Varisu and Thunivu – Movie Reviews

The highly-anticipated Pongal clash between Ajith Kumar and Vijay, Tamil cinema’s biggest stars, had simmered down a little since the January 11th release of both films. Despite being backed by distinct genres and having different strengths—a family drama being Vijay’s strong zone and an out-and-out action thriller with a gray shade being Ajith’s—both titles created the much-needed buzz.

Surprisingly, Varisu and Thunivu received mixed reviews, and irrespective of their flaws managed to satisfy a large portion of the audience thanks to the festive mood. It was good to see both actors overcoming their action-hero image and playing more relaxed characters after a while. This decent change in their on-screen personas had an impact on attracting large numbers of audiences to the theaters.

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Varisu, directed by Vamshi Paidipally, from the title, made it clear that the story would be about Vijay, the third son of a family who distances himself from his father’s business and seeks his career. However, after seven years, he returns home for a family gathering, and his life takes a dramatic turn. It is close to three hours and is an emotional drama that explores the relationships within the family and how they change over time.

From the title to the trailer, Varisu was packaged as a family entertainer with all the necessary commercial elements. However, it lacked an emotional connection due to its poor writing in spite of having a three-writer team. The singular saving grace was Vijay. His charm and energy, particularly seeing him in a playful character after a long time, was refreshing. In addition to Vijay’s performance, Sarath Kumar delivered a compelling performance as the head of the family and a businessman. Rashmika Mandanna, on the other hand, had limited screen time, and her role primarily consisted of performing duets with Vijay and had no impact like all other characters in the movie.

The narrative picks momentum when Vijay returns home. The relationship between him and his mother, played by Jayasudha, and Yogi Babu is well done but could have been enhanced. Vijay saves the story either through his action, humor, or dance when the audience feels tired of the narration. Additionally, the choreography in the songs “Celebration of Varisu” and “Ranjithame“ is impressive and memorable. Thaman’s music also adds to the overall film and keeps the audience engaged.

Also, the overall narrative is predictable, but there are a few surprising moments, such as the boardroom scene and a special cameo. However, some of the more engaging scenes and mass moments are prolonged to the point of saturation, which could’ve shortened to make the movie more concise. Technically, Varisu is decent, but in today’s age, with high-quality content on YouTube, the artificial sets in a big-budget film can appear odd.

Overall, Varisu had the potential to develop into a compelling drama, but due to the lazy writing and a reliance on the star’s image over the plot, it falls short and settles as an average entertainer. Vamshi Paidipally, known for delivering moving dramas with social messages in his previous films, does not bring anything new to the table and instead focuses on entertainment from Vijay. Overall, a passable family drama.

‘Varisu’ Rating – 2.5/5

Thunivu is an action-thriller directed by H. Vinoth and stars Ajith Kumar in the lead role and this marks the third collaboration between the pair, with the previous outing, Valimai ending up as an underwhelming thriller. But, their 2023 film generated high expectations due to a promising trailer and the lead star portraying a negative role. The story centers on Ajith Kumar, a man without an identity who leads the Dark Devil gang, and the events that unfold after they successfully rob a bank.

Director H. Vinoth and Ajith Kumar successfully addressed the flaws from Valimai in Thunivu. This movie had a better screenplay and runtime. The story begins to unfold in the second half after the first half sets the stage with action-packed scenes. Ajith’s appearance is refreshing, even though he wears the same costume throughout the movie. His deadly, carefree attitude is a standout feature of the film.

The supporting characters, Samuthirakani, John Kokken, Mahanadi Shankar, helped to advance the narrative. Mohana Sundaram, who plays a senior journalist, delivers a standout performance in his acting debut. Darshan, who has limited screen time, makes an impact, and Manju Warrier had limited action scenes. The live interview scene, the flashback portions, and the sequence explaining the banking system showcases the director’s ability to effectively convey factual information and blend it with the narrative. The engaging screenplay that unfolds questions and connects the dots keeps the audience engaged, even though it may not be the Director’s best work.

The fast-paced narrative has its pros and cons; it does not give the audience much time to fully process, and there are some minor logical errors that detract from the overall experience. Both the songs and score by Ghibran do not leave a lasting impression and are forgettable. The production design is good, but there is a slight alienation to it. However, Nirav Shah’s cinematography provides freshness to the plot, which is confined to a few locations. H. Vinoth, who is known for his innovative and spine-chilling action writing, disappoints with some unbelievable scenes this time.

Despite these minor issues, Thunivu is still a worthy entertainer with an energetic performance from Ajith Kumar and notable positive intentions to educate about financial awareness, which is a notable development in a star film.

‘Thunivu’ Rating – 2.75/5