Brahmastra Part One: Shiva Reviews

Brahmastra is the first film in India's original cinematic universe - the Astraverse, which is Bollywood's cinematic answer to the Marvel universe. Director-writer Ayan Mukerji (Wake Up Sid) has created an adventure film rooted in Hindu mythology. An Astra holds energy from the natural elements. Pawan Astra (wind), Agney Astra (fire), Jai Astra (water), and the strongest Astra, Brahmastra, a powerful weapon of the god of creation. Such is the title of the film. This is the first in a trilogy that has the potential to usher in a new series of global fans. It's a story that has been told before. A boy goes on a quest for self-discovery and meets a girl and becomes tasked with the responsibility of battling the forces of evil permeating the universe. It's an exciting adventure and a romance movie that stars Ranbir Kapoor (Shamshera) as Shiva and Alia Bhatt (Darlings) as Isha. The real-life husband and wife team have great onscreen chemistry, and their performances ooze with life. Shiva and Isha have an undeniable chemistry that leaps off the screen. He is our perfect, solid hero; she is our heroine, not a wilting flower but brave and bold. The audience will enjoy them equally in their action sequences as in the musical number. Although clearly action heroes, the actors have the acting chops to back up the storyline. They bring depth to the screen that transcends into the more touching scenes and explores the themes of love, fear, light and dark. The stunning visuals rival the chemistry between the two in the film. There are plenty of "oohs" and "ahhhs," and the audience might find themselves moving in their seat with the action. It is an epic experience to be seen on the big screen, with its almost shimmering pallet and gaming-like special effects. Technical aspects of the film are standouts. The stunt choreography is energetic, with contributions by fight choreographer Georgi Manchev (Assassins Creed) and action director Dian Hristov (The Hitman's Bodyguard) to an incredible soundtrack from Pritam Chakraborty that is downloadable for the ride home from the theater. Notable also is the balance of the sound, which allowed the movie to tell the story. The audience doesn't need to cover their ears during the action sequences, which makes the film even more enjoyable. The sound mixing by Jitamitra Jena is that good. The acting, directing, and technical aspects of this film make the movie well worth a watch and is an excellent beginning to the trilogy. It's long at 163 minutes but merits the ride.