Three years after delivering hit movie Maari, the team is coming up with its sequel. Director Balaji Mohan has collaborated with Dhanush again for the latest flick, which has Sai Pallavi playing the female lead.
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar has enacted an important character, while Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas will be seen in the antagonist role in Maari 2. Vidya Pradeep, Robo Shankar, Kalloori Vinoth, Silva and others are in the supporting cast. The film has Om Prakash's cinematography and Prasanna GK's editing. Yuvan Shankar Raja has scored the music and 'Rowdy Baby' is the pick among the three songs in the album.
Maari is a local gangster and gets into trouble often. The story takes an interesting turn when his old case is reopened. On the other side, he locks horns with Bheeja, a baddie with brawn and brain. Simultaneously, he falls in love with Aarathu Anandhi (Sai Pallavi), an auto rickshaw driver. What follows next should be seen on-screen.
Robot Shankar and Dhanush combo and their comic timing are in perfect sync again. Krishna plays an important role as a friend and it is obvious some portions were written to increase his importance. The same goes for Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, who adds some seriousness and depth to the character. However, Varalaxmi needs to be careful about getting stereotyped as longsleeve- wearing politician or an IAS officer in future movies.
Balaji Mohan’s directorial sensibilities are intact in the comedy and romance scenes. The way the "100 not-out" is referred to keeping count of murder attempts shows the director's uncanny sense of humour. However, the mass action elements built around the villain track appear forced and predictably repetitive. There are a dime a dozen directors who can do the same. Balaji Mohan takes inspiration from Rajini’s “Baasha” and openly credits it in a theater scene.
The director could have simplified the sub-plots by one layer and added some of his delightful signature elements. The climax drags a bit with the predictable unfolding of scenes and extended fight sequence. Also, it is also confusing why the director had to force the hero to be gone for many years and coming back again with all the casts and characters showing zero signs of aging. This is a proof how much the director must have really cared for the logic and reasoning.
Yuvan Shankar Raja's songs have already become chartbusters. Rowdy Baby, in particular, is a winner in its own right. The song's placement, however, could prove to be a drawback in the first half. But it might seem to please a section of the viewers for its cheerfulness and dance choreography by Prabhu Deva. One may feel that Yuvan has handled the background score in his own style but it could have been more remarkable.
GK Prasanna's cuts are tidy and Om Prakash's cinematography is not too flashy. The fight sequences have been captured well and the lighting is worth a mention
Yuvan Shankar Raja's songs have already become chartbusters. Rowdy Baby, in particular, is a winner in its own right. The song's placement, however, could prove to be a drawback in the first half. But it might seem to please a section of the viewers for its cheerfulness and dance choreography by Prabhu Deva. One may feel that Yuvan has handled the background score in his own style but it could have been more remarkable.
GK Prasanna's cuts are tidy and Om Prakash's cinematography is not too flashy. The fight sequences have been captured well and the lighting is worth a mention
Review Ratings : ✯✯✯/5
