Delight
Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
Madhava Chandra
This film is about Ajith Kumar (Sathyadev IPS) and his life in various roles as a lover, husband and a Dad. He faces opposition from Arun Vijay(Victor). His love interests are Trisha and Anushka.Pros Trisha is just gorgeous in every frame while Ajith and Arun are the most handsome people you could come across for their roles. Ajith's screen presence is just unbelievable. No wonder, the movie is screening to full houses and even multiplex audience cant resist whistling and howling to their "Thala". Arun Vijay has visibly put in a lot of hard work and his stylist has given him a very apt look for a negative shade. Anushka has not got much of a role except to drool over Ajith's looks and she fits into it quite easily. Gautham Menon's plot is wafer thin, but his cinematographer has got him well covered here. Some of the scenes, especially the song, Unakenna Venum, has been shot in some of the best locales in India.Cons The movie, like other cop movies from Gautham Menon's filmography follows a pretty predictable plot with a small twist. But the by the time twist is revealed, the movie almost gives you a headache with it's yelling over phone calls and BGMs. The climax, it seems, comes a bit too late in the movie.
sesht
The 3rd one in Gautam Vasudev Menon's honest cop-saga, after 'Kaaka Kaaka' and 'Vettaiyaadu Villaiyaadu', this one treads the same path, without bringing anything new to the table, unlike 'Vetai...', which upped the stakes somewhat, and made the main cop a grizzled veteran, while this one goes backwards, in a manner of speaking.First, the good. Ajit's sincerity. He has never had any shortage of that particular talent, and one can appreciate that in all his works since 'Valli' put him solidly on the map. His anchoring performances, even in confusing characterizations that inhabited 'Mankatha' and 'Amarkalaam' make it easier to sit through certain leaps in logic within the mainstream thriller milieu (however, it has to be acknowledged that even his presence, and Arya's, could not save the mess that was 'Aarambham', never mind its box-office).The endearing parent-child dynamic that becomes the focus of the movie as it progresses. The grounded action set-pieces. Almost reminding me of the great stuff from Jason Statham's 'Safe' and 'Wild card' (the latter though, just referencing the action, not anything else). Some of the background score. Most of the cinematography, production design, and camera-work. The attempt to focus on the despicable side of humanity that trades illegally in human organs.Now, the bad. Poor characterization of many supporting characters. More on this later as well.Startling leaps in logic (so...he travels to the US, just to board the next flight back - perhaps, US immigration didn't let him in? I kid, but you get the gist), requiring a little more suspension-of-disbelief than one associates with a GV Menon flick. -One of the crappiest performances by one of my favorite actresses, Anushka Shetty (contrast her work here with the fabulous performance she gave in 'Vedam'). And her characterization, hero-worshiping the lead to such an uncomfortable extent for no solid reason whatsoever, outlining (nee, highlighting) the shallowness of her situation, almost does not belong in a flick that purportedly mature.Weak characterization of the main baddie, which is tremendously cliché-ridden, makes me wonder what all those additionally credited screenplay writers actually did on the first draft. Sridhar Raghavan is one of those doctors, and I have no inkling of what new he brought to the game. Writing-wise, this is perhaps one of the most blandly written works from Menon in a while. Surprising, nee, disappointing. Once again, a typical GVM strength, is a major let-down here. The music. Scenes drag on interminably long, leading me to conclude that this one was a major vanity project for the helmer, just used to house his self-indulgent whims.Though the choice of subject is appreciable, the surprising lack-of-depth makes for very bland viewing. The criss-crossing between the domestic tale of parental care, and the crime thread, don't meld into one another seamlessly, like they ought to. Anushka's profession is also treated shabbily, with her never using the tech at her disposal (supposed to be an Agile PM?) to play smart, and is just Ajit's groupie from the moment she sets her eyes on him.An average watch. Still better appreciated on the big screen, as opposed to TV, but I will forget the experience soon. I know Ajit has made better movies, but he has made worse too.
Monish Nair
The usual mix of love, action and police uniforms which you can expect in a Gautham Vasudev Menon movie. Still he maintains the magical touch which makes a good movie an awesome movie.Ajith as usual has given his best. Really an entertainer at his best. #Thala is always Thala.Arun Vijay, an actor who never made his ground, this will surely be a game changer for him. The first notable work I have seen from him. Very good performance.Movie is a 10/10 with everything which is required to make the audience more than satisfied.Cheers to the YA Team!
Jasrick Johal
Satyadev (ajith) is an undercover cop who is not only ruthless but has the licence to kill when the opportunity comes. He deals with all the rough gangsters on his work front. But at a personal level, he is a caring and responsible single father because his past is associated with Hemanika (trisha), his wife and a heartbreaking tragedy. At this point comes Victor (arun vijay) whose sole aim is to beat Satyadev at his game. What happens after that forms the rest.The director has come up with a romantic and action packed storyline and while the presentation was rich, the narrative was quite absorbing. The dialogues were excellent especially during the last twenty minutes. The script was familiar but the screenplay made the whole difference. The background score was good and songs were worth watching but not really worth humming. Cinematography was the main strength to this film. Editing was crisp. Costumes were well designed and stylish while the art department was majestic. Ajith Kumar came up with a power packed performance and he scored the brownie points. Trisha leaves an unforgettable impact with her presence. Anushka was brief but made her presence felt. Arun Vijay was a revelation. Parvathy Nair was apt. Vivekh was hilarious. Daniel Balaji was good. Baby Ankitha was cute. The others did their bit as required and added value.What happens when a class director joins hands with a mass hero? It results in a very fine blend of entertainment to the audience. That is exactly what happened in this movie. The first half is somewhat slow but it focuses on building the character of the protagonist which is filled with elements of drama, action, romance and emotion. The interval bang was superb and it is the second half which really pumps the adrenaline into the film. The last twenty minutes were engrossing and leaves the audience with an impact. Overall, this film is a Gautam Menon film that is a perfect mix of mass and class. You will cry and clap. The only minus of film is the slow pace, and the film needs be trimmed by 10-15 min, those are minor blemishes though. But its a must watch for the Ajith and Gautam Menon both need take a bow. 4/5* or 8/10
