Thunivu Movie Review: 'Thala' Ajith Kumar and Manju Warrier's 'Money Heist' is a Cumbersome Long Con! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Thunivu Movie Review: One of my favourite Ajith performances is his negative turn in Mankatha. While I am no big fan of the Venkat Prabhu film, Ajith's unapologetic 'villain' role was quite fun to watch and so I was anticipating a similar fun negative turn in his latest film, Thunivu, made by H Vinoth. Even if I was mighty disappointed with Ajith's last film with the same director, Valimai. Thunivu isn't bad as Valimai, but, unfortunately it isn't that good either. Thunivu: 19-Year-Old Boy Falls From Tanker Lorry to Death Near Rohini Theater in Chennai While Celebrating Release Of Ajith Kumar's Movie.

A group of thieves try to rob a bank called Your Bank in Chennai. They are aided by a corrupt cop Ramachandran (Ajay) who promises them loot worth Rs 500 crore. But once they get in and having taking the people inside as hostages, the thieves are upstaged by another set of thieves, led by a mysterious man (Ajith). He is also there in to steal the money, only that the amount is much, much higher. He seems to have eyes and ears everywhere, and knows every movie of the cops stationed outside, and what's more, the police are clueless as to about his escape plan. Thanks to the voice-changer that he uses to mask his voice, the media dubs him 'Michael Jackson'.

So who is this crazy criminal mastermind and what's his endgame? Well, Thunivu answers those questions in its frustratingly long runtime, with two  boring flashbacks and massaging the same with a pertinent social message about how private banks are fleecing the poor customers and running scams in crores.

Watch the Trailer of Thunivu here:

One thing I liked better about Thunivu which I found missing in Valimai, is that Ajith at least is not looking stiff here, and is having fun with the role. From his manic grin to waltzing around the bank corridors cradling a gun in his hand, Ajith gives a wicked charisma to his bad act. Even his intro scene is quite kickass. Once we settle in on his crazy attitude and are ready to understand his operation is where Thunivu refuses to cooperate with us. Valimai Movie Review: While Ajith Kumar’s Action-Thriller Is a Major Drag, the Stunt Performers Deserve Praise.

The first half is the whole heist setup, that indulges in double crosses and more double crosses, with each character - save for Samuthirakani's honest DGP Dayalan - having some shady intention or the other. Nefarious plans are unraveled and new villains are revealed, but the film is so invested in Ajith's antics that it tests our patience in wanting to know where the heist is headed. From comic interludes to frenzied shootout scenes where bullets fly around (but are careful enough to only injure people and not outright kill them), the first half focuses on making Thunivu a slick action thriller. Which could have worked, if the editing was tighter and the direction wasn't so flat.

Still the interval block felt interesting, and the second half promised mega revelations of both the protagonist's intentions and motivations. However, it is this part of the movie where Thunivu suffers the most narrative-wise. The protagonist who calls him the 'Devil', offers a flashback behind his anger, exposes the real villain, and get him trapped. Varisu Movie Review: Thalapathy Vijay's Infallible Energy Isn't Enough To Save This Cliche-Ridden Family Entertainer.

I thought, 'Cool, it's over. No Dog Day Afternoon or Aankhen this is, but that looked decent'. It's here where Thunivu jumped on me screaming 'Gotcha!' as it sets up another rambling flashback which comes with a social message about the evils of banks, before getting into more slomo shots of people being blasted off their feet. From thereon, the movie shifts action from the bank to the open sea, that leads to a mindless chase scenes. How the protagonist(s) escape from these tight situations with such ease... never ask that...

Look, somewhere in Thunivu, I believe there might have a smart heist thriller with a pertinent social narrative, sharp satire and black humour. I saw glimpses of these ideas in the film, like a street-smart veteran (and creepy) reporter using the robbery to make money for himself. Or Devil's questioning of the villains on Live TV while exposing the scams of the banks. However, the writing is not interested in indulging in anything that requires you to use your brains, and most of the characters, including the lead, feel fluff.

But by the time the movie reveals its noble heart, it feels too late, too little to care for any of what is happening on screen. Unless you are a Manju Warrier fan and you wonder what made her take on such a thankless role, where the only enticing aspect is she gets to hold different types of ammunition (no pun intended here).

Final Thoughts

Slightly better than Valimai but nowhere as good as Mankatha (which itself holds no high bar) is what I can best describe for Thunivu. While Ajith is having mad fun with his role, Thunivu tests your patience with its blunt writing, uninventive execution and in its struggle to not know where and how to end.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 11, 2023 08:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).