The Archies Review: Disappointing adaption of famous Archies comics
The Archies Movie Rating: 2 Stars
Finally watched The Archies movie on Netflix. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi “Dot” Saigal and Yuvraj Menda
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Release Date: 7th December 2023 on Netflix
Story: Set in 1964 in Anglo-Indian city Riverdale, it’s about seven friends Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda), Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor), Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan), Reggie Mantle (Vedang Raina), Jughead Jones (Mihir Ahuja), Ethel Muggs (Aditi Saigal) and Dilton Doiley (Yuvraj Menda).
Archie can’t decide between Veronica and Betty, Jughead loves to eat every minute and Dilton loves to invent quirky things. Betty is shown to be a good baker, Ethel is a great hairdresser and Reggie wants to be a journalist. Veronica, of course, is too rich to actually understand the concerns of her middle-class friends. They are extremely connected with each other and with the park called Green Park.
Meanwhile, Veronica father Hiram Lodge (Alyy Khan) plans to demolish the shops and construct a hotel by cutting the trees of Green Park. Hal’s (Satyajit Sharma) bookshop, run by Betty’s father has to shut down, as a result. Hiram gets Dawson (Vinay Pathak) who is the Town Council chief, on his side and asks him to pass the order for the hotel.
The seven friends, meanwhile, are finding it difficult to grapple with the changes happening in their beautiful town. They revolt and muster support from the people of Riverdale to stop the hotel from coming up in place of the loved Green Park even though the plan is passed by the Council. Will they able to save Green Park and also tackles the issues of friendship and romance is all about this movie?
Positives
1. Performances
2. Climax
3. Cinematography
4. Few moments
Negatives
1. Length
2. Direction
3. Music
4. Story
5. Screenplay
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch this movie in free time as trailer looks interesting and liked director Zoya Akhtar previous movies.
Set in 1964 in a fictional hill station called Riverdale in India, the coming-of-age story follows Archie and his friend’s navigating friendship, romance, and social responsibility as their cherished park faces a threat from developers demolishing it to build a hotel.
The Archies story based on the comic characters and set in a fairy-tale world which only the class and city audience will be able to identify with. The stunning visuals and amazing production design are an added advantage. The star kids Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor gave decent performances in their debut film. Out of the three, Khushi Kapoor is more impressive. The climax is a feel-good emotion, and you only wish that the built-up was as effective. The writing tried to ride on many running themes of nostalgia, young love, friendship, power, and ambition but the execution went downhill when it came to the relatability and the realism quotient.
The biggest drawback of the movie is that it fails to strike a chord with his characterization and the sub-plots. The romantic and friendship parts of the drama lack depth and emotions. The editing is a letdown, as close to 10-15 minutes could have been chopped off easily. Zoya Akhtar’s magic is missing a bit in The Archies, as she impresses only in a few scenes. There are far too many songs. Lastly, the performances of the debutants are good but not out of the world. The movie loses steam in the second half and could have been more engaging as the conflict escalates. Solutions are convenient, and the resolution is trifling.
Overall, movie is definitely not a cup of tea for everyone. It’s not a one size fits all. If you’re not into the Western musical structure of films, this will bore the heck out of you. Weakest film of director Zoya Akhtar career. My view on this movie Not Recommended.
For more Bollywood and Cricket updates visit my page on Facebook Durgesh Tiwary’s View and website Cricket Movie Website