Robinhood movie review: A listless action-comedy that goes nowhere

After offering some laughs in the early portions, the Nithiin-Sreeleela goes completely downhill trying to balance humour, action, and drama

Robinhood

It’s been a long time since one saw an inventive use of movie title font and its placement in the narrative. So when I saw Ram (Nithiin), the film’s noble-hearted protagonist, jump against the backdrop of glitzy skyscrapers which gradually mould into letter of the film’s title (Robinhood), I was naturally excited. An action-entertainer that actually promises to play on its comic book theme with similar playfulness? Little did I know that it was the beginning of a slow journey downhill — Venky Kudumula’s Robinhood is an utterly listless and forgettable film. 

Some of the most exciting moments of the film arrive early on, as we see Ram (Nithin) being hunted by cops while performing his vigilante duties, particularly in a sequence that culminates on a rooftop, with distractingly shiny high-rises in the backdrop. The excitement remains partly courtesy of the police officer (Shine Tom Chacko) who promises to be a worthy rival to our noble protagonist. However, after establishing Shine Tom Chacko as a sharp-minded cop, the writers make such a caricature out of him that the audience stops taking him seriously. Something similar can be said of the other antagonist characters (played by Devadatta and Mime Gopi) who never emerge as threatening figures despite their violent actions. 

Director: Venky Kudumula

Cast: Nithiin, Sreeleela, Rajendra Prasad, Vennela Kishore, Shine Tom Chacko, Devadatta Naga

While the first half keeps you relatively amused, the post-interval portions go haywire in terms of sticking to a mood or plotline. The backdrop shifts from the swanky locales of Australia and Hyderabad to a rural hilly village, and the momentum goes for a toss. While it was somewhat fun to see Ram (Nithin) as a skilled vigilante robbing the rich, the second half barely stays consistent to the protagonist’s motivations, and ends up with a bizarre tonality. There is not enough tension in the narrative, and not enough flavour in the ‘masala’ elements. If Venky Kudumula wanted to show Neera (Sreeleela) under genuine threat, it never becomes clear in his ill-knitted screenplay. Robinhood also makes space for two run-of-the-mill song and dance sequences, and an item song, all of which are clearly fillers, only adding to the film’s excruciatingly long duration. The director does try to spruce up things a bit, with his use of bullet time effect for a few action moments and a David Warner cameo, but it’s too late by then. 

Amidst the topsy-turvy proceedings, Vennela Kishore brings his A-game to the film playing a slow-witted yet earnest assistant Jyothi, and delivers most laughs. His chemistry with Rajendra Prasad (Jon Snow) is crackling, and both are undoubtedly the biggest strengths of the film. Their scenes offer respite, despite being the staple ‘comedy sidetrack’ of the film. On the other hand, Nithiin fails to bring any energy to a film that essentially rides on his shoulders. It’s a bizarre situation for the audience — to be subjected to a hero-driven film where the hero figure has no distinctive spark. That brings us to the second biggest star of the movie, and my biggest grouse with it. 

Critics usually complain about how female actors are portrayed in Telugu films, coming off as ornamental and inconsequential to the plot more often than not — In Robinhood, my complaint goes the other way. Sreeleela plays Neera, a daft, young NRI whose return to India is intricately linked to the protagonist’s mission. Neera remains consistently visible on screen, and yet the writer-director concocts such contrived moments to build her character that we begin to wish seeing less of her. Also, for a movie so conscious of its need to be a mass entertainer, the film makes no attempt to bank on Sreeleela’s energetic dancing prowess. To have two songs picturised on the lead pair, and yet not give one memorable hookstep to the actress who was the showstealer of two most iconic songs last year. The wastage of resources here is criminal, something the film's protagonist himself would want to wage a war against.