Released on November 7, 2023 on the popular streaming platform Netflix, The Archies is a teen musical drama inspired by the popular comic universe of Archies.
It has huge expectations from everybody as it is not only based on a worldwide bestseller comic world but is also a musical comedy! Read on below to see what is working for the movie in this The Archies review!
What’s The Archies Movie About?
The Archies narrate the story of Riverdale, the famous town and heart of the Archies Comics in 1960s India. The Archies is the band name of the characters Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and of course Archie. When Mr. Lodge plans to build a hotel in place of the Greenpark in Riverdale; it brings disruption in a rather happy place and the lives of the characters.
Now, let’s get to the The Archies Movie Review:
The Plot (Unique and interesting)
The story of Archies, Betty, Veronica, and characters as Anglo-Indians in the 60’s is something that nobody in India has ever done. But, not only this premise but the main movie plot of a community coming together is unique. The plot of going through capitalism and trying to fight off for their businesses and save their park certainly aligns with a Teen Musical Drama.
The Locations (Where the Movie Shines)
The locations and the whole set that has been crafted out for The Archies members are very precise. These are quite relatable to the 1960s when the country was on the verge of modernism. The movie brings a lot of vintage and classic memories of the early Archie Comics’ true-to-life! The way they are set following the story for India is just the best! The Archies review cannot be complete without adding praise to the sets. The prop production team gets 100 marks from my side!
The Choreography (Well Done)
The Archies members do well on all the dance and musical pieces provided. They are energizing, fun, and just what you can expect from a teen musical! The dance routine at first can seem but they are grooving all right which makes us want to dance on our toes as well. The steps seem quite inspired by the time the movie was set in (1960s) and that should be appreciated.
The choreography for songs by The Archies is done by the duo Bosco Martis and Caesar Gonsalves and when asked by the choreographer, Bosco commented-
“The film has a ’50s look and it is quite fun. As children, we would read ‘Archies’ and it is good to see Veronica, Betty, Archies, Jughead, and choreograph them.”
Well, I agree with the choreographer myself, because I liked and had fun watching the pieces as much as he had choreographing them.
The Music (Satisfactory)
The Archies music had a lot of expectations since in the comic world the movie is inspired by “The Archies”, a popular band consisting of the main characters. Creating pieces for The Archies album, inspired by the classic comic world, must’ve been a challenge and we can see that The Archies team indeed has put in work on that.
There are over 16 original pieces that go with different scenes and situations in the movie. Though fun, the songs by the Archies have not become that popular and I can see why. They’ve got the lyrics but the beats. Alas, Music is subjective. The Archies album consists of pieces by popular Indian singers like Arjit Singh, Tejas, Ankur Tewari, and more. The album is composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy.
The Acting (Where the Movie Lacks)
The acting is the weakest link of The Archies movie. The three main characters, Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda), Veronica (Suhana Khan), and Betty (Khushi Kapoor) must’ve worked a lot for the musical numbers, if only the level of the acting would’ve been that good too. Especially of the female leads. It should be said that the movie is indeed their introduction to the entertainment world, so there’s still time for the new actors to work on their acting chops…
The side characters though are nice. Whether you play the role of Jughead, Reggie, Ethel, or more. We also get appearances from experienced actors like Hal (Satyajit Sharma), Mr Lodge (Alyy Khan), and more. These play the role of parents of the Archies members. Since they are seasoned actors, their acting is the strongest.
The current The Archies IMDb score is a 6 out of 10. I believe if the acting was strong, the movie could’ve easily been an 8.
To Conclude
The Archies 2023 did something that other Indian movies haven’t done and that is to combine a beloved American comic world with an underrated genre in Indian cinema, Musicals. The songs and acting could’ve been improved but the plot, choreography, and sets do make up for those!
The Archies Movie Review FAQs
Q. Is The Archies remake of Riverdale?
No, The Archies is a totally different entertainment feature than CW’s popular show, Riverdale. Riverdale is a Drama that spanned seven seasons and took a dark turn on the rather fun comics. The Archies, on the other hand, is an Indian adaptation of the Archies Comics. It is a light teen musical drama.
Q. Is The Archies on Netflix?
Yes, The Archies movie released on 7 December 2023 is available only on the subscription-based platform, Netflix.
Q. What is the meaning of the Archies live action?
The Archies live-action is a movie released in December 2023. The live-action movie was adapted from the classic American comic characters to Anglo-Indian ones as it is a Hindi remake.
Q. Is The Archies worth watching?
Well, it depends on your movie preferences. There are certainly many pros and cons of the movie like other movies out there. If you don’t like music pieces every ten minutes and are not interested in the teen comic world, to begin with, then I wouldn’t recommend the movie.
But, If you would like to see something new in the Indian cinema (a musical drama comedy), see your favorite comic characters in live action, and sadly, can let go of the goofy and sometimes cringe-worthy acting of the debutant main characters, then this is at least a one time watch!