konda movie review and rating

We've detected your location as Mumbai . Do you want to switch?

Accurate city detection helps us serve more contextual content

• You are in (Delhi) Change City
• ETimes Home
• Web Series Trailers
• Movie Reviews
• Movie Listings

Visual Stories

• Did You Know?
• Bigg Boss 17
• Relationships
• Health & Fitness
• Soul Search
• Home & Garden
• Women's Day Special

Entertainment

• Music Awards
• Bhubaneshwar
• humburgerIcon humburgerIcon humburgerIcon

• Cast & Crew
• Movie Review
• Users' Reviews

Intense performances, loud and raw narration, and street-theatre-like screenplay make this action-biography drama work for the RGV mark cinema audience. Thrigun as Konda Murali and Irra Mor as Konda Surekha will impress.

Konda Movie Review: This action biography is a typical RGV offering

• Times of India

Kondaa - Official Trailer

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Subhabrata Saha 688 days ago

Horrible disgusting movie. Extremely poor script and direction. Actors are totally helpless. In a nutshell not at all watchable movie.

User 693 days ago

Mukunda rao dhanala 699 days ago, user 704 days ago, guest 710 days ago.

Konda, an action-biography drama helmed by maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma aka

Mouni Roy radiates monochrome magic in a black mini dress

Mahira Khan elevates wedding fashion inspiration

​Best ethnic looks of Losliya ​

​In pics: Elegant looks of Kanmani​

Avneet Kaur sets a fashion trend with her stunning white bodysuit outfit

How to make Chettinad Potato Fry at home

10 benefits of consuming soaked kishmish everyday

8 must-try varieties of papad for every foodie

10 bedtime questions to ask kids

Raashi Khanna stuns like royalty in a high-slit embellished black gown

• Entertainment /
• Movie Reviews /
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
• The song ‘Yamma yamma’ from ‘Shaan’ is sampled in the song ‘Partywali Night' for the film.

Choose your reason below and click on the Submit button. This will alert our moderators to take action

• Foul language
• Inciting hatred against a certain community
• Out of context/Spam
• Copied from article

• Cast & crew

A biopic based on the life of Konda Murali and Konda Surekha from Warangal. A biopic based on the life of Konda Murali and Konda Surekha from Warangal. A biopic based on the life of Konda Murali and Konda Surekha from Warangal.

• Ram Gopal Varma
• Bharat Kumar Pogula
• Parvathi M Arun
• Giridhar Chandramouli
• Abhilash Chaudhary

• Rama Krishna Alias R.K

• Konda surekha
• Nalla Sudhakar
• K Pratap reddy
• Heroine Father
• Konda Komuraiah

• Konda Murali
• Konda Chennamma
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Konda Murali : sometimes crime comes out of good intentions

User reviews

• How long is Konda? Powered by Alexa
• June 23, 2022 (India)
• Warangal, Telangana, India
• RGV Film Company
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 1 minute
• Dolby Atmos

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• General News
• Movie Reviews

Thank you for rating this post!

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Interested in writing political and/or movie related content for Telugubulletin? Creative writers, email us at " [email protected] "

Senior director Ram Gopal Varma is back with a film titled, Konda. Promoted as a biographical drama on Warangal based politician Konda Murali, the film has hit the screens on June 24th. Let’s see how it is.

Set in Warangal backdrop, the film mainly revolves around Konda Murali life story. Who is Konda Murali( Thrigun A)? What is his background? Being an aggressive natured guy, how will Konda emerge as man for downtrodden public? What is the role of Konda’s wife Surekha ( Irra Mor) in the entire setup? How will the couple go against the prevailing upper caste domination in and around Warangal, forms the crucial crux of the film.

On-screen performances:

Thrigun A perfectly fitted in the given titular role and did his part nicely. His mannerisms and dialogue delivery adds authentic flavour to the film. His intense acting in a couple of scenes in the second half brings depth to the proceedings.

Heroine Irra Mor surprises with her performance in all key scenes. Earlier, Irra Mor had glamorous on screen image but in Konda her acting will register well with the audience.

Comedian Prudhvi did negative role in the movie and he did his part quite decently. Artists such as LB Sriram, Tulasi among others are apt in their supporting roles.

Off-screen Talents:

Ram Gopal Varma who is widely known for making biographical drama with his mark taking has once again did decent job with Konda. He tried to narrate the film with a realistic texture by incorporating true incidents happened in 90s and early 2000s time period.

Music by DSR Balaji is okay as his background score is apt for the proceedings. Editing by Manish Takur is fine as he kept the runtime within the limits.

The cinematography work by Malhar Bhatt Joshi is good as he captured the rustic flavour in the narrative nicely. The production values for this limited budget film by Sushmita Patel are decent.

Positive Points:

• Performances
• Realistic narrative

Negative Points:

• Typical RGV template
• Lacks commericality

In an overview, Konda is a rustic and realistic drama based on the life story of renewed couple Konda Murali and Surekha from Warangal. While the acting by Thrigun A and Irra Mor is a major highlight for the film, lack of commercial formate may not get universal applause from the audience.

TeluguBulletin.com Rating: 2/5

RELATED ARTICLES

Producer tg vishwa prasad crowns sharwanand as ‘charming star’, satyabhama is my most emotional movie : kajal aggarwal, energetic first single mallepula taxi from doom dham out, silver screen, kalki 2898 ad’s romantic melody, underwater magic, “manamey” starring sharwanand cleared with u/a certificate, mudragada padmanabham to become padmanabha reddy, shocked jagan gets emotional in front of media, how chiranjeevi congratulated pawan kalyan, ap elections: surprising majorities of the top four candidates, ap elections 2024: thumping victory to tdp, jsp, bjp alliance.

• TeluguBulletin
• Privacy Policy

© TeluguBulletin - All rights reserved

• Movie Reviews

Konda Review

What's Behind

Maverick director Ram Gopal Varma longtime back lost his sheen. He is known for his controversial films and his latest film turned out to be Konda. The film is a biopic on politicians Konda Surekha and Konda Murali and it hit the screens today. Let us see what RGV offered to movie lovers.

Story Review

Konda Murali's (Trigun) parents (LB.Sriram and Tulasi) forcibly send him to pursue higher studies in a college in Warangal as he indulges in fights taking on the upper class unable to tolerate their atrocities. Konda Murali who is a man of action and man of few words gets into contact with Naxal sympathizer RK and meets Bharatakka (Parvathi) and charming girl Surekha (Ira Mor) in his college. His life takes a dangerous turn when he joins hands with politician Nalla Sudhakar (Prithviraj) through his friend Pratap (Jabardasth Ramprasad). To find out where it leads, watch Konda on screen.

Artists, Technicians Review

Trigun played well in the role of Konda Murali. He showed intense, violent, and ferocious expressions. He got to show only one expression throughout the film and he did it with ease. Ira Mor stole the show with her looks and also with her performance. She came up with good expressions and emotions showing variations. Others performed according to their roles.

Ram Gopal Varma started the narration in a decent manner. The first half showed the rise of Konda Murali in an interesting manner to some extent. His association with Konda Surakha and also Naxals increase curiosity. However from then on as the cast turned out to be misfits, the scenes involving Prithvi and others instead of looking serious turned out to be hilarious and silly. As the first half nears completion, RGV loses the plot and the entire second half turns out to be ridiculous.

RGV known for his masterpieces during his hay days is now coming with mediocre films. Gone are the days when one can expect films like Raktha Charitra, Company and now he is making films just for the sake of them and cheap publicity rather than out of passion. His story turned out to be below average as he seemed to be in confusion as to whose biopic he is making, whether Konda Murali or Konda Surekha. The less we talk about the screenplay and direction, the better it is. In the midst of all this, RGV who is known to get the best output from the cast and crew failed to do so.

Trigun seemed lost for expressions and looked out of sync and so too are the other actors who turned the film below par that of a TV serial. Songs looked out of place and slowed the pace of the narration and even irritated viewers. The cinematography of Malharbhatt Joshi looked odd and the editing of Manish Thakur left a lot to be desired. DSR Balaji's BGM also turned out to be below average. Production values are below standards.

Ira Mor to some extent

Disadvantages

Ram Gopal Varma

Story,Screenplay,Direction

Production Values

Rating Analysis

Ram Gopal Varma as usual increased everyone's curiosity when he announced a biopic on politicians Konda Murali and Konda Surekha and titled it, Konda. But just like all his films, Konda also fizzled out after all the hype. Wonder, why Ram Gopal Varma selects biopics of factionists and does films like Raktha Charitra, Vangaveeti, and now Konda. He just does it to glorify violence on screen in a perverted manner. People are not interested in watching such violent biopics and it's only for case studies one can view such films. Konda doesn't fall in any of these categories as it turned out to be crap rather than a classic which can be used as a case study like earlier RGV films for their technical brilliance. RGV's Konda with the lackluster story, screenplay, and direction and mediocre production values, and comical star cast, turned out to be a disaster. Considering all these points, CJ goes with a 1 rating for Konda.

Cinejosh - A One Vision Technologies initiative, was founded in 2009 as a website for news, reviews and much more content for OTT, TV, Cinema for the Telugu population and later emerged as a one-stop destination with 24/7 updates.

Contact us     Privacy     © 2009-2023 CineJosh All right reserved.    

• Top Stories
• Working Stills
• Entertainment
• Exclusive News

Konda Movie Review and Rating

Movie Review : Konda Director : Ram Gopal Varma Producer : Konda Sushmita Patel Music Director : DSR Balaji Starring : Thrigun A, Irra Mor, Prudhvi Raj, Prashant Karthi, Parvathi Arun Release Date : 24th June, 2022 Rating : 2 /5

Eccentric director Ram Gopal Varma came up with a real life biographical drama Konda, which is based on the life of Telangana politician Konda Murali. It stars Thrigun A and Irra Mor in the lead roles. Let’s see if it is one among RGV’s successful ventures or not.

Story : The film is set in the backdrop of Telangana state and is about Thrigun, who plays Konda. He has revolutionary ideologies and seeing this, Prashant Karthi, who played as RK encourages him and gets him to join the Naxal backdrop. Prudhvi, who played as Sudhakar, invites him to join his party, seeing Konda’s fearsome attitude and strength. Konda joins him but doesn’t know that Sudhakar is using him as a puppet. He stays away and this does not go well with Sudhakar who plans his assassination. The rest of the story shows how Konda escapes the death trap ? What is his real intention? What did he do in his political career?

Plus Point : *Leads’ performances

Minus Points : *Supporting cast *Storyline *Seconf half *Emotion & Drama

Technical : Music given by DSR Balaji is an average element, but when it comes to lyrics, it is a good job. Production values are not attractive, casting, editing and production design are imperfect. The direction work of Ram Gopal Varma is quite natural, but he missed to represent the basic plot. However, it is an unexpected result from such an outstanding filmmaker, as he picks outstanding subjects with impressive themes everytime.

Analysis : Overall, the film has gained a below par response from the critics and failed to impress them with the main aspects what a movie should possess. So, Konda remains a huge debacle in RGV’s career as it is an outdated drama and nothing new has shown in it.

Rating : 2 /5

• Konda Movie Review
• Konda Movie Review rating
• Konda review
• Ram Gopal Varma

More Articles

Pawan kalyan’s political teaser ahead of elections, ie 100 2024: cm revanth reddy in list of most powerful indians, vijay deverakonda announces family star teaser date and time, operation valentine movie review and rating, sree vishnu and hasith goli film titled swag, a concept video out , samantha with mammootty what’s cooking between them, mahesh babu earns rs 5 cr for 5 second, nayanthara: congratulations on 14 years samantha, namarta and lakshmi pranathi intimate evening, the gaami trailer is to be out on this date, is this prabhas kalki 2898 ad trailer release, ssmb29  finally rajamouli breaks silence, mahesh babu all set to share profits along with rajamouli , janhvi kapoor potential involvement in pushpa 2,  sandeep reddy vanga first preference to prabhas, sandeep reddy vanga to bring vicky kaushal for animal park, taapsee pannu to marry mathias boe in march ,  he is prashanth neel favorite director, rashmika mandanna husband should be like vijay deverakonda, dil raju cameo in horror film.

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © Tollywood.net, 2024. All Rights Reserved.

• Web Stories
• Collections
• Gangs Of Godavari Movie Review
• Bhaje Vaayu Vegam Movie Review
• Gam Gam Ganesha Movie Review

Konda Movie Review and Rating!

• June 23, 2022 / 07:21 PM IST

Director Ram Gopal Varma is back with a film titled, Konda. This biographical drama on noted Telangana politician Konda Murali and his family had hit the screens on June 23rd. Let’s check how it goes.

Story: The film revolves around the life story of Warangal-based politician Konda Murali and his family. What is the background of Konda Murali( Thrigun A)? How will his aggressive nature, make Konda a revolutionary leader in the region? His relationship with his wife Surekha ( Irra Mor)? How will the couple raise their voice against the prevailing system in the 90s and early 2000s? To know that, you have to watch the film in the nearest theatres.

Performances: Young actor Thrigun A did his titular role in a convincing manner. His acting, dialogue delivery and mannerisms elevates the mood of the film nicely. Especially, his intense performance in crucial sequence in the second half brings depth to the proceedings and adds realistic texture to the film. On the other hand, heroine Irra Mor impresses with her performance throughout the film. Compared to earlier films, Irra Mor improved a lot in terms of acting.

Noted artists such as ‘Thirty Years’ Prudhvi, LB Sriram, Tulasi among others are apt in their respective roles. Prudhvi’s negative shaded role adds good weightage to the film. Other artists who did supporting roles are okay with their acting.

Technicalities: The music by DSR Balaji is okay as his songs are passable on screen. On the other hand, the background score is good and elevates a few key episodes nicely.

The editing by Manish Takur is okay as he made sure that the film has a crisp runtime. Coming to the photography work, Malhar Bhatt Joshi work is visible on screen. He captured the mood of the film with lens and lighting.

The production design work is okay and so is the case with the production values by Konda Sushmita Patel’s production house.

Analysis: Ram Gopal Varma who has a separate base fan among the audience is the director of this biographical drama. His idea of making a film on Konda Murali and his wife Surekha is good but the narrative is not up to the mark. Though RGV tried to narrate the film with a realistic texture, his old-age execution and outdated screenplay come as major demerits to the movie.

Adding to it, the way RGV addressed Konda Murali’s family-related issues are not showcased with proper detailing. Moreover, the film’s narrative remains us of RGV’s previous works and diluted interest.

To summerize, Konda is a biopic of Warangal-based politician Konda Murali and his wife Surekha. Though Thrigun A and Irra Mor gave a good performance, the routine template execution from RGV diverts the audience’s mood.

Verdict: Outdated work from RGV!

Rating: 1.5/5

Follow Filmyfocus WhatsApp Channel

• #Ram Gopal varma

Mahesh Babu’s Congrats to Pawan Kalyan Go Viral

Mahesh Babu Congratulates CBN And The Game Changer Of The AP Elections

“Malle Poola Taxi” From Dhoom Dhaam Is An Energetic Wedding Song

To Get Special Premiere Tickets For Satyabhama Audience Needs To Download This App

Excitement Over the Second Glimpse of NBK 109

Get Ready For A Visual Feast: The Trailer For Kalki 2898 AD Releases On

Related news.

Ajay Devgn’s Film “Shaitaan” Announces its Streaming Date on OTT

What’s Behind Ram Gopal Varma’s Latest Announcement?

Unleashed : ‘On the Road’ Trailer Revealed by Ram Gopal Varma

The Kerala Story Makers Talk About the Conversion in State!

Why Did Amitabh Bachchan Wanted to hit Ram Gopal Varma?

The Kerala Story Screening Resumes in West Bengal

Trending news.

latest news

The Latest Update From Thug Life Is Interesting

NTR Extends His Wishes To Chandrababu Naidu For His Remarkable Victory

The 50th Film Of Vijay Sethupathi Has Finalized Its OTT Platform

The Censor Report For Manamey Turned Out As Anticipated

Prabhas Is Back To Hyderabad

RGV’s Konda Movie Review & Ratings | Hit or Flop?

Konda Movie Review : One of India’s greatest directors, RGV, is well-known for his fondness for violence, which has been evident in his work for the past 30 years. Even though RGV hasn’t made a biopic in a while, he’s back with Konda, a film that tells the story of former Telangana politician Konda Murali, and the trailers have raised expectations.

Konda Murali’s tale is set in Telangana in 1990, where he is a college student who discovers the Indian constitution to be fascinating while reading library books. At the same time, political unrest grips the city, and Konda Murali turns to crime for the greater good. How did he get into crime? And if he was a criminal, how did he become a politician? To learn the answers to these questions, you’ll need to watch the film.

Cast & Crew

The film Konda was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and stars Thrigun, Irra Mor, Prudhvi Raj, and LB. Sriram, Parvathi Arun, Prashanth Karthi, Tulasi, and Abhilash Chaudary. Malharbhatt Joshi handled the cinematography, DSR handled the music, and Anand Kollabathula handled the background score.

Movie Verdict

RGV is well known for his biopics because he created some of the best ones with his distinct style, including Veerappan and Raktha Charithra. The use of the RGV voice-over enhances the movie’s ability to fully immerse the audience in Konda’s world. The second half mainly focused on his political journey, and RGV showed some brilliant scenes in the second half, but the story becomes overextended in the course of events. The first half showed how Konda Murali became a criminal, and those situations were captured so well, and Konda Surekha’s characters were placed in the story so well because RGV used her character perfectly. Irra Mor’s performance is subpar compared to the rest of the cast, which includes Prudhvi Raj, LB Sriram, and Tulsi, who all give admirable performances. Several scenes starring Thrigun as Konda work well because we are accustomed to seeing him as a lover boy. There are many scenes in this movie where you can see outstanding camerawork and writing, as well as RGV’s ability to keep the audience interested, demonstrating RGV’s one-of-a-kindness as a director. Despite the lower-than-expected production values, Konda’s technical departments displayed excellent performance, but the cinematography by Malharbhatt Joshi and the catchy songs by the Indian singer DSR stand out. Anand Kollabathula’s background score falls short of the high standards set by RGV’s earlier films, but the rest are excellent. If you’re a fan of RGV’s work, you should watch Konda as soon as you can. RGV has returned with it.

Movie Rating: 3/ 5

• Manmathaleela Telugu Movie OTT Release Date, OTT Platform, Time and more
• Gangster Gangaraju Movie OT T Release Date, Digital Rights
• Chor Bazaar Telugu Movie OTT Release Date, OTT Platform, Time and more

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Konda Movie Review & Ratings | Hit or Flop?

Konda Movie Review : One of the most brilliant directors of Indian cinema is RGV, there is no need for an introduction for him, as we all know he is always fascinated by violence and we have been seeing in his films for the past 30 years, however, he made many biopics and now he came with another interesting biopic called Konda, Konda is a biopic of Telangana former politician Konda Murali, the trailers raised the expectations and it shows that RGV is back with this film, despite the fact the film Konda has released today June 23, 2022, and getting a quite passive response from the audience and without any delay, let’s delve into the in-depth review of Konda and let’s know whether the Konda film is worth watching or not.

Bigg Boss 7 Telugu Vote

Konda’s story is set in 1990 in Telangana, where Konda Murali is a college student and he gets attracted to the Indian constitution after reading the library books, meanwhile, there lot of political wars happening in the city, and eventually, he became criminal for a good cause and in the proceedings, he met with Konda Surekha and finally, Why Konda Murali became criminal? what situations made him a criminal? and being a criminal how did he become a politician? to know all these you need to watch the film.

Cast & Crew

Konda starring, Thrigun, Irra Mor, Prudhvi Raj, LB. Sriram, Parvathi Arun, Prashanth Karthi, Tulasi, and Abhilash Chaudary, and the film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma, while Cinematography has done by Malharbhatt Joshi, Music has composed by DSR, Background score has done by Anand Kollabathula and the film Produced by Konda Sushmitha Patel in association with Apple Tree Production and RGV Company.

Movie Verdict

RGV is known for biopics as he made the finest biopic s with his perspective and audience has received so well like Raktha Charithra and Veerappan these are well-made biopics and now Konda, The film starts off well with RGV voice over as it becomes helpful to bring the audience into Konda world and I felt that worked out quite well in the film.

Konda film’s major advantage is fast pace screenplay, RGV didn’t waste a time in establishing the characters as he showcased in the first half how Konda Murali became a criminal, and those situations are captured so well, and Konda Surekha’s characters placed so well ion the story as RGV used her character perfectly and second half mostly focused his political journey and RGV showed some brilliant scenes in the second half, but in the proceedings, the story gets overstretched and climax designed quite well.

Thrigun as Konda is good in a few scenes as we have known him as a lover boy and this is complete contrast for him, and Irra Mor is just okay, in many scenes she failed to perform and rest of the cast Prudhvi Raj, LB Sriram and Tulsi all are doing well for their roles.

We can see vintage RGV for sure as he again proved why he is a unique director, there are lots of scenes where you can see brilliant camera work, and brilliant writing and RGV succeded in engaging the audience.

Technically Konda is party good as the production values could have been better, Malharbhatt Joshi’s cinematography is good and he captured a few scenes so well and DSR songs are good as Surakamma will be the Chartbuster, and Anand Kollabathula’s background score is not up to the mark as we have seen this type of bgm in RGV’s previous films and rest of the technical departments did well

Finally, Konda is RGV’s comeback film, and if you are a fan of RGV then you must go watch it.

Movie Rating: 3/ 5

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Konda Telugu Movie Review & Ratings | Hit or Flop?

Konda Telugu Movie Review : RGV is one of India’s greatest filmmakers, and he’s known for his love of violence, which we’ve seen in his films for the past 30 years. Now, he’s back with another biopic, Konda, which tells the story of former Telangana politician Konda Murali, and the trailers have raised expectations, despite the fact that RGV hasn’t made a biopic in a while.

Table of Contents

The story of Konda Murali takes place in Telangana in 1990, where he is a college student who becomes fascinated by the Indian constitution while perusing library books. At the same time, the city is racked by political strife, and Konda Murali becomes a criminal for the greater good. How did he become a criminal? And how did he become a politician if he was a convicted felon?.” All of this can be learned only by watching the film.

Cast & Crew

Sriram, Parvathi Arun, Prashanth Karthi, Tulasi, and Abhilash Chaudary star in Konda directed by Ram Gopal Varma, with cinematography by Malharbhatt Joshi, music by DSR, and background score by Anand Kollabathula. Konda is produced by Konda Sushmitha Patel in association with Apple Tree Production and RGV Company.

Movie Verdict

Since he has made some of the best biopics ever, RGV is known for making biopics. Raktha Charithra and Veerappan are two of the best examples of RGV’s work. RGV’s voiceover is an effective way to introduce the audience to the Konda world early on, and I thought it worked well in the film. As RGV showed in the first half how Konda Murali became a criminal and those situations were captured so well, and Konda Surekha’s characters were placed so well in the story as RGV used her character perfectly and the second half mostly focused on his political journey and RGV showed some brilliant scenes in the second half, but the story gets overstretched in proceedings. Several scenes with Thrigun as Konda work well because we are used to him as a lover boy, but Irra Mor’s performance is mediocre and the rest of the cast, including Prudhvi Raj, LB Sriram, and Tulsi, all perform admirably. Vintage RGV is definitely evident in this film, as he once again demonstrated why his style is so unique, there are numerous scenes where you can see brilliant camera work and writing, and RGV was able to successfully engage the audience. Although production values could have been higher, the cinematography by Malharbhatt Joshi is good and he captured a few scenes so well; the songs by DSR are good because Surakamma will be a chartbuster, and the background score by Anand Kollabathula is not up to par because we have heard this type of bgm in RGV’s previous films, but the rest of the technical departments did well. This is RGV’s long-awaited return to the big screen, and fans of the actor will want to see Konda.

Movie Rating: 3/ 5

Bhargav Reddy

I am a passionate content writer and critic with extensive experience in the entertainment industry. I write reviews, opinion pieces, feature stories, and interviews for way2ott.com. With a Bachelor's degree in Media Studies from IIT Bombay, I have the knowledge to analyze media texts critically and provide insightful commentary on film, television series, web series' etc.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Medithon Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Salman Khan's unavailability makes way for Kartik Aaryan in Barjatya's next? - Exclusive

Sonam Bajwa shows her interest for Bollywood: 'I would like to work with Ammy Virk in Hindi'

Salman Khan poses with a fan in Italy amid Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding bash

BTS’ military photos: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook's uniformed moments that went VIRAL

Kabir Khan breaks silence on Salman Khan starrer ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2’

Sunil Pal recalls touring with Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan: 'SRK used to quietly visit his staff in slum'

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

Return Ticket

Chhota Bheem And The C...

Mr. & Mrs. Mahi

Barah x Barah

Marriage.com

Boonie Bears: Mumma Ki...

​Best ethnic looks of Losliya ​

Suhana Khan stuns in summer dress for Anant & Radhika's pre-wedding celebrations in Italy

Ritu Varma looks dapper in her black outfits

Elevate your saree game with Nimisha Sajayan's stylish looks

Beat the heat in style ft. Shweta Tiwari

Kajal Aggarwal Steals the Show with Her Unique Fashion Sense

Mirnaa Menon can mesmerize the world, here's the proof

List of top feel-good Kannada movies

​Erica Fernandes shines in classic Indian attire​

​10 stunning ethnic looks Anukreethy Vas​

Bajrang Aur Ali

Dedh Bigha Zameen

Chhota Bheem And The Cu...

House Of Lies

Kartam Bhugtam

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die

Jim Henson: Idea Man

Fast Charlie

The Strangers: Chapter ...

The Beach Boys

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Thelma The Unicorn

The Three Musketeers - ...

Bujji At Anupatti

Pagalariyaan

Konjam Pesinaal Yenna

Padikkadha Pakkangal

Inga Naan Thaan Kingu

CID Ramachandran Retd. ...

Sureshanteyum Sumalatha...

Guruvayoorambala Nadayi...

Marivillin Gopurangal

Malayalee From India

Avatara Purusha 2

Chow Chow Bath

Hide And Seek

Somu Sound Engineer

Nayan Rahasya

Bonbibi: Widows Of The ...

Pariah Volume 1: Every ...

Shri Swapankumarer Bada...

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gaddi Jaandi Ae Chalaan...

Buhe Bariyan

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Alibaba Aani Chalishita...

Aata Vel Zaali

Shivrayancha Chhava

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Konda Polam

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /

Konda Polam U

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Konda Polam Movie Review : A unique tale of a boy and a tiger

• Times Of India

Konda Polam - Official Trailer

National Awards

Chandrabose

Users' reviews.

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

raghu6300386775 raghu 110 885 days ago

A Brave attempt that works in parts.

Markandeya Rao 890 days ago

An underrated movie. Songs deserve top ranking. So natural. Very good direction. Excellent performances by Saichand, Rakul  (especially), Vaishnav. No goon bashing single handed lay, no masala at all is the silver lining. 

shyilushyilu 894 days ago

Kosurichanduchandu 897 days ago.

CLEMENT PINTO 900 days ago

Visual stories.

Mouni Roy radiates monochrome magic in a black mini dress

Entertainment

Mahira Khan elevates wedding fashion inspiration

​In pics: Elegant looks of Kanmani​

Avneet Kaur sets a fashion trend with her stunning white bodysuit outfit

How to make Chettinad Potato Fry at home

10 benefits of consuming soaked kishmish everyday

8 must-try varieties of papad for every foodie

10 bedtime questions to ask kids

Raashi Khanna stuns like royalty in a high-slit embellished black gown

News - Konda Polam

Chandrabose wins National Film Award for Best Lyricist ...

Panja Vaisshnav Tej's next titled 'Ranga Ranga Vaibhava...

Covid-19 casts its shadow on Telugu cinema industry in ...

Rakul Preet Singh looks oh-so-adorable in an orange max...

The response for Konda Polam has been heartwarming: Kri...

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Popular Movie Reviews

Bhaje Vaayu Vegam

Gam Gam Ganesha

Gangs Of Godavari

Prasanna Vadanam

Ooru Peru Bhairavakona

Aa Okkati Adakku

Tillu Square

• Local Events
• Movie Gallery

Latest Updates

Konda movie review.

'Konda' was released in theatres today (June 23). Here is our review detailing the film's umpteen missteps.

Konda Murali (Thrigun) and Surekha (Irra Mor) start out as student leaders at LB College in Warangal. Murali, a youngster with fire in his belly, gets attracted to Naxalism when he reads the poetry written by Naxal leader RK (Prashanth Karthi). Soon after he becomes a Naxal sympathizer, Murali makes enemies. Among the enemies he makes is the ruthless political leader Nalla Sudhakar (Prudhviraj). After Murali and Surekha get married, different forces come together to drag them down, eliminate Murali, and end their political career.

Performances

Thrigun , who was formerly known as Adith Arun, gets an image makeover. He speaks authentic Telangana dialect in 'Konda' and makes us forget his soft-spoken characters in movies like '24 Kisses' and 'Dear Megha' while we watch him in this film. However, the artists picked for other key roles water down the impact of his performance. Irra Mor is a total misfit, with her characterization bordering on the parodic.

RGV thinks that he is pulling off a casting sensation every time he casts unlikely artists for negative roles. Prudhviraj irritates us every time he laughs like an evil clown. 'Jabardasth' Ram Prasad is unbearable. The likes of Shravan do no good.

Prashanth Karthi is good although he wears the same expression throughout. Parvathy Arun plays a female Naxal leader. Tulasi and LB Sriram as the hero's parents are routine.

Technical aspects

Anand's BGM and DSR's music are of laughable quality. Malharbhatt Joshi's cinematography is basic. Manish Thakur's editing, again, is nothing archaic.

For those who don't know, 'Konda' is a biographical action drama, where the word 'drama' has been misinterpreted by RGV for the nth time. As for 'action', the filmmaker has had a warped sense of it for too many years now. What about the 'biographical' part? The film has been produced by the daughter of the couple whose life the film is about. So, how much of the film is a biography and how much of it is hagiography is for you to figure out.

This is the kind of film where the hero just embarks on an acid attack without any planning. He can do anything in a fit of rage, for the sake of others' good. He is a do-gooder and that's all we are supposed to know about him. There is no attempt to tell us how Murali discovered his strengths, how he evolved as a human and a fighter, what kind of emotional struggles he faced, etc. When his life is under threat, Murali seethes with anger. When his girlfriend is threatened by a villain, Murali seethes with anger. When he reads revolutionary poetry, Murali brims with fire. Whole scenes have been portrayed in this manner. It is as if we have to buy whatever Murali throws at us, because, well, RGV is in love with Murali.

The interval block, which was supposed to be a defining one, arrives without a bang and ends with Surekha laughing hysterically at the top of her voice. As the scene starts, we wonder when Murali became a mass leader in the first place. We know more about the villain's personal assistant than Murali's meteoric rise.

It has been years since RGV's films have cared to tell a story. His characters just verbalize everything. "Murali's rise is dangerous," someone says with a cold expression. There is no attempt to show his rise in a dramatic fashion. We just have to believe that the masses were magnetized by Murali's charms or something and he became a force to reckon with.

At less than two hours, 'Konda' has time for two elaborate songs involving Naxals. But the film itself doesn't give a semblance of insight into the kind of larger-than-life influence that Comrade RK has on Murali. Staging a scene between Murali, Surekha and Congress leader YS Rajasekhar Reddy is supposed to be seen as a substitute for 15 minutes of painstaking drama.

Closing Remarks

'Konda' is an insincere attempt. Weak production values and lousy writing make it a forgettable film.

Critic's Rating

Latest Tollywood News

Latest News

• Mahesh Babu, Jr NTR wish Pawan Kalyan a great tenure
• Actress Chandrika Ravi to host a top-tier radio show in US
• Producers Guild to cut arrogant actors to size
• Making soft p0rn cinema is an option for RGV
• Actress Simran Choudhary hugs trees for 'love hormone'

Read More News

Latest Reviews

• Raju Yadav Review - Tasteless narration
• Gangs Of Godavari Movie Review - 100% imitation
• Gam Gam Ganesha Movie Review - Lacks an emotional hook
• Bhaje Vaayu Vegam Movie Review - Delivers emotional quotient!
• Love Me: If You Dare Movie Review - Bizarre!

Read More Reviews

• Kajal Aggarwal at Satyabhama Movie Interview, HD Gallery
• 'Kalki 2898 AD': Trailer date made official
• 'Manamey' will give the audience a new experience: Hesham Abdul Wahab
• Producers Bobby Tikka, Srinivas Rao Takkalapelly about 'Satyabhama'
• Pawan Kalyan's dedication has won, suggests Allu Arjun

View More Updates

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Young Woman and the Sea Link to Young Woman and the Sea
• Jim Henson Idea Man Link to Jim Henson Idea Man

New TV Tonight

• Ren Faire: Season 1
• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• Clipped: Season 1
• Queenie: Season 1
• Sweet Tooth: Season 3
• Mayor of Kingstown: Season 3
• Criminal Minds: Season 17
• Becoming Karl Lagerfeld: Season 1
• Power Book II: Ghost: Season 4
• Erased: WW2's Heroes of Color: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Eric: Season 1
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Evil: Season 4
• Tires: Season 1
• Outer Range: Season 2
• Star Wars: Ahsoka: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1 Link to Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

6 TV and Streaming Shows You Should Binge-Watch in June 2024

The Acolyte First Reviews: A Familiar but New Vision of Star Wars , Packed with Stunning Action

• Trending on RT
• The Acolyte First Reviews
• Vote: 1999 Movie Showdown
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Highest Rated: Not Available

Lowest Rated: Not Available

Birthday: Not Available

Birthplace: Not Available

Filmography

• Movie Schedules
• OTT and TV News

Most Viewed Articles

• AP Election Results: Pawan Kalyan celebrates his victory with his wife Anna Lezhneva
• OG makers dropped a powerful poster of Pawan Kalyan to celebrate his victory
• Kalki 2898 AD trailer to be out on this date
• Photo Moment: Pawan Kalyan and Akira Nandan pose with Chandra Babu Naidu
• Hari Hara Veera Mallu: New poster unveiled as Pawan Kalyan wins big in AP elections
• This famous comedian proves to be a successful hero
• The initial second half of the Devadas is different
• Latest buzz on Kalki 2898 AD trailer
• Fresh buzz on NBK 109’s second glimpse
• Chiranjeevi – Pawan Kalyan is the Game Changer & Man of the Match of this election

Recent Posts

• సెలెక్టెడ్ థియేటర్లలో ప్రభాస్ “కల్కి” ట్రైలర్ ప్రదర్శన!
• Sharwanand – The success meet of Manamey will be held in Pithapuram
• డిజిటల్ ప్రీమియర్ కి డేట్ ఫిక్స్ చేసుకున్న “బాక్”
• Aranmanai 4 locks its OTT release date
• Last chance for May 31st releases to make merry at the box office
• లేటెస్ట్…ఐ మ్యాక్స్ స్క్రీన్స్ లో ప్రభాస్ “కల్కి”

Release Date : October 08,2021

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5

Starring: Vaishnav Tej, Rakul Preet Singh, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Nasser, Sai Chand, Ravi Prakash, Hema, Mahesh Vitta and others

Director: Krish Jagarlamudi

Producers: Saibabu Jagarlamudi, Rajeev Reddy

Music Director: M.M.Keeravaani

Cinematography : Gnana Sekhar VS

Editor: Shravan Katikaneni

Young Mega hero Vaishnav Tej and svelte beauty Rakul Preet Singh teamed up with director Krish for the rural adventurous drama, Konda Polam. The film is based on noted author Sannapureddy Venkataramireddy’s acclaimed book, Konda Polam. Shot entirely during the Covid second wave, Konda Polam has had its theatrical release today amid a lot of expectations. Let’s see how the film is.

During his IFS interview at the UPSC, New Delhi, Kataru Ravindra Yadav (Vaishnav Tej) narrates his journey on the chief interviewer’s (Nasser) insistence. Ravindra hails from a poor family in a village near Nallamala Forest in Kadapa. Ravindra’s father (Sai Chand) educates him by herding goats. But even after completing his engineering and pursuing software courses in Ameerpet, Ravindra fails to get a job in Hyderabad and returns to his village.

In unavoidable circumstances, Ravindra, his father, his childhood friend Obulamma (Rakul Preet), fellow villagers Ravi Prakash, Hema, Mahesh Vitta and others go into the Nallamala Forest to do Konda Polam. The forest is ruled by a tiger, and on the other hand, dreaded smugglers who cut off the precious Bommakarra trees also pose a threat to innocent villagers. The entire story is about how a meek and fearful Ravindra overcomes his fears and becomes an IFS officer.

Plus Points:

Vaishnav Tej’s performance as a struggling engineering graduate who rediscovers his confidence and goes on to become an IFS officer is impressive. He displays earnestness and sincerity in his performance. He, however, must work on his flat dialogue delivery and expressions in emotional scenes.

Rakul Preet is a revelation in the role of a chirpy and spirited village belle named Obulamma. She portrayed a de-glam role by appearing in a dusky avatar. She looks like a village girl next door in half sarees. Even her performance was apt and aides the narrative.

Character artiste Ravi Prakash steals the show in a lengthy monologue where he speaks to his wife over the phone and breaks down after an emotional outburst. Senior character artiste Sai Chand, too, shows his calibre in a scene where he vents out his angst after failing to fetch a drop of water for his thirsty goats. It’s quite good to see the legendary Kota Srinivasa Rao in a rural character after a long time. Rest of the actors like Hema, Mahesh Vitta and others also had author-backed roles and their performances were adequate.

Minus Points:

While Konda Polam’s basic premise is quite emotional and dramatic, the film takes a beating occasionally with some lackluster scenes. Too many scenes, even in the second half, showcasing the poor villagers’ plight and their bond with nature appear repetitive and slowdown the narrative.

Ravindra was initially shown to be frightened to an extent that he is shell-shocked and even fails to alert others when he sees a snake. However, within a few minutes, he overcomes all his fears and displays exemplary courage the moment he sees a tiger and smugglers. These scenes, which are crucial in Ravindra’s journey, appear too cinematic and unconvincing.

A couple of love songs featuring Vaishnav Tej and Rakul Preet, especially in the second half, were unnecessary and look totally out of sync with the kind of rustic and realistic story being told on the screen. Ravindra and his fellow villagers face certain adversities like a tiger on the prowl and the Bommakarra tree smugglers. However, these two main plot points were not used effectively.

Technical Aspects:

Krish shines with his trademark taking in several scenes. He loaded many scenes with heartwarming emotions that showcase the plight of the villagers who rely on nature for their livelihoods. The rain sequence, the scenes where Ravindra attacks the tree smugglers and later rescues a lamb from the tiger were handled quite well by Krish.

Veteran composer MM Keeravani’s thumping background score is one of the major highlights of Konda Polam. Even a few montage songs, especially Rai Rai, Dham Dham Dham and Kadhalu Kadhaluga were quite impactful. But the romantic dance numbers don’t make much impact.

Gnana Sekhar’s cinematography explores the picturesque and virgin locales of Vikarabad Forest and Anantagiri Hills quite well. Several night action episodes were shot brilliantly with realistic lighting since there’s no scope for artificial lights in the middle of the forest.

Editing could have been sharper, as a few scenes depicting the villagers struggles and their bond with the nature appear redundant. Art Direction is spot on as it gets the milieu right. Dialogues too are laced with heavy emotions and deserve a special mention. The VFX on the tiger could have been more realistic since the tiger plays a key role in the journey of the protagonist and thus the film.

On the whole, Konda Polam is an impressive and emotional tale of a young village man’s (Vaishnav Tej) inspiring journey. Actors’ performances, Krish’s trademark realistic and emotional narrative are the main strengths of this rural adventurous drama. On the flip side, repetitive scenes and unnecessary commercial ingredients (love songs) dilute the otherwise earnest tale of village life to an extent. You may watch Konda Polam this weekend for its touching story, realistic backdrop, authentic performances and writing and overall technical finesse.

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Version

Articles that might interest you:

• Review : Janhvi Kapoor’s Mr. & Mrs. Mahi – Hit wicket by tedium
• Review : Gangs of Godavari – Half-baked action drama
• Review : Bhaje Vaayu Vegam – Timepass thriller
• Review : Gam Gam Ganesha – Misses the mark
• OTT Review: Panchayat Season 3 – Hindi web series on Prime Video
• Review : Love Me If You Dare – Dull and complicated
• Review : Raju Yadav – Disappointing romantic drama
• OTT Review: Baahubali: Crown of Blood – Telugu dubbed series on Hotstar

Ad : Teluguruchi - Learn.. Cook.. Enjoy the Tasty food

• తెలుగు

Konda Polam Review: Lacks In Many Things

Movie: Konda Polam Rating: 2.5/5 Banner: First Frame Entertainments Cast: Panja Vaisshnav Tej, Rakul Preet Singh, Sai Chand, Nazar, Kota Srinivasa Rao, and others Story: Sannapureddi Venkata Rami Reddy Music: MM Keeravani Cinematography: Gnana Shekar VS Editor: Shravan Katikaneni Art: Raj Kumar Gibson Costumes: Aishwarya Rajeev Fights: Venkat Producers: Saibabu Jagarlamudi and Rajeev Reddy Director: Krish Jagarlamudi Release Date: October 8, 2021

Director Krish has been exploring various genres. The trailer of “Konda Polam” proved that he has chosen an altogether different subject and genre this time. With ‘Uppena’ fame Vaisshnav Tej starring in it, the film looked even more interesting.

Let’s find out its merits and demerits.

Story: At the interview session of the UPSC exam, the team of officers ask aspirant Ravindra Yadav (Vaisshnav Tej) why he opted for IFS (Indian Forest Service) even after scoring better marks. They ask him to tell them about his story. The film then goes back to the Nallamala forest region, his native place. 

Ravindra Yadav could not secure a job in any IT company in Hyderabad even after trying for four years. He lacks confidence and communication skills. He goes back to his village, which is facing drought.

To save the livestock, his father and other members of the village go to Konda Polam for 40 days. Obulamma (Rakul Preet Singh), also accompanies them. Deep in the forest Ravindra Yadav and other shepherds encounter some toughest conditions.

How does the ‘Konda Polam’ experience transform timid Ravindra into a confident guy is all about the story...  

Artistes’ Performances: The film boasts of some good acting from actors like Sai Chand. The lead actor Vaisshnav Tej has given a believable performance as Yadav who is the pivot around this coming-of-age story. He is natural. 

Rakul Preet is not convincing in the role of Obulamma. She lacks the nativity in her face and body. Kota Srinivasa Rao, Raviprakash, Hema, and other actors have done their parts well.

Technical Excellence: MM Keeravani’s music (two songs in particular) has enhanced the film. Cinematographer Jnanasekhar captures lush green forest visuals and the fight sequences with tiger captivatingly to some extent. Editing and production design is neat.

Highlights: Different concept Songs Ambience  

Drawback: Lack of emotions Slow pace Weak story 

Analysis “Konda Polam” is an adaptation of Sannapureddi Venkata Rami Reddy’s award-winning novel of the same name. The film deals with the life of a shepherd, the issue of communication skills that rural youngsters grapple with, and showcases the little-known aspect of ‘Kondapolam’ (forest grazing) in Nallamala forest in Andhra Pradesh. 

The adventures of shepherds venturing into a hilly forest region to feed their cattle is an entirely new concept. Such a story has never been explored on the screen. 

The hardships of shepherds during famine are narrated in this film. The story and dialogues are written by Sannapureddi Venkata Rami Reddy but director Krish has written the screenplay to make it an adventurous thriller. 

We have seen films that explored drought conditions but this story talks about them in a different manner. The problems of a youngster suffering from low self-esteem and lack of proficiency in English are juxtaposed with life in wild terrain.

When a shepherd takes his livestock deep into the forest, he may have to search for water bodies, save the sheep from wild animals like tigers anticipating attacks, keep an eye on smugglers and walk for days without any comforts and sufficient supply of food.

Such an aspect of shepherds in the Nallamala region is not known to us as we have never come across it on screen or in the media. In that way, “Konda Polam” is entirely different.

But is that enough to engage us in the movie hall?

The film definitely has a new story and backdrop. It also gives insight into how the protagonist draws inspiration and strength from the experiences of his 40-day Kondapolam journey to apply them in clearing the UPSC exam. But the graph of the film is straight. Except for the two scenes, there is no rise in the dramatic curve. 

While the film talks about drought conditions, the forest and the entire screen are filled with lush green. The audience doesn’t feel the ‘famine’ situation. The so-called adventure in the forest is peripheral. Barring facing the tiger, the hero doesn’t have many adventures to do. So, the ‘adventure’ actor also gets discounted.

Actor Ravi Prakash's long phone call with his wife is like a monologue which serves no purpose. Though the actor brought out his abilities, the scene holds no value in the flow. It's forced.

Certain scenes like the hero overcoming his fear in saving an injured sheep as Tiger is trying to attack him are shot well but the sentiment around it is not needed. After all, the shepherds take care of their sheep only to sell for meat.  

The film would have been more engaging had it focused on more emotional sequences. The battle with the tiger doesn’t convince us. Poor graphics in the climax portion are jarring.

All in all, “Kondapolam” has a unique story and concept that has never been explored. The attempt is appreciable, but it runs at a sluggish pace and doesn’t make an engaging watch. It lacks elements that appeal to a wider audience. 

Bottom-line: Unexciting shepherd story

• Gam Gam Ganesha Review: Funny But Mostly Silly
• Bhaje Vaayu Vegam Review: Works in Parts
• Gangs of Godavari Review: Sinks in Godavari

Tags: Konda Polam Konda Polam Movie Review Konda Polam Review Konda Polam Movie Rating Konda Polam Rating

ADVERTISEMENT

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the dead don't hurt.

Now streaming on:

One of my great great great grandfathers fought for the Union and survived the Battle of Antietam. After his infantry unit was wiped out, he hid under a heap of corpses. As a child, I often found myself thinking about a person doing what he did and then going on to live a normal life, or whatever was classified as normal in the late 1800s. I thought about him again watching Viggo Mortensen's film "The Dead Don't Hurt," a movie that injects the sorts of monumental moments of suffering and violence that you're used to seeing in more traditional, action-oriented Westerns into a tale that is mainly interested in the relationship between a man, a woman, and a child, and the intrigue among various characters who live in the nearest small town. 

Written, directed and scored by Mortensen (in his second venture behind the camera, following the contemporary family drama “ Falling "), and set before and during the US Civil War, “The Dead Don’t Hurt” has standard genre elements, but treats them as a way into something different than the usual. There's a sadistic psychopath who dresses in black, some rich men who lord their power over a Southwestern town, a goodhearted and soft-spoken sheriff, his steely wife, their beautiful, innocent son, and other variations on types that you tend to encounter in movies set during this period of US history. But there are no stagecoach or train robberies, quick-draws at high noon, extended gunfights, dynamite explosions, etc. There is violence of various kinds, and it's presented realistically and unsparingly, but not at such length that the movie seems to be getting off on pain. The pacing is what you would call "slow" if you don't like the movie, "deliberate" if you do.

Mortensen stars as Holger Olsen, a Danish immigrant who ends up as the sheriff of a small town in the American West. He lives in a tiny cabin in a canyon. I won't tell you exactly where the movie begins or ends because it's nonlinear, and accounting for things in the manner of a linear timeline would give a false impression of the movie and spoil important moments. Suffice to say that Holger goes to San Francisco and meets Vivienne Le Coudy ( Vicky Krieps ), a French Canadian flower seller, and takes her back to his cabin, where she overcomes her disappointment at his bare bones lifestyle and tries to build a life for them and the son they will eventually raise together. 

At the same time, the movie keeps returning to the aforementioned town, which is controlled by an arrogant businessman named Alfred Jeffries ( Garret Dillahunt ), his violent, entitled son, Weston ( Solly McLeod ), and the town mayor Rudolph Schiller ( Danny Huston ), who controls most of the local real estate, plus the bank. There’s tension surrounding the ownership of a saloon that's tended by an eloquent barkeep-manager named Alan Kendall (W Earl Brown). A shootout depicted early in the movie passes the saloon into the hands of the Jeffries family. Vivienne ends up working there. Weston takes a fancy to her, and doesn't respond well to being told he can't have her.

I mentioned earlier that this is a nonlinear movie and I’m mentioning it again here just in case you think there’s any standard cause-and-effect dynamic at work. It takes a while to get used to how the story is  told. Mortensen’s script deliberately confounds the way our moviegoing brains are typically asked to function. He starts near the end of his story and moves from the present tense into different parts of the past as needed. Time-shifts are not tied to plot or even theme. They seem as intuitive as brushstrokes in a painting. 

There are also flashbacks to Vivienne’s childhood, wherein she lost her father to war against the English—a trauma that sparks a dream or fantasy about a knight in armor riding through a forest. This image connects to the midsection of the movie, which is where Holger impulsively decides to enlist in the Union army to go off and fight against slavery and earn a promised enlistment payment, leaving Vivienne alone in that tiny house in the canyon. This might strike contemporary viewers as a casually callous thing to do, but it’s the kind of thing that happened plenty back then, and tends to be described in family histories with a sentence like, “Then he went off to fight in the war and came home a year later.” 

The writing and acting of all the characters is intelligent and measured. You get a sense of a complete person who lived a full life offscreen even when you're observing a character who only has a few judiciously chosen moments, such as Brown’s character, who is a bit too pleased with his own eloquence but sometimes seems ashamed after he verbally runs roughshod over others; or a judge played by Ray McKinnon who presides over the trial of a citizen wrongly accused of a horrible crime, and carries on as if God guides his gavel (a pistol butt); or a reverend played by veteran character actor John Getz (of “ Blood Simple ” and “The Fly”) whose community role requires him to oversee an execution whether it's justified or not. (Brown, Dillahunt and McKinnon were all on the HBO Western “Deadwood,” a go-to casting resource for this type of project; it's a treat to see them fully inhabit very different characters from ones they've played in the past.) 

None of the characters unveil themselves as you might expect. Holger initially comes across as a Clint Eastwood-style, strong-silent he-man archetype, but he's less decisive, more sensitive and learned. We often see him reading books or writing in a journal or on parchment. He dotes on Little Vincent ( Atlas Green ), his son with Vivienne, with a sensitivity and physical warmth that’s unusual in male-dominated films like this. His relationship to the Western hero code that’s often summed up as “doing what a man’s gotta do” is complicated as well. Olsen makes a lot of decisions that would result in negative comments on audience preview cards at a focus group screening (hard to imagine Mortensen doing one) because they are, to say the least, not things that a typical Western action hero would do. They’re more like what a real person with a complicated psychology would do—things he might regret in hindsight. 

Krieps, who broke out with “ Phantom Thread ,” is the true star of this movie, even though it’s bracketed by Mortensen’s character riding out on a long journey. She's the only character who gets flashbacks and dreams. She threads the needle of making her character seem self-assured, tough, and self-respecting yet never anachronistically “feminist,” in the contrived, phony way that a lot of period pieces feel obligated to write female characters of earlier times. Though unassuming in how she applies technique, Krieps is a deep and substantive film star, in the tradition of actresses from earlier eras like Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Bergman . She makes a connection with the viewer. You can feel the hope drain from Vivienne when she keeps a stiff upper lip during awful experiences that she has no control over. But you also feel the resolve when she makes the best of a bad situation, and the excitement that blossoms in her when she's treated as a person of value.

Not too many filmmakers have ever made movies like this, and when you do come across one (such as Sam Peckinpah's " The Ballad of Cable Hogue " or the Charlton Heston movie " Will Penny ”, or “Deadwood”, or the 1970s movie " The Emigrants ") it stands out, in part because it avoids the predicable, ritualized high points that the genre is built upon, and instead concentrates on significant moments of interaction between characters who do not have a 20th or 21st century mindset superimposed on them. The lack of pandering to contemporary sensibilities means that all the characters remain slightly at a remove from us throughout the story. It also means that they come across as more real. Yes, certain aspects of the human experience are universal and have never changed. But there is a huge difference across time periods in how individuals understand themselves and each other, and this is a rare movie that respects that.

The movie also has a genuinely cinematic instinct for when to linger on a moment and when to cut around it, or allude to it as something that occurred offscreen. A lot of the longer sequences are just extended interactions between the film’s two romantic leads, who have a pleasing banter but derive a lot of their chemistry from looking at each other with resentment, yearning, gratitude, or disappointment. You almost never get to see material of this sort play out at length in a film set in the American West. Or any kind of film.

Mortensen is 65 now, three years older than Eastwood when he made “ Unforgiven ,” and the entertainment industry is even less hospitable to Westerns now than it was three-plus decades ago, so it’s tough to imagine him making more movies like this one. But he might turn out to be one of the great Western directors if he did. 

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Now playing

Unsung Hero

Christy lemire.

A Man in Full

Rendy jones.

Jim Henson Idea Man

Peter sobczynski.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Brian tallerico.

Film Credits

The Dead Don't Hurt (2024)

130 minutes

Vicky Krieps as Vivienne Le Coudy

Viggo Mortensen as Holger Olsen

Solly McLeod as Weston Jeffries

Garret Dillahunt as Alfred Jeffries

Danny Huston as Rudolph Schiller

• Viggo Mortensen

Latest blog posts

Chi Film Fest's 60th Anniversary Cinema Soirée

The Acolyte Sends Star Wars Into a Galaxy Far, Far In the Past

Short Films in Focus: The Year of Staring at Noses

Animation Is Slow Motion: Pablo Berger on Robot Dreams

HT తెలుగు వివరాలు

Gam Gam Ganesha Twitter Review: గం గం గణేశా ట్విట్టర్ రివ్యూ.. ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ సినిమా హిట్టా? ఫట్టా?

Gam Gam Ganesha Twitter Movie Review Telugu: బేబి మూవీ తర్వాత ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ హీరోగా నటించిన సినిమా గం గం గణేశా. కామెడీ క్రైమ్ యాక్షన్ థ్రిల్లర్‌గా తెరకెక్కిన ఈ సినిమా ఎలా ఉందో గం గం గణేశా ట్విట్టర్ రివ్యూలో తెలుసుకుందాం.

Gam Gam Ganesha Twitter Movie Review: బేబి మూవీతో సాలిడ్ బ్లాక్ బస్టర్ హిట్ అందుకున్నాడు విజయ్ దేవరకొండ తమ్ముడు ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ. దొరసాని సినిమాతో హీరోగా అరంగేట్రం చేసిన తొలి మూవీతో మంచి హిట్ అందుకున్నాడు. ఆ తర్వాత పుష్పక విమానంతో పర్వాలేదనిపించుకున్నాడు. మిడిల్ క్లాస్ మెలోడీస్ వంటి ఓటీటీ మూవీతో మంచి విజయం సాధించాడు.

కానీ, వీటితో రాని క్రేజ్ బేబి సినిమాతోనే ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండకు వచ్చింది. అలాంటి బేబి తర్వాత ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ హీరోగా నటించిన సినిమా గం గం గణేశా. దీంతో ఈ మూవీపై మంచి అంచనాలు ఏర్పడ్డాయి. ఈ సినిమాకు ఉదయ్ శెట్టి దర్శకత్వం వహిస్తున్నారు. ఈ చిత్రంతోనే ఆయన దర్శకుడిగా పరిచయం అవుతున్నారు. ఈ మూవీలో ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండకు జోడీగా ప్రగతి శ్రీవాస్తవ, నయన్ సారిక హీరోయిన్స్‌గా నటించారు.

గం గం గణేశా సినిమాను హై-లైఫ్ ఎంటర్‌టైన్‌మెంట్ పతాకంపై కేదార్ సెలగంశెట్టి, వంశీ కారుమంచి నిర్మించారు. ఈ సినిమా ఇవాళ అంటే మే 31న గ్రాండ్‌గా థియేట్రికల్ రిలీజ్ కానుంది. కానీ, ఈపాటికే ఈ సినిమా ప్రీమియర్ షోలు పడిపోయాయి. అవి చూసిన నెటిజన్స్, ప్రేక్షకులు సినిమాపై రివ్యూ ఇస్తున్నారు. మరి ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ కామెడీ క్రైమ్ థ్రిల్లర్ మూవీ ఎలా ఉందో గం గం గణేశా ట్విటర్ రివ్యూలో తెలుసుకుందాం.

"డైరెక్టర్ ఉదయ్ బొమ్మిశెట్టి దర్శకత్వం వహించిన క్రైమ్ కామెడీ మూవీ గం గం గణేశా డీసెంట్ సినిమా. కానీ, కొన్ని చోట్ల అసంబద్ధ నెరేషన్ సినిమాకు ఇబ్బందిగా మారింది. అయినప్పటికీ సెకండాఫ్‌లోని ఊహించని ట్విస్టులు, వినోదం సినిమాకు హైలెట్‌గా నిలిచాయి. ఆడియెన్స్‌కు మంచి థ్రిల్‌ను పంచేలా ఉంది. ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ బాగా చేశాడు. అలాగే ఇమ్మాన్యూయెల్‌తో ఇతరులు బాగా యాప్ట్ అయ్యారు. బీజీఎమ్ మెచ్చుదోగినట్లుగా ఉంది" అని ఓ రివ్యూ సంస్థ తెలిపింది.

#GamGamGanesha Director Uday Bommishetty made this Crime Comedy a decent experience. The inconsistency in the narrative in a few places works against the film. Still, the entertainment and crucial twists in the second half are the real highlights, keeping the audience intrigued… pic.twitter.com/jmKhO5CDy4 — Review Rowdies (@review_rowdies) May 31, 2024

"సింపుల్ స్టోరీ. కానీ కంటెంట్ మిస్ అయింది. కొన్ని చోట్ల కామెడీ బాగుంది. ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ నటనతో తన శక్తిమేరకు ప్రయత్నించాడు. కానీ, ఇందులో అప్ టు మార్క్ చేరుకోలేకపోయాడు. ఇమ్మాన్యుయెల్, వెన్నెల కిశోర్ పెద్ద ప్లస్ పాయింట్స్. అతను ఎప్పుడూ కొత్తగా ట్రై చేస్తుంటాడు. దాన్ని ప్రశంసించాలి" అని ఒకరు రాసుకొచ్చారు.

#GamGamGaneshaReview :Simple story but missing content. Comedy is ok in some scenes. #AnandDeverakonda trying his best in plots but this time it's not up to the mark, #Immanuel #VennalaKishore are big plus. He always trying new appreciate for that. #GamGamGanesha #GangsOfGodavari pic.twitter.com/ko7QQYNZmg — MJ Cartels (@Mjcartels) May 31, 2024

"గం గం గణేశా సినిమా రిలాక్స్‌గా సీట్‌లో కూర్చుని ఎంజాయ్ చేసే ఫన్ క్రైమ్ కామెడీ సినిమా. సిచ్యువేషనల్‌గా వచ్చిన కామెడీ చాలా సూపర్బ్‌గా వర్కౌట్ అయింది. వెన్నెల కిశోర్ ట్రాక్ బాగా నవ్వు తెప్పించేలా ఉంది. బీజీఎమ్ అదిరిపోయింది. ఇది తెలిసిన స్టోరీనే అయినప్పటికీ డైరెక్టర్ ఉదయ్ బొమ్మిశెట్టి బ్రిలియంట్‌గా ఎగ్జిగ్యూట్ చేశారు. ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ హిట్ స్ట్రీక్ కంటిన్యూ అవుతోంది" అని ఒక యూజర్ తెలిపాడు.

#GamGamGanesha is a 'Sit-back and Relax' fun Crime Comedy. Situational comedy works superbly & Vennala Kishore Track was 🤣. BGM 🔥 Despite its known story, Kudos to @udaybommisetty for his brilliant execution! @ananddeverkonda HIT Streak continues! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/GqiSbcLxf0 — The Creative Shelf (@tcsblogs) May 31, 2024

"గం గం గణేశా ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ నుంచి వచ్చిన ఒక ప్రాపర్ థ్రిల్లర్ కమర్షియల్ ప్యాకెజ్ మూవీ. ఫస్టాఫ్ ఎంటర్‌టైన్‌మెంట్, సెకండాఫ్ ట్విస్టులు, మంచి క్లైమాక్స్ చాలా పెద్దగా వర్కౌట్ అయ్యాయి. ఇమ్మాన్యూయెల్, కృష్ణ చైతన్య వారి పాత్రల్లో బెస్ట్ ఇచ్చారు" అని మరొక నెటిజన్ రాసుకొచ్చాడు.

#GamGamGanesha 🏆🏆🏆🏆 A Proper Commercial Thriller Package from Anand deverkonda 👌 Entertaining First Half and Thrilling Second Half with good Climax works big time 💥 Emmanuel , Krishna Chaitanya was best in their roles 🔥 #GGG pic.twitter.com/HgfRVL9RTm — Let's X OTT GLOBAL (@LetsXOtt) May 31, 2024

మరొకరు “కొండన్నకు హిట్ పడింది” అని రాసుకొచ్చారు. ఇలా ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ గం గం గణేశా సినిమాకు ఎక్కువ మంది పాజిటివ్ రివ్యూ స్ ఇస్తుంటే కొంతమంది మాత్రం నెగెటివ్‌గా రాసుకొస్తున్నారు. ప్రస్తుతానికి మిశ్రమ స్పందన తెచ్చుకుంటోంది ఈ మూవీ. అయితే, ఈ కామెడీ క్రైమ్ థ్రిల్లర్ ఎక్కువ శాతం ప్రేక్షకులకు నచ్చినట్లుగా తెలుస్తోంది.

Review: 'Bad Boys' Will Smith, Martin Lawrence are still 'Ride or Die' in rousing new film

Over three decades of “Bad Boys” movies, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have traded many a zinger and racked up endless property damage with their buddy-cop exploits. And yet they still find fresh ways to make the franchise sing, like weaving in themes of death and mortality with giant hungry alligators and gunfights that rain down jelly beans.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Friday), the fourth installment of Smith and Lawrence’s action-comedy series, certainly doesn’t let up on the explosive, crowd-pleasing antics. But directors Adill El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, returning from 2020’s “ Bad Boys for Life ,” successfully evolve Miami cops Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) by having them confront their middle-aged vulnerabilities as inadvertent outlaws in an increasingly over-the-top tale.

Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox.

And if you’ve been a “Bad Boys” fan since the original 1995 Michael Bay film, “Ride or Die” pays off plot threads from previous flicks while catching audiences up with Mike and Marcus’ latest life changes. In the new movie, Marcus suffers a heart attack at Mike’s wedding, and the aftermath shows a flip in their usual dynamic: Marcus gains perspective and a newfound sense of immortality, while Mike begins to suffer panic attacks when he realizes how his job puts loved ones in danger.

They just need to figure their stuff out on the run. When their dearly departed boss Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is accused of corruption and linked with drug cartels, Mike and Marcus make it their mission to clear his name with the help of the man who killed him: Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio), revealed in the last film as Mike’s son. The detectives discover a deep conspiracy at foot, are framed for murder by a villainous ex-intelligence operative (Eric Dane) and wind up fugitives alongside Armando with a $5 million bounty on their heads.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

“Ride or Die” packs in a ton of exposition, subplots, extended action sequences, character moments and cameos (from Tiffany Haddish to DJ Khaled) in less than two hours. Although efficiency is welcome in today's age of the bloated run time, bits and pieces narratively fall into place sometimes too easily − though honestly, who comes to a “Bad Boys” movie looking for story logic?

It does deliver on the mayhem front: El Arbi and Fallah craft a nifty airborne spectacle where Mike and Marcus fight goons and G-forces to escape a crashing helicopter, an appetizer for a flaming car chase through Miami and a wild bullet-ridden affair at an abandoned amusement park. And Smith and Lawrence’s chemistry is as infectious as ever, yet they thankfully don’t even try to be the same guys they were in ’95.

The bickering is still there, as is the fist-bumping swagger, but the stars bring more of a relatable groundedness to Mike and Marcus. When not dealing with angry rednecks or backstabbing exotic dancers, Mike tries to keep Marcus from eating Skittles for his health, and Marcus has to slap Mike to snap him back into reality in a bad situation. (That scene, given Smith’s 2022 Oscars incident with Chris Rock , feels both too soon and knowingly pretty funny.) Interestingly, neither of the main men factor into the movie’s most rousing sequence − that centers on Reggie (Dennis McDonald), who was introduced as a mousy teen in 2003’s “Bad Boys II” but shows his mettle here as Marcus’ Marine son-in-law.

While many Hollywood franchises are flailing, “Bad Boys” instead enjoys a renewed relevance thanks to revved-up emotional stakes and a couple of old favorites still at the top of their game.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Review: Will Smith is back in ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die,’ with Martin Lawrence riding shotgun

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Will Smith, left, and Martin Lawrence in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” (Frank Masi/Columbia Pictures-Sony via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Will Smith in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” (Frank Masi/Columbia Pictures-Sony via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Martin Lawrence in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” (Frank Masi/Columbia Pictures-Sony via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Will Smith, right, and Martin Lawrence in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” (Frank Masi/Columbia Pictures-Sony via AP)

• Copy Link copied

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth installment in the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence action-comedy series, is about a fight to redeem a tarnished legacy.

No, not that one. The reputation of Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano), the beloved captain of detectives Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Lawrence), has been posthumously besmirched. After his death, Conrad is framed as an informant for a Mexican drug cartel as a way to cloak more sinister corruption. Our detectives set out to clear his name.

Of course, the real image restoration that’s going on here is for Smith. “Ride or Die” was in development in 2022 when Smith strode onto the Oscar stage and smacked Chris Rock . The film was temporarily put on hold. Options were weighed. But 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” made a hefty $424.6 million before COVID-19 shut down theaters. Watcha gonna do?

The result is the first movie Smith has made in that era defined as Post Slap. Here he is, back in the driver’s seat and flying around the Miami waterfront with Lawrence riding shotgun. That’s to say: Smith is very much back in his element.

“Ride or Die,” which opens in theaters Thursday, is an attempt to pretend there haven’t been any bumps in the road along the way. More than that, this “Bad Boys,” coming 29 years after the original, would like very much to act as if nothing much has changed in not just the last two years but in the previous three decades.

Some signs of age is creeping in “Ride or Die.” Marcus has a heart attack on the dance floor and Mike is suffering from panic attacks. But with the exception of a drone or two, this is a movie that feels like it exists in the 1990s. Jerry Bruckheimer is still a producer, while original director Michael Bay has, as he did in the previous one, steps aside for Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. (Bay returns for a cameo.) But “Ride or Die,” set against Miami nightclubs and alligator-crawling hideouts, has largely stuck to its old buddy-cop formula with all the requisite explosions and slow-mo’ed car chases mixed in.

As before, the key is the comic chemistry and endearing bond between Smith and Lawrence. And, really, as much as the response to “Ride or Die” is sure to be taken as a referendum on Smith’s recalibrated drawing power, Lawrence is the MVP of these movies. It’s his manic comic energy that propels them. The schtick may be a little stale at this point, but no one can deliver a line like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!” in a gunfight with quite the same panache. “Ride or Die,” scripted by Chris Bremner and Will Beall, knows to prioritize crafting ripe situations for Lawrence. After his heart attack, Marcus wakes up with a new zest for life and a foolhardy feeling of invincibility.

The same might have once been said of Smith’s bulletproof screen presence, of course. Here, Smith seems a little less cocksure than he once did; those panic attacks keep coming for Mike. Smith is also playing more of a straight-man to Lawrence. If the slap caused a reassessment of Smith as a movie star, “Ride or Die” is the kind of the tailor-made vehicle that reminds you there haven’t been many better male American action stars in the last few decades.

None of this is enough to lift “Ride or Die” beyond its paint-by-numbers plotting, or prevent the film from being inevitably tethered to the Slap — not least because the film climaxes with Marcus smacking Mike with an open hand. But the directing duo of Adil & Bilall keep the pace moving quick enough to prevent you from dwelling too much on ridiculous details — like that Mike, as revealed in the last film, is the father to an imprisoned cartel assassin named Armando (Jacob Scipio), a prominent character this time around. And silliness is more of a feature than a bug in movies like “Bad Boys.”

You end up questioning less why Smith and Lawrence are still making “Bad Boys” movies than wondering why such breezily watchable genre movie-star platforms more or less don’t exist any longer. This summer will also bring back “Beverly Hills Cop,” with Eddie Murphy, another reminder that — outside something like the “Fast and Furious” films — the movie industry just hasn’t produced anything like these guys for years now. Will Smith might not be going anywhere, after all.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” a Columbia Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “strong violence, language throughout and some sexual references.” Running time: 115 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Disturbing but Poignant ‘Eric’ Is About Much More Than a Missing Boy: TV Review

By Aramide Tinubu

Aramide Tinubu

• ‘Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup’ Examines the Pitfalls of Notoriety: TV Review 2 days ago
• ‘Diarra From Detroit’ Creator Says Series Is an ‘Unapologetically Black Show’ That Invites ‘Everyone to Join the Party’ 3 days ago
• Patina Miller Says Raquel’s Confidence in ‘Raising Kanan’ Has Empowered Her Too  4 days ago

Related Stories

Netflix, roku accelerate streaming momentum in sports rights deals, israel's eurovision entry noa kirel to star in futuristic thriller 'wonder' from 'fauda' banner yes studios (exclusive), popular on variety.

When Edgar fails to arrive at school, Ledroit is put on the case. Still haunted by a lost Black teen, Ledroit is driven to get the Andersons a different outcome. This is no easy feat in a city determined to discard what is deemed unsavory, and everyone involved with the case is hiding something. As Ledroit chases down leads, slowed by inadequate technology, red tape and his own pain, the horrors of NYC’s government policies come to light. It becomes clear that misconduct and violence at the highest levels are complicit in harming the city’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens.

Ultimately, “Eric” is about much more than a missing boy. The series revolves around corruption and inhumanity, topics that will thunder in the viewer’s mind long after the final episode. Disturbing but profound, the show asks why only certain people are allowed happy endings and what that means for those who won’t ever see justice.

“Eric” premieres May 30 on Netflix .

More from Variety

Bring me the horizon’s oli sykes on ‘nex gen’ and jordan fish’s departure: ‘i’m not gonna lie and say it ended amicably’, ‘blue angels’ tests imax’s new ‘documentary blockbuster’ plan, following a bidding war, blackstone gets the whole hipgnosis songs pie, more from our brands, watch megan moroney showcase emotional single ‘no caller id’ on ‘fallon’, monterey car week just got more memorable with robb report’s pebble beach package, aaron judge’s bat booms after april gloom to beat gehrig record, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, the acolyte recap: star wars prequel lays out a compelling mystery in double-episode premiere, verify it's you, please log in.