Nav Saint

Was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did!

So good!! Darby’s character arc is amazing to watch. Lots of twists!

First, the GREAT: BOBBY DEOL. Wow. He nailed the role of a psychopath. It felt like I was watching a completely different movie (more on that later); you hate him, yet can't take your eyes off him. Bobby Deol was brilliant in emoting Abrar's rage & sadism; without speaking a word, he quickly became the most frightening villain (for me) in recent Bollywood history. PUNJABI BROS: The brothers were an unexpectedly awesome surprise (I never saw any trailers, so I'm unsure if they were previously referenced). I loved their interactions with each other and those outside their core group. Their introduction, from the village to when they all greet Anil Kapoor's character, is fantastic. The image of the solidarity and safety they provided was excellently executed. LOVED THEM. Also remarkable: none of them were killed off gratuitously; I look forward to seeing them in part 2. GEETANJALI: It was refreshing to see a female character who stood her ground, didn't kowtow to the in-laws, and, most importantly, NORMALIZED SEXUAL DESIRE! Women also have needs—it's not just about making babies and pleasing husbands. BUT: there was a glaring missed opportunity with this character (more later). The GOOD: RANBIR: On one hand, the film showcased his capabilities as an actor. On the other hand, the film showcased his same-old capabilities as an actor. He's a great actor, but I was reminded of his acting in Sanjay several times throughout the film. I'm not an actor/director/producer, but I'm sure this guy can play roles other than a Lothario playboy who grows up or a neurotic, raving lunatic, right? I hope he gets to flex his skills in part 2 as the evil version of himself. The BAD: *sigh* GEETANJALI: She should have left Vijay the moment he admitted his infidelity/pointed the gun at her. The power of the moment is lost when she eventually leaves him. OLDER SISTER: I couldn't sympathize with her. She is so unlikeable throughout the movie that it is impossible to understand why Vijay cares about her happiness. Every DV victim copes differently, but portraying her as a petulant, whiny, hateful brat just didn't jive. BALBIR: I lloooovvveee Anil Kapoor. That man can play a tree with conviction. But his brilliance was wasted in this movie. He was either slapping Vijay or staring at him, confused. Brutal. Finally, the worst of the worst: THE P L O T What WAS the story?! Vijay's "obsession" with his father? His undiagnosed mental health issues? It had so many moving parts, yet it went nowhere. I still don't understand why a straight-arrow CEO required Vijay to turn Terminator and run around with a gang of junior Terminators. The threat-to-response ratio was impossible to get on board with. The patriarchal history that was the crux of their lives wasn't explained nearly enough. The better story (imho) would've been the tale of the 3 brothers/grandfathers—minus Vijay's obsession with his father. Delve into all the cousins' characters and stories, and share more about Abrar's 3 wives (especially the first 2)! And sure, Vijay's evil, scientifically inexplicable clone can join the pack. This is the only Bollywood movie review I've ever written. I'm not even sure why I wrote it—procrastinating on other tasks, no doubt. If redos were allowed, Animal could've been epic. Still, I genuinely liked enough parts of the movie to make my overall experience enjoyable & I highly recommend it!

So good!! This movie is entertaining, action-packed, and even shows Statham in a different tough-guy light - loved it!!