BOTTOM LINE
Less Heart More Wonder
OUR RATING
3/5
CENSOR
‘U/A’ Certified, 2 hrs 26 mins
What Is the Film About?
As many have seen in the trailer, all the cell phones vanish into thin air and turn into a giant crow. Who is behind this and how Dr Vasikaran with the help of Chitti – The Robot saves the city and humanity is what the film is all about?
How Is Rajinikanth’s Performance?
As usual, and as expected, 2.0 is Superstar Rajinikanth show all the way. His entrance may be simple and casual, but he leaves the screens with a bang that is sure to reverberate among the audience’s mind.
There are the three variations on display like it was in Robo. There is the pure and, suggesting neutrality, Dr Vasikaran, then the good and bad Chitti – The Robot. The real crowd-pleasing moments arrive with the bad Chitti. Each little mannerism from this character is a delight for the fans and would be highly loved by the general audience. The special surprise will also be a treat.
If there is any disappointment, then it is the repetitiveness. We have seen it all before, only the dose here has been increased. Also, there has been a long gap of eight years so even if there is repeating the act, it shouldn’t be any hindrance in enjoyment.
Direction by Shankar?
Director Shankar reached a peak with Robo. In that film, he gave all that one expects from him in high and unexpected doses. It was a surprise that none saw coming. It therefore further raised the bar of entertainment and expectations from him. The follow-ups as a result, especially “I” did not reach those enormous expectations.
Embarking on the journey of 2.0 was, therefore, a huge challenge and task for Shankar. When one watches the movie, we realise the director has kept all the aspects in mind. He has blended those different elements, a social cause, visuals, fan-pleasing moments, and grandeur altogether without losing the balance.
To bring all the various elements together, the sacrifice has been made on the story part. It is relatively simple and predictable. To those who are following Shankar movies from the start, it would even appear formulaic as well. It is as if the director is going through the checklist. But, the talent of the director lies is making it work as a single piece.
2.0, right from the first frame gets going and never lets the audience’s attention slip. The screenplay is fast paced and free-flowing without any deviations, not even for songs which is a speciality of Shankar. It helps the narrative stick to the point, and the spectacle aspect too happens within the scope of the subject. The repetitiveness is again an issue here as well. The comedy is fused into the narrative rather than giving it separate space. The flashback is also neatly executed without much lag.
So one might ask where the issue is if at all there is one. The problem is in the emotional connect of the core concept. Everything seems to be done superficially and doesn’t feel organic. There is no heart-tugging moment like the previous social movies of Shankar evoked. The bird bringing the baby to life is an example of such a moment, but that is not followed, and hence the catharsis doesn’t connect. The final resolution, despite its grandness also lacks the heart. The emotional arc is a little let-down which brings the overall impact a notch down.
Overall, 2.0 is a very entertaining one time watch for sure. But the lack of heart and a weak emotional appeal of the central theme is what stops the movie from soaring to new heights. A visual spectacle no doubts, but lacking on the emotional appeal.
Amy Jacksonn and Others?
Akshay Kumar plays the antagonist in the movie. He is superb and the kind of anti-hero that audience usually like. The flashback part shows the star playing a character superbly highlighting his acting skills. The length is less which might be disappointing to a few, but otherwise, there is nothing to complain. Amy Jackson is the heroine of the movie for namesake. There is nothing to say about her performance wise. She is perfect for robotic expressions though. As there are no songs, there is nothing much to do for her too. Apart from them, there are no other memorable characters in the movie despite the presence of a few noticeable actors.
Music and Other Departments?
AR Rahman’s work is restricted to the background score. The best bits appear to be a rehash of the first part, and the rest is done in an international standard way with an orchestral sound. Unfortunately, the effect and experience may vary from theatre to theatre. So, it might appear underwhelming.
The other technical aspects of 2.0 are excellent from the entire team. The cinematography is neat. The editing is perfect with no lag for the most part. The real highlight though is the visual effects; they are extraordinary for Indian cinema. 2.0 takes the VFX to a never seen before levels and raises the bar for others who follow. It is this department that overshadows everything else.
Highlights?
Visual Effects
Grandeur Making
Message
Climax Surprise
Drawbacks?
Predictable Story
Missing Emotional Depth
Becomes Formulaic
Alternative Take
The core concept of negative energy has been handled in a very different manner in a small budgeted flick called Villa. Do check that out. It is an entirely different plot though.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
2.0 Movie Review by Siddartha
Final Report:
The second half maintains the momentum of the first half and keeps the narrative engaging despite a fairly predictable story. The special effects come into play here that are sure to take the breath away.
The climax takes the cake regarding imagination with Shankar totally hitting it out of the Park. 3.0 is sure to make fans and the audience crazy.
Overall 2.0 is a Good watch in cinemas undoubtedly. Visit back for our frank and review and rating soon.
– Chitti 3.0 has been introduced to take care of the crisis. The movie comes to an end. Final report shortly.
– The big scale stadium face off between Chitti and Pakshi is on. It’s time for heavy duty VFX.
– Rajinikanth dialogue: No.1 No.2 annee Papaayi aatalu I’m the only one, Super One.
– Pakshi (Akshay) becomes a huge negative force with all suffered birds and vows to take revenge on people for using cell phones. It’s Chitti versus Pakshi now.
– 2.0 second half started. Akshay as Pakshi Rajan struggling to stop cell phone towers and Mobile usage but no luck. He wants to protect the birds dying because of the cell phone radiation. He ended up commiting suicide.
First Half Report:
The first half of 2.0 has less fun than Robo (first part) but is nonetheless engaging. It is narrative based and Shankar gets right into the story from the first frame. The grandeur in making and suspense factor keep the interest alive.
The visual effects extravaganza is yet to begin. We get the first taste at the pre-interval mark (the bird). Surprisingly there are no songs at all so far. Overall, the first half is Good.
– “Chitti” is brought to handle the situation. Akshay’s face revealed. Interval. First half report shortly.
– Vaseegaran (Rajini) sees a huge force which is uprooting all Mobile towers in the City. Government decided to bring in Military despite Vaseegaran proposal of bringing in ‘Chitti The Robot’ back alive to handle the crisis.
– Vaseegaran (Rajini) started researching the mystery behind missing cell phones in the City. Meanwhile, all missing cell phones comeback and killed a mobile merchant.
– Shankar takes us right into the story without wasting anytime. Just like that, all Cell phones started flying away from people’s hands in the city. No one knows who is behind this.
– Is there any chance ‘Chitti’ will come back? Vaseegaran (Rajini) says if there is a need arises…hinting at ‘Chitti”s arrival in the future.
– Vaseegaran’s (Rajini) intro at his research office. He introduces his beautiful assistant Robot Vennela (Amy) to the Robotics college students.
– 2.0 show started, a film which has been talked about for a long time! Show opens on someone commiting suicide on a cell tower. The person could be Akshay but not revealed the face.
2.0 US Premier live updates will begin at 4.30 am IST (6 pm EST).
Preview: 2.0
The movie is right before us at the threshold and it’s up to the audiences to decide the fate of ‘2.0‘, the costliest movie ever made in India to date. After a series of postponements, the movie has finally arrived. Audiences are waiting to watch the magic Shankar has weaved with the Superstar at his behest.
Being the sequel of the blockbuster ‘Enthiran’, there are certain expectations on the movie and the hype on the movie is real and didn’t really go overboard for some reasons. Shankar’s last movie didn’t work well at the box-office. The superstar’s last two releases couldn’t live up to the hype. Still, the combo has that magic to pull crowds to the theatres.
It’s not the teaser or the trailer but the image of Rajini-Shankar duo did all the promotions for the film and hence, the curiosity on the movie has grown organically. The decent advance bookings are a result of this combo. Just decent openings will not be important for this movie as it is made with a budget of Rs. 510 crores plus. The talk from the openings needs to be terrific to recover all the costs of the movie.
The stage is perfectly set for the premiere shows and over-whelming collections from the premieres. The way Shankar dealt with the story he had at his disposal and the quality of the VFX works needed to give a believable experience to the audiences will be the deciding factors with regard to the box-office figures. Akshay Kumar as the villain, the heroine, music and other things will just add weight if the movie turns out to be worth watching.
Will Rajini-Shankar combo be able to entice the audiences with this outing? Did Bollywood star Akshay Kumar playing the villain help the movie big time? It’s time to know if or not India’s costliest movie has the stuff to turn a blockbuster. Stay tuned folks for ‘2.0’ genuine review from our michi9 team.
