Jailer Review: Rajini Shines But Director Fails Partly

Superstar Rajinikanth’s Jailer has hit the theatres today amidst good hype. The film garnered anticipation over the last couple of weeks through its trailer and the now-famous Hukum song. Let us see what the film has to offer to the audience.

Story: 

Tiger Muthuvel Pandiyan (Rajini) is a retired veteran leading a peaceful life with his family, including his wife Ramya Krishna, his son Arjun, his daughter-in-law Mirna Menon, and their child. Arjun serves as an assistant commissioner of police, entrusted with the responsibility of nabbing the criminals behind the theft of idols from temples. The main antagonist, Varma, kidnaps Arjun. What is Rajinikanth’s past and how he tries to save his family and son forms the crux of the story.

What about on-screen performances?

Thalaivar Rajinikanth is the star of the show, and he exudes trademark swag and energy for most parts. His character is subdued during the opening exchanges and as the film progresses, he gets into his groove. Ramya Krishna is back to sharing the screen with Rajini after 25 long years. Her character is a mixed bag, though. Comedians Yogi Babu and VTV Ganesh evoke comedy. The villain, Vinayakan, is a good find, and he emotes well. Cameo roles lo Mohan Lal and Shivraj Kumar did well. Jackie shroff is just ok

What about off-screen talents?

The director Nelson Dilipkumar is a peculiar commercial director. He utilizes the full swag portion of Rajini. And at the same time, maintains his mark of blending comedy into the proceedings.

The opening part of the film is a bit dragged with not much happening. The makers included a few good scenes in the first half. The temp picks up pre-interval and then the real banger is delivered with the interval portion. The interval block is top-notch with Rajini in full flow.

However, the post-interval scenes are not up to the mark. Right from the beginning to the end of the second half, the story feels a bit boring. The makers tried to generate hype by featuring Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar at the climax of the movie. However, the scenes failed to entertain the audience to the fullest. The emotional scenes between Rajinikanth and his son are not well established and they are not connected to the audience due to a weak story.

Anirudh is one of the main men of the show as he sets things ablaze in important sequences with high-pitched BGM. He uplifts the vibe with his energetic BGM. The visual presentation is also good, thanks to impressive work from the man behind the lend. The production values are top-notch, as one would expect from Sun TV Network.

What’s Hot?

• Rajini’s swag
• Interval block
• Anirudh’s BGM

What’s not?

• Attempt to include comedy in uncanny places
• Slow start
• Poor second half

Verdict: Jailer has its own share of bright moments and also dull blocks. But as a whole it is an avg watch for Rajini and other top cast. Nelson has wasted an golden oppurtunity by not concentrating on 2nd half.

Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.5/5