Theri : Review | a decent mass entertainer
The verdict is already out with some opinion going in favour of Theri puting in a mass entertainer category that will appeal more to the fans of actor Vijay that will also go well with neutral audience too. Some of the comments say there is nothing new in the film and it is a repetition and somewhat disappointing. Respecting both the feedbacks but I endorse the former comments.
Even though there is nothing new and the film has a pretty ordinary revenge theme, it was a decent mass entertainer on expected lines for me. Atlee has gone one step ahead on the execution part to make Theri a watchable mass film that has lots of quality action, emotion and sentiments to offer to the audience.
Joseph Kuruvilla is the character that Vijay plays who is leading a quiet life in Kerala with a little girl. Well, you can easily guess our protagonist cannot be just confined to the role of an ordinary family man leading a peaceful life. Something is there which I cannot dig too much since that will reveal the little suspense built around the plot.
There is life in the film right throughout throwing away the boredom element. Even if there are lot of places that question your sensibilities, Atlee never gives breathing space to make us think deeper questioning the logical element.
When we think about the story and the final end result, it was an easy guessing game with cliches and predictability. But a good screenplay and a better execution from the director cover up all loose ends to put Theri in a safe zone.
Vijay has put behind the disappointment of Puli and has come out successful in Theri with a character that has multi shades to it. We all know what he can do with action and dances. He complimented these areas with neat portraying of the emotional scenes too. Overall a balanced act from the superstar.
Unlike the normal Tamil heroines we see in a hero oriented mass film where they are casted just for the sake of glamour, here in Theri Samantha had a meaty role apart from the glamour side. It was a good performance that helped Theri to make a balance between the role played by the hero and heroine. Amy Jackson didn’t look convincing in a half baked role.
Baby Nainikia (Son of actress Meena) though with some heavy dialogues was able to make a lasting impression while Radhika Sharath Kumar as mother character was able to make a satisfying and convincing act.
J.Mahendran as the baddie created that perfect feel and his villainous act was very much notable in the overall scheme of things blending well with the story. Azhagan Perumal, Rajendran and Prabhu are also part of the supporting casts who did justice to their respective roles.
Atlee who was an assistant to Shankar in films like Enthiran and Nanban has adopted his Guru’s style in some areas which can be clearly seen in the massive and colourful sets and how songs are shot and this style is evident in some other scenes as well.
Some other factors that acted as a catalyst in Theri’s cause in a positive way are action and background score. The punches and kick had real energy making you totally pumped up. GV Prakash Kumar for whom Theri is his fiftieth film has given a heavy background music that has blended very well with each and every scene. His songs with the visuals looked good. George.C.Williams who is the cameraman has done a commendable job and deserves special mention.
Overall, Theri is a classic case of how an ordinary and familiar looking story can look exciting and entertaining through neat execution. For that all credits to Atlee and his team. A movie on the lines of old wine new bottle theory, it entertained me for two and a half hours without much disappointments. I am going with three out of five as my personal rating.
Rating – 3 / 5