The Greatest of All Time Review: A Stumble for “Thalapathy” Vijay!

When a movie proudly touts itself as The Greatest of All Time, you expect it to deliver, especially with a superstar like “Thalapathy” Vijay at the helm. Add a glittering star cast including Prasanth, Prabhu Deva, Sneha, Laila, Jayaram, and Meenakshi Chaudhary, and the excitement is palpable. Directed by Venkat Prabhu, this film marks the much-anticipated first collaboration between him and Vijay. With music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, reuniting with Vijay after over a decade, expectations were sky-high.

However, what should have been a cinematic spectacle turns out to be, unfortunately, one of the worst outings in Vijay’s illustrious career. The Greatest of All Time delivers more disappointment than greatness, leaving fans and general audiences underwhelmed.

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The film kicks off with a storyline that feels as outdated as a flip phone in 2024. It’s a formulaic revenge drama peppered with a few emotional beats and family conflicts that we’ve seen a thousand times before. Venkat Prabhu, known for his knack for blending fun elements with emotional depth, somehow misses the mark here. The screenplay plods along with middling pace, filled with predictable twists that even someone who’s just watched a few action movies could call from miles away. It’s like expecting a firecracker and getting a dud – it makes noise, but nothing really happens.

The major attraction for fans was, of course, the de-aged version of “Thalapathy” Vijay. Props to the VFX team for making a younger version of Vijay look convincing. De-aging and CGI effects often miss the mark in Indian cinema, but here, it’s a rare saving grace. If only this level of effort had gone into the story and screenplay, we might have had something worth discussing.

While the younger Vijay may visually please the fans, the character doesn’t quite make up for the overall narrative blandness. The effort put into the technical aspects of the de-aging process only serves to remind us how outdated the rest of the movie feels, like putting a shiny coat of paint on a rundown car.

G.O.A.T – #TheGreatestOfAllTime pic.twitter.com/30pXTdtKrF

— Aakashavaani (@TheAakashavaani) December 31, 2023

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music, usually a strength in any film, turns out to be another significant letdown. The long-awaited collaboration with Vijay after so many years promised to reignite the magic, but instead, it flickers dimly. His background score is surprisingly lackluster and boring, failing to leave a memorable impact. The placement of songs like Spark and Matta feels jarring, pulling the audience out of whatever engagement they might have managed to muster.

It’s almost as if someone hit shuffle on the soundtrack at random points in the film. There are moments when you think the music will lift the scene, but much like the rest of the film, it falls flat. The spark Yuvan usually brings to the table? It’s nowhere to be found.

Speaking of dragging things out, let’s talk about the film’s length. Clocking in at a whopping three hours, the movie feels like a marathon without water breaks. Every scene overstays its welcome, with repetitive sequences that make you glance at your watch more often than at the screen.

By the time the credits roll, exhaustion sets in—not from the emotional roller coaster the film promised, but from the sheer length of it. VP, who is typically good at keeping his narratives tight, seems to have lost his editorial scissors here. At this point, it feels like the real GOAT achievement is simply sitting through it all.

pic.twitter.com/opyoafm124

— Vijay (@actorvijay) August 15, 2024

While some sequences offer the occasional spark of theater-worthy moments, they are few and far between. These moments provide temporary relief but do little to elevate the overall experience. Imagine going to a restaurant, having a delightful appetizer, but then being served cold entrees for the rest of the meal. That’s the experience here – a couple of good bites, but the overall dish just doesn’t cut it.

The supporting cast, including Prashanth, Sneha, Prabhu Deva, and Jayaram, have little to work with, leaving their talents criminally underused. Laila, making a much-anticipated return, has a few notable moments, but nothing that justifies her comeback. Prashanth, once a top star, seems to be here just to fill screen space. It’s like going to a reunion of school friends and realizing everyone’s just kind of… there. You expect fireworks, but you get sparklers that fizzle out before they even light up.

#ChinnaChinnaKangal pic.twitter.com/AHGLijvZeC

— Vijay (@actorvijay) June 22, 2024

Vijay, usually a powerhouse of charisma, struggles to inject life into the poorly written script. He’s done his best with what he’s been given, but even the most dedicated of actors can’t salvage a sinking ship. With one film left before he transitions into politics, many fans were hoping for a memorable swan song leading up to his departure. Instead, thie film has left them with a bitter taste. It’s as if the filmmakers forgot that Vijay’s fans, who’ve stood by him for decades, deserve a better sendoff than this undercooked, overstuffed mess.

In conclusion, The Greatest of All Time is anything but that. It’s a bloated, outdated affair that fails to live up to the massive expectations set by its title. With weak writing, unmemorable music, and an unnecessarily long runtime, it drags its feet for three hours without offering much in return. There’s a glimmer of hope in the de-aged Vijay and a few moments of theatrical fun, but that’s about all the film has going for it. In the pantheon of Thalapathy Vijay’s career, this one will go down as one of his biggest missteps. Let’s just hope his final act brings the greatness we know he’s capable of.

‘The Greatest of All Time’ Rating – 2/5

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