There are near Shakespearean-level themes for us to enjoy in PS: II. It is not the spectacle that scores here, but rather the storytelling. That said, Ravi Varman uses color and light so well that even otherwise ordinary moments pop with extravagance.
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Like a GPS navigation system, the writing in O2 makes it so obvious which way the plot is heading, and after all the twists and turns, it is easy to understand where it will go.
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Lokesh Kanagaraj's Vikram may be a bit derivative but works as a piece of pure spectacle. The action, acting, direction and music all make it a good time at the movies.
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Beast has ludicrous action and puerile comedy. But Vijay is in fine form, and Nelson infuses a sense of fun into a generic hostage thriller. Anirudh's thundering score and foot-tapping numbers are the highlights here.
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Mahaan may be a generic film, but it is an upgrade over Vikram's recent star affairs. It does not rank among Karthik Subbaraj's best films but is an upgrade over Jagame Thandhiram. The movie has an interesting plot and terrific performances across the board.
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Maanaadu is a heady, high-concept action thriller. Writer-director Venkat Prabhu gets the concept of time loop down to a science. So, even if you have no idea about how time loop works, the movie will make you think and entertain you a lot.
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Tughlaq Durbar has a thoroughly entertaining first hour, a stellar idea, and a Vijay Sethupathi in fine form. It never quite comes together in the latter portions, but Vijay Sethupathi's self-conscious performance lends some credibility to the proceedings. I enjoyed the film on Netflix, despite its shortcomings.
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Netrikann on Disney+ Hotstar is about a blind CBI officer who 'witnesses' a serial killer's actions and must help solve a case. Adapted from the Korean film entitled 'Blind', it has a credible lead turn from Nayanthara, many generic elements, believability, and even some novelty.
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Writer-director Vignesh Karthick propels the plot of Thittam Irandu with a series of false clues and preposterous suspense elements. He also uses many ideas, including a killer one at the end that you may not anticipate. Nevertheless, Karthick does not narrate the story with enough assuredness to make us invested in the proceedings throughout.
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Most boxing movies are generic, but Pa. Ranjith's Sarpatta Parambarai seldom seems like one. It is as much a film about cast and rivalries between boxing clans in old Madras as it is about the game of boxing.
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Wacky and inventive, Arun Prabu Purushothaman's Vaazhl is about characters who choose to live in a certain way while accepting the consequences that accompany their choices. It is a road movie that metaphorizes life as a long journey where characters and experiences have life-altering effects. Not all of it works, but the portions that do work like magic.
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Jagame Thandhiram is a gangster drama addressing more serious themes like the refugee crisis with gunmen's intelligence. It suggests that a gangster's worldview is so limited that his reading of issues like the refugee crisis is also limited. So, its gun-for-gun approach to storytelling is justifiable, even as director Karthik Subbaraj's flourishes have an overbearing effect on the proceedings.
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