Jailer

Thia film was mediocre at best with the director confused on the tone of the movie. The plot of the movie was all over the place. First half was decent and it felt like a movie for the masses, and breadcrumbed enough for a good showdown. The second half was a major letdown, with the whole movie turning into a soap opera heist film with violence and comedy used in a bad taste. The whole 'son plotline' was unnecessary for the plot for a movie aimed for the masses. It added absolutely no value to the whole movie. Mohanlal, in his few scenes brought his screen presence and star power so did Shivanna. Vinayakan stole the whole show for me, brilliant and raw performance. He explored his role to an extreme, might I dare, like Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight! I wouldn't even be surprised if he wins a National award for this role. Rajini's star power is definitely felt, and that will the main contributor for the movie's financial success(along with the underdog BTS comeback aspect with the director Nelson and the southern industry's big star casting inclusions) Most of all there is no takeaways or a good message from the whole movie.

Let's talk about the cast and performances First: Rajinikanth, man, he's not just playing a role that fits his age, he's totally killin' it. The first half, it's all about him - his presence, that smile, his unique quirks, and the intensity he brings, it's all fire. Yogi Babu adds some extra fun when he's sharing the screen with Thalivar.

Vinayakan, he's got that classic villain vibe, even if the role itself is a bit familiar.

Ramya Krishna, she's doin' the conventional housewife thing, but she ain't got much going on in her scenes, unfortunately.

We've also got some cameo appearances from legends like Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff, and Shiva Rajkumar. Tamannaah Bhatia's in there too, but that song on screen, man, it doesn't hit like it did in the trailers.

Now, on the technical side, the cinematography is straight up awesome. Those fight scenes indoors, they're somethin' special. The whole production is top-notch, gotta give 'em props for that.

Anirudh's music, both the background score and the songs, they hold this film together. No doubt about it.

The highlights, let's talk about those. The first half is lit, Rajinikanth is on fire, and Anirudh's music is bangin'.

But there are some drawbacks, no doubt. Sunil's part, it's a snoozer, and the second half, it gets a bit routine, slow-paced moments and all.

Now, the movie analysis, "Jailer" starts off strong, man. Rajinikanth as a retired police officer, cool and all, but when his son gets kidnapped, he goes all out, becoming this angry old dude, changing the whole game. From there, it's a ride.

Nelson, the director, he's got some killer sequences for Rajinikanth, especially the ones with Yogi Babu. Rajinikanth's comedy skills are on point, and the fight scene in his house, where his wife and daughter-in-law are just chillin' at the dining table, that's a standout moment, no doubt.

The intermission comes, and you're thinkin', this is gonna be like Kamal Haasan's "Vikram," a real thrill. First half is that good. Action, comedy, family moments, it's got it all, and the intermission climax gets you hyped up.

But the second half, it's a different story. It falls into that formulaic mass-entertainer groove. We're talkin' Rajinikanth's jailer backstory, a comedy bit with Sunil and Tamannaah, super long fight scenes, and so on.

Honestly, it's a bit of a drag. Tamannaah's song "Kaavaalaa" blew up on YouTube, but in the movie, it's not the same, man. It's on Sunil and Tamannaah, not the epic duet with Rajinikanth like we wanted.

Even the parts with other superstars like Shiva Rajkumar and Mohanlal, they're more about heroism than pushing the plot forward.

But hey, the second half comes through with a killer climax, so it's got that goin' for it.

Jailer (2023) : Brief Review -

Nelson's narrow vision saved by Blockbuster heroism of Rajinikanth, Mohanlal and Shiva Rajakumar. Nelson Dilip Kumar has to be one of the luckiest directors in Tamil cinema who is surviving and still getting films after back-to-back mediocrities. "Kolamaavu Kokila" (2018) hardly had any brain in its black comedy; "Doctor" (2021) couldn't find an antidote for his own mediocre vision; "Beast" (2022) was a beast-size torture; and now he brought another mediocre film, "Jailer". It could have been a much better film if you look at the first half. The film falls in the second half and somehow stands on its feet with the charismatic heroism of Rajinikanth and blockbuster cameos by Mohanlal and Shiva Raja Kumar, who help create a crossover of Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema in a massy action drama. Jailer is about a retired police officer whose son is kidnapped by a gangster. The father sets out to settle things down with the gangster, who will listen to no one but him after knowing who he is. The idea is very predictable, but there is a surprise in the pre-climax before you head towards a so-so climax. Rajinikanth's "Tiger ka Hukum" is commendable as he successfully carries along all his heroic stuff such as walk, talk, smash, show swag, and at last the "cigar." Mohanlal and Shiva's cameos have whistle-worthy moments, which are uplifted by the background score and a small rap in between. Ramya Krishnan, Vasanth Ravi, and Mirnaa Menon are decent in small roles. Jailer is dragged into the second half with Tamannaah's angle, robbery, and family drama stuff. Seriously, this is no way to bring your own film down after a good-to-go first half. Why does Nelson always have to look at things with his narrow-minded vision? More than him, we and our audiences need to find the answer soon. Overall, an okay watch after promising a better future.

RATING - 5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

It seems that having tentpole actors from other language industries walk around in slo-mo is just what's need to classify movies as Pan-Indian. Anyway, Jailer does just that and this film fails spectacularly. Rajnikanth does what's required of him. However, Nelson doesn't. His screenplay is flaccid. He takes a well-established narrative template and botches it with a paltry execution. Nelson seems preoccupied with lifting scenes from Hollywood films that he's forgotten that making a Superstar film is actually pretty easy. You need a few mass scenes, a few punch dialogues and a simple story that acts as a bridge between the aforementioned mass scenes. How could you botch that up?

After Beast, this is yet another dismal film from Nelson. Forgettable fare.

Everybody gangsta until Rajinikanth graciously walks in through a dense fog holding a freaking machete in his hands; even at the age of 72, this man seems to carry swagger like no one else.

When it solely comes to asserting sheer dominance on screen, very few come close, let alone matching up to him! I absolutely adored him here.

Now, as far as the movie is concerned, I have mixed feelings, mainly because the two halves seemed like two different films merged into one.

The first half is remarkable; I loved how it built up slowly but gradually picked up the pace and offered an astounding interval block. However, the second half fails to sustain the momentum and struggles to keep the intensity up; as a result, most of the film's second half comes across as sloppy and cluttered.

I did cherish the climactic portion, though. The pure display of unadulterated charm and swagger from all three veterans was a sight to behold!