The Kung Fu Master Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2020 | UA | Action, Drama
Critics:
A revenge action drama, this film has two siblings embarking on a mission to avenge the villain, who created problems in their life. The captivating landscape of Mussoorie and perfect fight scenes give enthralling effects, but the plot appears to be very thin.
Jan 26, 2020 By K. R. Rejeesh


Director Abrid Shine's brimming admiration for martial arts sets the milieu for his latest outing, 'The Kung Fu Master'. The eloquence he maintains in exploiting the possibilities of Kung Fu in the picturesque setting of Mussoorie in Dehra Dun is simply refreshing. While the premise is picture-perfect, such an order eludes the screenplay written by the director. Conceived as a revenge action drama, the plot appears to be very thin with an ordinary template of the decimation of the antagonist.


The performances of relatively inexperienced actors uphold the proceedings and they excel in displaying the fight scenes with elan. The conventional hero-villain face-off formula is followed here ignoring the elaboration of the plot. The first half is well-conceived showcasing the depth of relations in the family of Rishi Ram (Jiji Scaria), who is settled in Mussoorie along with his father, wife, and 10-year-old son. His sister Rithu Ram (Neeta Pillai) arrives at Mussoorie to join in a college as Assistant Professor.


They happily spend the days by visiting several places during holidays and enjoying the company of Rishi's friends. A marriage proposal comes for Rithu, and she meets Naveen (Sooraj S Kurup) in the presence of family members. One night, an unexpected incident occurs in Rishi's house. That tragedy leaves Rishu and Rithu utterly shattered. Now, the siblings, both are martial arts instructors, embark on a mission to avenge the perpetrators. Somewhere in Mussoorie, the dreaded criminal Louis Antony (Sanoop Dinesh) is roaming by continuing his atrocities.


The revenge episode of 'The Kung Fu Master' permeates throughout the second half but the forgotten aspect here is a solid script or sequences to highlight the revenge. Neeta Pillai is strong and sublime in her performance, especially in fight sequences. And it's so appealing and riveting to see her doing perfect action; maybe the first time you witness an actress doing it with panache in Malayalam. The amount of hard work and effort that has gone into moulding her for such a character is vivid in the action scenes.


Jiji Scaria, who has voice lent by actor Vineeth, gives a convincing performance blended with both emotion and action. He is effortless in the outing and equally convincing as well. Sanoop Dinesh has all the mien of a scary villain to sustain your interest in the tale.


Cinematographer Arjun Ravi, son of director Major Ravi, is outstanding in his debut, and he makes the most of nature's bounty by capturing the scenic beauty of Dehra Dun in Uttarakhand. The visuals of snow-clad hilly terrains and streams with powerful current add much-needed charm to 'The Kung Fu Master'.


When the story enters the second stage, the film becomes predictable and the incidents that follow are devoid of conviction. The tit-for-tat mode could have been more interesting with sensible writing but that space is hogged by exhibition of martial arts.

K. R. Rejeesh

   

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