Animal Review: Buckwild Bollywood Bloodbath

You’ve likely heard the buzz around director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s latest testosterone-fueled spectacle Animal. After courting controversy with his previous hits Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh glorifying toxic masculinity, Vanga is back with an even more unapologetic trip into ultra-violent male power fantasies. Starring current Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, Animal promises three hours of guns, axes, and enough explosions to make a Michael Bay movie blush.

Now I’m sure many gamers out there, like myself, can appreciate some badass action choreography and stylish set pieces. But Vanga seems more interested in shock value than substance with Animal, doubling down on the misogynistic messaging that triggered backlash against his earlier work. Set in the world of a business tycoon and his rage-filled heir apparent son Vijay, played with intensity by Kapoor, Animal centers on Vijay’s quest for vengeance after his father is nearly killed.

Along the way, we can expect swaggering displays of alpha male dominance, casual misogyny passed off as humor, and fascist imagery that attempts to be provocative. The director is clearly aiming to push buttons and disturb with his maximalist aesthetic. But can outrageous spectacle make up for a lack of narrative coherence or nuanced character development? Grab some popcorn my friends, because we’re about to find out if Animal has more bark than bite. Just don’t be surprised if its ultra-violent bite leaves a bad taste behind.

An Alpha Male Unleashed: Breaking Down Animal’s Chaotic Story

At the heart of Animal’s adrenaline-fueled madness lies Vijay, played with unmatched intensity by Bollywood’s current number one leading man Ranbir Kapoor. Vijay is the kind of protagonist that lights up message boards and Reddit threads with endless debates. Is he an ultra-cool antihero driven by pain? Or simply an irredeemable misogynist addicted to violence? Well, as with most things in life, the truth lies somewhere in between.

See, ever since he was a little boy, Vijay has had some serious daddy issues. His wealthy father Balbir (played by veteran Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor) was always too busy with work and expanding his business empire to give young Vijay the affection he desperately craved. Cut to present day, and Vijay remains a volcano of resentment just waiting to erupt, despite his lavish lifestyle. He’s that insecure kid who never outgrew his need for paternal validation.

Things come to a head at a flashy family party, where Vijay gets publicly chastised by Balbir for his insolent behavior. Vijay storms off, his fuse lit. In the first of many WTF moments, he proceeds to steal the bride right out from his brother-in-law’s wedding. The object of Vijay’s warped affection? None other than his childhood crush Geetu (Rashmika Mandanna), who can’t resist Vijay’s eccentric brand of seduction.

Just when you think director Vanga has filled his shock quota, we jump forward in time to find a newly bearded Vijay has became a gun-toting crime boss flanked by a crew of badass Sikh henchmen after his father is nearly assassinated. What follows is an exhilarating albeit messy path of retribution, involving time jumps, abruptly introduced villains, tons of ax fights and shootouts, and a strange subplot about Vijay’s love life imploding.

Yeah, keeping up with Animal’s breakneck pace and random tangents can get tiring even for us gamers used to convoluted quest lines. But that might be intentional on Vanga’s part. Mirroring its volatile protagonist, Animal refuses to be tamed or restrained. Buckle up for the ride, because this beast of a movie is going to pull some wild moves before it’s finished.

“Soar into a high-flying Bollywood action adventure with Fighter, as reviewed on Gazettely. Experience the thrill of aerial combat and the heart of a patriotic story, led by Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. Fighter promises to be a visual spectacle with a compelling narrative.”

Toxic Men and Shallow Provocation: Digging into Animal’s Regressive Core

Now when it comes to evaluating any piece of media with violence or complex morality at its core, context matters. We all love a charismatic antihero or reactionary protagonist once in a while. Where would gaming classics like GTA or God of War be without them? But it gets tricky when said characters consistently degrade women or minorities while the film revels in the bad behavior without critique.

Enter Animal, which desperately fancies itself some bold critique of alpha masculinity while actually playing like a greatest hits of cringey male power fantasies. Our man Vijay spouts outdated rhetoric about inherent male dominance and female submission, ignores consent, and even compares menstruation to his own battle wounds. Charming stuff.

This unexamined veneration of Vijay’s destructive hypermasculinity combines toxically with Animal’s aesthetic. Don’t get me wrong – the action choreography kicks all kinds of ass. But consider how certain shot compositions almost leer at Vijay and his flexed muscles for uncomfortable stretches of time. Or how Vijay callously mows down hundreds of faceless goons while peppy dance music plays in the background. The overall result sits somewhere between an old Spaghetti Western and a grisly slasher flick.

Things get downright puzzling when Vijay delivers not one but TWO speeches to crowds of workers while backed by prominent swastika imagery. Director Vanga clearly wants to wink at viewers and say “Oh I’m just trying to be naughty and provocative here.” But bro, that ideological territory ain’t exactly ripe for parody these days, and the film takes no stand either way.

In the end, Animal amounts to little more than style over substance. Compared to complex villains like Darth Vader or The Joker, Vijay lacks both humanity and coherent conviction behind his actions. So we’re left watching a charismatic yet empty vessel engage in ugly behavior, while the camera eggs it on in the name of manufactured controversy.

An Uncaged Beast: Analyzing Animal’s Messy Filmmaking

I’ll say this much for director Sandeep Reddy Vanga – the dude shoots action like a boss! When those deafening gun blasts and blade swipes hit the screen, Animal becomes a gonzo thrill ride of mayhem. But masterful sequences alone cannot carry an entire film, especially one that spans over three hours. And unfortunately, Vanga seems way more interested in stringing together provocative moments than telling a coherent story.

He’s clearly a bold and very spontaneous director – bold enough to throw entire character introductions and pivotal confrontations into half-baked montages! Whole plot developments get casually fast-forwarded while trivial moments drag on forever. Remember Vijay’s endless graphic lectures to Geetu about her “child-bearing hips”? Meanwhile, his father’s near-assassination, the inciting incident that spurs Vijay’s quest for vengeance…yeah that takes places off-screen!

Don’t even get me started on the jarring song interludes that derail tension to showcase Bollywood dance moves in the middle of brutal ax fights. It’s almost like Vanga himself gets bored and zones out during his own moments of high drama! Speaking of lengthy action, did I mention this sucker is over THREE hours long? Very few directors alive can justify that kind of runtime, and Vanga is not one of them. Especially when at least an hour gets occupied by repetitive brooding, scenery chewing, and yelling matches instead of the story progression we badly need by that point.

I don’t know about you friends, but I’ll take a tight, epic saga like The Dark Knight over this overstuffed mess any day! Vanga clearly bit off more than he could chew. Next time, maybe scale it down to a solid two hours and spend more time polishing your narrative instead of cramming every wild idea into one movie. llam Animal “ambitious” but much of that ambition backfires badly due to sloppy execution. A for effort and F for coherence!

Acting Their Hearts Out: Animal’s Standout Talent

Now before I light into Animal’s many missteps again, let me shout out the incredible cast here. Indian cinema boasts world-class performers these days, and this ensemble delivers despite thinly written roles. Leading the charge is Ranbir Kapoor, considered by many the most promising actor of his generation.

Ranbir has this raw, unpredictable quality that he brings to Vijay, walking an incredibly tricky line between magnetic antihero and straight-up villain protagonist. We can feel his seismic rage and longing for connection simmering behind those fiery eyes. He crafts such a lived-in portrayal that we buy his off-the-rails decisions despite minimal backstory or context. Other classics like Goodfellas and Scarface succeed largely thanks to such unforgettable yet reprehensible lead turns.

The supporting players also excel at enhancing this volatile world. Screen legend Anil Kapoor presents the cold and domineering father figure to a tee. And Rashmika Mandanna reveals impressive range as Vijay’s long-suffering love interest, bouncing between awe, lust and disgust in her reactions to his behavior. Both she and Vijay display effortless chemistry during their scenes together.

My only gripe is how talented performers like Shakti Kapoor get introduced with hype then wasted in disposable roles. And don’t even get me started on how the amazing Bobby Deol shows up so late! His electrifying showdown with Ranbir comes as too little too late. Such criminal underuse of compelling actors is yet another missed opportunity courtesy of muddled writing.

No doubt the committed performances carry viewers a long way despite Animal’s glaring issues. But most of the principal talent deserved better than being saddled with an overwrought misfire like this. Such wasted potential!

A Feast for the Senses: Analyzing Animal’s Technical Chops

Say what you want about Animal’s lapses in storytelling judgment, but few can rival director Vanga’s audacious visual aesthetic and technical bravado. This provocative beast comes loaded with state-of-the-art production values aimed to assault your senses.

In terms of sheer scale and ambition, the set pieces impress across the board. We get sprawling mansion compounds, foreign shooting locations, and extravagant costumes that drip money and power. Every frame oozes high-class excess to hammer home the formidable wealth fueling these characters – drug lord lairs wish they popped this hard! Not to mention the guidelines for on-screen splatter get gleefully trampled with some supremely gnarly kill shots. Certain images might be seared into your brain whether you want them there or not.

And holy audio overload! The thunderous background score never lets tension drop for a second, while bone-crunching sound design amplifies the visceral impact. Honestly, this amount of auditory assault warrants a clearly labeled epilepsy warning. The film’s propulsive rather than nuanced soundtrack also features some eyebrow-raising yet catchy dance numbers, including a song literally called “Bh*nch*d” (no need to translate that one). Hey, points for truth in advertising right?

What prevents these technical elements from coalescing is the lack of directorial restraint or unified vision. The camerawork gets so self-indulgent with its glitzy posturing that it forgets to draw viewers into the story. Random freeze frames and abrupt montages further disrupt narrative flow. Hate to say it guys, but Zack Snyder handles spectacle with way more skill and emotional payoff.

Animal may delight technically-minded cinephiles, but falls frustratingly short of technical mastery due to stylistic overkill. Sometimes less is more when it comes to bombastic filmmaking. And this beast needed some serious taming!

Closing Thoughts: Animal Barks Louder Than It Bites

Welp, we’ve made it to the finish line of this ultra-violent rollercoaster ride! And like its volatile antihero Vijay, Animal leaves us with some mixed emotions about the journey. On one hand, spectacular action choreography and committed performances make for an intense viewing experience. Director Vanga and lead actor Ranbir Kapoor share a bold, no-holds-barred creative vision and back it up with fearless execution.

But once the initial thrill fades, Animal’s glaring narrative issues and ugly messaging ring louder than any of its flashy components. Empty provocation and paper-thin characters fail to justify a problematic 3-hour runtime bloated by excess. For all its swagger, the film lacks enough substance or nuance to stick the landing.

I’d only recommend Animal to viewers craving extreme cinema with zero regard for political correctness or emotional complexity. Even then, wait to stream it at home rather than forking over theater money. This animal was clearly born to live rent-free on some edgy gamer’s hard drive, not cinema screens.

As for me? I remain disappointed by the squandered potential here. Ranbir Kapoor has proven his acting chops through risky, multidimensional roles in the past. I hate to see him wasted on a flashy misfire like this, especially under the guidance of a director who mistakes shallow shock value for profundity. Do better Mr. Vanga – your leading man and audiences deserve more.

In the gaming world, we call uneven projects like this “all cinematics, no substance.” Skip buying this one at full price my friends…wait for a deeper sale. This savage beast needs some training before earning my wholehearted recommendation.

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