Border 2 Review: Does Sunny Deol’s Sequel Live Up to the 1997 Legend?

Wow, okay. So I finally sat down to watch Border 2 last night, and honestly? My emotions are all over the place. Following up a classic like the 1997 original is basically a suicide mission, but Sunny Deol is back, and he’s still got that "Hindustan Zindabad" energy that makes you want to run through a brick wall.

Border 2 Review: Does Sunny Deol’s Sequel Live Up to the 1997 Legend?

Here is my breakdown of the good, the bad, and the slightly confusing.

The Plot (No Spoilers, Mostly!)

The movie takes us back to the battlefield, but instead of just sticking to the Longewala vibes, it expands the scale. It’s set during a different conflict—I think it was the 1999 Kargil war (or maybe a fictionalized version of it, the timeline felt a bit fuzzy after the third explosion).

Sunny Deol returns as a high-ranking officer now. He’s less about running into the trenches and more about shouting orders that sound like thunder. The new "young blood" cast includes Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh, who play the soldiers on the front lines.

What Worked

The BGM: When that iconic "Sandese Aate Hai" melody kicks in (they did a remix, but kept the soul), I’m not gonna lie, I got a bit misty-eyed. It hits hard.

Diljit Dosanjh: He stole the show for me. He brings a lot of heart and some much-needed humor to the bunkers before things get intense.

The Action: The VFX is way better than the first one (obviously, it’s been 30 years). The night battles look incredible, though sometimes there's so much smoke I couldn't tell who was who.

What Didn't Work

Length: My god, it’s nearly 3 hours long. I had to pause twice for snacks, and by the end, I felt like I had actually served a tour of duty myself.

Physics? What Physics?: There is a scene where someone jumps a jeep over a tank that felt more like Fast & Furious than a gritty war movie.

The Dialogue: Some of the lines are super cheesy. We get it, patriotism is the theme, but some of the speeches felt like they were written for a high school play rather than a battlefield.

My "Final" Verdict

Is it as good as the first one? No. The 1997 Border had a certain rawness that you just can't recreate with CGI. But is it a fun theater experience? Absolutely. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it makes you feel like a patriot even if you're just sitting on your couch eating cold pizza.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 Grenades 💣

Note: I’m pretty sure I saw a crew member wearing a smart watch in the background of a 90s flashback scene... or maybe it was just a very shiny medal. Oh well!