Rating: 2/5
In some films, you don’t go in with many expectations, and when they turn out to be good, you’re glad. But well, Devara: Part 1, wasn’t that, because just 15 minutes into the movie, I knew that this isn’t going to get anywhere. With names like Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor, you expect so much more from the movie, but sadly, it doesn’t have much to offer.
Without further ado, let’s dive right into the review of Devara.
You find yourself trying to make sense of the premise
The movie is based on Devara, the titular character, who is somewhat of a Superman—he can see no wrong, always do the right thing, and fight 50 people alone. Oh, and he can also hold a man almost his weight, hanging, with just one hand. These are just a few things that you see, and you try to ignore, because it’s a South film and the theme needs him to be this people person, who is extremely powerful.
However, by the end of the first half, you find a few people napping around, a few wondering what they saw, and others just not wanting to be there. But me? Well, In my heart, I thought that Jr NTR and Saif Ali Khan would save the day in the second half, and I would get this to at least a 3/5 stars, if not more. Sadly, it didn’t even get to 2.5 stars.
‘Devara: Part 1’ may be a fan service but it doesn’t get anywhere
Jr NTR has done what the masses want, he’s given everything fan-coded, and his audience will love everything about him. He has massy scenes, he has fights, he is the hero above all, and he also has his own dance. However, as someone pointed out, after RRR, you want to see more good of him in his next, but all Devara becomes is another 90-esque coded movie, one that feels like it has no positive end. Nonetheless, NTR tries, and well, there go some points, if not a lot!
Moving on, even Prakash Raj failed to grab my attention, probably because of the storyline and how the tone is set right from the beginning. Saif Ali Khan has managed to impress me once again, and there’s no wondering what he can do, because he clearly can do everything. I am reminded of his performance and the love he got for Adipurush, and well, this feels like a similar scenario, TBH!
Janhvi Kapoorhas been a part of the promotions and every time the movie gets a mention, she does too, however, she’s not gotten enough to do. I’d have rather seen her character be more concrete than her being a part of two songs.
The movie is cinematically interesting and has its moments, but then there are bits where the visuals don’t feel too appealing, so there’s no standard set throughout the film, and it’s once again, not the best thing to see.
Our verdict of ‘Devara: Part 1’
I won’t say that the movie didn’t get any ooooos or didn’t have people cheering, but it is directed towards a handful of people, particularly the humongous fanfare that Jr NTR enjoys. There’s nothing out of the box about the movie, and while I’d have loved for it to get better, it just doesn’t. I did have big hopes for the second half of the film, but it just built a little anticipation and then didn’t get much.
The climax of the film made those 170 minutes feel like a mere waste of time, because apart from one big revelation, everything seems to have been saved for a sequel, and that is always not cool.
Watch the movie for the thrill of it, but Devara: Part 1 is not for everyone!
Lead and social image credits: Yuvasudha Arts
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