‘The Greatest of All Time’ Movie Review: Thalapathy Vijay Experiments With ‘Shades’ in Venkat Prabhu’s Wildly Faltering Fan-Tribute (LatestLY Exclusive)

The Greatest of All Time Movie Review: Venkat Prabhu is a hit-or-miss director. While he doesn't stick to one genre, his films land on either side of the thin line of movie acceptance. For every Chennai 600028, Saroja, and Maanaadu that were enjoyable entertainers, there’s a Biriyani, Massu, and Custody that feel utter disappointments. Unfortunately for Thalapathy Vijay, his first—and perhaps only—collaboration with the director falls into the latter camp. The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) is clearly a fanboy tribute to Vijay as he is poised to bid farewell to cinema and enter politics. It’s also a tribute to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and 'Thala' MS Dhoni. However, the fanboying often compromises the film’s editing and screenplay, and in the end, the movie itself. ‘The Greatest of All Time’: Thalapathy Vijay Fans Await Patiently Outside Chennai Theatre To Watch ‘The GOAT’ Movie (Watch Video).

The Greatest of All Time begins in 2008. Gandhi (Vijay) is an officer in the Special Anti-Terrorist Squad (SATS), led by Nazeer (Jayaram). Sunil (Prashanth), Kalyan (Prabhu Deva), and Ajay (Ajmal Ameer) are his colleagues. Gandhi keeps his pregnant wife (Sneha) in the dark about his job, and to allay her suspicions that he’s having an affair, he takes her and their young son, Jeevan, to Thailand, where his next mission awaits.

Watch the Trailer of 'The Greatest of All Time':

Things go awry in Thailand when the family is ambushed after his mission. His son is kidnapped and later presumed killed in an accident, leading to the breakdown of Gandhi's marriage. Years later, Gandhi, now transferred to an embassy post, is sent on an assignment to Russia, where he comes face-to-face with a young man who looks like him. The young man turns out to be his presumed dead son, bringing joy to Gandhi and his family. But there’s more to Jeevan than meets the eye.

'The Greatest of All Time' Movie Review - Inconsistent Screenplay and Technical Values

The Greatest of All Time opens with an exhilarating action scene on a train in Kenya. Reflecting on it now, I realise it hinted at how the rest of the movie would unfold. There's scale and ambition, but the technical finesse doesn't match the movie's ambition. The green screens are obvious, and the action choreography is lacklustre. A note to Tamil filmmakers—just because you have the technology to digitally recreate deceased actors doesn’t mean you should. If Shankar’s digital recreation of the late Nedumudi Venu in Indian 2 felt cringe, the opening scene of GOAT bringing back 'Vijaykanth' looks even worse.

Thalapathy Vijay establishes his energetic form in the opening sequence, and thankfully, he maintains that energy throughout the movie, even as the film crumbles around him.

The first half of GOAT is decent. The family scenes involving Sneha are well-handled, and a comic moment with a bookshelf hiding a secret room had me in stitches. Unfortunately, Venkat Prabhu doesn't include more such comedic bits, although the Yogi Babu scene in the second half involving 'Gandhi', 'Bose', and 'Nehru' was amusing. The dramatic turn in the first half, with Jeevan's abduction and presumed death, is well-executed. However, the film could have toned down the fourth-wall breaks, which are clearly meant to excite fans but become tiresome after the first couple of instances.

When GOAT jumps forward in time and introduces the younger Vijay, I expected the film to go all-out bonkers. The de-ageing effects on Vijay look good, though the goatee makes him appear odd. Sadly, the family reunion scenes slow down the pacing. A major twist occurs just before the interval, but it feels drawn out, thanks to the preceding action scene. Besides, you can see the twist coming from miles away.

'The Greatest of All Time' Movie Review - Twisty Second Half That Goes Overboard

I can't delve too deeply into the second half without revealing spoilers, so I’ll keep it vague. After the interval, GOAT promises to ramp up the thrills and deliver more 'Vijay & Vijay' moments. There are some gripping scenes, like when Gandhi and Ajay search for Nazeer's missing phone in a hotel. However, the film also drags out certain sequences and inserts unnecessary songs, like the "Spark" song, which kills the impact of the preceding scene. Also, while I understand that Jeevan is a younger character, it’s hard to overlook the awkwardness when 50-year-old Vijay is paired with Meenakshi Chaudhary, who’s clearly in her 20s. Adding a needless kissing scene only makes it worse. ‘The Greatest of All Time’: ‘Is That You, Amal Davis?’ Fans Hilariously Compare Thalapathy Vijay’s Goatee Look From ‘Spark’ Song With Sangeeth Prathap’s ‘Premalu’ Character.

When Jeevan’s true intentions are revealed, GOAT throws in a couple of 'gotcha' twists, including the reveal of a backstabber and Gandhi's convenient master plan. They simply pass muster. The finale sees Venkat Prabhu dialling up his CSK fanboying to the max, with a terrorist attack being planned at Chepauk Stadium during a CSK vs Mumbai Indians match. Aside from a few of Vijay’s mass moments, the whole sequence feels overlong and tiresome, with poor VFX and a dull hero-villain faceoff, all while toasting Dhoni. Oh, and there’s a forced star cameo in this sequence, but it wasn’t as funny as it was meant to be.

Venkat Prabhu has executed some scenes well, but the editing and the writing often let the movie down, reducing it to a standard-fare action-drama that brings back old father-son face-off drama. The smartness that we have seen in some of his movies like Maanaadu, for example, is clearly missing here.

'The Greatest of All Time' Movie Review - Vijay Double Bonanza

Ultimately, GOAT works to some extent because of Vijay’s double act. I won’t say it’s his best performance, but he’s in great form here, bringing plenty of zing and energy to both roles. His dance moves, particularly in the "Matta" song, are a treat to watch (though Yuvan Shankar Raja's music was otherwise disappointing). As Gandhi, Vijay is in a similar zone to his role in the (much better) Leo, while as Jeevan, he explores shades he hasn’t tried before. Unfortunately, Venkat Prabhu handled similar shades much better with another superstar in a film that, though average, was elevated by the actor's negative role.

Among the supporting cast, Jayaram, Prashanth, and Prabhu Deva stand out. Prashanth especially gets a couple of emotional scenes in the second half where he does a commendable job. Sneha has little to do in the latter half of the film.

Mohan, as the antagonist, fails to make an impact, and his villainous plan to ruin Gandhi feels silly and contrived, like something from a ’70s movie. Venkat Prabhu also brings in some of his favourite actors, like his younger brother Premgi Amaren, Vaibhav, Aravind Akash, and Ajay Raj. While Premgi is annoying in his few scenes, the others are just about passable.

'The Greatest of All Time' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

The Greatest of All Time is a film that will likely divide the viewers. Thalapathy Vijay delivers an energetic performance, and his double act is one of the few saving graces. Venkat Prabhu’s fan service, however, often overshadows the narrative, and the film’s pacing and technical inconsistencies weigh it down. The Thalapathy, CSK and Dhoni tributes may delight die-hard fans, but for those seeking a solid thriller, GOAT ends up being more style than substance.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2024 10:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).