195-Minute Fantasy Epic Ramayana Divides Critics On Rotten Tomatoes

195-Minute Fantasy Epic With A Sequel On The Way Divides Critics On Rotten Tomatoes Published Nov 5, 2026, 3:10 PM EST Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. The new film Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is now in theaters, but critics have very different opinions on the quality of the fantasy epic. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend tells the story of Prince Rama, who defeats Tataka and falls in love with Princess Sita. Queen Kaikeyi attempts to prevent him from staying on the throne, with the prince going into exile. The movie, which is 3 hours and 15 minutes long, is an adaptation of the epic poem Ramayana. Now that it's in theaters, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend has made its debut on Rotten Tomatoes with a critic score of 74%. While that's a solid rating, it means that there are still many reviewers who didn't have a super positive reception to the film. So far, critics have praised the pacing and called Ramayana sleek, an impressive spectacle, ambitious, breathtaking and a cinematic experience, with great performances from the cast. However, even among the positive reviews, there were several critics who pointed out the movie's flaws and called the story clichéd. Critics who gave Ramayana a negative reception said that the main character, Rama, had a difficult time commanding the screen and claimed the film was lackluster with mediocre acting and a bloated story. One reviewer even called out the awkward use of AI to coordinate the lip-syncing. ScreenRant's Brandon Zachary reviewed Ramayana: Rise of a Legend and gave it a 7 out of 10. He called the movie an "impressive cinematic achievement" that focused too much on the visual spectacle at the expense of character depth. The cast of Ramayana includes Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Indira Krishnan and Sonal Jha. The Hindi-language movie had a premiere in late October at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, ahead of its theatrical release. There are already plans for a second installment, which is currently in production. Despite originally eyed for a 2027 release, producer Namit Malhotra recently said that the sequel is now slated for 2028. The reason for the delay is so that the filmmakers can spend that extra time dubbing it in English and rewriting the script from Hindi into English. While working on Rise of a Legend, they all realized how much of an undertaking this would be and chose to postpone the second movie in order to get it right, especially since it's the conclusion of the story. A specific release date in 2028 has yet to be announced, though. In the meantime, moviegoers can go see Rise of a Legend, which is competing this weekend against two other major releases: Godzilla Minus Zero and The Cat in the Hat. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is now in theaters. Release Date November 6, 2026 Runtime 154 Minutes Director Nitesh Tiwari Writers Shridhar Raghavan Producers Yash, Namit Malhotra Cast Ramayana is the first part of an epic duology that brings the ancient Indian epic to the big screen. This film adaptation explores the legendary tale of Prince Rama, his quest to rescue his wife Sita, and the ensuing battle against the demon king Ravana.