Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva review: Bollywood by way of the MCU

In its rough outline, the new worldwide theatrical release Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva There are many attributes that American audiences might associate with Indian blockbuster films. It has a bright color scheme, includes some flashy musical numbers, runs fairly long, and has built-in spaces for breaks. The 160-minute run time has become almost standard length for big-ticket American blockbusters, so American theaters are likely to skip that part.And what is an expensive American blockbuster? brahmastra is also similar.Specifically, it brings to mind the 2021 Marvel epic Eternalsbut lacks the meditative tone that director Chloe Zhao sought to bring to that film. brahmastra It’s silly, cynthia, and inescapably fun.

It’s also the real-life corporate cousin of Marvel movies. This is because it was produced by Star Studios, once co-owned by Star India and his 20th Century Fox, and is now yet another Disney subsidiary. brahmastra Exchange rates put the budget at around $51 million, but it is the most expensive Hindi production to date. This is also the exact price point that strains American studios, where the film falls between cheaper, lower-risk products and big-budget big poles. brahmastra looks into the world of cinema, with “Part 1” in the title and “Part 2” inevitably teased at the end of the story.

probably the most hollywood side brahmastra The feeling is that this confidence may be misplaced. Writer-director Ayan Mukerji begins his film with a torrent of exposition about Astra, an eternity-like being imbued with the power of the elements and animals. They are also members of the Brahmanshu, a group sworn to protect humanity from the dangers of Brahmastra, a magical stone that can be wielded as a weapon to end the world.

The weapons are shattered and a relatively mild-mannered DJ named Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor) gets into a race to find them. Initially armed only with the ability to “find the light” in a cruel world, Shiva harnesses his own previously untested powers to confront the evil Junoon (Mouni Roy). must be unleashed.

It will take some time before Shiva is sent out on quests. brahmastraShiva’s blossoming relationship with his rich girlfriend Isha (Alia Bhatt) doesn’t have a lot of adult depth, but their first affair takes up more space than most superhero romances do overall. Earn. This includes several musical numbers, from music video gigantic to single room intimate, with both Kapoor and Bhatt making even the more relationship-oriented Eternals more businesslike. Feelable, sweet and crazy, downright even Mooney can play. Isha throws herself into Shiva’s derring-do in loveeven if sexuality remains a seemingly distant idea.

deeper brahmastra You get into that myth (and runtime) and it gets darker and darker. This is true both for the story of reloading the exposition dispenser for another round in the second half, and for the visual effects, which are mostly of the colorful ray variety.Visual design is another matter Eternals Parallelly, but at the same time, this $50 million piece has a pretty amazing amount of effects, and sometimes surprisingly good quality.

It’s technically not as impressive as what many Hollywood blockbusters offer, but given its vibrant colors and the film’s cartoonish sensibility, the cheap décor is worthy of this film’s more expensive. It doesn’t stand out as much as other works.

brahmastra I was shot over and over again over the course of four years, partly because of the delay of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s an exaggeration to say that these delays will make it onto the screen, but the fatigue sets in in the final hour of the film. It can’t compete with the charm of an early sequence in which two serious young men are taken on an adventure in the full belief that they can actually help each other.

Photo: Star India

When Mukerji isn’t throwing dance number parties or vigorously performing standbys like power training montages, he’s subject to the same zip-zap fatigue that ruins so many Marvel and DC movies. The movie tries to return to the love story, but almost drowns its characters in tumultuous promises of what might happen in a potential sequel.

Large-canvas, effect-heavy Indian cinema had its moment in the US earlier this year when Telugu hit. RRR It became a big-screen attraction and an object of admiration for movie geeks. Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva It seems unlikely to inspire similar devotion. At a time when moviegoers, at least in North America, are about to enter more than a month without a spectacle-fueled big-screen production, it feels like it’s being crunched into release schedules as a stopgap. Those who suffer from blemishes may want to seek this out as long as they prepare for the familiar summer sensation. For better or worse, it’s a movie firecracker.

Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva Debuts in theaters on September 9th.