About the film (courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment):
Based on the celebrated ancient epic known to billions, Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend tells the story of Rama, a prince bound by sacrifice; Ravana, an immortal king driven by vengeance; and the prophecy that binds their fates together.
An ambitious and fresh take on a pantheon that does not often see the same pedigree as others like Greek or Norse, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is built around the religion of Hinduism. That isn’t to say that it hasn’t been done before, but Nitesh Tiwari seems to have swung for the proverbial fences in more ways than one when bringing this film and story to life. This is further proven with grade A music provided by none other than Hans Zimmer.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend centers around its namesake main character played by Ranbir Kapoor, assisted by his brother Lakshmana (Ravi Dubey) and his wife, Sita (Sai Pallavi) as they attempt to navigate trial after trial on their journey. The main trio brave test after test on their adventure to bring peace to their home, with many of these trials forcing them to come to bear with the idea of weighing their own ideas of justice, honor, and loyalty with the reality of the circumstances that they are placed in, ultimately putting them on a collision course with the tyrannical and seemingly unstoppable reign of Ravana (Yash).
To say that Ramayana: Rise of a Legend delivers immensely on its story, messages, and world building would be an understatement. Whether it be special effects that truly are special, or the acting of the characters that draws a viewer in and encapsulates them wholly in this world, or action sequences and fight scenes that are every bit of the word epic, they are all backed by a remarkable set list that only the mind of Hans Zimmer could create. These are all reminiscent and similar qualities of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings movies and the more timely rendition of The Odyssey (2026) by Christopher Nolan.
Where this movie falls short is in its immediate demand for an audience’s deep and undivided attention. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend asks a lot of a western audience, even when viewing the dubbed version of the film. It starts off very quickly with its world building and exposition and it seldom lets its foot off the gas in that regard. This is partially no fault of the film itself, but when compared to its Greek mythological counterparts that most western audiences are already at least vaguely familiar with, there will be a sharp learning curve as audiences come to grips with the world that they are being thrust into as it tells a story that also seems to linger longer in some parts than it should.
With a runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend can almost feel laborious to watch for some periods in one full sitting. Whether it be the way the camera slogs through some of the film’s more lax encounters or the sheer size of the world that is being constructed in one fell swoop, it can almost be overwhelming, similar to drinking water from a recently burst fire hydrant. For the part 1 of a story, it feels like it in itself could be split into two separate pieces to make it more easily digestible.
In conclusion, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is an excellent film that fans of detailed stories are sure to love and enjoy, and it has been brought overseas in a way that could not be better done. From the stellar mouth matching that was done for the dub, or the 3D and IMAX 3D cinematography that it received, it is highly evident how much work and passion went into making this project what it is. It is hard to not wish that the second part of this tale would release sooner than it is (currently slated for 2028). But if the sequel matches the first in terms of quality, it will be sure to impress.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is in theaters Thursday, November 5th.
