Michael - This 'KGF' clone is an all style no substance mess

'Michael' is one of the films that had high expectations ever since it was announced as a pan Indian gangster flick.  The trailer shed more light suggesting a violent love story that upped the ante as well. Whether the film which was released today justifies its hype remains to be seen.

The film opens up with the caption "After the climax" where an old man Swamy (Ayyappa P. Sharma) is beaten up badly by a gang and questions him about a recent killing of a don amidst a bloodbath.  Swamy in true "KGF" style starts giving buildups about the one man army who did it and the flash back unfolds.  Michael {Sundeep Kishan} comes to Mumbai in the 90s at the age of 13 in search of his father who murdered his mother. He catches sight of him in a court and when he tries to murder him with a knife he instead ends up saving the life of a dreaded don Gurunath (Gautham Vasudev Menon).   The don assigns Michael to one of his aides Swamy (Ayyappa P. Sharma).  Many years later there is a bid on Gurunath's life by rival gangs in which he is trapped with no escape but a grown up Michael saves his life once again.   A grateful Gurunath makes him the head of a chain of bar businesses.  The don then sends Michael to Delhi to kill the kingpin who planned his assasination and his daughter to take revenge.  Michael ends up falling in love with the girl Theera (Divyansha Kaushik) and becomes Gurunath's number one enemy.  The rest of the screenplay is a virtual bloodbath and you can easily guess who is the last man standing.

Sundeep Kishan has worked hard on his physique and is also assured in playing the brooding young man out for revenge.  But the problem is his characterization does not match the excess buildup and gives rise to many unintentional laughs.  Divyansha Kaushik is pretty and has also put in a sincere effort but like the hero her characterization also lets her down.  It is Gautham Vasudev Menon who has an author backed albeit Hollywood influenced role.  He has carried Gurunath with style and swag; his scenes are the ones that are watchable in the film.   What a waste of Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi in a cameo that neither challenges him or elevates the film.  Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Varun Sandesh, Anasuya Bharadwaj and Ayyappa P. Sharma have done justice to their respective characters.

What works to a certain extent in 'Michael' is the first half of the first half when we get to see Michael's character grow up amidst the gangsters.  There is a twist in the climax regarding Gautham Menon's character and his return that works. The love portions border on cringe but that is justified in the climax when Michael makes it clear for which woman in his life he is doing everything for.  One thing that the film does not lack is style right from the red hue to amplify the violence to the grainy look to establish the period.  One has to give it to the cinematographer Kiran Kaushik and editor R. Sathyanarayanan for his unorthodox cuts making the images speak the films core themes.  The songs and the background score of Sam C.S are as usual top notch and gives the audience something to cheer about.

On the downside the film is an attempt to clone 'KGF' in all aspects including the wronged mother angle and ends up biting the dust. Characters randomly building up Michael as if he is the Terminator from the future does more damage to the film than otherwise.   To top it all there is also a "Vikram" scene in the climax and you almost expect Rolex to come by. The fights,violence and killing are executed so mechanically that after a point they turn comical. 

Director Ranjit Jeyakodi's previous films 'Puriyatha Puthir' and 'Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum' did not exactly set the box office on fire but they sure were original, well written and well enacted   In 'Michael' the filmmaker armed with the best of talent and resources has come up with a sub par product considering his potential.

Verdict : Go for this one if all you want is mindless violence in stylish cuts