Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’ was one of those movies that generated a lot of controversies and buzz in 2023. Despite grossing over 800 crores at the box office, it left many disappointed. As a Ranbir Kapoor fan, I regret not watching it in theaters. Now that the movie is available on Netflix, my only regret is the wasted time spent watching it. The film not only featured misogynistic dialogues and scenes but also suffered from issues related to the plot, a disappointing second half, and more.
1. Dumb Movie Plot
The movie, made on a budget of 100 crores, had so many dumb scenes that I couldn’t wrap my head around them. Throughout the entire film, there is no police presence whatsoever. In one particularly famous fight scene, Ranbir Kapoor confronts people with an axe, even though his team has guns. He stops them, only to go on a violent rampage where the killers inexplicably line up to get killed by him rather than attacking him at once. In another scene, the army of villains waits until Ranbir Kapoor lights his cigarette before he starts shooting with his specially designed machine gun.
Additionally, the portrayal of an untrained army of cousins taking on professional killers without any formal training raises eyebrows. And, who the hell is running the business when this manchild is engaging in a violent spree with the father being under house arrest? Essentially, the movie seems tailored for those who can shut down their brains while mindless violence ensues. However, even in that regard, the makers fail to create an exciting experience.
2. Weak Character Writing
Now, when you create a movie with such a complex character as the protagonist, you can’t afford to be lax in character development. The goal is to evoke something from the audience—be it sympathy, hatred, love, or some other emotion. However, the makers fail miserably in making the audience feel anything for the main character. This leaves the audience confused, wondering about the character’s true nature. Makers might argue that the character is so complex that you didn’t grasp it. Perhaps! But isn’t it their responsibility to present it in a way that the audience can understand? With random humor, scenes, and plots, the movie and characters are all over the place.
3. Dysfunctional family needed therapy; Not endless glorification of Abuse
In the 21st century, when many dysfunctional families grapple with trauma, the last thing we need is a movie that glorifies the abuse within them. We understand the profound impact of broken relationships and negligent parenting on individuals and families. What often eludes many is the potential for healing through therapy and support. In contrast to films like ‘Dil Dhadakne Do,’ which approached dysfunctional families with elegance and style, this movie mindlessly glorifies abusers and their actions.
4. Dragged Second Half & Excessive Movie Length
Now, the movie’s extended runtime of 3 hours and 21 minutes is a significant drawback, considering how broken and soulless the movie feels, leaving you too fatigued and bored. The pacing of the second half is sluggish and dragging. The movie had so many meaningless scenes that didn’t add anything. unnecessary scenes and sub-plots.
5. Underutilization of Talent
The film missed the opportunity to leverage the talent of Ranbir Kapoor and Anil Kapoor with weak character development and sub-standard dialogues. When talented actors fail to make viewers feel anything – then it’s the fault of the makers. The entire movie seemed like an exaggerated plot, expecting sympathy for a loveless man-child whose toxic relationship with his father was supposed to justify his violent and abusive behavior.
6. Toxic Masculinity
The overglorification of aggressive, domineering male characters, perpetuating outdated stereotypes of toxic masculinity – becomes meaningless and pointless after some time. The film’s heavy toxicity makes you wonder why a talented actor like Ranbir Kapoor chose this role. After seeing him in movies like ‘Tamasha’ and ‘Rockstar,’ found it disheartening to watch him lead in this saga of toxic masculinity.
7. Normalizing Adultery
Firstly, the adultery sub-plot was totally meaningless. It didn’t add anything new to the character and takes the audience away from the plot. The way Ranbir Kapoor’s character engages in infidelity and confesses to his wife, who forgives him despite incidents of domestic violence and adultery, is another stupid thing that you wouldn’t expect in the 21st century.
8. Bad Acting
No one can deny that Rashmika Mandana’s acting is quite disappointing. Her dialogue delivery and poor character development make her portrayal one of the worst female characters of recent times.
9. Weak Portrayal of Women
Now, I wasn’t even expecting a very strong portrayal of women, given that it is a Vanga movie. However, the weak depiction of female characters in the movie is at another level. Whether it’s Rashmika Mandana, Tripti Dimri, or any other characters, they are portrayed so poorly that it makes you wonder about the regressive perspective from which the filmmakers approached their portrayal.”
10. Small Role of Bobby Deol
Despite Bobby Deol’s prominence in the film’s promotions, his character’s limited screen time is a huge disappointment. Instead of the adultery subplot, the makers should have given more screen time to Bobby Deol, making the antagonist more powerful and the overall plot more engaging. Bobby Deol has merely 10-15 minutes of screen time in the film, leaving so much untapped potential.
The movie fails at so many levels that, after a while, it becomes pointless, and you realize that it will be a new addition to the list of terrible Bollywood movies making money at the box office. The movie fell short of expectations, and as a Ranbir Kapoor fan, I am definitely disappointed. Have you watched the movie? Did you like it? Tell us in the comments below.