RRR is one of the most critically acclaimed films of this year. It's been widely celebrated by both audiences and critics alike and is one of the most internationally successful Tollywood films of all time. My question is why?
I'm not familiar at all with Tollywood/Bollywood movies. This was the first one I've seen all the way through. But prior to watching RRR, I was familiar with all of the Bollywood clichés and have seen numerous infamous clips on YouTube. They're all very over the top with their presentation and acting, they're all very long, and they all include several dance/musical numbers. But I figured since this was the first Tollywood movie to get this kind of recognition in the states that there was something different about this movie, something that stood out and there really isn't.
As I was watching RRR I thought to myself, what if this was an American film and it featured the same story, the same action scenes, and the same length? I would think that this movie would be absolutely leveled by critics and audiences for being too bloated, too tonally inconsistent, having bad CGI effects, terrible pacing, underdeveloped romantic subplots, and one-dimensional villains. But I guess since this is a Tollywood movie all of those notable flaws are just fine? Do they add to the charm of this film? I don't know but I'm honestly low-key baffled by the reception that RRR is getting.
And I'm also baffled by how this Tollywood film looks just like every other Indian action film that has come out for the past several years. Seriously what makes this movie so special in comparison to other Indian blockbusters?
Here are a few positives I can give this film. There is some nice direction and cinematography, both of the lead actors have good chemistry, some of the action scenes are fun (some are also completely stupid) and sometimes the score is good (and sometimes it's not and very random). Clearly, Indian blockbuster films are just not for me, I'll acknowledge that. Cinema is subjective, so to the people who genuinely love this movie, I'm happy for you, but I still firmly stand by all of my criticisms for this movie and I still think it's easily the most overrated film to come out this year, by a lot.
I'm not familiar at all with Tollywood/Bollywood movies. This was the first one I've seen all the way through. But prior to watching RRR, I was familiar with all of the Bollywood clichés and have seen numerous infamous clips on YouTube. They're all very over the top with their presentation and acting, they're all very long, and they all include several dance/musical numbers. But I figured since this was the first Tollywood movie to get this kind of recognition in the states that there was something different about this movie, something that stood out and there really isn't.
As I was watching RRR I thought to myself, what if this was an American film and it featured the same story, the same action scenes, and the same length? I would think that this movie would be absolutely leveled by critics and audiences for being too bloated, too tonally inconsistent, having bad CGI effects, terrible pacing, underdeveloped romantic subplots, and one-dimensional villains. But I guess since this is a Tollywood movie all of those notable flaws are just fine? Do they add to the charm of this film? I don't know but I'm honestly low-key baffled by the reception that RRR is getting.
And I'm also baffled by how this Tollywood film looks just like every other Indian action film that has come out for the past several years. Seriously what makes this movie so special in comparison to other Indian blockbusters?
Here are a few positives I can give this film. There is some nice direction and cinematography, both of the lead actors have good chemistry, some of the action scenes are fun (some are also completely stupid) and sometimes the score is good (and sometimes it's not and very random). Clearly, Indian blockbuster films are just not for me, I'll acknowledge that. Cinema is subjective, so to the people who genuinely love this movie, I'm happy for you, but I still firmly stand by all of my criticisms for this movie and I still think it's easily the most overrated film to come out this year, by a lot.