After a three-week run at the theaters, Rajinikanth’s “Annathe” is now streaming on Netflix and Sun Next OTT platforms. Now, that is the "new normal" that we have been settling in for the last year or so.
The movie has garnered some mixed reviews since it was released. That put me in a dilemma on whether to watch it or not. These days I tend to lose patience whenever something does not engage me. So, I went in with the least expectations. Come on, after all, it's a “Rajinikanth film”!
Director Siva has his own sweet “re-usable” template to chisel down equal doses of action, comedy, and sentiment that would make for a palatable masala experience across a broad set of audiences. He has tasted success and a few failures in the past with this magical concoction.
So, this movie could be a hit or a miss. And, with most reviews bashing the movie so hard, my expectations were minimal. I went in with an open mind to embrace whatever the film had to throw at me.
Boy, was I surprised! The film's first half had a racy screenplay with its quaint 90s charm, thanks to the rural milieu staging and the accompanying dialogues.
Though a tad crude at times, the portion involving Meena and Khushbu in extended cameo appearances was amusing. Prakash Raj’s portion as that of a “villain turning into a sweetheart” was crisp.
Of course, the superstar’s electric screen presence was marred with his age and a “hit or miss” dialogue delivery. For a septuagenarian to pull off such a role is a commendable effort.
Keerthi Suresh looked malnourished and had a predictable role that was underwritten. Nayanthara, the “female interest” of Annathe, thankfully did not have a dedicated romantic episode. Her role was quite insignificant but was cleverly woven into the mix of things.
The movie’s second was where things started falling apart. The villains were like puppets, and their henchmen proved too weak in front of Annathe - what else can one expect when Rajini meets Siva?
Also, the length of the movie did not help the cause either. It turned out to be a drag in the second half. The entire second half tried to balance between Annathe's heroics and the sibling sentiment. An overdose of both hampered the movie’s pace.
Imman's music was over-the-top. The BGM that plays to elevate the emotional quotient proved to be a major irritant. Soori, Sathyan, and Sathish combo were tasked to evoke laughter and they have partially achieved to do so.
Overall, the movie was not as bad as it was described by some of the reviewers. It is a passable family entertainer that was packaged decently, the only crib being its length and the illogical second half.
Rating: 2.5 / 5
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