Annaatthe - Works in parts but ends up being a letdown.
Thalaivar's charismatic screen presence is ageing like fine wine but his aura alone can't forestall the potboiler from being a disappointment.
After the underwhelming Darbar, Superstar Rajinikanth teamed up with Siruthai Siva hoping for a moving rural entertainer in the likes of the director's previous blockbuster Viswasam (2019). But Annaatthe repeats the maker's same formula to an extent in which it feels tiring.
The movie opens with a new vigilante widely known as Annaatthe taking out the local goons in Kolkata. The crusader is none other than Superstar Rajinikanth who then calls back his story to the point he became a vigilante. Kaalaiyan is a righteous village president in the Soorakkottai of Thanjavur district who is fondly called Annaatthe. Kaalaiyan, who has immense love and care for his sister Thanga Meenakshi (Keerthy Suresh), wants to find the best match for her. Just when Kaalaiyan is busy preparing for the pompous wedding, Thanga Meenatchi elopes to Kolkata and marries her lover where the couple finds themselves at loggerheads with the baddies. The rest of the film deals with how Annaatthe comes to her aid and saves his sister by remaining in the shadow.
It was Rajinikanth's show all way and the star's larger than life persona saves the weak screenwriting of the outing to an extent. Though Keerthy Suresh's character seems like a key role, she didn't have much to do except cry like serial stars throughout the latter half. Nayanthara registers her presence constantly but she ends up as a supporting actor on the whole. Prakash Raj did his role neatly. Abhimanyu Singh and Jagapathi Babu as villains were no match to Thalaivar's energy and they looked like fillers. Kushbu and Meena came in for little cameos for the needless scenes in the play.
Annaatthe highly resembles the plot and the elements of Siva previous superhit projects Vedhalam and Viswasam. To be honest, the potboiler is reminiscent of multiple Tamil movies' storylines such as Thirupachi and it followed the same narrative pattern as Siruthai, Veeram. Siva used to provide a better screenplay with a super blend of emotions and action. But the sentiments, the preachy dialogues in Annaatthe have gone too overboard and started to feel overwhelming at many points.
The first half proceeds in a tired manner with comic scenes that were neither funny nor contributing to the crux of the story. But the final act of the initial half came as a surprise and Superstar's performance emotes the audience. The second half falls drastically as it was so obvious and the antagonists don't seem to have any influence over the storyline. The big void in Thalaivar films lately is a powerful antagonist who can heat up the clash with Rajini like Antony to Baasha, Neelambari to Padayappa.
D Imman's songs lift the mood in cinema halls but his background score becomes repetitive as the story progresses. Vetri's visuals are top-notch, capturing the action mass sequences and the stylish Superstar in all glory. Annaatthe tries to recreate Vedhalam and Viswasam magic but falls short as the writing didn't evolve much and the emotions too are over the top. If Siva had spiced up his storytelling to the next level, Annaatthe would have been more perfect as his films follow tested and tried premises.
Verdict: Annaatthe settles as a routine entertainer that works in parts. It brings back the vintage Rajini film formula but fails to amaze the audience.
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