Coolie Review: Lokesh Kanagaraj - Rajinikanth Film Is Cinema With Some Good Elements
As usual for a Lokesh Kanagaraj film, Coolie has the large canvas, ensemble cast with big pan Indian names in the likes of Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Pooja Hegde and Soubin Shahir and a story which can be branched out to ample possibilities. But, as in the hype as it had since the announcement of the project, is the Lokesh Kanagaraj’s first outing with Superstar Rajinikanth worth all the curiosity? For this writer, Kanagaraj wasted the chance big time. Whose fault was it? It seems like the director-writer, who had everything at his disposal, could have managed to deliver something spectacular than what has been made as a regular Tamil flick in which hero returning to his old paths to avenge the bad things happened to his closed ones.
(Spoiler alert) Vizag port has one big group controlling it and Simon (Nagarjuna) is the boss there and Dayal (Soubin Shahir) is his henchman as Coolie opens. Rajinikanth (Deva) live in Deva Mansion which has certain rules againt booze and other immoral activities. Then happens the death of one of his friends from the past. As he reaches the funeral place, Deva gets to know about the unnatural death of his friend and he goes on to find who did it. In that process, he comes across international smuggling cartels and YKIFK what would happen next if you have been watching Rajini and Lokesh movies.
Read also | Maareesan Review: Fahadh Faasil – Vadivelu Movie Is Poetry With Little Flaws
In between, you will see glimpses from the past, as you must have seen in Baasha or Leo or Jailer in which the hero is not the common man you first encounter on the screen. And obviously, Aamir Khan is there in the movie and is the Deus ex machina: not a “surprise” appearance after the promotional events and reports had already told you, but comes as an element or character to resolve a situation where a seemingly unsolvable problem (yes, a problem which has been created by the writer via telling you that Mr Perfectionist will be there) put forward to the audience. Aamir’s appearance in Coolie, which was guaranteed, however wouldn’t provide much solace to the audience as they were already fed up with the predictability factor. But, the character arc is excellent with all the introduction sequence and the dialogues, especially a certain beedi scene.
Read also | Thug Life Review: Kamal Haasan’s Rangaraaya Sakthivel Is No Velu Naicker
Now, lets get into detail where Lokesh failed miserably in Coolie to pull off something similar to what we had seen with LCU stories or Master or Leo. First of all Coolie is a standalone movie as it was announced by the director a day before its release. The story had some new elements like the how the cartel disposing the dead bodies off and also the flashback in which Deva finds his current army. But, since we all are familiar with Rajinikanth and Lokesh, and also about the way how their movies operate in revenge and cinematic senses, there is nothing new in the treatment or screenplay. Leo had that suspense looming in the theatre who the coffee shop owner was in the past. Vikram had the aspiration of how a common grandfather would take on big cartel and the suspense around his past. But, in Coolie, as you wait to watch something similar in Leo or Vikram to emerge, what happens on each frames was disappointment.
Read also | ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ Review: Tour De Force Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil
In most times, you are destined to watch how cruel are the antagonists of the movie. That goes on till the end. Okay, it is the regular ingredient of a Lokesh Kanagaraj movie – but, how long? How long you would put the viewer to suffer?
One positive element in the movie is how the writer has created the character arcs, especially of the Coolie and Soubin Shahir. Both have proper depth, and their background give the viewer a little room to enjoy the spreading of the story at some points. All through the movie, Rajini’s character is going through with the same traits of some of his past characters of Baasha, Shivaji, Jailer and Vettaiyan. But, Soubin and Nagarjuna enter into new territories with powerful shift into the dark dimensions, and come out successful in the delivery.
Another element which looks perfect is the cameos of Upendra and Aamir. Both wouldn’t disappoint you.
