Asoka

It's an OK movie, but don't go in expecting history. This is not the Asoka you might have read about somewhere.

Ashoka is a fascinating historical figure but the liberties this movie takes doesn't do the history justice. The romance subplot is cheesy and unnecessary, especially since it's far off from what caused Ashoka's pacifism to begin with. As for the film itself, the choreography is bland and muddled by lame slow-mo. The set pieces look good, but the scale is small and looks cheaply made in parts. The plot also has a lot of asspulls and cheesy non-sense.

The romantic story arc really isn't that interesting, but it's during the second half, once the movie begins to explore the geopolitics of the era that the story really begins to be engaging. Indian history is actually really interesting and I can't wait for some Game of Thrones level historical drama to be made in order to really do it justice.

The main criticisms I hear for this movie are in regards to its historical inaccuracy....who cares? Just enjoy the pretty moving pictures, people. Anyway, I just can't hate this movie. Shahrukh and Kareena make a surprisingly nice couple and I just love the epic story (despite the not so great action choreography which is typical of Bollywood). The ending leaves a lot to be desired but it's forgivable. Overall, for a Bollywood movie, you have to admit it's not bad.