Little Superman Malayalam Movie
Vinayan's 'Little Superman' has a child protagonist Willy (Deny) seeking revenge on his dad Wilson's (Rajeev) murderers. Slain by a bunch of corrupt politicians,Wilson was quite renowned as the sole witness who stuck to his stance in a political scam that had rocked the state. When even his mom (Praveena) isnt spared by the ruffians,Willy is left alone with his sister Angel (Ansiba), and devises his own plans to see to it that justice is served.
Wilson seems a representative of a small section of new gen parents who turn ecstatic at the wrong occasions when it comes to the performance of their kids. You sense something is seriously wrong with the parent in him when he looks overjoyed at seeing his kid of a son dabble with a deadly revolver. And not just that, the boy is lauded for having hit the target. It makes little sense to people like me that a dad can be moved beyond words when he realizes that his under age son has been taking shooting lessons behind his back.
When the boy finally does manage to take a life, one wonders if daddy would have been proud. The kid's attempts to come to terms with the immense loss in his life take a toll on his psyche. His wails and sobs border on the hysteric and his method of revenge quite startling.
Which is one reason why 'Little Superman' is less of a kids' film and more of a film meant for adults. The branding of the movie as one intended for kids is entirely wrong, what with the throat slashing, the shooting and the incessant blood shed through out. There isnt anything wrong with violence in films, but violent films should not be passed off as harmless entertainers meant for kids.
A young girl sitting next to me for instance, was quite amused at the flowers and fishes that came her way as the show started off. As they gradually gave way to hatchets and bullets, she grew increasingly uncomfortable, and eventually the discomfort gave way to tears. The apologetic parent walked out half way through the show, with the kid in tow.
And there is the school where Willy studies, which has a vice principal priest sporting a weirdo wig, who is addicted to the porn clips on his mobile. Willy, who is barely into his teens himself, talks of having fallen hopelessly in love with a class mate and questions his mom as to what sex is all about. Surely, all these sound to be the heavy duty stuff that childrens films are made of!! In case you have missed out on the sarcasm, thank heavens that we are spared a molestation or an item number or two that could have peppered things up even further.
Script wise, the film is a royal disaster, as it takes the viewers for a ride, especially the ones who arrive hoping to watch a super human in action. Unsure perhaps of the theme to fit in a real Superman, the makers of 'Little Superman' opt for the easy way out. With intricacies of psychology being dwelled on in the plot, its a relief that most of the kids who watch the film would never realize that the Little Superman never existed. Had they known the whole thing was just a fallacy, their disappointment would have been infinitely more.
There is only a single reason that I can fathom, for you to watch 'Little Superman'. Technically, the film does display some flair especially when it comes to the 3D effects. I do agree that it's more of an in-the-face kind of special effects that hog the show, and there are several instances when they go terribly over board. Sequences and situations are specifically designed to accommodate the thriller moments. Yet, a few scenes at least deserve special mention for their technical finesse.
As it is, 'Little Superman' and his gory antics are anything but child's play. If I were you, I would stay far off Willy and his sorry tale, and get those kids of yours a DVD pack of Disney cartoons instead.
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