BOTTOM LINE
Outdated Mixed-Masala Bag
RATING
2/5
CENSOR
A, 2h 23m
What Is the Film About?
Bhavani and his son Rudra terrorize the place Mahendragiri. Anyone questioning their ways is killed gruesomely.
What happens when a powerful cop named Bhima (Gopichand) is transferred to Mahendragiri? The movie’s basic plot is finding out the illegal activities of Bhavani and stopping them once and for all. The subplot involves an emotional thread related to Bhimaa’s love and family.
Performances
Gopichand dons a cop get-up after a long time in Bhimaa. He looks fit and has the attitude to pull off the part easily. When it comes to action, Gopichand delivers as always, bringing all the intensity.
Bhima also offers Gopichand something different from usual. He could have been better, but as it’s not the main deal, it’s alright. Bhimaa, in general, puts the actor in his comfort zone making the part hardly memorable. He just goes about the proceedings as per the requirement.
Priya Bhavani Shankar and Malvika Sharma are the two female leads in the movie. The former has more glamor appeal whereas the latter gets to do a critical emotional scene. Both are adequate in fulfilling their respective duties.
Analysis
A Harsha, who has directed quite a lot of movies in Kannada, forays into Telugu cinema with Bhimaa. It is a mass action fare with bits of fantasy elements thrown in.
Bhimaa opens on an intriguing note with a temple history. However, it soon turns to the routine mass action space with a comedy sub-track.
The movie’s problem surfaces as soon as the hero’s introduction commences. The narrative begins to oscillate between comedy and seriousness.
A fun fight for the hero’s intro is acceptable, but the villain who has been introduced as a deadly force is turned into a joke within no time. The comedy in small parts is fine, but when it’s extended that way in the heavy-looking drama, it’s hard to take the proceedings seriously.
The subsequent track involving the heroine further devalues the hero’s characterization.
What’s left, removing the entertainment is where Bhimaa works to an extent. The action scenes are typical of the terrain, but they work.
The pre-interval and interval are where the curiosity surrounding the action peaks. We learn about the real reason behind the additional oil tanker and why it’s so dangerous to track it. The action block around it is good and so is the intriguing factor that leads us to the second half.
A new location, and full picture behind the story, offer clarity and connection behind some haphazard editing in the first half as the second half commences.
However, once all the cards are out, the story becomes utterly predictable. Only one vital relationship between the key characters holds the attention. It’s here that the fantasy element gets into the narrative.
The heady cocktail involving various commercial masala cinema cliches across the format makes things look overcooked and overstuffed. But, parts of it do appeal to the typical mass movie lover, provided he has lower expectations.
The ending is just going through the motions trying to provide a satisfactory culmination to the viewers. It lacks freshness and feels jaded.
Overall, Bhimaa is as routine as a mass film can get, but with a small twist. The action scenes work, but outdated drama and cringe comedy overpowers it. In the end, Bhimaa turns out to be a movie strictly for hardcore mass movie lovers.
Performances by Others Actors
Senior actors Naresh, Nassar, Vennela Kishore, Chammak Chandra, Sapthagiri, Mukesh Tiwary, Poorna, and others are seen in small roles. Vennela Kishore starts well but soon is relegated to the backseat. The rest have much less in comparison.
Most of the characters start on an intriguing or interesting note, but they aren’t developed further in the same vein and are left half-baked.
Music and Other Departments?
Ravi Basrur of KGF fame provides the music and background score. The former is forgettable, but the latter is alright. Parts of the score work well, but most of it is loud.
The cinematography is good, but the editing is a mixed bag. The first half, especially, lacks a proper tone and some parts look abruptly put together. The writing is par for the course for a mass film. The action choreography is good.
Highlights?
Action Scenes
Gopichand
Core Backdrop
Drawbacks?
Hackneyed Plot
Uneven Narrative
Entertainment Bits
Did I Enjoy It?
In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, for diehard action movie lovers who have zero expectations and like fights
Bhimaa Movie Review by M9
