Star Cast: Tom Hardy stars, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans

Director: Kelly Marcel

Venom: The Last Dance Movie Review Synopsis:
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE is the story of a huge threat looming on Earth. After the events of VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE [2021], Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), along with Venom, is hiding in Mexico. After they end up killing four baddies, they decide to run away. Eddie realizes that he can move to New York and blackmail a judge into helping him. While flying back to the USA, Eddie and Venom get attacked by a xenophage, which has been sent by Knull from planet Klyntar. Knull is looking for a codex, which Venom and Eddie have. Venom informs Eddie that if one of them dies, the codex gets destroyed. Hence, they both need to be alive as well as ensure that they can defeat xenophages as well as Knull. But the xenophages are dangerous and it won’t be easy to eliminate them. On top of it, Eddie is being hunted by General Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor). He is aware that Eddie needs to be killed to save the world. On top of it, there’s also Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham), Dr Paine (Juno Temple) and Clark Backo (Sadie) to add to the madness. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Venom: The Last Dance Movie Story Review:
Tom Hardy and Kelly Marcel’s story is entertaining. Kelly Marcel’s screenplay is uncomplicated though the moviegoers this time might take a while to comprehend the conflict. The dialogues add to the fun and drama.

Kelly Marcel’s direction is massy. He manages to keep the interest levels up from start to finish and packs in a lot in 110 minutes. He reserves the best for the second half. The last 30 minutes are action-packed and have some fine nail-biting moments. In the first half, a scene that stands out is the fight near the waterfall.

On the flipside, the director takes a while to build up. The Venom character is not even there in some scenes as the other character gets established and one does miss the protagonist here. The whole angle of the judge in New York is laughable. They could have thought of a better reason for Eddie to return knowing that he’s the most wanted person in the States. The climax might not be acceptable to a section of the film viewers. Lastly, there’s no romantic track and it’ll surely be missed since it formed an important part of the series.

Venom: The Last Dance Movie Review Performances:
Tom Hardy is at ease like before and he’s most entertaining in scenes where Eddie has to pretend that no alien exists in him. Chiwetel Ejiofor lends able support. Stephen Graham does fine but his character is horribly wasted after a point, especially when so much time is spent on establishing his track. Rhys Ifans (Martin Moon) leaves a huge mark. Alanna Ubach (Nova Moon) and the actors playing their children are fine. Juno Temple and Clark Backo lend able support.

Venom: The Last Dance movie music and other technical aspects:
Dan Deacon’s music has a cinematic appeal.  Fabian Wagner’s cinematography is spectacular. Sean Haworth and Chris Lowe’s production design is rich. Daniel Orlandi’s costumes are non-glamorous, as per the requirements of the characters. The VFX is top class while the action is very gory and disturbing. Mark Sanger’s editing is slick.

Venom: The Last Dance Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, VENOM: THE LAST DANCE rests on a paisa vasool second half although the climax might not be acceptable to all sections of the audience. Nevertheless, the popularity of the series and the encouraging advance sales will ensure that the film has a decent performance at the box office, despite the big Diwali releases next week.

Star Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Kit Connor, Pedro Pascal

Director: Chris Sanders

The Wild Robot Movie Review Synopsis:
THE WILD ROBOT is the story of an unlikely bond between a robot and a bird. A robot named Rozzum 7134 aka Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) washes ashore on a remote island. An amphibious animal accidentally activates her. Roz is designed to be an all-purpose robot and starts promoting her service to the animals. The animals, however, get scared and run away on seeing her. One animal attacks Roz and while running, she unintentionally crushes a goose nest. All but one egg survives. The egg hatches and the baby goose sees Roz. The baby assumes Roz is his mother and starts following her. Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara), a mother opossum, instructs Roz to feed the goose and teach her how to swim and fly before the migration begins. Roz considers this as her task, and she dedicatedly tries to fulfil it. She falters and gets help from Fink (Pedro Pascal), a shrewd fox. Roz and Fink name the goose Brightbill (Kit Connor). The trio form a great team, but Brightbill soon realizes that he’s a misfit among the other birds due to the upbringing given by Roz. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The Wild Robot Movie Story Review:
THE WILD ROBOT is based on the book of the same name, written by Peter Brown. The story is adventurous and unexpected. Chris Sanders’ screenplay is effective and packs in a lot in just 102 minutes. The dialogues are witty and also conversational.

Chris Sanders’ direction is wholesome. The film has emotional, dramatic, thrilling and even action moments. Chris peppers the narrative with all these aspects. The robot has been well fleshed out and despite his obvious robotic eyes, one’s heart goes out for her when she’s in crisis. What also works is the fact that one doesn’t know where the story would go next. The second half is better than the first and the scene where Roz rescues all animals from biting cold is applause worthy.

On the flipside, Roz getting attacked and battered in the opening sequence is a bit repetitive. In order to keep the narrative crisp, the makers rush through some key scenes. The humour is limited and kids might not appreciate it. Also, one can’t help but draw parallels with WALL-E [2008], albeit for a few minutes in the beginning. Lastly, India is an unpredictable market for animation films, and one can’t say for sure if the film will click with the Indian audience.

The Wild Robot Movie Review Performances:
Lupita Nyong’o is terrific and effortlessly voices the robot that also has human-like qualities. Pedro Pascal adds to the entertainment value. Kit Connor is dependable while Catherine O’Hara’s voice has a motherly feel, which adds to the character’s trait. Bill Nighy (Longneck), Stephanie Hsu (Vontra), Mark Hamill (Thorn) and Matt Berry (Peddler) do well. Ving Rhames (Thunderbolt) leaves a mark, but the character disappears after a point.

The Wild Robot movie music and other technical aspects:
Kris Bowers’ music has a cinematic appeal. Chris Stover’s cinematography is breathtaking. Raymond Zibach’s production design is rich. The animation matches global standards though it’s bewildering why the fire is depicted in an awkward red colour. Mary Blee’s editing is crisp but too quick in some scenes.

The Wild Robot Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE WILD ROBOT is a wholesome entertainer but the dull pre-Diwali period and unpredictable market scenario for animation films in India might affect its collections.

Star Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina

Director: Vasan Bala

Jigra Movie Review Synopsis:
JIGRA is the story of a fearless sister. Satya (Alia Bhatt) and Ankur (Vedang Raina) are orphans. After the death of their parents, they are taken care of by Mr Mehtani (Akashdeep Sabir) and his family, who are their distant relatives. Satya works with them and handles their day-to-day affairs. Ankur and Mehtani’s son Kabir (Aditya Nanda) are buddies and have worked on a project. A client (Sikandar Kher) in the country of Hanshi Dao expresses interest in their venture. Ankur and Kabir, thus, travel to Hanshi Dao. Their meeting is successful but the same day, they get arrested after police find drugs in Kabir’s possession. The Mehtanis quickly send their lawyer Jaswant (Harssh Singh) to Hanshi Deo. As per the law of the country, drug possession leads to death punishment. Jaswant persuades Kabir to claim to the authorities that it was Ankur who was carrying drugs and not him. Ankur also confesses the same after giving an assurance that he’ll be set free in a few months. But Ankur is given the death sentence. Satya quickly heads to Hanshi Dao and is determined to get her brother out at any cost. There, she gets help from ex-gangster Shekhar Bhatia (Manoj Pahwa) and ex-cop Muthu (Rahul Ravindran). What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Jigra Movie Story Review:
Debashish Irengbam and Vasan Bala’s story has potential. Debashish Irengbam and Vasan Bala’s screenplay is engaging but also has its share of loose ends. Debashish Irengbam and Vasan Bala’s dialogues are realistic.

Vasan Bala’s direction is decent. With MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA [2019] and MONICA O MY DARLING [2022], he has proved that he can stylishly execute certain scenes and increase their impact. JIGRA is no exception. He especially uses the slo-mo effect beautifully in the climax (watch out for the roof jump scene). One also gets moved by the plight of Satya and for most parts of the film, viewers would root for her. The intermission point is stylishly cut and is unexpected.

On the flipside, the second half is weak. The film falls once Satya and Muthu get into a confrontation. At this point, one loses respect for Satya. Muthu, after all, isn’t wrong but the actions of Satya make her seem like a psychopath. The finale is full of cinematic liberties. It’s fine as most films will have that. But JIGRA is given a realistic treatment. Hence, the execution and content don’t match.

Jigra Movie Review Performances:
Alia Bhatt, however, gives her heart and soul to the film. She ensures that Satya looks like someone who can go to any length and can fight anyone. She also shines in the emotional scenes. Watch out for her in the scene where she goes to the prison for the first time. Vedang Raina leaves a huge mark and proves that he has a bright future ahead. Manoj Pahwa is dependable as always and also adds some humour to the otherwise serious film. Rahul Ravindran is a great find and the same goes for Ankur Khanna (Rayyan). Vivek Gomber (OIC Hansraj Landa) is terrific and also gets the accent right flawlessly. Akashdeep Sabir, Harssh Singh and Aditya Nanda are decent. Akansha Ranjan Kapoor and Sikandar Kher’s cameos are fair. Radhika Madan and Abhimanyu Dasani also feature in the film in blink-and-miss roles.

Jigra – Official Theatrical Trailer | Alia Bhatt | Vedang Raina

Jigra movie music and other technical aspects:
Achint Thakkar’s music works well in the film. ‘Phoolon Ka Taaro Ka’ is well composed while ‘Tenu Sang Rakhna’ has a haunting feel. The title track is soulful, and ‘Pan India Area King’ is funky. Achint Thakkar’s background score has a cinematic feel.

Swapnil S Sonawane’s cinematography is splendid, and the close shots are well shot. Mukund Gupta’s production design is classy. Veera Kapur Ee’s costumes and Vikram Dahiya’s action are realistic. Prerna Saigal’s editing could have been slicker.

Jigra Movie Review Conclusion: On the whole, JIGRA rests on some emotional moments and a strong performance by Alia Bhatt. But due to a weak second half and mismatch between content and execution, the impact gets diluted. At the box office, it is likely to struggle.

Star Cast: Ananya Panday, Vihaan Samat

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane

CTRL Movie Review Synopsis:
CTRL is the story of a woman who falls into a dangerous, digital trap. Nalini aka Nella Awasthi (Ananya Panday), originally based in Delhi, lives in Mumbai with her boyfriend Joe Mascarenhas (Vihaan Samat). They have a social media channel called NJOY where they put up funny and cute videos and sketches. Their following is huge. Nella, however, gets consumed by their online avatar and is obsessed with increasing engagement and likes for their content. Joe feels neglected. He’s a part of a public interest tech group where he meets Shonali (Kamakshi Bhat). On Joe’s birthday, Nella goes live and decides to surprise him by landing up at Joe’s party with his tech buddies. She gets the shock of her life when she sees Joe kissing Shonali. An angry Nella breaks up with Joe. Since the live recording captured the moments of Joe kissing and Nella hitting Shonali, she goes viral for the wrong reasons and also gets trolled massively. While going through the comments, she comes across a suggestion – she should download an app named ‘Ctrl’ and delete Joe from her digital past. A depressed Nella downloads it and creates an AI avatar named Allen (voiced by Aparshakti Khurana), which is simply her name spelt backwards. Nella forms a bond with Allen as the latter begins to cleanly remove Joe from her pictures and videos. But unknown to Nella, the brains behind the ‘Ctrl’ app have ulterior motives. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

CTRL Movie Story Review:
Avinash Sampath’s story is novel and the need of the hour. Avinash Sampath and Vikramaditya Motwane’s screenplay is imaginative. It is unlike any other Hindi film script due to the technical aspect and yet, it is simple and easy to understand. Sumukhi Suresh’s dialogues are witty and add to the humour and drama.

Vikramaditya Motwane’s direction is terrific. This is a screenlife movie along the lines of memorable flicks like UNFRIENDED [2014], SEARCHING [2018], etc. (Timur Bekmambetov, who pioneered these films is also the executive producer of CTRL). It is always a risk to pull off a film like this as one also needs to make sure that the digital graphics look slick and at the same time, it should be convincing that a character is using a device for a reason and not for the heck of it to fulfil the idea of a ‘screen film’. On both fronts, Vikramaditya succeeds. Technically, the film is great. The shots of Joe getting deleted slowly from Nella’s pictures are executed dramatically. The AI character of Allen looks harmless and also dangerous at the same time. Meanwhile, Vikramaditya also has a great story to tell and he does it with panache. It’s very real as we have all been consumed by the drama in the lives of content creators. The break-up track is hilarious and the film goes in a different zone once Nella lets Allen take control. A lot happens in the second half and that will astonish the audience.

On the flipside, the way Nella gets trapped is convincing but its consequences are not. The deepfake angle does get noticed but why it doesn’t become a big issue by internet activists is not easy to digest. The finale adds a nice touch but at the same time, it is not as impactful. The makers never care to explain how Nella’s family and relatives react to her fiasco in the last act.

CTRL Movie Review Performances:
Ananya Panday delivers a fine performance. She gets into the skin of the character and looks every inch like an influencer whose life is consumed by social media. She also does well in some of the challenging scenes. Vihaan Samat has limited screen time but makes up for it with his able performance. Devika Vatsa (Bina) is a great find while Kamakshi Bhat is decent. Ravish Desai (Aryan K) and Suchiita Niigam Patel (Nella’s mother) leave a mark in cameos. Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Nishant Tanwar and Vishal Dayama play themselves and add to the realism. Finally, Aparshakti Khurana is too good as the voice of Allen.

CTRL movie music and other technical aspects:
Sneha Khanwalkar’s music is modern. ‘Ulfat’ stands out as it’s very catchy. ‘B(h)adass’ is well picturized but ‘Ainwayi Yunhi’is okay. ‘Mera Boyfriend’ by Yashraj Mukhate is very hilarious. Sneha Khanwalkar’s background score is in sync with the film’s mood.

Pratik Shah’s cinematography is praiseworthy, despite the challenges. Yashika Gor’s production design and Shruti Kapoor’s costumes are straight out of life. Philm CGI’s VFX matches global standards. Jahaan Noble’s editing is slick.

CTRL Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, CTRL, the first screenlife film of Bollywood, is gripping and will also make viewers question their dependency on their devices. It is sure to become a talking point and thereby also amass considerable viewership.

Star Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga

Director: Todd Phillips

Joker: Folie à Deux Movie Review Synopsis:
JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is the story of a nihilistic man who finds a lover. After the events of the first part, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is institutionalized at Arkham State Hospital for killing five men, including one on live television. Arthur hasn’t told anyone that his mother Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy) didn’t die naturally and that it was him who murdered her. He’s represented by Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), who sympathizes with Arthur and wants to prove in court that he has a split personality. Further, she wants to indicate to the jury that it was Joker and not Arthur that caused these killings. In Arkham, Arthur bumps into Lee (Lady Gaga). She has been institutionalized after she set fire to her parents’ apartment. She knows about Arthur’s past and is a fan. Both start a relationship in the prison. Lee is set free and she promises to attend his trials and that they both can have a future together. Lee’s presence adds a lot of joy in Arthur’s life. However, reality strikes when Maryanne tells Arthur about Lee’s past. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Joker: Folie à Deux Movie Story Review:
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver’s story is simple but they attempt to add a unique touch. However, Todd Phillips and Scott Silver’s screenplay doesn’t turn out as intended. The film is a bit confusing and a few of the developments in the story are not convincing at all. Todd Phillips and Scott Silver’s dialogues are sharp.

Todd Phillips’ direction is audacious as he takes the bold step of turning a film like this into a musical. The love affair between Arthur and Lee is also cinematic and makes for an interesting watch. A few courtroom scenes also stand out, especially when Arthur loses his cool over Maryanne’s ways in the court and Arthur, dressed as Joker, questions Leigh Gill (Gary Puddles).

On the flipside, the musical aspect backfires in places. This is not a Disney or even a LA LA LAND [2016] kind of film; to see the characters breaking out into a song at regular interviews seems awkward. Also, there are too many songs and it adds to the length. The final scene is unexpected but it also might not seem acceptable to many moviegoers.

Joker: Folie à Deux Movie Review Performances:
Joaquin Phoenix yet again steals the show. The impact might not seem as much as the first JOKER. This was probably because, during the first part, we didn’t know his performance would be this awesome. Here, our expectations are set. Nevertheless, he does a great job yet again. Lady Gaga is apt for the part. The way she gets into the skin of the character and performs merely through her expressions is seen to be believed. Her voice, of course, is soothing. Catherine Keener lends able support. Leigh Gill shines though he’s there for just one scene. The same applies to Steve Coogan (Paddy Meyers). Bill Smitrovich (Judge Herman Rothwax) and Brendan Gleeson (Jackie Sullivan) leave a huge mark. Harry Lawtey (Harvey Dent) and Ken Leung (Dr Liu) are fair. Zazie Beetz (Sophie Dumond; Arthur’s neighbour) is okay in a cameo. Jacob Lofland is hardly there but will be talked about a lot.

Joker: Folie à Deux movie music and other technical aspects:
Hildur Guðnadóttir’s music is lovely but doesn’t have the desired impact Hildur Guðnadóttir’s background score, however, is appropriate.

Lawrence Sher’s cinematography adds to the madness and chaos. Mark Friedberg’s production design is top-class.  Arianne Phillips’s costumes are stylish, especially the ones worn by Lady Gaga, and also in sync with the theme of the film. The VFX matches global standards while the action is realistic. Jeff Groth’s editing could have been slicker.

Joker: Folie à Deux Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is a crazy ride but the impact is limited this time due to the complicated narrative and too many songs. At the box office, the clean run until October 11 and the goodwill of the first part will prove beneficial to some extent.

Star Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson

Director: Josh Cooley

Transformers One Movie Review Synopsis:
TRANSFORMERS ONE tells the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron. Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) is a cog-less miner robot who lives in the city of Iacon, which is located on the planet Cybertron. His best friend is D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) and like other miners, they also look upto Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), the beloved head of Cybertron. Sentinel is trying to find the Matrix of Leadership; in its absence, Cyberton’s Energon rivers have dried up. As a result, Orion and many others are mining to find the Energon. One day, Sentinel Prime announces a holiday and organizes Iacon 5000, a racing competition in which the Transformers participate. Orion convinces D-16 to participate in the race using jetpacks. They lose but become the talk of the town. Sentinel Prime acknowledges their effort but the authoritarian security bot Darkwing (Isaac C Singleton Jr) banishes them in sublevel 50. Here, both meet the eccentric B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key). In the heap of garbage on this level, they find a chip that has a recording of one of Cybertron’s long-lost founders and the holder of the Matrix of Leadership, Alpha Trion. The chip also has a map of the Matrix of Leadership. Orion Pax, D-16 and B-127 escape from the sublevel and attempt to find the Matrix. They are reluctantly joined by ex-miner head Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson). The adventurous journey opens their eyes and also turns friends into foes. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Transformers One Movie Story Review:
Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari’s story is entertaining, especially for the fans of the series. Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari’s screenplay is engaging but is unexciting in places. The dialogues are normal and some one-liners raise laughs.

Josh Cooley’s direction is decent. He packs a lot in just 104 minutes and yet, it doesn’t look like he’s recklessly rushing through the narrative. The animation is appealing and different from the one seen in films of Disney and DreamWorks. The climax is very engaging and will keep viewers glued to their seats. There might also be claps and hoots in some of the scenes.

On the flipside, though the animation is great, it also gets overwhelming. This is especially true during the fight scene when there are too many characters and extras in a frame. One might even lose track of what’s exactly happening. A few jokes don’t land well. In fact, there could have been a lot more funny dialogues in the film. Lastly, D-16 suddenly turns into a negative character. Agreed he is angry upon knowing Sentinel’s truth. But it catches viewers unaware of how he becomes an altogether different person within minutes.

Transformers One Movie Review Performances:
Chris Hemsworth uses his voice efficiently for the lead character. The same applies to Brian Tyree Henry. Scarlett Johansson suits the part. Her voice is distinct and hence, anyone can guess that she’s the one behind the mic. Keegan-Michael Key does the best job and adds a lot to the film’s humour quotient. Laurence Fishburne (Alpha Trion) leaves a mark with his baritone voice. Jon Hamm, Isaac C Singleton Jr and Vanessa Liguori (Airachni) are decent.

Transformers One movie music and other technical aspects:
Brian Tyler’s music has the typical Hollywood biggie feel. Christopher Batty’s cinematography is breath taking. Jason William Scheier’s production design is vibrant. The animation, as aforementioned, is top-class and it stands out. Lynn Hobson’s editing is slick.

Transformers One Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, TRANSFORMERS ONE lacks humour in sufficient doses and gets unconvincing in the second half. But it makes up for these minuses with a gripping climax, fast-paced narrative and appealing animation. At the box office, it will get the benefit of reduced ticket prices as part of the celebrations of National Cinema Day.

Star Cast: Halle Berry, Anthony B Jenkins, Percy Daggs IV

Director: Alexandre Aja

Never Let Go Movie Review Synopsis:
NEVER LET GO is the story of a mother and her children in a mysterious situation. The mother (Halle Berry) lives with her twin sons – Sammul (Anthony B Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) – in a house in the woods. They have been tormented by an evil spirit for years. Only the mother can sense their presence while her sons can’t. To prevent themselves from getting defeated by the spirit, they tie themselves to a rope when they go into the forest to hunt. As a result, they are able to explore their surroundings only to a certain extent. One day, Sam fractures his leg after he falls into a ditch and lets go of his rope unintentionally. The family soon suffers from food shortage. Meanwhile, Nolan begins suspecting if the evil spirit even exists and what will happen if they let go of the rope. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Never Let Go Movie Story Review:
Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby’s story is fascinating and novel. Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby’s screenplay, however, is slow and confusing. The dialogues are okay. As it happens with films released by PVR Pictures, there are no subtitles and hence, some dialogues might not be easy to comprehend.

Alexandre Aja’s direction is okay. On the positive side, the director, who has earlier made films like THE HILLS HAVE EYES [2006], sets the eerie mood with perfection. A few developments are also unexpected and will leave the audience surprised, as they won’t see it coming.

On the flipside, the narrative is too complicated. The makers don’t simplify the proceedings and hence, the audience will be left confused. The first half is quite slow and tests patience. Thankfully, the second half has some movement in the story. Lastly, an important character in the film doesn’t have much to do after a point and it might not be liked by a section of the audience.

Never Let Go Movie Review Performances:
Halle Berry plays a difficult role with panache. She brings her years of acting experience to good use and gets into the skin of the character. Anthony B Jenkins and Percy Daggs IV have crucial parts and deliver praiseworthy performances. They dominate some of the important scenes of the film. Matthew Kevin Anderson (Stranger) and Mila Morgan (Stranger’s daughter) leave a mark in a cameo. Stephanie Lavigne (The Evil) is spooky.

Never Let Go movie music and other technical aspects:
Robin Coudert’s music is in sync with the mood and feel of the film. Maxime Alexandre’s cinematography adds to the scare quotient. Jeremy Stanbridge’s production design is imaginative. Carla Hetland’s costume is well thought out. The VFX and action are decent. Elliot Greenberg’s editing is weak. Though the film is 101 minutes long, it still seems very long.

Never Let Go Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, NEVER LET GO boasts of a unique story but suffers due to a slow first half and an overall complicated narrative. At the box office, it has got a limited release and will be at some advantage due to the horror genre and Cinema Day offer on its day of release.

Star Cast: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Malavika Mohanan

Director: Ravi Udyawar

Yudhra Movie Review Synopsis:
YUDHRA is the story of an angry young man. Girish Dixit (Saurabh Gokhale) is an honest police officer who deals a huge blow to the drug mafia in India. He and his pregnant wife Prerna (Sharvari Deshpande) get killed in a road accident. The doctors, however, are able to save the child miraculously. Girish’s police colleague Kartik Rathore (Gajraj Rao) adopts the child, and he’s named Yudhra. Since childhood, his only friend has been Nikhat, the daughter of Rehman, also a cop and a friend of Kartik. Yudhra (Siddhant Chaturvedi) grows up with anger issues. He also becomes a rebel without a cause, which becomes a cause of concern for Kartik, since he is now in public life. Rehman suggests that Yudhra should be enrolled in NCTA (National Cadet Training Academy) and then he can get into the armed forces and serve the country. Nikhat (Malavika Mohanan), who is studying to become a doctor, convinces him. Yudhra is doing well at NCTA when one day, he almost kills a civilian over a fight. Yudhra is rusticated from NCTA and he’s imprisoned for 9 months. Rehman asks him to channel his anger just like how his father did and help him fight the drug mafia. He also reveals to Yudhra that his father was killed by the biggest drug lord, Sikandar (Joao Mario). Yudhra agrees. His first mission is now to befriend Naidu (Parmeshwar K R), who is a trusted aide of Feroz (Raj Arjun), the second biggest drug lord. He used to work once for Sikandar and now, they are sworn enemies. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Yudhra Movie Story Review:
Shridhar Raghavan’s story is routine. Shridhar Raghavan’s screenplay is weak as the writing gives a feeling of been-there-done-that. But a few scenes are well thought out. Farhan Akhtar and Akshat Ghildial’s dialogues are okay. A film like this ought to have clapworthy dialogues. Moreover, the scene where a character suggests that it’s easier to kill someone in Portugal than in India might lead to unintentional laughter in cinemas.

Ravi Udyawar’s direction is stylish and saves the film to some extent. There’s a lot of thought which has gone in each and every shot and it makes the film watchable. A scene where Ravi shows his brilliance is the chase sequence in Portugal and the madness, which ensues in the music shop. The scene in the bathroom towards the end is also quite novel. The film also has been mounted on a huge scale and this makes it apt for the big screen.

On the flipside, the story reminds one of DON (1976) and many other films. Hence, one can guess a few twists from a mile away. A scene at an important juncture in the film seems like a rip-off of a scene from ANIMAL (2023). A few developments are bewildering. The manner in which Yudhra is able to eliminate a dreaded fugitive without any effort is laughable. The makers could have at least shown him facing some challenges before achieving his target. The scene in the jail is unexciting and the amount of bloodshed puts viewers off. The film also doesn’t end on a high.

Yudhra | Official Trailer | Siddhant Chaturvedi | Malavika Mohanan | Raghav Juyal | Ravi Udyawar

Yudhra Movie Review Performances:
Siddhant Chaturvedi gives his best shot. He is well built and hence, when he fights multiple baddies at the same time, he looks convincing. Malavika Mohanan looks stunning and delivers a confident performance. She looks great in the action scenes. Raghav Juyal (Shafiq), last seen in a KILL (2024), plays a villain here as well and yet again, he is terrific. Ram Kapoor is dependable while Gajraj Rao lends able support. Raj Arjun is decent and hams in the climax. Shilpa Shukla and Joao Mario are wasted. Saurabh Gokhale, Sharvari Deshpande, Parmeshwar K R, Zhokhoi Chuzho (Baghol), Jared (young Yudhra) and Drashti Bhanushali (young Nikhat) are okay. 

Yudhra movie music and other technical aspects:
The music is poor. A film like this should have been a chartbuster. ‘Sohni Lagdi’ and ‘Hatt Jaa Baaju’ fail to entice. ‘Saathiya’ is well shot but the song is not memorable at all. Sanchit and Ankit Balhara’s background score, however, is praiseworthy and innovative.

Jay Pinak Oza’s cinematography is splendid, and the various locales have been shot breathtakingly. Federico Cueva and Sunil Rodrigues’ action is needlessly gory in many places. Rupin Suchak’s production design is appealing. Shaleena Nathani and Sabina Halder’s costumes are rich, especially the ones worn by the lead actors. Tushar Parekh and Anand Subaya’s editing is slick.

Yudhra Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, YUDHRA suffers from a routine and predictable plot but is watchable due to the direction and performances. At the box office, the film will get benefit of cheap tickets on the occasion of National Cinema Day.