Streaming Recommendation: RRR

Have you ever watched a Marvel (or other SuperHero) movie and think to yourself, “I wish the action scenes were longer,” and “couldn’t’ Captain America and Iron Man (or Superman and Batman) have MORE powers,” and “couldn’t there be a ton of additional special effects, even if they might be just a little more cheesy,” and, “instead of Iron Man and Captain America fighting some alien like Thanos, couldn’t it be Davey Crockett and Thomas Jefferson fighting the British?” Oh…and…”add in a few fantastical musical sequences (one of which ends up earning and Oscar for Best Song),”…and…”if it can be at least 3 hours long, that would great!”

If this is you…do I have a movie for you!

Streaming now on Netflix, the “Bollywood” film RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt) is all that and more.

Based on real revolutionaries Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju - both of whom led rebellions against British colonizers in the 1920s and 1930s - RRR is a fictitious version of the actual men (who never met in real life), and thus, sadly, never actually waged a two-man war on the occupying British Empire using Bengal Tigers, Wolves, Poisonous Snakes and other wild animals.

Writer/Director S. S. Rajamouli, incredibly, brings this 3 hour fantasy/superhero/epic into being by asking “what if” all of the things listed above – and then delivers a highly satisfying fun time.

Citing the very definition of “willing suspension of disbelief”, lead actors N.T. Rama Rao, Jr. and Ram Charan dive headfirst into this bit of make believe with a wink in their eyes and a stubborn determination to bring some realism and grounding to their non-human, SuperHero characters – and darned if it doesn’t work (even when they use “magic mud” to miraculously heal broken bones, deep gashes and torn ligaments).

It's an absolute roller coaster of a film and one that needs to be experienced to be understood, but if you saw the musical number on the Oscars telecast, then you get a pretty good idea of what is in store for you.

And, if you’re in the right mood, it will be very fun.

Thanks to all for recommending this thrill ride of a film. And THANK YOU to the Oscars for bringing the very fun musical number to the festivities this year.

Letter Grade B+

7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)