The Archies

Coming from Director Zoya Aktar, we had great expectations about the movie 'The Archies'.

I'd grown up reading Archie comics and was curious to see how Zoya had interpreted it. But obviously she hadn't bothered with any interpretation or her own take on it. All she has done is take the characters from the Archie comics and placed them in her movie. Thats all. This movie could have been set anywhere and played anyone - but I guess she managed to create a curiosity of sorts for people who have read the comics series.

Set in the 60s in a fictional town 'Riverdale', the movie is based on the Archie characters - all played by star kids. Zoya has managed a coup of sorts by scooping in not one, but at least three star kids from big hollywood families. And that seems to be only USP of this overly long movie; she has roped in Agastya Nanda (Amitabh Bachchan's grandson), Khushi Kapoor (Sridevi's daughter) and Suhana Khan (King Khan's daughter) - among other youngsters.

But the disappointment was not with their performance - since there was not much they had to do; they were playing typical teenagers - all dressed in the 60s costumes - and of course they typically looked like they were taking part in a period drama! The kids went about singing and dancing and then some more dancing and singing, in a fictional world - after all this is a musical, ain't it!? I kept hoping for the movie to take off, but it never reached take off speed - but seemed happy just pottering about.

The problem lay with the luke warm story - even though Zoya herself was one of the authors. The story didn't have any real meat. The songs weren't really memorable either; none of the scenes really sticks to your memory too; you actually feel relieved to get up from your seat when the titles start rolling in.

And I still can't believe that this is from the same director who had made movies like 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dubara', 'Gully Boy' or 'Dil Dhadakane Do'!

In short 'The Archies' was a big let down. Anyway, that's my 2 bits about this movie - which I guess is more than enough. I rate it 5/10, an average movie.

Released today on Netflix.

The film lacks life, grandeur and originality. The script is shallow, and the plot feels extremely stale, making the movie dull. It doesn't appeal to a culturally aware sophisticated audience. This movie might attract wannabe teenagers who doesn't know what life is outside their father's cocoon. This is not Hollywood, this is not Bollywood; this is lacking identity.

When a comic is recreated directors and actors should consider that execution of that nostalgic moments will be risky. Most of the time it ruins the original. This film, though musical was lacking that connection. So maybe the plan was to just make something for Netflix. Okay, there was one great line in the movie, to understand culture, one needs to go in, not out (of the country). Yes, then my question is is this movie in or out?

"The Archies" hits a sour note from the very start, thanks to a cast that delivers performances ranging from uninspired to downright cringe-worthy. The acting, a fundamental element that could have salvaged the film, instead becomes its biggest flaw.

Lead by a once-promising ensemble, the cast of "The Archies" appears disengaged, phoning in performances that lack authenticity and emotional depth. Even the usually reliable actors fail to inject life into their characters, reducing them to mere cardboard cutouts of their animated counterparts. The chemistry between the cast members is virtually non-existent, making it difficult for the audience to invest in the relationships and conflicts that unfold on screen.

One of the film's major pitfalls is the wooden delivery of dialogue, with exchanges feeling forced and devoid of natural flow. Emotionally charged scenes that should have been poignant become cringe-inducing, as the actors struggle to convey genuine feelings. It's a painful reminder of the importance of strong performances in bringing characters to life, and "The Archies" sorely misses the mark on this front.

Even the charismatic Archie Andrews, typically a beacon of charm, is reduced to a lackluster portrayal that lacks the energy and enthusiasm associated with the character. Supporting characters fare no better, contributing to an overall lack of cohesion in the ensemble cast.

In the end, the horrible acting becomes the defining feature of "The Archies," overshadowing any potential redeeming qualities the film might have had. The lack of chemistry, authenticity, and emotional resonance in the performances ultimately leaves audiences cringing and longing for the animated magic of the original characters, rather than enduring this live-action misfire.

I'm sorry what? If they wanted an Indian adaptation they could've done a simple believable story. It started with a such a ridiculous self effacing colonialism loving bootlicking concept. Its so tone deaf they have no idea people are reclaiming their lands, their origins and a story which makes half Indians half colonizers look superior and unique, is not going to fly well with the audiences. This is neither for Indians, nor NRIs nor the International audience who will be absolutely clueless because they have been brought up on slumdog Millionaire and will consider this a wannabe project. It makes its proximity to whiteness as a USP and is a leap ahead of something Karan Johar would make. Again self effacing as can be. I have to say I like Suhana Khan's debut a lot. Nothing against her she looks like a beautiful humble girl, a really promising actress and really believable for this role. I think she is meant for much grittier cinema. I am so excited for her future she has her dad's easy charisma and relatability but this show is not it. Wish her the best and would love to see more of her in future.

The first 15 minutes of the movie itself were so cringeworthy that it spoiled the whole mood and left a bad taste over the entire film.

Bollywood makes a thousand times better musical movies than Hollywood. Who in the world thought it would be a good idea to make a musical like Hollywood but in Hindi/Hinglish?!?

The movie is set in 1960, and there are barely any old white people in the film, considering we are dealing with Anglo Indians, so where are their British grandfathers and grandmothers? Don't tell me all left! And there are so many white Indian kids, but barely any older British people around?

English music is clearly from the 60s, but the Hindi music is straight from crappy autotune 2023 Tiktok generation!? The only good song comes at the end of the movie, which is by Arijit. They missed the perfect opportunity to have classical music, which was culture back in the day. The whole film should have been in English rather than in Hindi/ Hinglish. I don't know why, but it felt like it was not made for an Indian audience, and I live in Canada. I'm Canadian-Indian, even I couldn't relate.

The amount of money it went to make this clearly shows how good the cinematography looks, especially because of Zoya; she's a fantastic Director with her excellent camera work, but the movie itself is cringe. I feel bad for Suhana because I was looking forward to seeing this; all the actors did an "OK" job. I cannot say everybody was amazing because the movie itself is below mediocre, and it's filled with bad writing(dialogues).

Conclusion: don't fix something that's already perfect. This could have been a fantastic film if they had filmed this like a normal Bollywood movie, which is basically a musical. Hands down, Zoya's worst work.