BOTTOM LINE
Puli curse continues.
OUR RATING
2/5
CENSOR
“U” Certified, 154 Mins.
What is the film about?
Puli is a fantasy flick where the hero has to save the love of his life and the village from the clutches of evil in a land far far away.
How is Vijay’s performance?
The public larger than life image of Vijay suits the character in the film but when it comes to onscreen the star doesn’t have the required acting chops to pull off such heavy duty character. It takes a director with great talent to perfectly present the star in right proportions highlighting his strengths. Unfortunately Chimbu Devan is not that director and he exposes the star in important moments. Vijay is good in the light romantic and comic portions along with dances but when it comes to serious epic registers he fails. The flashback role is a joke.
Direction By Chimbu Devan?
The failure of Puli squarely lies on direction by Chimbu Devan. It is okay when the director previously made period pieces in spoof tones with Vadivelu or Raghava Lawrence but when one deals with a huge star like Vijay the dynamics are to be handled differently. In Puli, Chimbu Devan goes about the proceedings without accounting for the star factor or the wow factor which makes the narrative weak. Add to it the poor comedy and weak and predictable story. What we get in the end is a flimsy fantasy flick lacking any emotion and wonderment just going about its way ticking off usual genre clichés.
Shruthi Hassan, Hansika and other artists?
On paper there are number of known faces like heroines Shruti Haasan and Hansika and renowned actors known for their performances like Sridevi and Sudeep. The former two heroines have nothing really to do except fall for hero and used as props in songs. The latter two are better in comparison in terms of their roles but they too are presented one dimensionally without any scope to perform and hence fail to make any impact. Prabhu and Naren are wasted whereas comedians waste big chunk of narrative.
Music and other departments?
Music by Devi Sri Prasad is a disappointment, be it in terms of songs or the background score. Cinematography is good when seen in isolation from the vfx. Visuals effects are mixed bag with some landscape shots looking good but when it matters they stick out sorely. Art work is good for the sets. Dialogues are poor.
Highlights?
Few visual effects sequence.
Couple of songs.
Sudeep.
Drawbacks?
Predictable and bad screenplay.
Direction.
Second half.
Alternative Take
The screenplay of the film had right ingredients, as mentioned above it ticks of the boxes that we usually see in folklore fantasy kind of flicks but they fail to engage at any point. Cutting down on all the silly comic sequences and focusing on the main theme with more story and involvement of “Bhetals” and mystical aspect would make for a better alternative take on the film.
Did I enjoy it?
No.
Will you recommend it?
No.
Puli Review by Siddhartha
