BOTTOM LINE: Music Sparkles In A Sea Of ‘Not Enoughs’
Rating
2 / 5
Skin N Swear
None
Drama
What Is the Story About?
Netflix original film ‘The Archies’ is set in the sixties, in a fictional North Indian hill station named Riverdale, populated by the Anglo-Indian community. 17-year-old high-schoolers Archie (Agastya Nanda), Betty (Khushi Kapoor), Veronica (Suhana Khan), Jughead (Mihir Ahuja), Reggie (Vedang Raina), Ethel (Dot) and Dilton (Yuvraj Menda) must save their beloved local park, Green Park, from falling into the hands of a greedy corporate and being turned into a hotel. The movie is an adaptation of the iconic American comic books, Archie Comics.
The Archies is directed by Zoya Akhtar, co-written by her with Reema Kagti and Ayesha DeVitre Dhillon, and produced by Akhtar and Kagti’s Tiger Baby Films.
Performances?
The Archies introduces a slew of fresh-faced actors as leads, with only Mihir Ahuja having previous acting experience amongst the bunch. None, however, makes much of an impact, expect for Vedang Raina. Agastya Nanda looks cute as Archie, but his performance is curiously spiritless and subdued. Suhana Khan as Veronica is sassy and sharp, but that’s all to it. Khushi Kapoor pulls off the Betty look well, but her performance is too artificial and studied.
Mihir Ahuja is outright mediocre as Jughead. Dot is good as Ethel, though her characterisation is a departure from the Ethel we know from the comics. Yuvraj Menda is average as Dilton. Vedang Raina as Reggie is the only one who leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. The lad’s got a good screen presence, charismatic good looks, and charm in spades. Vedang Raina is certainly an actor to watch out for in the future.
The older actors are well-cast, and save the performances department somewhat. The actors that play the parents of the youngsters suit their roles well. Suhaas Ahuja as Archie’s dad, Fred Andrews and Satyajit Sharma as Betty’s father Hal Cooper are good.
Luke Kenny’s Rickie Mantle is a pleasant surprise. Aly Khan as Mr. Lodge is a good casting choice. It’s a delight to watch Tara Sharma and Kamal Sidhu back on screen after ages. Both nail their roles as Archie’s practical mom and Veronica’s snobbish one, respectively. Vinay Pathak as town councillor Mr Dawson is passable.
And oh yes, Farhan Akhtar makes his presence felt with his voice role as Archie’s Ben Uncle on the phone.
Analysis
Whatever Zoya Akhtar touched has turned to gold up till now. But the law of averages catches up with all and sundry, sooner than later. And it has caught up with Zoya Akhtar in the most appalling way possible. Coz The Archies is a dud of the highest order. In other words, The Archies is one project Zoya Akhtar shouldn’t have touched with a bargepole. And especially with a bunch of actors as uninspiring and uninteresting as this.
To give credit where it’s due, The Archies is breathtakingly beautiful to look at. The sets and locales are grand, the cinematography is beauteous, production design is stunning and the production values, top-notch. Attention to detail is laudable. The quirks of the Anglo-Indian community are captured well.
It is a good strategy to set the story in the midst of the Anglo-Indian community, which lends credence and believability to the westernised characterisations of the cast, along with allowing the writers and director to stay true to the core essence of the comic books.
The most significant and appreciable aspect of The Archies is its fantastic music. The songs are lovely, with beautiful lyrics complementing the foot-tapping tunes. The choreography, by Ganesh Hegde and Bosco Martis, is smashing. The songs have been picturised superbly, with gorgeous production design and top-notch production values. The good-looking cast adds to the allure of the songs.
All of the above make The Archies a beautiful piece of cinema. But it a also a movie that falls short in every department that counts – namely, the writing, the central premise, the primary cast, and their performances. Which makes The Archies a beautiful bauble — showy and superficial, and nothing else.
The writing is average at best. It could have been much better on all counts – in the dialogues; the fleshing out of characters; the central conflict and its resolution; the humour and banter – a crucial part of the comics; and much more.
To put it simply, The Archies is a string of ‘not enoughs’. Archie is cute and goofy, but not enough. Ronnie is sassy and self-centered, but not enough. In fact, Zoya Akhtar’s Ronnie is just the opposite – she’s sappy and sweet, to the point of being sickeningly saccharine. Jughead is not wry enough; Reggie is not arrogant and cocky enough, Dilton is not geeky enough. The only character that feels true to the comics is Betty, and goody-goody, generous disposition.
Mr Lodge has been handed the worst end of the stick – Ronnie’s stinking rich but benign dad from the comics has been made villain of the piece —well, kind of. The story would have worked better if it was an equally rich outsider trying to grab Green Park; and Archie and the Gang save the day with the help of Ronnie’s loaded dad. It’s happened before in the comics, and would have made ample sense in the movie too.
Interestingly, the one commendable thing about the writing in The Archies is the way the writers have sneakily smuggled in a few earnest messages in the midst of the inherent innocence of the sixties. Female empowerment — in the way Ronnie and Betty cock a snook at the two-timing Archie; support for alternative sexuality — through a crucial character; loving yourself — Ronnie’s pep talk to Betty; a gentle criticism of the divisiveness in today’s society — Fred and his “We are minorities, but it is our mulk” line; the general apathetic attitude of today’s youngsters who don’t bother to exercise their voting rights to choose better — with Archie, and his “What do I have to do with politics” line, followed by the peppy ‘It’s all politics’ number; and so much more is hinted at in an unpreaching manner in the movie.
To sum it up, The Archies is a movie that has great potential but the present version is a huge opportunity lost. Watch it for the sake of it; or else, give it a skip.
Music and Other Departments?
The music of The Archies is its high point. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have done a fantastic job of it, along with Ankur Tewari and Aditi Dot Saigal. Nikos Andritsakis’ cinematography is terrific, and lends a dreamy, whimsical quality to the storytelling. Suzanne Caplan Merwanji’s production design is spectacular. Ganesh Hegde and Bosco Martis’ choreography hits the ball out of the park.
Highlights?
Fantastic music and songs
Smashing choreography
Superb cinematography
Gorgeous production design
Drawbacks?
The wooden primary cast and their stilted performances
Weak writing
Uninteresting central conflict
Did I Enjoy It?
Not much
Will You Recommend It?
Not much
The Archies Review by Binged Bureau
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