Barroz is a 2024 Malayalam language adventure fantasy film which is directed by Mohanlal. The film is dubbed into Telugu with the same title and it has Mohanlal in the titular role, alongside Maya Rao West, Cesar Lorente Raton, Ignacio Mateos, Kallirroi Tziafeta, Nerea Camacho, Tuhin Menon, Daniel Caltagirone, June Vig, Saju Navodaya & others in important supporting roles. The music is composed by Lydian Nadaswaram & Mark Kilian while the film is produced by Antony Perumbavoor under Aashirvad Cinemas banner.
Story:
Before the Portuguese Empire left Goa, a magician guardian named Barroz (Mohanlal) was appointed to protect the kingdom’s hidden wealth. This treasure had been safeguarded for nearly 400 years by Barroz, who had been bound by an ancient pact to protect it. In the year 2020, Barroz discovers that Isabella (Maya Rao West), the 13th-generation heir of the prestigious “Da Gama” family, has been born and has come to Goa. Barroz believes that if Isabella can retrieve the treasure and pass it on, he can finally be freed from his centuries-old duty. However, Isabella’s involvement with the treasure becomes a complex affair. Does she agree to help Broj in his quest? Needs to be seen in the film.
What about on-screen performances?
Mohanlal is sincere and delivers a good performance in the lead role of Barroz. His ability to own the role and convey the agony and devotion of the cursed magician guardian is truly exceptional. He fits well with the look and costumes and does well in the action parts too.
However, the performance of Maya Rao West, who plays Isabella, is a letdown. Though she looks the part of a Portuguese girl, her emotional expressions fail to connect with the audience, which affects the impact of her character in the story.
Kallirroi Tziafeta who plays the witch named Theresa da Gama is pretty decent while Cesar Lorente Raton as Mendoza and Cesar Lorente Raton as Mendoza are fine.
Nerea Camacho, Tuhin Menon, Daniel Caltagirone, June Vig, Saju Navodaya & all other supporting cast are okay in their limited roles.
What about off-screen talents?
The story is based on a novel named “Barroz: Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure” by Jijo Punnoose.
The adapted story is very uninteresting and doesn’t have any emotional connection with the characters. The idea of adapting folklore tales for today’s younger generation is a good idea, but the story should complement well and fit in for today’s youth. But sadly Barroz fails to do it as this is a plot that is good for books but not for a visual medium.
The screenplay is very poorly written with many boring and dragged-out scenes. Except for the pre-interval portions where Barroz comes to the press conference and the last 15 minutes, none of the parts are interesting or entertaining. The core plot point itself is not so relatable and the writing lacks the gripping hold that a film of this genre requires. Even the specially animated character who supports the lead character is wasted in a not-so-funny part.
Director Mohanlal makes a solid debut as a director on the technical front and his whole presentation is superb on screen, especially in 3D. But his narrative is a complete failure. The snail-paced narrative is one of the biggest drawbacks of the film. He should’ve added more entertaining scenes to make it reach a wider audience.
The Telugu dialogues are okay while the Telugu dubbing looked odd in a few places, especially when Mohanlal’s original voice is used in random places.
The songs by Lydian Nadaswaram, Miguel Gurrerio & Fernado Gurrerio are forgettable. None of the songs have an impact on the narrative. The same goes for the background score by Mark Kilian as well.
The cinematography by Santosh Sivan is of top standard. His camera work is one of the biggest plus points of the film and kudos to him for using the technology well.
The edit by B Ajith Kumar is weak. There is a drag in almost every scene and almost about 20 minutes of the film could’ve been chopped off easily.
Special mention to the whole VFX team and the 3D team for the immersive experience with some grand visuals. Also, the production design, costumes, and make-up department deserve credit for their technical brilliance.
The production values by Aashirvad Cinemas are world-class.
What’s Hot?
* Mohanlal’s Performance
* Outstanding VFX/Graphics
* Strong Techincal Departments
* First Rate Cinematography
* Top Notch Production Values
* Good 3D Effects
What’s Not?
* Uninteresting Story & Weak Screenplay
* Poorly Written Scenes
* Dead Slow Pace & Boring Narrative
* Sluggish & Dragged Out Second Half
* Unnecessary Songs & Their Placement
* Zero Emotional Connect
Verdict: Overall, Barroz falls short of expectations despite its immersive 3D visuals and spectacular technical finesse all through the film. It is a movie targeted at Kids and kids can enjoy the visuals apart from the story. The dead slow-paced narrative along with an uninteresting story and boring screenplay doesn’t help this Mohanlal directorial which turns out to be a huge disappointment.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2/5