Cast: Vikram, Trisha, Prakash Raj, Raghuvaran, Ashish Vidhyarthi
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Director : Linguisamy
This is the biggie of Pongal 2008. Much delayed yet with high expectations, Bheema makes its way through as the front runner this festival season.
Surely expectations are bound to be sky high since this is Vikram's first release since 2005 when he gave us Anniyan and Majaa. Directed by hitmaker Linguisamy and produced by AM Ratnam, this one had been the one to sizzle the screen from day one!
Chinna (Prakashraj) is the goon with a gang of his own but more importantly with a heart of gold. And when a young Sekar comes up to join his gang, he immediately takes him in impressed with his actions. However there is more to it than what meets the eye. For Sekar is someone who grew up admiring Chinna and his deeds. Hence Sekar becomes the most trusted aide to Chinna and is ready to take on anyone for Sekar is all heart and brawns, a thug that has no match living up to the mythological character of Bheema.
Fearing the rise of this gang, their archrival Periyavar (Raghuvaran) and his sons try to stop them. But they only burn up their hands in the process. Even the new Commisioner in town (Ashish Vidhyarthi) unleashes his young rookie force to stop Sekar.
However Sekar cannot be stopped by anyone but himself. That is exactly what happens when he falls in love with a young girl (Trisha) and decides that he should now live a life retiring from the life of crime. However little does he know that he has started on a path where there is no turning back!
Let's accept it...this is the Tamil action potboiler that everyone has tried and everyone knows from start to finish. The story line is that vintage stuff and every director gives it a shot thinking he can still work magic and play to the hysterical fans.
It is unfortunate when film makers think of a novel idea, mostly the climax and then works out everything around it. That is exactly what has happened here. The makers have a rather interesting climax on hands that depict that character of such a Bheema like character, however they failed to bring it out convincingly with a gripping story.
The screenplay is entirely at fault here. Sekar pops up from nowhere to join a gang and he is taken into the gang without any questions. Then we are made to believe that this is a fast paced thriller with Sekar and the gang's growth shown in the first song itself. But that was a false promise, for then the story comes to a halt.
Then Trisha is added and a romantic plot is thrown in. Again without a motive or purpose, we are asked to believe that this college girl suddenly is all hearts for a thug she hardly knows. Several silly scenes later she is slapped by our hero.
Now throw in a rival gang in the form of Raghuvaran. They also turn out to be silly caricature of villains and simply not strong enough to battle with the might of Sekar. But the audiences are kept fed by countless examples of that with fight sequences one after the other.
Just when that gang is depleted and we begin to question the law and order of the city that Linguisamy is dealing with, the Police steps in and there we are handed the most atrocious of fight sequences in a public restroom.
Then all of a sudden our hero has a change of heart and starts pursuing his romantic angle and tries to woo the girl back and win her love.
The screenplay is outright silly and most importantly , hardly creative. The only novel aspect in the whole writing is the climax and for that we are forced to sit through the routine motions of action, song, action song with no emotional motive behind any actions. As a result the audiences do not get involved in the going ons.
Linguisamy should have tried to throw in something new instead of just going down the tried and tested lanes of RGV classics like SATYA or COMPANY. And what was that with Harris Jayaraj giving us those COMPANY soundtrack in the background. They could not create one of their own. The lack of creative inputs is clearly showing all throughout!
Vikram is able. Unlike other heroes, he took time off to look the part and makes Sekhar look convincingly menancing enough. However he seems more demi-god like with no opposition coming into the picture. But he should not have spent such a time of his life on this silly script. Prakash Raj puts a good effort in his usual style. Raghuvaran does a hamming act in a weak role of no substance. while Ashish Vidhyarthy is another victim of bad writing. Trisha is just there for the glamour quotient and to fill up the songs.
The songs by Harris Jayaraj might have been a hit but there is a deja vu feeling that runs through the soundtrack and the BGM. To make things worse, they just pop in to spoil the pace and some of the songs were absolutley not needed in the first place. Even the choreography left a lot to be desired.
Technically it is good as the whole team from KHAKAA KHAKAA has been roped in for this. The cinematography is good and most of the action sequences are well laid out except for the restroom one. That should have been flushed out!
Overall a disappointing flick. Despite a slick look, the script is so normal that it offers nothing new to the audiences. It is not a bad film, but it just ends up as as a platter of too much action, with no story to fall back on.
Vikram is the only reason why this movie needs to be checked out. Otherwise this is one disappointing action flick. MoviemagiK rates it 2.5/ 5
Pros: Vikram. Good action sequences. Good music from Harris Jayaraj
Cons: Age old plot. Cliche screenplay.
REDIFF seems to be all praise for it in the review though settles down for a pretty average rating of 2.5/5
BEHINDWOODS also gives it an average rating claiming too much action with too little story plays spoilsport! Another 2.5 rating.
However INDIAGLITZ seem to have enjoyed the flick to the fullest. They claim that it stay true to its name, Bheema is a power packed action entertainer.
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