Sulthan

The film stands out for its action choreography. Few of the action stretches deliver an engaging experience. However, the film hardly makes any impact with its storytelling or characters. Except Karthi’s character, no other actor gets a meaty part to essay. Rashmika, in her maiden appearance in Tamil cinema, is mostly sidelined and so are the actors who play the lead antagonists. Sulthan is Karthi’s show all the way and he’s in his element, shining in a character he couldn’t have played any better.

The film’s high production values and strong emotional beats makes it an engrossing watch. Director Bakkiyaraj Kannan’s solidity expands on the belief that men are naturally good. The seasoned criminals who make the entire city shiver are powerless in front of Sulthan. They don’t raise a finger even when Sulthan pushes them around. The film also tracks the inner journey of the protagonist who learns that he can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs. Every scene in the movie works both emotionally and logically. Bakkiyaraj composes scenes that allow him to take full advantage of the cinematic experience of showing 100-strong men dance in a battle formation. There are a few Zack Snyder-esque cinematic moments, especially in the climactic action sequence.

Director Bakkiyaraj Kannan has managed to weave in an engaging storyline taking two of Tamil cinema’s pet topics: rowdyism and farming. He goes overboard in the second half on a few instances — a couple of sluggish sequences and a song that could have been done away with — but keeps inserting ‘commercial ideas’ to keep the interest afloat.