KALKI 2898 AD: Sci-fi Movie Review, Rating

Prabhas and Nag Ashwin join forces for a period science-fiction film Kalki 2898 AD. The film's ensemble cast includes Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan. The film is carrying massive pre-release buzz resulting in huge advance bookings. The film's pre-sales crossed Rs 100 Crore Gross on its opening day including whopping revenue from the US Premieres. Without further due, let's check out how Kalki 2898 AD is.

Story

Going into the movie's plot, Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan) runs the world, Complex, which is for the elite. The other world is full of poverty and slaves that are starving for food. His lieutenant Commander Manas (Saswata Chatterjee) is running a lab for fertile women and experiments on their foetus. Sumati (Deepika) is the only pregnant woman who survives and escapes from the lab. She is rescued by the Shambala people who are rebels. Sumati is believed to be carrying God in her womb. She is protected by Ashwathama (Amitabh). The only ambition of Bhairava (Prabhas) is to become rich to live in Complex. He decides to bring back Sumati to evil people for bounty. How Sumati is rescued and What is Bhairava's real-identity?

Analysis

Kalki begins in Kurukshetra giving a glimpse into the final proceedings of Mahabharat and the aftermath of the war between Pandavas and Kauravas. Ashwathama, son of Dronacharya, is defeated, but not killed. Lord Krishna curses him to stay alive to witness the worst.

Director Nag Ashwin transports audiences into the world of Kalki. He mastered the art of narration. The grand scale, the characters, their introduction, their arcs and the whole story have been unfolded well. He beautifully crafted the film. The way actors have been chosen for the roles says it all.

Amitabh as Ashwathama, and Kamal Haasan as Supreme are two major pillars, besides the lead cast Prabhas (Bhairava) and Deepika Padukone (Sumathi). Director Ram Gopal Varma's cameo brings some smiles. SS Rajamouli's guest-appearance and his banter with Prabhas work in favour of the film. Vijay Deverakonda as Arjuna, Mrunal Thakur as Divya, Disha Patani's glam quotient appeal. The film has power-packed performances.

The first half has lag episodes. Prabhas introduction is good though. The interval episode is decent. It is the second half that saves Kalki. The latter half is thoroughly engaging with gripping portions. The Visual Effects stand out. The action episodes, and gravity-defying fights wow audiences. Bujji, the car of Bhairava, appeals to and amuses kids. The pre-climax and climax portions take the film to a notch above. However, the emotion quotient is a bit missing.

On the whole, Kalki 2898 AD scores well and it caters to audiences. It is an epic visual extravaganza that should not be missed. Watch it with families.

Thumbs Up

World of Kalki

Visual Effects, Action Scenes

Prabhas, Deepika Padukone

Powerful Performances

Thumbs Down

Sluggish First Half

Missing Emotion

Final Verdict: Kalki 2898 AD is Nag Ashwin's Visual Epic. Go for it!

Rating: 3.5/5