Kanguva movie review: Director Siva uses Suriya for a very costly lesson on how to blow up a lot of money on a non-starter

2.5/5

Kanguva movie story: In 2024 a biomedical facility in Russia experiments on enhancing brain function of children and induce superpowers. One of them, Zeta, escapes and makes his way to Goa, as if on a mission. There, he meets Francis (Suriya) a bounty hunter for the Goan police, and the duo forge a strange and unexplained connection to each other.

Cut to nearly thousand years ago, in 1070, a battalion of Roman soldiers are on a conquest of a group of 5 islands, each with its own set of strengths, of which, Perumatchi is led by the warrior prince Kanguva (Suriya). To keep his people safe, Kanguva has to first quell the unrest unleashed by the other tribes, while also taking up a personal mission involving a young boy called Poruva.

Kanguva movie review: Kanguva is, unapologetically, a Suriya vehicle and revolves around his title character, a brave and fierce warrior modelled on the Vikings of lore, with body markings a la Killmonger. He is the heart and soul of director Siva’s ambitious fantasy action drama, but alas, it is a mighty effort that yields no result. Suriya is absolutely astounding in the title role; if only he was given a better film for it.

The plot of Siva’s film feels like a potpourri of elements from a gazillion other historical war movies, mythology and other fictional fantasy, which he then marries with a resurrection theme to warrant a modern-day angle in the tale. That cuts to 2024’s Goa-based Suriya, who is quite the sight for sore eyes, but like his love interest Disha Patani, has nothing much to contribute in what is only the first part of Siva’s story. Patani, as Angela, who is also a bounty hunter, serves little purpose but to parade around in barely-there outfits and give the film the mandatory bikini shot.

Kanguva is, reportedly, one of the most expensive Indian films. The question that arises is if director Siva’s ambitious storytelling warrants such extravagance. In all honesty, it is nothing short of a royal waste of money. How else do you explain the absolutely unnecessary fight Kanguva has with a ginormous CGI crocodile. Even Bobby Deol’s much-publicized role as Athira tribe leader Uthiran is reduced to cosplay and the big conflict between him and Kanguva is quite the cropper.

Siva’s story and screenplay is below average, so much so that even close up of Kanguva’s bulging biceps and the money-shot of his chiselled abs cannot save the film. The problem lies in the fact that Kanguva’s motivation to save Poruva at all costs lacks conviction. Poruva’s father was the Judas of the tribe, selling them not for 30 silver coins, but 2 gold coins, per hand, to the Romans. The youngster himself doesn’t think kindly of Kanguva, so why would the latter risk it all for the boy? Beats me.

Part 1 of the film is all about Kanguva’s fight to safeguard his people and he’s not done yet. The film ends with a new adversary and the promise of a bloody battle and he hasn’t even gotten to the Roman’s yet. Visually, Kanguva is grandiose – the CGI, for the most part, is quite decent, although much of it could be dispensed with. It’s visually pleasing, largely in part to Suriya’s onscreen presence. Devi Sri Prasad’s score, though, is underwhelming at best.

Kanguva movie verdict: Suriya lives and breathes Kanguva and is his earnest best, but that’s not going to be enough to salvage the film that’s crumbling at all other ends.