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‘Narappa’ movie review: A faithful, frame-to-frame remake of ‘Asuran’

Venkatesh, priyamani and karthik rathnam show their mettle in this telugu film that stays unwaveringly faithful to the source material.

Updated - July 20, 2021 01:21 pm IST

Published - July 20, 2021 08:01 am IST

Venkatesh in ‘Narappa’; Priyamani and Karthik Rathnam in the background

To talk about the most obvious aspects of Narappa , now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, it’s a faithful and nearly a frame-to-frame remake of the Tamil film Asuran (2019). With its story inspired by Poomani’s Tamil novel Vekkai (heat), Asuran was adapted to the screen by director Vetri Maaran, and influenced by the Kilvenmani massacre in Tamil Nadu in the late 1960s.

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• Cast: Venkatesh Daggubati, Priyamani, Karthik Rathnam, Rajeev Kanakala
• Direction: Sreekanth Addala
• Music: Mani Sharma
• Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

The story can ring true in the context of caste and class conflicts in any part of India. A flashback in Narappa harks back to a time when the lower caste wearing footwear was frowned upon and triggered humiliating punishments. Times might have changed in Ramasagaram village in Anantapur; Narappa (Venkatesh) can now buy a pair of new footwear for his son without thinking twice, but the caste and social divide continues. The upper class has now put up an electric fence and eyes a three-acre land owned by Narappa’s family.

Read More | Venkatesh: ‘Narappa’ stays true to the emotions portrayed in ‘Asuran’

In a broad sense, Narappa is a story of revenge and the leading man’s transformation is reminiscent of Rajinikanth in Baasha . It’s the quintessential masala film template with a rousing pre-intermission clash, but Narappa revels in its rustic and raw setting. The terrain adds a lot of charm to the narrative. The vast forest, cliffs and arid land play a crucial role in the chase and escape.

The template of the fight between the privileged and the non-privileged might be familiar, but the little comments and observations peppered throughout the film keep us invested.

The older son Munikanna (Karthik Rathnam in a rooted and effective portrayal) comments that it takes time to build and a fraction of it to pull down something; Sundaramma (Priyamani is effortlessly fiery, and in some places reminded me of her earlier Tamil film Paruthiveeran ) stating that she would have been happy if an act of violence had been done by the two grown-up men of the house and not her younger son; Narappa stating matter-of-factly that the brother in law (Rajeev Kanakala) has been spared for a reason, and much later emphasising that education is the only thing that cannot be snatched away in their fight for survival.

In a telling scene, the adolescent son is inconsolable after the demise of the family’s pet dog that gets caught in the electric fence. Narappa remarks that he’s relieved the loss stopped with the pet dog and not the family members.

The performances work to Narappa’s favour. Venkatesh is credible as the meek middle-aged man keen to save his family, Rao Ramesh is in sync as a lawyer advocating social change, and there’s Nasser, dependable as usual. Ammu Abhirami and Aadukalam Naren reprise their parts from the original, both managing to evoke the same emotions as before.

If one were to look closely at the difference between Asuran and Narappa , it would have to do with the minute differences in Ammu Abirami’s characterisation. She’s lovely and moving, and Jhansi pitches in for a brief role as her mother.

The songs by Mani Sharma complement the narrative without overpowering the proceedings.

(Narappa streams on Amazon Prime Video)

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Narappa review: Venkatesh film is bold, powerful and faithful to Asuran

Narappa movie review: dhanush's asuran wasn't a work of art and neither is venkatesh-starrer narappa. it is, however, bold and honest and will always remain hard-hitting, powerful and timely..

Narappa is set in a village in the Anantapur district. The story centres on Narappa (Venkatesh) and his family’s struggles to protect a small patch of farming land from a grasping businessman Panduswami (Aadukalam Naren). While most of the villagers have surrendered their properties to Panduswami, Narappa’s mere 3-acre land and his family’s defiance is like a thorn in his side.

Narappa has mastered the art of swallowing his pride and wriggling out of difficult situations, but his elder son Munikanna (well played by Karthik Rathnam) refuses to bow down to the bully. Munikanna’s basic demand for dignity and right to life is too much to ask for in a village, where a person’s worth is decided based on his or her caste.

Munikanna’s defiance is met with brute force and sheer cruelty. Narraapa’s cry for justice falls on deaf ears. When police, village elders and courts fail to give justice to his family, Narappa accepts his fate and tries to move on to ensure the safety of his other children. His younger son Sinabba (Rakhi), however, is not ready to accept this injustice like his father. His impulsive act, where he tries to mete justice his own way, puts his entire family in danger. It falls on Narraapa’s shoulder to protect his son — he can either continue to play meek or wake up the sleeping monster inside him.

Narappa, which is the official remake of Tamil hit Asuran, falls way outside the expertise of director Srikanth Addala. He is a Sooraj Barjatya-esque filmmaker, who likes to make films about celebrations of life, big fat weddings, and the pleasures of living in a massive joint family. Narappa is diametrically opposite in every conceivable way to Srikanth’s skill set as a director.

Beginning with the basic premise that deals with the evils of a caste-driven society, including dehumanisation of people from what is perceived as lower castes and acts of senseless violence, it must have been so strange for Srikanth to grasp the film at a deeper level and interpret in his own way. So the honourable thing he could have done is to stay entirely faithful to the original. And that’s what Srikanth has done.

Every camera angle, blocking, background score and emotional beat remains the same as Asuran. Except for the star cast, the film is a frame-to-frame remake of the Dhanush -starrer. Srikanth makes up for his lack of originality with his absolute sincerity to director Vetri Maaran’s vision.

Truth be told, Asuran wasn’t the best picture of Vetri Maaran. It was a simple film, which employed the narrative template of superstar Rajinikanth’s classic Baasha . The film clicked because of the director’s sincerity, coupled with the courage with which he examined the dehumanizing practice of caste. And Vetri’s unapologetic portrayal of caste violence had a strong shock value, which added to the film’s intensity. It also created a conducive set-up for actors to shine, which Dhanush did and how.

Dhanush seemed natural both as a young Sivasami, with a quick fuse, and an aged family man who steers clear of the fight for the benefit of his family. The contrast and the variations he brought to his character were effortless. But, you can’t say the same for Venkatesh. While Venkatesh fits almost perfectly as a dull, old drunkard, he is not convincing as a young Narappa. His performance in the flashback scenes feels out of tune.

That said, the last shot when we see Narappa taking a good look at his family and smiling before walking into the court creates the same impact as the original. The quiet and poignant moment reminds us how, for some people, life is an endless battle to get basic rights. Narappa had to make great sacrifices such as losing all his family members to hate so that his son could walk the streets in slippers without attracting a punishment for it.

Asuran wasn’t a work of art and neither is Narappa. But, it is honest and bold, and will always remain hard-hitting, powerful and timely.

Narappa is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 

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Narappa movie review: Venkatesh is earnest in textbook remake of Dhanush’s Asuran, film underplays caste angle

Stepping out of his comfort zone, venkatesh pitches in a sincere portrayal as a man doing his best to protect his family after his hot-headed son gets into an altercation with a powerful family in the village..

Srikanth Addala’s Narappa is one of the most faithful remakes in recent years. The best thing about the movie is that it doesn’t tamper with the original material and that’s an achievement by itself. As much as Narappa stays faithful, unlike Asuran, it underplays the caste angle and depicts the clash between two families as a rich versus poor issue, making it less impactful. Nevertheless, Narappa is still a satisfying watch when you see it as a standalone film and take notice of Venkatesh’s earnestness in portraying a character that’s devoid of any heroism.

Venkatesh plays Narappa, a doting father, who has left his violent past behind, and is now living a quiet life with his three children and wife. He’s content doing farming in his small patch of land and has no major expectations from life apart from getting his eldest son (Munikanna) married. Munikanna is a hot-headed youngster and when he crosses paths with a powerful upper class family, things take an ugly turn. Narappa and his family have to pay the price. In order to save his family, Narappa is pushed to walk down the same path he left behind many years ago. Will he take that path or won’t he form the crux of the story.

Also read: Pinch 2 teaser: Salman Khan reacts as fan demands money back, says ‘paisa nahi churaya...’

Asuran, which had revenge as its core theme, touched upon themes like class divide, caste and power politics. Narappa plays it safe by simply projecting it as a film where the clash between the haves and have nots without even the mention of caste politics. The film also talks about how land is a symbol of identity. After a terrific especially in the second half when a flashback takes away the joy of the riveting first half. The flashback portion which introduces us to Narappa’s violent-ridden past is the weakest segment of the film which otherwise works effectively as the story of a father trying to protect his family from committing the same mistakes he did when he was young.

Asuran is Dhanush’s one man show and as much as his performance can’t be matched, it’s refreshing to see Venkatesh take up something so serious after so many years. Most popular for playing light-hearted characters with the exception of films like Drushyam; Venkatesh takes a big leap of faith with Narappa as he confidently steps out of his comfort zone to play something so powerful. He brings so much of earnestness in portraying the helplessness of his character who will do whatever it takes to protect his family. This will definitely go down as one of Venkatesh’s best works of his career. Priyamani chips in with a decent performance. But it’s Karthik Rathnam who makes the strongest impact among the supporting cast in a brief role.

Director: Srikanth Addala

Cast: Venkatesh, Priyamani, Karthik Rathnam, Naren, Rajeev Kanakala and Ammu Abhirami

• Venkatesh Daggubati

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Narappa (2021)

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'Narappa' movie review: Venkatesh-starrer is a nearly flawless action drama

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Director: Srikanth Addala

Cast: Venkatesh, Priyamani, Nassar, Rajiv Kanakala and Ammu Abhirami

Rating: 4/5

Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Actor Venkatesh's latest movie Narappa , a remake of the Tamil film Asuran , is an emotionally-gripping action drama that matches the standards set by the original version. It revolves around a meek and caring father who silently endures numerous insults to protect his family. As the story unfolds, one learns about his violent past A 'fresh' remake

The core plot is exactly the same as the one seen in Asuran and deals with the clash between the 'haves' and the 'have nots', a relatable theme. Moreover, most of the scenes are replicas of the ones featured in the original version. Narappa , however, has a fresh feel despite this limitation as Srikanth Addala focusses more on the emotional aspects of the story rather than the socio-political undertones. Srikanth owns the film

This approach is radically different from the one adopted by Vetrimaaran as Asuran came across as dark and disturbing. Srikanth's decision to stick to the family aspects yields the desired results as Narappa feels more relatable even though it is rooted in native hues.

Also Read | 'Narappa': 5 reasons to watch the Venkatesh-starrer Solid writing

Broadly speaking, a film can make an impact only if the writing does justice to the plot. Baahubali , for example, emerged as a global phenomenon mainly because each and every character--right from Prabhas' Amrendra Baahubali to Sathyaraj's Katappa--was reasonably well fleshed out. In other words, it was a classic case of 'show don't tell' storytelling. Narappa too hits the right notes due to the effective screenplay. The family aspects come to the forefront right from the opening scene. The sequence depicting the death of the protagonist's son is a major highlight and makes the desired impact mainly because of its organic intensity.

A realistic transformation scene

The transformation scene has always been an important aspect of commercial cinema. Baashha , for example, would not have been the same without a massy sequence in which the meek 'autokaran' reconnected with his inner rage to unleash terror on his foes. Narappa features a similar sequence just before what would have been the interval block had the flick been released in theatres. Venkatesh's transformation from subdued to ferocious is as natural/realistic as can be. Strong emotional core

The flashback sequences add depth to an already engaging storyline and prove that Srikant, who suffered a setback when Brahmotsavam failed to live up to expectations, has regained his mojo. The writers also manage to justify the age gap between Venkatesh and Ammu Abhirami.

Venkatesh at his best

Coming to performances, 'Venky' is the heart and soul of Narappa. He expertly underplays things in the first half, just the way he had done in Anari and Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu . 'Mama' emotes with his eyes in a scene involving the death of a pet, the hallmark of a great performer. It is, however, his effortless work in the action scenes that proves to be the real surprise package of Narappa as he isn't really perceived to be a 'mass hero'. He is ably supported by Priyamani, who gets the body language right and brings out the feistiness associated with her character. Able supporting cast

Young actor Rakhi emotes well given his age. Nassar makes his presence felt despite the limited screen time. The rest of the cast, which includes the likes of Abhirami and Rajiv Kanakala, serves its purpose. No mindless violence

The film features quite a few gory sequences but they gel with the narrative. Moreover, like Asuran, Narappa refrains from glorifying violence. It, in fact, takes a stand against it, something that the closing sequences bring out quite well. A missed opportunity?

The recent blockbuster Vakeel Saab . a remake of the Hindi movie Pink , felt completely different from the original version as the makers tweaked the plot to cater to Pawan Kalyan fans. The courtroom drama had a full-fledged romantic track and action sequences, which helped it avoid comparisons with Pink . The makers of Narappa could have done something similar to avoid falling into the 'comparison trap'. This, however, is not a major issue. Closing thoughts

Mani Sharma delivers the goods with his tunes. The title song is the pick of the lot and caters to those who liked his recent song Laahe Laahe from Acharya. The cinematography highlights the distinct rural flavour of the film. The background music elevates the action scenes, The other technical aspects are up to the mark.

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Narappa Movie Review, On Amazon Prime Video: Venkatesh Holds This Faithful Adaptation Of Asuran Together

Director: Srikanth Addala Writers: Vetrimaaran, Srikanth Addala (dialogues) Cast: Venkatesh , Priyamani , Rakhi, Karthik Rathnam, Nassar , Rao Ramesh, Rajeev Kanakala

Narappa is adapted from Vetrimaaran's Asuran which in turn was based on Poomani's novel ' Vekkai' . At first, we see Narappa, played by Venkatesh, as a very weak man. He's someone who would sacrifice his own self-respect to keep him and his family out of trouble. And one of his sources of trouble is the three acres of land that he owns. A local big shot wants to buy it but when Narappa refuses, there's a killing, then a revenge killing, and then, all hell breaks loose. 

This is a story of haves and have-nots but it also has lots of genre toppings. It's a story of a chase, a revenge, and a big fat whistle-inducing hero transformation scene right at the intermission point. But within this broadly generic material, there are specifics that really make the story. 

The main story is that Narappa's son, Sinabba (Rakhi), kills someone as a result of which the family has to go into hiding. But the story actually begins a generation before with a man who just wants a pair of slippers so that the girl he is marrying could walk comfortably. All this violence that spans two generations begins with an act of love; it's, sadly, a beautiful touch. 

Srikanth Addala amps up the emotional moments but otherwise, this is a faithful adaptation of Asuran. In fact, I would call it too faithful an adaptation. The color schemes, costumes and GV Prakash's now famous trumpet blare are retained. There's a single-take scene in Asuran where the family packs up their house and leaves. It's a single-take scene in Narappa too; the aesthetics are very similar. But Narappa works even if you've seen Asuran because the core is so powerful. 

Take the wife, Sundaramma, played by a very effective Priyamani. She wishes that it wasn't her son but her husband who took the revenge. As for her sons, they view their father with borderline contempt. They wonder why he's such a weak man who never fights back. Despite his best efforts, the bloodlust that was originally inside Narappa has been passed on to the next generation: it's not nurture, it's nature. 

The screenwriting in the film is cyclical: what happens in one generation finds an echo in the next. In the younger Narappa's time it was forbidden for members of his caste and class to wear slippers. But in the present, he's able to casually buy a pair of slippers for his son. Even the violence is cyclical. Take the scene where the family dog dies. Sinabba is distraught when his mother consoles him that they have another dog. He asks his mother if she would feel the same way if one of her two sons died. That single line defines Sinabba's character throughout the film.

Even the older son, Munikanna (Karthik Rathnam), has his own peculiar notions of revenge. He's been beaten up by cops, instigated by the big shot who is behind all this. And still, Munikanna rhetorically asks what kind of father would he be if he didn't retaliate against someone who beat up his son. 

Venkatesh holds the film together. As he's older than Dhanush, his world-weary look is really convincing and he tweaks his image to very good effect. Thanks to him and the rest of the cast (and Vetrimaaran's story and screenplay) we get a rare beast in Telugu cinema: an action-driven character drama or a character-driven action movie. 

Films like Kshatriya Putrudu have already asked the question: when will the cycle of violence stop? But for all their strengths, they were glossier products from a particular era. Narappa feels like a sharper whiplash. I felt that Asuran wasn't up to the earlier work of Dhanush and Vetrimaaran but still quite good. I could tweak that to say that Narappa isn't quite as good as Asuran but — on its own terms — it's pretty good.

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Narappa movie review

Narappa movie review: Narappa is a faithful remake of the super-hit Dhanush starrer Asuran . Director Sreekanth Addala ensures that the Telugu version stays true to the original Tamil milieu created by Vetrimaaran, with no attempt to customize it for the Telugu audience.

The core conflict of Narappa revolves around land acquisition by the mighty and how it escalates into a series of problems. In this process, the divide between rich and poor and their class conflicts are well established.

Narappa (Venkatesh) lives with his wife, brother-in-law, two sons, and daughter in a small village in Ananthapur. Pandusamy, the village head, is eying Narappa’s farmland to build a factory. The two families are at loggerheads, and the situation goes out of control. Narappa’s family runs in different directions to save themselves and a cat-and-mouse game ensues. How Narappa handles the situation forms the rest of the story.

In Narappa , Venkatesh has showcased his acting prowess once again. The way he pulls off different variations in different timelines is laudable. Venky’s body language and expressive eyes are the highlights of his performance.

He is ably supported by other principal cast members, including Priyamani, Rajeev Kanakala, Karthik Rathnam and Rao Ramesh, who get meaty portions in the film. However, a few characters remain borderline caricatures in the second half, with their blink-and-miss appearances.

After a string of failures, Sreekanth Addala has delivered something praiseworthy. The dialect, the terrain, the rustic nature of the surroundings, and the whole setting exude reality in this ‘revenge breeds revenge’ tale.

As the film gets underway, you get to thinking about the timeline in which the events are unfolding. When Chiranjeevi’s dance moves in Sangarshana are praised by a character, you realize that it is set in the 80s. Then the director cleverly uses movie posters and references to juggle between the 60s and 80s. The storyline is predictable, especially in the flashback portions. The pace slackens in the second half, and it inches towards a predictable climax. There are ample typical hero elevations to produce commercial elements.

All in all, Narappa works in parts as a dark and gripping drama. The storyline is old and predictable, but the performances and emotional trail make it a decent watch.

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Release date : July 20, 2021

123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5

Starring : Venkatesh, Priyamani, Karthik Rathnam

Director : Srikanth Addala

Produced by : Kalaippuli S. Thanu; D. Suresh Babu

Music Director : Mani Sharma

Narappa is one of the biggest Telugu movies to be out on the OTT space. Starring Venkatesh and Priyamani in lead roles, this film is out now on Amazon Prime. Let’s see how it is.

Narappa(Venkatesh) leads a peaceful life with his wife(Priyamani), daughter, and two sons in a small village in Ananthapur. The village head, Pandusamy plans to capture Narappa’s land and this does not go well with his elder son Munikanna(Karthik Rathnam) who locks horns with Panduswamy. Calamity strikes and Narappa faces a huge loss. In an unexpected manner, even as Narappa stays calm, his younger son, Sinnappa takes a violent route for revenge, leading to dangerous consequences. Was Narappa able to protect his family and lands? That forms the rest of the story?

Plus Points

The film has a solid backdrop and has been set well in the Telugu nativity. The locations, production values, and shots executed give this film a rustic feel. Srikanth Addala does well with his taking and does not experiment much. He keeps the emotions intact from the original and showcases Venkatesh in a solid manner.

Coming to Venkatesh, you can say that it is one of his career-best performances to date. Venkatesh shocks you with his aggression and emotional outburst. Generally, we are used to seeing Venky in fun roles but he plays the double role and is also good as the aggressive young man. Watch out for Venky and Priyamani’s performance during their son’s death scene.

The national award-winning actress, Priyamani plays her supporting role perfectly. She is the apt choice for the role and Priyamani brings a lot of depth to the whole setup. The dialogues and the Anantapur accent are also used well in the film.

More than anything, the strong emotions make Narappa click majorly in the first half. Rajeev Kanakala gets an amazing role after a long time and he ably supports Venkatesh throughout the film.

With each passing day, Karthik Rathnam is getting superb roles and his role as Munikanna is amazing and the young actor does exceptionally well in the first half. The child actor who played Sinnappa was also terrific.

Minus Points

After the emotional and gritty first half, the pace of the film drops big time. The film is taken into a flashback mode and this disturbs the proceedings a bit. The problems which the lower class people suffer are shown mostly in this flashback and it does not create much impact.

A lot of time is taken for this flashback and Venkatesh’s small love track involving Ammu Abhirami also does not help the proceedings. The ending is also a bit slow and is wrapped up on a simple note.

Narappa is quite predictable and all those who have seen Asuran will get disappointed during the second half as the intensity misses a bit though the film is ended well.

Technical Aspects

Production values of the film are top-notch. The intensity and raw look are created superbly by the camerawork. Dialogues are good and so was the costume design.

The screenplay was decent and nicely elevates the emotions and tragedy in the first half. Mani Sharma’s music is decent but his BGM was solid.

Coming to the director Srikanth Addala, he makes a good comeback with Narappa. He is quite strong with family emotions and showcases them in a good manner in Narappa as well. His hold on the screenplay is good and did not let the guard down for the most part. Had he made the second half also quite gripping, things would have been even better.

On the whole, Narappa is a well-made family drama that has some solid action and emotions. The storyline is a bit predictable and things get slow in the post-interval parts. Those who have watched the original will surely draw comparisons, but the engaging narration and Venkatesh’s standout act clear all the glitches and make this film a breezy watch this weekend.

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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Narappa Movie Review: Asuran’s identical twin is pedantic yet powerful

Rating: ( 3 / 5).

On the spectrum of remakes,  Vakeel Saab  and  Narappa  will find themselves on the opposite ends. While the former repelled me by drifting afar in its tone and treatment, the latter’s homogeneity amused me. From the colour of the font during opening credits to the background music playing over the rolling credits,  Narappa  is indistinguishable from Vetri Maaran’s  Asuran . 

Cast: Venkatesh, Priyamani, Rajeev Kanakala, Rakhi, Ammu Abhirami, Karthik Rathnam

Directed by: Sreekanth Addala

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Set in the 80s, Narappa’s (Venkatesh, in his most challenging role yet) family is caught in the middle of a conflict with the obdurate landlord Panduswami (Naren) who desires to capture the lands of the poor. While the defenseless Narappa reluctantly accepts the subservience, his hot-headed elder son Munikanna (Karthik Rathnam) spurns the hierarchy. In a disturbing turn of events, Munikanna is savagely murdered, rendering the heartbroken family directionless. What follows is the journey Narappa goes on with and his distant younger son, Sinnappa (Rakhi), enveloping the systemic oppression inflicted on depressed classes in the story of a father trying to protect his family.

The dialogues, shot divisions, locations, and music of  Narappa  are identical to  Asuran , and you cannot help but wonder why the makers strained to reconstruct a film when dubbing could have done the job. I can see their reasons, though. In an ideal world, the film would have been released in packed single screens, with fans whistling and hooting when Narappa — whom they have, up until then, seen as a timid and exhausted old man — fiercely burst out of the dust as his rampageous self. To witness Venkatesh, who has relented to softer roles in the past decade, unleash his full-steam  Ganesh  mode is still a joy to watch, and these moments work beautifully because they are held back for so long. 

Being a scene-to-scene recreation, does this film need Sreekanth Addala? Barring the casting of Rao Ramesh, arguably Sreekanth’s favourite actor, in a great role, there is hardly anything in  Narappa  that one tends to associate with his films. Having re-used the majority of the original soundtrack by GV Prakash Kumar, does Mani Sharma play an imperative role as the music director? With every cut mimicking the original’s edit pattern, does it demand a veteran editor like Marthand K Venkatesh? The answers to all these questions would be negative. 

To understand the degree of similitude, here are a couple of points that paint a clear picture: Even the scene in the original where Murugesan (Munikanna in Telugu) asks his drunken father whether he voluntarily prostrated before the men of the Northern village and the scene cuts to Narasimhan (Panduswami) nodding his head has been recreated. Off-screen dialogues from the original remain off-screen in the remake as well. In other words, “they are the same picture” albeit a rather contentious choice.

Asuran,  despite its  Baasha -esque skeleton, was essentially an exploration of caste-based discrimination. Although  Asuran  doesn’t explicitly mention caste, it was, indeed, a portrayal of callousness the oppressed are subjected to at their every step. The makers of  Narappa , however, coyly try to play it safe by nullifying caste from the narrative, by substituting it with class instead. “The conflict between Narappa’s family and Panduswami is similar to any conflict that arose in the past between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless. "The poor have no caste or religion, and the rich have no kindness or humanity,” says a voice-over early in the film. This is the only glaring change you can find in this otherwise carbon copy remake. 

Thanks to the original, which closely entwined class and caste, the makers’ attempt to negate caste in Narappa goes in vain. In the flashback, when Narappa’s niece is abused and humiliated for wearing footwear, her mother laments about the plight of their  jaathi   (could be a stand-in for race, community, or caste). The move to annul caste out of a story that’s built on the exploitation of the underprivileged exposes the makers’ coyness and efforts to make the film more "saleable."  

Does this choice strip  Narappa  of its merits? No. However, is courage too much to expect from our filmmakers? While, on one hand, a film like  Palasa 1978  can be vocal about its politics, we still have a  Narappa , wittingly shunning from addressing caste. 

As a film,  Narappa  doesn’t exist as an independent entity. It doesn’t have a personality of its own, considering how pedantic filmmaker Sreekanth Addala is with respect to recreating the look and feel of the original. In the process, the film inherits many strengths from the original, including the troubled father-son relationship, which serves as a gauge measuring Narappa’s evolution as a human. Several scenes in the film — like the humiliation Narappa   has to endure, the death of the son, the massacre in the flashback — are potent and it’s commendable that the makers didn’t assuage the violence to make it more pleasing. Priyamani, as the broken Sundaramma who rejects the truth about her son’s demise, is one of the most emotional links of the film, and it feels great to see Rajeev Kanakala in a substantial role after a long time. The casting of Ammu Abhirami as a young Narappa’s love interest, though, feels a little awkward as the nearly 40-year age gap is hard to shake off the mind. 

Venkatesh has big shoes to fill as Narappa, considering Dhanush’s turn as Sivasamy is arguably one of the best performances in Indian cinema in the recent past. The last time both these actors essayed the same character in  Adavari Maatalaku Ardhale Verule  and its Tamil remake  Yaarudi Nee Mohini , they had the liberty to give their own touch in the respective versions. This time around, the Telugu star is directly pitted against Dhanush’s performance and is compelled to emulate Dhanush. Thanks to his age, the actor doesn’t have to try too hard to embody the older character. The challenge here is not about looking the part but echoing the emotional beats; his ‘mass’ image comes in handy for the younger part, with the quintessential Venkatesh gracing the screen. While he neatly pulls off the role, I wish he had given a more personal touch to the performance — as he does with the final heart-rending smile.

In all,  Narappa  is as faithful a remake can get; it is, perhaps, too immaculate for its own good. When the original is a film like  Asuran , there is no way a remake can go wrong, and fittingly,  Narappa , despite its shortcomings, is a welcome change in Telugu cinema.

• తెలుగు

Narappa Review: Revenge Shown On Rugged Canvas

Movie: Narappa Rating: 2.5/5 Banner: Suresh Productions, V Creations Cast: Venkatesh, Priyamani, Rao Ramesh, Nassar, Karthik Rathnam, Ammu Abhirami, Rajeev Kanakala, and others Writer: Vetri Maaran Music: Mani Sharma Cinematography: Sam K Naidu Editor: Marthand Venkatesh Action: Peter Hein Producers: D Suresh Babu, Kalaipuli S Thanu Written and Direction: Sreekanth Addala Release Date: July 20, 2021 Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

After Nani’s “V” and Anushka’s “Nishabdham”, Venkatesh’s “Narappa” is the major Telugu film to get a premiere on OTT space. The film was to release in the theaters in May 2021. Owing to the second wave of coronavirus, it is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Let’s find out the merits and demerits.

Story: The story is set in the 1980s in a village in Ananthapuram district. A poor farmer Narappa (Venkatesh) flees into the forest with his younger son, Sinnappa, to hide in a safer place. Because the 16-year-old Sinnappa (Rakhi) murdered a landlord to avenge his brother Munikanna’s death.

Fearing that his son would not have a future, Narappa takes him to the forest. Narappa plans to take the blame on him and surrender in court when things become calmer. The landlord’s men also are on the lookout for Sinnappa to kill him.

In the eyes of Sinappa, Narappa is a ‘weak’ person. But he was a fierce and ill-tempered person in his younger days.

What made Narappa put his violent past behind? And how far would he go to protect his son and the family?

Artistes’ Performances: Venkatesh appeared in two dimensions, that of an aging Narappa and his young self. Venkatesh has given a superb performance in the older character, a realistic portrayal that stays with us. A matured Narappa, Venkatesh holds the film to the most part. But as a younger Narappa, Venkatesh looks out of place in its milieu. Wearing designer dresses, appearing like a handsome Telugu hero, Venkatesh gets the role wrong. This is a major put-off. 

Priyamani as Narappa's wife has put in a solid performance. But the scene-stealer is the new actor Raakhi, who played Sinnappa. His diction and natural acting are perfect.

Karthik Ratnam as Venkatesh’s elder son, Rajeev Kanakala as his brother-in-law, and Rao Ramesh as the lawyer are also impressive. 

Technical Excellence: The rustic and dry locations shot mostly in Tamilnadu have lent credence to the theme. The camerawork is good. The production design follows the original movie.

Sreekanth Addala’s dialogues in Rayalaseema slang are perfect. Mani Sharma’s music is the same as the original’s. 

Highlights: Venkatesh’s performance as an aged man The central point of the story The first half

Drawback: Predictable Climax Lack of effective emotions The flashback portions

Analysis “Narappa” is the second collaboration between Venkatesh and director Sreekanth Addala after “Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu”. Unlike their previous film, “Narappa” is a remake of a Tamil movie, Asuran.

One of the reasons why ‘Asuran’ was instantly liked by the audiences is a young Dhanush playing a middle-aged character. He played father to grownup sons. His transformation into that role mesmerized all. Whereas, Venkatesh, who is 60-plus, playing that role, doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Still, Venkatesh went ahead in remaking this.

Revenge as its core theme, “Narappa” is a multi-layered story that also deals with the social inequality, the class divide, the feudal system in the villages in a bygone era. In the end, it also stresses the importance of education.

‘Narappa’ begins as a father trying to protect his younger son from the village landlords, who are after him.

The first half of the film is a survival drama, which is narrated engagingly. Not deviating an inch from the story, the first half of the proceedings are gripping. The interval bang and the fight sequence are well-captured. The first half of the film also runs high on emotional quotient, making it a riveting watch.

The second half of the film switches into revenge drama, with the flashback story for the hero coming into place. The flashback portions were weak in the original Tamil movie as well. And in this remake, they are even more passive.

Moreover, Venkatesh looks out of place as a younger Narappa. While his entire community lives in small huts in penury, Venkatesh wears colorful and ironed dresses. 

The romantic thread between Venkatesh and Ammu Abhirami looks odd, due to the age gap between them in real life. Dhanush is a much younger person in real life, and his track with Ammu Abhirami looked right. This entire portion is filmed more like a regular commercial film than a realistic film.

Soon after the backstory ends, the film comes onto the track, further capturing the bond between a father and a son.

It is very hard to see this kind of remakes as every frame and every minute detail is directly cut copied from the original. Even the camera angles, art work and the set properties are perfectly lifted and shifted.

“Narappa” indeed has some emotional moments and is frame by frame remake. Still, it pales in comparison to the original Tamil movie on many accounts. Venkatesh and Priyamani's performance and interesting plot are the reason why “Narappa” works in parts. It could have worked as a whole had the second half was handled better.  

Bottom-line: Frame by Frame

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Narappa Movie Review & Rating {2.75/5}

Story: Narappa (Venkatesh) is forced to flee into the forest with his younger son, Sinappa, after Sinappa murders an upper-caste landlord to avenge his older brother’s death. And now Narappa must make more sacrifices and navigate a deeply unjust justice system to give his son a chance at the future. The film is the remake of the Tamil hit film Asuran.

Performances: Venkatesh is the backbone of the film. He carried the entire movie on his shoulders. The original version's lead hero Dhanush won a National Award for his performance in the movie. Even Venky gave an honest performance which is no less than Dhanush. It can be easily termed as one of his best roles. The ease at which he performed emotional scenes and action sequences is praise-worthy. Priyamani and Karthik Ratnam stole the show with their scintillating performances. Both of them were looked apt in their characters and have put their soul into the roles. Child actor Rakhi, who played Venky's younger son also gave a noteworthy performance. The rest of the actors like Rajeev Kanakala, Rao Ramesh, and Nasser have performed their roles quite well.

Technical Aspects:  Narappa is a faithful remake of Asuran not only story-wise but also in many of the technical aspects as well. The shots are exact replicas of their counterparts in the original. The cinematography by Sam K Naidu is decent. Mani Sharma's songs are very good. The makers used the same background score from the original version and it worked well. The production values were decent, but not up to the standards of Suresh Productions. The editing was perfect. Coming to the direction, Sreekanth Addala tried not to lose the flavor of the original version by making too many changes. The only big change he made is to portray the film's core issue as a conflict between rich and poor whereas it is about castes in the original. Though that was a major change, it didn't take away the soul of Narappa.

Verdict:  Ever since it was announced, there were many speculations about Narappa. Many people wondered how makers will adapt a serious caste-based film like Asuran and will Venkatesh ace the role like Dhanush. But after watching the film, one would definitely agree that both Venkatesh and the team have succeeded in keeping the soul intact and delivered a faithful remake of the original. People who watched Asuran may not be satisfied much but they can watch it for Venkatesh. For the ones who didn't watch the original, Narappa will be a good treat for sure.

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• Movie Reviews

Narappa Review

What's Behind

Victory Venkatesh scored many blockbusters starring in the remakes of hit films from other languages. His latest film Narappa, a remake of Tamil hit Asuran starring Dhanush is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Venkatesh and Narappa producers decided to skip the theatrical release and dared to release the film on OTT. Narappa's teaser and trailer generated interest among movie lovers and let us see what magic Venkatesh created as Narappa.

Story Review

A small farmer from a remote village Ramasagaram in Anantapur district, Narappa (Venkatesh) lives happily with his wife Sundaramma (Priyamani) and three children, Munikanna (Karthik Ratnam), Sinabba(Rakhi), and Bujjamma. However, his life turns upside down, and Narappa finds himself in a dangerous situation to save his family.

To find out what forced Narappa and his family runs for their lives and what connection Pandusamy(Naren) has and what role Bsaavyya (Rajiv Kanakala), Brother in law of Narappa played, watch Narappa on Amazon Prime Video.

Artists, Technicians Review

Director Srikanth Addala stayed true to the story. He stuck to the original and did not deviate from the story, screenplay, and direction. He highlighted the emotions from the original in a similar and in more powerful manner. The film starts off on an interesting note but the pace dips in the flash-back episodes. Dialogues are powerful and made a good impact. He made subtle changes to suit the Telugu nativity.

Shyam K Naidu with his cinematography showed the rustic village atmosphere on screen in a beautiful and realistic manner. He captured the locations using the camera angles to perfection. Action scenes are well shot. Manisharma came with good tunes to highlight the atmosphere accordingly. The songs are well shot in a realistic manner and highlighted the emotions in the right way. Background music elevated the scenes taking movie lovers into the story. Editing of Marthand K Venkatesh is good. He could have however done away with the few drags in the film for better impact.

Venkatesh who is experienced slipped into the role effortlessly. He lived into the role and came with powerful expressions and emotions to make a strong impact. He showed his acting prowess showing variations in body language as a lover, caring husband, and a doting father who goes all out to save his family at any cost. Venkatesh was however not upto the mark in the flashback episodes in the second half. He looked aged opposite Ammu Abhirami,his love interest in the flashback episode. Venkatesh who has been doing soft roles of late did a powerful role and it is a treat to all his fans. Venkatesh however should have added his own style bringing in his mannerisms.

Priyamani as the wife of Venkatesh impressed with rightful expressions and emoted well. She as a village belle complimented Venkatesh and showcased her feelings as a caring wife and loving mother who was worried about their wellbeing. Rao Ramesh is good as a lawyer trying to save Venkatesh fighting for the cause of the lower caste. Nassar also played his role well but one felt but was miscast.

Karthik Ratnam acted well as an angry young man who couldn't tolerate any insult to his parents. Rajiv Kanakala performed well as Venkatesh's brother-in-law. Karthik Ratnam as Venkatesh's elder son performed the role of an aggressive youngster to perfection. Other cast performed according to their roles.

Venkatesh, Priyamani

Cinematography

Screenplay, Direction

Disadvantages

Flashback episodes

Scene to Scene rehash

Rating Analysis

When the Asuran remake was announced, many wondered whether Venkatesh can match Dhanush's power-packed performance. After watching Narappa, one can say that Venkatesh worked hard to do full justice to the role. The same is the case with the other cast. However many are left to wonder whether the remake was necessary at all as almost all the scenes, dialogues and even costumes are copy-paste from the original. Een during the editing same cuts are used and the same background music is used. This makes people question what was the need for either Manisharma or Marthand K Venkatesh to be in the project. The makers however played safe by diluting the caste angle in most of the dialogues in the first half by talking about the rich and the poor. However, they are caught napping in the flashback episodes when caste dialogues crept in. Surely comparisons arise and the original star cast gets two or three points more. None can match Dhanush's performance. Those who haven't seen the original film Asuran, like Narappa. Considering all these factors, CJ goes with a 2.75 rating for Narappa.

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Narappa: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast

• Release Date 20 July 2021
• Language Telugu
• Genre Action, Drama
• Duration 2h 33min
• Cast Venkatesh, Priyamani, Ammu Abhirami, Nassar, Rao Ramesh, Rajeev Kanakala, Brahmaji, Karthik Rathnam, Rakhi, Jhansi, Vasishta N. Simha, Aadukalam Naren, Rakesh Velivela, Rajsekhar Aningi, Prabhakar, Ramaraju, Sritej, Deepak Shetty, Arundathi Aravind, Kadambari Kiran, Racha Ravi
• Director Srikanth Addala
• Writer Vetrimaaran
• Cinematography Shyam K. Naidu
• Music Mani Sharma
• Producer D. Suresh Babu, Kalaipuli S. Thanu
• Production Suresh Productions, V Creations
• Certificate 13+

About Narappa Movie (2021)

Narappa (Venkatesh) and his family, who live in a remote village in Anantapur district, are facing a land dispute with the landowner Panduswamy (Aadukalam Naren). As part of the fight, Munikanna (Karthik Rathnam), the eldest son of Narappa, is killed by the Panduswamy men. Sinnappa (Rakhi), the younger son of Narappa, kills Panduswamy as revenge for the murder of his brother. The Narappa family must leave the village to save the life of their youngest son.

Narappa Movie Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Songs and Ratings

Narappa Movie Trailer

Narappa movie songs.

#	TITLE	ARTIST	DURATION	LISTEN
1.	Raa Narakara	SriKrishna, Revanth, SaiCharan	4:03
2.	Thallipegu Chudu Ela	Saindhavi, Mani Sharma	5:54
3.	Oo...Narappa	Dhanunjay Seepana, Seepana Varam, Mani Sharma	3:41
4.	Chalaaki Chinnammi	Aditya Iyengar, Nutana Mohan, Mani Sharma	3:29
5.	Ooru Natta Naadivaaye	Anurag Kulkarni, Mani Sharma	1:42

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Narappa Review – Venkatesh’s Brilliance Generates Magic!

Venkatesh’s Brilliance Generates Magic!

OUR RATING 3/5

Amazon Prime Video

Narappa (Venkatesh) and Sundaramma (Priya Mani is a happy self-contained family living in the village of Ramasagaram. They have three kids, with the eldest one being Munikanna (Karthik).

What happens when Munikanna has a feud with the powerful landlord of the village? How it affects the family of Narappa and where it ends form the overall plot of Narappa.

How Is ‘s Performance?

Venkatesh is the lifeline of Narappa . He lives in the role of Narappa (the older version) and delivers a career-best performance. The highlight is the older version of Narappa, where Venkatesh simply disappears in character.

The drunken slur, the Seema slang, the aged body language and the makeup – everything is spot on. What makes it further special is that we haven’t seen anything like this featuring a star in Telugu cinema in the recent past. It is so good to see a top star live in character.

Well, there is heroism, and it sits well with the older Narappa. The younger version of the character was always going to be a problem which is the case here. It is okay during the big drama and action block, but the romance is odd to look at. Apart from that, Narappa is a memorable outing from Venkatesh. It is a film for the ages for the fans, without any doubt.

Director Srikanth Addala is back after a long gap with Narappa. His last release was Brahmostavam. One could understand why he took a long break. He has finally made a comeback with a remake.

The good news is Srikanth Addala does well. The director within the limited films he has done has created a niche that gives a different impression (of him). However, even though they were set in the Godavari regions, there was always an undercurrent rooted element within the movies he has done. The politics of the native were loaded in them without being overtly in your face (barring Mukunda, though). The bottom line here is, it all helps him in executing Narappa without looking like a novice.

The strengths and weaknesses of director Srikanth Addala are visible in Narappa, as well. The emotional scenes are handled well throughout. They are dealt with a delicate touch, with the writing and performances flowing smoothly. The narrative feels seamless even though it is as it is a recreation of the original.

The intensity reduces a bit when it comes to highly charged emotional scenes. Here Venkatesh takes care of the issue. He covers a lot with his performance. And the director again should get the credit for extracting that from the actor.

And the final layer is the action. Srikanth Addala is weak on that score and has mostly stayed away from them in his films, barring one. Here the action is an integral part of the narrative. They carry a lot of emotion too. They are neatly executed but somehow lack sharpness and slick quality.

The first half, which runs on emotional drama, therefore, is superb. Venkatesh takes care of it out and out. The interval bang is sure to be loved by fans and movie lovers.

The second half has higher parts with emotionally charged drama. Narappa slips a bit here. The young-looking Venkatesh and pacing is an issue. Once things are back to action from pre-climax, Narappa gets back on track and ends well.

Overall, Narappa is a faithful remake of the original where the whole thing is recreated as it is. Venkatesh, with a career-best act and the scintillating background score, holds the attention throughout. Give Narappa a try; it would be a minimum decent watch for sure.

Everyone else apart from Venkatesh is supporting cast. Priya Mani back to Telugu cinema after a long gap is excellent. She has been utilised well. In the key scenes, she delivers and maintains the tempo along with Venkatesh. Abhirami appears in the flashback, and she is okay.

Karthik Ratnam playing the elder son of Venkatesh is good. He has done work in a similar space in the past, and it comes to his help here. Karthik is more confident and at ease here. Unfortunately, Rakhi playing the younger son doesn’t have the same impact. He is a weak link, and it’s visible in some critical moments where he has to deliver. The small scene before the interval fight with Venkatesh makes it look so obvious.

Among the rest, Rajeev Kanakala, Rao Ramesh and Naren bring seniority to the fore. They are adequate in their roles and do what’s required of them with ease. The rest, Sritej, Vasistha Simha etc., are alright with not much to do except being part of small dramatic moments.

Mani Sharma has been roped in to provide a couple of songs. They are alright as they are used as part of the narrative. The background score is retained as it is from the original. GV Prakash did an extraordinary job with it, and the same impact is felt here as well.

The cinematography by Sam K Naidu is good. It followed the original tone to the T and is successful in bringing the gritty and realistic quality. The editing is fine. The re-writing for the Telugu version is neat with the native ‘Seema’ slang.

Emotional Scenes

Slow Pace At Times

Slight Drag During The Second Half

When it comes to Telugu remake and keeping the age of Venkatesh, in mind, a young actor and, to be precise, Rana Daggubati essaying the younger version of Narappa would have been a refreshing change. Of course, the question of matching the intensity of Venkatesh remains, so it is a double-edged sword.

Did I Enjoy It?

Will You Recommend It?

Narappa Telugu Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti

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More From Forbes

‘horizon: an american saga’ critics crush kevin costner’s western epic.

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Kevin Costner in "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1."

Kevin Costner’s Western Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is new in theaters and critics largely aren’t impressed with his first of four planned Horizon movies.

Costner staged the world premiere of Horizon in May at the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France. However, a slate of bad reviews for Horizon out of Cannes was only the first blow for Costner. The second blow came in early June when The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film was tracking to make only $12 million in its opening weekend.

The number is concerning, considering the former Yellowstone star —per Variety —invested $38 million of his own money in the film’s $100 million production budget before prints and advertising. The rest of the movie, Variety added, was funded by two unnamed investors.

Warner Bros. is distributing the film, which is opening in 3,300 theaters on Friday.

One of the most damning reviews out of Cannes came from the Daily Beast with a headline that reads, “Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon’ Is a Misogynistic, Racist, Retrograde Mess.”

Also in the Daily Beast review, critic Esther Zuckerman writes, “The biggest problem with Horizon is that, even with its lengthy running time, Costner has only scratched the surface of the ‘saga’ he’s trying to tell. There is no arc to what happens, just the seemingly unending introduction of characters. Chapter 1 doesn’t end. Rather it just trails off into a clip reel of what’s to come like one of those ‘this season on …’ promos that comes at the beginning of a television show.”

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Luckily for the actor-director-producer, there have been some positive notices rolling in for Horizon . The film currently has a 40% “rotten” rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 68 reviews.

That number could go up or down depending on how many more RT critics weigh in throughout the film’s first weekend. However, it’s not looking good for the rating to rise, considering that Horizon started Thursday with a 50% “rotten” score and dropped 10 percentage points by Friday morning.

Critics’ ratings aside, the key number for Horizon is the amount of dollars the 3-hour and 1-minute film can make in its opening weekend. After all, a low turnout for Chapter 1 of Horizon won’t bode well for Chapter 2 , which is opening in theaters on August 16.

What Else Are Critics Saying About ‘Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1’?

The official logline for Horizon: An American Saga reads, “Oscar-winning director Kevin Costner chronicles the incredible epic journey of the expansion of the American West, before and after the Civil War.

“Between the Native Americans who saw their lands getting colonized and those who were determined to settle there, sometimes at any cost, history is being written. In a flamboyant fresco where multiple destinies intertwine, dreams and hopes face obstacles and cruelty to offer a cinematic spectacle of exceptional scope and emotional depth.”

Among the positive reviews of the film on Rotten Tomatoes , Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph in the UK writes, “Part of the pleasure of Horizon is the sheer, magisterial sweep of the thing – with mountains and buttes and mesas like these, who needs CG? But its texture lives in small, telling details.”

Meanwhile, Helen O’Hara of Empire Magazine points out Horizon’s flaws but still notes, “It's fine for an epic to sprawl, but you want a sense of purpose at the same time, and this one sometimes loses its way. Still, it’s handsomely shot and well performed, a throwback to the glory days of event-movie horse operas.”

On the negative side, Katie Walsh of the Daily Tribune writes, “ Horizon is the kind of auteur project that makes one long for the idea of studio notes, for anyone to push back on Costner’s worst instincts. Unfortunately, he proves to be the judge, jury and executioner of his own passion project."

Brian Lowrey of CNN wasn’t impressed with Horizon either, writing, “Nobody has done more to keep the western flame kindling on the big screen than Kevin Costner, but the audacity of his latest rodeo feels like overreach, if not outright folly.”

If it’s any consolation, the RT Audience Score is 71% “fresh” based on 100-plus viewer ratings.

Also starring Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Michael Rooker, Horizon: An American Saga opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.

Note: This story has been updated to reflect the updated Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score through Friday morning.

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‘Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1’ Review: The Beauty, and the Bloodshed

In the first of a projected four-film cycle, Kevin Costner revisits the western genre and U.S. history in a big, busy drama.

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By Manohla Dargis

Midway through Kevin Costner’s big, busy, decentered western “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1,” the actor Danny Huston delivers a brief speech. The year is 1863 — two years into the Civil War — and his character, a colonel in charge of a military fort in the southwest, is discoursing on a nearby settlement called Horizon. Apaches have recently burned the hamlet to the ground, killing scores of settlers. You simply need look at the land, the colonel says, to see why the newcomers will keep coming.

“You may recall that’s what drove us across the ocean to this country in the first place.”

Huston, an imposing presence with a rich, sepulchral voice that can suggest depths, delivers this nod at Manifest Destiny with arid sobriety. His words certainly sound meaningful yet this reference to American expansionism just hangs in the air, untethered from history or ideology. Given this nod as well as the film’s large scale, crowded cast, multiple story lines and nearly three-hour run time, it’s reasonable to assume that Costner will add context, commentary or, really, anything . Yet all that’s clear from “Chapter 1,” the lead-in for his splashily publicized four-film cycle , is that the land was vast and beautiful, and everyone wanted a piece.

“Chapter 1” is the first movie that Costner has directed since his 2003 western “Open Range,” an earnest period drama about free-grazing cattlemen facing down a wealthy rancher. What’s striking about that film, beyond how Costner draws from so many different genre touchstones — John Ford, Clint Eastwood and Sam Peckinpah, among others — is how he tries to honor old-fashioned westerns that he so clearly loves while also complicating the myth of the American West through his character, a violence-haunted gunfighter.

A version of that same man — tough, terse, good with a gun, not bad with the little ladies and now named Hayes Ellison — rides into “Chapter 1” about an hour in, handsomely framed against a bright blue sky. What takes him so long? Given how the movie plays like an extended prologue, I suspect that Costner timed his entrance for a four-part project rather than for a stand-alone film. That makes it tough to get a handle on precisely what he’s up to here, other than gesturing at history, re-engaging with an archetypically American genre and readying the foundation for an epic that will continue when “Chapter 2” opens in August.

Written by Costner and Jon Baird, “Chapter 1” features uneven lines of action that jump across the map, from the southwest to the Territory of Wyoming. In one section, bad men with good cheekbones, their dusters trimmed with animals skins à la Gladiatorial Rome, chase after a righteously violent woman (Jena Malone in a lively, credible turn). In time, they end up in one of those frontier towns with muddy streets and desperate characters, a sinkhole where Hayes rides in with some gold and exits with Marigold (Abbey Lee), a lady of the evening (and afternoon). In another section, Luke Wilson leads a wagon train peopled with tough Americans, Laplander goons and two British twits itching for some punishment.

The story line that revs up the action centers on the settlement, a riverfront hamlet on a ribbon of green that winds through the desert and has attracted the attention of a tribe of White Mountain Apache led by Tuayeseh (Gregory Cruz). Soon after the movie opens, the settlers are swinging their partners to fiddles like good John Ford folk; not long after, many are dead, cut down by Apaches. Among the survivors are the newly widowed, impeccably manicured Frances Kittredge (Sienna Miller) and her daughter, Elizabeth (Georgia MacPhail), who take refuge in the fort. There, they meet a first lieutenant, Trent Gephart (Sam Worthington), a thoughtful soul who refers to Native Americans as Indigenous.

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Critic’s notebook: cnn’s biden-trump presidential debate was a depressing and distressing display.

Biden failed badly at optics, Trump was outrageously but calmly dishonest, and moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash barely bothered to do their job.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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By any official measure, the debate between Biden and Trump lasted a little more than 90 minutes. So why do I feel like I aged five years watching it?

Possibly because Joe Biden seemed to age that much as well. Prior to the event, the conventional wisdom was that President Biden had to project enough vigor and forcefulness to counter the arguments that he’s too old to serve another four years. The other generally agreed-upon idea was that Trump had to show restraint and not behave in his typical unhinged fashion.

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And much to the dismay of Democrats who probably tore out much of their hair during the evening, it wasn’t Biden. The president has been locked away at Camp David engaging in strenuous preparations for the past week, but you wouldn’t know it from his rambling, unfocused performance. From the very beginning, he spoke too quickly, failing to form coherent sentences and frequently losing his train of thought. And why, oh why, did no one think of giving him a lozenge? He didn’t just have a frog in his throat — he had the entire amphibian kingdom.

Trump, on the other hand, seemed calm, cool and collected, staring straight ahead during Biden’s answers and somehow stifling his normal gleeful impulse for chaos. His advisers must have wired him to a machine guaranteed to induce electric shocks if he spoke out of turn. It didn’t matter that virtually everything that came out of his mouth was a lie . If you watched with the sound off, he looked composed, and sometimes bemused during Biden’s answers. Biden, on the other hand, alternately looked horrified and confused , as if desperately searching for the TV remote.

Trump indulges in so much revisionist history, he’d probably claim the South won the Civil War. By his reckoning, his presidency was a time of moonbeams and puppy dogs, when we all lived in prosperity, harmony, and sang campfire songs together. “Everything was rocking good,” he said nostalgically about his time in office, sounding like late-period Elvis.

By Trump’s account, the world will be restored to order the minute he returns to the presidency. The war between Israel and Hamas will end, Putin will withdraw all his troops from Ukraine, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will be immediately released from prison, and liquid bacon will pour freely from public fountains.

One assumes that Biden was coached before the event, so it’s baffling that it took him 43 minutes to mention that he was debating a convicted felon . (You’d think he might have brought that little detail up first.) Eventually he got the wind in his sails , even if his insults made him sound like the proverbial old man telling you to get off his lawn. He told Trump, “You have the morals of an alley cat,” which is an insult to alley cats. He also referred to the former president as a “loser” and a “whiner.”   

At least his digs made sense. Trump, on the other hand, engaged in bizarre free association, calling Biden everything from a “Manchurian candidate” to “a very bad Palestinian … he’s a weak one,” whatever that means. When Biden mentioned that a poll of historians had rated Trump as the worst president ever to hold office, Trump responded that he has his own team of historians who rated him the best. At another point, he proclaimed, “I didn’t have sex with a porn star,” for those looking to mark it on their bingo card.

CNN , which had previewed the event 24/7 for what seems like the last millennium, didn’t exactly distinguish itself with this strenuous effort to trademark presidential debates now and in the future. Moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash were more like game show hosts, barely bothering to do even the barest of fact checking and letting Trump’s litany of lies go unchallenged .

It’s no wonder that by the end of the evening Trump looked like the Cheshire Cat grinning over the impending end of democracy as we know it.

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Blue Lock: Episode Nagi Review

The popular soccer anime, seen from a fresh perspective..

The first thing you should know about Blue Lock: Episode Nagi is that it’s halfway between a recap movie and a side story. We've come a long way from the dozens of standalone, non-canon features based on popular anime like Dragon Ball and Naruto, but Episode Nagi isn't an essential next chapter in an ongoing series like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train or Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle . Instead, it's set before and during the events of the first season of Blue Lock, the popular, ludicrous, and thrilling soccer anime about a Squid Game -like competition/training program intended to create the world's best forward striker.

The focus is on the titular Seishiro Nagi, a standout character from Season 1, and his best friend, Reo Mikage. This means that Episode Nagi repeats a lot of the structure, and even plenty of scenes, from Season 1. But make no mistake: This is no mere recap or compilation film. It’s not even another Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training situation, providing a sneak peek at upcoming episodes following a whole lot of recap. Instead, it primarily consists of new material showing Nagi and Reo's first meeting and blossoming friendship in the lead-up to them joining the Blue Lock program, and their experience with the first couple of rounds of eliminations. What Tom Stoppard’s dark comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is to Hamlet, Episode Nagi is to Blue Lock, as we explore some of the events of Season 1 reframed from Nagi and Reo’s point of view – which reveals their own trials and tribulations.

Blue Lock: Episode Nagi Gallery

Much like the recent Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, the emotional crux of Episode Nagi is the protagonist's complete indifference toward sports, and the question of whether he'll be able to learn to love them. When we first meet Nagi, he only cares about video games. His life revolves around making the least amount of effort because otherwise everything is a hassle to him – like eating, which leads to brushing his teeth, which is a waste of time. The attitude could become rather annoying rather quickly, but voice actor Nobunaga Shimazaki gives Nagi enough of an innocent charm to make him funny and never irritating. Indeed, it's easy to root for Nagi – to relate when he tries to leave Blue Lock the moment they tell him he can't use his phone, or when he learns he'll spend all his time in the program training (and only training).

It’s also easy to root for him as he slowly opens up to Reo, who starts out as a rich kid pushing Nagi to be his soccer teammate and becomes a true friend. What was a mostly one-note character on the show now gets as much depth as the first season's main character, Yoichi Isagi. That alone makes Episode Nagi an essential addition to the overall Blue Lock experience.

What is the best sports anime?

Though there are times when the first season's wonky CGI rears its ugly head – particularly during previously seen scenes like the match between Team V and Team Z – Episode Nagi takes advantage of its bigger budget to deliver some thrilling 2D animation. The matches are fast-paced, detailed, and exhilarating, with a good blend of actual soccer skills and over-the-top superpowers. Particularly great is the visualization of the characters' auras as their egos awakens alongside their talent: Isagi's spatial awareness appearing as puzzle pieces falling into place, or Nagi's ability to kill a ball's momentum with one touch represented by a grim reaper.

Unfortunately, the feature-length format leads to some bizarre choices, like cramming all translations into two subtitle lines – meaning every time there’s text on screen, it’s translated alongside dialogue, which goes by so fast that it's easy to miss out on a lot of information. And despite devoting most of its runtime to new material , the last 10 of Episode Nagi nearly ruin what comes before. While a natural and effective climax arrives when Nagi teams up with Isagi, the film keeps going, condensing the remaining 12 episodes of Season 1 into a single montage that comes across as forced and clunky. It rushes past a face-off between Reo and Nagi, which runs counter to everything Episode Nagi has shown us up to that point. My advice: Leave the theater when the montage starts and rewatch the show on your own.

Blue Lock: Episode Nagi is an inventive way of recapping the story of the first season of Blue Lock without just repeating the same old scenes. Instead, we get a poignant side story that deepens one of the show's characters, and makes the Blue Lock program feel larger by showcasing the perspective of players other than protagonist Yoichi Isagi.

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‘A Family Affair’ Review: Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman’s Hollywood-Set Rom-Com Has No Heat

With a puzzlingly uncinematic look and clumsily paced relationship beats, Richard LaGravenese’s dull Netflix offering fizzles.

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What sets off Zara’s downward spiral is her job resignation, and the spontaneous romance that sparks between Chris and Brooke — the former, a lonely man worshipped but not understood by millions, the latter, jadedly single since the death of Zara’s dad more than a decade ago. Seemingly acting out of protective instincts for her mother — after all, she’s seen what a despicable womanizer Chris can be — Zara complains constantly that her mom is dating her ex-boss, dismissing both Brooke and Genie in their respective needs from her. Brooke thankfully finds the encouragement she doesn’t get from her daughter through a lovely relationship with her legendary editor Leila (Kathy Bates, effortlessly grounding the film), who also happens to be her mother-in-law.

In charting the growing closeness of Chris and Brooke, LaGravenese’s direction is oddly rigid and dull. Across the magical studio lots they stroll through and the private meals they have away from prying eyes, you almost beg the film to loosen up a little and let the beautiful leads organically relax into its rhythm. Instead, “A Family Affair” insists on staccato beats and synthetic visuals. It’s surprising that famed Robert Zemeckis collaborator Don Burgess is behind the film’s shallow, one-note cinematography. Indeed, “A Family Affair” looks so lifeless that you wonder whether it’s being purposely uncinematic, out to fulfill the prophecy of the catch-all phrase “content.”

The production design also leaves a lot to be desired: While Brooke’s idyllic home (the cryptic location of which so doesn’t look like L.A., by the way) is supposed to give off a lived-in Nancy Myers vibe with its fancy kitchen and serenely furnished living spaces, it looks like a showroom at best. Same goes for the Hallmark-card mountain lodge where the film’s main quartet spends Christmas. You’ve probably seen sitcoms with more authentic interiors.

In the end, everything falls into place much as one would expect. Friendships are restored (though poor Genie still gets the short end of the stick), love finds a way, and careers take off. Some of the film’s inside-baseball jokes about a town obsessed with soulless sequels and multiverses fortunately land. But the biggest joke seems to be on “A Family Affair” itself, for wasting Efron’s underrated talents and Kidman’s peerless range so clumsily.

Reviewed online, June 26, 2024. Running time: 111 MIN.

• Production: A Netflix release of a Roth/Kirschenbaum Films production. Producers: Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum. Executive producers: Alyssa Altman, Michelle Morrissey, Carrie Solomon.
• Crew: Director: Richard LaGravenese. Screenplay: Carrie Solomon. Camera: Don Burgess. Editor: Melissa Bretherton. Music: Siddhartha Khosla.
• With: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, Liza Koshy, Kathy Bates.

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Review: In the underpowered ‘Daddio,’ the proverbial cab ride from hell could use more hell

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The art of conversation has been a casualty in these deeply divided days of ours, and the poor state of talk in the movies — so often expositional, glib or posturing — is an unfortunate reflection of that. The new film “Daddio” is an attempt to put verbal discourse front and center, confining to a yellow taxi a pair with different life paths, as you would expect when your leads are Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson. (Guess which one is the cabbie.)

Johnson’s coolly elegant, nameless traveler, a computer programmer returning to New York’s JFK airport from a trip visiting a big sister in Oklahoma, may be getting a flat rate for her journey, but the meter’s always running on the mouth of Penn’s gleefully crusty and opinionated driver, Clark. He’s a twice-married man prone to streetwise philosophizing about the state of the world and, over the course of the ride, the unsettled romances of his attractive fare. And as she drops clues about her life — sometimes unwittingly, then a little more freely — she gives back with some probing responses of her own, trying to pry him open.

Review: ‘Madame Web’ weaves its way into primo ridiculousness, but Dakota Johnson fans should see it

By most metrics, the convoluted comic-book movie is dead on arrival, but those with a love of camp may enjoy it, especially since its star seems in on the joke.

Feb. 13, 2024

Writer-director Christy Hall, who originally conceived the scenario as a stage play, lets the chatter roll — there’s a significant stretch in which the cab isn’t even moving. And when silence sets in, there’s still an exchange to tend to, as Johnson occasionally, with apprehension, responds to a lover’s insistent sexting. This third figure (unseen, save one predictable picture sent to her phone) becomes another source of conjectural bravado for Clark, a self-proclaimed expert in male-female relations, who makes eye contact through the rearview mirror.

Watching the unremarkable “Daddio,” you’ll never worry that anything untoward or combustible will happen between the chauvinist driver with a heart of gold and the smart if vulnerable young female passenger who “can handle herself,” as Clark frequently observes. That lack of tension is the problem. The movie is less about a nuanced conversation between strangers than a writer’s careful construction, designed to bridge a cultural impasse between the sexes. Hall is so eager to stage a big moment that upends expectations and triggers wet-eyed epiphanies — He’s a compassionate blowhard! She can laugh at his crassness! — that we’re never allowed to feel the molecules shift from moment to moment in a way that isn’t unforced. Life may be the subject, but life is what’s missing.

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It doesn’t help that in directing her first feature, Hall has given herself one of the hardest jobs, getting the most out of only two ingredients and one container. It’s probably why Jim Jarmusch went the variety route with five different tales for his memorable 1991 taxi suite “Night on Earth.” That film conveyed a palpable sense of time and space.

“Daddio,” on the other hand, is nowhere near as assured visually or in its pacing. Hall has an experienced cinematographer in Phedon Papamichael (“Nebraska,” “Ford v Ferrari”) but chooses an unfortunate studio gloss that suggests utter control, rather than a what-might-happen vibe. Not that there’s anything wrong with a movie so clearly made on a set. But Johnson’s well-rehearsed poise and Penn’s coasting boldness make them seem like the stars of a commercial for a scent called Common Ground rather than flesh-and-blood people. At times, they hardly seem to be sharing the same car interior, leaving “Daddio” feeling like a safe space, when what it needs is danger.

'Daddio'

Rating: R, for language throughout, sexual material and brief graphic nudity Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes Playing: In limited release Friday, June 28

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