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CBI 5 The Brain Movie Review: Sethurama Iyer And His Old World Charm Works Again!
CBI 5: The Brain, the most-awaited 5th installment of the CBI Series is finally here. Mammootty is playing the iconic character Sethurama Iyer once again in CBI 5: The Brain, which is written by SN Swamy and helmed by K Madhu. The investigation thriller also marked the comeback of veteran actor Jagathy Sreekumar to the silver screen, after a very long gap.
*NO SPOILERS*
What's Yay:
Mammootty
Jagathy Sreekumar & his portions
Writing and making for most of the runtime
Background score
What's Nay:
Lukewarm climax
Forgotten characters and loose ends
Casting (female characters)
Story
CBI officer Balagopal (Renji Panicker) narrates the story of one of the most difficult murder investigations of his career, in an interactive session with a batch of IPS freshers. The series of murders, which was named 'basket killings' was investigated by the CBI team headed by Sethurama Iyer (Mammootty). How Iyer and his team solved the case and unmasked the truth forms the crux of CBI 5: The Brain.
Script & Direction
K Madhu and SN Swamy, the writer-director duo have created the 5th installment that keeps the essence of the first four parts of the CBI franchise intact. The engaging first half which creates an effective build-up is followed by an equally interesting second half, that keeps the audience hooked to the screen for most of its parts.
Even though there are moments where the writer-director duo loses their grip over the storytelling, the narrative is back to form the next minute. The director and writer have used the nostalgia factors to the fullest, thus making the film a memorable experience for the audience who are familiar with the franchise.
However, the lukewarm climax might not satisfy the viewers, who had high expectations after all the build-ups. Even though the climax twist is good, it could've been staged much more effectively. Notably, several characters who are introduced in the first half of the film are eventually forgotten, thus leaving many loose ends. Also, the casting of some of the female characters doesn't make sense.
Performances
Mammootty, as always looks majestic as Sethurama Iyer. The megastar once again proves how consistent he is as an actor, by recreating the mannerisms and body language of Sethurama Iyer to near perfection. With the signature walking style and Tamil Brahmin slang in dialogues, Iyer still possesses the same old aura when he appears for the fifth time on the silver screen.
Jagathy Sreekumar makes a special appearance and gets the perfect tribute he deserves. His character Vikram is not included just for the nostalgia factor but plays an important part in the narrative. Saikumar once again shines as Sathyadas, the senior police officer who is corrupted to the core. The rest of the star cast, including Mukesh, Renji Panicker, Anoop Menon, Soubin Shahir, Kottayam Ramesh, Sudev Nair, Ramesh Pisharody, Asha Sarath, Kaniha, Ansiba Hassan, and others are good in their respective roles.
Technical Aspects
Akhil George, the DOP, scores with the decent visualisation of the film. A Sreekar Prasad's editing makes CBI 5: The Brain an engaging watch. The production design team deserves a special mention for their great effort.
However, it is the music composed by Jakes Bejoy that becomes the heart and soul of CBI 5: The Brain. The iconic CBI theme music is recreated in the best way possible, along with the impressive original score.
Verdict
CBI 5: The Brain stays true to the essence of its previous installments with the treatment and making. This Mammootty-starrer might not have the wow factor of a modern thriller, but its old-world charm clearly works for the audience who love the CBI films and Sethurama Iyer.
