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‘Highway’ movie review: Almost but not quite there

The telugu crime thriller engages, but doesn’t go beyond tried and tested tropes.

Updated - August 19, 2022 12:18 pm IST

Published - August 19, 2022 11:19 am IST

Saiyami Kher, Anand Deverakonda, Manasa Radhakrishna and Abhishek Banerjee in ‘Highway’

Writer, director and cinematographer K V Guhan begins the story with the lines ‘There will always be a reason why you meet people; either you need to change your life or you are the one that will change theirs’. In line with this thought, the Telugu thriller Highway , streaming on Aha, follows a handful of characters who happen to cross paths and are pulled into a journey of life and death.

Highway uses common tropes that one associates with killer-on-the-loose thrillers of Hollywood and Indian cinema and reimagines them in the context of a crime drama set on the highway connecting Visakhapatnam and Mangaluru.

Vishnu (Anand Deverakonda), a photographer from Visakhapatnam, and his friend Samudram (Sathya) take the road route to Bengaluru for a wedding photography assignment. Along the way, they meet Tulasi (Manasa Radhakrishnan) and are entrusted with the task of making her reach Mangaluru. In the meantime, a psychopath killer identified only as ‘D’ is on the prowl for his next prey, with a task force headed by investigation officer Asha Bharath (Saiyami Kher) on his heels.

We get a fair idea of Vishnu’s loving family and in contrast, Tulasi’s situation of being detached from one parent and going in search of another, whom she has never met. The banter between Vishnu and Samudram brings in a few laughs, and appreciably the film doesn’t dwell on it more than is necessary. 

Guhan’s camera and Simon K King’s background score aptly contribute to the mood of the thriller. The modus operandi of the psychopath in picking his targets is neatly laid out. As long as the narrative unravels how the task force tries to close in on D and he hoodwinks them, it keeps up the momentum. 

From a mile away one knows who would be D’s next crucial target. Yet, the brief characters that make an appearance along the way and the incidents keep us hooked by the manner in which all of it heightens the threat to the target.

While Tulasi finds help and breathes easy in the company of Vishnu and Samudram, what follows reflects how unsafe things can get for a naive young woman who is compelled to travel alone on an unfamiliar route.

Manasa plays her part with innocence and vulnerability while Anand is convincing as the sensitive and responsible guy. Saiyami Kher enacts her brief part with conviction but this is a character that could have been fleshed out better. John Vijay goes overboard as the creepy truck driver. Making his debut in Telugu, Abhishek Banerjee is spot on as the eerie killer. Similar to Paatal Lok , he manages to send shivers down one’s spine without speaking much. 

Highway unfolds on familiar lines and delivers thrills from time to time. However, it falls short in the final portions that seem stretched and dilute the potential for a nail-biting finish. 

The film makes for a fairly engaging watch by staying true to its genre and doing away with frills. However, anyone who has watched crime dramas and thrillers involving a psychopath character is likely to have a sense of deja vu. A few innovative elements in characterisation or storytelling wouldn’t have hurt.

Related Topics

Telangana / Telugu cinema

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HT తెలుగు వివరాలు

Highway Movie Review: హైవే మూవీ రివ్యూ - ఆనంద్ దేవ‌ర‌కొండ హైవే ఎక్కినట్టేనా?

Highway Movie Review: ఆనంద్ దేవ‌ర‌కొండ (Anand deverakonda) హీరోగా సినిమాటోగ్రాఫ‌ర్ కె.విగుహ‌న్ (K. V. Guhan)ద‌ర్శ‌క‌త్వంలో రూపొందిన హైవే సినిమా (Highway Movie) ఆహా ఓటీటీ ద్వారా ప్రేక్ష‌కుల ముందుకొచ్చింది. సైకో థ్రిల్ల‌ర్ క‌థాంశంతో తెర‌కెక్కిన ఈ సినిమా ఎలా ఉందంటే...

Highway Movie review: హైవే మూవీ హీరో ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ తొలిసారిగా దొర‌సాని సినిమాతో టాలీవుడ్‌లోకి ఎంట్రీ ఇచ్చాడు. ఆనంద్ దేవ‌ర‌కొండ‌ విజ‌య్ దేవ‌ర‌కొండ త‌మ్ముడు. అన్న బాట‌లో క‌మ‌ర్షియ‌ల్ మాస్ సినిమాలు కాకుండా కాన్సెప్ట్ బేస్ డ్ స్టోరీస్‌ను ఎంచుకుంటూ హీరోగా నిల‌దొక్కుకునే ప్ర‌య‌త్నాలు చేస్తున్నాడు. మిడిల్‌క్లాస్ మెలోడీస్‌, పుష్ప‌క‌విమానం సినిమాల‌తో న‌టుడిగా పాస్ అయ్యాడు.

అత‌డు హీరోగా న‌టించిన తాజా మూవీ హైవే. సైకో థ్రిల్ల‌ర్ క‌థాంశంతో తెర‌కెక్కిన ఈ సినిమాకు సినిమాటోగ్రాఫ‌ర్ కె.వి గుహ‌న్ ద‌ర్శ‌క‌త్వం వ‌హించాడు. మాన‌స రాధాకృష్ణ‌న్‌, స‌యామీఖేర్ (Saiyami Kher) కీల‌క పాత్ర‌ల్లో న‌టించారు. హైవే మూవీ షూటింగ్ పూర్త‌యి చాలా రోజులు అయ‌నా క‌రోన కార‌ణంగా సినిమా రిలీజ్ వాయిదాప‌డింది. ప్ర‌స్తుతం థియేట‌ర్ల‌లో ప‌రిస్థితులు ఆశాజ‌న‌కంగా లేక‌పోవ‌డంతో డైరెక్ట్‌‌గా ఓటీటీలో హైవే మూవీ రిలీజ్ చేశారు.

శుక్ర‌వారం ఆహా ఓటీటీ (Aha Ott) ద్వారా హైవే మూవీ ప్రేక్ష‌కుల ముందుకొచ్చింది. హైవేతో ఆనంద్ దేవ‌ర‌కొండ మెప్పించాడా? 118 త‌ర్వాత ద‌ర్శ‌కుడిగా గుహ‌న్‌కు మ‌రోస‌క్సెస్ ద‌క్కిందా లేదా అన్న‌ది చూద్దాం

విష్ణు - తుల‌సి ప్రేమాయ‌ణం

విష్ణు (ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ) ఓ ఫొటోగ్రాఫ‌ర్‌. ప్రీ వెడ్డింగ్ షూట్ కోసం స్నేహితుడైన స‌ముద్రంతో (సత్య) క‌లిసి వైజాగ్ నుండి బెంగ‌ళూరు బ‌య‌లుదేరుతాడు. మంగ‌ళూరులో ఉన్న త‌న తండ్రిని క‌లుసుకోవ‌డానికి తుల‌సి (మానస రాధాకృష్ణన్) ఒంట‌రిగా బ‌య‌లుదేరుతుంది. మ‌ధ్యలో బ‌స్ మిస్ కావ‌డంతో ఆమెకు విష్ణు లిఫ్ట్ ఇస్తాడు. కొద్ది ప‌రిచ‌యంలోనే తుల‌సితో విష్ణు ప్రేమ‌లో ప‌డ‌తాడు.

మ‌రోవైపు హైద‌రాబాద్ న‌గ‌రంలో ఓ సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ (అభిషేక్ బెనర్జీ) వ‌రుస‌గా యువతులను హ‌త్య చేస్తుంటాడు. అత‌డిని ప‌ట్టుకోవ‌డానికి పోలీస్ ఆఫీస‌ర్ ఆశా భరత్ (సయామీ ఖేర్) ప్ర‌య‌త్నిస్తుంటుంది. పోలీస్ నిఘా పెరిగిపోవ‌డంతో సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ బెంగ‌ళూరు పారిపోవాల‌ని అనుకుంటాడు.

మార్గ‌మ‌ధ్యంలో అత‌డికి తుల‌సి క‌నిపించ‌డంతో ఆమెను కిడ్నాప్ చేస్తాడు. ఆ సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ బారి నుండి తుల‌సి ర‌క్షించ‌డానికి విష్ణు ఎలాంటి సాహ‌సం చేశాడు? పోలీస్ ఆఫీస‌ర్‌తో క‌లిసి విష్ణు అత‌డిని ప‌ట్టుకున్నాడా? తుల‌సిని ఆ సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ చంపేశాడా లేదా అన్న‌దే హైవే సినిమా ఇతివృత్తం.

Highway movie: సైకో కిల్లర్ కథ…

సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ క‌థాంశాల‌తో హాలీవుడ్ నుంచి టాలీవుడ్ వ‌ర‌కు లెక్క‌కుమించిన సినిమాలొచ్చాయి. ఆ కాన్సెప్ట్‌ను అన్ని ర‌కాలుగా వండి పీల్చి పిప్పిచేశారు. ఆ జాన‌ర్‌లో కొత్త‌గా చూపించ‌డానికి ఏం లేక‌పోవ‌డంతో కొన్నేళ్లుగా ద‌ర్శ‌కులెవ‌రూ సైకో కిల్లర్ కథల జోలికి వెళ్లడం లేదు. ఎవ‌రూ ట‌చ్ చేయ‌డం లేదు కాబ‌ట్టే తాను సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ క‌థ‌ను ఎంచుకొని సినిమా చేయాల‌ని కె.వి. గుహ‌న్ అనుకున్న‌ట్లున్నాడు.

ఓల్డ్ స్టైల్ లో...

పేరుకు ఇది 2022 లో తీసిన సినిమానే అయ‌నా రాత, తీత‌లో మాత్రం 2000 ద‌శ‌కంలోనే ఆగిపోయిన‌ట్లుగా అనిపిస్తుంది. సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ జాన‌ర్ లో 2010 టైమ్ లో వచ్చిన కొరియన్ సినిమా ఐ సా ది డెవిల్ ను మరోసారి చూసిన భ‌యం క‌లుగుతుంది. కానీ హైవే మాత్రం ఒక్క‌సారి కంప్లీట్ చేయ‌డానికే నీర‌సం ముంచుకొచ్చేస్తుంది.

కన్ఫ్యూజన్ లో పడిపోయి..

హీరోహీరోయిన్లు, సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్‌, అత‌డిని ప‌ట్టుకోవ‌డానికి ప్ర‌య‌త్నించే లేడీ పోలీస్ ఆఫీస‌ర్ అంటూ నాలుగు పాత్ర‌ల‌ను భిన్న‌మైన నేప‌థ్యాల‌తో ప‌రిచ‌యం చేయ‌డం వ‌ర‌కు సినిమా ఓకే అనిపిస్తుంది. ఆ త‌ర్వాతే ఎటువైపు న‌డిపించాలో తెలియ‌ని అయోమ‌యంలో హైవేపై దారి త‌ప్పిన వెహికిల్‌గా సినిమా ఇష్టానుసారం సాగిపోతుంది

Highway Movie: సెంటిమెంట్ పండలేదు

హీరోయిన్ క్యారెక్ట‌ర్ నుండి సెంటిమెంట్ డ్రామాను పండిస్తూ సింప‌థీని క్రియేట్ చేయాల‌ని ద‌ర్శ‌కుడు అనుకున్నాడు. వ‌ర్క‌వుట్ కాలేదు. పోలీస్ ఆఫీస‌ర్‌గా స‌యామీఖేర్ ఇన్వెస్టిగేష‌న్ కేవ‌లం డైలాగ్స్ వ‌ర‌కే ప‌రిమిత‌మైంది. అప్పుడ‌ప్పుడు క‌నిపిస్తూ రెండు డైలాగ్స్ చెప్పి వెళ్లిపోతుంది. కొన్ని సీన్స్‌లో అయితే ఆమె ఇన్వెస్టిగేష‌న్ చేయ‌డం కంటే ఆప‌డ‌మే మంచిద‌నిపిస్తుంది.

సీరియ‌ల్ కిల్ల‌ర్ క్యారెక్ట‌రైజేష‌న్ డ‌బ్బింగ్ సినిమాలోని ఆర్టిస్ట్‌లా తెర‌పై వ‌చ్చే సీన్‌కు అత‌డి ఎక్స్‌ప్రేష‌న్‌కు సంబంధ‌మే ఉండ‌దు. అత‌డు ఎందుకు హ‌త్య‌లు చేస్తున్నాడ‌న్న‌ది ఎస్టాబ్లిష్ చేయలేదు. క్లైమాక్స్ గురించి ఎంత త‌క్కువ చెప్పుకుంటే అంత మంచింది.

ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ ప్లస్

ఉన్నంతలో ఆనంద్ దేవ‌ర‌కొండ ఒక్క‌డే కొంత‌వ‌ర‌కు యాక్టింగ్‌తో మెప్పించాడు. విష్ణుగా అత‌డి పాత్ర బాగుంది. హీరోయిన్ మాన‌స రాధాకృష్ణ‌న్ తో (Manasa Radhakrishnan)పాటు స‌యామీఖేర్ యాక్టింగ్ బేసిక్స్ లెవల్ లోనే ఆగిపోయింది.

సైకో కిల్ల‌ర్ పాత్ర‌కు అభిషేక్ బెన‌ర్జీ స‌రిగ్గా కుద‌ర‌లేదు. థ్రిల్ల‌ర్ సినిమాలో కామెడీ అవ‌స‌రం లేద‌ని అనుకున్నాడో ఏమో దర్శకుడు కమెడియన్ గా కేవలం సత్యను మాత్రమే తీసుకున్నాడు. అత‌డు కూడా న‌వ్వించ‌కూడ‌ద‌ని ఫిక్స్ అయిన‌ట్లున్నాడు. ఒక్క సీన్ లో కూడా అతడి కామెడీ వర్కవుట్ కాలేదు.

ద‌ర్శ‌కుడిగా విఫ‌ల‌మైన సినిమాటోగ్రాఫ‌ర్ గా మాత్రం కె.వి గుహ‌న్ ఆక‌ట్టుకున్నాడు. ప్ర‌తి సీన్ అందంగా తెర‌కెక్కించాడు. సినిమాల్లో రెండే పాట‌లు ఉన్నాయి. అవి కూడా సినిమా నిడివిని పెంచ‌డానికే ఉప‌యోగ‌ప‌డ్డాయి.

ముందుకు కదలదు...

హైవే ప్ర‌యాణం మొత్తం గ‌జిబిజిగా సాగిపోతూ గంద‌ర‌గోళానికి గురిచేస్తుంది. సినిమాలో చాలా సార్లు ప‌ల్లెవెలుగు బస్ ను చూపిస్తారు. ఆ త‌ర్వాత అది ముందుకు క‌ద‌ల‌క మోరాయించిన‌ట్లుగా చెబుతారు. ఈసినిమా కూడా అదే ఫీల్ ను కలిగిస్తుంది. నిదానంగా సాగుతూ ఎంత‌కూ ముందుకు క‌ద‌ల‌దు.

హైవే మూవీ రేటింగ్‌ - 2/5

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ఓటిటి సమీక్ష : ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ “హైవే” – తెలుగు చిత్రం ‘ఆహా’ లో

విడుదల తేదీ : ఆగష్టు 19, 2022

123తెలుగు.కామ్ రేటింగ్ : 3/5

నటీనటులు: ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ, అభిషేక్ బెనర్జీ, మానస రాధాకృష్ణన్, సయామి ఖేర్

దర్శకత్వం : కేవీ గుహన్

నిర్మాతలు: వెంకట్ తలారి

సంగీత దర్శకుడు: సైమన్ కె కింగ్

సినిమాటోగ్రఫీ: కేవీ గుహన్

ఎడిటర్: తమ్మిరాజు

లేటెస్ట్ గా ఓటిటి లో రిలీజ్ కి వచ్చిన మరో ఇంట్రెస్టింగ్ చిత్రం “హై వే”. యంగ్ హీరో ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ అలాగే ప్రముఖ సినిమాటోగ్రాఫర్ టర్న్డ్ దర్శకుడు కే వి గుహన్ తెరకెక్కించిన ఇంట్రెస్టింగ్ థ్రిల్లర్ ఇది. అయితే ఈ సినిమా మన తెలుగు స్ట్రీమింగ్ యాప్ ఆహా లో లేటెస్ట్ గా డైరెక్ట్ రిలీజ్ అయ్యింది. మరి ఈ సినిమా ఎలా ఉందో సమీక్షలో తెలుసుకుందాం రండి.

ఇక కథలోకి వచ్చినట్టు అయితే.. విష్ణు(ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ) ఒక ఫోటోగ్రాఫర్ తన జాబ్ కోసం అని బెంగళూర్ కి స్టార్ట్ అవుతాడు. అలాగే మరోపక్క తులసి(మానస రాధాకృష్ణన్) తన తల్లితో ఓ పౌల్ట్రీ ఫామ్ లో పనిచేస్తుంది. కానీ అక్కడ తన ఓనర్ వేధింపులు చూడలేక అక్కడ నుంచి పారిపోతుంది.. మరి ఇదిలా ఉంటే మరో పక్క ఓ సీరియల్ కిల్లర్ డి అలియాస్ దాస్(అభిషేక్ బెనర్జీ) వరుసగా 5 హత్యలు అందులోని ఆడవాళ్లనే చంపుతాడు. మరి దీనితో అతన్ని పట్టుకోవాలని పోలీసులు తీవ్రంగా గాలిస్తూ ఉంటారు. దీనితో అతడు వారి నుంచి తప్పించేకునే ప్రయత్నంలో అటు దాస్, తులసి లు ఇటు ఈ సైకో.. మరి ఈ ముగ్గురు ఎక్కడైనా ఎదురవుతారా? ఎదురయితే ఆ సైకో కిల్లర్ ఏం చేస్తాడు? ఇంతకీ పోలీసులు అతన్ని పట్టుకుంటారా లేదా అనేది తెలియాలి అంటే ఈ సినిమాని ఆహా లో చూడాల్సిందే.

ప్లస్ పాయింట్స్ :

ఈ చిత్రంలో ఆకట్టుకునే అంశాలు చాలానే ఉంటాయని చెప్పొచ్చు.. సినిమా మెయిన్ గా మూడు ప్రధాన పాత్రల మీద నడుస్తుంది. హీరో హీరోయిన్ అలాగే కిల్లర్ పాత్రలు ఆధ్యంతం ఆకట్టుకుంటాయి. వీటిని అయితే దర్శకుడు బాగా డిజైన్ చేశారు. అలాగే సినిమాలో స్టార్టింగ్ గాని విలన్ పాత్రకు సంబంధించి డెవలప్మెంట్ ఆసక్తిగా అనిపిస్తాయి. అంతే కాకుండా దానికి ఇచ్చిన ముగింపు అన్నీ కూడా బాగున్నాయి.

ఇక నటీనటుల విషయానికి వస్తే మెయిన్ లీడ్ ఆనంద్ దేవరకొండ అలాగే యంగ్ హీరోయిన్ మానస రాధా కృష్ణన్ ఆకట్టుకుంటారు. ఆనంద్ నుంచి తెలుగు ప్రేక్షకుల ముందుకు వచ్చిన మరో సినిమా ఇది. తాను ఇంతకు ముందు చేసిన వాటికన్నా మంచి మెచ్యూర్ రోల్ లో తాను కనిపించి ఆకట్టుకుంటాడు. అలాగే మానస రాధాకృష్ణన్ పవన్ ఫ్యాన్స్ కి బాగా తెలిసి ఉండొచ్చు..

ఆ టైం లో పవన్ 28వ సినిమాకి అంటూ బజ్ తెచ్చుకున్న ఈ హీరోయిన్ ని ఈ సినిమాకి ఎంపిక చేయగా ఈమె ఈ సినిమాతో డెఫినెట్ గా ఆశ్చర్యపరుస్తుంది. తన క్యూట్ లుక్స్ సహా నటనతో కూడా ఆకట్టుకుంది. మరి నటుడు అభిషేక్ బెనర్జీ అయితే తన సైకో పాత్రలో ఇంటెన్స్ పెర్ఫామెన్స్ ని చూపించాడు. తనదైన మ్యానరిజమ్స్.. నటనతో థ్రిల్ చేసాడు. ఇక సైయామి ఖేర్ తదితరులు సినిమాలో తమ పాత్రలకి బ్యాయం చేకూర్చారు.

మైనస్ పాయింట్స్ :

ఈ సినిమాలో కొన్ని అంశాలు లాజికల్ గా బాగానే అనిపిస్తాయి కానీ కొన్ని సీన్స్ విషయంలో మాత్రం లాజిక్స్ మిస్ అవ్వడంతో మాత్రం అవి ఇరికించినట్టుగా అనిపిస్తుంది. అలాగే మంచి ఆసక్తిగా ఉండే సినిమాలో కథతో సాగే విధంగా పాటలు ఉంటే బాగుంటుంది కానీ కావాలని పాటల్ని పెడితే అవి ఏమాత్రం వర్కౌట్ కావు సరిగా ఈ సినిమాలో కూడా అదే జరిగింది.

అలాగే మరికొన్ని సన్నివేశాల్లో అయితే కథనం కాస్త నెమ్మదించినట్టుగా అనిపిస్తుంది. దీనితో బోర్ భావన కలగొచ్చు. అలాగే సినిమాలో కొన్ని సీన్స్ ని మరింత ఇంట్రెస్టింగ్ మార్చే స్కోప్ ఉన్నా దర్శకుడు ఆ స్క్రీన్ స్పేస్ ని వినియోగించలేదు. అలాగే పలు చోట్ల గ్రాఫికల్ విజువల్స్ క్లియర్ గా తెలిసిపోతాయి..

సాంకేతిక వర్గం :

ఈ చిత్రంలో నిర్మాణ విలువలు డీసెంట్ గా ఉన్నాయని చెప్పొచ్చు. ఇక టెక్నీకల్ టీం లో అయితే సైమన్ కే ఇచ్చిన పాటలు పర్వాలేదు కానీ బ్యాక్గ్రౌండ్ స్కోర్ మాత్రం సినిమాకి తగ్గట్టుగా ఓ రేంజ్ లో అనిపిస్తుంది. అలాగే డైలాగ్స్ బాగున్నాయి. ఎడిటింగ్ పర్వాలేదు..

ఇక సినిమాటోగ్రఫీ మరియు దర్శకత్వం వహించిన కేవీ గుహన్ విషయానికి వస్తే…సినిమాటోగ్రాఫర్ తాను మంచి వర్క్ ని అందించాడు. ఇక దర్శకునిగా కూడా పర్వాలేదని చెప్పొచ్చు. మంచి థ్రిల్లింగ్ ఎలిమెంట్స్ లాజిక్స్ తో పాత్రలను కలపడం, వాటికీ మంచి ముగింపు ఇవ్వడంతో ఇంప్రెస్ చేస్తాడు. కాకపోతే చిన్న చిన్న లోపాలు కూడా ఉన్నాయి. వాటిని సరి చేసుకుంటే ఇంకా బెటర్ నరేషన్ ని ఇవ్వగలడు.

ఇక మొత్తంగా చూసినట్టు అయితే ఈ “హై వే” చిత్రంలో ఆకట్టుకునే థ్రిల్లింగ్ ఎలిమెంట్స్ అలాగే ప్రధాన పాత్రలకి మంచి లాజిక్స్ తో కూడిన స్టార్ట్ ఎండ్ ఉంటాయి. కాకపోతే దర్శకుడు కొన్ని చోట్ల మాత్రం కథనం నెమ్మదిగా నడపడం, మరికొన్ని చోట్ల చిన్నపాటి లాజిక్స్ మిస్సవ్వడం వంటివి ఫ్లో ని దెబ్బ తీస్తాయి. వీటిని పక్కన పెడితే ఓ డీసెంట్ థ్రిల్లర్ ని చూడాలి అనుకుంటే ఈ సినిమా తప్పకుండా చూడొచ్చు.

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సంబంధిత సమాచారం

జూలై 6న వ‌స్తున్న ‘భార‌తీయుడు’.. సీక్వెల్ కాదు, ఓటిటి పార్ట్నర్, రిలీజ్ టైం ఫిక్స్ చేసుకున్న “మనమే”, ఎపిక్ బ్లాక్ బస్టర్ కల్కి…సోమవారం నార్త్ అమెరికాలో వసూళ్లు ఇవే, 150 మిలియన్ వ్యూస్ తో దూసుకు పోతున్న”సూసేకి” సాంగ్, 100 మిలియన్ వ్యూస్ తో కాజల్ “సత్యభామ”, నాని కోసం విల‌న్ గా మారుతున్న రానా.., వంద కోట్ల క్లబ్ లోకి మరో బాలీవుడ్ మూవీ, ఫినిషింగ్ మోడ్ లోకి వచ్చేసిన “పుష్ప 2”, ఫోటోలు : తిరగబడరా సామి ట్రైలర్ లాంచ్ ఈవెంట్, తాజా వార్తలు, ఫోటోలు : అనసూయ భరద్వాజ్, ఫోటోలు: సిజ్లింగ్ ఫరియా అబ్దుల్లా, ఫోటోలు : అనంత్ పెళ్లికి ముందు 50 జంటలకు అంబానీ కుటుంబం సామూహిక వివాహాలు, ఫోటోలు : శ్రీలీల, వీక్షకులు మెచ్చిన వార్తలు.

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OTT Watchlist: Highway, Thriller Offers No Thrill

Besides Hollywood, Korean cinema has mastered the art of making Serial killer movies. Scores of serial killer thrillers from Korea won global fame. Cinematographer turned director KV Guhan of “118” fame explored the same genre in “Highway”, premiering on Aha Video on August 19.

Starring Anand Deverakonda, newcomer Manasa Radhakrishnan and ‘Paatal Lok’ fame Abhishek Bannerjee as the lead actors, “Highway” deals with the theme of a serial killer on the prowl.

Vishnu (Anand Deverakonda), a photographer in Vizag, agrees to film a pre-wedding shoot in Bengaluru. He meets Tulasi (Manasa Radhakrishnan), an innocent young girl who is on her way to Mangalore to meet her father. Falling in love at first sight with her, Vishnu agrees to drop her at the Kalyan Durga bus stand.

At the same time, Hyderabad police, headed by officer Asha (Saiyami Kher), are hunting a serial killer named D (Abhishek Banerjee). The police get a clue that he is on the Bengaluru highway. Will Tulasi become D’s next target on the highway?

The film begins with a line that people meet for a reason and meetings can change the course of one’s life. The thriller has a decent premise. But the narration runs on a beaten track. Neither the serial killer’s story nor Tulasi-Vishnu’s story is engaging enough. The climax involving a wild animal is silly.

Despite having a short running time of 2 hours, director Guhan has presented the film with less thrilling elements. Anand Deverakonda who impressed us with “Middle-Class Melodies” has played an unimportant main lead. Newcomer Manasa Radhakrishnan fits the bill as an innocent village girl. Saiyami Kher as a police officer and Abhishek Banerjee as a serial killer do the routine job.

The film is mostly set on the highway. The Aerial shots are impressive.

‘Highway’, in a nutshell, doesn’t provide a thrill. Watch it only if you have time to kill.

Streaming On: Aha Video

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Review: ‘Highway’: Plot-holes make this Telugu movie a bumpy ride

Film: Highway (Streaming on aha), Duration: 163 minutes

Director: K.V. Guhan, Cast: Anand Devarakonda, Manasa Radhakrishnan, Sayiami Kher and Abhishek Banerjee

IANS Rating: **

People expect highway rides to be fast, racy, and smooth. But on screen, Telugu movie ‘Highway’, ace cinematographer KV Guhan’s third directorial venture in Telugu, suffers on all three fronts. Interesting in patches but largely predictable, ‘Highway’ could yet appeal to die-hard fans of the ‘cat and mouse’ type serial killer genre.

The movie’s basic premise is set around a serial woman-killer and a determined lady cop in Hyderabad. ‘Highway’ shifts scene when a young village lass lands in his clutches, with her new love hot on their tracks. Despite the initial promise of a taut thriller, ‘Highway’ ends up meandering along to a rather unbelievable ending.

Vishnu, a promising photographer in Vizag sets out on a wedding coverage assignment in Bengaluru. On the way, he and his friend come to the aid of Tulasi, a village belle from near Amalapuram, in search of her father in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

They promise to drop her off at Kalyandurg, from where she can take a bus to Mangalore. Although it confuses the mind as to why she can’t tag along with them till Bengaluru which is closer to her destination.

Parallelly, in the city of Hyderabad, female cop Asha Bharat is on the trail of a serial killer who keeps leaving cigarette butts and tyre tracks at the crime scenes.

Das, played by Abhishek Banerjee, is the smouldering villain, who keeps staking out potential victims, as he keeps cruising around in a beat-up ambulance van, right under the cops’ noses. All the while, the female cop keeps snarling and mouthing the b****** and f*** words to vent out her frustration and determination.

How Tulasi lands in Das’ clutches, Vishnu tracks her down, and finally rescues her, form the crux of ‘Highway’.

The cast comprising Anand Devarakonda, Manasa Radhakrishnan, Sayiami Kher and Abhishek Banerjee try their best to do justice to their roles.

Anand Devarakonda as Vishnu, and Manasa as Tulasi, appear naturally rigid and restrained as a young couple who are waking up to their mutual attraction.

Sayiami Kher is passable as the lady cop intent on catching the serial killer. Abhishek Banerjee, with a perpetual sneer writ on his face, is the bad guy in the movie which happens to be his Telugu debut.

The technical excellence that Director K.V. Guhan brings in with his cinematography, fails to lift up the weak story line.

There are instances where the director makes it too easy for the antagonist to kill and escape. Similarly, other inconsistencies in the storyline add to the overall inadequacies of the movie.

As can be expected, Guhan handles the camera with panache, while Simon King’s music score helps maintain the story tempo.

For thriller movie fans willing to overlook the details, ‘Highway’, despite the plot-holes, may still prove to be an interesting watch over the weekend. (IANS)

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Anand Deverakonda’s Highway Telugu Movie Review & Ratings | Hit or Flop?

Highway Movie Review : With his debut movie ‘Dorasani’ Anand Deverakonda failed to impress the audience, but he was successful with his second film ‘Middle Class Melodies’ that released on digital platform directly. Pushpaka Vimanam which failed in theatres, was successful on OTT platform and that could be the reason actor chose direct to digital release for his new film ‘Highway’.

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Highway is available for streaming on Aha OTT platform from today and let’s get into the detailed review of the movie, if it is worth watching our time.

A photographer by profession goes on a road trip and in the journey falls for a girl. At the same time a psychopath hunts down 5 women and leaves no clue to the Police department. The connection between these murderer and the photographer forms the rest of the story.

Cast & Crew

Highway movie stars Anand Deverakonda, Manasa Radhakrishnan in the leading roles, while Abhishek Banerjee, Saiyami Kher, John Vijay, Reshma Pasupuleti, Sathya are playing other important roles. Movie is written & directed by KV Guhan and produced by Venkat Talari. Simon K King composed the music and KV Guhan himself is the cinematographer. Movie is edited by Thammiraju.

Movie Verdict

Highway movie has some scenes that are interesting to watch in parts, but the overall making of the movie will definitely make you scratch your head. Movie looks so clueless with the narration and screenplay. Many scenes in the movie look very uninteresting and boring. Director have followed a way old formula in narrating a simple thriller. Climax of the movie also looks very unrealistic and routine to the core.

Anand Deverakonda has to improve a lot in terms of acting. He looks expression less in many of the scenes that needs the performance to elevate the situation. Saiyami Kher looks okay in the role of investigating officer. Abhishek Banerjee is only actor in the movie, who impresses with his performance and the actor slayed it in the negative role, though we have seen him in similar roles in Hindi. Satya tries to create fun needed in between and all other actors did their part well.

Technically movie looks okay. Background music composed by Simon K King adds the required mood for the film. Cinematography by KV Guhan looks okay, though the movie has some good locations that can be captured in a beautiful way. KV Guhan once again came up with a thriller story and failed to impress the audience with his making, just like his previous film ‘WWW’.

Finally, Highway is impressive in parts and keeps you intrigued.

Rating: 3/5

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Anand Devearkonda’s Highway skipped theatrical release and premiered on OTT today. The film can be streamed on Aha Video. Here’s our review of the film.

Story: ‘Highway’ is a psychological thriller about a photographer Vishnu (Anand Devarakonda), falling in love with Tulasi (Manasa), who was sheltered all her life. When Everything is going great, his life turns upside down when a serial killer named ‘D’ Kidnaps His Lady Love. What follows later forms the rest of the plot.

What about on-screen performances?

Anand Deverakonda has done a decent job. He fits the specifications of the role. Manasa Radhakrishnan and Abhishek Banerjee deliver to the best of their capabilities. The rest of the star cast is decent.

What about off screen talents?

The director KV Guhan messes up with this mystery thriller as his narrative and screenplay are way too twisted and inorganic. The story, as an entity, is okayish but the presentation is not good enough. Guhan should’ve focused more on narrating his story in an intriguing manner rather than lacing it with twists.

The songs are below par, but the BGM is fitting enough. The visual composition is good as the low-lit visuals set the tempo for the film. The editing is poor as the run time should have been crispier. Production values are adequate.

What’s Hot?

• Basic premise

What’s Not?

• Unever screenplay
• Bad editing
• Tiring narration

Verdict: Highway is a poorly executed mystery thriller that neither has a mystery element nor offers enough thrills. It is an uneven thriller with a tiring screenplay. You can give it a skip if you have something else worthwhile to do this weekend.

Telugubulletin.com Rating: 1.5/5

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Aha announces new psychological thriller ‘highway’.

aha, the 100% local entertainment OTT platform, announces ‘Highway’, a psychological thriller starring  Anand Devarakonda and Abhishek Banerjee  in a never-before-seen avatar.

Directed and written by by K.V. Guhan, and produced by Venkat Talari, the film will hit aha screens very soon. aha, has launched the poster of the original movie on 6 th  August.

The “Highway” is a psychological thriller about a photographer Vishnu (Anand Devarakonda), falling in love with Tulasi (Manasa), who was sheltered all her life.

When everything is going great, his life turns upside down when a serial killer named D kidnaps his lady love. Will the hero be able to save her in time? 

aha has a solid vision to bring audiences engaging content, and recently aha original ‘Color Photo’ also won the Best Regional Award – Telugu at 68th National Awards.

With another original titled ‘Highway’ coming soon, aha again is set to showcase the commitment to audiences by providing 100% local entertainment.

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Gulte Telugu news

Highway Trailer: Another Thriller On AHA

Article by Satya B Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 3:26 pm, 16 August 2022

Anand Devarakonda’s acting in the films ‘Middle-Class Melodies’ and Pushpaka Vimanam earned a lot of praise from audiences. Now he’s about to wow audiences with the psychological thriller Highway, directed by KV Guhan of 118 fame. Abhishek Banerjee, Saiyami Kher, Manasa Radhakrishnan, and other notable actors appear in the film.

Everyone was intrigued by the recently released poster. The thrilling trailer was released today, raising expectations to a whole new level. Young and Talented actor Naga Shaurya launched the trailer through his social media.

The intriguing trailer grabbed everyone’s attention with its racy cut and captivating BGM. The trailer introduces the premise and raises a slew of questions. How will the cops catch this psycho killer, played by Paatal Lok’s Abhishek Banerjee? How did Vishnu (Anand Devarakonda) got involved in this mess? On August 19, all questions will be answered.

The film’s plot is full of surprises, and the director is hoping that the audience will enjoy it. He said that the film has a stylish presentation and was shot with high technical standards.

This movie is produced by Venkat Talari under the Sree Iswarya Lakshmi Movies and Northstar Entertainment banners. The movie will directly stream in Telugu people favourite OTT Aha from August 19.

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Aha original film highway with anand devarakonda and abhishek banerjee.

aha has a solid vision to bring audiences engaging content, and recently aha original 'Color Photo' also won the Best Regional Award – Telugu at 68th National Awards. With another original titled 'Highway' coming soon, aha again is set to showcase the commitment to audiences by providing 100% local entertainment.

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‘Highway’ and the Making of a Star

How the 2014 imtiaz ali film set the stage for alia bhatt’s dominance..

Meher Manda

February 21, 2024

A young woman is plucked from the sheltered ecosystem of privileged life and held captive on a working-class tour of India’s hinterland. She is deprived of vanity, wearing and re-wearing the same clothes as a hostage, swapping it for clothes devoid of brand value, shorn of makeup. Navigating the country’s roads, its highways, its fields, she experiences a taste of freedom, which her claustrophobic childhood home, teeming with people and trauma, otherwise denies her. On this great Indian tour, she gets to be free of pretense or affectation. 

This central conceit of Imtiaz Ali’s Highway (2014) may as well offer a cinematic euphemism for actor Alia Bhatt’s career. Ali plucked Bhatt from the glitzy sets of Karan Johar ’s Student of the Year (2012) to act her heart out in his sprawling travelog. Bhatt turns in a spectacularly tender, revelatory sophomore performance as Veera Tripathi, a rich girl-turned-hostage. The role completely contradicts Bhatt's debut as rich girl Shanaya Singhania in a film about private high school shenanigans. Bhatt trades Shanaya’s anglicized twang; her short skirts, swimwear, and branded bags; and perfectly coiffed hair to play Ali’s Veera. The performance cemented her as a burgeoning talent to watch out for. 

On the 10th anniversary of the film, it’s fair to say that Highway helped realize Bhatt’s on-screen ambitions. Far from playing the third fiddle in her debut to male leads Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra, Highway allowed Bhatt to be in the foreground, alongside Randeep Hooda’s heartbreaking turn as captor Mahabir. Here, Bhatt’s delights, awe, pain, trauma, love, and mercy are central to the movie’s emotional highs and lows. Her character’s coming of age is the essential dilemma of the film. Highway not only fashioned a career for Bhatt that launched a wave of possibilities for women in Indian cinema, but also showcased how one constructs modern-day stardom.

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HIGHWAY MOVIE REVIEW

One of the gifted directors in Bollywood to achieve a sort of middle ground in his movies blending successfully commercial elements, yet exploring relevant, contemporary themes, Imtiaz Ali has taken a sort of off the beaten track with Highway (the plot device though is very much the explored ‘road trip’ as in his other movies). With a simplistic story, Ali populates the movie with characters so strong and luminously written it is impossible to walk out of the movie hall without a heavy heart. The narrative nuance is accentuated by brilliant visuals, Rahman’s heartfelt score and actors who clutch their roles closer to their hearts like they would a puppy. Highway will be among the best movies you will see coming out of Bollywood this year.

Highway is about the curious bond a soon to be married young girl from an affluent Delhi family develops with her kidnapper – an uncouth man. The movie begins grippingly enough, setting a tone for something unpleasant and before you realize that has happened, there is a succession of events that engrosses you. Be it unpleasant or otherwise, the tone is kept consistent throughout and the movie and the relationships that develop ahead flow organically.

You know that lurking under the skin of the movie is something horrid waiting to happen. You are left without a clue as to when that would, and Imtiaz capitalizes on that feeling – so when the truck is being searched, when she gets abandoned somewhere in Himachal, when she breaks into tears gazing at the sheer beauty of gushing water, you feel the moment is near. So near you could feel it. But it is not. It strikes you like a blow when you least expect it.

There could not have been a more perfect casting decision than Alia Bhatt. It feels like Imtiaz picked Alia to get her out of her city-bred comfort zone and shake her world vigorously. She takes it all in gloriously. Her performance is deeply felt - the girl of an urban upbringing - chatty, shallow in parts, whose wide-eyed curiosity of seeing and experiencing things away from her cocooned life comes across as genuine as a bank teller’s currency notes.  Strangely, in her abduction she finds freedom from the binding ties of her family and her inner demons. She wants the trip to not end and you want that for her.

Though hidden under layers of clothing and a messy mop of head and facial hair, Randeep is quite a force in the movie. His unsympathetic demeanor, pushing her forward and daring her to run away, the slow but steady crumbling of his resoluteness – Randeep often elbows Alia out with his layered performance. And he thaws towards her for he has had a harsh upbringing with little or no love to show or receive. That lawless thug’s hard exterior peels off with unexpected kindness from a stranger. His is a love deeply entrenched in intense cynicism – ‘kya karegi mere saath aake? Shaadi karegi mujhse?’ he asks her in exasperation. Randeep portrays it with staunch conviction that it is difficult to forget his character long after the movie is over. As Alia’s character says, ‘plan nahin hai, bus thodi aur time tumhare saath.’ He wants it too but he is rational and does not want to side with such spontaneous decisions because he has seen enough in life.

The narrative pauses and cadences, punctuated by rustic and charming visuals aided by wonderfully unobtrusive cinematography (by Anil Mehta), characterize the movie. Rahman's music is like a narrative form on its own; it is like a gush of fresh blood up your veins that invigorates your body, like the second rail that's crucial for a train’s movement. Songs form as much part of the narrative as much the actors’ quirks are.

It is not all glum, tender moments after tender moments unfurl with the immediacy of a ticking time bomb. You heartily laugh at scenes such as this one - Alia breaking into a disco, partly to break the monotony and partly to celebrate her newfound, uncertain freedom. The penultimate scenes though feel a wee bit dramatic and what follows next is not quite uncommon to come out of a Bollywood movie.

Highway grips you from the word go and its pace doesn’t slacken. It is an intense cinematic experience that will consume you with its brilliance. Watch it for its lead pair, the taut narrative, Rahman’s music and the visuals.

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Movie Review: Eddie Murphy returns to Beverly Hills, which is good enough for everyone

his image released by Netflix shows Eddie Murphy, from left, Taylour Paige, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bronson Pinchot in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows John Ashton, from left, Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Joseph Gordon Levitt, left, and Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Bacon, left, and Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Paul Reiser in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Eddie Murphy, left, and Paul Reiser in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

Judge Reinhold arrives at the premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

John Ashton arrives at the premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Judge Reinhold, Eddie Murphy and John Ashton arrive at the premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Kevin Bacon arrives at the premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt arrives at the premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Eddie Murphy, left, and Big Sean arrive at the premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Eddie Murphy, left, and Taylour Paige in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

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Judge Reinhold is in a truck barreling down the highway chased by angry cops when he turns to Eddie Murphy at the wheel and says something we’re all feeling, “God, I missed you, Axel.”

We all really did, but we get the sarcastic and sweet Axel Foley once again in Netflix’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” exactly 30 years since “1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III.” Is the new movie any good? Who cares?

The fourth outing brings back not just Murphy and Reinhold to the Axel Foley Cinematic Universe, but also long-time co-stars Paul Reiser, John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot. Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt make their debuts.

The plot is pretty simple: Murphy’s Foley is living his best cop life in Detroit — destroying things spectacularly — when he’s asked to urgently return to Beverly Hills to help his estranged daughter, played with real grit by Taylour Paige. He then gets caught up in a murder case that has dirty cops and lets him make fun of snooty Beverly Hills.

Newcomers may be puzzled by the slow pace and ‘80s feel of Mark Molloy’s directed sequel. It’s not as funny as previous ones or ambitious in the way sequels for beloved franchises have gotten . But it has Murphy blowing stuff up and joking about it — all we need, really.

“Goddamn, Foley. Here we go again,” says Ashton, playing the exasperated chief of police, and that sentiment runs through the fourth entry. All you need to make your Gen X friends happy is a montage of Murphy behind the wheel while “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey plays. (“Neutron Dance” by The Pointer Sisters also returns).

Speaking of music, the filmmakers seem to want to break some sort of record for Most Theme Song Plays in a Single Movie, as the instrumental tune ”Axel F″ by Harold Faltermeyer is cued up, by one rough count, approximately 5,000 times.

There are also a lot of vehicles commandeered in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” perhaps a nod to the advanced age of the core group. There’s a snowplow, a helicopter, a golf cart and trucks, none of which are returned in mint condition.

The screenwriters — Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten — leave plenty of places for Murphy to improvise but also craft some surprisingly strong dialogue between Foley and his 32-year-old daughter, both nursing hurt feelings.

“You didn’t fight. I’m your daughter. The only thing you’ve ever fought for is your job,” she tells him. “Look, we both messed this thing up. All right? Let’s just call it even.” Come for the explosions, stay for the heart-to-hearts.

Murphy uses Mary J. Blige’s “Family Affair” and proves it. In one scene, Foley is arrested while trying to drive away in a comically small cop car. One of the traffic cops is played by Murphy’s daughter, Bria, one of his 10 kids. Another cop who later tases him is a son-in-law.

A lot has changed in the three decades since Foley was breaking rules and skulls and there’s the feeling of a requiem as these aged men go into battle again. “They don’t want swashbucklers out there anymore. They want social workers,” Reiser’s detective says.

There are jokes about Wesley Snipes, small yappy dogs and Spirit airlines, a scary shootout on Wilshire Boulevard, way too much synth played and an inside joke about the last sequel, a stinker: Gordon-Levitt goes through all of Foley’s brushes with the California police and says “’94, not your finest hour.”

“Axel F” is not exactly Murphy’s finest hour, either. But Murphy just saying “Jesus!” is funny. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 30 years for our next Axel Foley fix. God, we’ve missed him.

“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” a Netflix release that starts streaming Wednesday, is rated R for “language throughout, violence and brief drug use.” Running time: 117 minutes. Two stars out of four.

MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Online: https://www.netflix.com/title/81076856

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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Flowervale Street

A family in the 80s start to notice bizarre happenings on their neighborhood. A family in the 80s start to notice bizarre happenings on their neighborhood. A family in the 80s start to notice bizarre happenings on their neighborhood.

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• Christian Convery
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Movie Review: Eddie Murphy returns to Beverly Hills, which is good enough for everyone

Judge Reinhold is in a truck barreling down the highway chased by angry cops when he turns to Eddie Murphy at the wheel and says something we’re all feeling, “God, I missed you, Axel.”

Judge Reinhold is in a truck barreling down the highway chased by angry cops when he turns to Eddie Murphy at the wheel and says something we're all feeling, “God, I missed you, Axel.”

We all really did, but we get the sarcastic and sweet Axel Foley once again in Netflix's “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” exactly 30 years since “1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III.” Is the new movie any good? Who cares?

The fourth outing brings back not just Murphy and Reinhold to the Axel Foley Cinematic Universe, but also long-time co-stars Paul Reiser, John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot. Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt make their debuts.

The plot is pretty simple: Murphy's Foley is living his best cop life in Detroit — destroying things spectacularly — when he's asked to urgently return to Beverly Hills to help his estranged daughter, played with real grit by Taylour Paige. He then gets caught up in a murder case that has dirty cops and lets him make fun of snooty Beverly Hills.

Newcomers may be puzzled by the slow pace and '80s feel of Mark Molloy's directed sequel. It's not as funny as previous ones or ambitious in the way sequels for beloved franchises have gotten . But it has Murphy blowing stuff up and joking about it — all we need, really.

“Goddamn, Foley. Here we go again,” says Ashton, playing the exasperated chief of police, and that sentiment runs through the fourth entry. All you need to make your Gen X friends happy is a montage of Murphy behind the wheel while “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey plays. (“Neutron Dance” by The Pointer Sisters also returns).

Speaking of music, the filmmakers seem to want to break some sort of record for Most Theme Song Plays in a Single Movie, as the instrumental tune ”Axel F″ by Harold Faltermeyer is cued up, by one rough count, approximately 5,000 times.

There are also a lot of vehicles commandeered in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” perhaps a nod to the advanced age of the core group. There's a snowplow, a helicopter, a golf cart and trucks, none of which are returned in mint condition.

The screenwriters — Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten — leave plenty of places for Murphy to improvise but also craft some surprisingly strong dialogue between Foley and his 32-year-old daughter, both nursing hurt feelings.

“You didn’t fight. I’m your daughter. The only thing you’ve ever fought for is your job,” she tells him. “Look, we both messed this thing up. All right? Let's just call it even.” Come for the explosions, stay for the heart-to-hearts.

Murphy uses Mary J. Blige's “Family Affair” and proves it. In one scene, Foley is arrested while trying to drive away in a comically small cop car. One of the traffic cops is played by Murphy’s daughter, Bria, one of his 10 kids. Another cop who later tases him is a son-in-law.

A lot has changed in the three decades since Foley was breaking rules and skulls and there's the feeling of a requiem as these aged men go into battle again. “They don’t want swashbucklers out there anymore. They want social workers,” Reiser's detective says.

There are jokes about Wesley Snipes, small yappy dogs and Spirit airlines, a scary shootout on Wilshire Boulevard, way too much synth played and an inside joke about the last sequel, a stinker: Gordon-Levitt goes through all of Foley's brushes with the California police and says “'94, not your finest hour.”

“Axel F” is not exactly Murphy's finest hour, either. But Murphy just saying “Jesus!” is funny. Let's hope we don't have to wait another 30 years for our next Axel Foley fix. God, we've missed him.

“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F," a Netflix release that starts streaming Wednesday, is rated R for “language throughout, violence and brief drug use.” Running time: 117 minutes. Two stars out of four.

MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Online: https://www.netflix.com/title/81076856

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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Movie Review: Eddie Murphy returns to Beverly Hills, which is good enough for everyone

Judge Reinhold is in a truck barreling down the highway chased by angry cops when he turns to Eddie Murphy at the wheel and says something we're all feeling, “God, I missed you, Axel.”

We all really did, but we get the sarcastic and sweet Axel Foley once again in Netflix's “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” exactly 30 years since “1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III.” Is the new movie any good? Who cares?

The fourth outing brings back not just Murphy and Reinhold to the Axel Foley Cinematic Universe, but also long-time co-stars Paul Reiser, John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot. Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt make their debuts.

The plot is pretty simple: Murphy's Foley is living his best cop life in Detroit — destroying things spectacularly — when he's asked to urgently return to Beverly Hills to help his estranged daughter, played with real grit by Taylour Paige. He then gets caught up in a murder case that has dirty cops and lets him make fun of snooty Beverly Hills.

Newcomers may be puzzled by the slow pace and '80s feel of Mark Molloy's directed sequel. It's not as funny as previous ones or ambitious in the way sequels for beloved franchises have gotten . But it has Murphy blowing stuff up and joking about it — all we need, really.

“Goddamn, Foley. Here we go again,” says Ashton, playing the exasperated chief of police, and that sentiment runs through the fourth entry. All you need to make your Gen X friends happy is a montage of Murphy behind the wheel while “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey plays. (“Neutron Dance” by The Pointer Sisters also returns).

Speaking of music, the filmmakers seem to want to break some sort of record for Most Theme Song Plays in a Single Movie, as the instrumental tune ”Axel F″ by Harold Faltermeyer is cued up, by one rough count, approximately 5,000 times.

There are also a lot of vehicles commandeered in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” perhaps a nod to the advanced age of the core group. There's a snowplow, a helicopter, a golf cart and trucks, none of which are returned in mint condition.

The screenwriters — Will Beall, Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten — leave plenty of places for Murphy to improvise but also craft some surprisingly strong dialogue between Foley and his 32-year-old daughter, both nursing hurt feelings.

“You didn’t fight. I’m your daughter. The only thing you’ve ever fought for is your job,” she tells him. “Look, we both messed this thing up. All right? Let's just call it even.” Come for the explosions, stay for the heart-to-hearts.

Murphy uses Mary J. Blige's “Family Affair” and proves it. In one scene, Foley is arrested while trying to drive away in a comically small cop car. One of the traffic cops is played by Murphy’s daughter, Bria, one of his 10 kids. Another cop who later tases him is a son-in-law.

A lot has changed in the three decades since Foley was breaking rules and skulls and there's the feeling of a requiem as these aged men go into battle again. “They don’t want swashbucklers out there anymore. They want social workers,” Reiser's detective says.

There are jokes about Wesley Snipes, small yappy dogs and Spirit airlines, a scary shootout on Wilshire Boulevard, way too much synth played and an inside joke about the last sequel, a stinker: Gordon-Levitt goes through all of Foley's brushes with the California police and says “'94, not your finest hour.”

“Axel F” is not exactly Murphy's finest hour, either. But Murphy just saying “Jesus!” is funny. Let's hope we don't have to wait another 30 years for our next Axel Foley fix. God, we've missed him.

“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F," a Netflix release that starts streaming Wednesday, is rated R for “language throughout, violence and brief drug use.” Running time: 117 minutes. Two stars out of four.

MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Online: https://www.netflix.com/title/81076856

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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