'HanuMan' has been watched. The superhero movie's early paid premiers were held in multiple locations on Thursday evening, many hours before the scheduled theatrical release. The tremendous response to the premier shows validated the film's popularity. How is 'HanuMan'? What are its merits? Let's find out in our review:
Story:
In a fictional town named Anjanadri, Hanumanthu (Teja Sajja) is an idler who thinks he is a hero but is incapable of showing a spine to the village's feudal lord. Lord Hanuman, who oversees the village, knows that Hanumanthu is destined to own a blessed gem that blesses him with supreme physical prowess. A wannabe superhero named Michael (Vinay Rai) is in the town with the ulterior motive of assuming supernatural powers. Can he trump Hanumanthu?
Performances:
Teja Sajja appeared somewhat overwhelmed by the vastness of the director's imagination here and there. Nevertheless, the actor looks vulnerable and spotless the way his character requires him to.
Vinay Rai, as the chief antagonist, should have been scarier. The unimaginative writing does hamper the character's full-blown evolution. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, as the hero's sister, is effective. Raj Deepak Shetty, as the baddie of Anjanadri, is below average. Vennela Kishore, as Michael's puppet scientist, is good. Getup Srinu, as Hanumanthu's sidekick, is funny in at least one scene. Satya, as Anjanadri's resident clown, is hilarious in two scenes.
Technical Departments:
Two departments were supposed to deliver impeccable output: VFX and production design. The film's VFX range was enhanced in the second half of 2023 after the film's teaser became a huge hit. At a time when the teaser for 'Adipurush' was still fresh in the minds of the audience, the teaser for 'HanuMan' came to wow the audience. The film's VFX quality does live up to the hype, albeit to a limited extent.
Sri Nagendra Tangala's production design could have been less generic. Shivendra Dasaradhi's focused cinematography and Gowra Hari's not-so-loud background score perk up the visual merits of the superhero movie.
Merits:
1. The focus on the villain and his motives for the first ten minutes is a bright idea.
2. Establishing Anjanadri as an idyllic place protected by God is another good idea. We even get to know the distance that separates the gigantic statue of Hanuman and Hanumanthu.
3. The detailing that comes with Hanumananthu's transformation is well-written. He is fun-loving even after acquiring extraordinary powers. The fight after his transformation is played for laughs.
4. The final 15 minutes are good.
5. The lead-up to 'Jai Hanuman', the sequel, to be released in 2025.
Demerits:
1. The hero's love for Meenakshi (Amritha Aiyer) and the way he woos her have been portrayed in a routine fashion.
2. Too much of a screen presence for Vennela Kishore somewhat weakens the villain's character.
Vox Verdict:
'HanuMan' is a watchable superhuman comedy entertainer. It is likely to fascinate kids more. Will it work in Hindi more than Telugu? The jury is out!
Rating: 2.75 \ 5
