Junglee Movie Review
(3.5/5) Funny, Freaky!
Movie Review By Raju Shanbhag
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There are people who roam around the rocky terrains of Karnataka in an Omni, visiting their ancestors in the village with a half dead human body carelessly tossed in the backseat. There is a philosophic comedian who thinks life is a bitch and can’t stop bitching about in every given frame. And then there is a treacherous friend who thinks it’s ok to ditch his godfather in exchange for the nymphomaniac wife of his boss, and the wife is in love with the friend’s godfather.
Suri’s Junglee does have all the complexities of a city underworld, and it has Suri’s inimitable style of searching for a touch of melancholy in absolutely hilarious situations and splashing some ‘in your face’ comedy at you where someone is on the deathbed. In short, right from the first frame, Junglee doesn’t give you an inch of respite. There is rib tickling, deeply sarcastic humor on the one side and there are Suri brand, nearly psychotic characters on the other that make you doubt the person in your next seat.
The first half of Junglee is uproariously funny. Junglee (Vijay) is a village simpleton who latches on to his village friend Rangayana Raghu, pestering him to take him to the city and fulfill his uncontrollable desire to be a villain in Kannada films. This is the time where Suri uses his and his friend Yogaraj Bhat’s dead pan sense of humor to the full extent. Slapstick gems spring up from every situation, whether you like the relevance or not. Although Suri’s problem with making the film flow smoothly continues even in this film, you won’t notice the drawback as you are drawn to irresistibly funny world of Vijay and Rangayana Raghu. They ridicule everything, right from Kannada films to the underworld dons to the mother-son sentiments. When Viji falls in love with Andrita Ray, more humor follows. And just when you think that the film is going to be one hell of a jolly ride, Suri’s brand of tragedy strikes.
And that’s not only in the story.
Determined to give the story a whack in the tail, Suri launches a fresh lease of gang wars out of the blue. More deaths follow in dim lit locations and bizarre camera angles which zoom in and zoom out as if they have a life of their own. Viji fights with a few dozen musclemen and belts every one of them. There is treachery, there is more blood and Suri’s fascination with death and abnormality of human mind is back in its full glory. Sadly, somewhere in all this bloodbath and abnormality, you miss the witty dialogues and two simpletons who could not care less about this bitchy world.
No doubt, Suri is a master craftsman. He’s among those very few directors in Kannada who has very concrete ideas about the canvas of his film, and has the ability to frame it exactly as he dreamed it. Watch out for the scene where Viji is going back to his village and two vehicles follow him. Out of nothing, Suri creates a nerve wracking tension in that scene and makes you restless without doing anything spectacular. You can’t teach such things in film schools, can you?
Although there is a shadow of Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar in his depiction of underworld, that’s pardonable as Suri creates a film which is absolutely hilarious in the first half and likeable in the second half. Only if he can get over his fascination with death and depression, he can compete with the best in India. Any day, anytime.
Suri knows how to use Viji, and the man rocks throughout the film. His body language is sometimes arrogant and sometimes plain ignorant. This film belongs to Rangayan Raghu as much as it belongs to Viji. With almost all the best dialogues in the film given to him, Rangayana Raghu takes you on a fun filled trip in the first half.
The gorgeous Andrita Ray is sadly among the weaker links in the film, along with an “out of the track” screenplay. She either looks angry or keeps smiling at Viji when she is not dancing with him. Her character lacks conviction and is not well defined either. Why does she suddenly fall in love with Viji? Why does she fall in love with the man whom she thinks is responsible for her father’s death? Nopes, Suri, you can certainly do better than that.
On a whole, Junglee is the film that can keep you engaged for various reasons. A little more thoughtfulness with the screenplay and a little less fascination with the other side of the life could have made it a spectacular watch.
Even now, it nearly is. Watch it.
i only hear its amazing & rocking songs ,never wtched any scene of this movie
third class movie ever………
Mahesh sir,I agree with you completely.Suri is creative and young direct but still he is not ready to come out of slum stories.Even other guy which you mentioned also.
Its hard to believe that Bhat has written such mass appealing song—Hale Paatre.
This movie was projected for all souls.Many of the scenes in the movie look right out of a old stone age periods sans all the entertainments. In this test tube babes age,even disturbed and empty souls expects better entertainments and zero embrasements narrations.
Trusting this reviews i lost my valuable time and money.This movie is realy not upto mark and not worth to discuss any thing.It may appeal to some section of audiences who are adopting double standrads and not taking matters in its own merits.The subject is too outdated and narration too very bad.Time and again the reviews will be inconsistent lacking credibility.
@manasaarefan, even Duniya had slum dialogs throughout the movie.. Suri is a great film maker but he refuses to raise above the slums. Upendra also same case.. Though he’s also a good film maker, his movies always revolve around slums.
Filled lot with slum dialogues and mindless action.
Have seen the movie but hadent read this biased and fan boy reviews all these days.Its true that reviewer has softcorner towards crap movies in the name of entertainments.Otherwise how on earth can he praise this one filled lot of slum dialogues, mindless action and sensous heroine.Oh god please save all the internet review followers since its not authentic and constructive.
hi viji u luk like sharuk , great yaar
someone here said that 2.30 gante li bari dialogues alle film mugusbutru..adhakku talent beku and aa talent soori li idhe…when many movie makers struggle to make a watchable flick with a good story…this soori entertains thruout without a story…adhu soori vishesha…INP nu sakkath aagithu…duniya was the best..junglee also rocks and all his future movies rocks
good actin by vijay. forgettable movie. simply boring…..
full partial review.. reviewer soori/vijay abhimaani irbeku.. kittod filmge 3.5 staru..
Manaranjaneya mahapoora, kelavu vakyagalu nija jeevanakke sannihithavagide matthu Nirdeshaka Sooriyavara prakara kelavu sanniveshagalu bahala arthagarbhatavagide. Haudu idaralli helikolluvanthaha, hosa tharada katheyilla, adare prekshakanana manasannu alankarisuttade.
truly speaking, jungli is a new kind of muvi where v get a luk @ life from a rare angle. i alwys go by my immediate reaction after i step out of theater n i promptly felt a haunting muvie go wid an open mind n b shocked 2 realities unfold b4 ur eyes………njoy!
Tarzan and Jane dint work for me.. neither did the story..and tarzan’s frend rangayana raghu was over the top… Sory i wudnt recommend this movie unless u have too much time and money to spend
kannada films ge tumba olle hesaride :-O
Film alli ondu kathe illa, bari dialogue alle 2.30 hr kala kaliyake agatha ,Duniya soori inda e thara worst cinema neerekse madiralillla,inu Rockline productions..Doodu jasti idre ide thara inu ondu 10 film thegediu nimalle ithu kolli,,,Prekashanige omme Producers film yochane madi ananthara Film thegiri..Kannada Films hesaranu hall madi ittbidthira….
After reading the reviews of Birugaali and Junglee, its confirmed, ‘kannada chitrarangake grahana badididhe’
But Suri was not at all serious about this movie and he has nowhere pretended it in the movie also.. All he wanted to make was an easygoing commercial entertainer post Inthi Ninna Preethiya disaster.
Something like Maniratnam made Alaypayudhe when his Thiruda Thiruda and Iruvar bombed at boxoffice.
But anyday Junglee is more entertaining and less emotionally draining than Duniya.
This movie is just like Part 2 of Duniya.But missing many good elements from Duniya like characters of Loose Maada, Kishore etc. One can like it only if they have not seen Duniya.
We did not expect from Soori to see Duniya like movie again, we were expecting something different.
Though tailor made for Vijay, this movie is worth a watch bcos of its extraordinary camera work, reasonably good music, punchy dialogues and above all, Vijay’s sterling action sequences..
we feel proud of you, Vijay!!! and at the same time, please act in even better movies hereafter (Soori, are you listening???)
Idu SOORI bareda kateyo. namagagi banda vyateyo…………. ee dabba movie dabba dalle iddidre chenagittu……..
Junglee e cinemaad hesru heroin hero na nodi navu cenemag hogta illa nav hogta irod suri anno hesarna nodi niraseaagalla
his one’s only for Vijay fans. In his enthusiasm to give another Duniya-like hit, Suri has faltered in selecting a good story, narration and failed to understand the pulse of the audience by imposing what he wants on them. The story begins on a very positive note and ends up with too many twists and turns, affecting its flow.
Suri has selected two narratives — one highlights the romantic life of Junglee (Vijay) with Padma (Andritha Ray) and the other, the circumstances that force the hero to become part of the underworld. But, he ends up making a mess of the story.
Most sequences look like they’ve been created only for Vijay to exhibit his action prowess. We also have blood-chilling murders, chases, and `comedy’ scenes by Rangayana Raghu, whose role is similar to that in Duniya.
Vijay is a treat to watch for his brilliant action and emotional sequences. Andritha is okay. Adi Lokesh is impressive. Sathya Hegde’s camerawork is brilliant. V Harikrishna has given a couple of foot-tapping numbers with which choreographer Imran Sadaria has done a neat job.
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anna punyathma thaavu duniya soori & king kobra viji abhimanina,
yava konadinda nimge cinema ista aaythappa, nim hendathi maklu idre avra jothe koothu cinema nodi, bari kithod sambaashane,arthave ildiro maathugalu,maathige munche huli thara negeyo aa kobra,aado maathugu maado kelsuku arthane ildane maathado rangayana raghu, ashleelana vaibhaveekarisiro kathe idnella nodi thaavu 31/2 star kottidiro,
dayavittu thaavu mathomme koothu cinema nodi,
it.s funny,……
just watch.. it…
Great review… Thanks to Bellitere.
I definitely going to watch it tomo…
By reading this review I’m excited…
This is what i expected from SURI and Viji…
Cheers..