Junglee Movie Review: Shallow spectacle

Vidyut Jammwal’s Junglee has hit the theaters and while expectation were really high from this action-adventure as it has been directed by The Mask director, Chuck Russells, it couldn’t live up to all the hype. The film revolves around Raj, who runs a vet clinic in Mumbai. Raj’s father has an elephant sanctuary in Kerala however, Raj is upset with his father over something and is not in talking terms with him. Raj returns to Kerala for his mother’s 10th death anniversary and reunites with his dad and his childhood friend Bhola, who has now turned into a majestic tusker. However, some poachers are eyeing Bhola’s tusk for ivory and what happens then forms the rest of the plot. Vidyut is playing Raj and while his action sequences are awe-inspiring sadly, we can’t say the same about his acting but he is looking very handsome courtesy his sharp jawline and chiseled body. He looks comfortable around the animals but the biggest weak point of this film is that the makers haven’t explored his relationship with Bhola. Asha Bhat and Pooja Sawant have marked their Bollywood debuts with the film and none of the two girls could make an impact. Atul Kulkarni is playing the antagonist and he is your typical shikaari, who kills for thrills. Makrand Deshpande is doing what he does the best, play a quirky character with haggard hair. This film is very weak in the acting department and the supporting cast has overacted like nobody’s business. Only the elephants impress as Chuck captures them in all their glory. It’s a delight to watch these gentle giants on screen and the majestic beasts mesmerize you with their mere presence. The plot is wafer thin, the story is predictable and it’s quite surprising as big names like Rohan Sippy, Ritesh Batra and Akshat Ghildial have worked on the screenplay, script and dialogues. The film also has a cameo appearance by Lord Ganesha and it’s unintentionally funny. Junglee has been mounted on a massive scale but you are left in awe of only the animals. The story is so simple that it looks like the makers lifted it from Champak. This movie is a classic case of hathi ke daant khaney ke aur, dikhaney ke aur. This film failed to create the magic that Haathi Mere Saathi did but the cinematography and camerawork are awesome. Junglee is at par with Hollywood action-adventures and is a visual spectacle. Junglee has its heart at the right place but sadly, the story was disappointing. Kids and action lovers may enjoy this movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0sYSs2ObK4