'The Greatest of All Time' is directed by Venkat Prabhu and produced by AGS Entertainment. It was released in theatres today. Let's find out its review.
Story:
Gandhi, a seemingly ordinary travel agent, leads a double life as a member of the Anti-Terrorism Special Team, reporting to the RAW. His wife, Anu (Sneha), remains oblivious to his dangerous profession. When Gandhi is assigned a mission to Thailand, his pregnant wife senses his deception. To alleviate her suspicions, he brings their young son, Jeevan, along. Despite Anu's ignorance, Gandhi embarks on a perilous mission. However, the terrorist group he targets retaliates, leading to the tragic loss of Jeevan. Devastated by the betrayal and grief, Anu gives birth to a daughter and ultimately leaves Gandhi.
Years later, Gandhi, still serving his country in secret, is deployed to Europe. There, he encounters a young boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to his deceased son. Upon realizing that the boy is, in fact, Jeevan (Vijay, again), Gandhi brings him back home. However, this reunion marks the beginning of a new chapter filled with challenges and unexpected twists.
Performances:
Vijay's performance is just plain weak. Even when the going gets tough, he can't capture the pain and suffering Gandhi feels. Jeevan looks way too young - it's like they have turned back the clock too far. Perhaps, using the de-aging tech was not a smart idea. Mohan, the bad guy, is a total cardboard character.
'Jeans' fame Prashanth is way too dramatic, and Prabhu Deva is just plain. Jayaram is a superior at an anti-terrorist wing but his body language is that of a tourist. Yogi Babu is just meh; he is part of a track that is contrived. Sneha, as Gandhi's wife and Jeevan's mom, has no meaty role in the second half. Meenakshi Chaudhary as Jeevan's love interest is there just for a tasteless twist and a below-average song.
Technical Output:
Siddhartha Nuni's cinematography stands out. The editing by Venkat Raajen makes questionable choices. At least for the Telugu version, three songs ('Spark', 'Masthie' and 'Whistleaesko') must be chopped off. Vijay's dances are not gonna be missed by the audience here. Yuvan Shankar Raja fails to make a mark with his background score.
The action department marshals its resources fairly well. The locations and the heavy-duty scale of the combats make them watchable despite the lack of novelty.
Merits
1. The scale and ambition of the movie, amplified by the cinematography is a big plus.
2. The blending of a feverish cricket match with an action scene, at the level of idea, is impressive.
Demerits
1. The chase sequence in Bangkok in the first half is contrived. Why does Gandhi put the lives of his family members in danger by taking them along? There is no proper justification for it.
2. The combats are dull when the production values don't lift them up.
3. The emotional scenes just don't land. A hospital scene involving Gandhi and his wife should have been superb, but it feels cold.
4. The interval block should have been a sucker punch.
5. The track involving Yogi Babu leads to a whole stretch that should have been in a low-stakes crime thriller, not a Vijay movie made on a budget of Rs 380 crore
6. The father-son sentiment is dry and dreary. It is a failure of the writing department.
7. The screenplay is packed with silly coincidences. For example, Yogi Babu's character spotting Vaibhav's character in a cafe.
8. Baddies resorting to threatening by using the good guys' family members as a shield is an outdated idea this film resorts to quite a few times.
Vox Verdict:
A visually impressive but emotionally hollow spectacle, 'The GOAT' fails to ignite despite its ambitious premise.
Rating: 2
