Vignesh Madhu of Cinema Express, who rated three out of five stars, described the film as "fun and impressive in scale, but falls just short".Read at source
Aadu 3 2026 
Synopsis
Aadu 3
Aadu 3: One Last Ride – Part 1, or Aadu 3, is a 2026 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy comedy film written and directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas. It is a sequel to Aadu 2 (2017), the third installment in the Aadu film series, and the first of a two-part film. The film was jointly produced by Vijay Babu and Venu Kunnappilly for Friday Film House and Kavya Film Company, respectively.
- Director
- Midhun Manuel Thomas
- Studio
- —
- Run time
- 170 min
- Language
- Malayalam
Reviews
7 Indian-media reviews, grouped by reception.
Critics' consensus
Unfavorable
Critics' aggregate for Aadu 3 is 47/100 from IGN and Rediff and The Indian Express.
Synthesized by AI (gpt-5-codex-omdb-enricher) from 7 source-backed reviews — verify against the linked sources.Positive 4
Ajith of Onmanorama noted that "Shaji Pappan and gang are still fun, but the film struggles to match its own legacy", pointing that "the humour, which was once the franchise's biggest weapon, is more inconsistent this time".Read at source
Praveen felt the director was "flogging a dead goat through multiple timelines", adding that "despite its ambitious scope and comedic potential, the nearly three-hour movie only offers a series of character introductions rather than a cohesive narrative, ultimately leaving viewers yearning for a satisfying conclusion".Read at source
S. of The Times of India, giving two-and-a-half out of five stars, wrote that the film "leaves one with mixed feelings.Read at source
Critical 3
Sreeju Sudhakaran of Rediff.com, who rated two out of five stars, described the film as "trapped in its own ambition.Read at source
Rating two out of five stars, Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express described it as a "snoozefest" and "amateurish fan-fiction, despite a fascinating climax", noting that "despite having many elements and an ambitious plot, Aadu 3 ends up being an absolute letdown".Read at source
Vishal Menon of The Hollywood Reporter India called the film "a disappointing Multiverse of Blandness", lamenting that it's "GOAT-ed characters get butchered in this wild bore Instead of figuring a specific brand of humour for each character (like in the previous films), Midhun chooses to repeat the same style of dialogues for all, lending a homogeneous dullness".Read at source
Media & trailers
Verified video records attached to this title.
Details
Soundtrack
- Sulthaan Anila Rajeev, Bharath Sajikumar, Aswin Vijayan, Milan Joy, Akash V. H., Shaan Rahman, Manu Manjith
- Hark! She Comes Anand Sreeraj, Hinitha Hilari, Himna Hilari
- Maarada Mone Lillys Thaddeus
- Dheera Sura Ashok Ponnappan, Subramanian K. V.
- Kodikayarana Pooramayi - Reloaded Anwar Sadath, Shaan Rahman
- Aadu 3: One Last Ride - Part 1: Trailer Theme Shaan Rahman
Technical specs
- Run time
- 170 min
- Language
- Malayalam
- Country
- IN
- Director
- Midhun Manuel Thomas
Trivia
- Aadu 3 is the first installment of a two-part film sequel to Aadu 2 (2017).
- The film was jointly produced by Vijay Babu and Venu Kunnappilly for Friday Film House and Kavya Film Company, respectively.
- Principal photography began on 15 May 2025, with Jayasurya joining the set on 15 July 2025.
- The film was released worldwide on 19 March 2026, coinciding with Eid ul-Fitr, Ugadi, and Gudi Padwa.
- The soundtrack album was distributed by Friday Music Company, featuring music by Shaan Rahman and background score by Dawn Vincent.
- The post-theatrical digital streaming rights were acquired by ZEE5, with the film beginning to stream on 1 May 2026.
