2.0 (2018)
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| Critic - No.163 |
Director: Shankar
Casts: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson
Language: Tamil
Genre: Action / Sci-Fi
Music: A.R.Rahman
SYNOPSIS:
Vaseegaran (Rajnikanth) reassembles Chitti to fight an undefined fifth force that is wiping out mobile phones of the people in Tamil Nadu.
REVIEW:
After delivering a memorable sci-fi flick, Endhiran (2010), Shankar started works on the sequel in 2014. After a whirlwind of problems, 2.0 (2018) has finally seen the light. As the most expensive Indian film ever made, does 2.0 delivers what it has promised?
From the word go, the film jumps into establishing the death of an old man who commits suicide in a signal tower. Subsequently, mobile phones are being pulled away from the common people and Vaseegaran gets involved with the ministry to solve this unknown phenomena. From the trailer, we would have guessed the entire story and more less, 2.0 gives us what we expect in terms of story and much much more in terms of visuals.
We are aware that this film is about the clash between the birdman (Pakshi Rajan) and 2.0/Chitti. But the layers of action Shankar has designed and executed are numerous. The film has a few scenes of Shankar’s famous flashback/revenge templates but again, it is tastefully injected. Even though it might not be as emotionally striking as his previous films, the social responsibility Shankar carries in all his visual extravaganzas are commendable. The issue is quite unique and shocking too. I will not touch deeper into the core issue dealt but again Shankar points the fingers at the government and the negligence of common people. And yes, the topic makes me re-think about my over usage of mobile phones.
Some might say that Shankar films are dropping in terms of story due to the absence of Sujatha. I agree, but in my stand, we shouldn’t compare a current product to the filmmaker’s previous films and respect their attempt to reinvent them self. They should be given a space to explore and experiment as much as the newbies.
That said, Shankar moves his screenplay in jet speed and his action set pieces get more intense gradually. Resul Pookuty’s detailed machine sound effects and A.R.Rahman’s electrifying BGM aids them greatly. Shankar also injects a little cute surprise at the end that will make you leave the cinema with a smile. Thank God, ‘Endhira Logathu’ song comes in the credit song that feels like a sweet closure to the film compared to a common decision to force fit inside the narrative.
Nirav Shah’s polished camera work gives a rich look to the film. In contrary to other Shankar films, Editor Anthony leaves no excessive shots and makes this the crispest film of the filmmaker.
Super Star Rajini oozes with energy and continues his 43 years streak of entertaining the masses, quite successfully. He shows great variance in body language between all his avatars. 2.0 rocks with wittiness with lines like ‘sudunga da antha kuruviye’ – ‘shoot that bird down, guys!’. Akshay Kumar as Pakshi Rajan goes even deeper in acting as an older man convincingly and also carrying many avatars that require hours of makeup and heavy suits. It take a lot for a big hero to come down and act in a negative role that appears just before the interval. This shows how much Akshay believes Shankar’s vision and respect Rajini.
Amy Jackson fits perfectly as Nila, the robot that comes by mostly at pivotal action scenes and some light hearted moments at 1st half, with a straight expression. Other supporting casts such as Mayilsamy and Sudhanshu Pandey are just about okay in their limited roles. The latter who comes as Dr Bohra’s son is completely wasted and is written very thinly.
On the flip side, the 1st half of the film has too much scenes of the mobile phone disappearance that will literally test the patience of the audience. The set up to get to the main conflict looks stretched. However, the action and visual effects keeps us engaged when this happens. The film also has a few sequences like Bohra stealing the neutralised energy and Vaseegaran stealing Chitti that are too conveniently executed without any imaginative or logical challenges.
That said, Shankar doesn’t give us any time to notice and reflect on the flaws. He keeps us engaged with world class visual effects and never seen before visuals for an Indian film. In fact certain sequences have the ability to stand on par with Hollywood blockbusters. 2.0 might not have the strongest of writing but definitely has a message to take away and some kick ass visuals to drool on.
VERDICT:
With a much simpler story this time, Shankar goes
all out to deliver a grand visual extravaganza that will mark an important pinnacle
in the history of Indian Cinema.
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