I have some questions for you, dear reader. Are you a superhero fan? Do you love maximalist action set-pieces? Are you down for epic bromances? Do you wish that Captain America and Thor would not only hug, but do complex dance numbers and carry each other on their shoulders? Then go out, buy a hat, and prepare to hold the hell onto it, because have I got a movie for you.
THE superhero movie of the year (nay, decade?) is here and it’s currently streaming on Netflix. RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) is an Indian Telugu-language epic action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli and starring N. T. Rama Rao Jr. (Jr NTR) and Ram Charan. The film is (very) loosely based on two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR), and their fight for independence against the British crown rule in India. They converge on tyrant governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and his cruel and sadistic wife Catherine (Alison Doody).
Set in 1920, the film introduces these two heroes on opposite sides of the spectrum. Bheem is a Gond tribal leader on a mission to rescue a young girl that the Buxtons kidnapped from his village. Bheem has brute strength, the kind of strength that sees him fist-fight a tiger and swing a motorcycle over his head. On the opposite end is Raju, a highly efficient and disciplined police officer working with the British to hunt Bheem and his crew down. Our introduction to Raju finds him fighting off hundreds of protesters with nothing but a stick. He’s a T-1000 with a killer mustache.
The two heroes meet while saving a boy from a train crash and quickly bond, not realizing that one is hunting the other. When their identities are unveiled, they will have to choose between their allegiances and their fast friendship. Is this movie a superhero film? While none of the characters claim to possess super powers, they display an absurd level of strength and fighting skill that would rival the Avengers. Raju and Bheem are superpowered much in the way that Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are superpowered in the Fast and Furious franchise. Just a couple of “regular” guys doing unbelievable things.
In fact, RRR is analogous to to the F&F franchise in many ways. Both double down on jaw-dropping, over-the-top action sequences. Both celebrate found family and friendship. Both have plenty of latent homoeroticism. And both are wildly entertaining romps that will make you want to stand up and cheer. With a 3-hour runtime, RRR is a behemoth of a film. But I was never bored while watching it. And RRR has something that no F&F or Marvel movie would dare to attempt: full-on musical sequences with athletic dancing, stunts, and singing.
Look, this movie is hyperbole on steroids. It’s maximalism on maximalism. And it’s an absolute joy to watch. RRR is currently streaming on Netflix, but if you have the opportunity to see it on the big screen, you absolutely should. I doubt you’ll see a more entertaining film this year.
(featured image: DVV Entertainments)
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
