'Jailer' Movie Review

Cast: Rajnikanth, Ramya Krishnan, Vinayakan, Mohanlal (cameo), Shiva Rajkumar (cameo), Tamannaah (cameo), Jackie Shroff, Sunil, Yogi Babu and others.

Music: Anirudh Ravichander

Cinematography: Vijay Kartik Kannan

Producer: Kalanithi Maran

Writer - Director: Nelson Dilipkumar

After disappointing the audience with 'Beast', talented director Nelson Dilipkumar has arrived to score a blockbuster with 'Jailer'. With superstar Rajnikanth as the lead, the movie generated a lot of buzz. Anirudh's music hyped up the audience and people are waiting to witness Rajni's swagger on the big screen from a long time. Let us see if 'Jailer' satisfied the audience or not.

Story:

Tiger Muthuvel Pandian aka Jailer (Rajnikanth) is a retired police officer who lives happily with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson. His son Arjun is a sincere police officer who goes missing all of a sudden. Jailer starts searching for him but finds out that he is dead. Filled with vengeance, he kills the person who murders his son. This leads to a chain of events that are linked to a gang who steals idols in temples. What does Jailer do? How will he safeguard his family? Answers to all these questions form the rest of the story.

Analysis:

Those who have watched director Nelson's previous flicks will know his taste. His first two films 'Kolammavu Kokila' and 'Doctor' were loved by everyone. His black comedy is highly entertaining and he has a unique style in designing characters. The bloodshed is also quite heavy in his movies. As his third film, he made 'Beast' with Vijay. Due to Vijay's massive image, he was forced to step out of his comfort zone and failed to find the right balance between heroism and storytelling. But it looks like he learnt from his mistakes and he delivered a better product compared to 'Beast' this time. One would expect the heroism and over-the-top scenes to be more when Rajnikanth is the hero but Nelson made sure that he utilised the superstar in the best way without going overboard.

Though the audience would love to watch Rajni beat baddies all the time, everyone knows that it is the dupe who does all the stunts and fights in place of Rajni due to his age. The director decided to keep it real this time by using snipers most of the time and cleverly avoided showcasing any fights. He should be commended for that. Also, he used the cameos quite well as they make the masses go crazy in theatres during the climax. Nelson knew that the villain cannot be stronger than Rajni and he cannot be too weak either. So, he designed the character in such a way that the villain makes a strong impact along with being entertaining. The makers deliberately opted for a mellow beginning as they wanted to emphasize on showcasing Rajni as a normal old man. Due to this, the film begins on a passive note but it helps a lot when Rajni's character shifts gears. Nelson was successful in delivering what the fans wished for and he showcased Rajni in the best way possible which in itself is enough for the film to succeed.

But all the above mentioned plus points need a solid story to tie them together. It is where Nelson faltered as the writer-director penned a wafer-thin story and banked majorly on Rajni's stardom and Anirudh's music to take the movie forward. After a very good first half, the second half starts on a high note but it soon goes down. The scenes involving Tamanaah, Sunil and others were dragged unnecessarily. The film becomes too slow and it tests the patience of the audience. Also, the first half of the movie is similar to Nelson's previous flicks where the lead character along with Yogi Babu and family go in search of a missing person or a mission. 'Jailer' too runs on the same note but it is passable. The pale second half might have brought down the film completely but Nelson wakes up gives a banger of a climax. He shows Rajni in his full swagger and he makes his fans go bonkers with the help of Anirudh. It is where the film gets saved. Otherwise, it would have been another disappointing film from Rajni in recent years.

Performances:

'Jailer' is a film written for Rajnikanth. The superstar singlehandedly carries the movie on his shoulders. He does all the heavy lifting without dropping a sweat. He played a role that suits his age and Nelson makes sure that he does not go overboard as Rajni hardly fights in the movie. Despite that, we enjoy his mass presence. He delivered a mature performance but the unmatchable style is on full display. Rajni gives his fans what they want and he can make your tickets worth with a single smile. Despite the presence of everyone, 'Jailer' is a one-man show.

After Rajni, it is Vinayakan who impresses with his performance. His act as the maverick villain will surely impress you. He was wonderful with his histrionics and his look is equally good. Ramya Krishnan gave a decent performance in a brief role. Yogi Babu brings good laughs with his comedy in the first half and there are a lot of funny characters in the movie. Tamannaah's role is quite silly and the director only wanted to use her for a song. Sunil is okay in his role. Shiva Rajkumar and Mohanlal were immense and their screen presence elevated the film. Jackie Shroff too makes a mark in his limited role. The rest of the actors are fine.

Technicians:

If there is one person who stands out in the film apart from Rajnikanth, it is Anirudh Ravichander. He is the number one music composer in the South right now and he proves why. The film doesn't have a lot of scope for songs. 'Kaavaala' became a huge hit before the release but it was not impactful onscreen. But the way he used 'Jujube' and 'Tiger Ka Hukum' songs as background scores is praiseworthy. His BGMs are a treat to listen to and he took the film to a whole new level. His music elevated even a normal scene too. Whether it is emotional or heroic music, Anirudh is the film's backbone. The cinematography is excellent. Most of the film was shot in closed doors and tight spaces. The lighting and the frames are quite delightful. The art design is supreme as they built various sets for the movie. The editing could have been crisper at some places as the movie is a tad bit too long. The production values by Sun Pictures are top-notch.

Nelson Dilipkumar once again picked a story filled with black comedy and mixed it with Rajni's heroism. The same formula backfired for 'Beast' but it looks like Nelson found the right balance this time. Though the logic goes for a toss and he did not fully utilise a lot of top actors, he made sure that he satisfies Rajni's fans. The entertainment levels are high and it is not just the comedy we are talking about. It is a paisa vasool film and Nelson deserves full marks for sticking to what he knows best and delivering it with aplomb. Ignoring a few silly scenes in the second half and the slow narration at times, 'Jailer' surely has all the ingredients to become a super hit if you manage to lower your expectations.

Verdict: 'Jailer' -  A Rajni Mark Nelson's Film!

Rating: 2.5/5