The most-awaited Kannada entertainer The Villain has finally made it to the screens after two long years. But is it worth the hype?
Ramayya (Shivarajkumar) is looking for a mystery man, so is the police department. We are later introduced to India’s most wanted criminal Kaizen Ram (Sudeep), who is now on his way to conquer the London underworld. Twists and turns reveal that Kaizen Ram is not just one person but two - Kaizen and Ram. Who is the other villain? Who is Ram and why is Ramayya is looking for him? This forms the crux of the plot. Also, there are no Ram vs Raavan sequences, as advertised by the makers.
Though the movie claims to be an outright action flick, a love story and mother sentiment are badly thrust into the script. Amy Jackson has less screen space than the action sequences in the film. In the 2-and-a-half hour-long film, Amy gets 20 plus minutes, including songs. Though much was made out of the fact that Shivarajkumar and Sudeep will be sharing screen space for the first time, they are seen together for just 15 minutes.
Veteran Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborthy, in a blink-and--miss role, was a total waste of character. He plays senior police officer Bramhavaram, Amy Jackson’s father, who plots with his daughter to capture Ram. Amy Jackson is the lead woman actor, who has no name. Except for one reference during a fake play as Sita, Amy never gets called by her name nor does her character have any depth.
Shivarajkumar as Ramayya, who is from a village, is apt for the part. We are often reminded of his trendsetting roles, Jogi and Jogayya, in the first half. Sudeep, on the other hand, with his unique hairstyles, steals the show. His screen time overpowers Shivarajkumar’s and this may not go down well with the Century Star’s fans. Sudeep has excelled in his role as villain.
Director Prem has to really get out of the ‘blending mother sentiment into every film’ mentality and come up with ideas that sync with new age movies. Action boiling down to mother sentiment has been his mantra for almost 15 years now and he has repeated it with new and familiar faces. The hour-long VFX, claimed by the director, does not reflect very well on the screen. Every VFX scene has a flock of white birds flying across the screen, which is an eyesore.
Arjun Janya’s background music is the highlight of the film. Be it 'Rana Rana Ravanaa' or the other songs, he has excelled in experimenting with the compositions. The remix track 'Tick Tick Tick' from thespian Dr. Rajkumar’s movie and 'Nodivalandava' (based on a popular folk song) and 'Love Agoyte' are shot well. However, Prem deserves credit for a few aerial shots in India and London and action sequences, especially chasing scenes, which are captured beautifully. As for the film, it is just another Jogi, Jogayya with new faces and better action sequences. Watch it only for Sudeep.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.