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Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1

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Pushpa: The Rise -- Part 1 Reviews

It's too bad the post-production work is just not up to snuff, because there's a lot to like here.

Full Review | Mar 7, 2022

PUSHPA: THE RISE is a damn stylish and super cool mass spectacle with a strong Allu Arjun and great songs. That the dramaturgy leaves something to be desired can be forgiven given the high amount of fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 24, 2022

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PUSHPA: THE RISE MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Pushpa: The Rise is a film written and directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with Muttamsetty Media. It features Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles while Fahadh Faasil, Sunil, Rao Ramesh and others play crucial supporting roles. Samantha also makes a special appearance in a song. It has music by Devi Sri Prasad and cinematography by Miroslaw Kuba Brozek.

Pushpa: The Rise is the first part of a two film series that captures the growth of Pushpa (Allu Arjun) from a simple coolie who smuggles sandalwood for Konda Reddy, to becoming someone as powerful as them, and finally ending up as the biggest force to reckon in his town. He finds his match in the form of Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, played by Fahadh Faasil, setting up a mouthwatering clash in the second part.

Director Sukumar is known for his brilliant packaging of solid stories. The way he converts even the normal stories into a proper commercial flick has been his strength for years. However that Midas touch seems to be missing in this film. A lot of things look generic, and there are plenty of loose ends in the plot.

In the cult gangster film Vikram Vedha, there is a dialogue uttered by Madhavan - "All you gangsters have the same story right? You suffer as a kid, but then somehow work hard to grow up as a gangster." That's exactly the template Pushpa fits into. And this makes the film extremely predictable.

The performances of the actors is what salvages what is lost. Allu Arjun is terrific as Pushpa, and he nails the Chittoor Telugu accent effortlessly, and the tamil dialogues are also authentic. Despite having a very small screentime, Fahadh Faasil proves why he's among the top actors in the country. Rashmika's character doesnt have much scope but she's given a decent performance in the space offered to her.

The mass scenes in the film are well written and the dialogues are sure to drive Allu Arjun fans crazy. If this were an OTT release, the case would have been different but smart directorial and writing choices ensure these mass theatre moments are worth it. It's not just the actor waving at his fans, but the way the scenes pan out that does the job.

The film has a runtime of close to 3 hours, and it does feel like it's much longer. One of the reasons behind this is the songs. They serve as speed breakers to a screenplay that lags a lot. The viral Oo Antava song is a delight to watch on screen, and the opening song is superbly choreographed. But apart from that the other songs don't help the film's cause. However, DSP makes up for it through his pulsating background score that tries to keep the film as engaging as possible. The camerawork and editing is on par and the film is strong technically.

Overall, Pushpa aspires to be unique but doesn't attempt to break out of the box. It is a template gangster story that's amped up by the music and performances. More effort into the writing would have made this a lot better than what it is - a middling film with mass moments for fans.

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பிரேக்கிங் சினிமா செய்திகள், திரை விமர்சனம், பாடல் விமர்சனம், ஃபோட்டோ கேலரி, பாக்ஸ் ஆபிஸ் செய்திகள், ஸ்லைடு ஷோ, போன்ற பல்வேறு சுவாரஸியமான தகவல்களை தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு கிளிக் செய்யவும்

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Pushpa: The Rise (aka) Pushpa

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Pushpa The Rise review: Allu Arjun shines in this sprawling battle of egos

Pushpa the rise movie review: allu arjun walks away with the film with his strong performance. he embraces his deglamorized look and delivers a memorable performance..

Unlike other big-budget extravaganzas, the hero does not hail from a highly respectable family in Pushpa: The Rise . The hero, played by a wonderful Allu Arjun , is not burdened with the responsibility of living up to his family’s history, culture or tradition. In fact, the lack of family backing is what drives him to dare in the film.

The film tells the story of Pushpa Raj, an outcast. Born out of wedlock, Pushpa is denied respect and robbed of his identity at a very young age. Now, his name carries no value in the hill town of Seshachalam. Driven by this ignominy, Pushpa vows that his name will mean something, without the support of his father’s family.

And what is a better way to improve one’s station than making quick money and amassing real power? Pushpa is born in the land of ‘red gold’ — Seshachalam is blessed with the abundance of a rare wood, which is red. There is a huge demand in the international markets for it. A massive crime syndicate headed by Mangalam Srinu (Sunil) oversees the illegal chopping of the trees, transporting them and smuggling them across the world via sea route. Pushpa begins at the very bottom of this organized crime. He is just a cog in the machine, highly expandable to the top dogs until he shows what he’s capable of.

Pushpa’s fortunes begin to change as he rapidly begins to gather money and power through his never-back-down approach. While other woodcutters drop the haul and run at the sight of cops, Pushpa refuses to back down. He stands his ground and outsmarts the cops. When the cops round up the smugglers and threaten to open fire unless they surrender, Pushpa leads the first offence, encouraging the others to follow him. Because, “Pushpa Raj, Thaggede Le (I won’t relent),” which is his mantra. His quick rise also lands him in the crosshairs of a powerful villain.

All Pushpa wants is to outrun his past and make the world respect him for his merits as opposed to undermining his existence because he can’t name his father publicly. But, just when he thinks he has defeated his past and he’s in control of his own destiny, his past comes back to haunt him. No matter how successful and powerful he becomes, for some, he’s still a man who deserves their fear and obedience but not their respect.

The tale is not just about how the protagonist amasses money and power with muscle power and quick thinking. But, it is also an indictment of a deeply prejudiced, class and caste obsessed society.

Pushpa The Rise is the second consecutive film of director Sukumar in which the hero hails from the lowest strata of society. His last film Rangasthalam, starring Ram Charan, also dealt with a small guy sticking it to the big guys. In Pushpa, his storytelling gets bolder. He strips both his hero and villain down to their undies to prove a point: it’s not who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you. Yes, I borrowed that line from Christopher Nolan’s Batman series. And it perfectly sums up Sukumar’s movie, which is a sprawling tale of an underdog rising through the ranks of the underworld at a break-neck speed.

Allu Arjun walks away with the film with his strong performance. He embraces his deglamorized look and delivers a memorable performance. He also tickles our funny bone with his bromance with his sidekick. The women in this tale, however, firmly remain within the grasp of stereotypes. Rashmika Mandanna’s Srivalli gets a promising introduction but along the way, she loses her independence and happily settles at the feet of Pushpa. Anasuya Bharadwaj’s Dakshayani gets to perform a reimagination of the “Wake Up Henry” scene from Goodfellas as she sits on the top of her husband, ready to slit his throat. But, it doesn’t mean anything or adds to the overall dynamics.

Then we have Fahadh Faasil’s Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. We get to see very little of him in this movie as he only appears in the last act, just when Pushpa thinks he is unchallengeable. At the end of the film, Sukumar takes us back to the beginning. True to his character, Pushpa still don’t know how to roll over and play dead in face of absolute power. But, Shekhawat is determined to teach Pushpa a lesson or two in obedience. It doesn’t mean Shekhawat is a good cop. He is just another criminal, who has the backing of the system. The film ends on a cliff-hanger, as Pushpa draws the battle lines and sets all the cards on the table for the sequel.

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'Pushpa: The Rise' movie review: Allu Arjun's best, but Fahadh Faasil steals the show

As the name suggests, the first part of the Allu Arjun starrer, 'Pushpa: The Rise,' revolves around how a mere woodcutter rises to head a syndicate controlling sandalwood smuggling from Seshachalam Hills of the Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh.

Allu Arjun as Pushpa plays a 'pakka' local lad and his rustic look in the movie adds up to make it his best performance so far. However, we keep getting the feeling that it could have been better. Especially in the first half when the drag is felt and there is no Fahadh Faasil to save us from it.

Yes, Fahadh's brilliant performance in the second half saves the movie from doom. Fahadh plays the antagonist, Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, an IPS officer, which also marks his Telugu debut.

Fahadh Faasil's new look in 'Pushpa 2' takes social media by storm

Picked Fahadh for Pushpa as we wanted someone with 'lot of gravity': Allu Arjun

Rashmika Mandanna as Pushpa's love interest has the usual role of a girl adoring Allu Arjun's muscle power and worshipping him.

In the first half Pushpa keeps going on a steady path rising in power with his sheer muscle power and punch dialogues, defeating both fellow villains and police. Much like in other Allu Arjun movies.

He shows signs of psychopathic obsession to succeed and make money, but we keep guessing why and no clear answer is given in the part-1 of the film. Maybe it will be revealed in the second part.

Scenes like Pushpa being humiliated in the police station asking for father's name (like in Thalapathy) and affection to his single mother (like in KGF) are poured in abundance in the first half but fails to make us emotional as we have already seen it portrayed better.

Produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with Muttamsetty Media, 'Pushpa' also features an item number by Samantha in the first half.

However, the movie gets exciting in the second half with the entry of Fahadh. From then on it is about psycho characters trying to prove their worth,

If you have loved Shammi in 'Kumbalingi night,' then you already know Fahadh can handle this role better than anyone.

The dubbed versions of the Telugu film was released in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.

Like 'Baahubali' and 'KGF', Pushpa is a two-part movie and the second part is expected to release in 2022. It is titled 'Pushpa: The Rule' and hopefully will have more of the action between Pushpa and Shekhawat.

Written and directed by Sukumar, 'Pushpa' is an obvious package of mass entertainment for Allu Arjun fans. Sukumar's regular collaborator Devi Sri Prasad has done brilliant work on the background score.

The rugged and mystifying terrain of the forest land is amazingly captured by Polish cinematographer Miroslaw Kuba Brozek. Combined with Resul Pookutty's sound design it lends a fresh ambience to the places where the drama is pitched.

'Pushpa: The Rise' stands out as a mass entertainer and manages to keep us waiting on tenterhooks for the second part.

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Pushpa The Rise Movie Review: It's Allu Arjun's show all the way

Director sukumar's pushpa: the rise starring allu arjun, rashmika mandanna and fahadh faasil follows a familiar template of a gangster thriller. allu arjun delivers his best in this otherwise cliched film..

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Pushpa The Rise Movie Review: It's Allu Arjun's show all the way

After the much entertaining Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, Allu Arjun is back with Pushpa: The Rise. Directed by Sukumar, the film will release in two parts. Pushpa follows the story of Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun), the protagonist, a daily-wage labourer who chances upon an opportunity to get into red sandalwood smuggling.

Pushpa Raj is street smart and is quick enough to come up with solutions. This quality enables him to make it to the top rung of the red sandalwood smugglers syndicate. How does Pushpa Raj climb the ladder and how he earns enemies in the process make up the rest of the story.

Pushpa: The Rise begins with an animated story from Japan. Slowly, it sucks you into its world and gives you a history lesson on how red sandalwood is available only in Andhra Pradesh. The screenplay takes its own sweet time to establish the characters of the syndicate and their hierarchy.

Pushpa, the film, is engaging even though it doesn't have anything new to offer. Keeping aside the commercial elements and presence of slo-mo shots, Pushpa is basically a gangster thriller with red sandalwood smuggling as the subplot. However, Pushpa has enough substance to keep you engrossed in the story. Thanks to Allu Arjun's immersive performance, that is.

The screenplay is probably Sukumar's weakest so far. While Allu Arjun's character is fleshed out properly, other characters are unidimensional and don't create an impact. Allu Arjun's character Pushpa is given a few character traits, like his twang or how he lifts his left shoulder. Though these are given much importance, it doesn't really add to the character as a whole.

That said, Allu Arjun has completely surrendered himself to Sukumar and it is visible in every frame. Right from his dialogue delivery to him displaying his varied emotions, he has delivered one of his best performances.

Rashmika Mandanna's character Sri Valli is there in the film only for the male gaze. The camera focuses on her bosom more than it does on her face. Among the other actors, it is Sunil's Mangalam Srinu, who has delivered a noteworthy performance. From ruling the syndicate to commanding respect from his peers, he has easily drawn the audience's attention towards him, even among a horde of actors.

Fahadh Faasil's character Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat is introduced in the last half-an-hour of the film. All he does is shoot people left, right and centre and give intimidating looks. Though Fahadh Faasil pulls off this role with ease, his character doesn't have enough scope to be THE antagonist that we expect him to be.

Now, to Samantha's item number Oo Antava (Oo Solriya in Tamil). The song talks about how lustful men are. While it's a welcome change for an 'item' number, the camera gaze doesn't really change.

One of the running gags in Pushpa is how Pushpa Raj's mother is always ridiculed for having a child with a married man. Pushpa's father's sons with his legal wife wait for every (I mean every) single opportunity to ridicule Pushpa Raj and his mom. This entire stretch doesn't have proper closure and appears over the top and unnecessary.

Pushpa: The Rise leaves a strong impact because of two things: Allu Arjun's performance and Devi Sri Prasad's pulsating music. From his songs to the background music, DSP has done a splendid job as a composer.

Cinematographer Miroslaw Kuba Brozek's work is commendable, so is Karthika Srinivas-Ruben's editing.

Pushpa: The Rise, which runs for three hours, ends on a high. However, it also leaves a question whether the second part, titled, Pushpa: The Rule, will have enough meat to hold our attention for two hours or more.

3 out of 5 stars for Pushpa: The Rise.

ALSO SEE | Pushpa trailer out: Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil deliver high-octane performances

ALSO SEE | Allu Arjun reacts to Samantha's Pushpa item song controversy

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Pushpa Movie Review: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna deliver path-breaking performances; it's time for them to rule

Updated Dec 17, 2021, 01:46 PM IST

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Pushpa Movie Review Allu Arjun Rashmika Mandanna deliver path-breaking performances its time for them to rule

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Pushpa: The Rise Review

Even though the plot is predictable, Allu Arjun's swag makes this film an edge-of-the seat action-drama, observes Divya Nair.

I have always refrained from watching dubbed versions of regional films, especially Southern films dubbed in Hindi, because I feel the essence of the original is often lost in translation. Yet, I chose to watch the Telugu film Pushpa: The Rise in Hindi and realised that maybe it's time I learned a new language.

Written and directed by Sukumar (popular for films like Arya 1 and Arya 2 and Rangasthalam ), Pushpa: The Rise is the first of a two part series which narrates the story of how Pushpa -- an ambitious, daily wage worker (played by Allu Arjun) -- gradually goes on to lead a group who smuggle red sanders, a rare wood from the jungles of Seshachalam Hills in Andhra Pradesh.

Pushpa is no hero, he's a smuggler, but he has his own rules, ethics and dreams.

With a little help and morale boost from Keshav, another daily labourer, Pushpa uses his brain and muscle power to work through the loopholes in the system and rise up the ranks of the smuggling business.

Although he's chased by goons and beaten up by cops, Pushpa doesn't bend or bow down for anyone. He is smart enough to create his own path and ensures everyone else follow him or face the consequences.

Even though the plot is predictable, Allu Arjun's swag makes this film such an edge-of-the seat action-drama.

We know Pushpa is wrong, yet the audience will root for him.

Because to make up for all his illegal doings, there is an emotional backstory about how Pushpa's mother was never accepted by society and how the mother-son duo was scorned by everyone, including his father's family, for being illegitimate.

Since he grew up around hate and being denied what was rightfully his, Pushpa's soft corner is reserved only for his mother and his love interest Srivalli, played by a bold Rashmika Mandanna.

Whether he's a hero, smuggler or simply another lead character in a film, Pushpa mirrors a lot that I feel is wrong with South cinema.

The hero is always almost shown pursuing a girl, who is not interested in him. In stark contrast, the villain will also do the same, but the director will justify the former's actions because the girl will eventually choose the hero.

So in one scene, we have Pushpa's friend Keshav bribing Srivalli's friends with Rs 5,000 in return for a kiss where she is clearly not comfortable.

A few scenes later, we have Pushpa rescuing a girl from his boss' brother and giving us a sermon on consent and manhood.

The sermon is fine, but what about bribing a girl with money for a kiss?

What idea of love is this?

Sadly enough, this whole situation is justified when Srivalli confesses her feelings (very conveniently when she is caught in a difficult situation) because now the hero is supreme and we are told their feelings were mutual.

Overall, the film's runtime is lengthy with three songs but it's well worth the time.

While Allu Arjun shines with his style, dance moves and dialogue delivery, Ajay Ghosh as the menacing Konda Reddy, Shatru as DSP Govindappa and Sunil as Mangalam Srinu are equally brilliant.

Then, of course, there is Fahadh Faasil as Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, the cop who gives an unusual takkar to Pushpa.

In his first Telugu film, even with that bulky-looking star cast, Fahadh in his lean bald form, still leaves a fine impression, so much that you want to see what he will be capable of in the second installment.

Unfortunately, the female characters -- be it the over-tanned Rashmika, the sultry Samantha (in her first item song) or Anusuya (the potential female antagonist) -- have a singular job: To look sexy in everything they do.

A lot of young guys in the theatre where I watched the film were taking screenshots and laughing and saying: ' Paisa vasool ho gaya .'

Pushpa's character and backstory may not emotionally drive you, but Allu Arjun makes Pushpa: The Rise interesting enough for you to sit through the three hours.

The first part is a mass entertainer with a lot of action, blood, gravity-defying stunts and hard-to-believe trade gimmicks.

Pushpa, we are told is no flower. He is a bomb waiting to explode if you rub him the wrong way.

In the first part, he's earned enough foes to make us anticipate what will happen in part two.

Would I watch the second part? Definitely, yes!

MOVIE REVIEWS

Pushpa Telugu movie review

One-man show

Film: Pushpa The Rise Cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmik Mandanna, Sunil and Fahad Fasil Director: Sukumar Rating: 3

Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) is a coolie raised in the world of red sandalwood smuggling. His rags-to-riches story unfolds along both distinctive and predictable lines.

Review: First things first – It’s heartening to see ace director Sukumar moving away from contemporary urban plots and touching upon a burning issue –red sanders smuggling in the Seshachalam forest in Andhra Pradesh.

What’s even more welcome is that the director has designed a unique character for Allu Arjun. The actor’s rustic makeover as a daily labourer, a smuggler, and also a hunchback have made him stand out. However, what Sukumar delivers is a mixed bag. At times the film falters, but it does deliver what it promises.

The first half of the film that shows the protagonist’s rise from being the underdog to a position of power has been well shot. Allu Arjun’s dialogues, his fearless attitude and body language are near perfect. He aced the Chittoor slang too.

The director showcases the nitty gritty of red sanders smuggling, and the modus operandi.

Pushpa’s romance with Srivalli (Rashmika) is another layer in the plot. His ignorance of the art of flirting, the way he approaches Srivalli, and a few episodes in their romance evokes laughter. The interval episode where Pushpa challenges the villain (Sunil) is riveting.

But once the second half begins, most of the scenes are predictable. That’s where the film falters. We have seen several gangster-based films which show the rise of the underdog. So, the scenes where Pushpa bypasses villains and strikes a deal with others are not new.

Length-wise, the film isn’t the best. Samantha’s special song does not provide a high, and the Sami Sami song comes without context.

The altercation between Pushpa and Shekawat (Fahad Fasil) in the climax also lacks the required punch. In fact, it looks as if the filmmaker is leaving room for a second part.

Devi Sri Prasad’s music scores big and his background score elevates the intense scenes.

Performance wise, Allu Arjun breathes life into the character. He has evolved a lot as an actor and this is one of his career-best performances. Rashmika Mandanna is convincing as a village belle; she too pulled off her role well. While Sunil and other character actors were adequate, it’s the lag in the second half and the run time that become hurdles. Also, the second half is short of ‘defining’ moments, which could prove costly.

Overall, Pushpa The Rise , is a one-man show! It’s Allu Arjun all the way!

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Home » Reviews » South Indian Movie Reviews

Pushpa: The Rise Movie Review: All Hail, Allu Arjun The MASSter & This Is Pure MASStertainment!

Pushpa is pure masstertainment and a golden lesson for all those directors selling crass in the disguise of producing films for mass..

Star Cast: Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil, Rashmika Mandanna, Dhananjay, Sunil, Ajay Ghosh

Director: Sukumar

What’s Good: When a three-hour-long film doesn’t let you bother about the time pending, that’s an achievement in itself

What’s Bad: Depends too much on Allu Arjun, hence losing the ability to keep the same high with other characters (apart from Fahadh)

Loo Break: It’s 179 minutes, you’d naturally need one plus there are a couple of songs you can skip (NO, NOT THE Samantha one)

Watch or Not?: If the runtime doesn’t scare you, jump in and get lost!

Available On: Theatrical Release

Runtime: 179 minutes

It starts with the climax (not really, but that’s what the background narration tells us so) as we learn about the Japanese culture of newly married men gifting their wives expensive gifts. One such gift shown is a musical instrument made of Red sandalwood to get us into the story of how it’s smuggled from India. Back home, we’ve Pushpa (Allu Arjun) working as a labourer to extract Red Sandalwood having the ego of a mad king. As our usual heroes, Pushpa, too, has the ambition to be a big shot one day.

Following his dream with the gifted guts and a tilted shoulder, Pushpa joins the gang of Konda Reddy (Ajay Ghosh) to prove his worth. He steps the ladder of fame and success by being himself attract way too many eyes including of the cops’. Pushpa tries to undercut the existing crime-lords to reach the kingpin. In the way, he stumbles into an equally mad IPS officer Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat ( Fahadh Faasil ) and what happens next is how this entertaining chaos ends (or begins).

Pushpa: The Rise Movie Review: Script Analysis

Sukumar, despite following all the formulas one could to portray the ‘from beggar to a crowned king’, has written the characters exceptionally well to make a difference. From the way Pushpa negotiates while beating up the goons to the style he’s unabashedly boastful about, Sukumar adds too many times beautiful layers creating the messed-up world of Pushpa. In no way the director wants to see you Pushpa as your typical dashing, flawless hero of the film and he wants you to try to accept him regarding his flaws.

The ’tilted shoulder’ trait does wonders for the character, as we see many action sequences & even Sekhar Master’s choreography designed around it turning out to be a blast. Little things like Pushpa stripping his chappal in a song while dancing, and then getting it back while doing the step are an amusing choreographical touch. The almost-180 minute runtime does pinch you where it hurts the most including some very abrupt transitions between scenes (and songs).

Polish cinematographer Mirosław Kuba Brożek just loves to sway his camera in between a plethora of props. The slo-mo gliding through leaves action sequences doesn’t look tacky and are extremely soothingly done garnering a wave of seetis from AA fans. Special mention for Shreyas Talpade to just add another layer of brilliance with his Hindi dubbing for the lead.

Pushpa: The Rise Movie Review: Star Performance

This is Allu Arjun in all his glory proving why you don’t exactly need an extremely strong script to establish a thudding impact through a character. Not at all saying the script is below the mark, but Allu’s character overshadows every grand thing in the film. His magnetic presence, coupled with all those quirky traits of sitting cross-legged and having ‘beedi’ in the shittiest of the situations, is more than enough to keep you hooked for 179 minutes.

Fahadh Faasil joins in late to the party announcing a strong role in the sequel but easily glides in to stand neck to neck against Pushpa. You couldn’t enter in the last 30 minutes of the film and manage to share equal limelight with the already established lead of the film until you’re Fahadh Faasil.

Rashmika Mandanna, with all the cuteness she possesses and natural acting chops, remains to be the speed-breaker of the film. This is also because her character couldn’t flourish as well as Pushpa and hence the flaws of the script are very much visible during her sequences. Dhananjay as Jolly Reddy, Sunil as Srinu and Ajay Ghosh as Konda Reddy provide the just about right amount of evilness to fight Pushpa. They all, of course, receive a predictable treatment but that doesn’t stop them from creating an intriguing nuisance on-screen to be addressed by Pushpa in his style.

Pushpa: The Rise Movie Review: Direction, Music

Sukumar does the majority of the applaud-worthy work at the writing stage when he decides to pen Pushpa’s character in the most blatant way possible. This makes the job easy for ‘Sukumar the director’ when it comes to the larger scheme of things. He doesn’t do much with the basic outline of the story keeping it pretty uniform with what we’ve seen before, but he does a bunch of small captivating things at the inner level to keep you glued.

This is Sukumar’s 10th film with the veteran music director Devi Sri Prasad and it shows how DSP is very well aware of the director’s style of filmmaking. Without getting too loud, DSP manages to instil the euphoria of Pushpa’s presence with his orchestral sets. Too many songs add to dragging the film near the 3-hour mark. You just won’t be able to listen to Samantha’s item song because she mutes every feeling with her scorching presence on stage. Not being nitpicky but I definitely heard a BGM piece freakily similar to something used by B. Ajaneesh Loknath in Avane Srimannarayana. Could be confidence, but it’s there and let me know if any of you find the same.

Pushpa: The Rise Movie Review: The Last Word

All said and done, Pushpa is pure MASStertainment and a golden lesson for all those directors selling crass in the disguise of producing films for mass. All hail the MASSter, Allu Arjun!

Three and a half stars!

Pushpa: The Rise Trailer

Pushpa: The Rise releases on 17 December, 2021.

Share with us your experience of watching Pushpa: The Rise.

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Pushpa Movie Review

Article by Suman M Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 7:39 am, 17 December 2021 | Updated on 1:13 pm, 18 December 2021

2 Hr 59 Min | Action | 17 Dec 2021

Cast - Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Sunil, Ajay Ghosh, Fahadh Faasil, Anasuya, Rao Ramesh and Others

Director - Sukumar

Producer - Naveen Yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar

Banner - Mythri Movie Makers

Music - Devi Sri Prasad

Allu Arjun never shied away from experimenting with looks or with the stories. Joining forces with his favorite director Sukumar for the third time, Allu Arjun is coming with his Pushpa – The Rise today to hit the screens. From the first look till the trailer, Pushpa has looks that are rustic and different, the scale that is large, and the characters that promised intrigue.

With many expectations and the release in five languages, the Pushpa is expected to become a landmark film for Allu Arjun. Pushpa is opening with terrific bookings and it is sure to continue for the weekend.

Well, let us see if Pushpa did meet the expectations and the hype it had around. Let’s walk through the review here to know if Pushpa is really a ‘thaggede le’ or not…

What Is It About?

Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun), a fearless and reckless laborer enters the business of red sander smuggling in Seshachalam forests. His work for Konda Reddy Brothers (Ajay Ghosh, Dhanunjay, and Co) impresses them and he becomes a partner with them within a very short time.

Pushpa falls in love with Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna) while he parallelly marks his presence in the smuggling circuit. On his way to emerge as a don in red sander smuggling, Pushpa locks his horns with Mangalam Srinu (Sunil), a ruthless smuggling syndicate head.

How Pushpa takes over the syndicate of the red sander smuggling kingdom and how he deals with Mangalam Srinu, Kondareddy brothers, police and others form the story of Pushpa: The Rise.

Performances

Allu Arjun owns and completely carries the movie on his shoulders. Allu Arjun’s accent and attitude as Pushpa remain the highlight of the film. His body language and mannerisms throughout the film mark a strong impact on the audience. His presence literally blurs all others in the frame. Allu Arjun’s complete make-over with the first look surprised us, but him living in the character as Pushpa Raj simply amazes us.

Sunil as Managalam Srinu looks like a perfect baddie, but his role loses spark later on. His mannerisms and dialect work well for a few scenes. Anasuya as his wife Dhakshayani is alright and she has not got many scenes.

Ajay Ghosh appears in a different look and he impresses with his performance. Dhanunjay as Jolly Reddy is fine in his role as a womanizer. Rao Ramesh appears just in two or three scenes and he is fine.

Jagadeesh Bhandari who played the role of sidekick Keshava makes an impressive appearance in Pushpa. He gets a lengthy role and he did great in it.

Rashmika Mandanna is fine as Srivalli. Her role is very much limited to just love track and she is alright in it.

Fahadh Faasil appears for a short time in the end only to give us an intro of what is going to happen in part 2: The Rule. Fahadh is just alright and his presence as the enemy of Pushpa does not make much impact. Be it his look or his role, he does not look as serious and bad as he is tried to be shown as.

Technicalities

Pushpa is a film that is made in a rustic backdrop that feels is kept intact with the colors and cinematography. The forest shots, fights, and songs too were shot to match the plot.

From the songs, Dakko Dakko Meka is completely shot in the jungle and there is nothing much new in it other than what we watched on the lyrical video. Srivalli song is a melody and his slipper dance step brings a smile every time in it. Ey Bidda is a complete mass song. O Antava Oo Antava song is hot and this is the hottest appearance of Samantha. The background music sounds non-sync and ends up as a drawback.

The editing is fine and the screenplay is good. The run time bothers us during the last half an hour, that too after Fahadh Faasil enters. Also, a few scenes in the love track in the first half could have been cut short.

Allu Arjun Forest Fight Chittoor slang

Thumbs Down

Love Track Predictable scenes showing Pushpa’s ‘Rise’ Last 20 Minutes Background music

Pushpa: The Rise is the story of a laborer rising from rags to riches with his guts and dare. The director Sukumar who always shows a difference right from the story to making went with the standard format of a protagonist rising to power with mostly predictable scenes.

With mostly predictable ideas of the protagonist in smuggling, obvious love track, and weak villain hierarchy, Allu Arjun as Pushpa pushes the movie to a better level with his performance and dialogues. His fearless body language and Chittoor accent were so perfect he made the ordinary scenes interesting. The forest fight with blindfolded Pushpa, was pictured very well with the mix of slow motion and regular shots.

Srivalli and Pushpa’s love track often slows the movie down until something with the smuggling happens. The audience expects never seen ideas of smuggling from Sukumar, while the director chose simple old techniques, which is a small letdown.

The rise of Pushpa is shown in a few simple steps as it highlights the complete downfall of existing kingpins in the smuggling syndicate, which looks a predictable with known narrative. Few scenes like Pushpa bypassing the established big dons like Mangalam Srinu and Konda Reddy brothers are not very convincing.

With the audience having watched many gangster dramas recently, the scenes highlighting Pushpa’s challenges and how he overcomes them could have been made away from the regular template.

Sunil’s character as Mangalam Srinu makes a good start with an intriguing intro, but his presence and power take a big fall just after the next two scenes. The Rise of Pushpa is saturated at one point when the villain pyramid collapses, but just for the second part introduction, the director forces Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Faahadh Faasil).

The episode of Ajay looks forced where the stepbrother often tries to humiliate Pushpa with the ‘surname’, which is later used for Fahadh Faasil to trigger his rivalry with Pushpa.

The run time of 179 minutes does not really bother us until the last 30 minutes of the movie, where Faahadh comes in. The story is dragged for his elevation as bad police and the confrontation scenes with Pushpa are utmost boring. The logic of the director to ignite a rivalry between Pushpa and the new big baddie is too silly. That’s a hint of war coming with egos between Pushpa and Shekhawat.

Apart from the poor reason for the rivalry between Pushpa and Shekhawat, the appearance of Fahadh did not look frightful, instead, he looked weak much in the confrontation scene itself.

Like from the famous gangster series Mirzapur, there are residual characters that are left in Pushpa The Rise which is expected to make a big joint force against Pushpa in the second part: The Rule. The characters that are left helpless but waiting for vengeance are Bhanwar Shekhawat, Mangalam Srinu, Dhakshayani, Jolly Reddy, Ajay, and Taskforce DSP Govindappa.

To conclude, Pushpa: The Rise is a formula-based gangster drama with predictable scenes and flow. The only thing that makes it an interesting watch is Allu Arjun as Pushpa. There are a lot of thug life and taggede le moments, but they alone can’t make it a complete movie as it is depending on characterization itself. It is just Pushpa’s rise without any surprise in it.

Bottom line: Neither Flower Nor Fire

Rating: 2.75/5

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Pushpa Movie Review & Rating {2.75/5}

Icon Star Allu Arjun's Pushpa : The Rise is one of the most-anticipated releases in Indian cinema this year. Amid huge hype, this Sukumar directorial movie has hit the screens today. Here is the review of it:

Pushpa Raj ( Allu Arjun ) is a crooked red sandalwood smuggler in the hills of Seshachalam. He wants to become the head of the entire smuggling syndicate. But that is not an easy task. He has to face a lot of obstacles in the form of other smugglers and police officers. In the process, he also falls in love with Srivalli. How did Pushpa beat his opponents? What are the roles of Mangalam Srinu (Sunil) and Balwant Singh (Fahadh Faasil) in this journey? To know all these aspects, you have to watch the movie.

Performances:

Allu Arjun is the heart and soul of the movie. He lived in the skin of Pushpa Raj. Irrespective of the film's box-office performance, Pushpa will remain one of his best works in terms of acting. Rashmika had very little scope in the movie and she did well in her limited character. She looked okayish in her de-glamorous look. There were high expectations on Fahadh Faasil's character but he had nothing much to do in this first part. Sunil and Anasuya's roles were not fleshed out properly and they fail to bring villainism well. Rest others were okay.

Technical Departments:

Director Sukumar made the mistake of writing this film in two parts. It can be finished in one part. Due to this decision, Pushpa: The Rise becomes very slow in its proceedings and bores the audiences in most parts. The cinematography and production values are very good. They brought a rich look to the movie. Songs composed by Devi Sri Prasad are good. But he failed in the background score department. The editing and VFX works are very pale and played spoilsport.

Just like his previous film Rangasthalam, Sukumar planned to make Pushpa in a raw and rustic manner. But Rangasthalam had a core emotional conflict in the movie. Pushpa lacked it. Moreover, the decision of making it in two parts also damaged the story of the film. The narrative is very bland and slow. The first half is quite engaging but the second half moves at a snail pace and bores us to the core. Barring Allu Arjun's exceptional performance, there is nothing else to watch out for in Pushpa. You can watch it only and only for Allu Arjun's act.

Rashmika Mandanna

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Pushpa Movie Review: Only Color No Fragrance

Movie: Pushpa Rating: 2.5/5 Banner: Mythri Movie Makers Cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Sunil, Anasuya, Rao Ramesh, Dhanunjay, Ajay, Ajay Ghosh and others Music: Devi Sri Prasad Cinematography: Miroslaw Kuba Brozek Editor: Karthika Srinivas, Ruben Art: Ramakrishna-Monika Producer: Naveen Yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar Written and directed by: Sukumar Release Date: Dec 17, 2021

Allu Arjun and director Sukumar’s “Pushpa” has been creating waves ever since the first look of the film was released. The pan-Indian film is out in theaters today amidst high expectations and frenzy.

Let’s analyze.

Story: Pushpa Raj (Pushpa) has no surname. He lives in the Seshachalam forest in Andhra Pradesh. He begins as a coolie of Red sandalwood smuggling and wins the confidence of the syndicate headed by the Kondareddy brothers (Ajay Ghosh and others).

The main boss of the syndicate is Mangalam Seenu (Sunil), who is making crores of rupees by transporting the wood to Chennai and giving peanuts to Kondareddy and other syndicate members. Pushpa throws a challenge to Mangalam Seenu and becomes a new don.

When everyone thinks that he is the new ‘boss’' of the smuggling business, police officer Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) enters the scene.

Artistes’ Performances: Allu Arjun has given an exceptional performance as Pushpa Raj. His transformation of the physique is perfect. His dialogue delivery with Chittoor dialect is spot on. From the beginning to end, the film is his show all the way. The performance will be one of the best in his career.

Among other actors (there are plenty of characters), none leave any impression.

Rashmika Mandanna as the village belle gets her accent right and is sincere in her effort. But her role is predictable to the core. The romantic scenes between them have generated some laughs, but they are too clichéd.

Sunil as the villain gets a terrific makeover, but his role is also not at all effective. Anasuya’s presence doesn’t make any difference. The guy who played Keshava is okay. So are Ajay Ghosh and Kannada star Dhanunjay. Samantha sizzles in the item song but the song is short.

Fahadh Faasil, one of the best star actors working today in India, makes a late entry into the picture. He makes his presence felt.

Technical Excellence: Cinematography and production values stand out in this film. Miroslaw Kuba Brozek’s camerawork is excellent. He captured the forest sequences so well. He also shot some action episodes aesthetically. The film has rich production values throughout.

Devi Sri Prasad has given viral songs, but he disappoints us with background score. There seems to be some problem with audio quality. Dialogues in Chittoor slang are good.

Highlights: Allu Arjun’s terrific performance

Drawback: Sluggish narration Lack of strong villain(s) Background score Climax

Analysis After delivering a blockbuster like ‘Rangasthalam’, director Sukumar has once again selected a backdrop, which was not explored much on screen. The smuggling of Red sandalwood is a major issue in Chittoor. But not many films were made on this backdrop in Telugu. Sukumar has focused on this backdrop in “Pushpa” by creating the protagonist as a coolie in this smuggling business.

He has chosen a backdrop of Seshachalam forest to tell the story of a coolie’s rise in the smuggling business and created a world with peculiar characters, but the graph is pretty familiar.

If we observe the screenplay, director Sukumar is not in the best form here. In the beginning, we see the fight between Pushpa and a police officer. The task police officer expectedly fails and leaves the place. Then, we see a lot of build-up for Sunil and Ajay Ghosh’s characters. But they turn out to be weak villains. All the rivals for Pushpa – a task police officer, Sunil, Ajay Ghosh, and Dhananjay, appear to fill the drama till he comes face to face with his nemesis IPS officer Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil).

Shekhawat comes into the picture 20 minutes before the climax. So, the entire film looks like preparing the ground for the second part. Perhaps, the decision to split the story into two parts and extend the movie to nearly 3-hour long is not a wise choice.

The pre-interval sequence of the hero’s smartness in the smuggling business is one of the main highlights. Similarly, we see a long episode before the ‘Hey Bidda’ song, which is riveting. Fahadh's humiliating Allu Arjun is also a mark of Sukumar’s direction.

Despite these moments, the film doesn’t engage much in the second half. The songs by Devi Sri Prasad are huge hits. But they lack the same impact on screen. The much-hyped item song also comes in the first half and quickly goes out.

All in all, “Pushpa” belongs entirely to Allu Arjun and his commendable performance. Director Sukumar has shown his mark at many places, but he has not woven it in a watertight manner, making it a pretty predictable rise of a don’s story.

Bottom-line: Needed More Fire

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Pushpa Movie Review – Allu Arjun the only positive

Pushpa Movie review

Telugu360 Rating : 2.75/5

Pushparaju is a daily wage worker with the ambition and attitude to win big. Set in the forest backdrop of the Seshachalam forest, the film follows Pushpa’s rise from a coolie to that of a red sandalwood syndicate leader.

The film opens with a voice over describing the demand for red sandalwood in the international market, via graphics in an interesting reverse flow from the consumer in Japan to the Seshachalam forest from where it is smuggled via Chennai & China. Pushpa’s introduction as a coolie in the gang is rustic and seemingly authentic. Pushpa’s character is well established through the first half as a realistically greedy youth who aims to reach the next level of success with just his guts and foresight. The rustic Chittor Forest village set up, people and dialect are done effectively. For most part director Sukumar maintained the subtle narration without over-the-top heroism. However, it borders the line of a flat narrative. The lack of a proper villain does not help the movie either. Ajay Ghosh, Suneel and Rao Ramesh played villains and honestly there isn’t much conflict here to generate rugged action scenes of any sort. Heroine Raskmika’s characterization as a routine village girl in a deglamorized role has nothing to talk about.

Given the smuggling background and hype built around the extravagant budget, any audience expecting action episode will be surely disappointed. The red sandalwood syndicate has Suneel as its lead – a poor casting choice, the Reddy brothers – nothing to offer in terms of villainy. Samantha’s item song is a commercial add on.

Songs Dakko Dakko Meka, Chupe Bangaramaayene , Oo Antava songs are in first half, superhit audio Saamy song is into second half.

Second half shows Pushpa try to win his lady love, his humiliation around the circumstances of his birth, minister’s attempt to deescalate the rift within the smuggling syndicate. As expected, Pushpa becomes the smuggling syndicate kingpin. When all seems well for Pushpa both professionally and romantically, Sukumar introduces Shekawat (Fahaad Faazil) as a new police office and gives the audience 30 minutes of filler scenes ending with Pushpa preaching to Shekawat.

Sukumar’s mark direction is a clear miss, with exception to adhering to the rustic backdrop. Cinematography is good enough, but the major disappointment is DSP’s background score and the very bad sound design. Perhaps audiography team did not have time to complete the rerecording work. Most of the film appears to have leveraged Spot Dubbing technique. Visual effects are not up to the mark either.

Allu Arjun as Pushpa has put in his best efforts and acted superb. His body language, performance, and diction (complete Chittor dialect) are excellent. He will be appreciated by one and all and is the only saving grace in the movie. His friend keshava role is good as well. Rest of the cast has nothing much to get appreciation.

Positives :

• Allu Arjun’s fantastic performance • Two Songs ( Saamy , Oo Antava ) • Authentic rustic, rural setup

Negatives :

• Slow narration in the first half • Horrible technical values mainly audiography , Visual Effects • Poor casting of villains and lack of strong conflict points • Missing Sukumar’s magic • Unnecessary dragging scenes of 2nd half including the climax

‘Pushpa’ doesn’t live up to the expectations. The story of a Sandalwood smuggler who grows from a ‘Coolie’ to ‘Syndicate Boss’ has been narrated in a flat manner. Allu Arjun characterization, dialogues stand out. Second half is a BIG letdown and audience may keep wondering what the purpose of the last 30 minutes and the climax episode was. As you walk out, you can’t help but think if part 2 will ever be made.

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Pushpa Review – Allu Arjun’s Show

Allu Arjun’s Show

OUR RATING 2.5/5

2h 59m • UA

Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) is a daily labourer working for a group headed by Konda Reddy, Jali Reddy and Jakka Reddy. They do illegal smuggling of red sandals.

Pushpa grows in the ranks from a normal coolie to co-owner alongside Reddy bros. He then faces a bigger threat in Mangalam Srinu (Sunil). How Pushpa surpasses the various hurdles and emerges the kingpin smuggler don of red sandals is the basic storyline of Pushpa’s first part.

The love track with Sri Valli (Rashmika) and the emergence of the new threat Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) form the overall story.

Performances

Allu Arjun lives in the role of Pushpa Raj and we only see the character instead of the star.

The get-up has attracted our attention since the day the first look came out. When we watch the movie, we realise that it is not just a typical makeover. A lot of effort has been put into the body language and dialogue delivery (Chittoor dialect). They are terrific. The way he utters Sukumar’s words makes them unique and helps his character stand out.

There is not much on the dance side barring small glimpses here and there, but when you have such an act, nothing else matters. Pushpa will be a memorable film for Allu Arjun, all things considered.

Pushpa The Rise is the new film of ace director Sukumar . It is a straightforward story and as the title suggests focuses on the rise of the titular character.

When it comes to Sukumar, the director has always managed to bring a proper mix of fresh backdrop, story and entertaining screenplay. For the first time, in Pushpa The Rise, he appears weak in the story front.

Pushpa is a template gangster drama that tracks the journey of the rise of the central protagonist. In this case, there is an additional smuggling background. The various ways in which the hero smuggles is also a standard trope.

So, there is nothing new in Pushpa from the start. And yet, one is engaged in the narrative. It is mainly because of the character of Pushpa essayed by Allu Arjun.

The effort on Pushpa (the character) is visible from the start. The dialogues play a key role apart from body language and setting. Allu Arjun completely disappears in the world.

The world of Pushpa and its characters (even though half baked) keep things flowing in the first half. The track involving his rise and new challenges are decently done. They lack the mighty elevation, but at the same time, they are not flat. It is somewhere in the middle which keeps the curiosity alive for the second half.

The opening action episode in the second half sets the tone and momentum perfectly for the rest of the movie. However, things take an unexpected turn with the departure of Mangalam Suri.

The narrative feels like is in restart mode again with the introduction of a new character at this point.

The struggle to keep the original flow going and also to set up a fresh conflict and a villain is clear. The idea of ‘brand’ (Inti Peru) via the mother angle is fine, but it feels rushed. Too much is cramped too soon. The scenes are needlessly stretched and poorly edited.

The best example is seen in two face off sequences between Pushpa and Bhanwar Singh. They are terribly dull but have a high moment in between. It is a prime case of rushing through the proceedings having only an overview of the plot (but not an actual one).

The entire stretch towards the end feels dragged and lacks impact. It makes one wonder about the sequel plans.

Overall, Pushpa is a template gangster drama involving the rise of the protagonist. Allu Arjun in the lead trumps, but everything else is predictable. If you like the backdrop and don’t mind the routineness give Pushpa a try only for Allu Arjun.

We have many characters in Pushpa, however, none manage to impress. It is one of the primary aspects where Pushpa differs big time from Sukumar’s last attempt Rangasthalam.

Rashmika Mandanna’s character is a poor excuse for commercial trapping. She is present only for entertainment and lacks any importance in the story, otherwise.

Among the many names, Sunil easily is the better one. Not only does his get up, but his acting is also a surprise. He stays in the character and we don’t see any traces of his last. The much-hyped Fahadh Faasil presence is wasted. He fails to create the required impact due to weak character and forced narrative to make him register. The Kannada actor, Dhananjay is better in a way.

Anasuya Bharadwaj has a forgetful part. She stays on the sidelines in the entire first half. And follows it up with an unexpected character turn later. Ajay Ghosh is his typical self but delivers. The rest of the cast is alright in their small inconsequential parts.

Samantha’s special song feels like any other typical item number. Rao Ramesh is seen in an insignificant role.

The music by Devi Sri Prasad is alright, but he disappoints big time with the background score. It can be seen as one of the primary reasons for the missing high in the narrative. The cinematography could have been better. The natural Gore’s topography has a fresh flavour, but nothing much is seen on the photography side to take it to the next level. The editing is weak. We see its effect, particularly in the second half. The visual effects are tacky whenever it is used on a big scale.

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Allu Arjun Pushpa Character Dialogues Parts Of First Half

Predictable Story Length Half Baked Characters Last Half An Hour

A simple thing like introducing Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat at the start and then making him vital as the narrative progress would have been sufficient. It would have added another dimension to the narrative.

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, In Parts

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, for Allu Arjun’s terrific performance

Pushpa Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti

Final Report:

Pushpa is a letdown with the introduction of Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) and set up for the sequel. Nonetheless, watch it for an exceptional Allu Arjun performance. His name (and act) will be heard everywhere. Stay tuned for our review coming up soon.

— Pushpa show comes to and end with a title card for the part two. Final report shortly.

— Pushpa Vs Fahadh Faasil’s long scene in the police station missing the impact it should create. Also, FaFa’s Telugu voice seems to be an issue.

— Simple but a bit terrifying intro for Fahadh Faasil. The evilness oozes through his character.

– Pushpa captures the smuggling syndicate. The Rise Of Pushpa is conveyed thumpingly with the mass number ‘Eyy Bidda’ song. Allu Arjun appears in several getups. Few are good, few look funny. VFX shot used here is very poor.

— The first fight in the second half is superb including the cinematography and design.

— Pushpa second half started. Saami Saami song has some simple but nice choreography for Allu Arjun fans.

First Half Report:

Pushpa first half has several issues (plain narrative, weak heroine track, BGM, VFX at places etc.), but the mesmerizing work by Allu Arjun (excellent body language and accent) and Sukumar’s writing overcomes them.

An intrigue is kept alive for the second half which holds the key now.

— Pushparaju tries to emerge as a key player in smuggling trade. He now wants to have his own terms and deals. Interval.

— Here comes the hotly awaited, sizzling song of the year, ‘Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava’. Samantha is okay in her bold and hot avatar. Together with Allu Arjun, she makes the song hot.

— Sunil as Mangalam Srinu looks convincing in a new get up. His body language and mannerisms too worked out well in his entry scene.

— After Rashika’s entry, it’s time for the most melodious song of the album ‘Srivalli’. No grand movements, but simple steps.

— Pushparaju is slowly growing in smuggling business.

— A brief flashback time for Pushparaju, Red sander smuggler’s background.

— First song: Daakko Dakko Meka.

A grand intro song even if it’s in a forest that simultaneously highlights the characterisation of Pushpa. Not much dance from Allu Arjun, though. It’s pretty much same as what we have seen in the lyrical video.

— An entirely unrecognizable Icon Star Allu Arjun enters the frame, but his swag is still unmistakably apparent.

Pushpa show started. Pushpa digital partner – Amazon Prime Video.

Sukumar mark starts from the creative opening credits.

The staff just came in and announced about a technical difficulty they are facing.

They promised to screen #Pushpa without any trailers.

https://twitter.com/mirchi9/status/1471581601960271878?s=21

Pushpa review, U.S. Premier updates will begin shortly. Stay tuned.

The third film in the combination of Icon Star Allu Arjun and Sukumar is all set to release grandly on December 17th. The last movie in their combo, Arya 2, came out more than a decade ago.

The hat trick combo and the fact that it happens after the career biggest hits of both Allu Arjun (Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo) and Sukumar (Rangasthalam), has meant that the hype related to Pushpa hit the roof.

Besides the combination, which we can’t repeat enough, the music by Devi Sri Prasad and release timing too are additional factors working in Pushpa ‘s favour.

We have recently seen how a senior star film, Akhanda starring Balakrishna, performed as the first biggie post the second wave. Pushpa too enjoys the same benefit as it’s the only big movie from a top star of the current generation.

The bookings are terrific all over and expected to be sold out for the weekend irrespective of the talk. It is a reflection of the immense hype on the movie. The opening day record is expected to tumble in Nizam.

The timing of the movie is such that, after Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo Allu Arjun is all set to have another highest grosser of the year. It would be his second in back to back year’s if the talk is positive.

Pushpa 2: The Rule Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Plot

By Vritti Johar

Pushpa 2: The Rule the much-anticipated sequel to “Pushpa: The Rise,” is set to captivate audiences with its upcoming release. After the thrilling teaser drop, fans are eagerly awaiting the full reveal of the plot that promises to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Release date — when is Pushpa 2: The Rule coming out?

Pushpa 2: The Rule’ release date is August 15, 2024.

Before the release of Pushpa: The Rise in 2021, it was announced as a two-part film, with the sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, confirmed in August 2022. Principal photography for the sequel commenced in October 2022 in Hyderabad and continued in various locations until March 2024, experiencing interruptions due to factors like accidents and health issues. After a long wait, the makers of Pushpa: The Rule have finally announced the movie’s release date: August 15, 2024.

Trailer — watch it now

You can watch the Pushpa 2: The Rule teaser trailer below:

The teaser trailer for Pushpa 2: The Rule showcases a vibrant return for Allu Arjun as Pushpa Raj, featuring an elaborate and colorful sequence. Set to a powerful score by Devi Sri Prasad, it teases Pushpa’s fierce desire for revenge amidst stylized visuals. With returning cast members reprising their roles, including Fahadh Faasil, Rashmika Mandanna, and Sunil, the sequel promises to deliver another high-octane adventure.

Cast — who is in Pushpa 2: The Rule?

Pushpa 2: The Rule’ cast includes:

Allu Arjun as Pushpa Raj
Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli, Pushpa’s wife
Fahadh Faasil as SP Bhanwar Singh Shekawat IPS
Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari as Kesava “Mondelu”
Kalpalatha as Pushpa’s mother
Sunil as Mangalam Srinu
Anasuya Bharadwaj as Dakshayani
Rao Ramesh as MP Bhumireddy Siddappa Naidu
Ajay as Pushpa’s elder half-brother
Sritej as Pushpa’s second elder half-brother
Mime Gopi as Chennai Murugan
Brahmaji as Sub-Inspector Kupparaj
Dhananjaya as Jaali Reddy
Shanmukh as Jakka Reddy
Jagapathi Babu
Prakash Raj

Plot – what’s the story about?

Pushpa 2: The Rule follows Pushpa’s relentless pursuit of vengeance against SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, delving deeper into the intense action and gripping storyline of its predecessor.

Pushpa 2 continues the saga of Pushpa Raj, a red sandalwood smuggler, who seeks revenge against ruthless IPS officer Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, after losing his mother and brother in their conflict. With the support of his wife Srivalli and friend Kesava, Pushpa embarks on a dangerous mission to settle the score. The film promises an epic conclusion to the series, filled with action, drama, and suspense as Pushpa faces new enemies and challenges along the way.

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Vritti Johar currently holds the position of an SEO Content Writer at ComingSoon.net, where she combines her passion for cinema with her skills in content creation. Outside of her professional endeavors, Vritti enjoys delving into the realms of art and photography, further nurturing her creative spirit.

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Civil War Plays Like a Nightmare. You Should Still See It.

A24’s most expensive movie to date is borderline incoherent. that doesn’t mean it’s not important..

The year is unspecified—it could be a few years into some alternate future, or it could be right now. The president, a clean-cut establishment type played by Nick Offerman, is unnamed, his party and political affiliations unclear (though his rhetoric in an address to the nation sounds disturbingly authoritarian). And the precise nature of the domestic conflict that has torn the United States apart and turned the nation’s major cities into zones of open warfare is unexplained. In Civil War , the provocative fourth feature from Alex Garland ( Ex Machina , Annihilation , Men ), the details about why and how America collapsed into violent chaos are immaterial. What Garland wants is to drop us into the middle of that violent chaos as it unfolds, to make us see our familiar surroundings—ordinary blocks lined with chain drugstores and clothing boutiques—recast as active battlegrounds, with snipers on rooftops and local militias enforcing their own sadistic versions of the law.

One thing Garland’s at times frustratingly opaque script does go out of its way to clarify is that the ideological fissures in this alternate version of America occur along different fault lines than the ones that remain from the country’s actual civil war. The main threat to what we’ll call the Offerman administration is the secessionist group the Western Forces, a Texas-California alliance that’s intentionally impossible to extrapolate from our current red state–blue state split. There is also a separate rebel movement of some kind based in Florida, but above all, there is unchecked street violence and general social disorder. One early exchange of dialogue suggests that the war has been going on for some 14 months, which seems like too short a time for the country to have fallen into the advanced state of dystopia in which we find it: highways choked with empty cars, most of the population in hiding, the internet all but nonfunctional except in a few urban centers. But again, the point is less plausibility than viscerality. Garland got his start writing a zombie movie, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later , and he has also co-written an award-winning action video game. Civil War , A24’s most expensive movie to date, sometimes plays like a mashup of those two genres, with the viewer as first-person player and our armed fellow citizens as the zombies.

As the film begins, Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), a veteran war photographer, is in New York City, holed up at a hotel that doubles as a makeshift command center for the press. Knowing that the Western Forces are on the verge of taking the capital, Lee and her longtime professional partner, a wire-service reporter named Joel (Wagner Moura), are planning a perilous road trip from New York to D.C. in the unlikely hope of landing an interview with the embattled president. Lee’s longtime mentor, news editor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), warns them that the plan is sheer madness—then asks if, despite his age and limited mobility, he can get in on the action.

As they’re preparing to leave, they’re joined, despite Lee’s protests, by Jessie ( Priscilla ’s Cailee Spaeny), an aspiring photojournalist in her early 20s who idolizes Lee’s work but has no experience in war zones. Bringing along the stowaway Lee disparages as a “kindergartner” will only, she argues, put all of them in even more danger. These doubts turn out to be justified: The presence of Jessie, a live wire with a penchant for unnecessary risk-taking, makes the journey to D.C. even more perilous, while forcing Lee to confront how jaded she’s become after years of compartmentalizing her most scarring memories. On the way to the capital, this multigenerational foursome encounters gas-station vigilantes, a shootout at an abandoned Christmas-themed amusement park, and a gut-churning encounter with a racist militant played by Dunst’s real-life husband, Jesse Plemons.

In its vision of journalism as a form of amoral adventure-seeking, Civil War belongs to a long tradition of films about hardened war correspondents in far-flung places, movies like A Private War and The Year of Living Dangerously . But the fact that the carnage these reporters are documenting is homegrown shifts the inflection significantly. Suddenly it’s impossible to exoticize or otherwise alienate ourselves from the bloodshed onscreen, which makes us ask ourselves what we were doing exoticizing it in the first place. This effect of moral immediacy is Civil War ’s greatest strength, and the reason it feels like an important movie of its moment even if it isn’t a wholly coherent or consistently insightful one.

Garland’s idea of throwing us in medias res during a civil war in progress is a bold gambit, and his cinematic instincts—his sense of where to put a camera and how long to draw out a moment of suspense—are often keen. The horrible realities he makes us look at—intra-civilian combat, physical and psychological torture, the everyday depths of human depravity—are summoned powerfully enough that Civil War remains emotionally and physically affecting even as the ideas it seeks to explore remain fuzzy. Is this a critique of contemporary journalism or a salute to the courage of reporters on the front lines? If it’s meant to be suspended somewhere in between, how does the filmmaker position himself on that line, and how should we, the audience, feel about the protagonists’ sometimes dubious choices?

Even as they document street battles and point-blank executions, adrenaline junkies Jessie and Joel occasionally exchange devilish grins. Meanwhile, Lee is all but incapable of normal human relationships because of her unacknowledged PTSD. A late sequence finds them unofficially embedded with an especially ruthless death squad; it would seem important to establish whether this alignment is meant to signify their ultimate journalistic corruption or a necessary compromise for the survival of the Fourth Estate. Even on the level of plot logic, the movie poses a question that the script’s curiously thin worldbuilding never answers: If the internet and most of the nation’s industrial infrastructure are in ruins, how are ordinary people reading Joel’s articles and looking at the photos that Lee herself struggles for hours to upload? If it is intended in part as a satire of journalistic opportunism, Civil War should be more specific about the conditions of 21 st -century media in wartime, especially given that it’s coming out at a moment when front-line reporters face more physical danger than at any time in recent memory.

All we learn of Lee’s background is that, like Jessie, she is from a farm town in the interior of the U.S., with parents who are in stubborn denial about the crumbling of the republic. But because Kirsten Dunst is a remarkable artist, she makes this somewhat underwritten character, who on paper could have been a stoic “badass” stereotype, into a complex and indelible presence. Dunst also, perhaps for the first time, loses the girlish quality she has brought even to middle-aged characters: Lee Smith is a plain, scowling woman with a glum, even abrasive mien. She’s a person whose perspective on life has narrowed down to the size of a camera lens, yet she’s also a committed journalist and a fiercely loyal colleague. As the other three sort-of protagonists, Moura, Henderson, and Spaeny all turn in finely tuned performances that bring a depth to their characters beyond what the script provides, but it’s Dunst whose thousand-yard stare and deep-buried grief will stay with me.

“What kind of American are you?” Plemons’ fatigues-and-pink-sunglasses-clad character asks the journalists one by one as he terrorizes them at gunpoint in the movie’s scariest and most successful sequence. (Not for nothing, it’s also the moment that suggests the most strongly that the vaguely defined conflict in this fictive America has everything to do with race.) That may be the screenplay’s smartest single line, in that it dispenses with the metaphorical quality of Civil War ’s imagined political dystopia and presents us with the real question many Americans are asking each other and themselves right now, sometimes in a self-reflective mode, sometimes in a contentious or overtly threatening one. As the unfolding of that encounter with Plemons makes clear, as soon as the question is asked with a weapon in your hand, it becomes a trick question, posed not to start a conversation but to set a trap. Civil War often leaves the audience feeling trapped in an all-too-realistic waking nightmare, but when it finally lets us go, mercifully short of the two-hour mark, it sends us out of the theater talking.

‘Civil War’: What you need to know about A24’s dystopian action movie

Kirsten Dunst holds a camera in her lowered hand while another hangs off her backpack in "Civil War."

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A24’s “Civil War,” the latest film from “Ex Machina” and “Men” director Alex Garland , imagines a third-term president ruling over a divided America and follows the journalists driving through the war-torn countryside on a mission to land his final interview. The movie is pulse-pounding and contemplative, as the characters tumble from one tense encounter to the next and ruminate on the nature of journalism and wartime photography.

In his review of the film, The Times’ Joshua Rothkopf wrote, “‘Civil War’ will remind you of the great combat films , the nauseating artillery ping of ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ the surreal up-is-down journey of ‘Apocalypse Now.’ It also bears a pronounced connection to the 2002 zombie road movie scripted by its writer-director Alex Garland, ‘28 Days Later.’”

Starring Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny as photojournalists, alongside Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson (and a scene-stealing, nerve-racking Jesse Plemons ), the film carries a reported production budget of $50 million and has already started to recoup the costs at the box office, earning $25.7 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in North America.

“Civil War” has also been a discourse juggernaut. Conversation on social media has focused on the lack of context given for the conflict at the heart of the film. In a recent column, The Times’ Mary McNamara wrote that “forcing the very real political divisions that plague this nation into vague subtext doesn’t even serve the purported pro-journalism nature of ‘Civil War.’”

Catch up on our coverage of the film below.

Review: ‘Civil War’ shows an America long past unraveling, which makes it necessary

Starring Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny as journalists chronicling a war at home, writer-director Alex Garland’s action film provokes a shudder of recognition.

April 11, 2024

Los Angeles, CA - April 02: Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny pose for a portrait as they promote their new film, "Civil War," at Four Seasons Beverly Hills on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny on the nightmarish ‘Civil War’: ‘No nation is immune’

Writer-director Alex Garland’s controversy-courting political fable about a violently divided America brings together two generation-defining actors.

April 4, 2024

Kirsten Dunst, left, and Cailee Spaeny in 'Civil War'

What ‘Civil War’ gets right and wrong about photojournalism, according to a Pulitzer Prize winner

Carolyn Cole, a veteran L.A. Times photographer who won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of civil war in Liberia, breaks down the depiction of her profession in A24’s ‘Civil War.’

April 16, 2024

Actors Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons arrive for "Civil War" special screening

Inside the most unnerving scene in ‘Civil War’: ‘It was a stunning bit of good luck’

With a deeply disturbing turn by Jesse Plemons, one scene in “Civil War” encapsulates the film’s combustible political balancing act. It almost didn’t happen.

April 12, 2024

In trying to hedge its politics, ‘Civil War’ betrays its characters — and the audience

Alex Garland’s powerful war drama is ostensibly a tribute to the fourth estate. But the film is absent the examination of causes and consequences central to great journalism.

April 15, 2024

Two women with press helmets and vests crouch to take a photo in a scene from "Civil War."

Company Town

After ‘Civil War’ and mainstream success, can indie darling A24 keep its cool?

‘Civil War’s’ overperformance at the box office proves that A24’s brand is strong enough to open a divisive $50-million about a dystopian America.

This image released by A24 shows Kirsten Dunst in a scene from "Civil War." (Murray Close/A24 via AP)

Entertainment & Arts

‘Civil War’ unites moviegoers at box office

Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War,’ about a strife-torn, near-future America, knocked ‘Godzilla x Kong’ from the top spot at the weekend box office.

April 14, 2024

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Provocative ‘civil war’ prevails at the box office in its second weekend.

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Critic’s Pick

‘Civil War’ Review: We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us. Again.

In Alex Garland’s tough new movie, a group of journalists led by Kirsten Dunst, as a photographer, travels a United States at war with itself.

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‘Civil War’ | Anatomy of a Scene

The writer and director alex garland narrates a sequence from his film..

“My name is Alex Garland and I’m the writer director of ‘Civil War’. So this particular clip is roughly around the halfway point of the movie and it’s these four journalists and they’re trying to get, in a very circuitous route, from New York to DC, and encountering various obstacles on the way. And this is one of those obstacles. What they find themselves stuck in is a battle between two snipers. And they are close to one of the snipers and the other sniper is somewhere unseen, but presumably in a large house that sits over a field and a hill. It’s a surrealist exchange and it’s surrounded by some very surrealist imagery, which is they’re, in broad daylight in broad sunshine, there’s no indication that we’re anywhere near winter in the filming. In fact, you can kind of tell it’s summer. But they’re surrounded by Christmas decorations. And in some ways, the Christmas decorations speak of a country, which is in disrepair, however silly it sounds. If you haven’t put away your Christmas decorations, clearly something isn’t going right.” “What’s going on?” “Someone in that house, they’re stuck. We’re stuck.” “And there’s a bit of imagery. It felt like it hit the right note. But the interesting thing about that imagery was that it was not production designed. We didn’t create it. We actually literally found it. We were driving along and we saw all of these Christmas decorations, basically exactly as they are in the film. They were about 100 yards away, just piled up by the side of the road. And it turned out, it was a guy who’d put on a winter wonderland festival. People had not dug his winter wonderland festival, and he’d gone bankrupt. And he had decided just to leave everything just strewn around on a farmer’s field, who was then absolutely furious. So in a way, there’s a loose parallel, which is the same implication that exists within the film exists within real life.” “You don’t understand a word I say. Yo. What’s over there in that house?” “Someone shooting.” “It’s to do with the fact that when things get extreme, the reasons why things got extreme no longer become relevant and the knife edge of the problem is all that really remains relevant. So it doesn’t actually matter, as it were, in this context, what side they’re fighting for or what the other person’s fighting for. It’s just reduced to a survival.”

By Manohla Dargis

A blunt, gut-twisting work of speculative fiction, “Civil War” opens with the United States at war with itself — literally, not just rhetorically. In Washington, D.C., the president is holed up in the White House; in a spookily depopulated New York, desperate people wait for water rations. It’s the near-future, and rooftop snipers, suicide bombers and wild-eyed randos are in the fight while an opposition faction with a two-star flag called the Western Forces, comprising Texas and California — as I said, this is speculative fiction — is leading the charge against what remains of the federal government. If you’re feeling triggered, you aren’t alone.

It’s mourning again in America, and it’s mesmerizingly, horribly gripping. Filled with bullets, consuming fires and terrific actors like Kirsten Dunst running for cover, the movie is a what-if nightmare stoked by memories of Jan. 6. As in what if the visions of some rioters had been realized, what if the nation was again broken by Civil War, what if the democratic experiment called America had come undone? If that sounds harrowing, you’re right. It’s one thing when a movie taps into childish fears with monsters under the bed; you’re eager to see what happens because you know how it will end (until the sequel). Adult fears are another matter.

In “Civil War,” the British filmmaker Alex Garland explores the unbearable if not the unthinkable, something he likes to do. A pop cultural savant, he made a splashy zeitgeist-ready debut with his 1996 best seller “The Beach,” a novel about a paradise that proves deadly, an evergreen metaphor for life and the basis for a silly film . That things in the world are not what they seem, and are often far worse, is a theme that Garland has continued pursuing in other dark fantasies, first as a screenwriter (“ 28 Days Later ”), and then as a writer-director (“ Ex Machina ”). His résumé is populated with zombies, clones and aliens, though reliably it is his outwardly ordinary characters you need to keep a closer watch on.

By the time “Civil War” opens, the fight has been raging for an undisclosed period yet long enough to have hollowed out cities and people’s faces alike. It’s unclear as to why the war started or who fired the first shot. Garland does scatter some hints; in one ugly scene, a militia type played by a jolting, scarily effective Jesse Plemons asks captives “what kind of American” they are. Yet whatever divisions preceded the conflict are left to your imagination, at least partly because Garland assumes you’ve been paying attention to recent events. Instead, he presents an outwardly and largely post-ideological landscape in which debates over policies, politics and American exceptionalism have been rendered moot by war.

‘Civil War’ Is Designed to Disturb You

A woman with a bulletproof vest that says “Press” stands in a smoky city street.

One thing that remains familiar amid these ruins is the movie’s old-fashioned faith in journalism. Dunst, who’s sensational, plays Lee, a war photographer who works for Reuters alongside her friend, a reporter, Joel (the charismatic Wagner Moura). They’re in New York when you meet them, milling through a crowd anxiously waiting for water rations next to a protected tanker. It’s a fraught scene; the restless crowd is edging into mob panic, and Lee, camera in hand, is on high alert. As Garland’s own camera and Joel skitter about, Lee carves a path through the chaos, as if she knows exactly where she needs to be — and then a bomb goes off. By the time it does, an aspiring photojournalist, Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), is also in the mix.

The streamlined, insistently intimate story takes shape once Lee, Joel, Jessie and a veteran reporter, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), pile into a van and head to Washington. Joel and Lee are hoping to interview the president (Nick Offerman), and Sammy and Jessie are riding along largely so that Garland can make the trip more interesting. Sammy serves as a stabilizing force (Henderson fills the van with humanizing warmth), while Jessie plays the eager upstart Lee takes under her resentful wing. It’s a tidily balanced sampling that the actors, with Garland’s banter and via some cozy downtime, turn into flesh-and-blood personalities, people whose vulnerability feeds the escalating tension with each mile.

As the miles and hours pass, Garland adds diversions and hurdles, including a pair of playful colleagues, Tony and Bohai (Nelson Lee and Evan Lai), and some spooky dudes guarding a gas station. Garland shrewdly exploits the tense emptiness of the land, turning strangers into potential threats and pretty country roads into ominously ambiguous byways. Smartly, he also recurrently focuses on Lee’s face, a heartbreakingly hard mask that Dunst lets slip brilliantly. As the journey continues, Garland further sketches in the bigger picture — the dollar is near-worthless, the F.B.I. is gone — but for the most part, he focuses on his travelers and the engulfing violence, the smoke and the tracer fire that they often don’t notice until they do.

Despite some much-needed lulls (for you, for the narrative rhythm), “Civil War” is unremittingly brutal or at least it feels that way. Many contemporary thrillers are far more overtly gruesome than this one, partly because violence is one way unimaginative directors can put a distinctive spin on otherwise interchangeable material: Cue the artful fountains of arterial spray. Part of what makes the carnage here feel incessant and palpably realistic is that Garland, whose visual approach is generally unfussy, doesn’t embellish the violence, turning it into an ornament of his virtuosity. Instead, the violence is direct, at times shockingly casual and unsettling, so much so that its unpleasantness almost comes as a surprise.

If the violence feels more intense than in a typical genre shoot ’em up, it’s also because, I think, with “Civil War,” Garland has made the movie that’s long been workshopped in American political discourse and in mass culture, and which entered wider circulation on Jan. 6. The raw power of Garland’s vision unquestionably owes much to the vivid scenes that beamed across the world that day when rioters, some wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “ MAGA civil war ,” swarmed the Capitol. Even so, watching this movie, I also flashed on other times in which Americans have relitigated the Civil War directly and not, on the screen and in the streets.

Movies have played a role in that relitigation for more than a century, at times grotesquely. Two of the most famous films in history — D.W. Griffith’s 1915 racist epic “The Birth of a Nation” (which became a Ku Klux Klan recruitment tool) and the romantic 1939 melodrama “Gone With the Wind” — are monuments to white supremacy and the myth of the Southern Lost Cause. Both were critical and popular hits. In the decades since, filmmakers have returned to the Civil War era to tell other stories in films like “Glory,” “Lincoln” and “Django Unchained” that in addressing the American past inevitably engage with its present.

There are no lofty or reassuring speeches in “Civil War,” and the movie doesn’t speak to the better angels of our nature the way so many films try to. Hollywood’s longstanding, deeply American imperative for happy endings maintains an iron grip on movies, even in ostensibly independent productions. There’s no such possibility for that in “Civil War.” The very premise of Garland’s movie means that — no matter what happens when or if Lee and the rest reach Washington — a happy ending is impossible, which makes this very tough going. Rarely have I seen a movie that made me so acutely uncomfortable or watched an actor’s face that, like Dunst’s, expressed a nation’s soul-sickness so vividly that it felt like an X-ray.

Civil War Rated R for war violence and mass death. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes. In theaters.

An earlier version of this review misidentified an organization in the Civil War in the movie. It is the Western Forces, not the Western Front.

How we handle corrections

Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic for The Times. More about Manohla Dargis

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Spy x Family Code: White review – ingenious espionage antics with special-power family

Popular manga characters receive their first film adaptation as they seek out a villainous colonel and an elusive dessert, brought off with great style by director Takashi Katagiri

A fter a successful TV adaptation, the popular characters of the bestselling manga Spy x Family are ready for their big screen closeups. Directed by Takashi Katagiri from an original story, this highly entertaining film maintains the ingenious blend of espionage escapades and slice-of-life shenanigans that has made the series a smash hit, all while expanding its set pieces to a more spectacular scale. To achieve this delicate balance between comedy, suspense and action thrills is no easy feat and for the most part, the film accomplishes this mission well.

The lovable Forger trio of spy papa Loid, assassin mama Yor, and telepathic daughter Anya, are swiftly reintroduced; this fake family embarks on a hilarious adventure involving an elusive dessert, stolen negatives and a villainous colonel. Brought together by a top-secret assignment, the Forgers must hide their special powers from one another, a conundrum made even more comical by the inclusion of their fluffy pet Bond, a lab dog that has the ability to see the future.

Although modelled after cold war conflicts, any hint of politics is a mere MacGuffin, adding a touch of the pastiche to the film’s universe. From the jazzy score to chic gadgets and disguises, the tactile details are a welcome change from other movies that prioritise action over elegance. Spy × Family Code: White doesn’t always get the balance right; compared with the first half which, like the TV series, sees child-rearing as its own kind of mission impossible, some of the later scenes are bogged down by lengthy showdowns between the Forgers and their foes. The wacky humour, however, re-emerges in a surreal, gorgeously animated daydream dedicated to the god of poop. It is this full-throated commitment to silliness that makes this film, and Spy x Family as a whole, a singularly delightful experience.

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One thing that remains familiar amid these ruins is the movie's old-fashioned faith in journalism. Dunst, who's sensational, plays Lee, a war photographer who works for Reuters alongside her ...
Spy x Family Code: White review
Popular manga characters receive their first film adaptation as they seek out a villainous colonel and an elusive dessert, brought off with great style by director Takashi Katagiri