Rediff

...revenge drama that attempts to weave a complex narrative of crime and retribution but often loses its way amidst a multitude of bizarre subplots.

The film works when it seeks to portray the tragedy of war too. The tanks, grenades, guns and bayonets are out in full force, but the little scenes work, like a man using up rationed cooking oil, to keep a lamp lit outside a temple because it was a promise. This is overdone later, however, when his blood drips into the lamp as he dies.

Fun premise and a handful of clever scams, but its biggest con is failing to convince you it's smarter than it really is

by Divya Nair

Divya Nair of Rediff.com gave 2/5 stars and wrote "recommends that non-Vijay fans save their money and wait for GOAT to drop on Netflix.

You can sense trouble when a film marketed as a comedy relies heavily on its background score to cue laughter. Instead of trusting its humour, Ginny Wedss Sunny 2 inserts exaggerated sound effects after almost every punchline, as if desperately reminding the audience that a joke has just been delivered. The bigger issue is that the humour itself rarely works. Much of it consists of characters talking over each other, indulging in weak puns or jokes (like comparing a man's privates to TV remotes), or resorting to physical antics like kicking and biting. The actors try their best, but the writing and editing leave them stranded, unable to generate genuine laughs.

Look, I am not a huge fan of the horror genre, but I know that what makes a good horror film work is how real the scares feel to the audience. And firstly, for that, the setting needs to feel believable, even if the paranormal doesn't. Vikram Bhatt's earlier horror films like Raaz (2002) and 1920 (2008) were shot in convincing locations, which made the horror feel tangible. Here, almost the entire film has been shot inside a cheap VFX studio, where the foreground, the background and even the underground look completely artificial. Combined with the abuse of AI-generated imagery, the movie becomes a disconcerting visual experience made even terrible with the 3D glasses on.

The dark humour used never trivialises the seriousness of Vineeth's struggle. Instead, it makes the setbacks easier to absorb while keeping the storytelling lively and engaging. Nayak and fellow editor Nidhin Raj Arol ensure that even the quieter stretches are presented with enough visual flair and momentum to hold your attention, with Jakes Bejoy's score doing the rest of the uplifting. Still, it is the writing that emerges as Mollywood Times' greatest strength. Ramu Sunil's screenplay excels at throwing one unexpected obstacle after another in Vineeth's path, beginning with the rude reality check he receives at a short-film festival. The movie never attempts to soften his flaws either. Vineeth is conceited, self-preserving and often blinded by a confidence he fails to realise can be off-putting to those around him.

by Deepa Gahlot

Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com rated it 1.5/5 stars and writes that "Every lead character is nuts in Psycho Saiyaan."

In conclusion, the film fails in achieving the big objective that it had set for itself. While it ends with a visible victory of the narrative favouring the RSS, it is not so convincing a victory for the viewer.

Which is already a problem in a film whose writing promises an ambitious political commentary by attempting to tie the Sri Lankan genocide with the goonda activities of Thiruvananthapuram, only to reduce everything to a revenge drama that you have seen umpteen times before.

I found Pari Elavazhagan's performance also to be a mixed bag. He is impressive in several portions, especially the lighter scenes, and his outburst in the climax works well. But in some of the more dramatic stretches, he comes up short.

So much so that when Balan veers away from this equation, you can sense a struggle in both pacing and writing to match what is an excellent first half, even if the film eventually wraps things up with a surprising conclusion.

For such a likeable ensemble cast, it is almost tragic how Bhai Tera Star Hai never grows funnier.

As long as its purpose of throwing everyone on the dance floor as they flaunt their toned abs in fancy clothes is served, Cocktail 2 doesn't feel obliged to make any sense. And so parents, previously treated as dispensable by the makers and not spotted once in the two-and-a -half hours long movie, show up in the final 15 minutes to spew gyaan on relationships. None of it is taken seriously in a scenario where everyone spends their time doing shots or glancing at the camera in a movie length photo shoot. Of the three, Rashmika heaves and blows through a character that's so illogical it's almost pitiable.

The performances also reflect the level of commitment this madcap (un)comedy, demands. Including Ajay Devgn, who often seemed to be sleepwalking through several of his recent performances. Here, at least, he feels awake, helped considerably by sharing most of his scenes with the terrific Sanjay Mishra, who can simply stroll through a one-liner and still make it funny.

by ·

·