Eli
has
released
in
more
than
250
screens
in
Tamil
Nadu
alone.
Being
a
Vadivelu's
flick,
the
movie
has
gathered
some
expectations.
Has
it
lived
up
to
it
though?
Find
out
by
reading
our
review.
Eli
Plot:
Eli
is
a
comical
spy
thriller
which
has
Vadivelu
playing
a
petty
thief.
When
the
menace
of
a
dreaded
gang
gets
out
of
control,
the
police
department
is
left
with
no
choice
but
to
send
an
'eli'(rat)
to
nab
the
head
of
the
gang.
What
follows
is
a
series
of
action
sequences
inspired
by
Jackie
Chan
movies
coupled
with
clichéd
Vadivelu
comedies
that
moves
at
snail's
pace.
Whether
or
not
he
is
successful
in
his
mission
forms
the
rest
of
the
story
which
appears
to
be
a
mere
formality.
Performances:
As
expected,
Vadivelu
impresses
with
his
comical
expressions
but
his
performance
doesn't
have
a
platform
to
elevate
itself
and
thus
falls
flat.
Sadha
who
plays
the
female
lead,
do
not
have
much
of
a
screen
space
barring
a
couple
of
songs
(which
acts
as
a
speed
breaker
to
an
already
slow
moving
movie).
Pradeep
Rawat,
who
has
played
the
main
antagonist
is
the
only
saving
grace
Eli
has
in
its
performance
department.
Technicalities:
Both
the
first
as
well
as
second
half
is
way
too
slow
paced
to
one's
liking
as
even
Vadivelu's
charm
fails
to
keep
Eli
alive
throughout.
Paul
Livingstone,
the
cinematographer,
has
managed
to
capture
the
essence
of
60s
giving
the
film
a
retro
look.
His
choice
of
colours
though
are
poor
as
it
fails
to
connect
with
the
soul
of
his
camerawork.
At
2
hours
and
40
minutes,
Eli
could've
done
with
many
more
cuts.
It
comes
as
a
surprise
when
an
editor
like
VT
Vijayan
along
with
TS
Jay
fails
to
deliver
which
is
a
rarity.
Vidyasagar's
background
score
is
apt
for
a
movie
like
Eli,
his
songs
though
are
unbearable.
Usage
of
the
Hindi
classic
'Meri
Sapno
ki'
is
inappropriate.
Overall
View:
With
Vadivelu's
comedies
working
only
in
parts,
Eli
is
way
too
slow
paced
that
fails
to
impress
and
has
nothing
new
to
offer.
Check
out
some
of
the
interesting
stills
from
Eli
in
the
slides
below:
Vadivelu
The
Small
Time
Thief
Vadivelu's
talent
has
been
misused
in
Eli.
Being
such
a
talented
actor
that
he
is,
he
should
put
extra
efforts
in
choosing
his
scripts,
one
might
feel.
Stunt
Sequences
Vadivelu,
for
the
first
time,
has
tried
his
hand
at
stunt
sequences
which
he
has
executed
in
a
decent
manner.
Losing
His
Charm?
Once
a
mainstay
comedian
of
Tamil
cinema,
Vadivelu
movies
have
not
worked
the
way
he
would've
wished
since
his
comeback.
Better
Off
As
A
Comedian?
Perhaps,
the
'Vaigai
Puyal'
of
Kollywood
needs
to
make
a
decision
on
his
role
from
here
on.
If
he
decides
to
continue
doing
lead
roles
then
his
selection
of
scripts
needs
a
major
rethink.
Vadivelu
With
His
Sidekicks
Vadivelu
had
earlier
said
that
the
inspiration
for
the
film's
title
came
from
the
repeated
usage
of
the
word
"rat",
which
is
a
term
used
to
denote
a
spy,
in
the
Martin
Scorsese
film
The
Departed.
Vadivelu
Performing
A
Stunt
Principal
photography
commenced
with
the
filming
of
a
song
sequence
on
the
outskirts
of
the
city.
A
stunt
sequence
was
shot
at
a
specially
erected
set
in
early
April
2015
over
a
period
of
eight
days.
Job
Well
Done
By
Thotta
Tharani
Among
the
very
minimal
positives
the
movie
has,
sets
erected
by
Thotta
Tharani
stands
out.
Not
A
Fun
Riot
Throughout
Eli
was
expected
to
be
an
out
and
out
comedy
entertainer.
Though
the
film
has
its
comedy
sequences,
the
problem
erupts
when
only
few
of
those
comedy
tracks
make
the
audience
laugh.
Cliched
Vadivelu
Comedies
Many
of
the
comedy
sequences
are
cliched
in
the
movie
as
mentioned
before.
The
movie
also
gives
us
the
impression
that
it's
been
made
only
for
diehard
Vadivelu
fans.
Will
It
Achieve
Box
Office
Success?
It
is
to
be
seen
if
the
movie
can
achieve
box
office
success
which
looks
like
highly
improbable.