RRR is a historical fiction action film directed by Indian filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli, who also co-wrote the script. It was released in the Telugu language.

Britsh Raj Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and Catherine (Alison Doody) kidnap an India village girl named Mali (Twinkle Sharma) after they hear her sing. The villagers send a local warrior and revolutionary named Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) to save her, disguised as a mechanic. Hearing that he is coming, the British send Indian officer Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) with the promise of a promotion if they bring him back alive. While in disguise, Bheem falls in love with British servant Jenny (Olivia Morris) after she defends him from a British soldier. Soon after, a little boy is caught in an explosion and could die. Bheem and Raju work together to save him and as a result, become friends. Neither realizes that they are enemies and will soon have an epic showdown.

I had seen the trailer and honestly did not know what to expect from this movie. To my surprise, I actually had a lot of fun watching it. The runtime is a bit hefty, so buckle in for the long haul and grab some popcorn.

The movie follows two real-life Indian historical figures and though they did not meet ever, the director made this as a sort of “what if.” The plot is meant to explore the idea of the two of them meeting and even fighting with some superhuman abilities.

It definitely gives a harsh look at the British Raj, portraying them as cruel rulers of the Indian people and with very little nuance other than the character of Jenny. I know some British critics took issue with this, but since it is a fictitious story based on history, I will judge the movie from that perspective.

As for the movie itself, it is a lot of fun. The action sequences are incredibly stylized and really smooth. A couple of times, the CGI came out, especially with animal sequences, but it was not totally intrusive. Instead, the director leaned into the strengths of the plot, the actors, and their budget to make this a blast.

Bheem and Raju are both very interesting characters with a lot of depth. Each has a compelling motivation for continuing on their path and seeing how they crossover is impressive.

One of the things I admire about Bollywood is that when it comes to defying physics. When the two heroes first meet to save the boy, Raju uses hand signals to communicate the plan since they are too far for clear verbal communication. The signals were incredibly vague, but Bheem picks it up right away and they do a rope stunt that defies all logic, but I was cheering as they performed it. This happened often in the film and I was here for it, other than the scene where Bheem lifts a motorcycle over his head.

I also enjoyed a scene where Jenny invites Bheem to a party and an Englishman embarrasses him on the dance floor. Raju and Bheem then do a dance from India and all of the Englishwomen swoon for them during the dance-off. It was both funny and entertaining. As an aside, the two actors are very good dancers.

Bottom line, RRR, which stands for Rise-Roar-Revolt, is the type of movie Hollywood is afraid to make. There is very little political pandering. The male protagonists are platonic friends and very masculine, enough to take on a whole army. The women are beautiful and feminine, while being strong. It celebrates culture and tradition, plus shows the audience a darn good time.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong violence

FAVORITE QUOTE: Your friendship is more valuable than this life, brother. I’ll die with pride.

Check out the trailer below:

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