"If Only The Script Had...": Kanguva Reviews Out (image @KanguvaTheMovie)
Surya’s much-awaited Kanguva released today. Helmed by Siruthai Siva, the film receives mixed reactions online. The film was released in 2D and 3D formats. Apart from being the debut Tamil film for both Bobby Deol and Disha Patani, the film also marks the first appearance of Suriya in a lead role since the 2022 actioner Etharkkum Thunindhavan.
According to NDTV, Kanguva seeks to derive power from the elements (wind, water and fire), the ambitious merger of two timelines separated by a millennium, and the immense magnetism of lead actor Suriya. It said the building blocks would have come together far more effectively had the writing and treatment been more organised and coherent. Kanguva is a visual treat enhanced by the star’s tremendous screen presence. If only the script had more to it than just the sensory and the visceral, this would have been a film fully deserving of the sequel that is in the works, said the review.
Hindustan Times said that though Suriya continue to raise bar with his acting caliber, and Siva’s high-octane action style promised a never-before-seen experience, the film “couldn’t deliver on the promise”. Unfortunately, Kanguva is not a film that seamlessly blends the three to give us a solid entertainer at the end of two-and-a-half hours. The review said Suriya is the heart and soul of Kanguva but the film by Siva just doesn’t do justice to his performance and commitment.
The Indian Express said Kanguva had a Game of Thrones-esque setting, in not just for claiming the top spot, but also in the overall look and feel. There is a timeline jump of almost 1000 years, and the way these two timelines come together is straight out of the SS Rajamouli playbook. Amidst all these familiar tropes lies Kanguva that revels in its familiarity, impresses in its visuals, but leaves a lot to be desired in the execution of it all. The review said the film is definitely a spark that could have created a forest fire, but it settles to just gloriously burn down a few trees before gradually becoming a golden ember, a stark reminder of what could have been.
According to Timeline, Kanguva would have been one of the major Southern projects if the director and the writers had less fascination for video-game-like visual effects and digital imagery. It said the film is not less than a superhero movie with excessive use of technology and minimal application of story. Whether the hype surrounding the movie is a massive design worth a watch or not is solely dependent upon the fans’ interest, as the thread occupies various elements of interest that overlap the exposition.
