Choo Mantar Movie Review: Choo Mantar review: A template horror comedy
Choo Mantar Movie Review: Critics Rating: 2.5 stars, click to give your rating/review,Sharan, with his years of experience, delivers what is expected of him by being his usual self. Prab
Critic's Rating: 2.5/5
Plot: Four friends head to Nainital to enter the Morgan House, looking for a secret treasure. They discover that before independence the house belonged to a British officer George Morgan. As an evil entity lurks in the dark, the four have multiple battles to face.
Review: When director Navneeth of Karva fame announced a collaboration with an ensemble cast, including Sharan, it managed to garner a lot of attention. Sharan, who was fresh out of Avatara Purusha zone, looked like an apt choice for a film that was set to blend two genres - horror and comedy. While comedy is Sharan’s forte, his impressive performance in Avatara Purusha made him an ideal candidate for this blended film. But, does it meet the expectations? Yes, and no.
Dynamo alias Gautham (Sharan) is an exorcist who runs ‘Choo Mantar and Co.’ along with three of his team members - RJ (Chikkanna), (Aditi Prabhudeva), and Nakul (Kiran Chandrashekar). Together they decide to explore Morgan House in Nainital believing that the mansion house, which was once owned by British officer George Morgan, hides a secret treasure trove. But, they get entangled in a ghostly mystery.
Navaneeth had managed to grab eyeballs with his debut attempt Karva. His second outing Choo Mantar does what it sets out to do - scare and entertain, albeit mildly, with predictable tropes. A mansion with a colonial past, a ghost, some good and some average jokes, and some eerie music that delivers shock value - Choo Mantar has it all, and that’s about it. It doesn’t stand out as something extraordinary. A predictable storyline hinders the plot to some extent. Comedy feels more like a set-up, than situational. The first half holds the film together, but as the second half unfolds, it becomes cliched and predictable.
Sharan, with his years of experience, delivers what is expected of him by being his usual self. Prabhu Mundkur, despite having a small role, shines and grabs the opportunity handed to him. Meghana and Aditi are in sync with their characters’ demands and have done their jobs well. Chikkanna, known for his comedy timing, is at his usual best. However, his comic chemistry with Sharan needed a little bit of a booster.
Academy award-winner Resul Pookutty’s sound design enhances the horror experience to a great extent. Cinematographer Anup Kattukaran captures the darkness inside the bungalow with finesse. Technically, too, there isn’t much to look forward to otherwise.
With a bit of suspense and plot twists here and there, Choo Mantar makes for a decent watch, if you are a horror genre fan.
Review: When director Navneeth of Karva fame announced a collaboration with an ensemble cast, including Sharan, it managed to garner a lot of attention. Sharan, who was fresh out of Avatara Purusha zone, looked like an apt choice for a film that was set to blend two genres - horror and comedy. While comedy is Sharan’s forte, his impressive performance in Avatara Purusha made him an ideal candidate for this blended film. But, does it meet the expectations? Yes, and no.
Dynamo alias Gautham (Sharan) is an exorcist who runs ‘Choo Mantar and Co.’ along with three of his team members - RJ (Chikkanna), (Aditi Prabhudeva), and Nakul (Kiran Chandrashekar). Together they decide to explore Morgan House in Nainital believing that the mansion house, which was once owned by British officer George Morgan, hides a secret treasure trove. But, they get entangled in a ghostly mystery.
Navaneeth had managed to grab eyeballs with his debut attempt Karva. His second outing Choo Mantar does what it sets out to do - scare and entertain, albeit mildly, with predictable tropes. A mansion with a colonial past, a ghost, some good and some average jokes, and some eerie music that delivers shock value - Choo Mantar has it all, and that’s about it. It doesn’t stand out as something extraordinary. A predictable storyline hinders the plot to some extent. Comedy feels more like a set-up, than situational. The first half holds the film together, but as the second half unfolds, it becomes cliched and predictable.
Sharan, with his years of experience, delivers what is expected of him by being his usual self. Prabhu Mundkur, despite having a small role, shines and grabs the opportunity handed to him. Meghana and Aditi are in sync with their characters’ demands and have done their jobs well. Chikkanna, known for his comedy timing, is at his usual best. However, his comic chemistry with Sharan needed a little bit of a booster.
Academy award-winner Resul Pookutty’s sound design enhances the horror experience to a great extent. Cinematographer Anup Kattukaran captures the darkness inside the bungalow with finesse. Technically, too, there isn’t much to look forward to otherwise.
With a bit of suspense and plot twists here and there, Choo Mantar makes for a decent watch, if you are a horror genre fan.
