Animal (2023), the Hindi film directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Bobby Deol. This isn’t a rehash of someone else’s take—it’s a fresh dive into the film’s chaotic, polarizing soul.

Animal is a cinematic Molotov cocktail—bold, brash, and unapologetically in your face. At its core, it’s a tale of a son, Ranvijay (Ranbir Kapoor), whose obsessive love for his distant father, Balbir (Anil Kapoor), spirals into a blood-soaked revenge saga after an assassination attempt. Vanga, the mad maestro behind Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh, doubles down on his signature style: hyper-masculine protagonists, visceral violence, and a worldview that dares you to flinch. The result? A 201-minute rollercoaster that’s as exhilarating as it is exhausting.

Let’s talk Ranbir Kapoor first. He’s a revelation here, shedding every ounce of his boy-next-door charm to embody a feral, unhinged anti-hero. His Ranvijay is a cocktail of charisma and carnage—think Tony Montana with daddy issues and a Punjabi accent. The way he struts through scenes, eyes blazing and guns roaring, is magnetic; you can’t look away, even when you want to. It’s his career-best performance, hands down, and he carries the film’s insane energy on his shoulders. Anil Kapoor, as the stoic patriarch, is solid but underused—his emotional detachment feels more like a script flaw than a character choice. Rashmika Mandanna, playing Ranvijay’s wife Geetanjali, brings fire to her scenes, especially in a blistering confrontation late in the film, but her role gets bogged down in a draggy second half. Bobby Deol’s Abrar, the mute antagonist, is a snarling highlight—his late entry and limited screen time are criminal, though, given how much menace he packs into every frame.

The first half of Animal is a masterclass in controlled chaos. It kicks off with a bang—literally—and builds to an interval block that’s pure, unadulterated adrenaline. The action sequences, choreographed with a gleeful disregard for restraint, are jaw-dropping: a machine-gun massacre set to Punjabi beats, a fistfight that feels like a war, and a tone that screams “this is cinema, deal with it.” Harshavardhan Rameshwar’s background score is a character in itself—thunderous, relentless, and perfectly synced to the film’s pulse. The songs, from “Arjan Vailly” to “Papa Meri Jaan,” hit hard, amplifying the raw emotion and violence.

But then comes the second half, and oh boy, does it stumble. What starts as a tight gangster origin story unravels into a bloated mess of subplots and sanctimonious rants. The writing, credited to Vanga and co., loses focus—Ranvijay’s revenge arc gets sidelined for tedious domestic drama, and the film’s pacing collapses under its own weight. A 3-hour-21-minute runtime is indefensible when half an hour could’ve been trimmed without losing a beat. The misogyny, a Vanga trademark, is dialed up to eleven—Ranvijay’s “alpha male” monologues and casual sexism aren’t clever satire; they’re just grating. And yet, the film never pretends to be anything it’s not—it’s proud of its toxicity, almost daring you to hate it.

Visually, Animal is a mixed bag. Amit Roy’s cinematography swings between gritty realism and glossy overkill, with some CGI (like a mid-film explosion) looking distractingly cheap. The editing, also by Vanga, is schizophrenic—brilliant in action, sloppy in quieter moments. Still, the film’s sheer audacity keeps it from flatlining. That climax—a brutal, shirtless slugfest between Ranbir and Bobby—lands like a gut punch, even if it’s too late to redeem the narrative sprawl.

Animal isn’t subtle, and it’s not for everyone. It’s a middle finger to nuance, a love letter to excess, and a showcase for Ranbir Kapoor’s wild side. Critics will call it morally bankrupt—and they’re not wrong—but it’s also a visceral thrill ride that knows its audience: the front-row hooters who’ll cheer every gunshot. I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars—flawed, infuriating, but undeniably alive. It’s not a film you enjoy so much as survive, and that’s its twisted genius.