Jailer

After the colossal misfire that was Beast, Nelson strikes back with a well-cooked, deliciously violent entertainer that once again features a bunch of quirky characters and his signature dry/dark humour, coupled with spectacular fan service. I don't want to get into the plot or its details. Let's just talk about what worked and what didn't. The story is actually pretty straightforward. Nelson's films have this mission-driven approach, and that's the case here too.

WHAT WORKED:

• The treatment of the protagonist: This is an area where multiple directors have struggled in recent times. There are soft, emotional moments, and then, there are HIGH VOLTAGE MASS moments. Muthuvel Pandian is the kind of protagonist that's tailormade for Thalaivar. He doesn't have to beat up a hundred goons to prove how powerful he is. He has connections, and knows how to effectively use them.

• Anirudh's score: Such an integral component to this film's success. In a film with several elevation moments, the score had a lot to live up to. And it did! The next time you see "An Anirudh Musical" title card, you know it's gonna make a huge difference to the overall viewing experience.

• The cameos: It took several years and a Tamil director to present Mohanlal in such a classy avatar that made you crave his character's presence more. Shivanna's cameo is also incredibly placed and superbly executed in the climactic showdown. Jackie Shroff shows up post-interval in a pivotal flashback sequence, and he also gets his shining moment. Furthermore, the cameos are actually written into the screenplay quite well.

• The portrayal of the antagonist: Vinayakan's Varman is an extremely violent and eccentric antagonist. For this guy to stand up against Muthuvel (and his connections), we feel he's weak somewhere. But the character is written in such a way that he somehow keeps getting the upper hand. Varman is one of the most vicious antagonists you'll see in any Rajini movie, subtly transitioning between someone who dips his enemies in sulphuric acid and simultaneously breaking into a dance with his gang. Fantastic performance by Vinayakan - that's all I can say!

• The big screen experience: Such a clichéd thing to say in a review, but a film like this really needs to be experienced in a packed crowd, with all the hoots, cheers, and screams. It is packaged in such a way as to elicit all of these, alongside some incredible goosebump moments. The climax is absolutely terrific; the tail-end takes a route that's not usually taken in Rajini movies. Also, please don't bring kids/infants to this flick and ruin it for everyone.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK:

• Casual misogyny: This has been repetitive on Nelson's part, since KoKo. The women characters (including that of Ramya Krishnan) are conveniently pushed aside for Rajini & Co. To shine. They're perceived heavily through the male gaze and only act as placeholders. It wouldn't have hurt to attribute some heft to Ramya Krishnan's character (Muthu's wife). Give her some powerful dialogues, at least, mate!

• Subplots: The subplot involving Blast Mohan (Sunil), Kamna (Tamannah) and those guys felt like a random addition. Even the Kaavala song is not the sizzling wonder you probably expected. Many might find Redin Kingsley wholly annoying. I wasn't one of those, but I can understand if that's the case. Even the quality of humour took a dip here when compared with the antics of Yogi Babu and VTV Ganesh in the first half.

Concluding note -

I think Jailer is majorly for those who have grown up watching Rajini movies (sorry, Gen Z), but Nelson hasn't made any major compromises in the way he wanted to tell this particular story. From a storytelling standpoint, it isn't as refreshing as KoKo or unique as Doctor, but it also comes with that special sauce that was heavily lacking in Beast.

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!

Haaa,So After So much wait I can proudly say that yes this is the RAJINIFIED Comeback... This Movie 'JAILER' Starring SUPER STAR RAJINIKANTH in the main lead,Which is Directed by Nelson. After a big letdown by 'BEAST' Starring Vijay Thalapathy,A Question Raised When This project has Announced,That Can he showcase his stardom without spoiling or without misleading it?.Because If u Observe the Previous projects of The Star they were just wasted opportunities... But he succeeded in bringing the euphoria of Rajini's with a perfect blend of Plot that offers a new Rajini that fits to him which doesn't feel Irrelevant or Silly,and not affected by any Stupid Commercial Stereotype... Coming to the Plot Without any so much Revelation,Muthuvel Pandian A Retired Jailer Who is leading happier life with his family,His life gets turned when his Cop Son gets killed while investigating a Idol smuggling. Muthuvel Pandian sets To find his Son's Killers where he get strucked into a dark world... So Coming to the Movie It Has a Electrifying,Thrilling First Half But a Overstretched Confused Second Half followed by Powerful Climax. Coming to the Performances Ofcourse it's only One Man show,That's Superstar's show He just nailed it,he was perfect in every frame. And Coming to the supporting Cast we have big cameos like Mohanlal And ShivaRajkumar's. But Shivanna Stands out...🔥And remaning were good in their roles. But I have to speak about One person the antagonist Vinayakan alias 'Varman' he just dominated the whole film through his deadly screen presence. Ofcourse he will cherished one of the powerful antognists ever... Coming to the technical aspects, The Rockstar Anirudh asusual the Backbone of the Whole movie,He just created rampage throughout the show through his Music.

Still can't get over 'HUKUM'. The Cinematography was great,Production Values are Good. The Editing &Screenplay could be bettered By trimming or reducing 20mins.. Overall If the Second Half was not distrubed by uneccessary Twists & Turns which doesn't impact at all The Good First Half,Great Interval & Climax Followed by a Terrific show of Rajini and Anirudh Make's this a worth watch... And again Nelson should appreciated for utilising the opportunity,which didn't happen for previous Film Makers...

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.

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.