maruthuk-21470 Reviews

Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)

Best period film in Tamil made till now

[9/10 · 22 November 2022]

First of all hats off to Mani Ratnam and his team for pulling off this Epic drama and it is probably the best period film made in Tamil till now!

Somehow felt like ARR's voice did not suit for 'Ponni Nadhi' introductory song and chance could have been given to someone else, but visuals and and cinematography for that song was too good.

Although ARR's bgm music was too good, especially in the climax, music for some of the songs could have been better done, as songs don't sit in your heart and lips for too long.

Dialogues and Screenplay were good, especially witty ones of Vandhiyathevan, hats off to Jeyamohan and Ilango Kumaravel for the same.

Acting wise everyone has done their part fairly well, which contributes to the success of the movie, however acting, dialogue delivery and facial reactions of Karthi, Trisha and Kishore were superb! 👍

Pace wise second half goes very fast, however 20 minutes.before interval was little slow and boring, probably screenplay for that part could have been better done. Last 20 minutes including climax was a visual treat and it sets it up nicely for the interesting sequel! 👍

All said, seriously waiting for the second half due to come in Summer 2023....

Sita Ramam (2022)

Superb Love Story

[8/10 · 11 September 2022]

First few minutes movie goes little slowly and picks up pace, which is maintained till the end. Although songs don't stay in the heart for too long, its visuals and lines make the audience glued to them, which is a big win for cinematographer and lyricist.

Acting of Dulquer Salman and Mrunal Thakur is too good and at times felt like Mrunal Thakur is the hero of the movie, because of the weightage give her character and her excellent acting too. She looks too gorgeous in Sarees, probably she could become a heartthrob for many youngsters in the coming years!

Although role of Rashmika is limited, she still has played her part.

Probably it is one of the coolest love stories in the recent past and many love scenes flow like a cold breeze in the minds of audience!! Inspite of all the positives mentioned above, still felt like some logical mistakes are there, probably they are also due to the gaps in storytelling!

Vaashi (2022)

Good storyline, but slow paced movie

[7/10 · 19 August 2022]

Got to watch this movie after getting it suggested in one of the FM radio channels. Storyline of the movie was simple, but yet interesting, probably screenplay could have been better to make movie fast-paced and thrilling one.

Both Tovino Thomas and Keerthi Suresh carry the entire movie on their shoulders and they both look like a real pair probably because of their acting.

This movie also brings into light the problems faced by Lawyers in early stages of their careers and how they struggle to become successful.

C U Soon (2020)

Short movie with thrilling one hour

[7/10 · 18 August 2022]

Got to watch this movie after getting referred by a friend. Initial 15 minutes was little slow, but the next 45 minutes go very fast like a flash. But next 30 minutes was rather predictable. It was a very short and thrilling movie in between, both Roshan Mathew and Fahadh Fazil carried the entire movie with some exceptional acting on their shoulders.

Very good thing about this movie is, it's just about 90 minutes, which is good enough for these types of stories with too little cast.

Lucifer (I) (2019)

Predictable thriller right fron the word go

[7/10 · 31 July 2022]

Got to watch this movie in Tamil at Amazon Prime after a friend from Kerala referred. It was the first directorial venture for Prithviraj, although storyline was good, screenplay could have been better worked on, as anyone watching this movie could easily guess, what's coming up next from beginning till end.

Acting of Mohanlal was very good and he simply scores with his effortless acting and facial emotions. Another noteworthy performance was Vivek Oberoi and it was a surprise to see him in this very different role.

Cinematography was also very good and it shows the beauty of Kerala and Russia witj ease.

Overall it was a pretty average and predictable thriller and some of the knots and twists happening remain unanswered, which keeps the audience confused even after the movie ends!

Vikram (2022)

Excellent comeback from Mr Kamal Haasan

[9/10 · 31 July 2022]

What a comeback by Mr Kamal Haasan and the trio of Kamal, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faazil has made this film a highly riveting thriller! Direction and screenplay from Lokesh Kanagaraj was too good, but there's too much violence and some of the scenes could have been better filmed, so that this film can suit kids too.

Other two noteworthy characters are Kumaravel and Agent Tina, which was a surprise package! 👍

BGM of Anirudh - probably this is his best score yet and BGM for Vijay Sethupathi introduction was giving goosebumps!

Because of too much violence, this film is not suitable for family audience, otherwise it would have scored a PERFECT 10! 👍

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)

One of the best auto biographies seen

[8/10 · 31 July 2022]

Heard rave reviews about this movie, but was little apprehensive and thought it would be like a documentary, but it was mind blowing screenplay and direction and storytelling at its best!

Watched it on Amazon Prime and had to turn the subtitles on, as many of the dialogues were in English and was not able to catch them, so sound engineering and mixing could have been better.

Some of the visuals and aerial shots were breath taking, especially the ones taken in Russia and Princeton University.

Cried in the last few scenes seeing the hardships faced by Mr Nambi Narayanan even through common citizens, although he worked hard for the nation's development and a very loyal citizen! Film also brings into light the politics involved in our elite Space programmes.

Inspite of all the positives mentioned above, last 30 minutes could have been curtailed by 15 mins to make the film not dragging!

Would like to watch this film one more time to understand the science behind Rockets a little more and catch the dialogues even better.

O2 (II) (2022)

Good first 30 minutes, but rest dragging

[6/10 · 7 July 2022]

First 30 minutes of the movie was very good and setting the context well for what's coming up next. Rest of the movie was simply dragging and easily predictable, length of the movie could have been reduced by 30 mins to make it crisp.

Acting of Nayanthara was pretty normal and there's nothing great to mention.

Inspite of the negatives mentioned, one message which can be taken away is - How might we strive for oxygen in future, if we continue to spoil the nature the way we have been doing?

Vilangu (2022)

Racy thriller with excellent screenplay

[8/10 · 29 May 2022]

Generally don't watch Web Series, but after having read its review in Vikatan, thought of giving it a try.

What started as an one episode plan, went onto complete 4 episodes at a stretch completing 4 episodes, because of its excellent screenplay and very different Background music.

Whoever (adult) would like to start watching Tamil Web-series, probably can start with this.

Acting of Vimal was too good and in some places he simply scores with his silence and facial reactions, same goes to Kiccha Ravi too, what a performance, out of the blue!

Very good supporting roles done by Bala Saravanan & Munishkanth too.

Reason for 8 stars is, till 4th episode, since there are plenty of twists and turns, it keeps audience guessing, however from 5th episode, screenplay loses its intensity and audience can easily guess, what's coming. Probably those two episodes could have been better done!

Taanakkaran (2022)

Hard-hitting, honest and uncompromising

[8/10 · 8 May 2022]

This movie is probably one of the best movies in made in Tamil in the recent past in terms of content, probably next to Jai Bhim! Yet it is good that they have released in OTT, as not sure, if it would have been welcomed in theatres.

Hats off to director Tamizh for making such an important, educating movie about the life of Police and the hardships they face before becoming Police, at the same time for people aspiring to become police this could be a shocker!

Acting of Vikram Prabhu, Lal, Bose Venkat, MS Bhaskar & Madhusudhan Rao was really great, and they have lived their roles to perfection.

Waiting for next movie of director Tamizh...

Manmadha Leelai (2022)

Good thriller with multiple twists and turns

[6/10 · 8 May 2022]

Although movie was good, it's good that they have not released this in theatres, as number of characters and locations are very limited, so felt like watching a drama!

Content of this movie is only suitable for adults and really liked Ashok Selvan's acting very much, as he has mixed his expressions of humor and action really well and it's a completely different role for him.

Cinematography of the movie was good, as the visuals were looking very rich and it suited the role of hero as designer very well.

Although some of the scenes were easily predictable, still there are good amount of twists and turns, so credit goes to Venkatprabhu for the same.

Overall this was movie was looking like a mixture of Kamal Haasan movies - Manmadha Leelai & Sigappu Rojakkal!

'83 (2021)

Inspiring and thoroughly enjoyed

[10/10 · 27 March 2022]

When we started the movie, we were not sure, whether it would be suitable for kids and they would enjoy it, but it is a family entertainer and took us back to 83 without much struggle.

Probably it is the best movie for Ranveer Singh yet and he has done the role of Kapil Dev to the extent that audience will start seeing his as the real one, as the movie progresses. Deepika Padukone has also done a great job with her expressions and emotions.

Cinematography, Songs in Tamil and Background music are also superb. Thanks to Kabir Khan for making this movie with a very good screenplay and it brings into light the leadership capabilities of Kapil Dev, great teamwork of 83 team and how it put India in the cricketing map of the world. Personally learnt a lots of leadership lessons from Kapil Dev through this movie, although in a shorter duration.

Enemy (2021)

Stylish, but average and predictable

[5/10 · 20 March 2022]

Movie has been made very stylishly, but intensity of the movie fades out, as it goes on. Since many of the scenes are cinematic, movie does not put the audience in the centre of the movie, which is a very big drawback.

For Arya this role is a complete different one and he has done it to perfection, but for Vishal he has done similar roles many times, so many scenes look redundant and similar.

Inspite of many negatives, cinematography is very good and it captures the beauty of locales in initial scenes and also in Singapore.

FIR (2022)

Good directorial debut for Manu Anand

[8/10 · 13 March 2022]

Storyline and screenplay of the movie is different and interesting and keeps the audience glued except for the last 30 minutes, which was very vague and too predictable, that period could have been better handled.

One question that keeps popping out throughout the movie is, why would religion matter in all the interviews that protagonist is attending, probably a better logical reason could have been given.

Acting and facial expressions of Vishnu Vishal & Gautam Menon are too good and they both steal the entire show.

Another great aspect of the movie is its Cinematography and some frames make the audience feel 'Wow'. One can also learn how not to come to conclusions about people just by looking at their name, complexion and other obvious things.

Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1 (2021)

Too much hype and it was ok to certain extent

[7/10 · 25 February 2022]

Got to watch this movie after too much hype and expectations, but it only lived upto certain extent.

Storyline and screenplay is good, but multiple similar scenes have come in other movies already. Although heroism is the crux of the movie, logic was questionable in many places. Violence was also too raw, which could have been better handled.

Background score was good and acting of Allu Arjun, Ajay Ghosh and Fahad Fazil was too good, although he comes in only few scenes at the end.

Above all length of movie could have been curtailed, which would have the audience even more interested in second part.

Kamali from Nadukkaveri (2021)

Inspirational movie for girls & students from rural

[8/10 · 30 January 2022]

Although plot of the movie looked little interesting in the beginning, could easily predict what's coming next, but it's still a MUST watch movie for female kids.

Acting of Anandhi & Azhagamperumal was very good, movie also gives a glimpse into what it takes to get into IIT and how competitive it is. For students from rural areas this could be an eye opener, as although they have got skills and talent, they might not be aware of IITs.

Oh Manapenne (2021)

Good screenplay and gorgeous Priya

[8/10 · 22 January 2022]

From the first scene itself, you can easily guess the climax of the movie, but what makes this movie interesting is it's good screenplay and storytelling and beautiful visuals.

Priya looks gorgeous in every scene and has scored well in acting too, Harish & Anish Kuruvilla too has done really well.

Although some of the comedy scenes were very good, there are too many drinking scenes, which could have been better avoided. This aspect makes the film unsuitable for family audiences.

Although message of the movie - "Follow your heart" has been portrayed in many movies, light weight approach of this movie makes it different. If they have avoided those drinking scenes, it would have even collected good amount of money in theatres.

Anbarivu (2022)

Average family comedy flick, cinematography

[7/10 · 9 January 2022]

Although story of the movie was predictable from the word go, screenplay was good, but some scenes were very childish and could have been better filmed. Highlight of the movie was Vidharth's superb acting, he is there in almost every scenes and has scored with greater ease.

Other good performers are Aadhi & Asha Sarath, although Aadhi has lots of room to improve in his acting and showing emotions in face.

Another high point of the movie was its superb locales and excellent cinematography from Madhesh Manickam.

It's watchable with kids and some of the comedy scenes kids would love for sure.

Blood Money (I) (2021)

Fast, crisp investigative thriller

[9/10 · 2 January 2022]

Really liked this movie for its very good storyline, screenplay and some very good acting from Priya, Shirish and Kishore. It brings into light how under educated people who travel abroad for work suffer there.

Best part is movie is just about 1.5 hours, so movie finishes in no time, it also teaches you how journalists look at issues from different perspective.

Only reason for 9 stars is, first 15 minutes were little slow, otherwise all good. 👍

Sabhaapathy (2021)

Good comedy, but could have better done

[7/10 · 1 January 2022]

First of all movie is just about 2 hours long, which can be appreciated for not adding too many unnecessary scenes.

There are only few characters, which are primary in this movie, so felt like watching a drama, moreover it's not worth watching in theatres, because there's hardly any great content. Moreover feel like there's no need for heroine in this movie, as she comes only in few scenes.

Although some of the comedy scenes were really good, some involving MS Baskar and Santhanam were not watchable with kids and could have been better filmed.

All in all, it's a timepass movie for some comedy scenes and not much bothered about the storyline.

Jai Bhim (2021)

Outstanding movie with very good message

[9/10 · 19 December 2021]

After hearing all the rave reviews, got to watch the movie at last. Initial 30 minutes was little slow and that's the only reason for 9 stars, but once picked up momentum, could not even take eyes off the screen for its excellent storytelling and cinematography.

Although everybody contributed to the success and message to reach the audience, three people stood out from the rest, they are Surya, Manikandan and Lijimol Jose. Although Surya hardly smiles in this movie, people will him for his excellent acting and emotions, very good movie from him once again after 'Soorarai Pottru'.

Keeping the communal aspects apart, it has really good message for everyone, how important education is for everyone to grow and speak up. Moreover how courts in India are still doing their best for justice.

Expecting a lot more movies from Surya like this! 👍

Aranmanai 3 (2021)

Pretty average movie with good first half

[5/10 · 12 December 2021]

First half of the movie was good and keeps the audience glued with interesting scenes and not able to guess the story, which tells that screenplay was good.

Second half of the movie was too predictable and very similar to Aranmanai 2, which makes the audience feel, when the movie will end.

Not sure who the hero of the movie is, as Arya's role is less prominent that Sundar C. Although some comedy scenes were good, most of them were too childish and boring, Yogi Babu and Manobala and could have done far better, because in Sundar C movies comedy used to the primary element.

It would be better, if they stop Aranmani series right here and don't make any more sequels, unless they bring in anything new and novel storyline.

Jungle Cruise (2021)

Liked this movie, except a few minus points

[8/10 · 18 November 2021]

Having watched Dwayne Johnson in Jumanji, expected a similar kind of roller coaster ride and this movie matched it almost. When they make this kind of movies, they should also take children under 10 into account and avoid kissing and other similar scenes to the max, because that's the drawback of this movie. Acting, emotions and dialogue delivery wise Dwayne, Emily, Edgar & Jack have scored equally well, but highlight of the movie is its cinematography and visual effects, beautifully pictured. Dwayne should start focusing on other genres of the movies too, as it will add variety to his kitty.

Kasada Thapara (2021)

Very good movie

[8/10 · 12 September 2021]

Very good comeback movie for Director Simbudevan, although genre was completely different from his previous movies! Screenplay and background music was very good with lots of twists and turns, which will keep the audience glued, but still feel like editing could have been better, as felt like some parts were missing in this 'Relay Race' like movie. Acting of Sundeep Kishan, Premji and Harish Kalyan were too good. Last 30 minutes were too sentimental, probably that could have been better filmed!

Netrikann (2021)

Edge of the seat thriller with awesome performances

[9/10 · 14 August 2021]

Was waiting for this movie to arrive in Hotstar and when it came, fulfilled the expectations. It started off well, slowly picked up the momentum and ended off as well with plenty of nail biting and thrilling scenes along the way. What an outstanding performance by Nayanthara and Ajmal and very strong comeback for him! Some of the comedy scenes and naive acting by Manikandan made some scenes hilarious! Background music and cinematography was also too good. Only reason for 9 stars is too much of violence and some of the scenes could have been avoided.