Baahubali

[Drunk Monk]

From our Coming Soon thread - watched on iTunes.

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8)

This film is gorgeous and absurd CGI mania.  Imagine Bollywood meets Lord of the Rings final battle.  The statue erection was clearly inspired by Detective Dee although it goes a totally different direction - that scene and the final battle comprise the centerpieces of the film.  Lots of gratuitous slo-mo.  Man, Bollywood flicks would be half as long if they just cut out the gratuitous slo-mo.  LOTS OF SWORDFIGHTS!  There's even a sword-fight-seduction, which is totally absurd because it starts in a frozen wasteland and then transitions to a tropical temple for no reason.  Ok, this is a SPOILER but I can't help it.  The sword-fight-seduct begins with the hero tattooing the hand of his affection while she slept with her hand in a stream.  Then he tattoos her shoulder as she stalks the stream, hoping he'll show up again so she can shoot him with an arrow.  She's a top fighter, great with blades and bows.  And she's in a tree.  And somehow he gets above her in that tree.  And then he drops a snake on her so she doesn't notice that he's tattooing her shoulder.  The tattoos, revealed in the sword-fight-seduction as she is artfully disrobed from her warrior attire which transforms into a beautiful red sari, match his tattoos when they embrace.  God I love Bollywood! END SPOILER. 

Then the big twist.  This was only part 1.  It left me on a wicked cliffhanger.  I shouted DAMMIT! right after.  Totally spoiled it for me because I didn't see it coming. 

And I just read on the web that there will be a part 3. 

[cranefly]

Just watched this and pretty much agree with DM.

I'm always surprised by how muscular the Indian males have gotten in Bollywood.  The two main male competitors in this film are muscle-bound, or borderline so.  When I saw a photo of the lead holding a sword, I couldn't wait to see him wield it.  As I suspected, very stiffly.  There's something to be said for being a skinny runt, you know.  Is steroid use prevalent in Bollywood?  Or is it all done with yoga? 

Anyway, this is a big-budget extravaganza, as DM says.  Lots of battles, heavy on strategy and tactics, with odd weapons.  Corny in many ways, but very engaging.

Now I'm ready to watch Part 2 -- once I catch my breath.

[Drunk Monk]

I started 2 and it begins with a goofy stereotypical Bollywood romance, not nearly up to snuff to part 1 so far. there have been some overdone fights, lots of silly archery (although funny in a corny way), not as spectacular cg-wise yet. But I only got about midway through and it's set up for a major battle, so hopefully it'll pick up. Haven't given up on it yet. I'll finish it later.

[cranefly]

This review is for Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.  Not that it's the conclusion if there's a part 3 coming.

Part 2 begins with the Queen Mother heading off to Burning Man.  Someone has strapped a bomb to her butt, which will go off if she walks slower than 3 mph, so her two sons, Baahubali and Bhallaladeva, come along to keep her from being waylaid or trampled by the occasional rabid elephant.

After Burning Man, her two sons enter a Lou Ferrigno lookalike contest.  It's a seesaw battle, with each at various times seeming to gain the upper hand; but before the winner can be announced, the two brothers lose interest and shift their attention to a beautiful princess.  Rather than fight over her, they wisely decide to share her.  Okay, just checking to see if you're paying attention.  Of course things turn very nasty.

All in all, a very uneven movie.  Just when I thought it had completely lost its way, it went back to its strengths: 1) large-scale battles with lots of clever strategies and tactics (most of them preposterous, but with the occasional "hey, that just might work"), and 2) the court intrigues, where honor, loyalty, promises and customs churn up a good deal of genuine emotional turmoil.

Flawed, but worth my time, maybe yours.  2 hours 40 minutes, if I recall.

[Drunk Monk]

How can you call a prequel 'the conclusion'. The dumb thing was I didn't figure out this was a prequel until 2 hours into the film. Then it all made sense.  Well, sort of, as much as anything make sense in bombastic Bollywood.

The fight scenes were still outrageous fun. The dance numbers were colorful and opulent. Great sets, costumes and wacky cgi. The palm tree catapulting human shield balls were sick. The cusineart chariot with the arrow cannons was cool too. Lots of bloody lopping off of parts, heads, fingers, arms, etc. some judicious editing could bring this down to a good solid hour of awesomeness. 

I'll watch part 3.

[cranefly]

Yeah, I was late to the party as well in understanding that this was actually a prequel -- or an extended flashback?

Part of the confusion arises because the actor Prabhas plays both the Queen Mother's wronged son Baahubali and the wronged son's son Baahubali -- if I understand correctly.  Neither wikipedia nor IMDB make this clear, but I think that's the case.  This was one of those movies where I didn't invest a lot of neurons following all the contours of revenge, instead just enjoying the weirdness and mayhem.

[Drunk Monk]

Upon reflection, I think that was an intentional device. Not to spoil it anymore than we already have (as if any other DOOMers have the Bollywood bug like us) but it was a great mcguffin. I was like 'how the heck is he going to get out of this?' then voila - the flashback deus ex machina. It solved the beginning of the first film elegantly because it was quite curious. Kinda brilliant, very Bollywood.

A super cut reel of all the action of these two films would be awesome.

[Drunk Monk]

I watched p1 again just now because I was crawling back to the interview I did with the screenwriter/director prior to Jazz Fest, and the only juice I got left is to watch something and then only barely. I was immediately engaged again in its over the top style. It’s like he wanted a slow mo climax every 5-10 mins, story be damned. So much crazy, but it still achieves some visionary moments. I’ll probably watch the next one next. Still love this film for all the wrong reasons.

[Drunk Monk]

Baahubali p2 rewatched.

When I watched this the first time, it was when it came out so the films were separated by 2 years. Seeing it back to back over two nights, it all came together. What a masterpiece. It's a mammoth epic of gratuitous opulence and overkill. It starts over the top and keeps going over the again, over and over and over. When that final battle comes, it is so ridiculously absurd but you've been numbed by now and have accepted so much logic flaws that you just go with it. And you are thoroughly rewarded. 

Now that I get it, I can see where the director was going from the beginning. It all fits into place in a surprisingly multi-level way, especially when you follow which deities are being worshipped with which scene (hint - it's a lot about Shiva). 

It's all about the action scenes and the dance numbers. Ordinarily I'd say to fast forward over to them, but there's so much good stuff in between that makes those scenes shine. 

Obvs this is not for everyone. It's deep Tollywood, something only cf and I have tolerance here it seems. You have to commit to it, all of it, to get it. 

I completed D00M recommend this with the qualifiers that 1. Greg's need for logic will make his head explode if he watches this and 2. Maestro's love of great action will be challenged every which way but if he keeps his tongue firmly planted in cheek, he'll enjoy it and 3. well, I dunno what the rest of you might think. This is out there. If you can hang with out there, go for it.

[Greg]

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head

[Greg]

Might have to switch this to the Netflix thread where I caught the first bit. It's now called Baahubali: The Beginning.

Why does he have to climb through the waterfall. Why not just got around? Or if his mom really loved him why not just open the tunnel to go around it all together. I got all the way to the fight with the bull. Do you hate me? Is that it.

The annoying part for me (Yes, one of many) is that film is dubbed from another language into Hindi. So their lips don't match up to the dialogue. In some cases the timing is way off.

[Drunk Monk]

If you question the waterfall climb, you ain’t seen nothing yet. This thread should be good as G’s brain bursts open with the inundation of ridiculous questions that come pouring off that cliff. Youdo realize, of course, it’s the ridiculousness that makes this so great - that Rajamouli would be so bold to dive into such ridiculous plunges, and expect the audience to jump in too - and we do.

I feel ya on the Hindi dub tho. I’m impressed that you noticed because the syllables tend to map well as the languages aren’t too distant (but they are incomprehensible from in to another - akin to Mandarin & Cantonese). RRR had the same issue. Telugu has a notice oh different sound than Hindi, not as sing songy for lack of a better description. But in RRR it changed Naatu Naatu to Naacho Naacho, which made it so much better for me.

[Greg]

We all recognize this man who last saw years ago when he was just an infant.

I made it to the rescue of Mom scene only to be ambushed on the road. The scene of him jumping down the palace as he escaped from the palace guards looked like a bad video game. I did like his makeup application prowess. And the lead girl did clean up nice for the lovemaking scene complete with carefully placed plant to hide the boob. Then there was the avalanche sequence....

[Drunk Monk]

Was that after the tattooing scene?

[Greg]

Well there were two tattooing sequences; one where he held his breath under water for his entire life while painting with ink that was water proof and the second when he got into the tree where she was going to keep watch. The love making sequence was after both of those.