Kingdom

"Kingdom" (2025) is a film that ultimately struggles to captivate, despite a truly terrific and excellent performance from Vijay Deverakonda. While Deverakonda delivers on his promise of a strong portrayal, the film's narrative execution, particularly in its storytelling and screenplay, falls significantly short of making it an engaging cinematic experience.

Vijay Deverakonda is undoubtedly the film's greatest asset. He carries the movie with his intense screen presence and delivers a compelling performance that stands out. His dedication to the role is evident, and he proves his capabilities even when the material around him falters.

However, the core narrative of "Kingdom" feels underdeveloped and lacks a cohesive flow. The storytelling struggles to maintain momentum, making it difficult for the audience to stay invested in the plot. The screenplay appears to be one of the film's major weaknesses, preventing the story from unfolding in a consistently engaging manner. This leads to parts of the film feeling rather average and failing to capture the viewer's full attention.

While the film may boast impressive visuals or a strong background score (as per other reviews), these elements are ultimately overshadowed by the uninspired plot and its execution. The lack of a gripping narrative arc means that even the high points don't land with the impact they should.

Overall, "Kingdom" (2025) is a film that might appeal to fans of Vijay Deverakonda, who delivers a noteworthy performance. However, its weak story narration and unengaging screenplay prevent it from being a truly satisfying or memorable cinematic outing.

The first half of the movie was somewhat watchable. But the second half was extremely slow, which was completely unexpected! The movie ended up being a total disappointment. I had thought this would be Vijay Deverakonda's comeback film after Liger-but I was disappointed once again.

Lately, it seems that no matter how average a movie is, people are desperately trying to make sequels-2nd, 3rd, or even 4th parts!

Perhaps the director thought he was creating a masterpiece, but instead, he made garbage.

If you have extra time on your hands, you can give it a watch.

Thank you, everyone.

The movie is, at best, an average experience - a one-time watch, if you ask me.

Right from the start, the prophecy subplot felt oddly familiar, almost like a rehash of Yuganiki Okkadu - and honestly, it didn't add much. It felt forced and unnecessary, especially when the rest of the story was trying to find its footing.

The first half was surprisingly decent. Vijay Deverakonda delivered a solid performance and the narrative flowed smoothly until the intermission. It built up some hope for a promising second half.

Unfortunately, that's where things fell apart. The emotional depth that was needed - especially in some of the heavier scenes - was completely missing. The chemistry between the hero and heroine was non-existent; it made you wonder why her character even existed. A major turning point involving the hero's brother could've been heart-wrenching, but it ended up feeling hollow and disconnected.

The second half tried to force-fit the prophecy storyline, as if they had no choice but to include it somewhere. It came off as unnecessary filler rather than a compelling twist.

The villain, though, was the saving grace - powerful screen presence and great acting. But even that couldn't salvage the final act. The climax fight between the hero and the villain lacked impact and felt lazily choreographed. It had potential, but the execution was just... meh.

Positives: Excellent camera work, Vijay Deverakonda's presence, some good Anirudh music, initial Hyderabad constable scenes, high production values, authentic Sri Lankan/South Indian locations, and an attempt to blend an old template with a new visual style.

Negatives: Overly layered, confusing screenplay with illogical plot developments; unclear character motivations; lack of detail and clarity; clichéd and ineffective heroine track; frustrating and silly proceedings in both halves; routine plot tropes (tribal/saviour/chosen one); ineffective sentiment; nothing new musically from Anirudh; too many familiar elements; unrealistic makeovers for a period drama.

The first half of the movie was somewhat watchable. But the second half was extremely slow, which was completely unexpected! The movie ended up being a total disappointment. I had thought this would be Vijay Deverakonda's comeback film after Liger-but I was disappointed once again.

Lately, it seems that no matter how average a movie is, people are desperately trying to make sequels-2nd, 3rd, or even 4th parts!

Perhaps the director thought he was creating a masterpiece, but instead, he made garbage.

If you have extra time on your hands, you can give it a watch.

Thank you, everyone.