Billa 2

My review : Billa 2

"All style , no substance " was the most common view for Vishuvardhan's "Billa" when it got released but it got away in the Box-Office by reaping heavy returns. Once reprieved the production house & its leading star Ajithkumar have tried to milk it once more. But with a weaker script & poorer characterization "Billa 2 " vouched as a prequel to the former falls way short. That the makers have failed to make sure that atleast the lead two of the script Billa & his aide Ranjith to look younger is only a starting point of many careless shortcomings this movie is replete with. (May be they should tried showing things like both these undergoing cosmetic surgery to look as sauve & stylish as they did in "Billa" in the end titles...!!)

The movie starts of promisingly & first half an hour is riveting. Once the movie shifts to Goa it looses control & disoriented. That one must not look into logic in these kinds of movies is all said & done but  there 3 or 4 sequences which would make even the youngest of movie watchers to laugh out loud in their seats. Goa CM murder , rescuing heroine from the kidnappers, smuggling arms consignment unscathed albiet after being surrounded by coastal guards are a few. In the climax when one see Ajithkumar & Yog Jaypee running around the arms mafia's factory with their guns , one feel sorry for them for they have been taken for a royal ride by the writers of the movie.

Ajithkumar is an enigma. Time & again he has come out with a very good movie followed by most pathetic ones. It makes one wonder whether he chooses script by picking from a  lot or what. He looks old & apathetic sans any enthusiasm one saw in his previous flick "Mangatha". Among others Yog Jaypee & Vidyut Jamwal have done their parts sincerely. Both the ladies in the movie Parvathy & Bruna Abdullah lack even faintest of acting talent & not that they look good either. 


Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score is average & one do get tired of hearing the same music again and again though it is nice to hear. "Unakulle Mirugam" is a nice song & shot well. "Gangster" is another nice number but relegated to the end credits sadly.


Among the few brighter spots of the movie R.D.Rajasekhar's cinematography is one. Cinematography is awesome & on par with any international standards. Color tone used adds to the feel of a prequel in stark contrast to the bluish tone of "Billa". 


Chakri Toletti does show some promise with his stylish picturization of many sequences especially "Unakullae Mirugam " song as well as the first 30 minutes of the movie. But after that he looses it & movie becomes directionless & amateurish at many places. That the story & screenplay is very weak makes things worse. Dialogues by Era Murugan sparkles but after a point too much of punch dialogues makes one cringe. 


On the whole , "Billa 2 " does try to have all the ingredients needed for a mass masala movie like Punch dialogues, item numbers , numerous over the top action sequences , logic-less sequences, super human hero & ever faltering villains but the mix is not in proper proportions. As a result it leaves a bad taste.


Bottomline : Stale beer in a fancy carton
 

2/5




 

Naan ee

My review : Naan ee

                                                                                

Right at the beginning Rajmouli is clever in inserting a conversation between a father telling a bed time story to his daughter in the background of the titles. It in a way prepares the audience for the rest of the movie . To enjoy this movie one has to go to the level of that daughter to whom her father is supposed to be telling this story. If one watches by that mindset then S.S.Rajmouli's "Naan ee" would be a joyride , else it would be silly & juvenile.

Movie's story is nothing new but rehash all those Vittalacharya movies of the 70's (which too finds passing reference in the movie ) but the intelligence of the writer does make the viewer to sit up & take notice. It would have been a ridiculous idea when one thinks of a house fly taking revenge against a very powerful villain. But the manner in which Rajmouli has think about it & executed the same deserves kudos. 

The professional manner in which the director has gone about the fantasy idea like this is what the movie click with even the hardened of critics. In the era in which movies of even the most powerful of heroes are criticized & rejected for lack of logic & over the top action sequences , everyone end up rooting for the house fly as it takes Sudeep to task albeit with extra dose of humor but nonetheless with logic in place. 

First half is good especially the last 30 minutes once the fly makes its entry. Romantic episode is average not that interesting with banal situations & dialogues. But once the fly makes it entry & upto the interval block makes for one of the most engrossing sequence in recent times. The second half however becomes more kiddish with ridiculousness brought into the forefront in the form of fly getting a goggle , mask & doing weight training...sigh!! However movie gather steam in the last 15 minutes & ends with a bang.

Sudeep as the powerful antagonist has done a decent job. Notwithstanding his over the top yelling in the second half the manner in which he effortlessly bring in evilness into his demeanor is excellent. Naani has nothing much to do. Samantha looks pretty ordinary in most of the scenes though her acting skills have improved.

Santhanam makes a "guest " appearance but that one scene where he misunderstands Samantha is in love with him is damn hilarious. 

"Crazy" Mohan seem to have lost his touch. Except for the sequence in the end in which he comes no where does  one feel the "Crazy " trademark.

Technically the movie is good. VFX is okayish. In some sequence they are very good & in many other bit ordinary. K.K.Senthil Kumar's cinematography is good but not upto his "Magadheera" standards (more to do with budgetary constraints I believe)

M.M.Keeravani's music & background score are pretty much routine.

On the whole , "Naan ee" is yet another example of why S.S.Rajamouli is considered by many as the master entertainer in the south Indian movie circles. Go for it with a childish enthusiasm & mind , you would sure enjoy it.

Bottomline : Buzzing

3.5/5