COOLIE Movie Review | Coolie | Anirudh Ravichander , Rajinikanth , Lokesh Kanagaraj | Thyview

Summary

In this non-spoiler review of the movie '[__] Witch,' the reviewer expresses disappointment despite some strong moments. While Rajinikanth shines with his star persona, other characters, including Nagarjuna and the cameo by Aamir Khan, fail to live up to expectations. The film follows a familiar mass-masala template, with strong elements like Anirudh’s score and stylish visuals, but lacks depth in characterization. The second half falters due to excessive exposition and a generic plot, though the first half shows promise. Overall, while the potential is evident, '[__] Witch' could have been much better.

Takeaways

• 😀 The movie, despite having some good moments, ultimately left the reviewer disappointed.
• 😀 Rajinikanth's star persona helped certain scenes work, but overall, the other characters didn't live up to their potential.
• 😀 Nagarjuna's portrayal as the villain was good, but his characterization was lacking.
• 😀 The movie follows a mass masala template, with a solid story skeleton, but generic characterizations held it back.
• 😀 Lokesh Kanagaraj, known for creating interesting characters, didn't quite succeed in this film, with several wasted roles, including those of Upendra and Aamir Khan.
• 😀 The first half, particularly the pre-interval and interval portions, worked well due to high stakes and stylish direction.
• 😀 The second half lacked strong character development and was bogged down by too much exposition and generic dialogue.
• 😀 Rajinikanth's performance was the strongest aspect of the film, and vintage references worked well.
• 😀 Technical aspects, such as Anirudh's background score, cinematography, and VFX, were solid with no complaints.
• 😀 The film's overall writing failed to maintain the same level of coolness seen in the visuals and treatment, especially in the second half.
• 😀 Despite some weaknesses, the reviewer still believes Lokesh Kanagaraj is a talented filmmaker and looks forward to his future projects.

Q & A

What is the general opinion of the reviewer about the movie?

The reviewer feels the movie has its moments and some good scenes, but overall, they were disappointed. While not a bad movie, they expected more from the director, Lokesh Kanagaraj.

What positive aspects does the reviewer mention about the movie?

The reviewer appreciates Rajinikanth's star persona, Anirudh's background score, and some vintage references that worked well. They also acknowledge that the visuals and treatment are stylish and cool.

How does the reviewer describe the characterizations in the movie?

The reviewer finds the characterizations generic and believes that they did not do justice to the actors' stature. Specifically, Upendra and Aamir Khan's roles are considered wasted, and Nagarjuna's villain characterization was a letdown.

What are the main issues the reviewer has with the second half of the movie?

The second half of the movie suffers from a lack of strong characterizations, too much dialogue-heavy exposition, and generic content that doesn’t leave a significant impact.

How does the reviewer feel about the movie’s writing and plot construction?

While the story skeleton is good and has potential, the writing and plot construction do not fully support the initial intrigue. The reviewer highlights that the lack of compelling character arcs and too much exposition weakens the overall impact.

How does the film's pacing and structure work according to the reviewer?

The reviewer notes that the movie starts strong, especially in the first half with Rajinikanth's star power, Anirudh's score, and some well-executed fan moments. However, the pacing drops in the second half, and the lack of strong character development undermines the film's progression.

What are the strengths of the movie according to the reviewer?

The strengths include Rajinikanth's performance, the stylish visuals, and Anirudh's music. Additionally, the pre-interval and interval portions of the first half are well-executed, with solid stakes and fan moments.

What did the reviewer think about the technical aspects of the movie?

The reviewer was satisfied with the technical elements such as cinematography, editing, production design, and VFX. They had no complaints in this regard.

What is the reviewer’s overall opinion about Lokesh Kanagaraj as a filmmaker?

The reviewer believes Lokesh Kanagaraj is a capable filmmaker with great potential but felt that this movie fell short of his usual high standards. They expressed hope that he will deliver a stronger theatrical experience in his next movie.

What does the reviewer say about the movie’s ending?

The reviewer found the movie’s ending underwhelming. They felt that Aamir Khan's cameo and Nagarjuna's role being downplayed further weakened the film's impact, especially after building up significant stakes earlier.