The Archies - American comics' Indian adaptation gets favourable reviews from foreign critics for its “fresh take” and “peppy songs”

The popular Archie Comics got its highly anticipated Indian adaptation with Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies and the film rolled out on Netflix on 7 December, Thursday. Starring several newcomers making their debuts, The Archies was on everyone’s radar for quite some time. Before the Indian adaptation, Netflix already had its American version in the long-run series, called Riverdale, starring Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse, Camila Mendes, KJ Apa, and Madelaine Petsch in the ensemble cast.

About The Archies

Starring a new but promising star cast (Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda, Mihir Ahuja, Dot Aditi, Vedang Raina, and Yuvraj Menda) – The Archies is a live-action musical comedy that reimagines Archie comics after British colonial rule in the 1960s India. The tale of love, friendship, rebellion, and heartbreak got contrasting reviews from Indian critics

The foreign Take on Indian adaptation

The movie made its mark for foreign publications as a retro take has spilled its magic on various critics. While some lauded the peppy songs, others liked the director’s intrusive editing in the otherwise corny adaptation.

Also Read: The Archies review: Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor's film is a love letter to the '60s but a breakup note to expectations 

Here is a list of some major foreign publications that reviewed Zoya Akhtar’s film on various scales.

The Guardian’s critic gave a 3/5 rating for the Anglo-Indian kid’s story and although it called out the bizarre elements, it also appreciated Zoya Akhtar’s editing. “It’s that very dualism which makes this goofy musical fascinating, a guilt-free pleasure that’s nevertheless super-corny and ridiculous,” as quoted by the reviewer.

In the “not rated” review by The New York Times, the film’s strengths are mentioned like the extravagance, athletic musical numbers, and Zoya Akhtar’s fearless reorientation while skipping their take on the cast’s performance.  The final review said, “The film does its darnedest to dazzle from its lavish production design to its showboating cinematography. For good measure, Akhtar slaps cartoon-style exclamations on the screen: “Smack!” “Pow!” and, for Hindi speakers, “Dhishoom!”

While Collider’s critics hailed the upbeat adventures and also the fresh take on the iconic characters. The detailed review mostly highlighted what worked for the series and how the reimagination remained true to the original aspect. One of the weak points that was commonly criticized was the character Archie’s indecisiveness. Commending performances, script, and comedic timings, Collider called it worth the watch and gave the film a whopping 9/10.

Another publication, The Review Geek had a mixed review of The Archies, while it praised the performances of the ensemble cast, it disapproved of the exaggerated editing and longer run time. In a nutshell, the review said, “Peppered with witty one-liners, stunning visuals, and an energy that practically leaps off the screen, The Archies is a treat”.

The Archies is streaming on Netflix