Movie: Animal
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor
Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Produced By: T-Series and Bhadrakali Films
Release Date: 1st December, 2023
Finally, the day has come and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s intense action drama Animal is in front of the audience. Right from the day it was announced, the film has managed to do everything right in terms of creating buzz. The title, the first look, and the recent trailer have kept on increasing the anticipation for the film. While Sandeep Reddy Vanga is just two films old, he has managed to create a cult following and with Ranbir Kapoor alongside him, the audience has been eager to know what has been packed in this Bollywood biggie. Does the film manage to pack a punch and justify all the hype? Let’s find out in this Animal review.
Story: Animal is the story of a son’s mad love for his father. We have seen a glimpse of the same in the trailer and Sandeep Reddy Vanga has explored this in detail over 3 hours and 21 minutes. Vijay (Ranbir) has an intense love for his father Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor). Balbir runs the biggest steel factory in India. Due to conflicts with his father at an early age, Vijay is sent off to boarding school and eventually marries and settles down in the US. He shares no contact with Balbir until the latter survives an assassination attempt. He returns to India and how he takes revenge on his enemies is the main plot.
Performances: Ranbir Kapoor has given his career-best performance in Animal and has surpassed himself in every aspect. His performance and motives capture your attention throughout the film and Ranbir has managed to strike the perfect balance between vulnerability, intensity and mad passion with tremendous ease. Bobby Deol has made a striking comeback with Animal and his mannerisms and intensity are a true match to Ranbir’s. Anil Kapoor as Balbir Singh is the strong foundation on which Animal is built. He has yet again shown why he is revered as a great performer in Bollywood. Just like Ranbir, Anil Kapoor also manages to balance a bouquet of emotions and conflicts with terrific ease. Rashmika Mandanna as Gitanjali is a good addition to the talented cast and provides a good support in this passionate and intense battle. Sandeep Reddy Vanga has managed to extract performances from each actor. However, it is his very own screenplay that falters especially in the second half. A few scenes may appear dragged and you will start noticing the movie’s length as it is 3hr 21 minutes long.
Positives:
- Strong performances
- Career best by Ranbir
- BGM
- Songs
- Good writing in 1st half
Negatives:
- Dragged scenes
- Unengaging 2nd half
Verdict:
As the title suggests, Ranbir’s character exhibits raw emotions throughout the movie. We do find some shades of Arjun Reddy in the character. Safe to say it is the career-best performance of Ranbir Kapoor. The characters are written well and credit must go to Sandeep Reddy Vanga for transforming his writings brilliantly on screen. The unique screenplay makes the 1st half engaging and enjoyable despite the length
However, it is the 2nd half where the tempo starts to drop and the film slows down with Vanga losing track for a good amount of the 2nd half. He is, however, able to redeem the plot towards the end with the climax and the post -credit twist. As we all expected, the BGM and sound track delivered by an ensemble of musicians manages to create a haunting impact.
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