Runtime: 176 minutes
Directed by: Nag Ashwin
Starring: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Hassan, Saswata Chatterjee
From: Vyjayanthi Movies
This sure was the Indian version of a modern sci-fi blockbuster. As I always say, more cinema from India should be viewed by me given that more than a few of the almost 4,000 (!!) followers I have is from that area of the world. More than one person elsewhere has tackled this already so for the purpose of conversation, this Telugu-language picture was selected.
A lot happens in this ambitious 3 hour film… which is not only the first part of the story, Wiki tells me they want this to start a cinematic universe. Well, I suppose the idea is fresh in that country rather than the sour opinion that many have from the attempts Hollywood has attempted to do so after the MCU, which often doesn’t work. In this case, it’s a standard “dystopian future” tale where pregnancies are rare, the world is a barren wasteland, only a select few live a lavish lifestyle, a Messiah foretold in the opening-set in antiquity, etc. MANY influences are present: Star Wars, Dune, Mad Max, Wakanda, Total Recall, etc.
For its length and derivative nature, thankfully it was arranged in a way where it was not a waste of time. That little aspect of “India injected its own insane masala flavor into the mix” helped; it’s the usual insanity of OOT moments, slow motion, muscular mustached men, the laws of physics being broken, etc. Plus, the infusion of Indian mythology which, well, I was ignorant on. Names were uttered (especially during the opening) which left me bamboozled. By the end, context clues helped made that less muddy for me.
One last note: the opening credits amused me as they were similar to how the Gladiator II credits appeared. Unlike in Gladiator II, they did not portray horrific events in human history the past several thousand years… including the Holocaust! Not subtle.
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