Home » Reviews » Vikram movie review: Kamal Haasan's screen presence and action set pieces make this an engaging fare
Vikram movie review: Kamal Haasan's screen presence and action set pieces make this an engaging fare
The run time of close to three hours and excessive characters spoil the film's prospects from becoming a taut thriller ,
3.0/5
Jun 03, 2022
A poster of Vikram
Vikram
Story: A special cop starts investigating the serial murders of a few narcotics officers. But he is puzzled about one death as the deceased has no connection with the department. A few days into the investigation, he begins hunting for a dreaded narcotic dealer who's suspected to be behind the murders. Meanwhile, a group of vigilantes, under the leadership of a mysterious person, is also after the narcotic dealer. How are these people connected? Who's behind the powerful narcotic nexus? Will the cop be able to nab the prime offender?
Review: Lokesh Kanagaraj seems to have learnt a thing or two from a couple of recent big ticket Tamil flicks which didn't succeed in fulfilling the humongous expectations from the audience. He had made it clear as to what one could expect from the film and what he had attempted to do with an action thriller headlined by Kamal Haasan.
Right from the word go, the director establishes the large universe and the bevy of unique characters in it. As each scene unfolds, we realize that there are more characters than we could imagine in it, each one of them assigned with a solid purpose.
As Lokesh announced in the last minute, the connection Vikram's plot shares with his sophomore film Kaithi is showcased from the beginning, leaving the audience in a tizzy. The movie begins with Jose (Chemban Vinod) assigning the case of the horrific murders of a few efficient narcotic officers to Amar (Fahadh Faasil).
However, Amar isn't the regular cop we come across in most of the films. He works as an undercover agent - as another character puts it - he's the "sleeper cell of the government". Apart from the department, nobody knows how he works and what his real identity is.
After his inquiry, he starts chasing Santhanam (Vijay Sethupathi), a notorious drug dealer, who has taken a vow to protect his family and his illegal business. Amar learns that one among the people who was killed, Karnan (Kamal Haasan), has no connection with the narcotics department, and that a vigilante group is also after Santhanam.
His further investigation leads to startling revelations, but little did he expect that he has to pay heavy price for being sincere in his duty. How's Karnan related to the mysterious vigilante group? Who is heading the unassailable group which is on an unknown mission?
Lokesh takes ample time in establishing the tricky world which revolves around characters played by Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi and Chemban Vinod Jose. All the three of them get enough screen time to convincingly perform their respective characters, though Sethupathi's role appears jarring, despite him getting an engrossing introduction scene.
Kamal Haasan's mysterious character takes a back seat for some time in the first half and lets others take over the plot. Though the twist associated with his role in the engaging interval sequence is predictable, his screen presence complemented by Anirudh's pulsating background score offers a goosebumps-inducing experience.
The latter half is a Kamal show all the way, be it a few emotional scenes or action sequences that involve various weapons, including guns of several kinds, he single-handedly shoulders most of the adrenaline-pumping moments. A well-choreographed indoor fight scene in the latter half headlined by a character from whom you least expect it is one of the most effective sequences in the film which stays true to its genre.
Girish Gangadharan's cinematography is neat and stunt master duo Anbariv delivers what is expected of them. But after a point, the action sequences supersedes the narration, which tests patience for sometime.
Though the fast-paced screenplay doesn't allow you to think much about connections between a few characters and sequences, the run time of close to three hours starts bothering you in the pre-climax episode.
The much-hyped cameo by Suriya is engaging, but is a far cry from the gargantuan expectations the audience had pinned on it. But for a change, it is fun to watch the star portraying a ruthless character after having essayed a do-gooder in his recent outings. In the post-climax scene, Lokesh has set up an intriguing plot for the next instalment. We hope the director will steer clear of the shortcomings next time.
Verdict: Lokesh delivers what he has promised to fans of Kamal Haasan and ardent action movie lovers. But the convoluted screenplay, high number of characters and limited wow moments restrict the overall experience.
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