Review of 3 Idiots (2009) by Adithya S — 29 Dec 2010

3 Idiots is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 3 Idiots is Van Wilder. 3 Idiots is Wedding Crashers. 3 Idiots is Three Stooges. Drawing on many Hollywood hits for inspiration, all the while adding that fresh Bollywood flair with song and dance, 3 Idiots is quite the whirlwind journey, kinda like the one you see on "How I Met Your Mother", except it has an ending.

3 Idiots is about three guys from different backgrounds, one extremely wealthy, one of moderate wealth, and one impoverished. While the two lower income guys struggle to get good grades, the rich guy, called "Rancho" goes all Van Wilder on the school, accusing the system of creating machines and making asses out of young, potentially brilliant minds. Or so it appears that way. There are plenty of twists that keep things fresh over the movie's LONG run time, but I was never bored so I can't say the 3 hours here is wasted. It's actually WELL wasted.

There are plenty of themes and philosophical offerings tested here: eastern versus western philosophy, liberal versus conservative, new generation versus old, you name it....its here. And just when the movie has you all comfortable, it throws you a curveball and changes the tone drastically to tragedy. It's been awhile since a movie can change tone so well, so quick, and not ruin the experience for me.

3 Idiots is full of colourful, fun characters; evil baddies and serviceable sidekicks. Even a guy like Millimeter performed admirably. The love story, yes there is one here, is cliche, its your typical "marry for love/not wealth" schtick, but the actors did a great job and their chemistry shows on-screen. It's pretty simple really; if I want the guy to have the girl in the movie, and believe me, I'd want her, then the love story was a success. Many love stories are so forced (ahem *cough* The Tourist) so its nice to see some GOOD on-screen chemistry for a change.

When it comes to Bollywood movies, its very tough to crack the domestic charts with all the Hollywood crap we get every year. 3 Idiots, while only one movie, presents a glimmer of hope. The attention to detail, characters and story is well-balanced here, and that's what keeps me engaged. Although its derivative much like Avatar was, we need more movies like 3 Idiots. A movie that makes you feel is what matters, and this is definintely an emotional journey. Highly recommended!