Sanchita
Kalki 2898 AD Movie Review; Overinflated 1st Half But Magnificent 2nd Half
Rating: 3.5/5
Director: Nag Ashwin
Cast: Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Saswata Chatterjee, Disha Patani
Runtime: 3h 1m
Storyline:
The futuristic drama is set against Kashi, a dystopian city, right below the utopian ‘Complex’ – which is ruled by the totalitarian Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan).
Bhairava (Prabhas) is a famous bounty hunter dreaming of his chance to enter the elite Complex. Elsewhere, in a secret lab – a nefarious ‘Project K’ is in the works. Sum-80 aka Sumati (Deepika Padukone) is a pregnant lab subject, trying to escape before Supreme Yaskin gets his hands on her.
After the age of Mahabharata, Amitabh Bachchan’s Ashwatthama rises up once more to protect Sumati – the prophesied mother of Kalki. Bhairava is hot on their heels in his rigorous pursuit of Sumati.
Will Sumati be able to evade evil forces and safely give birth to Kalki – the 10th and final avatar of Vishnu? Watch Kalki 2898 AD to witness the intense battle between good vs evil….
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Kalki 2898 AD Movie Review:
Kalki 2898 AD is a glorious, visually striking action spectacle. While the 1st half is overinflated with some stretched plots, the 2nd half compensates for that with its grandiose, power-packed battle sequences.
Of course, comparison with the likes of Star Wars and Dune is inevitable since the aesthetics are very similar. But there is just about enough originality of the Indian mythology infused with these Western elements – that keeps it interesting and from being dismissed outright as ‘copying’.
Kalki 2898 AD is technically impressive, the VFX is top-notch and immersive and the animated montage in the beginning is wonderful! While the background theme is powerful and elevates the scenes, the songs (in Hindi version) leave one wanting more.
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Prabhas is back with swagger in Kalki 2898 AD! His action is in top form and the energy and charisma, which was missing in his last few projects, is shining through here as Bhairava. In the 1st half, certain sequences of Prabhas are dragged out unnecessarily at the expense of progressing the plot.
But the film hits its stride when Amitabh Bachchan re-enters the game as Ashwatthama, the protector of Sumati and her unborn baby. The interval block is absolutely thrilling, complemented by a highly emotional performance from Deepika.
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Kalki 2898 AD Movie Review:
Amitabh Bachchan as the mighty Ashwatthama steals the show with his impressive, magnetic performance. Senior Bachchan gets lots of powerful action scenes and he does them full justice with his gusto. The sheer energy of his screen presence, especially at this age, is staggering. While the fight sequences in the 1st half feel lacklustre, in contrast Big B and Prabhas’ battles in the 2nd half are quite dynamic and fierce.
Their cat-and-mouse chase over Sumati keeps one glued to the screen. Deepika Padukone is the heart of Kalki 2898 AD and her casting as the Mother of Kalki is absolutely perfect. She hits the nail right on the head as Sumati – portraying her vulnerability and resilience with a heart-touching earnestness. Her scene in the interval elicits goosebumps – a pregnant Deepika, engulfed in flames…the visuals in the background are sheer poetry!
Kamal Haasan as Supreme Yaskin, at first glance comes across as a blend of Dune’s Baron Harkonnen and Snoke from Star Wars. But Haasan manages to give his own menacing touch to this antagonist. There’s a lot of potential and intrigue for this character in the sequel.
Disha Patani appears in a glamorous but blink-and-miss role as Prabhas’ romantic interest. Her part bogs down the momentum with some abrupt song scenes and ultimately ends up going nowhere.
Watch out! Kalki 2898 AD has some fun cameos – from Dulquer Salmaan and SS Rajamouli to Vijay Deverakonda! Is this the Indian Avengers?
My only gripe with Kalki is – it is at its intriguing best when it focuses on the Indian mythology but the Western aesthetics end up overpowering it at times. It might have worked better if the visuals had a more Indianised touch.
Nevertheless, Kalki 2898 AD promises a thrilling ride and is meant to be savoured on the big screen.
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