Vijay’s ‘The GOAT’: A Predictable Action Drama with Strong Performances and High Expectations

Cast: Vijay, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Prabhu Deva, Prashant Thyagarajan, Kokila Mohan, Jayaram, Sneha, VTV Ganesh, Aravind Akash, Vaibhav Reddy, and others.

Story and Direction: Venkat Prabhu

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Cinematography: Siddharth Nuni

Editing: Venkat Rajan

Producers: Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S. Ganesh, Kalpathi S. Suresh

Tamil star hero Vijay stars in the latest action thriller ‘The GOAT’ (The Greatest of All Time), directed by Venkat Prabhu. The film also features Meenakshi Chaudhary as the female lead, with important roles played by Sneha, Laila, Prashant, and Prabhu Deva. This film is notable for its use of de-aging technology. With rumors circulating that this might be Vijay’s last film before entering politics, expectations for the film were quite high. How did the film turn out? How much did it captivate the audience? Did it provide another unforgettable success for Vijay or not? Let’s find out in this review.

Plot

Gandhi (Vijay), a special anti-terrorism squad officer, conducts various successful missions with his teammates Sunil (Prashant), Ajay (Ajmal), and Kalyan Sundaram (Prabhu Deva). However, he keeps his job a secret from his wife Anu (Sneha). During one mission abroad, his five-year-old son dies. Believing her husband to be responsible, Anu distances herself from Gandhi. Distraught, Gandhi leaves the force. Years later, on a trip to Moscow, he encounters his son Jeevan (Vijay), whom he thought was dead, alive. Overjoyed, he brings him back to India. From then on, Gandhi’s acquaintances start dying one by one. Who is responsible for these deaths? How did his presumed-dead son come back? How does Gandhi stop the killings? These questions form the crux of the story.

Performances

Vijay delivers a dual role, excelling as Gandhi but the young Vijay’s digitally aged look as Jeevan might feel a bit off, not entirely convincing. Vijay shines again in action sequences and emotional scenes, proving his star quality. Meenakshi Chaudhary as the heroine doesn’t have much of a role, feeling more like a guest appearance. Prashant, Ajmal, and Prabhu Deva as squad members are adequate but not outstanding. Jayaram, as the head of the squad, captivates with his performance. Sneha impresses with her acting as Gandhi’s wife. Tamil youth hero Shiva Karthikeyan makes a mark in a cameo, and Trisha excites in a special song appearance. The rest of the cast performs adequately within their roles.

Direction

Director Venkat Prabhu’s storyline lacks novelty. The narrative of a hero working in defense and the villain raising his son to turn against him has been seen many times before. However, the scenes detailing the son’s revenge feel engaging. The first half is mostly spent introducing the characters, and the plot progresses as expected until the pre-interval. The interval scene raises curiosity for the second half, which, although predictable, includes some twists that surprise the audience. The comedy and dialogues are deeply rooted in Tamil culture, which might not entirely appeal to the Telugu audience. However, Vijay’s fans will likely find the film quite entertaining.

Technically

On the technical front, the songs by Yuvan Shankar Raja are forgettable, not leaving a lasting impact. However, the background music enhances the action sequences, elevating them to another level. The graphic department could have done better, especially with Vijay’s de-aging look. Editing is competent. The production values are high, showing no compromise in terms of budget.

Plus Points

– Vijay’s performance

– Action sequences

– Climax

Minus Points

– Predictable plot

– Slow first half

Telugu.yousay.tv Rating : 2.5/5