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Review: Passion, emotions, humor & well-being make Jeremy Renner's 'Rennervations' an entertaining watch

It seems rather unfortunate that we see Jeremy Renner all hale, hearty and affable in Rennervations on Disney+ Hotstar but we see him fighting through a life-threatening accident in real life.

Rennervations

Rennervations

It seems rather unfortunate that we see Jeremy Renner all hale, hearty and affable in Rennervations on Disney+ Hotstar but we see him fighting through a life-threatening accident in real life. The good part though is that he is recovering. Nevertheless, Rennervations is like a passion project for the actor as this documentary is about Renner acquiring over 200 large and perfectly good vehicles that have been decommissioned by the government. 

His motto? Change the entire structure and construct something that is helpful and accessible to the respective communities in four prime locations in the world - Reno/Sparks and Chicago in USA, Los Cabos in Mexico and Rajasthan in India. He also has some fun and assisting friends along in the form of superstars, Vanessa Hudgens, Anil Kapoor, Sebastian Yatra and Anthony Mackie.

Having had the chance to see this four-part documentary beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

Documentary Styled But Keeping the Humor Alive

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One of the most fun aspects of this four-episode documentary series is that the fun is intact almost throughout the entirety of its runtime. What can easily be rather boring and difficult to understand for a rational viewer is made fathomable due to the high spirits, Renner and his entire crew is in. 

As he admits, his best friend and business partner, Rory is indeed the comic relief for everyone who keeps the positivity high - this happens not just for the hardworking crew but for the viewer as well. Even the crew has some amazing people keeping their laughs intact while doing what is one increasingly difficult project after the other.

The Projects - India Being The Most Powerful One

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It might seem biased but indeed the project in India was the most challenging and most impactful in terms of directly helping more people than others. A water treatment machine inside an old truck starts off with ambition and a monumental task is ahead with two young boys at the helm of it. They face some real challenges and a huge hurdle as well but overcome it with grace. 

This episode also works best as it is the only one having the celebrity guest throughout the episode as opposed to other ones where the celebs just make cameos towards the end. The charming presence of Anil Kapoor, his bond with Renner, his banter with Rory and of course, being helpful and encouraging to the crew is just what the episode needed to offset the real challenges it faces.

The Graphics & Subtly Feminist

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It might not be possible to find layers in a documentary because it is basically a real story of real people but even then, Rennervations has some beautifully layered moments, especially how it is pro-feminism without even attempting to be. Two crew members on this usually male-dominated profession are absolutely fantastic and it is just amazing how their stories are also shared. It gives you a moment to be invested in them as well as applaud them.

And what can be better than making difficult jargons about construction and engineering explained than in graphics that are cool and colorful. The animated graphics that explain what the vehicle was earlier and what is the plan for it and then the aspirational model make it a million times easier for the viewer to be watching the episode with full interest and anticipation.

The Verdict

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What Rennervations succeeds the most in doing is making sure that informative content isn't boring for an average viewer. Inspite of being entirely oblivious or not being voluntarily interested in the topics covered here, I found myself immersed in this story. A passion project for a Hollywood A-lister translates the best with the emotions, subject and the euphoria when any task is accomplished. A real life documentary series that entertains you like a film - that seldom happens.

Rating - **** (4/5)

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Anil Kapoor

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Jeremy Renner

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Comments (1)

It would be helpful to make this available on additional publishing platforms like Shabd.in, since I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It provides the chance to publish in different Indian local languages and reach a wide range of people. Given its extensive reach and capacity to present material in several languages, it could aid in increasing readership and growing the book's audience.

3 months ago

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