Barroz: Guardian of Treasures

There is a saying, "Do not throw good money after bad". Barroz is the perfect example for this. Mohanlal's dream project, a movie that went through it's own production hell and inspite of hiccups and challenges, he persisted in trying to bring his vision on screen wherein he should have given up at least 3 years back with things not going his way and some of his usual accomplices walked away from the project.

There are little to no redeeming qualities in the movie. The cast and especially Mohanlal just falter so badly, you wonder how this could have been his dream directorial venture. The story has been destroyed, if ever there was one conceived. The acting is just terrible on so many fronts and performances are just so sub par that you even wonder if these are actors or people just picked up from the streets and asked to pitch in. There really seems to be no explanation for where the budget went especially in a movie with only one superstar who is the director and terrible CGI and mostly domestic locations. Most of the foreign collaborators, again not big names, have brought in zero value again leading to the mystery of what happened to the budget. The music especially disappoints and songs like "Isabella" are just jarring and painful to listen to.

Overall Mohanlal proves that he is best in front of the camera and not behind it, unless he is just producing it and not taking the creative decisions. This is a movie to be skipped unless for academic purposes where is serves as the perfect case study on how not to make a fantasy movie.

Film has decent VFX and good 3D animation. But lacks in storyline and action sequences. Movie is a yawn fest even for kids. Really laboured keeping my eyes open at the theatres. On OTT, you wouldn't get past 20 minutes of this movie. With all due respect to Lalettan his directorial debut falls flat. The movie is too long at over 2.5 hours with a storyline thats short enough to make a 20 minute animated toon episode. Even on a sunday the movie hall was running at less than 20% occupancy. My dear Kuttichaathan re release would have been far more entertaining than this. Movie is really seriously low on content.

Baroz impresses technically, especially with its stunning 3D effects and world-class visuals crafted by the talented Santhosh Sivan. The background score (BGM) is exceptional, elevating the cinematic experience, though the songs are just passable. Mohanlal's acting stands out as a major positive, showcasing his unparalleled screen presence.

However, the movie falters in several areas. The casting feels underwhelming, with many actors failing to match the standard set by Mohanlal. The story is clichéd and predictable, and the script misses the opportunity to develop its promising premise. Dialogues lack impact, and the overall delivery feels weak, failing to engage the audience. The narrative progression is sluggish, and the movie struggles to maintain interest due to its lack of momentum and depth.

Despite its technical brilliance and Mohanlal's performance, Baroz ultimately ends up as a visually stunning yet narratively disappointing film. It's a classic example of style over substance, leaving the audience wanting more in terms of storytelling and execution.

2 star for excellent and 1 star for the animated song sequence. Nothing else works in this. Even lal looked lost in his own creation. Somasundaram had the worst role and he failed in providing any elevation to it. The lead girl's acting was pathetic. Too many unknown faces with bad acting. De gama looked silly. The puppet / doll companion character had so much promise but bad dialogues ruined it. Super stretched first half with absolutely nothing happening. Second half was faster in comparison but I was exhausted by interval time itself. My kid slept through most of the first half and was slightly entertained by the second half 3D gimmick shots. Worst malayalam movie I watched this year hands down. The folklore had so much potential. It would have worked better with full animation and some better editing and some elevated plots.

Everyday I wake up and I thank the Lord for my choice of watching the film at home instead of the theatres. I would have regretted wasting my time and money. Now I only regret wasting my time. The VFX was done on Microsoft PowerPoint and their team has a combined brain cells count of 3. On second thoughts, I'd like to try the drugs that the entire team who conceived this idea was on. Mohanlal could do better. Its a shameful movie for the actor to be cast into. The horrible VFX, the mediocre acting by the cast members and the earrape of a song "Isabella" rounds up the entire experience. The only good thing I could've mentioned about the movie is the ads that would've played before the movie if I had watched it in the theatres.

0/10 wouldn't even recommend it to my enemy.

Did I mention the horrible VFX ?