Kabaali - Well, who is he?

Kabaali - Well, who is he?

Though it can remind the hardcore Rajini fan of the yesteryear character in one of his movies (Janakaraj in Padikaathavan?, if memory serves me right), it is definitely not a fun movie.
Is Kabaali a mass hero movie?. Though it does spread roots there, it is not an out and out mass movie like a Baasha. But no less.
Is Kabaali a messiah? Nah. With the climax the way it is, it is definitely not so.
Is Kabaali a wannabe Godfather (read Naaagan), much closer. But then which gangster movie made in the next 100 years will not be compared to these greats. None!!!

So who is Kabaali? In essence, WHAT is Kabaali!!!!. Trying to solve the puzzle here.

What Kabaali is, is a phenomenon called RajiniKanth. And in all true senses, the kaantham (magnetic force) in his eyes, which has enthralled audiences for years together now, continues.
What it also proves is that, even such a charismatic artist as such, require a good script. What happened to Lingaa, we all know and that is proof enough.
What it also proves is that we need a new league of directors to take our SuperStar to the next level.

Unfortunately, for us fans, and let us admit, it also proves that our SuperStar is  SUPER, but also old. We are not able to see the briskness that is soooo associated with him. We are not able to see, believe and digest him now smothering some 5 or 10 people. Due credit to the stunt director who has made all effort to see to it that the stunt sequences are "effortless" and believable, even then, in some of the scenes, the age does creep in.

In essence, What Kabaali is, is a tribute to the SuperStar, and one which cannot be surpassed, till one such comes, in the near future.

What is it not!!

Not many of you will love to hear this, but then, here goes.

It is not a run off the mill Rajini starrer, to start with the positives.

Now, having said that, the positive is also a HUGE negative. The fact that many of us still have our throats in place and functional, in spite of the FDFS, is proof that it is not one.

It is surely not in the lines of a Darmadurai or a Padaiyappa or even a Baasha for that matter. 

What it is, is a gangster movie and a Ranjith one at the end. An out an out directors movie that is well made

The elements that keep a Rajini movie alive are ALL present and omnipresent throughout the movie.As I said earlier, a better movie to remember our SuperStart is surely yet to be conceived.

Any more and I will have to dwell in to the story, which in this case, not only is irrelevant, but also a spoiler.

Marana Maaaas, as I told many of my friends!!! To sum it up, that is what Kabaali is....Marana Maass... kozhi kari!!?? :-)

Gethu- Could have better "stuff"

What is a good story line gets spoilt by the "requirement" for romance, dancing around trees, sentiment etc that makes a Tamil movie what it is. Remove these from the equation and add a racier screenplay, the movie could be a very well made action thriller.

A contract killer out to assassinate the APJ replacement in the story. How he lures the scientist who never makes it out of the research center and the planning around it and how and why it gets upset by the protagonist makes for the story.

Udhaynidhi as the protagonist has come a long way from his initial days. His dancing and stunt skills have considerably improved. Acting skills have also improved, but the script does not ask for much emoting hence he is at ease.
Sathyaraj as the straight forward father who is a physical education trainer fits the bill to the T and carries off the role with aplomb. You can not find fault. Not in one scene.

The sister and mother play their role. Nothing much asked for, nothing much delivered.

Amy Jackson, well, a let down. Not that we are used to see her "acting" but you are definitely upset that the Amy we saw in I (Shankar) and in this movie seem so completely different. Is she the same glamorous one we saw in I, makes me wonder. And I am not talking about skimpy dresses here, do not get me wrong, I am talking about the choice of costumes and the way her screen presence is brought out. What is a wonder is that the cinematographer has captured nature in all its glory and not Amy. Why man, why?

Background music is good. But the first song, though it has racy music, the lyrics and singing is definitely a let down. Or should I say, a waste of the good music for that song. Talking of songs, ALL of the songs, but for the title one, are misplaced. Made me think I was watching a Telegu action movie, when you have a song inserted during the tail end of the movie when Udhaynidhi returns a necklace to Amy. Even the first song, going by the lyrics sounds like a song for a situation where the hero would have proposed to the heroine and she rejected him, but in reality, Udhay never would have expressed his opinion to Amy and much worse, the song is actually an imaginary one of Amy.

Tamil movie directors need to think beyond the song and dance and stick to screenplay. Remember ThoongaVanam guys.

The action sequences are well choreographed. Udhay has put in a lot of effort and it definitely pays off. But then again, why does the climax fight seems so out of place. What should have been an epic clash, whittles out in comparison to the bar fight sequence.
As a whole, the climax does not carry the weight required. Neither does Vikrant's role. What could have been made as a role that the viewers could have either empathised with or wholly hated, the director leaves the viewer neither option. You neither hate nor love the character. It had the potential to be either.

Net net, what could have been made as a very good action thriller, come out a very mediocre action romance movie because of the quite unnecessary requirements of romance, sentiment etc as indicated earlier.