Kaappaan Movie Review: Racy & Entertaining Despite Mediocre Writing!

KV Anand's knack to carve entertainers embellished with social messages is known to all. There were many reasons to get excited when we got to know that Kaappaan is on its way; a film that narrates the story of SPG commandos. With Suriya and Mohanlal in the lead star cast, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a strong film that would stand the test of time. Has Kaappaan lived up to the expectations? Read our take on the movie to get answers about this.

Plot

Prime Minister Chandrakanth Verma's life is in danger with serious threats looming over his head. Enter Kathir, who is an SPG Commando, assigned to protect the PM. Will he be able to save the PM's life? Kaappaan revolves around this and more.

Screenplay & Direction

Every film of KV Anand's, proves why he is one of the most vigilant and socially-committed filmmakers around. The minute nuances and detailing in Kaappaan do talk about the extensive research that he has done for this movie. Be it the life of SPG commandos or some of the core social issues addressed in the film; he has tried to delve into each matter convincingly.

It is interesting to see how Suriya's character has been developed in the initial phases of the film and that too in a parallel narrative. The chemistry between PM and Kathir also has been tracked pretty well, which is essential for the narrative. In the first half, the proceedings are interesting even though the romantic track between Suriya And Sayyesha looked entirely out of context and jaded.

We have too many characters in the film over which the suspense factor revolves and such a placing has helped in increasing curiosity. But, some of the characters have been added just for the sake of it.

However, in the second half of the film, where the film's narrative takes a sharp turn after the interval, the writer in KV Anand, tries to infuse a whole lot of elements, including too many social issues, which is beyond the scope of the film. Too much of information does spoil the proceedings of the film, which affects the runtime of the movie as such.

Interestingly, KV Anand, the director, overcomes the writing flaws, up to an extent. KV Anand manages to strike a balance by infusing those solid action sequences. He has packaged the film in a racy manner, which doesn't allow the audiences to think much and thus skates away from the logical questions. He has also enveloped the twists in store in an exciting manner, even though one would feel that they were pretty predictable on second thoughts.

Performances

Suriya looks stylish, sophisticated, and super confident as the lead character, who is on a mission. It is a multi-layered role, and the ever-dependable actor makes a considerable mark. It is always a treat to see this man in well-choreographed action sequences, and Kaappaan has many such sequences. Mohanlal steals the show with his portrayal as PM Chandrakanth Verma. He makes a massive impact even with minute expressions. Watch out for his performance in the conference sequence; it is subtle yet impactful. Arya looks suitable in his role, but it was pretty disappointing to see his character left somewhat half-baked. Similar is the case of Sayyesha, whose character had the scope for more but was left underdeveloped in due course. Boman Irani is solid, but one needs to say that his lip-sync was pretty disappointing. Samuthirakkani too has come up with a reliable performance.

Other Aspects

Kaappaan scores high marks as far as technical aspects are concerned. The action sequences have been executed to perfection, and even the CG works in them looked convincing. Cinematography is solid and racy in most parts. Songs set to tune by Harris Jayaraj are average. Meanwhile, it was surprising to see the BGM not crossing the median. Editing could have been a lot better, especially in the second half of the film.

Positives

Suriya and Mohanlal's Performances

Action Blocks

The Racy Narrative By KV Anand

Negatives

Predictable At Parts

Bad Writing In The Second Half

Verdict

Kaappaan is an entertaining affair, but it is not something that is beyond the predictable lines. However, KV Anand has managed to make it a safe bet, despite the flaws in the writing.