Sanchita
The Archies Movie Review, Read Full:
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Vedang Raina, Aditi Dot, Mihir Ahuja, Yuvraj Menda
Runtime: 2h 23m
Storyline:
Set in 1960s India, against the Anglo-Indian town Riverdale, The Archies is the coming-of-age story of Archie and his close-knit gang of friends.
Aspiring musician Archie (Agastya) is ready to leave Riverdale and find his way as a musician in London. Meanwhile, the beloved town of Riverdale is set for some major upheaval. Developers are intent on tearing down Riverdale’s iconic Green Park to build a new hotel in its stead.
This nefarious project is headed by none other than Veronica Lodge’s (Suhana Khan) father. Veronica, oblivious to her father’s schemes, is busy flirting with Archie. However, the charming lad is also taking Betty (Khushi Kapoor) along for a ride.
The daredevil Reggie (Vedang) is not a rebel without a cause. Once he gets wind of Mr Lodge’s plans, he incites the gang into action. Will the gang thwart this takeover of this charming, small town? Will fractured friendships be healed? Watch The Archies to find out –
Along for the ride, we also have the hungry goofball Jughead (Mihir), the ambitious Ethel (Dot), and the endearing chap Dilton (Yuvraj)!
The Archies Movie Review:
This Zoya Akhtar directorial is pleasing to the eye but seems to suffer from the dilemma of style over substance.
The dreamy, vibrant set design is impeccable, carrying an old-world charm, and provides some great aesthetic visuals. Taking the relatability factor into account – for those who mocked the film for not being Indian enough, the makers get their justification out of the way right at the very beginning. They establish Riverdale as an Anglo-Indian town in a cute history montage.
The Archies Movie Review:
The Archies is quite corny, predictable and mediocre in its drama with the emotion being very surface-level.
Coming to the ensemble cast – Agastya Nanda as Archie looks cute and charming enough but still doesn’t pack enough of a punch. The quintessential charisma of Archie is missing. Agastya has been overshadowed by Vedang Raina’s Reggie.
Vedang is an absolutely natural performer, capturing the cockiness and the fierce determination of Reggie quite well. He’s a graceful dancer and is one of the better performers in the song sequences.
The Archies Movie Review:
Suhana Khan as the sassy, seductive Veronica is a bit of a hit-and-miss with her performance. In the 1st half, it feels like she tries too hard to channel the ‘IT GIRL’ vibe and it ends up looking gimmicky. Her dancing form is quite flawless and she moves with comfortable ease in the dance scenes. Suhana has her moment in the 2nd half, shining in the emotional scenes.
Khushi Kapoor looks sweet and charming but is quite awkward in her dialogue delivery. She fails to be convincing in the emotional scenes as well. Aditi Dot as the ambitious yet do-gooder Ethel gives a pleasant performance and has a confident screen presence.
The Archies Movie Review:
Mihir Ahuja has good comic timing and is one of the better actors in this young cast. Wish he had more screen time and more material to work with. Yuvraj Menda is absolutely lovable as Dilton.
Talking about the music and the dance sequences – while most tracks seem to blend into one another after a point – Sunoh is a refreshing, youthful track to listen to. Va Va Voom has a groovy and energetic choreography. Dhishoom Dhishoom incorporates skating very innovatively into the dancing, making it an absolutely fun track to watch.
From the whole ensemble cast, special mention to Vedang Raina for a confident, charismatic performance!
Hit Or Miss:
The Archies can be a fun, one-time watch.
(Also Read: The Archies Premiere Pics; Shah Rukh Khan, Bachchan Family, Khushi Kapoor)
