Next to the box office smashes that were The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, and Avatar: The Way of Water, RRR was one of the most astounding theatrical experiences I had in 2022. And there’s a chance that you might not have heard of it.
Clocking in at a towering 3 hours and 7 minutes long, RRR is a long watch. However, with the nature of streaming movies nowadays, you should remember that you can pause and break any time you like. I guarantee though, that you’re going to be so wowed and captivated by the astounding action and visionary filmmaking on display, that you’re going to have a hard time pausing through this one.
It should be immediately clear what makes RRR one of the most fun, visionary, and action-packed films of last year. It’s an Indian action-adventure blockbuster, which, if you’re not familiar with Indian cinema, has a distinctly different feeling than American films.
Indian cinema (and specifically, “Bollywood’ films) expresses so much life that it can all feel a bit hyper-real. The camera flies constantly, with soaring speed. The editing is fast, almost lightning-quick. The characters and their emotions are so deeply felt – whether full of life or pain – that they burst with feeling. Yes, it’s much more stylized and over-the-top than what you might be typically used to, but that is what makes these films so entertaining and fun.
RRR (which stands for Rise Roar Revolt) is a fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries – Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan Teja) – who, through a series of fate and life-changing-events in 1920s British-colonized India, meet and create a bond that will lead them away from home before fighting for their country.
So, who is RRR for? It’s certainly for fans that want to see a single man defeat an entire mob of mercilessly angry protestors by himself; or, see a man capture a lion with his bare hands; or, both of those men leap from a horse and motorcycle headfirst into battle while explosions ignite behind them; to see both of those men do the best dance sequence of last year (“Naatu Naatu” is likely the lock for Best Original Song at this year’s Academy Awards).
Initially released in March of 2022, it was and remains an international hit. Upon its US release, it captivated fans in its theatrical runs. Sold-out audiences cheered, laughed, and danced in the aisles.
Director S.S. Rajamouli has wildly succeeded in giving American audiences a new taste of Indian cinema to love. So, do yourself a favor. Queue up RRR on Netflix. See what makes Indian cinema, and this film specifically, so full of life, love, and joy.
3h 7m. Not rated.
