Mugamoodi Review

We grew up listening to childhood stories involving superheroes. No different is this 'Mugamoodi'. Mysskin, in a different style, has attempted to narrate the tale of a bravado.

In a nutshell, Mugamoodi is like a 'Batman' or a 'Superman' of the West meeting the action films of the East. The premise is local, but the flavor is different. The movie begins on a slow note setting up the story. An ordinary callous youth who loves kung fu legend Bruce Lee and loves to call himself as Lee is around whom the whole story is woven. What happens when he combines the powers of a superhero and his knowledge of kung fu against a gang of baddies forms the rest of the plot.

Jiiva fits the bill while the surprise element is Narain, playing the baddie. Pooja Hegde plays the heroine while Nasser and Selva leave their impressions in pivotal roles. Lee (Jiiva) is a fun-loving youth who loves kung-fu and adores his master Chandru (Selva). He comes across Sakthi (Pooja Hegde), daughter of a top cop Gaurav (Nasser). Her admirable ways and boldness attracts Lee.

Enters a gang of baddies led by Dragon Angusamy aka Dragon (Narain). He runs a kung fu school. But in the nights goes on a rampage robbing and painting the town in blood leaving no clue about them. Gaurav is given the responsibility to tackle the crime.

To impress Sakthi, Lee tries appearing before her in a superhero costume. But situation forces him to pin down one of the criminals from Angusamy's gang. He is hailed by the media as Mugamoodi. But the true identity of Lee is not revealed. ,

Sequence of events leads to Lee taking a battle against Angusamy donning a Mugamoodi. All boils down to a brutal battle between Lee and Angusamy. Loads of action scenes follows.

Well, Jiiva is the backbone of the movie. He not just impresses in the role of a fun-loving youth but as superhero too. He is sure to win the hearts of children. His expertise in martial arts deserves a special mention. Narain is not far behind. He is cool as a baddie. His menacing eyes come to his aid. Pooja Hegde appears and disappears. No big opportunity for her on screen.

Nasser as usual impresses even with little scope available for him. Selva, back after a gap, makes his presence felt. He fits the role to T. Girish Karnad as Jiiva's grandfather is okay.

The cinematography by Sathya and background score by K form the flesh and blood of the movie. Both compliment each other. Especially the BGM in the climax adds pep to the proceedings, while a bar anthem in the first half is impressive. Gaugin as editor has worked hard but the second half needs more trimming. A song sequence, the only romantic duet between the lead pair, has been shot in in the scenic locales of Switzerland.

The song is refreshingly different for the whole movie is set in nights. Remember superheroes predominantly work during the nights to put an end to crime? Sathya has captured the beauty of the Alps well.

The climax sequence shot at the Karaikal port is breathtaking. The tall structure where the stunts take place adds to the excitement.  This Chennai-centric movie has been captured in shades that are different from the routine.

If Jiiva and Narain are the major pluses for the movie, the first half is breezier while the latter part is a bit draggy. For a superhero film loaded with action, watching for over two hours and forty minutes makes it a lengthy watch.

'Mugamoodi', produced by UTV Motion Pictures, is Mysskin's offering in a different plate. He has opted to go out consciously from his style of filmmaking. The formula is the same, execution makes all the difference. For those who love action films from the West and the East, Mugamoodi combines both to give some pleasure.