What's the story
Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani's Sky Force is a decent attempt at celebrating soldiers' unimaginable valor.
Largely devoid of frills or unnecessary scenes, it stays on track mostly and its leads Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya remain at the front and center.
However, the film is also marred by some flaws, and despite the honest intent, not everything hits the mark.
Story
Takes you back to the war of 1965
The film underlines India's attack on Pakistan's Sargodha airbase during the Indo-Pakistan air war of 1965.
Kumar plays Wing Commander KO Ahuja, while Pahariya essays the brave yet reckless Squadron Leader Tabby, who goes missing in action during this dangerous mission.
Sky Force is based on a true story, and Pahariya's character is the fictionalized version of MVC Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya.
#1
'Sky Force' doesn't care for filler moments
The film uses non-linear storytelling and follows events from 1965, 1971, and 1984.
The narrative doesn't get clunky or confusing despite these different time periods, and we stay connected to Tabby and Ahuja's stories.
The movie starts with a thunderous, thrilling air strike sequence that prepares us for what's to follow, and effectively utilizes archival footage to depict realism and provide context.
#2
Its runtime helps it maintain good speed
With a surprisingly crisp runtime of two hours and five minutes, the film doesn't have much time to waste.
There is no unnecessary track for comedic relief and the script engages you with its gripping, thrilling storyline.
Moreover, if you are unaware of the real story of Devayya, the second half, in particular, will work the best for you due to its emotional beats.
#3
How do Kumar and Pahariya do?
Kumar is, unsurprisingly, in almost every frame, and his character will instantly take you back to his roles in Rustom, Airlift, and to an extent, even Sarfira.
This is a tailor-made role that comes easily to him, and the script allows him to comfortably flex his artistic muscles.
Pahariya largely makes a confident debut but falters in scenes demanding emotional complexity.
#4
Negatives: Doesn't offer anything new
However, Sky Force struggles to earn an unreserved recommendation.
The film sporadically ventures into the preachy, been-there-seen-that category, and you're bugged by the feeling that this is just more of the same.
The film also needed to establish the camaraderie between Ahuja and Tabby better.
Moreover, we know nothing about their colleagues, who enter and exit the movie randomly.
#5
Extremely poor representation of female characters
Sky Force completely forgets that female actors (Sara Ali Khan, Nimrat Kaur) are a part of the ensemble too.
They are paired opposite Pahariya and Kumar respectively, but alas, their characters exist only for the sake of it and are lent next to no personality.
Shockingly, beyond these two, there are hardly any other women in sight in the entire film.
#6
The dialogues could have been a lot better
There are times when the film's value is largely brought down due to stilted, off-putting dialogues.
This jarring tone is in conflict with the rest of the film which aims at humanizing soldiers and celebrating their larger-than-life stories.
Separately, while Lata Mangeshkar's iconic Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon is a sure-shot tearjerker, its placement in the film is far from satisfactory.
Verdict
Fan of the genre? Watch in theaters, else, on OTT
If you're a fan of aerial actioners, Sky Force is just the right choice.
It also deserves plaudits for bringing the forgotten story of a true hero to light.
The film comes on its own in the second half and progresses with the speed of a tracer bullet, cutting all the fluff, but a bit more nuance would have greatly helped it.
2.5/5 stars.