Star Wars with the far away galaxy being India about 100 years ago? Visually stunning and loads of well choreographed action, the film dispenses with nuance or credibility in favor of fun. And it succeeds — tons of funs. A spectacular (as in massive spectacle) and fun movie but doesn’t challenge you much.
While I have no doubt that most brits exploiting India committed every cold hearted atrocity conjured up for this script, just a touch of nuance might have benefited the film. After one particularly haughty British atrocity, I expected the English commander to pick up his hairless cat and wait for his mini me to join him. Which is fine. One of the great pleasures of watching this film is seeing most of the English as souless devils. And right on to RRR for rectifying over a hundred years of the opposite. I was recently trying to find a a short clip of Clint Eastwood saying “Make my day,” or “Feeling lucky, punk,” and the only clips I could find were of him saying that to a crazed black guy — in one case holding a white woman in a position to kill her (i already forgot if it was a gun or a knife he was wielding — does it matter?) Now I’m sure Eastwood says that to bad guys that are white too, they just don’t come up on the first twenty searches of youtube. So sure how about a little payback. And if there was a country that deserves it, I can think of no better than the most rapacious (same root as… ya know) colonialist power of all time. I mean say what you want about national socialism… they stuck to one continent.
Excellent fun and hands down (sorry Top Gun and Avatar) the most satisfying and entertaining popcorn seller of the year.
Super mega deluxe WOWZA!!! And for the ultimate in ultimate viewing, see it with a crowd: PandeRRRmonium!!
A spectacular massive piece of effing crap! I wanted to shut it down in the first 15 minutes but endured 40 minutes of my life I’ll never get back. The writing and the acting is laughably bad like 1970s soap operas. Everything is over exaggerated and simply absurd. It seems like it would have been better made as an animation / superhero movie for children. 15 minutes into it, our superhero with no weapons is physically attacked by 1000 men and defeats them all, oh pleeease! A poor attempt to mimic the Corridor scene of the film old boy.
On the upside the cinematography, effects and action sequences were beautifully done! Lots of over the top production value. Also I too liked that the souless British Devils finally got their comeuppance.
Sam, I do think your review was spot on overall, but I for one did not find it at all satisfying. Granted I only gave it 40 minutes of it’s three hours.
Fair enough, it goes down a lot better if you sit down thinking it will be a Marvel equivalent and are pleasantly surprised.
Best film I’ve seen in years. Most fun I’ve had at the movies on years. It’s should have been nominated for best picture and screenplay.
I’m so frustrated by people who can’t get past that opening scene because it’s “not realistic.”
Yes its all about mindset. A Bollywood style film demands a certain ‘masala’ mindset.
I loved this film. As for it not being realistic, that is Bollywood. ET wasn’t “realistic” either. RRR’s opening scene? That should win an award for best choreography! My favorite part –besides the musical numbers– the rescue scene on the bridge.
Sam, even when I don’t agree on a particular analysis, they always make me look at each film slightly differently in a good way.