RRR

I've heard much of one film this year. A film that took the internet by storm with its bombastic action and style. Why didn't I see it sooner, whether in theaters or on Netflix? I think it was the three-hour runtime that made me put it off. But now, with its multiple awards and Avatar: The Way of Water and Babylon opening this month with similar runtimes, it's time to finally experience RRR.

RRR, which stands for Rise Roar Revolt, is writer and director S.S. Rajamouli's follow-up to his Baahubali films, the second of which is India's highest grossing film. This is India's third highest grossing film. Rajamouli pairs together real-life revolutionaries Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) on a rescue mission to save a Gond tribe girl, Malli (Twinkle Sharma), from the odious Gov. Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and his equally detestable wife, Catherine (Alison Doody). A little context is needed.

It's 1920 during the British Raj of India. The Buxtons steal Malli from her tribe because Catherine loved her singing that much. Bheem, the tribe guardian, sets out to rescue her. Raju, a colonial policeman, is sent to apprehend him before he can raise hell. They meet when they save a kid from a fiery train crash. Bheem is incognito as "Akhtar," so Raju doesn't realize that he just met his quarry. They quickly become best buds as Bheem tries to infiltrate the Governor's mansion. He meets and falls for Jenny (Olivia Morris), the Governor's niece. Eventually, the two are pitted against each other before they finally unite against the villains.

It takes about forty minutes before the title shows up on-screen. It feels a bit longer to get through the other opening credits. But the overall 182 minutes are anything but boring. Rajamouli keeps the audience's attention whether it's with a dialogue scene or an action scene. You'll rarely feel the time as the film sets up Raju and Bheem's individual stories before their first adventure. You'll rarely feel it afterwards as they battle villains, each other and villains again. Nothing is subtle in this film. It even has a musical number, the Golden Globe nominated Naatu Naatu (or Naacho Naacho in the Hindi version I watched), which contains the most stunning displays of fleet-footedness on screen. Bar none.

The heroes help us through the massive runtime. Raju is introduced running into a riot braving hundreds of protestors to grab just one. You just have to admire his determination. We're a bit outraged that he's still passed over for promotion even though he's on the colonial side. That's mitigated when we find out he's actually a revolutionary spy. Bheem, meanwhile, is introduced fending off a wolf and a tiger. He later unleashes a whole menagerie on a party and defies the Buxtons' subsequent attempts to break him. Jenny lets him show off his gentleness; one of his best moments is when he helps her escape the aforementioned killer zoo. The friendship these guys have is compelling in its ups and downs. You'll be cheering from when they first meet to their final battle.

Now for the others. The bad guys sneer like proud pantomime villains with every syllable. Whether it's the Buxtons, their aide Edward (Edward Sonnenblick), or assorted officers, they're unambiguously evil. You'll be far from amused with their racist attitudes and will cheer their demises. Jake (Eduard Buhac) gets off lightly as our heroes outdance him in Naatu Naatu in glorious fashion. Meanwhile, Sharma is far more sympathetic as Malli, as is Ahmareen Anjun as her mother, Loki, and Alia Bhatt as Raju's fiancé, Sita. Morris as Jenny is quite likable. Ajay Devgn makes the most of his screentime as Raju's father, A. Venkatarama, from whom he clearly inherited his determination.

What else haven't I mentioned about the spectacle? A tiger tackles a wolf; the killer zoo is unleashed with a hard truck skid; Bheem tosses a leopard at a soldier; Raju's sniping skills. The CGI-aided stunts are spectacular even if the effects are too obvious. An arrow in the climax stuck out like a sore thumb. M. M. Keeravani composed Naatu Naatu and the rest of the perfectly bombastic score. Several lyricists - with Chandrabose doing Naatu Naatu - wrote the songs. The production, costume and makeup designs add to the visual splendor. The bombastic tone is aided by editor A Sreekar Prasad and cinematographer K.K. Senthil Kumar. 

RRR is a rousing good time. Its over three-hour runtime flies fast as you experience the action and heroic friendship. Yes, I should have checked it out earlier, especially since it played in theaters nearby. But it sure makes for an eventful home matinee in the closing days of 2022. You don't need to be familiar with both of its real-life heroes to enjoy their adventures. Watch it now for a spectacular time on Netflix. You won't forget Naatu Naatu anytime soon.