If you love melodramatic action movies with loads of clichéd characters, you’ve got to watch Waar. It’s the Pakistani answer to the narco-peliculas (genre drug war films) of Mexico. Instead of drug cartels and undercover cops trying to assassinate the head capos you’ll see special forces trying to stop terrorists. Check it out here on Netflix if cheesy one liners are your thing!
Why Watch Waar?
- You love cheesy action movies such as The Expendables or Rambo: First Blood Part 2 with loads of hilarious one-liners
- It’s ready for you to watch on Netflix
- If you want to see a Pakistani film
- For the melodrama – it’s on a par with the home-made drug cartel film you’ll find all across Mexico
The Breakdown
The good thing about Waar is that you know exactly what kind of film it is going to be from the opening minutes.
The film starts in a dimly lit interrogation room. One man smoking a cigarette sits opposite two men handcuffed to their chairs – it’s obvious who’s interrogating who. Then one of the prisoners says “we are not afraid of dying”. The interrogator responds by grabbing the speakers hand and firing a bullet into the back of it.
The interrogator is not there to mess around, and with this opening Waar:
- Grabs our attention
- Sets the scene for an action driven genre film
What else makes this film cheesy? Other than the one-liners, one-dimensional antagonist, and clichéd characters? Answer: the music. You’ll notice it when we are introduced to this ex-special forces agent who is accompanied by wailing singing as he arrives at the graves of his dead wife and son. You’ll also notice it when heavy metal music starts playing in the action films. Is the music necessary? No. But it does add to it’s cheesy action film credentials, a lot like the narco corridos (drug songs) that randomly interrupt the Mexican drug-genre films.
Conclusion and What to Watch Next
Unless you’re a big cult/genre action film fan or you love watching serious action movies for laughs, you might find Waar a bit too melodramatic.
If you’re looking for an action film with a better narrative and a bit less cheese I’d recommend checking out Drug War from China and Elite Squad from Brazil. Both are action films like Waar, but they both exclude the irrationally evil villain and melodrama.
Or if you love cheesy action films, go check out Rambo: First Blood, Predator, Die Hard, or most things with Sylvester Stallone, JCVD, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Jason Statham.
Please also send all you’re Pakistani film recommendations to rowan@filmroot.com
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