Kalki 2898 AD

A one-trick pony for a brand new audience

Action/Sci-fi ‧ 181 minutes ‧ PG-13 ‧ 2002

“You can’t escape your past, even in the future.”

Kalki 2898 AD is a movie that I should not like as much as I do. Directed by Nag Ashwin and starring a mega cast of India’s (mostly) best actors and actresses, the film acts as a pseudo-sequel to the ancient Hindu myth of the Mahabharata. Kalki tells the story of two major characters: Ashwatthama, an ancient Indian warrior tasked with protecting a reincarnated Krishna, and Bhairava, a Han-Solo-like rogue who wishes to gain 1 million “credits” so that he can live his days free in the paradise only known as “The Complex.” For any fan of science fiction, Kalki is similar, almost too similar at times.

The film opens with a flashback to the climax of the Mahabharata (the film does not explain any backstory, so if you don’t know it or aren’t a Hindu, make sure you do your homework), where Ashwa kills an unborn child of the enemy. With this sin tainting him, Krishna, the 8th avatar of the creator god Vishnu, curses him to protect himself when the time comes for him to reincarnate. The story then jumps to 2898, where most of the world has been ruined, with only one city remaining. Here, the film suffers a bit. Nag Ashwin seems to like Marvel-like humor just in time for audiences to get sick of it. Not to mention that while Prabhas is a good actor, his comedy isn’t nearly as strong as it used to be. Yet the world-building is decent, and the backstory for our characters is basic yet serviceable. It is the standard fare with rebels and rogues, and innocent murderers at the helm.

Things pick up in the second half. Ashwa is now protecting SUM-80, a woman who has escaped a fertilization lab controlled by the Supreme Lord Yaskin, leader of the Complex. Bhairava must take SUM-80 and somehow beat Ashwa to gain a place in paradise. There is more to the story, but I won’t give it all away.

Kalki seems to want you to think its characters are great. Sadly, they are just good. The film leans on many clichés: the scared woman with a greater destiny, the lone warrior with his kid sidekick, the funny AI who argues with the main character, and the rough general who has no faith until he realizes he is wrong the entire time. If you have seen Star Wars, Dune, Star Trek, Marvel, or any Hollywood film in the last 20 years, you know who is who. However, the film still uses these characters effectively, and when needed, the actors give their all to each line. Some characters, such as Yaskin and Ashwa, stand above the others, while others, like Roxie and the captured rebel named Luke (really?), exist simply for plot reasons. The real stars are the cameos from the warriors of the past. Arjuna, Karna, Krishna, and a younger Ashwa all show up, showcasing a part of the Indian dream of adopting the full epic. Overall, the characters are good, but don’t expect anything amazing.

The music is great. The composer seems to understand when and where to place tracks, and I am glad to see that most of the film focuses on the story. If you are expecting a typical Tollywood dance-off, don’t. The film has one “song,” and even then, it is incredibly short. The best of the soundtrack comes from character introductions, such as songs that play when Krishna or Karna show up. Overall, a good choice for songs. On the other hand, sound mixing is a problem. As someone who understands Telugu, I often had to rely on subtitles to understand the dialogue, and it seems many actors tried dubbing themselves but could not fully grasp the language.

VFX has always been the weakest part of Indian cinema, so it brings me great pleasure to say the film’s VFX looks good. Sometimes the film looks great. Don’t expect Avatar-level or award-winning effects, but we are past the days of rubbery tigers and PS2 graphics. Color grading is used correctly, and the film avoids the overtly yellow filter that the trailers or posters suggest. The only real issue is the weapons used by the rebels, which look more like Apple products than real guns.

Kalki is an ambitious movie that sadly never reaches the heights possible with its story receiving a 3/5 from me. However, what it does achieve is amazing, and if this is Nag Ashwin’s baseline, then I, for one, am excited to see how much further he can climb.

(If Prabhas blows up the complex with a missile in the sequel, I’m OUT)