The Archies

Coming from Director Zoya Aktar, we had great expectations about the movie 'The Archies'.

I'd grown up reading Archie comics and was curious to see how Zoya had interpreted it. But obviously she hadn't bothered with any interpretation or her own take on it. All she has done is take the characters from the Archie comics and placed them in her movie. Thats all. This movie could have been set anywhere and played anyone - but I guess she managed to create a curiosity of sorts for people who have read the comics series.

Set in the 60s in a fictional town 'Riverdale', the movie is based on the Archie characters - all played by star kids. Zoya has managed a coup of sorts by scooping in not one, but at least three star kids from big hollywood families. And that seems to be only USP of this overly long movie; she has roped in Agastya Nanda (Amitabh Bachchan's grandson), Khushi Kapoor (Sridevi's daughter) and Suhana Khan (King Khan's daughter) - among other youngsters.

But the disappointment was not with their performance - since there was not much they had to do; they were playing typical teenagers - all dressed in the 60s costumes - and of course they typically looked like they were taking part in a period drama! The kids went about singing and dancing and then some more dancing and singing, in a fictional world - after all this is a musical, ain't it!? I kept hoping for the movie to take off, but it never reached take off speed - but seemed happy just pottering about.

The problem lay with the luke warm story - even though Zoya herself was one of the authors. The story didn't have any real meat. The songs weren't really memorable either; none of the scenes really sticks to your memory too; you actually feel relieved to get up from your seat when the titles start rolling in.

And I still can't believe that this is from the same director who had made movies like 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dubara', 'Gully Boy' or 'Dil Dhadakane Do'!

In short 'The Archies' was a big let down. Anyway, that's my 2 bits about this movie - which I guess is more than enough. I rate it 5/10, an average movie.

Released today on Netflix.

The film lacks life, grandeur and originality. The script is shallow, and the plot feels extremely stale, making the movie dull. It doesn't appeal to a culturally aware sophisticated audience. This movie might attract wannabe teenagers who doesn't know what life is outside their father's cocoon. This is not Hollywood, this is not Bollywood; this is lacking identity.

When a comic is recreated directors and actors should consider that execution of that nostalgic moments will be risky. Most of the time it ruins the original. This film, though musical was lacking that connection. So maybe the plan was to just make something for Netflix. Okay, there was one great line in the movie, to understand culture, one needs to go in, not out (of the country). Yes, then my question is is this movie in or out?

What a horrible one this was. Wanted to just abandon the movie mid-way. Poor direction, poor storyline, poor acting. The actors didn't even look good. Their accents were funny. Seems like Zoya Akhtar made this movie just for a few Bandra houses. Amitabh Bachchan's grandson is not hero material at all. Suhana Khan didn't fit well. She is similar to Swara Bhasker. Rich roles won't suit them. Khushi Kapoor looked funny. Other actors looked plastic. Wasn't able to find one thing to praise in the whole movie. Maybe some other director could've saved the film. The casting too was poor. All that hype and promotion came down to nothing.

"The Archies" hits a sour note from the very start, thanks to a cast that delivers performances ranging from uninspired to downright cringe-worthy. The acting, a fundamental element that could have salvaged the film, instead becomes its biggest flaw.

Lead by a once-promising ensemble, the cast of "The Archies" appears disengaged, phoning in performances that lack authenticity and emotional depth. Even the usually reliable actors fail to inject life into their characters, reducing them to mere cardboard cutouts of their animated counterparts. The chemistry between the cast members is virtually non-existent, making it difficult for the audience to invest in the relationships and conflicts that unfold on screen.

One of the film's major pitfalls is the wooden delivery of dialogue, with exchanges feeling forced and devoid of natural flow. Emotionally charged scenes that should have been poignant become cringe-inducing, as the actors struggle to convey genuine feelings. It's a painful reminder of the importance of strong performances in bringing characters to life, and "The Archies" sorely misses the mark on this front.

Even the charismatic Archie Andrews, typically a beacon of charm, is reduced to a lackluster portrayal that lacks the energy and enthusiasm associated with the character. Supporting characters fare no better, contributing to an overall lack of cohesion in the ensemble cast.

In the end, the horrible acting becomes the defining feature of "The Archies," overshadowing any potential redeeming qualities the film might have had. The lack of chemistry, authenticity, and emotional resonance in the performances ultimately leaves audiences cringing and longing for the animated magic of the original characters, rather than enduring this live-action misfire.

The Archies is just a movie that could & should have been avoided in the first place by NetflixIndia & by a director like Zoya Akhtar who always have been associated with the best of cinema in India, it would have saved Netflix tremendous loads of money to fund in some quality content on the lines of TVF or maybe something like Kohrra or CAT.

Story : The Archies starts with the introduction to the town of Riverdale somewhere in the Northern India which is inhabited by the Anglo Indian's(citizens with mixed Indian & European ancestors).

We are introduced to the characters of Archie Andrews(Agastya Nanda), Veronica Lodge(Suhana Khan), Betty Copper(Khushi Kapoor), Jughead(Mihir Ahuja), Reggie Mantle(Vedang Raina) & Ethel Muggs(Dot.) enjoying their respective lives in this picturesque town.

The story directly dives into the return of Veronica & her family to the town of Riverdale, all the friends uniting back, Archie Andrews stuck in a love triangle & the intentions of Veronica's father to build a big hotel in the middle of Green Park which is heart & soul of Riverdale.

Performances : I shouldn't talk about it, because everyone acted really well except the main lead characters, having such a great supporting cast with expressionless lead cast was just painful to watch & it just doesn't end at expressions, even the dialogue delivery is just really bad especially for Suhana Khan & Khushi Kapoor, Zoya it seemed had intentionally avoided taking close up shots for any of the actors.

Direction and Screenplay : The Gully Boy director has always shown us how brilliant she is with her cinema be it Dil Dhakane Do or Made in Heaven, she knows on how to engage the audiences to the screen & over here it just seemed as if Zoya was not on director's chair, bad acting, non engaging screenplay, can't imagine Zoya not noticing all this during the shooting.

The credits where due, cinematography looked terrific(especially loved the entry scene of Dot on the cycle & camera switching from rear to front), colours/sets/costumes were all perfectly done.

Music : This is a musical story and it had to have great music, while some songs are really good such as Sunoh & In Rahoon Mein, the rest feel underwhelming & this is not the expectation when you have Shankar Ehsaan Loy at the helm of it.

Good/Bads : Avoid it, save time and probabaly go & watch something worthy, the movie shouldn't have been made in the first place because The Archies has so much to it that you just can't fit all in a short runtime, the audience needs to know Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge in detail, each character needed to have their own arc for the audience to feel for them & connect with them, this is what Riverdale did in the starting seasons even though it lost the grip in last few seasons but still the audience came back in for their favourite characters.

The main leads really need to excel on their acting capabilities, dialogue delivery & this movie did not offer them anything that they could take away from their debut launch except the hard lessons.

Zoya Akhtar has a dent on her sky high filmography with TheArchies but we still know how good she can be when she wants so waiting for the next Tiger Baby production.