Animal Review: Ranbir Kapoor's film is a stylishly violent but an empty star vehicle

Animal released today, amidst a lot of buzz… and baggage. With Kabir Singh, Sandeep Reddy Vanga became a cult figure of sorts. His narrative became as much part of discourse as his personal philosophy and viewpoint about his movies. His latest Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal promises to charter through very much similar lanes that his previous films Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh trudged, only with more violence and a newer me - a troubled far-son bond. But does Animal succeed in ticking all right boxes?

Hot Take

Animal gives us brief glimpses of a destructive relationship between an absentee far and his emotionally wounded son, before taking us into manic descent of desperate son to win over his far’s approval. However, once you figure out that Sandeep Reddy Vanga is not interested (or capable) of saying something deeper, Animal can get tiring with its relentless misogyny and violence.

Does Animal live up to hype?

Animal does everything that you could expect from maker of a film like Kabir Singh - only everything is dialled up.

All action, little psychology

Sandeep Reddy Vanga wants to share his philosophy through Animal. But he also wants to say nothing about psychology of violence or trauma of relationships. handful of moments that Vanga makes space for just doesn’t suffice. One needs a deeper look into psychology to sustain a 200-minute-long violent film. Animal doesn’t make space for much of that. Inste, Vanga remains excessively obsessed with capturing every grain of thought that Ranvijay (Ranbir Kapoor) feels, that we barely know what’s happening elsewhere.

Some of se moments capture that desperate anguish of not belonging, of wanting to be loved. Animal is impactful in se scenes. y come close to being a critique of protagonist’s trauma. And again in climax, film returns to Ranvijay’s trauma.

But strangely, it all feels vacuous because Vanga doesn’t spend anytime in capturing evolving relationship between Ranvijay and Balbir. So much transpires from film’s opening scenes to interval point, and yet audience remains clueless about how Balbir's (Anil Kapoor) feelings change for his son in this period, or wher y do at all or not. Towards end, when Geetanjali (Rashmika Mandanna) finally decides to do something about ir marriage, it makes us feel nothing because we are never sure how this will impact Ranvijay's life.

Portions of great filmmaking scattered throughout

All this hurts even more because Sandeep Reddy Vanga sure knows how to craft a scene, how to use background music and effectively transition between scenes. first half has that kind of renaline and energy that a star vehicle like this needs. se signs are intermittent, but y do leave an impact. interval scene works despite its relentless noise because Vanga treats it with such conviction.

It starts to become disappointing because deep down you know that this is all Vanga has to offer in Animal, nothing more. You feel that Vanga is going for an element of sness when Punjabi track Duniya Jala Denge plays over gory, violent showdown between two men, but it never turns emotional because director has spent too much time earlier indulging himself and writing elaborate subplots and confrontation scenes that d nothing to our knowledge of se people or ir universe.

Vanga's reactionary women

What is borsome is Vanga’s dogged determination to underplay women in this world ruled by alpha men. In his first real conversation with a woman he has secretly desired for years, Ranvijay tells Geetha that she has a great pelvis that is conducive to producing many babies. In anor scene, Ranvijay mocks a psychologist (who happens to be a woman) after agreeing to co-operate.

In a narrative that is alrey about glorification of a certain idea of manhood, Vanga builds a world around Ranvijay so that his masculinity gets furr highlighted. Even towards climax, re is a throwaway visual of a pregnant woman at mercy of our protagonist. That scene is not necessary, but you realise that Vanga gets a kick of incorporating se elements that make Ranvijay look closer to his idea of perfect masculinity (which in itself remains hugely problematic and discomforting). Ranvijay constantly talks about things that remind us of his alpha status, especially in his own he.

At one point, Ranvijay introduces his wife to someone as his half - he deliberately omits word better and yet uses phrase noneless to remind us of transgression. Animal is filled with se transgressions, and Vanga never gets tired of it. Maybe Kabir Singh filmmaker really is uninhibited, unconditioned by modern ideas about gender equations and political correctedness. Or maybe Animal is drafted as a deliberate, provocative response to all backlash Kabir Singh received.

It’s an out-and-out Ranbir Kapoor show

re is no doubt Ranbir Kapoor has right charisma and magnitude to carry a role like this. actor switches from cold-blooded killing to intensity with satisfying ease, and Vanga writes a role that does complete justice to Ranbir’s potential.

It’s Anil Kapoor who is unfortunately wasted in this role that’s neir big or substantial enough for his stature. Rashmika Mandanna, despite her share of moments that allow her to shine, is restricted by narrative. However, it is Bobby Deol who leaves a big impact despite very limited screen time. It’s also in se moments introducing Deol’s character where Vanga is at his best in terms of building tension and an atmosphere of dre.

Watch it or skip it?

It’s hard to dismiss a movie where it’s clear maker knows his craft. At same time, it’s equally difficult to recommend a film that is deliberately provocative and reactionary.

Bottomline

At end Animal proves our worst fears to be true - it’s all too violent and vacuous at once. re is nothing beyond surface-level renaline of blazing machine guns and a simmer Ranbir Kapoor presence.

Rating - 2/5 stars