Starring: Prabhas as Shivudu/Baahubali, Rana Daggubati as Bhallaladeva, Anushka Shetty as Devasena, Tamannaah Bhatia as Avanthika, Sathyaraj as Kattappa, Nassar as Bijjaladeva, Ramya Krishnan as Shivagami, and Kichcha Sudeep as Aslaam Khan
Rating: PG-13, subject matter and some violence
Running Time: 159 min
Twinkies: 4 3/4 stars
Synopsis: This movie is about a tribal warrior boy, Shivudu who learns his past and awaits his destiny. It takes place in an fictional kingdom of Mahishmati. On the backdrop of a mighty water fall, an old yet regal lady (Lady Sivagami) tries desperately to save a baby from a few attacking soldiers, but dies in the process. A tribal chief and his wife adopt that baby boy as their son. This adventurous and daring man becomes involved in a decades old feud between two warring people and learns his destiny.
Musings: No! Are you surprised?! Yes! This isn’t about a Korean movie! No! Not a Japanese or Chinese! For once, Movie Monday is going to take you to Bollywood! To Bollywood like you’ve never seen it before! Sure, I’ve watched a lot of Bollywood movies over the years. I’ve watched some very good ones that I’ve loved dearly, even the singing and dancing! However, this is the first of this kind of movie that I’ve ever seen; not once but thrice!!
Baahubali starts off like any typical Bollywood movie that I’ve seen. We have the guy, he’s kind of fun and silly. He meets the girl (well in this case, a mask) and falls instantly in love. He fantasizes over and again about this girl and her life above the skies because he knows he can find her way up above at the top of the waterfalls that he has tried to climb and conquer since he was a child. It is through his imagination and strength to meet this “woman of his dreams” that he finally climbs the waterfalls. And this is that point where the movie changes to one I’ve never seen!
The woman turns out to be Avanthika. She is a fierce and tough warrior! I love that she isn’t a weak and needing to be rescued female. Their first encounters are pretty delightful whereby he tattoos her while she sleeps or when she is staking out looking for the man who tattooed her! He manages to get the best of her to do it again! As expected, this doesn’t sit pretty with her and what ensues is a wonderful dance/song routine that I thoroughly enjoyed. Why? Avanthika has never been allowed to be a woman and its through Shivudu’s antics that she sees what a beautiful woman she is. No, not that she needs assurance from a man but because her true beauty was stamped out by her chief so that she would be an effective warrior.
Just when you think this is going to be a typical Bollywood production, the story goes on CGI, fantasy, and some pretty awesome fight scenes on steroids!! It seems that soldiers once again from the kingdom of Mahishmati, don’t know who they are dealing with and the strength and sheer warrior of Shivudu comes out like gang-busters! There are so many great CGI scenes but my favorite has to be the fight on the snow slopes which ends in one of the best captured snow rides you can imagine!
The overall acting is just great! Every last actor in this brings their “A” game! Strong female presence is represented by ALL the women in this movie! I enjoyed this movie so much that I’ve literally watched it more than once; usually starting with my favorite scene and going to the end. The popularity and the success of this movie is such that Baahubali 2 is being released and I’ve just read that there is a third in the making. This was definitely a winning combination!
Trailer is available on on Youtube Website only.
Baahubali: The Conclusion comes in April, 2017
I’m available on Twitter. Thanks to all of you Twinkles out here who are taking the time to read! If you have a suggestion for a future review, just leave me a comment! I’m always happy to have movie suggestions.
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