Alpha

With Alpha, I honestly felt like something is better than nothing. The visual presentation feels fresher than the previous YRF Spy Universe films, and the female-led story adds a slightly different touch to the franchise. But apart from that, Alpha ends up following the same tired template as the other movies in the series. It never feels like the makers were serious about creating a proper spy thriller, especially at a time when movies like Dhurandhar have already raised audience expectations for the genre. One of the biggest problems is how the film treats its female leads. Sharvari's character is introduced through a typical Bollywood dance number in Spain instead of establishing her as a capable spy. Later, the second half includes another song featuring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in glamorous bikini-shot sequences. It made me wonder what the point of presenting these women as highly trained action agents was if the film keeps falling back on the same commercial glamour template. Thankfully, the movie avoids adding an unnecessary romantic track. However, Hrithik Roshan's cameo in the second half felt more like a spoof version of his character from War. The song near the climax, where Alia Bhatt and Sharvari's characters escape to the safe location their father had mentioned earlier, seems to exist only to showcase their bike-riding, mountain-climbing, and other adventure skills rather than move the story forward. The climax twist also raises a major question. It makes you wonder whether a country's intelligence agency could really be portrayed as being this careless and incompetent. Alia Bhatt performs well during the action sequences, but she struggles to bring the effortless swag needed for some of the stylish spy moments. Sharvari gets very little to perform apart from a few dance sequences and glamorous shots. Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol make the best use of their roles and deliver decent performances. Alpha may look fresher than the other YRF Spy Universe films, but a weak screenplay and outdated commercial formulas make it another failure in the franchise. Rating: 2/5