Film / News
The spectacular action blockbuster you’ve never heard of comes to the former Bristol IMAX
“The movie is such an irresistible and intoxicating celebration of cinematic excess that even after 187 minutes . . . you are left exhilarated, not exhausted,” enthused Variety. “Riotous good fun from start to finish,” agreed Screen Daily. “The battles are bloody and gory, and the set pieces are absolutely massive in scale,” added Film Threat. “Wave after wave of lush, beautifully crafted bombast is gleefully dished out to a bedazzled audience,” approved The Guardian in its round-up of the best films of 2022 so far.
You need to see this, right? So how come its not playing at every multiplex in the city, up against those dinosaurs, superheroes and Top Gun: Maverick? That’s because RRR is an Indian film, specifically a Tollywood (Telugu language) one. One of the country’s most expensive productions, this historical action-romance-musical fictionalises the stories of a duo of real-life revolutionaries as they take on the British Raj in the 1920s. South Indian stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan are cast in the lead roles, while the dastardly Brits are led by Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran Ray Stevenson.
Obviously, the best way to enjoy this orgy of bombastic excess is on the biggest screen available. And in Bristol, that means the 19m x 15m former IMAX screen in what is now the Bristol Aquarium. This was successfully brought back into use for the recent, hugely popular Forbidden Worlds film festival. Organisers 20th Century Flicks are planning another event for Halloween, but intend to keep the momentum going all summer with a season entitled Around the World with 20th Century Flicks.
is needed now More than ever
N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan in RRR
RRR is their first selection. It’ll be on screen at 3pm on Sunday 31 July. Don’t worry if you’re not a Telugu speaker – they’re screening a subtitled version. And there will be a 15 minute interval to give your bum a break. Note that the film is rated 15 and no one under this age will be admitted. Go here for tickets and further information.
After its one-off screening at the former IMAX, RRR returns to the comparatively tiddly Cinema 1 at the Watershed for a week-long run from August 5-11. Tickets are available here.
Images supplied by 20th Century Flicks
Read more: The sad and sorry story of Bristol’s short-lived IMAX cinema
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
