Jailer movie review: Superstar Rajinikanth, Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar are the triple threat that keeps giving

Director: Nelson

Cast: Rajinikanth, Vasanth Ravi, Vinayakan, Jackie Shroff, Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar

Spoilers ahead for Jailer…

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The unending love a father has for his son, allows him to take a back seat. He is no more a man to be feared, but someone that the family feels extremely comfortable around. His grandchild trusts him, his wife isn’t at the beck and call of his, to fulfil his every wish, and his son is affectionate enough. Certain moments, however, make it clear that he is more than what he showcases on the surface and Jailer does a brilliant job of revealing his true self one layer at a time. Initially, he is Muthu, the one that we have all met before. Playful, charming and quite witty. Then he is Muthuvel Pandian, and this man too is familiar to those of us who have met Alex Pandian. The ego, pride and even the arrogance that Muthuvel Pandian exudes in Jailer, seems like an unintentional or intentional call back to the superstar’s popular movie Moondru Mugam (1982). Beyond that, he is Tiger Muthuvel Pandian. This is the layer, that Muthu had hidden deep down for years.

The layer which had left his wife sleepless many nights in the past, the one that put him in danger often is the one that is quite intriguing. He had given up his starched khakhi uniform, traded it with familial love, and simple, carefree life. Yet, Tiger was always alive within Muthu. It is a play on Hyde and Jekyll really, and in Jailer, Nelson adds his own twist. He gives Mr Hyde a dangerous, yet incredible sense of humour. In fact, certain scenes remain memorable because of this incredible humour. For instance, Nelson takes a usual confrontation between a hero and villain, turns this scene on its head, and it transforms into something that leaves us laughing out loud. This twisted sense of humour is just the cherry on top, as the film has a lot more going for it.

One of the most memorable things about Nelson’s directorial, Jailer, starring Rajinikanth, is the fact that the superstar doesn’t get into a zone where he performs unbelievable action sequences. This is not to say that the film has less action, no. It simply means that the fights are more believable. This is because Muthuvel Pandian lets the others do the work for him, while he remains the brain behind the operation. It is intriguing from the very beginning because now fans know that Rajinikanth doesn’t have to beat up 100 people to confirm that he is powerful. So, because he is the brains that he chooses to associate with others for the brawn. Not just any brawn either, but ones who he has managed to overpower over the years as a jailer in Tihar. These are all men who understand the power of Muthuvel Pandian, and would prefer to be his ally than his enemy. They also seem to have developed a bond of sorts. It is here that Jackie Shroff, Shiv Rajkumar and Mohanlal come into play.

To be honest, fans were able to guess the roles to be played by these stars in the film. However, what was surprising was the clever use of such actors and the star power that they come with. It could have easily gone sideways, considering the following that both the actors have in their own states. If the roles were not upto mark, the risk was not just about being trolled like with Beast, but being boycotted as well. Thankfully, Nelson has craftily gotten his way around this problem by giving space to each of the star to bring their pizzazz to the film. Especially the pre-climax portion of the film takes care of any lingering doubts about the presence of these stars in the film. This is also one of the most electrifying sequences in the film.

Nelson has also put in a lot of work along with cinematographer Vijay Kartik Kannan, because the film is not just aesthetically beautiful but has a language. The shots of Muthu that establishes him as a jailer during a flashback, and the shot of him right before he steps out to exact revenge — the connection is stunning. There is also a scene of Vinayakan in the latter half of the film when he confronts Dhanraj with a bloody smile, and that single shot personifies the entirety of the villain, Varma. In fact, I personally loved the build-up that this character got visually, and in writing as well. After all, three stars had to come together to take him down. Beyond that, the fact that he is not redeemable, and the conviction with which actor Vinayakan played this role is what made the climax that much more enjoyable. Visually, there are a lot more stunning shots in the film on a closer look.

Yet, the one thing that the director hasn’t risked is the writing. Meaning, he has kept it all very formulaic. He has played like a kid in a candy store when it comes to the treatment of the film, but the core plot in itself is pretty formulaic. That is in a way good for the film, as this was the very department that let Beast down in the first place. So, if you are reading this to simply understand if Jailer is better than Beast, then in a single word, yes!

But wait, if you are looking for well-rounded female characters and representation. Then stop right here. Jailer is a film that will be successful despite failing the Bechdel test, because it passes on entertainment value with flying colours like many other successful commercial films. I refuse to address the female characters that were part of the film because they were nothing but props to hype up the other characters in the film. Sure, Ramya Krishan’s reaction in the trailer must have got you all excited, but if you were seriously looking for female characters with well-deserved arcs, then your might as well look for a unicorn in a desert.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

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