Alpha – External Reviews

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by Subhash k Jha,

Bolly Spice

…The fight, bickering, and the banter that ensues are solidly constructed….

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by Devesh Sharma,

Filmfare

…Alpha may not be the strongest film in the Spy Universe, but it gives the franchise something it genuinely needed: a fresh perspective. Now all the makers need is a story every bit as fearless as the women leading it……

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by Murtuza Iqbal,

Free Press Journal

…No songs from Alpha were unveiled before the release, so whatever you hear in the movie will be new for you, and once the film is over, you will feel like searching for the jukebox of the movie. Also, the background score is wow and elevates the action sequences….

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by Titas Chowdhury,

News18.com

…Alpha may not be the YRF Spy Universe’s strongest or most flawless outing. There are loopholes and the story remains largely predictable. But even with its imperfections, this one is a trailblazer. It sets a powerful precedent for women-led action films in mainstream Hindi cinema, proving that female protagonists can command scale, spectacle and star power just as convincingly as men….

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by Gayatri Nirmal,

Pinkvilla

…Watching two women lead a franchise that has so far been dominated by male spies is genuinely empowering. Alpha successfully establishes Alia Bhatt and Sharvari as worthy additions to the YRF Spy Universe, even if the screenplay doesn’t consistently support their efforts….

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So-So
by Siddharth Varada,

Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express

…Alpha works as a female-led spy thriller. It is entertaining and also has pretty good potential going forward. I just wish the emotions between Sita and Kaul came through better. Despite not being as emotionally satisfying as some of the other spy films, it ends up being a good watch….

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So-So
by Aakash Kumar,

Filmi Beat

…On the whole, Alpha is not as bad as Bobby Deol’s Haryanvi accent and is a decent one-time watch. While it has nothing new to offer, you can still watch it if you’re a fan of action-packed spy thrillers….

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So-So
by Manmath Sahu,

fullhyd.com

…If you walk in expecting a gripping spy thriller, you will likely be disappointed. But if you view Alpha as a stylish combat action film, it still manages to earn a one-time watch….

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So-So
by Vineeta Kumar,

india today

…The last truly satisfying film from this universe was War back in 2019. Since then, the graph has steadily dipped. Alpha doesn’t drag it further down, but it certainly doesn’t raise the bar either….

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So-So
by Anindita Mukhopadhyay,

India TV

…Alpha is one of those films that you desperately want to root for. It’s Bollywood’s first female-led spy film. It has Alia Bhatt, Sharvari, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and a surprise that fans will be talking about long after they leave the theatre. On paper, it should have been a slam dunk….

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So-So
by Anuj Kumar,

The Hindu

…The film is not short of powerhouse performers. As the antagonist, Bobby gets a meaty role, and he bites into it with full force. His eyes exude an inherent innocence, which makes him such a deadly villain. It makes his sudden bursts of violence twice as terrifying because you never see them coming, but the screenwriters don’t give him a compelling backstory to complement his efforts. While the film belongs to its leading ladies, the solid presence of Bobby and Anil cannot be understated. Their commitment and intensity provide enough dramatic weight to keep a shallow, derivative script afloat for those who marvel at spectacle rather than storytelling….

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So-So
by Mimansa Shekhar,

Times Now

…Alpha is an entertaining entry in the YRF Spy Universe that works more on punches than on its screenplay. Alia Bhatt redefines herself as an all-out action star. Sharvari Wagh gives an appealing supporting performance. But the story occasionally walks familiar paths. Alpha is a fun theatre experience for fans of stylish spy entertainers. If you want real spy-thriller meat, go watch Dhurandhar. There, I said it…

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Thumbs down
by Divya Pal,

Bollywood Life

…Alpha is definitely worth watching on the big screen. But if you’re looking for a genuinely gripping spy thriller with tighter writing… there are better options available….

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by Pranati A S,

Deccan Herald

…Alia Bhatt and Sharvari as Sita and Durga deliver restrained performances even as they wield guns and beat up the ‘bad’ boys. It is delightful to watch the two of them bonding in the Kashmir valley as they climb mountains, jump into rivers and sleep under the stars. There isn’t much to say about how technically sound the film is — as it should be like any other film made on this scale….

full review

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by Nitin Jain,

Glamsham.com

…Alpha is not an outright poor film. It has scale, polished visuals, energetic action and two committed performances from Alia Bhatt and Sharvari. Both actresses are likely to benefit from the film and add a credible action title to their filmographies. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for YRF. For a studio that has delivered some of Hindi cinema’s most memorable spy entertainers, Alpha never rises above being an average, over-stylised action thriller…

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by Rishabh Suri,

Hindustan Times

…Alpha is neither the disaster naysayers had predicted nor the reinvention the SpyVerse needed after the disappointing War 2. It is a competently mounted but emotionally underwhelming film that delivers very few highs, largely courtesy Hrithik Roshan, but never finds a compelling pulse of its own. Sometimes, that’s more disappointing than watching an outright bad film….

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by Shubhra Gupta,

indian express

…To me, that’s the worst part: here’s a film telling us to believe that a lone female ranger can blow up a massive superstructure, housing a gigantic lab running a scheme thought up by a mad scientist type, and this highly trained assassin will then meekly do what she’s told? It would fit in if the film was going for the fun comic-book feel of ‘Pathaan’, where eye-rolls are served along with eye-watering high octane scenes, but Alpha asks us to take it seriously….

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by Trisha Gaur,

koimoi

…Alpha is absurd and chaotic. It takes a monumental franchise milestone—the first female-led spy film—and turns it into some kind of spoof! If this is the creative direction the makers are taking, it might just be time to let the Spy Universe rest in peace. Skip this one totally!…

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by Uday Bhatia,

Live Mint

…Shiv Rawail’s ‘Alpha’ is sorely missing fresh ideas and is unable to credibly showcase Alia Bhatt as an action star…

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by Mayank Shekhar,

MiD DAY

…Soon as he reveals his face to the attackers, they run, “Bhaago, yeh Kabir hai!” As in Kabir from the equally jhantu War 2. Or, actually, no. Scratch that. Alpha is superior….

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by Sameer ahire,

Movie Talkies

…Technically, the cinematography and VFX are decent, but most other aspects fall short. The action sequences work in the first half but collapse later. The editing fails to keep things engaging, although the script is the bigger culprit. Production design is passable, and the music is below average. I seriously don’t understand why those songs were included—they feel completely out of place. Ishita Moitra’s dialogues are painfully weak….

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by DEBANJAN DHAR,

Outlook India

…Alpha lacks the spunk and grit to make a drama riveting and destabilising. It’s as glib as late, anxious shuffles to posit an enemy country’s plot that has apparently been in the works for years. Buying into this film’s lurches is a bigger ask than YRF haggling to be rewarded for mounting a female-led actioner….

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by Sukanya Verma,

Rediff

…Ultimately, Alpha is a botched up opportunity. It’s sad but I would rather watch Deepika in Pathaan and Katrina in the Tiger series kick ass in second fiddle capacity than become toys of their own story….

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by Nandini Ramnath,

Scroll.in

…The film’s story, credited to Uday Chopra, and the screenplay, by Sridhar Raghavan and Soumil Shukla, has a couple of twists that enliven the parade of dull writing and repetitive action set pieces. Some of these developments are unknown even to Vikram….

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by “Sajin Shrijith “,

The Week

…Universe movie, but also just another case of jumping on the bandwagon. There are, of course, going to be many logic-related questions. Don’t waste your time trying to find answers. It’s simply not worth it….

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by Renuka Vyavahare,

Times of India

…A braided, stoic Alia Bhatt, despite her baby face, delivers a sincere performance and remains committed throughout, but the film gives her very little to work with. Sharvari is reduced to a bubbly sidekick, wasting much of her potential. Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor bring strong screen presence, but even they are let down by an overly convenient screenplay….

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