sujanfaster

I am writing this review almost a year after Vettaiyan's release because the movie barely sparked any interest in me. It almost felt like a nothing watch especially for a Rajinikanth movie. The movie does have a unique and interesting issue of the society which it tries to address but the way it goes about it seems very problematic. The movie did not need such a huge cast, did not really need Anirudh's hype music and specifically did not need an objectifying scene involving Dushara Vijayan which is shown repeatedly. The movie could have been better off as an investigative thriller without focusing on Rajinikanth's stardom. In fact, I would go to the extent of saying that this movie would have been better for character actors over stars like Rajini, Amitabh and Fahadh. While Rajinikanth does put in his best efforts, his mannerism feels forced in many scenes. Fahadh Faasil does offer some refreshing moments in the movie but his role feels poorly written overall. Amitabh Bachchan is purely added for upping the star quotient while his role starts interestingly, it loses its significance in the second half. Amitabh Bachchan's role initially holds interest but loses significance in the latter half, primarily serving to elevate the film's star power. Rana's introduced very late into the movie as the antagonist and his role feels a bit too inorganic towards the climax. Abhirami's performance and character is the most impressive of the lot.

Vettaiyan falls into the list of another forgetful movies of Rajini's post Sivaji era which had the potential of being a good concept oriented film but ends up being a dull hype train.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps released during the time where MARVEL movies aren't having a great run. The promotional content and the cast hadn't really convinced many that this was going to be a very good venture from MARVEL. Somehow this film did end up getting the positive reactions from audience and critics alike without trying too hard.

This film may not have the same charm of the movies before Phase 4 but it sticks to its guts. What works for this film mainly is the alternate time/universe that it is set in. It manages to balance both the retro 60s era and the futuristic era successfully. Being a reboot, the movie doesn't spend time on the origin stories of The Fantastic Four and introduces the audience into the new world quite smoothly. The movie's about saving the world and also their reputation by stopping the evil and huge (quite huge) Galactus who not only wants to destroy the planet but also Reed and Sue's unborn child. The film has some great visuals involving Galactus and the Silver Surfer. The movie focuses more on solving things through science over action. I was really impressed with the costume and production design of the movie. The depiction of Galactus's size in space and upon his arrival on Earth lacks consistency.

The casting choice and also the character writing choice works well for The Fantastic Four.

Pedro Pascal effortlessly embodies Reed, elevating the film's emotional depth. While Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn deliver solid performances, I anticipated more substance from Ebon Moss-Bachrach's portrayal of The Thing. Through no fault of the actor, the character lacks the depth and enjoyable qualities seen in prior Fantastic Four iterations. It is actually Julia Garner as Silver Surfer who steals the show with her terrific performance. Her portrayal at times is very menacing and also connects well with the audience emotionally.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps may not blow you away but it sets up well for the next phase of MARVEL better compared to the recent few movies from the franchise.

In the last few years Lokesh Kanagaraj has distinguished himself among South Indian directors by consistently delivering engaging screenplays that showcase the stars in the best way possible. His films have successfully leveraged the charisma and star power of leading actors, presenting them in roles that resonate with audiences while maintaining his signature narrative style. When he announced his collaboration with Rajinikanth for Coolie along with some of the big stars from South India film industry the hype level was off the charts. Paired with some of the very cool sounding Powerhouse tracks and music from Anirudh the movie comes bearing with a lot of expectations.

I usually touch upon the actors and characters in the later part of my review but I want to flip the script (no pun intended) this time. The core of Coolie lies in the characterization of its actors and how well their arc turns out to be. Nagarjuna as Simon has the style, swag and also a depth to his character. It was very good to see Nagarjuna in a strong role after his dull portrayals in the recent films (yes it wasn't really great in Kuberaa as well). Soubin Shahir suits the maniacal character Dayal perfectly and also seems like he is having very much fun playing that. His energy and steps in the dance for the Monica song is a treat to watch. Shruthi Hassan's character is written very practically and she is very pleasing to watch with her simple portrayal. Shruthi Hassan's portrayal of the character is notably grounded and direct, and she delivers an engaging performance. While Sathyaraj's role seems very significant at times, it could have been explored better. Kannada superstar Upendra's aura and talent are used to perfection from Lokesh Kanagaraj even with the limited screentime. Even the Kannada directors have not portrayed Upendra with such a compelling and widely appealing characterization in recent years. Aamir Khan's cameo, while entertaining, does not fully integrate with the film's narrative. There are some other really good and surprising characters but I cannot really go too much into the details without the spoilers. Finally, the one and only thalaivar, superstar Rajinikanth gets another well written character suiting his age and aura after Jailer (which was never in doubt considering Lokesh's track record). The simple and unassuming styling of Rajini's character works really well for the movie. But the insufficient use of the film's main background theme music and the hurried flashback scenes detracts from delivering the full Rajini experience many of us anticipated, especially after the promotions.

Lokesh Kanagraj's movies have had their own flaws despite delivering some very good entertainment and some memorable sequences. Coolie is nowhere near perfect and mainly suffers from the burden of balancing too many characters. The story which starts off as an investigative thriller turns a bit haywire in the second half and too many twists and turns affect the flow of the movie. While some twists are fun to watch, others seem a bit jarring. While the flashback and Rajinikanth's backstory generate considerable buzz around the interval, their connection to the main narrative isn't effectively showcased. The cinematography is alright and isn't really out of the world. The action sequences are choreographed to suit Rajini's age and style but could have had a bit more Rajiniism to it. I say this because the action sequences are not necessarily grounded and practical unlike other Lokesh's movies. The editing is a bit choppy at times with not so great scene transitions. Anirudh definitely shines amongst the technical department with some unique and fun background score but leaves the fans a little on the edge with the Powerhouse theme placement. Anirudh's background score is super unique and enjoyable - it's definitely a technical standout. But, the Powerhouse theme's usage may not be satisfying enough for all the fans.

Coolie is definitely a unique and memorable film in Rajinikanth's cinematography. With Lokesh Kanagaraj setting high standards for himself the movie somewhat leaves you with an incomplete feeling.