Baahubali: The Beginning (2015)
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Baahubali: The Beginning Movie Review
Baahubali: The Beginning is a 2015 Indian historical fantasy action film directed by S. S. Rajamouli and starring Prabhas. It is one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time and it truly is such a fun, charming experience.
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“Maahishmati, breathe peacefully.
My son has come! Baahubali has returned!“
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The story itself is quite fascinating and although it is a typical story seen countless times, it is still infused with trademark Indian qualities which make it fresh and unique. I really found the first act a bit too difficult to comprehend as the action and the overall storyline wasn’t properly explained. But it got better in the second and third act and the plot became much more engaging and much better realized.
The characters are all solid, but could and definitely should have been better developed. The protagonist is too typical, but I really found Avanthika to be such a great and likable character who is also such a strong female character. And all of the women here are so well realized which was a surprise as they were better developed and certainly more interesting than their male counterparts.
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As is the case with Indian films, this one also has a distinct style which is achieved by a lot of singing and very big tonal shifts that happen quite often. And while that can be distracting and it does take its time to get there and for you to get used to it, I still liked it in the end as it provided many new flavors to this story.
First, let’s talk about the war and action aspects of the story. Yes, the end battle is most certainly extended beyond any reasonable running time, but it is still epic and so entertaining. The action sequences are phenomenal in Baahubali as they are not only well choreographed, but also at times inventive and immensely engaging. Every fight sequence is great here with the sword fights being so well executed. And the camera movements are great, letting you see everything properly. That definitely helps the movie a lot.
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Next up is the romance. I loved it! Yes, I found that aspect to be the best here which was really unexpected for me. It is simply magical and the whole movie is like that, but the romance at the center of the story is so well done that you wish that there were more of it. The highlight for me was the moment where he exposes her feminine side in a scene that is undoubtedly the best and most memorable one in the entire film. That sequence is accompanied by a song that isn’t annoying for once, it is visually astounding, even poetic and above all very erotic, but wonderfully so as it isn’t overly sexual, but sensual and energetic and done just right.
But the musical elements unfortunately did not work for me as I found the music annoying and not accompanying the scenery or the time period properly as it was too modern and too fast. But the songs are just very annoying and not one of them is particularly memorable or distinguishing itself from the rest of the pack. The musical aspect was the weakest one here.
Baahubali: The Beginning is technically astonishing. The visual effects are just amazing and the kind of effects that I adore. It always looks bright and colorful and it’s always polished and looks great. The scenery is mesmerizing with many breathtaking shots that just never seized to amaze me. The waterfalls, the caves, the nature, the clothes and everything here is so bright and detailed and just beautiful to look at. The score is also really good and the tone is in the end quite solid for an Indian film.
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The dialogue could have been better, but the direction is great and the pacing is excellent with the appropriate amount of running time as the movie is truly epic in scope and possesses terrific world-building. It is emotional at times, but not as much as I expected it to be. But the imagination is evident and I just loved this world. The humor is also there and although the movie can be at times too silly with its ridiculous action scenarios, it was still incredibly entertaining and just so effervescent from start to finish. And it is also memorable and authentic and so epic that it eventually trumps its still very good successor.
