Valimai Review: An Unremarkable Commercial Spectacle!

I read a social media post that hailed Valimai as India’s answer to ‘Fast & Furious.’ Though I might not agree with that, the film is our reply to the viral social media #ReleaseSynderCut as the fans of former ‘Thala’ boisterously came around with the #ValimaiUpdate. From pestering Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Moeen Ali to politicians, the fans went around asking for any information about the film to everyone they come across.

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So, amid much fanfare and facing the wrath of the pandemic, the H. Vinoth directed film hit the silver screen. Starring Ajith Kumar in the lead, alongside Huma Qureshi and Karthikeya, this Boney Kapoor-produced film does not meet the pre-release hype it had and ends up being a regular action drama.

A notorious biker gang creates havoc in Chennai city by involving themselves in chain snatching, drug peddling and ends up being a nightmare for the city dwellers. Subsequently, DC Arjun is deployed as a special unit to clean up the city and save the citizens. It is evident from the get-go that the film is a run-of-the-mill cop vs villain story. I sincerely hoped for some H. Vinoth elements in Valimai and waited for the screenplay to spice up anytime. But the Theeran director never showed up.

Valimai’s most significant and only positive is the high-powered, dynamic bike stunts. Choreographed by Stunt Master Dilip Subbarayan and team, the nerve-racking chase scenes kept me hooked to the screen for a while and provided the necessary adrenaline boost. And to watch Ajith perform those deadly stunts himself is a delight to watch. Unfortunately, the fun does not last long.

Valimai lacked strong characterizations as the characters were too bland and tasteless. H. Vinoth has incorporated several family-oriented scenes, but they lacked emotional depth. His intentions to invoke mother-son sentiment are evident, yet the scenes were either exaggerated or fell flat. For the runtime of 180 minutes, Vinoth fails to utilize the timeframe to properly etch the characters and make the screenplay a little more exciting to sit through.

Unlike H. Vinoth’s previous action-thriller, Theeran Adhigaram Ondru starring Karthi, Valimai lacks the element of thrill. For the three hours the film runs, it takes a lot of time to culminate, and it is imperceptibly unbearable at times. Also, Vinoth included several heroic scenes for the fans of the actor Ajith Kumar to enjoy and celebrate. Those slow-motion, walking scenes become tiresome after a while, and you feel like certain scenes could have been trimmed to save the film from heading towards a roadblock.

In the performance department, Ajith Kumar has tried his best to be a charming police officer, running after a villainous gang. His dedication and passion for acting are seen well in the risky stunts he has managed to do on his own, and he deserves appreciation for the same. Karthikeya, on the other hand, never really felt like the outrageous antagonist that the film intend to have. His strength likes on his biker crew, and for the rest of the film, he was weak in his role. Technically, Nirav Shah exotically captures the alluring bike chase and action sequences.

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Overall, Valimai is an unremarkable commercial film that lacked anything fresh or intriguing. Despite the extraordinary pre-release hype the film had created, the final offering is tedious and monotonous. Director H. Vinoth neither satisfies Ajith Kumar’s hardcore fans nor the general audience and forgets big time to deliver an engaging, entertaining film.

‘Valimai’ Rating – 2/5