Seu Crime, Seu Sofrimento

I was initially drawn to this movie because of it's similar premise with the H.P. Lovecraft/Hazel Heald story "Winged Death". Eega is not your typical fare, especially as an American unaccustomed to the movies of India. The first quarter of this film feels like you're watching the love child of a car/jewelry advert and music video. That's not to say it's bad it's just atypical and at times distracting.

Overall I found the story to be somewhat predictable and it veered from a sickening sweet to the dark and sinister. The acting is pretty good throughout but the actor playing the villain really shines.

The CG effects are sub-par compared to a Hollywood block buster but despite this I found myself forgetting I was watching a very obviously CG fly which I took as a good sign.

I would say if you're in the mood to experience something different, to step outside of the rehashed Hollywood garbage, are open to a movie that teeters from whimsical to sinister, and want to watch a moral dance between what amounts to a mob boss and a CG fly give this gem a shot.

Before I begin this review, I would like to take a moment to salute Mr. S.S.Rajamouli for coming up with an entertainer that has pushed the boundaries of our filmmaking. Eega makes us all proud to be a part of the Telugu Film Industry.

'Eega' has released across the world today in a big way and the movie has been directed by S.S.Rajamouli. Music has been scored by Keeravani and the film has Samantha,Nani and Sudeep in lead roles. The movie has some outstanding performances but Sudeep takes the cake. He is terrific as the villainous guy and his screen presence is riveting. Sudeep is a major asset for the movie.

Samantha comes up with a good performance and she looks very cute in the movie. Her interaction sequences with the Eega are heartwarming.

Nani delivers a humorous and spirited performance in the brief role that he has. He has good comedy timing. Srinivasa Reddy and Thagubothu Ramesh bring a few laughs.

S.S. Rajamouli's direction and screenplay deserve special mention. The story moves along at a terrific pace and the buildup to the interval is amazing. Good humor and solid drama keep viewers deeply involved in the film. The special effects are of very high quality and they have never been seen in Telugu Cinema before.

The emotional struggle of the Eega and its cute mannerisms will endear it to kids. Don't be surprised if your kids bug you for an Eega toy after this movie.

The climax block and the way the Eega extracts its revenge on the villain is shown brilliantly. Eega also performs Chiranjeevi's Indra step and Jr NTR's Yamadonga step during the climax title cards. Visual effects and CGI images are of a very high quality and they are worth applauding. Eega's revenge sequences have been well conceived by Rajamouli and the SFX team. As I said before, Eega makes us all proud to be a part of the Telugu Film Industry. It is wildly entertaining, hilarious at times and the Eega really endears itself to viewers. Don't miss out on 'Eega'. These kind of films don't come very often. GO and grab your tickets now folks...

Elements like the below are an icing on the cake : 1. Eega doing its best to prevent Sudeep from getting intimate with Bindu.

2. Eega's teasing gestures to Sudeep, which is funny and also lends an aura of heroism around the fly.

3. Eega's song where it challenges Sudeep is not only well-placed but also an integral part of the film.

4. The character of Bindu being made a part of Eega's plot is superb. Kicha Sudeep's performance in Eega is getting rave reviews from various quarters. With his wonderful acting, the actor has won the hearts of the audience. However, his fan followers from Karnataka had one more reason to be thrilled

How often have you seen a director telling you the story of his to-be directed film on the day of muhurat? How often have you laughed on hearing a silly storyline? How often have you seen a film which sounds silly but makes you wonder over it? Well you need not answer any of the questions above but what matters for everyone is that SS Rajamouli has created a film which stands way above the normality and entertains its patrons too. The story of Eega can be told in a simple manner. A boy falls in love with a girl. The girl is wanted by another sinister and powerful man. Sensing that the lover boy would be a threat to his dubious designs, the powerful man kills him off. The lover boy is born again as a housefly and is out to take a revenge over his killer. But rather than the story it is the process of experience the journey of revenge and the process of how a housefly creates havoc for such a dangerous person and makes him pay for his mistakes. The process itself is so good and hilarious that every time the fly makes its appearance before the villain there are fireworks and the proceedings are just logical and very believable. The performances of the lead cast are very laudable. Sudeep steals the show with his antics. His minute expressions coupled with anger, irritation and humor are to be experienced. His is a complex role portraying various emotions and Sudeep just excels. He is one actor who is actually a superstar in Kannada and yet accepted a negative role in his debut Telugu film. Kudos to him. Samantha looks beautiful as girl next door and the object of villain's desire. She tugs at hearts and also acts vengeful. Nani should be lauded for taking up this film in-spite of very well knowing that his role would be very limited one more like a guest appearance. He made an impact with his presence and his pairing with Samantha is fresh and youthful. Coming to the direction part, SS Rajamouli takes a leap into the next league of directors. He now can claim part in that elite group of film makers who have changed the trends of cinema. He is the only director who has not tasted a failure and Eega would continue the trend. He broke many a conventions with this film. His greatest trick in this film is to keep the story and screenplay very simple not taxing the minds of the audience. Though he employs high VFX in creating the fly and its adventures, he makes the eega look lovable and likable. His other biggest victory lies in utilizing every department properly. The other heroes other than Rajamouli for the film behind the camera were KK Senthil Kumar (Cinematography), MM Keeravani (Music) and Makuta (VFx). These departments have helped Rajamouli to visualize his dream of telling a bedtime story effectively onto the screen. Makuta have done a wonderful job of creating this creature and making it lovable without making it look grotesque. The VFx utilized in the film are of top quality and set new standards in Indian cinema after Robot. Keervani's music deserves a special mention as the maestro proves that given an exciting story, he would create wonders with his own talent. If the eega which appears on screen communicates with the audience, it is due to the background score of Keeravani only. KK Senthil Kumar once again proves that he is the best when dealing with high budgeted technical extravaganzas as he understands the directors vision and his camera just catches the proper nuances of the minute creature. Rajamouli has proved that no big star is needed to entertain audience but a little bit of imagination and compelling screenplay is enough to keep one glued to the screen. Eega is a compelling film which can be enjoyed by a 6 year old as well as an 80 year old too. Just go ahead and watch this amazing film.

Folks, before I begin let me just say that Telugu Cinemas have become too formulaic in the past decade. To sum it up there is ALWAYS a flashback, hero sets out to make the villain look like a fool, right before the intermission/halfway point through the movie the audience is let in on the secret that the hero only knows, in between there is a love track between the hero and heroine that is established in a wish-washy way. All the while there are 5-6 songs thrown in at the most inopportune moments; with double-entendre lyrics. I for one am fed up with the lack of variety among the modern Tollywood films.

Along comes Rajamouli's "EEGA" (also released in Tamil as "Naan EE") and kicks the routine formula out of the equation, and puts any other movie made in the last decade or so to shame. TELUGU MOVIES do not get any better than this folks. Take a moment to applaud Rajamouli as this film is his magnum opus! The special effects, background score, cinematography, and screenplay rival that of Western world's best films (might be a slight exaggeration on my part). It's safe to say that Rajamouli's streak will continue, and will carry his name to new heights around India. He must be commended for making use of a low key set of actors and actresses to make (in my opinion) the greatest Telugu film ever made.

Sudeep is the real scene stealer here; while Nani, Samantha, and Thagubothu Ramesh do their roles justice. Sudeep plays the villain with such conviction that you forget he is acting. Every scene with our protagonist the "Eega" and Sudeep is sure to be eye candy for every audience member. I assure you that there will be enough comedy in this movie for anyone looking for a few laughs. After the halfway mark/intermission is when the ticket price starts paying for itself (I won't say why ;) ). I have to commend the SFX team for making this one a visual treat. There is not more that I can say without giving away key information about the plot, and story. Go pay the ticket price and enjoy this close to 3 hour visual feast.

GO WATCH THIS ONE WITH THE FAMILY!