airjordanyk Reviews

Doctor (2021)

Best in Siva Karthikeyans career

[9/10 · 7 November 2021]

Another superb film by Nelson who brings a great black comedy to the table. Siva Karthikeyan finally does an experimental role which has worked to perfection, despite not smiling once in the film.

The screenplay and direction are simply superb and the supporting cast has done their job well to keep us all engaged and entertained. Great performances from Kingsley and Yogi Babu, while guys like Bjorn also made their impact.

Only thing I'd criticize is the climax scene which I felt was a typical commercial film ending. The movie could have avoided that cliché which didn't really add anything to story. There were a few scenes here and there that felt like they were dragging a little too long, however it wasn't a huge issue.

Overall an extremely solid movie from Nelson and Siva Karthikeyan who continues to impress us with his interesting script. Will look forward to see what he brings to Beast.

Rating: 8.5/10.

Enemy (2021)

Overall a decent action film, but could have been better

[6/10 · 7 November 2021]

I think Director Anand Shankar is one of the most promising directors of Tamil cinema. He always brings excellent stories to the table and tries to think out of the box which should be appreciated. Having said that, he has struggled with his overall execution mainly by adding unnecessary scenes that ruin the pace.

Just like NOTA, Enemy is unfortunately another victim to this drawback. The movie was really interesting with its plot, action sequences, performances by Vishal and Arya but is once again letdown by scenes that keep on dragging. The love angle for this film was not at all needed at all. There were also some cinematic liberties I felt that made for unrealistic plot devices.

Overall I think the movie was a unique interesting attempt at an action thriller but Shankar still needs to work on his overall direction to deliver with a crisp finished product. Had he smoothed out the edges and got rid of the unnecessary songs and love scenes, I think the film easily could have been another Thupaaki like movie.

Rating: 6/10.

Annaatthe (2021)

Mind-numbing melodrama with nothing good to offer

[2/10 · 4 November 2021]

My expectations for this movie were pretty low given it was a Siva movie. I never expected a critically acclaimed masterpiece, but perhaps it might have some engaging moments that are passable as a masala entertainer.

Annaatthe has absolutely none of that. The movie is an amalgamation of Siva's previous movies, with noticeably worse execution and bland screenplay. The first half is simply torture with overly excessive melodrama between Rajinikanth and Keerthi Suresh, and the 2nd half is extremely predictable with extremely generic villains. Apart from a few mass moments with Rajini which might invoke some nostalgia, this movie is tedious, illogical, and extremely long with over 2 Hr 40 minutes of run-time. Even as a masala entertainer, this movie is pretty lame.

Jai Bhim (2021)

A riveting and raw legal drama with mind-blowing performances from Suriya and Lijumol

[10/10 · 2 November 2021]

Director Gnanavel captures the raw nature of police brutality with a high degree of realism, and every scene was emotionally charged. Suriya brings another firebrand performance after SP, and delivers with his impeccable dialogue delivery and mannerism. I'm glad they didn't add any unnecessary mass/commercial scenes just because it is a Suriya film, and even the songs went along with the story instead destroying the pace. Another important mention is Lijomol Jose's performance as the Irular women who nailed it in every scene.

If I had to nitpick some minor negatives in the movie. It would be the antagonists. While they did a satisfactory job, perhaps having a more intelligent lawyer to counter Suriya would have added to more intensity, however this barely impacts the film. The runtime could have also been shortened by 10-15 minutes.

Jai Bhim is a fantastic movie and frankly I was more emotionally moved by it than Soorarai Pottru. The movie is an eye-opener to police brutality, but isn't over the top in its police bashing either. Instead it provides nuanced perspectives from well-meaning police officers (pay attention to Prakash Raj's role) in an attempt to support a more just legal system.

Rating: 9.5/10.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Tom Hardy and Venom duo are enough to make it a decent entertainer

[7/10 · 14 October 2021]

Venom LTBC is a very unorthodox super-hero movie that is very unique to MCU counterparts.

Tom Hardy is once again nailing it as Eddie Brock, and it's safe to say he has trademarked the character at this point. Unlike the first film which struggled between trying to be serious and funny, Hardy goes in 6th gear with the over the top comedy and bickering with Venom, and it works well for the most part. Another thing the movie significantly improved on were the action sequences. Having a director like Andy Serkis on board means we can expect top notch CGI, and we definitely got that. The final fight scene was spectacular in its visuals. What I liked the most about LTBC is that the film has a very concise goal in what it is trying to achieve. It knows it is over the top and outright insane at time, but that is precisely the elements that people loved about the first one. Andy Serkis simply takes the good elements, and amplifies it with a little more polish.

Unfortunately, the movie achieves all this at the cost of many film-making principles, and did feel underwhelming at times. The plot is razor thin and rapid cuts in the editing does make things confusing. Apart from Eddy and Venom, there is very little care given to other characters, and I expected them to make a more compelling Carnage, who wasn't utilized well. Naomi Harris's character of Shriek also felt half-baked, and she didn't have much to do. Given it was only 1 hr and 37 minutes, the movie could have taken another 20 minutes to tell a more compelling, fleshed out story, which would have enhanced LTBC's strengths.

Overall I give this movie a 7/10, which might seem a bit high given my criticism, but ultimately it came down to the fun factor and "buddy cop" dynamic of TH and Venom which is the highlight of the movie. In terms of filmmaking, LTBC is underwhelming in contrast to other MCU films, but that unorthodox approach is what makes it a fun experience, and allows me to overlook it's downfalls. It is somewhat refreshing to have a movie that doesn't follow MCU's formulaic script, while still entertaining us with plenty of fun moments. That post-credit scene ensures we will be having a very interesting showdown between Venom and this "other guy."

Viswasam (2019)

Better than Vivegam, but still a below average film

[5/10 · 21 January 2019]

The movie is definitely an improvement over Vivegam, which I personally believe is one of the worst movies in Tamil cinema however Siva has given us a very cliche story line that was widely used in the last decade. Nothing seems fresh or interesting unfortunately. Thala has done his role to expectations but give this outdated theme, it's hard to appreciate the film.

Most disappointing part was definitely the soundtrack which I was shocked by. Did not expect Imman do perform this bad. Comedy roles for Yogi Babu were incredibly limited and did not stir up much laugh. Vivek's entry did have some funny moments, but unfortunately it was not enough.

If you need to kill some time, you can watch this movie, but don't go with high expectations.

5/10

Sarkar (2018)

Vijay carries the entire film on his shoulders despite the disappointing screenplay

[6/10 · 10 January 2019]

Sarkar is a good film, although It was not up to the expectations that most people were expecting including me. Murugadoss has tried to bring to integrate a great social message about the political climate in Tamil Nadu however he seemed to have got too carried away with bashing the AIDMK. In the process, Sarkar evidently suffers from many issues that limited it's potential of being a great political thriller.

The true outstanding positive is only Thalapathy Vijay who has taken a huge burden of carrying the entire film with his acting and charisma. Having stepped out of his comfort zone of only doing mass hero roles, he has performed beyond expectations with his swag and unbeatable dialogue delivery which is definitely the highlight of the film. Albeit one climax scene where he seems to be overacting, Vijay's acting performance in Sarkar is definitely award-worthy, as he continues to only get better.

Coming to the main problem of Sarkar which is the screenplay. It was far too simple and unrealistic for it to be a political thriller. The villains in this movie were poorly written, and Vijay seems to outsmart his opponents every single time. Where is the thrill in that? This was a big disappointment from Murugadoss who had a solid track record of creating intense villains in his movies (Thupaaki, Kaththi , Spyder).

Another issue is the same problem Murugadoss has being having in many of his previous films, and that is his handling of commercial elements.. Every single song in the movie (except for Oru Viral Puratchi) was poorly placed and acted as speed breakers. The fight scenes were too over the top like that of Telugu movies and did not suit the movie's theme at all. Keerthy Suresh's and Yogi Babu's characters are completely wasted. If this was a serious film without commercial elements, why include them at all? The film would have worked completely fine without them.

Despite all my criticisms, I'm still a sucker for movies with social messages, and the movie's message really resonated with me. Thanks to Vijay's charisma, all the political scenes with speeches were handled very well, and the entire sequence from Vijay's speech in Ayodhakuppam to the police riot were definitely my favorite part of the movie. I can't help but overlook some of the flaws of Sarkar. In the end of the day, Sarkar has educated the people about the importance of voting and has done great social service.

Overall verdict: Good film, but could have been better

7.5/10

Sarkar (2018)

Watch it for Vijay's mindblowing performance and political message

[6/10 · 8 November 2018]

Sarkar is a very good movie. Vijay has given the greatest performance in his career and simply shines in all of his scenes. The political content was also excellent with many dialogues that reference real life events. Seeing Vijay engage with the people throughout the film is a major plus point. The BGM is stunning and works perfectly for his character.

Despite all of that, there are some flaws. I'll admit that the screenplay isn't as good as many of movies that were released this year, as it is very linear and straightforward. I expected there to be a few twists and turns, but for the most part Vijay is dominating all of his enemies and there isn't much competition. Wish they had given Varulaxmi a more significant role. Also Keerthy Suresh was not needed in this film.

In the end, the movie was not meant for entertainment purposes but to deliver a political message. Do not go into the theater expecting another Thupaaki or Kaththi because the film is much more than that on a grand scale. It's impact on society and politics is what makes it stand out the most despite it's flaws.

Ghilli (2004)

One of the greatest masala entertainers in Tamil cinema history

[10/10 · 10 June 2018]

Ghilli is one of the best made entertainers Tamil cinema has ever seen, and is the movie that brought Vijay into stardom. It is easy to remake a blockbuster movie, but to surpass the original is something only a few movies can do, and Ghilli is one of them. Although the general story line is the same as Okkadu, director Dharani had riveting screenplay that made the movie feel more intense and racy. The movie's decision to forego a comedy track was a great move, since Vijay does an excellent job in providing comic relief during his interactions with his family. Prakash Raj's role is extended a little bit more in the Tamil version and he does a great job portraying a menacing villain who will do anything to achieve his goal. Trisha also does a great job as playing a mortified girl who is running for her life. The soundtrack by Vidyasagar is simply iconic with songs like Appadi Podu. Some of the scenes maybe considered "over the top" by today's standards, but without a doubt this was a culturally significant movie in Tamil cinema. There really isn't much to complain about this movie since it did well in all areas.

Bharath Ane Nenu (2018)

Enjoyable Political Entertainer

[6/10 · 21 April 2018]

=What I liked about the movie=

This is a very new concept for Tollywood cinema, and I'm happy that the director has decided to explore a political backdrop instead of sticking to the typical commercial template. Mahesh Babu has arguably given his best performance in his career, and it is refreshing to see the versatility in his performance as a CM. I do applaud Mahesh Babu for exploring different roles and taking a risk, especialyl when other actors play it safe and act in commercial movies. The best thing about this movie is that it is mostly plot driven, but there is some mass in to satisfy MB's fans and it does not ruin the movie. K.Siva has done a great job with creating political drama, as the scenes are very intense and thrilling . Comedy and randomness are almost non-existent and this is definitely appropriate for this movie (although some might be disappointed). Overall, the director has handled the theme well without injecting too much commercial elements that would have taken away from the story. Throughout the movie we see MB's evolution as a character. If you pay close attention to the scenes, you can see MB's personality changing as he is engulfed in the political world. K.Siva has put in a lot of effort into crafting a perfect screenplay for MB and this energizes his performance. Supporting cast have also done exceptionally well. MB is paired with exceptional actors who definitely give him good competition. The villains are great (although not as good as SJ Surya in Spyder) =What I didn't like about the movie=

The movie did mainly focus on the plot, but I felt they should have focused on it a bit more, since it had all the ingredients necessary to be a true political thriller. They could have delved deeper in the history of AP and tied it to factual events. The mass scenes aren't bad by any means, but some of them are not inserted in the right place, and it feels like a speed breaker. I would would label this as a political entertainer rather than thriller. Some scenes seem very strange and unrealistic. By that, I don't mean they are physics defying scenes, but they seem very strange and unrealistic. I can't go into much detail without spoiling it, but if you watch it, you are left scratching your head as why x person did that. Kiara Advani's character was over-hyped, but under performed. Not nearly as bad as Rakul Preet Singh in Spyder, but there isn't much she has to do in this movie. The movie does feel long, because some of the scenes are dragging in the second half . K.Siva should have paid more attention to pacing. I think the film could have been at least 15 minutes shorter. =Overall Verdict=

Bharat Ane Nenu is a very engaging political entertainer that highlights MB's capabilities as an actor and performer. It has plenty of political content that will engage fans, while also reserving those mass moments for MB's fans.

Aruvi (2016)

Best Tamil film of 2017

[10/10 · 24 December 2017]

This might be the greatest movie Kollywood has offered us this year. With riveting screenplay and an excellent performance from newcomer Aditi Balan, Aruvi will keep you at the edge of your seats with nail biting sequences and an emotional backstory. Pretty much every element in this movie works cohesively with the script, and I'm hard-pressed to even find a flaw that is worth mentioning.

Finally Tamil heroines are no longer props used for dance sequences but are the center point of a film that deals with real-life problems.. I don't want to spoil it for people haven't seen it yet, but this is a must watch for anybody who watches Tamil cinema.

Spyder (2017)

Had great potential, but overall, disappointing.

[6/10 · 17 November 2017]

This movie had great potential but unfortunately, an unclear focus on the overall storyline lead to the movie being fairly average.

Spyder is a spy-action thriller which revolves around the talented spy (Mahesh Babu) who tries to stop the psychotic killer (SJ Surya) from creating chaos. The story is very thrilling and it really could have been an amazing movie had the director focused more on the plot rather than trying to incorporate masala elements. The result of this was that the movie did not satisfy Mahesh's fans who were expecting a mass type movie, and it did not satisfy those who were expecting a nail-biting thriller. In the end, you just got a half-baked movie which is a real shame seeing the big names involved in this film.

Pros of Spyder:

Plot: The plot is an excellent plot which really could have been something spectacular. Despite the flaws of the movie, the plot is strong enough to make this movie watchable. There are some moments in the movie that were executed perfectly. It's a small demo of what the movie could have been.

SJ Surya: Pulls off the character of Sudulai, who is a psychotic killer. Watching his acting is a real treat.

Background Music: Great throughout the movie. Sudulai's BGM is very chilling to listen to.

Cons of Spyder:

Mahesh Babu's acting: I rarely criticize Prince Mahesh, but his acting was very restrained and wooden throughout the entire film. The emotional scenes were not convincing at all.

Rakul Preet Singh: For what she was given, she didn't do a bad job. However her character was completely unnecessary and her only purpose was to fill up songs.

VFX: For a big budget 150 CR movie, the VFX was very bad. Scenes looked too cartoonish.

Illogical Scenes: There are far too many illogical scenes that test your patience. The fight on the roller coaster sounds cool, but it was incredibly stupid and unrealistic. A half-conscious Mahesh who just got impaled by a metal rod is able to accurately shoot Sudulai in his non-vital organs? Give me a break...

Lack of focus on script: I wish they just stuck to the spy vs criminal story but instead Mahesh is dancing in a song after every 2 scenes which is annoying. There is a severe lack of seriousness in this movie.

Songs: Songs were below average. Except the first song, I didn't really like any of them. I'm only speaking about the Tamil version, but I heard the Telugu version is even worse because the lyrics were directly translated from Tamil and don't make any sense.

Terrible Climax: Sudulai succeeds in bombing the hospital and killing hundreds of people. We would expect the hero to experience a setback, but he just kills Sudulai in the span of 5 minutes and gives an emotionless speech. What about all those people who just died? The way the movie ended was incredibly abrupt and strange, almost as if we are just supposed to ignore what just happened. I expected a more epic confrontation between Mahesh and SJ Surya.

Spyder isn't bad by any means, but it isn't exactly great either. The flaws are very obvious, but It's a decent movie to watch. Keep your expectations low however.

Mersal (2017)

Entertaining movie with a good message

[8/10 · 6 November 2017]

Mersal is an awesome movie with great entertainment value. Vijay has given his best performance yet and he deserves praise for his triple role.The movie doesn't overdo the "mass" image that Vijay has, but it does provide us with some moments that will give you goosebumps. The cinematography is top notch in this movie, and songs like "Mersal Arasan" and "Aallaporan Tamizhan" are enjoyable to watch, All thanks to Vijay's dancing skills of course! Action scenes are lacking for Vijay's standards, but given the story-line it makes perfect sense.

The story itself isn't anything mind-blowing and fairly average, but the reason why it works well in this case is because of the social messages that delivers. Throughout the movie, there are many references to social issues that are impacting India, and it's nice that the movie takes some time to talk about these issues. The main focus of the movie was about how hospitals are exploiting patients to make extra profit, and I think the movie did good job of drawing out the emotional plight of the victims. The flashback with Vijay's Vetrimaaran character strengthens that sentiment.

The performance of the supporting cast was pretty average. Vadivelu makes a comeback to comedy after many years, but I rarely laughed at anything he said. SJ Surya does the stereotypical villain role and does a decent job at it. We probably just expected more out of him, seeing his award-worthy performance in Spyder. The rest of the performances by the supporting cast was average.

My main criticism for the movie would be the love interests that Vijay has. Samantha and Kajal's characters were really not needed for this movie, and their only purpose was to fill up 2 songs. The movie spends valuable time with pointless romance scenes, and had the movie been more dedicated to the social message that it was trying it present, there would have been more impact. The only Heroine that was needed was Nithya Menen, who did an excellent job with her character. The magician aspect of Vetri's character was cool, but sometimes it seemed too unrealistic and was only put in the scene to advance the plot. They could have constructed more logical scenes in that case.

Overall, it was a great movie, and I think most people will enjoy it. Please watch it for the social message and Vijay's performance. You won't be disappointed.

Vivegam (2017)

Terrible predictable movie

[1/10 · 19 October 2017]

VIvegam is just another mass type movie but fails on many aspects. Completely illogical action scenes along with terrible screenplay really ruin the movie. Ajith tries his best, but there is only so much an actor can do with a terrible director in charge. Vivek Oberoi's character could have been explored more, but he spends 99% of his time praising his enemy, to the point it's very annoying. Other illogical scenes include white people speaking Tamil, and any scene with Kajal Aggrawal.

The only positive side was the use of VFX, and some of the cinematography. Otherwise, it's a terrible movie. Will not recommend