One of the most prominent actors in the Indian film industry, Joseph Vijay, has acted in another frenzy-causing movie, and apparently, it is the “Greatest of All Time”.
“You’re talking to a real GOAT.”
Before I start, here is a warning – this article will be a spoiler for the movie.
Ilaya Thalapathy (Young Commander) is probably one of the most influential and loved actors in India and Asia, with fans devoted to his charismatic dialogue and mesmerising action.
And he is back with an even bigger hit (and a bigger budget obviously).
This time, he has attracted a much greater audience, owing to the fact that this is his penultimate movie, as he aims to transition into politics.
That audience included me.
As an ardent fan, I made sure that I watched the film as soon as it was released in the cinema – it was a masterclass.
Overlooking the bias that shrouds my viewpoint, this movie was, rightfully, a tribute to all his performances – it is basically an all–you–can–eat feast for his fans.
It starts with a bang – no, literally.
The first scene is Vijay and his companions, as part of an anti-terrorism squad, blowing up a train in Kenya – no sighters, people.
The movie as a whole has a complex plot with multiple twists, astonishing character revelations and a thrilling climax along with the post-credits.
It was a fresh scoop of ice cream with a whole load of new toppings; the storyline was original and unlocked a completely modern style of Vijay’s acting and action.
However, even though he had adopted a role as an antagonist after 17 years, there was something about the film that seemed unrealistic and overexaggerated.
Be it the fact that most of the protagonist’s friends (FYI: Vijay is simultaneously the hero and the villain) are killed, be it that the second villain has an excruciating backstory spread over 16 years to avenge his family or let it even be that the people were actually cloned by a worse antagonist.
Do not get me wrong – it was a technical masterpiece with exciting action scenes, unprecedented turns and numerous easter eggs for a Vijay fan.
Nevertheless, this movie felt like it was meant as more of a tribute or service to the fans, rather than the Tamil version of a Mission Impossible film, like it was hyped up to be.
At the end of the day, I loved the movie, and I appreciated the deep thought and the significant effort that was put into it; in my books, it will remain a beautiful artwork with a profound meaning, as the director’s films tend to be.
But as we know, not all art is for everyone.
That does not necessarily mean the art is bad.
