Mirai

First of all, credit to the makers to dream of pulling off such a product within the limited budget. But the overall experience falls short of expectations.

Teja Sajja fits the bill, with no heavy duty acting required, Manchu Manoj brings in his unique mannerism and did well, although the character arc was predictable, Shriya looked tired on screen, lacking the divinity, rest of the cast just okayish, but the dubbing felt out of sync.

Technically, movie is solid, cinematography by Karthik is superb, once again proves his mettle as one of the DOPs from TFI, score by Gowra Hari is thumping and riveting, keeping the proceedings alive, editing by Sreekar Prasad could have been better, production values by PMF are very good and last but not least, the VFX department deserves good round of applause.

Coming to director Karthik Gattamaneni, though the script has got all the beats of a superhero movie, the staging and setup doesn't look organic and engaging, though the action blocks are well choreographed, the lead up doesn't induce any emotion. Also, the unnecessary comedic gags should have been avoided. First feels better compared to second half, in the latter the pace dips, only to pick up at the climax, which is, even though predictable, leaves a good impression. Overall, it's a decent one time watch.

BOTTOMLINE: What the hell was that post-credit scene? Totally unnecessary.

The movie's immersive storytelling stems from its seamless blend of human relations, core values, spirituality, and ancient lore. The story begins with Emperor Ashoka, a historical figure, and seamlessly connects his legend of the nine sacred books. A story finding its foot equally in history, spirituality, and mythology, binding it into a religious tale you would root for, is a fantasy most stories lack.

Mirai's strongest element is its invocation of Lord Rama. The narrative takes us to the Treta Yug and the land where Lord Ram picked up his weapon for the first time; the entire plot is surreal. And suddenly the film is no longer a simple hero-versus-villain story as it turns into Dharma vs Adharma.

Talking about performances, Teja has done a fine job, and his transition from an ordinary person to a soldier looks believable. Ritika Nayak did a decent job with her performance within the limitations of her character. Shriya Saran in the role of Ambika made her experience count and made her presence felt. Jagapathi Babu and Jayaram got very important roles and both of them performed well as usual. Manchu Manoj's antagonist avatar looked far from menacing and was quite disappointing.

The story isn't exactly groundbreaking - it's basically Avengers: Infinity War with a discount twist. Instead of Thanos collecting stones, our villain here is collecting books to gain superpowers. Don't ask why or how, because even the movie doesn't seem to know. No one ever reads those books, by the way.

Apparently, these magical books were written by King Ashoka himself - yes, the Buddhist emperor - and somehow, he's now part of a full-blown fantasy story with magic, dark magic, and enough superstition to fill ten temples. How or why a rationalist like Ashoka is involved? Don't bother figuring it out; the writers didn't either.

The hero's mission is to stop the villain, and guess what his weapon is? A magic stick - sorry, correction - Lord Rama's bow, conveniently chilling in an ice cave. The logic melts faster than the ice, honestly.

Most scenes are silly or unintentionally funny. The VFX is actually decent, and the cinematography looks good. Background music and production values are fine. Acting? Everyone's over the top, and Shriya Saran's serious expressions will make you laugh for all the wrong reasons.

Watch it only if the promos tricked you into thinking it's something epic.

The movie offers a storyline that feels somewhat unique, though not entirely groundbreaking. The narrative begins with an interesting premise, which initially raises expectations. However, as the film progresses, particularly in the first half, the pacing feels a little slow. This lag can make it difficult for viewers to stay fully engaged, as some sequences stretch longer than necessary without adding significant value to the overall story.

The picture editing and choreography were fairly average. For audiences who enjoy films filled with expeditions or adventure-driven sequences, the choreography may feel acceptable, even enjoyable at moments. But for many viewers, these scenes do not create the energy or rhythm needed to sustain excitement. Instead, they tend to drag in places, leaving the impression that the film could have benefited from tighter editing or more dynamic direction in this area. On the other hand, the film does shine in certain technical aspects. The visuals and graphics are clearly above average, offering a polished look that enhances the viewing experience. The effort put into the visual design is noticeable, and it provides some much-needed appeal when other elements fall short. The graphics contribute positively to the atmosphere, giving the film a professional finish.

Unfortunately, the ending does not live up to the expectations built earlier. It comes across as too simple, lacking both the drama and excitement that would have left audiences with a strong, lasting impression. A more impactful conclusion could have elevated the film's overall effect.

In the end, the movie is a decent watch. While it has good visuals and a storyline with potential, the lack of energy in execution and a weak ending prevent it from being truly memorable. Overall, it's good, but not amazing.

The story is about a negative entity getting hold of nine magical granth's (books) and succeed in his demonic endeavors. To oppose him we have our hero's and his various relations.

The story involves not one or two or three but nine magical books. The thing I did not like is the story being wrapped up with limiting number of access to these books by the demon. I mean it's hardly shown how the demon gets access to all this granth's except for the final one.

Now what I liked, the visuals are awesome the huge mythical eagle, fire, the mythical rod in itself and being turning into Lord Rams gaandiv, etc are all carved well.

Final Verdict: The story is not strong, but it's nice if you want something light minded. The movie is doing well at box office. You can give it a try.