The over-inflated Bollywood superhero fantasy “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva” is the kind of pre-fabricated Hollywood-style event blockbuster that the Hindi-language film industry has been chasing after for years now, but somehow still hasn’t nailed.
This family-friendly action-adventure circles well-charted territory that was previously meandered about by other recent Hindi language superhero pics, like “Krrish” (2006), “Ra.One” (2011), and “Krrish 3” (2013).
The main selling points of “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva,” which follows a formulaic plot to thwart an evil demigod, are its lavish special effects and MCU-style branding. (The movie is the first in a planned “Astraverse” trilogy.) Neither the action scenes nor the musical numbers stand out though, and none of the characters or their performers transcend their expected roles.