in The Quint
Gloves on, the film scores enough points to keep you watching through its slo-mo punches with mouths agape. Gloves off, it struggles, often resorting to an endless barrage of pugilistic cheers and trash talk. Indeed, trading barbs make up most of the dialogue. “Ni puli illai da, muuku shali” will raise a chuckle. Even if it is a boxing movie where machoism is driven to extremes, you can only take so much of it before it gets exhausting. Instead of using his gifted ensemble to spotlight Kabilan’s story as the face of Tamil Nadu’s working class amid rising political tensions, Ranjith fills the time between the matches with shouting matches and worse: melodrama. The film punches well below its weight. Sarpatta Parambarai isn’t a black eye for boxing movies. But it’s no knockout either.Read at source