7th movie reviews

By Jason Delgado | April 18, 2022

Why do we keep secrets? Shame, lack of communication, or a longing for something that we don’t have in our lives are some of the main reasons. All of the above reasons are why the lead character of  7th Secret , Marissa Kelly (the talented Amanda Figueroa), doesn’t tell her husband about her sexual kink. She wants to be spanked, but she’s too ashamed to tell her upstanding, running for District Attorney husband Kris (Michael Patrick Lane). They also don’t have the greatest communication, which as a married man myself, is understandable.

In my experience, women tend to hint or allude to things, while men need to be told the literal truth. There’s a scene that I chuckled at because it illustrates this point perfectly. Marissa is getting hot and heavy with Kris and grabs his hand, wanting badly for him to smack her butt. He instead just grabs her a*s. That’s the communication breakdown between men and women in a nutshell.

The story starts to get rolling when Marissa is at the park, trying to watch a spanking video on the down-low, when a man behind her catches a glimpse of her obsession. He gives her a knowing wink and nod, then goes on his way. Marissa is then approached by a drunk delinquent with nefarious intentions toward her involving his buddy when the previous winking stranger steps in and saves the day. He then smirkingly brings up the video while displaying domineering tendencies and puts his number in her phone as Slade (Lukas Hassel). Slade tells Marissa to come by Club Corporal, leaving her with a lot to ponder while kicking off a cat and mouse game between the two.

“ Slade tells Marissa to come by Club Corporal …”

7th Secret  is part of the now rare genre of erotic thrillers, which coincided with the rise of cable television in the 1990s. Given the subject matter, people may want to compare this to  50 Shades of Grey , except that movie was trashy romance novel entertainment geared towards women. Director Bridget Smith and writer Mike Walsh seemingly have made something more authentic, innocent (it only deals with spanking, as opposed to the entire bondage spectrum), which can be enjoyed equally by all sexes (I’m sure some men liked the cheesiness of  50 Shades of Grey , I just wasn’t one of them).

Amanda Figueroa is the glue that holds it all together because she alternates between sweet and innocent (while trying to deal with her in-laws) and emotionally conflicted quite well. She gives off a smile in uncomfortable situations that you can tell is fake, but it’s somehow still charming. I was also impressed by the singing skills she displays in the film (it’s another interest that her character has a passion for, while her husband could care less). Figueroa has the chops to be a star someday soon with the right opportunities, and this movie is an excellent start.

Natasha Henstridge, of  Species  fame, is another standout as Olivia, the jealous wife of Slade. Olivia is fine with working at Club Corporal, but she draws the line at her husband giving Marissa special treatment. It’s good to see Henstridge expand her acting range since her breakout role as an alien vixen into being the calculating force that she is to reckon with here. The inevitable showdown between the two women is the highlight.

Smith and Walsh both do a fantastic job because, in the wrong hands, a simple concept such as the one in  7th Secret  could easily turn into bad late-night cable TV fare. They make it believable and intriguing the whole way through while ending on a high note with an invigorating finale.

7th Secret (2022)

Directed: Bridget Smith

Written: Mike Walsh

Starring: Amanda Figueroa, Michael Patrick Lane, Lukas Hassel, Natasha Henstridge, Stacey Dash, Kristin Minter, Joan Jett, etc.

Movie score: 8/10

"…authentic, innocent, [and] can be enjoyed equally by all sexes."

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Seventh son.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 7 Reviews
• Kids Say 15 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Weak YA adaptation is far more mature than the books.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Seventh Son is a very loose adaptation of The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney, with an aged-up protagonist (presumably to up the heartthrob factor) and only a passing similarity to the books. There's a surprising single use of "f--k" (used in exasperation), and…

Why Age 13+?

Many characters die, some in horrifying ways. Master Gregory kills witches by bu

Thomas and Alice flirt from the first time they meet; they kiss passionately sev

Sparing, aside from one use of "f--king" (as in "those f--king witches").

Master Gregory is always drinking from a flask; he never goes without it and see

Any Positive Content?

Thomas' mother urges him to clear his heart of grief and fill it with courage. T

Thomas' mother puts herself at risk to strengthen and protect him. She sacrifice

Violence & Scariness

Many characters die, some in horrifying ways. Master Gregory kills witches by burning them. The Witch Queen and her cronies turn into their animal familiars and destroy a town, killing many innocent citizens; although there's no blood, residents are burned, crushed, and, in one case, swallowed/eaten. Some confrontations are hand to hand, with weapons like swords, knives, chains, and staffs. Some of the witches fight as their familiars -- dragons, bears, leopards, etc. -- which adds to the violence as they bite, roar, and jump on people.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Thomas and Alice flirt from the first time they meet; they kiss passionately several times and eventually make out; the scene then fades into a shot of them lying next to one another, drowsy and embracing. The scene implies that they could have made love, but it's left unclear.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Master Gregory is always drinking from a flask; he never goes without it and seems almost like an alcoholic.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Thomas' mother urges him to clear his heart of grief and fill it with courage. The storyline encourages people to question immoral rules and stand up for what they believe.

Positive Role Models

Thomas' mother puts herself at risk to strengthen and protect him. She sacrifices her safety to defend her town. Thomas and Alice believe they can be more peaceful than their hate-filled elders. On the iffier side, a witch's minions are played exclusively by minority actors.

Parents need to know that Seventh Son is a very loose adaptation of The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney , with an aged-up protagonist (presumably to up the heartthrob factor) and only a passing similarity to the books. There's a surprising single use of "f--k" (used in exasperation), and there's more immediate passionate kissing and romance than in comparable YA fantasy adaptations. In one scene it's even implied that a teen couple has had sex, based on their position on a bed and the way the girl's top is loose and off her shoulder. The violence is on par with other fantasy series, but it's still disturbing when people are burned to ash, swallowed (the evil witches turn into animal familiars, like dragons and leopards), or killed with swords and other medieval weapons. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (7)
• Kids say (15)

Based on 7 parent reviews

There should be a second Seventh son because the adventure is just to begin when the bells rang and I think that the The seventh son is better than Harry Potter and Lord of the rings put to together and I also believe that the sequel could be better than the first one because Tom isn't just master spook he also a witch which gives a good start on the second movie if they will make it

Better than expected, what's the story.

In SEVENTH SON, mysterious witch hunter/defender against dark forces (aka Spook) Master Gregory ( Jeff Bridges ) discovers that Mother Malkin ( Julianne Moore ), the powerful witch he buried and imprisoned decades earlier, has escaped. She confronts Gregory and promptly kills his loyal apprentice, William Bradley (Kit Harington), before disappearing. Master Gregory visits the Ward family to investigate his next possible apprentice, Tom ( Ben Barnes ), another "seventh son of a seventh son" who has an inherent sensitivity to the supernatural. Together, Gregory and Tom set out to defeat Mother Malkin before the Blood Moon rises, granting her extra powers. Along the way, Tom meets Alice ( Alicia Vikander ), a beautiful young woman who's actually Mother Malkin's niece. With help from a stone his mother gave him, Tom must use his unique powers to make sure Malkin and her cronies don't destroy their land and everyone in it.

Is It Any Good?

Like the Percy Jackson movies, Seventh Son is an adaption that absolutely doesn't do justice to the books on which it's based. Fans of Joseph Delaney's Last Apprentice series will probably be particularly unable to stomach the movie, as they'll spend the entire time complaining (possibly out loud) how far from the books the movie diverges, starting with it's hunky 30-something star pretending to be an older teen, playing a character who in the book is actually 12. While it's nothing new for movies to age up middle-school protagonists, it's still disappointing how little (with the exception of character names) this movie resembles Delaney's popular action-packed novels.

What's even more galling is that the actors are all clearly phoning it in or camping it up. Not to mention the eyebrow-raising fact that all of Mother Malkin's minions are played by minorities like Djimon Hounsou , who audiences probably forget is actually a wonderful, nuanced actor. There's little redeeming about Seventh Son , unless watching Bridges act drunk (half of his lines are slurred) and Moore vamp around as a dragon witch sounds like fun. And unfortunately, even though the book series appeals to kids as young as 8 or 9, the filmmakers decided to kick Tom and Alice's romance into gear almost immediately: they kiss passionately (and every kiss leads to Vikander gasping) and appear to sleep together without so much as an "I love you." Skip this and watch (or re-watch) a much worthier fantasy film instead.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the popularity of movie adaptations of popular children's and young adult fantasy series. What are the benefits of making a movie based on a well-known book? What are the potential drawbacks?

Those familiar with the Last Apprentice books , were you satisfied with this adaptation? What changes did you like? What did you miss from the books? Why do you think filmmakers tend to age younger main characters up for movie adaptations?

Some critics have said Seventh Son is "so bad it's good." Are there movies you love to "hate watch"? Why are "bad" movies sometimes fun to watch?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 6, 2015
• On DVD or streaming : May 26, 2015
• Cast : Jeff Bridges , Julianne Moore , Ben Barnes
• Director : Sergei Bodrov
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Universal Pictures
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Book Characters
• Run time : 102 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense fantasy violence and action throughout, frightening images and brief strong language
• Last updated : February 17, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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7th floor (septimo): film review.

A success first in Argentina and now in Spain, this well-appointed thriller stars audience magnet Ricardo Darin as a lawyer whose kids mysteriously go missing.

By Jonathan Holland

Jonathan Holland

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Septimo Still - H 2013

In countries like Argentina and Spain where most city folks live in apartments, kids will often ask their parents if they can run down the stairs while Mom and Dad take the elevator. But what happens if the kids don’t appear at the bottom? This is the intriguing high-concept scenario that successfully drives the first hour of 7th Floor .

But after that, the cable snaps and it all comes crashing down.

The Bottom Line Prioritizing suspense above credibility, the film is a good idea that is disappointingly exploited.

This is Spanish director Patxi Amezcua ’s second film; the first, 25 Carat , was a taut, gritty and complex little thriller after which 7th Floor feels like a letdown. Its star appeal should mean that other Spanish-speaking territories follow where Argentina ( Ricardo Darin ) and Spain ( Belen Rueda ) have led, but there is too little here suggest that the film will climb the stairs elsewhere.

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The marriage of Argentinian lawyer Sebastian (Darin) to Spanish Delia (an often unflatteringly-lit Rueda) is falling apart after an affair he’s had. Picking the kids up one morning for school, Sebastian succumbs to their wish to run down the stairs, after which they disappear.

Some real heart-pounding tension – for parents in particular — is generated during the minutes following the disappearance, the hysterical Sebastian’s imagination working overtime as for various reasons he bangs on doors and accuses virtually everyone he encounters of being responsible. They include the janitor Miguel (the ever watchable Luis Ziembrowski ), a lawyer, Rosales (Argentinian veteran Osvaldo Santo ) and some clients, whom Sebastian accuses of creating a diversion to prevent him from testifying at a key court case.

Cell phones are used so much in this film that surely it’s only a matter of time before we have a thriller consisting entirely of phone conversations. Indeed, Sebastian walks around urgently talking into his so much that the viewer wonders why he doesn’t have two — except that this would have hobbled the film’s last thirty minutes.

When he receives a call telling him the kids have been kidnapped and asking him to deliver a lot of money in two hours, then the focus of the story shifts; we leave the building, the promise of an ingenious denouement evaporates, and the film, having promised so much, becomes generally run of the mill. The big reveal comes as a bit of a cheat – ultimately, this is a locked room mystery, but locked room mysteries depend on the audience knowing the exact layout of the building, and that information is never shared.

It’s clear from watching 7th Floor that the primary aim at the planning stage was to generate suspense. There’s enough in the fact of a father losing his kids to sustain the first hour, but once the question of the kids’ location has been solved, then Alejo Flah ‘s script runs into all sorts of thoughtless credibility issues which only the most undemanding viewer will be prepared to excuse. “Don’t use your phone,” Rosales instructs Sebastian, and he doesn’t. So why does it then runs out of battery at an inappropriate moment?

PHOTOS: 24 of Fall’s Most Anticipated Movies: ‘Ender’s Game,’ ‘Catching Fire,’ and More

Darin’s presence in a film pretty much guarantees box office success throughout the Spanish-speaking world. He does what he can as a man who’s fundamentally unsure whether his first allegiance is to his family or his work, and there’s no one better at suggesting a world of turbulent hidden emotion behind an impassive exterior, but on this occasion the script demands little more of him than a sleepwalk.

Rueda is well known to foreign audiences for her stunning, passionate performance as a tormented mother in The Orphanage , but here, she is given too little time onscreen. Dialogs between the two are ill-judged: when your kids are still missing, is it really the best time to sit down and work out your issues? Other performances are solid, but the characterization of the kids, in a film about the importance of parenting, is perfunctory to the extent of being offensive to children everywhere.

Director of photography Lucio Bonelli makes the most of the building’s spiral stairway and elevator to rack up the tension, but once things move out into the wider world, it’s merely efficient. Roque Banos ’ score is uninspiring and over-employed. The technical package is generally slick.

Production: CEP Audiovisual, El Toro Productions, Ikiru Films, K&S Films, Telecinco Cinema, Telefe Cast: Ricardo Darin, Belen Rueda, Luis Ziembrowski, Osvaldo Santoro, Jorge d’Elia Director: Patxi Amezcua Screenwriter: Amezcua, Alejo Flah Producers: Andres Longares, Alvaro Agustin, Ghislain Barrois, Jordi Gasull, Edmon Roch, Hugo Sigman, Matias Mosteirin Director of photography: Lucio Bonelli Music: Roque Banos Production designer: Cristina Nigro Editor: Lucas Nolla Sound: Martin Litmanovich Wardobe: Ruth Fischerman Sales: Film Factory Entertainment No rating, 100 minutos

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7th Secret (2022)

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Film Review: ‘The 4:30 Movie’ Finds Kevin Smith at His Most Nostalgic for First Love and Multiplexes

A Kevin Smith film is a warm embrace to me from an old friend. While there are those who have long dismissed the auteur as unserious, I consistently find his work to be compelling, emotional, and a genuine reflection of his creative spirit. More than that, Smith has a tendency that flies under the radar to defy expectations. Who would have guessed that Clerks III would tell the story it ultimately told? So, while a teen romantic comedy would seem like an opportunity for Smith to be as crude as ever, The 4:30 Movie is actually one of his sweetest flicks ever. I’m an easy mark for him, but regardless of that, I smiled and had a great time for about 90 minutes.

The 4:30 Movie is a love letter to the multiplex. It’s also a tribute to young love and summer romance. Smith doesn’t completely avoid going blue or working in raunch, but in many ways, it’s as pure and experience as we’ve seen from him since Jersey Girl . Even a raunchy effort like Zack and Miri Make a Porno was still covering up a huge mushy heart from the filmmaker, so here, he’s just letting it beat even more out in the open. He loves love, to be sure, but he also loves movie theaters.

Taking place in the summer of 1986, Brian David ( Austin Zajur ) has two plans for the day. One is to spend the Saturday afternoon like he always does, with best friends Belly ( Reed Northrup ) and Burny ( Nicholas Cirillo ) sneaking into multiple movies at their local theater. The other is to ask Melody Barnegat ( Siena Agudong ) on a date. One flirty yet awkward phone call later and she’s going to join him for a movie later on that day. There’s the slight hiccup of it being an R-rated film, but they’ll figure that out later. The important thing is Melody is coming and Brian is on cloud nine. Then, it’s time to join Belly and Burny for some theater-hopping.

When the self-important theater manager ( Ken Jeong ) bans one of the gang during their movie marathon, Brian’s plans are thrown for a loop. Whether it’s Melody’s overprotective mother ( Kate Micucci ), Brian’s own mom ( Rachel Dratch ) who calls the theater to talk to him, or any number of other occurrences, the world seems to be conspiring against Brian. He still believes in the possibility of summer love, which Burny takes issue with. In true teenage fashion, it all comes to a head before wrapping up in a surprisingly sweet manner. I was charmed throughout.

This cast is a mix of young up and comers in the bigger roles and celebrity cameos popping up throughout. Austin Zajur is the star and the Smith stand-in, doing a good job of suggesting the artist as a younger man. His chemistry with the odd Reed Northrup and too cool for school Nicholas Cirillo feels like that of real childhood friends. Zajur’s interactions with Siena Agudong are also a highlight, as they play off of each other very well. Agudong has an ethereal quality to her that’s well captured. Ken Jeong is having a lot of fun as an old-fashioned teen movie villain, while Rachel Dratch and Kate Micucci effectively play very different types of embarrassing parents. The aforementioned cameos include Logic , Method Man , Betty Aberlin , Jeff Anderson , Diedrich Bader , Jason Biggs , Rosario Dawson , Ralph Garman , Jason Lee , Justin Long , Jason Mewes , Adam Pally , Sam Richardson , Genesis Rodriguez , Harley Quinn Smith , and more.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith really mines his teenage years for material here, with the result being quite enjoyable. Fans will recall several of his stories from childhood popping up either as anecdotes or actually plot moments. It’s a nice quality that the script doesn’t require you to know them for these sequences to work. It’s just specificity that adds to the flavor of the broth. As for his direction, it remains simple, though shooting in the multiplex he used to frequent and now owns serves as inspiration, as well as smart budgeting. He’s also delighting in crafting both fake trailers and a fake movie that our heroes are watching. Those bits of creativity make The 4:30 Movie stand out even more so than it already does. At the same time, he never loses sight of the love story at its core. Sure, there are jokes about where film culture would be headed, but mostly, this is about a teen boy who wants to kiss a teen girl again.

The 4:30 Movie is a joyful burst of nostalgia and one of Smith’s sweetest efforts to date. Fans of the multi-hyphenate will get a kick out of this lark, without question. It’s such a lovely change of pace for him, while still showcasing all of his strengths. I had such a good time with it and I suspect that you will too. As Smith continues to explore his craft in new ways, I’m 100% here for it!

SCORE: ★★★1/2

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The Seventh Fire

Set mostly in a hyper-desolate Native American reservation town in Minnesota, Jack Pettibone Riccobono ’s “The Seventh Fire” centers on two sometimes reprehensible but extraordinarily vivid men. Rob Brown , whose tribal name is Two Thunderbirds, has spent many of his 37 years incarcerated and will soon head back to prison, leaving behind a pregnant girlfriend. Kevin Fineday Jr., approaching his 18 th birthday, looks up to Rob and almost seems like his younger self: by all indications, he’s headed for a life of crime, prison and gang activity. He too has a pregnant girlfriend.

Roger Ebert famously described movies as “empathy machines,” and Riccobono’s film is a powerful example of cinema’s ability to grant even the diciest of characters their full humanity. Described in a newspaper article or crime report, Rob and Kevin would inevitably be reduced to two-dimensional types, self-serving lowlifes who contribute nothing to society and are held in contempt even by some closest to them. While not excusing their behavior, “The Seventh Fire” lets us see both men as complex figures with recognizable feelings and a poignant sense of their own failings and aspirations.

The film has three credited writers (Riccobono along with co-cinematographer Shane Omar Slattery-Quintanilla and editor Andrew Ford ), yet it is also nominally a work of nonfiction. Though that may seem a bit contradictory, it captures the film’s sense of comprising a work of “faction,” forging a drama out of real-life materials. Filmed in catch-as-catch-can verite style, it dispenses with documentary techniques such as titles and narration in order to immerse us into its subjects’ lives.

One result of this approach is that its early sections especially feel a bit scattershot. It takes a while of weaving into Rob and Kevin’s intertwined lives over a period of months to begin getting a sense of what makes them tick. Yet the dead-end quality of life in Pine Point village—or “P-Town” as it’s known—on the White Earth Indian Reservation is evident from the outset. It’s a bleak place of identical cheaply made houses, where residents who want dispense with unwanted furniture simply put it on the curbside and set it on fire.

No wonder the main recreational activity for many locals seems to be taking drugs. This is where Kevin intersects with the community professionally. He’s a new, aspiring part-time dealer, who buys and sells and partakes himself. (The film contains several scenes of drug taking.) Though one motivation may be financial, this also seems a matter of image and identity: it gives him a macho role to play around his peers, and Kevin, with his shades, fancy haircuts and hip-hop threads, is nothing if not image-conscious. The ubiquitous posters of De Palma’s “ Scarface ” here provide an archetype for the narco-thug as a role model for dispossessed young men.

Kevin’s home decorations and taste in tattoo imagery show he also has an awareness of his Native heritage, which in turn suggests that, culturally and perhaps morally, he exists in a divided, conflicted mental space. And indeed, he says he can imagine himself going straight and building a normal life. Yet these words seem like wistful daydreams, while reality is pulling him in a darker, easier direction. His father, evidently having been betrayed too many times, damns him as a liar beyond the pale. “Even when he tells the truth, he’s lying,” Kevin Sr. bitterly scoffs.

Rob leads a similarly divided life, one that shows the unhappy destination that Kevin will reach if he continues on the same road. He’s the product of a ruinous upbringing, and here the reviewer must note one of the peculiar advantages of reviewing films on DVD. In a scene where the film very briefly glimpses a document concerning Rob’s criminal history, I paused the image and read the document’s detailed account of the sexual abuse he suffered as a child, and his subsequent misfortunes in being shuttled through a long succession of foster homes. While this history hardly justifies his criminal career, it does point to reasons he would have been involved with a criminal gang called the Native Gangster Disciples from an early age.

(A side note: Gang activity is alluded to frequently in “The Seventh Fire” but seldom shown. This is presumably because the filmmakers couldn’t gain access to other gang members that they did to Kevin and Rob.)

Up close, Rob seems a solid guy, never malicious or overtly menacing. Photos of him in Native costume as a young man suggest pride, geniality and hopefulness, qualities which have been hardened but not erased by the time he’s facing his fifth trip to prison, for a stay that will keep him inside for over two years. When we follow Rob into the joint, we get to see a facet of his personality that we’ve only heard mentioned before: He’s an aspiring writer, and his words have the power of conviction and a keen awareness of his life’s tremendous challenges and painful lessons.

“The Seventh Fire” (the title refers a prophecy of the Ojibwe tribe) has a list of executive producers that includes Natalie Portman and Terrence Malick . The latter’s influence can perhaps be discerned in the film’s disjunctive, impressionistic narrative and its visual vocabulary, which mixes lyrical views of snow and fields with sternly realistic looks at this world’s grim disarray. But whatever other filmmakers may have had an impact on Riccobono, the film’s indelible depiction of current Native life is an achievement that belongs to him alone.

Godfrey Cheshire

Godfrey Cheshire is a film critic, journalist and filmmaker based in New York City. He has written for The New York Times, Variety, Film Comment, The Village Voice, Interview, Cineaste and other publications.

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Uruku Patela Review: ఉరుకు పటేల సినిమా రివ్యూ అండ్ రేటింగ్

Rating: 2.25/5

న‌టీన‌టులు: తేజ‌స్ కంచెర్ల‌, ఖుష్బూ చౌద‌రి, లావణ్య రెడ్డి, ఆనంద చక్రపాణి, చమ్మక్ చంద్ర త‌దిత‌రులు బ్యాన‌ర్‌: లీడ్ ఎడ్జ్ పిక్చ‌ర్స్‌ ద‌ర్శ‌క‌త్వం: వివేక్ రెడ్డి నిర్మాత‌: కంచెర్ల బాల భాను సినిమాటోగ్ర‌పీ: స‌న్నీ కూర‌పాటి మ్యూజిక్‌: ప్ర‌వీణ్ ల‌క్క‌రాజు సౌండ్ డిజైన్‌: ప్ర‌దీప్.జి ఎడిట‌ర్‌: శశాంక్ ఉప్పుటూరి ఆర్ట్‌: వివేక్ అన్నామ‌లై కొరియోగ్ర‌ఫీ: జీతూ మాస్ట‌ర్‌ ఫైట్స్‌: రాబిన్ సుబ్బు రిలీజ్ డేట్: 2024-09-07

తెలంగాణలోని జమీందార్ కుటుంబానికి చెందిన పటేల (తేజస్ కంచెర్ల) బరువు బాధ్యతలు లేకుండా అందరికీ లైఫ్ ఇస్తానంటూ జల్సాగా తిరుగుతుంటాడు. లైఫ్‌లో ఎవరూ కూడా అతడిని ప్రేమించరు. అలాంటి పరిస్థితుల్లో తన గ్రామానికి మెడికల్ క్యాంప్ నిర్వహించేందుకు వచ్చిన డాక్టర్ అక్షర్ (ఖుష్బూ చౌదరీ)ని తొలి చూపులోనే ప్రేమిస్తాడు. కానీ ఓ కారణంగా ఓ కాలు పనిచేయకుండా అవుతుంది. అలాంటి పరిస్థితుల్లో పటేలను అక్షర పెళ్లి చేసుకోవడానికి డిసైడ్ అవుతుంది. అయితే ఇరు కుటుంబాలు పటేల, అక్షరకు పెళ్లి చేయాలని డిసైడ్ అవుతారు. కానీ పటేలను చంపడానికి అక్షర తండ్రి (ఆనంద చక్రపాణి) ప్లాన్ చేస్తాడు.

ఊరిలో పటేల లైఫ్ ఎలా సాగింది? చదువు సంధ్యలేని పటేల అందరికి లైఫ్ ఇస్తానని ఎందుకు తిరుగుతుంటాడు. స్టడీస్ లేని, అంగవికలుడైన పటేలాను డాక్టర్ అక్షర ఎందుకు ఇష్టపడుతుంది? అక్షరకు పటేలతో ఆమె తండ్రి ఎందుకు పెళ్లి చేయాలని అనుకొంటాడు? పటేలను అక్షర తండ్రి ఎందుకు చంపాలని అనుకొంటాడు? మర్డర్ ప్లాన్ నుంచి పటేల ఎలా తప్పించుకొన్నాడు? అక్షరను చివరికి పెళ్లి చేసుకొన్నాడా? మర్డర్ ప్లాన్ చేసిన వారికి పటేల ఎలా చెక్ పెట్టాడు అనేది సినిమా కథ.

ఉరుకు పటేల సినిమాను పాయింట్‌గా చూస్తే బాగుంటుంది. కానీ కథను విస్తరించే క్రమంలో బలమైన సన్నివేశాలను రాసుకోవాల్సిందనిపిస్తుంది. హీరోను ఎందుకు చంపాలనే విషయం వెనుక ఇంకా బలమైన పాయింట్‌తో, లాజిక్‌తో వెళ్లి ఉంటే డెఫినెట్‌గా మంచి ఫన్‌తో కూడిన థ్రిల్లర్ అయి ఉండేదనిపిస్తుంది. బలహీనమైన స్క్రిప్టు ఉన్నప్పటికీ.. హీరో తేజస్ తన ఫెర్ఫార్మెన్స్‌తో సన్నివేశాలను బాగా ఎలివేట్, ఇంప్రూవ్ చేశాడనే ఫీలింగ్ కలుగుతుంది.

ఇక తేజస్ కంచెర్ల పటేల పాత్రలో ఒదిగిపోయాడు. ఫన్, హ్యుమర్ ఫ్లేవర్‌తో సాగే క్యారెక్టర్‌ను బాగా పండించాడు. కథ, కథనాలు రొటీన్, రెగ్యులర్‌గా ఉండటం వల్ల తన వంతు న్యాయం చేసే ప్రయత్నం చేశాడు. సెకండాఫ్‌లో కొన్ని యాక్షన్, ఎమోషనల్ సీన్లలో ఆకట్టుకొన్నాడు. మంచి పాత్రలు, కథలతో కూడిన సినిమాలను ఎంచుకొంటే యువ హీరోగా సెటిల్ అయ్యే అవకాశం ఉంది.

ఇక అక్షర పాత్రలో కుష్బూ చౌదరీ గ్లామరస్‌గానే కాకుండా అవసరమైన చోట యాక్టింగ్‌తో ఆకట్టుకొన్నది. తన పాత్ర పరిధి మేరకు ఫర్వాలేదనిపించింది. ఇక హీరోయిన్ తండ్రిగా ఆనంద చక్రపాణి క్యారెక్టర్ సర్‌ప్రైజింగ్‌గా ఉంటుంది. ఇప్పటి వరకు సాఫ్ట్‌గా తండ్రి పాత్రలో నటించిన ఆయన విలన్ షేడ్ పాత్రతో ఆకట్టుకొన్నారు. కొన్ని సీన్లలో ఆయన నటన మెప్పించింది. చమ్మక్ చంద్ర కామెడీ ఫర్వాలేదనిపిస్తుంది.

టెక్నికల్ విషయానికి వస్తే.. సినిమాటోగ్రఫి, మ్యూజిక్, ఎడిటింగ్ అంశాలు ఈ సినిమాకు ప్లస్‌గా మారాయి. మాస్ బీట్‌తో సాగే పాటలు క్యాచీగా ఉన్నాయి. మూవీలో ఓ జోష్‌ను పెంచాయి. సన్నివేశాలు చాలా రిచ్‌గా చిత్రకరించడంలో సన్ని కూరపాటి తన ప్రతిభను చాటుకొన్నారు. బలమైన కథ, కథనం, సన్నివేశాలు లేకున్నా సినిమాను ఎక్కడా బోర్ లేకుండా శంశాక్ ఉప్పుటూరి తన ఎడిటింగ్ ప్రావీణ్యాన్ని చూపించారు. నిర్మాత కంచెర్ల బాలభాను పాటించిన నిర్మాణ విలువలు బాగున్నాయి.

ఫన్, థ్రిల్లర్, సస్పెన్స్ ఎలిమెంట్స్‌తో సాగే సరదా చిత్రం ఉరుకు పటేల. యాక్టర్ల ఫెర్ఫార్మెన్స్, టెక్నికల్ అంశాలు ఈ సినిమాకు ప్లస్. మంచి పాయింట్‌తో కథను చెప్పే అవకాశం మిస్ అయిందనే ఫీలింగ్ కలుగుతుంది. చిన్న సినిమాలను ఆదరించే వారికి ఈ సినిమా నచ్చే అవకాశం ఉంది.

మోక్షజ్ఞ కోసం బాలీవుడ్ కుర్ర హీరోయిన్.. అదే నిజమైతే థియేటర్లలో పునకాలే

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బాలయ్య వారసుడు మోక్షజ్ఞకు స్టార్ ట్యాగ్ .. తెరపైకి ఆ రెండూ, మొదటి సినిమాకే !!

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