Devara Part 1

Hits:

1. VFX Surprise: Despite initial concerns, the movie's visuals (locations and VFX) impressed on the big screen, delivering a realistic and immersive experience.

2. Action Masterclass: The film excels in capturing the intensity of mass action sequences. The ambush scene at the interval, with its blood-soaked waves and Devara's defiant face, is a prime example.

3. NTR's Duality: NTR shines, portraying the duality of the courageous Devara and the timid Vara with remarkable balance.

Misses:

1. Second-Half Fumble: The movie's biggest weakness lies in its second half. Weak writing filled with immature jokes, illogical scene transitions, and a rushed plot significantly dampens the experience.

2. Janhvi Kapoor Misfire: Kapoor's scenes were poorly received, highlighting some shortcomings in Indian cinema's portrayal of female characters.

3. Music Overload: While the editing is good, Anirudh Ravichander's music feels overused, detracting from the narrative flow. The score dominates the film when a well-placed soundtrack would have been more impactful.

4. Weak Dialogue: The dialogues themselves are forgettable, saved only by NTR's strong delivery.

Uneven Pacing: The first half meticulously builds the world, while the second half rushes through the plot, leading to a forced and unsatisfying climax/cliffhanger. It feels like the director struggled with the ending, leaving it open for a sequel.

Overall: A strong first half full of action and NTR's performance can't redeem a poorly executed second half. This film had the potential to be an epic action spectacle but ultimately falls short.

Devara was an indeed visually appealing experience, but could've been better with an improved screenplay and story. The first half moves smoothly without much of a lag. Where it does lag, is after the interval.

Janhvi's role was boring and annoying. Jr. NTR was interesting to watch in both the roles as dad and son. The climax twist, although somewhat good, left me kinda disappointed as I've seen this kind of twist before. It seemed like they saved everything for the sequel.

Anirudh BGM and some good VFX bring in the fun. Better writing, tighter screenplay, and more realism could've done justice.

Bottom-line: Anirudh BGM is the saving grace. Visuals and Jr. NTR's acting lift the film to an extent too. But overall, falls flat as an usual father son legacy action flick.

Devara is a pirate living in a fictional(?) village called Ratnagiri along the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu along with other pirates Bhaira, played by Saif Ali Khan, and others. During one of their pirate escapades things go south between Devara and Bhaira setting off a rivalry. Rest of the movie is about what happens to them and their rivalry and what role does Devara's son Vara plays in their relationship.

The movie is all out NTR's movie. He carried the movie on shoulders despite being an insipid and predictable storyline. Screenplay by Koratala Siva suffers terribly in establishing the conflict and elevating the emotion to the right level. Action choreography and some important sequences leading up to the action end up being duds thereby rendering the entire action dull and boring and without a purpose. The movie reads like a 3 hour long exposition as narrated by Singappa, played by Prakash Raj, with bits of action set pieces thrown in for good measure.

Cinematography by Ratnavelu is jarring sometimes even disrespecting basic shot rules in preserving the line of sight of the characters making it tedious to watch on the big screen. Anirudh's background music while decent, fails to deliver the emotional impact that the story demands. The presence of Jhanvi Kapoor is to deliver some "eye candy" and her only job is to seduce the young Vara and marry him. This is 2024 and I cannot believe big actors like NTR who got wide recognition for his role in RRR okay'd a script with cheap objectification of women.

Writer and Director Koratala Siva failed to tell a compelling story of a leader and has the audacity to tell us to wait for part-2. Will it get made now is anybody's guess. If not for NTR, this movies would've been an utter disaster in all possible ways.

--@CinephileIndia2023.

At last, the widely discussed Rajamouli curse myth has been shattered. While not the greatest feat, it's still a major victory considering the curse's track record and the film's stars' previous box office mishaps. Believe me, a 6-star rating is not to be underestimated, and "Devara" is certain to entertain and impress in parts and certain aspects!

Devara is one of the much-hyped films of this year. From the commanding "Man of Masses" title card to the chilling stone inscription written in blood during the interval, the movie is a non-stop barrage of a killer background score. Anirudh's innovative use of the "All hail the tiger" motif in various moods is mesmerizing.

I expected a decent commercial outing with the formulaic narrative to interval bang and pre-climax setup with a few high moments. The first half delivers on this expectation, offering a satisfying blend of cheesy crowd-pleasing moments and commercial masala tropes. It's like the slice you always reach for first.

Unfortunately, the second half of the film doesn't live up to the promise of the first. It feels like a rerun of some old masala films, and the jokes are a bit of a miss. The comedy serves as overkill, and the female characters humor is like trying to laugh at a Nirmala Seetharaman's problem. The actress, well, let's just say she's of no use. You could take her out, and nobody would even notice.

On the positive side, Anirudh Ravichandar's background score elevates many generic scenes. The cinematography in the first half is also a boon to the film. The climax twist adds an unexpected element to the otherwise generic narrative. And don't forget the long but decently staged action sequences, reminiscent of the ocean itself.

And NTR? He is an absolute sea monster of acting talent. He shoulders the film throughout and manages to save it from completely sinking.

To wrap it up, Devara is totally worth checking out if you're in the mood for a fun, mindless action-packed flick. It's got a killer soundtrack, amazing visuals, and JR NTR absolutely killing it.

South Indian movies have started the trend of big-budget, larger-than-life movie series, and this one is yet another massive project for Jr. NTR after RRR. Does it live up to the expectations? That remains a big question.

Part 1 follows the story of people living on an island, where Devara and his clan survive by smuggling. Everything changes when Devara has a change of heart and stops his people from committing wrongdoings while serving as the guardian of the sea.

The story isn't unique or gripping enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, but it doesn't bore you either. You keep hoping for something monumental to happen, but sadly, nothing of that sort unfolds. The suspense, which was supposed to blow your mind, can be guessed with a bit of thought-except for the last scene. The final twist seems to have been added more to spark curiosity for the second part than to serve as a true cliffhanger. The fictional world, however, looks stunning, thanks to the brilliant work of the art department and cinematographer, who make it feel real and visually breathtaking.

Jr. NTR is in top form, nailing the double role of father and son with perfection. Saif Ali Khan plays his part well, and as the antagonist, he holds his ground. Sadly, the script doesn't give him much scope to shine. Jhanvi Kapoor looks pretty and is decent in her role, but her character is so inconsequential that even if it were removed, it wouldn't affect the movie. Prakash Raj is completely wasted, with almost nothing significant to do.

The songs look visually stunning, thanks to the creative sets and beautiful choreography. The VFX and graphics are well-executed, if not extraordinary. However, the action sequences are strictly average, especially the climax, which feels underwhelming despite its grand scale. Jhanvi's character brings some lightness and a few chuckles, but her role feels forced and underutilized.

It can be watched for its grandeur and some entertainment value, but it doesn't effectively leave you yearning for its second installment.

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