Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2

Synopsis With tense scenes that offer thrills and mas moments, SU Arun Kumar's Veera Dheera Sooran - Part 2 soars in its first half but comes crashing to the ground with a routine third act

Veera Dheera Sooran - Part 2 Movie Review: A solid action thriller undone by a conventional, weakly written third act.

Veera Dheera Sooran - Part 2 Movie Synopsis: A gangster who has given up his violent ways agrees to take up one last hit job to save his former boss' son, who is the target of a police officer seeking to settle an old score. With all three using his family as a threat to bend him to their will, can he outsmart them all and remain the last man standing?

Veera Dheera Sooran - Part 2 Movie Review: SU Arun Kumar's Veera Dheera Sooran begins in a most intriguing manner. The filmmaker drops us in the middle of a developing situation with hardly any setup to give us an idea of why things are happening. This instantly makes us get involved with the film - even though we hardly know anything about its plot or character. A woman lands up at the door of Periyavar/Ravi (Prudhvi Raj, cast against type in a serious role), a local big shot with criminal links, of doing away with her husband. Her husband, meanwhile, complains to SP Arunagiri (SJ Suryah, fine balancing the greyness of the character to keep us guessing) that his wife and daughter are missing. This provides the cop with the ammo that he's been looking for to take down Periyavar and his son Kannan (Suraj Venjaramoodu, making an impressive debut in Tamil), who had played dirty with him a decade ago. Arunagiri plots an encounter killing prompting Periyavar to reach out to his erstwhile viswasi Kaali (a robust Vikram who offers a peek into the mass avatar of his Dhool and Saamy days), who has given up his violent ways and is now leading a peaceful life with his wife Kalai (a competent Dushara Vijayan even makes us overlook the huge age gap between her and the male lead) and their two children. Arun Kumar keeps the tension alive by making Kaali vulnerable as he pits him against three individuals who he cannot trust and yet do their bidding as they slyly use his family as a threat in their own ways. At least until the intermission, the director holds back from giving us any peek into their shared history. All we get are mere mentions of events and names from their past - especially an incident that they refer to as 'Sudhakar sambavam' - which has led them all to this powder keg of a situation. This actually forces us, the audience, to individually imagine what might have happened, and pick characters to root for as well as hate.

And tense action keeps unfolding as there are cat-and-mouse-game-like scenarios and near-miss episodes that keep us hooked. One particular scene, involving landmines (or "kezhangu", as the characters call it) delivers edge-of-the-seat thrill, and another, which marks the meeting of Kaali and Arunagiri gives us a whistle-worthy mass masala moment. The film would have remained unique and engaging (and also justifying the Part 2 in the title) if Arun Kumar had trusted his audience and chosen to show us only the events that unfold during this one night. Perhaps he felt breaking the convention of providing a flashback would be too risky a move, but the director decides to give us the back story (at least the portions that matter), including the 'Sudhakar sambavam'. This is where the film begins to lose its individuality as the back story that we eventually get doesn't match with what we have all built up in our heads all through the first half; rather, it just feels so routine!

The film does recover from this minor setback when it gets back to the present with an ambitious one-shot set piece (shot with dynamism by Theni Eswar, whose night-time cinematography is one of the film's strong points) that begins with a group of characters discussing who among them could be the black sheep and moves on to a shootout between cops and gangsters, and then to a heroic moment. But then, just when we expect it to soar higher, it helplessly remains stuck on the ground. Like someone painstakingly building a house of cards and finally making a move that brings most of the structure down, Arun Kumar undoes all the earlier good work with a weakly written third act (despite its title, this is not the film where we can willingly suspend disbelief when its hero gets back up after being thrashed and even shot at by over a dozen men) that leaves us with a slightly bitter aftertaste. And the director himself seems to have realised this and decides to bank on nostalgia (yes, with THAT Vikram song!) to inject some energy into his limp climax.

Verdict: Super Hit.

I am my biggest enemy, that's how this movie ends. After building a good storyline, they end up ruinning it in the end with stupid action scenes that have no need in this movie other than to get a few whistles and claps in the theater. The ending is an absolutely cringe and lets the movie down horribly. The lighting throughout the movie was jarring and over bright, made it look like a TV serial. Sooraj (the Malayalam actor) did a very poor job, someone like Fahad fasil was needed for this role, but he would have over powered Vikram, maybe that's why they did not approach him. This is supposed to be a part 2 movie and at the end of it you are supposed to be high on anticipation to know what is in the prequel but, this ending makes you feel like, who cares?? This movie could have been so much better but it was a big let down at the end. Horrible camera work, horrible lighting, horrible action. Big let down at the end.

A crime lord seeks help from his ex-henchman to save his son from an encounter.

The story starts from the first second of the movie. So, don't miss the first few minutes. The writer put his main character in a difficult situation and how he is going to escape from it was a great plot.

This type of plot is not new to us but the way the writer handled the story in the screenplay was excellent.

The screenplay kicked into top gear early on and kept going at almost the same pace until the climax, but the gears wore out in the last few minutes.

I haven't seen any film in recent times that accurately evokes the tension created by the scenes in this film.

We have to appreciate the writer for writing this adrenaline rush screenplay.

Nothing is 100% perfect in this world we live in. If there is, then we could name it as a mystery.

Similarly, this film can easily be criticized for its screenplay knots and one or two typical commercial cinema elements, but it cannot be labeled as an unwatchable film.

All of them who acted in this film gave their extraordinary performances. From Vikram, Dhushara, and Suraj venjaramoodu to small character artists. Perfectly blended characterization and artist selection were written and selected as pitch-perfect.

G. V. Prakash's background score was another main pillar after the screenplay. His work was fantastic, to be frank. This one was one of his career-best works.

Cinematography has been handled fair. There are a few single-shot scenes, which were captured flawlessly. The fight choreography was decent.

The art department has delivered excellent work from them as it suits this story world. Costume department work also stands out as the perfect costume sense were given as per the economic background of the characters.

As whole, the best thrilling ride!

The film boasts a captivating screenplay filled with intense, gripping scenes and powerful dialogues that leave a lasting impact. The stellar performances of actors like Vikram, SJ Surya, Sukumaran, and Prudhvirajan add depth and authenticity to their respective roles, showcasing their versatility and talent. Balaji's portrayal of the character Venkat stands out for its natural and effortless execution, making the character relatable and believable. The background score plays a crucial role in enhancing the emotional weight of the film, seamlessly complementing the narrative and taking the cinematic experience to a whole new level. Director Arunkumar deserves special recognition for crafting a compelling story, skillfully directing the cast, and ensuring that every character is portrayed with precision and without any flaws, resulting in a truly remarkable film.

The reviews were spot on-Veera Dheera Sooran hooks you right from the opening scene with its gripping narrative. The film keeps you engaged with solid storytelling, immersive cinematography, and a standout single-shot sequence that adds to the intensity.

GV Prakash delivers a decent performance, complementing the film's tone well. However, where the movie falters is in its extended screenplay towards the climax. The last half, while still engaging, loses momentum, making the final stretch feel unnecessarily prolonged. If about 20 minutes had been trimmed, this could have easily been a 4-star film.

Despite its minor flaws, Veera Dheera Sooran is a well-crafted movie with strong storytelling and technical finesse. Just the drag in the climax holds it back from being truly exceptional.