Bromance

Let's break this down like an equation: (BROMANCE - Mathew Thomas) + anyone else = a watchable flick

Congratulations to Mathew Thomas-you've officially delivered one of the worst performances by any working actor in recent times. Seriously, it's baffling how you've made it through so many films with such consistently subpar acting.

That said, if you can survive the first 20-25 minutes, the movie actually becomes enjoyable. The humor clicks, the comedy is light-hearted, and it works as a no-brainer entertainer with some decent laughs. The songs didn't do much for me, and while the background score was passable, Govind Vasantha seemed like a shadow of his former self. The Gen-Z and the Vloggers are trolled completely all over the movie was a good part.

Performance-wise, this film belongs entirely to Sangeeth Prathap-he nailed every scene he was in. Arjun Ashokan was okay overall, but in the second half, his performance edged dangerously close to irritating-just a notch above Mathew Thomas. Shajon, with his Don Lee-style mimicry, was fun to watch and delivered good comedic timing. Bharath Bopanna looked the part and played Ashish convincingly. Shyam Mohan didn't have much to do, but he served his role well. Mahima looked beautiful and was okay with her role.

All in all, despite the drag caused by Mathew Thomas, Bromance still worked for me and turned out to be a fun ride.

Rating: 5.5/10.

I see writer-director ADJ's intention to package a clean, colorful Gen Z entertainer, but this is honestly just passable fare. The humor barely (..and I mean, BARELY) hit the mark for me (eliciting a couple of chuckles isn't what I expect from a film marketed as a comedy), with only Sangeeth Prathap and Shajohn managing to work some magic. The rest of the cast is supremely annoying-Mathew and his anger issues reminded me of Ram Charan from Game Changer, just louder; Arjun Ashokan needs to change things around a bit, while Mahima Nambiar and Shyam Mohan hardly have anything substantial to do. Being loud and over-the-top only works when you have the acting range to back it up and that's unfortunately not the case with the majority of the ensemble here. It's not Saturday Night-level abysmal, but I sat through 2h 30m without connecting to the characters or their cooked-up situations. Bharat Bopanna, as Arjun Reddy lite, is alright. Govind Vasantha's music, which I usually like, also turns out to be meh. The Akhil George-Chaman Chakko combo, after Identity, is again working overtime to cover up for a weak script.

Well, movies at the end of the day, for a lot of it's consumers are a source of fun and entertainment and stree busters. An escape from the stress and rigours of day to day life and generally not much more is expected from a 2-3 hour watch. While many of us do enjoy gripping thrillers and intense drama and emotions and the odd scare fest, the slapstick entertainer is the staple when you just want to relax. Now in spite of this near staple like demand for this genre, executing it with perfection is a skill not many possess and delivering it with consistency was a skill the Malayalam industry was known for. An ode to the times of Priyadarshan's heyday, Sathyan Anthikkad and Siddique-Lal, Vineeth Sreenvasan and co.

Arun D Jose tries to emulate these veterans of the craft and while he falters on many fronts, does still manage to deliver a palatable product. The jokes do hit more often than not. The plot moves forward aided by a decent screenplay and some quirky dialogues. The cast was a bit of let down especially when it came to the comedic timing and it is Sangeeth Pratap and Shajohn who stand out but then do so more owing to being one eyed men in the land of the blind.

Overall the movie does offer some fun moments and the overall experience is worth the time invested though not by much and hence my run of the mill rating. Still, do watch if you have some time and no mood to invest much brain cells for a two and half hours.

The story revolves around two brothers, with a mix of action and comedy. While the fight scene was decent and watchable, the comedy felt forced-almost as if the filmmakers were desperately trying to make the audience laugh, but it simply didn't work. While I noticed some kids in the theater enjoying it, for me, the humor just didn't work. One of the biggest drawbacks was the overacting by several actors, especially Mathew, whose performance felt exaggerated and unnatural. Instead of immersing viewers in the story, the over-the-top acting made some scenes feel awkward. Overall, it's a watchable film, but not worth a theater visit-better suited for an OTT release.

Bromance is a good entertainer with an engaging storyline. Arjun Ashokan, Mathew Thomas, Sangeeth Prathap, Kalabhavan Shajon, and the entire cast performed their roles fabulously. The makers used some famous social media references, placing and presenting them very neatly. Most of the comedy worked well, making the film enjoyable for the audience. The technical aspects of the movie are superb, enhancing the overall experience. Overall, it is a great fun ride,decent, fun, and entertaining movie, mainly targeted youth. The second half works well, and Sangeeth's comedy timing adds a lot of laughs. The plot is simple, but the movie is still enjoyable and keeps you entertained.