Aarambam review: "Not quite as enthralling as other Thala flicks!!!"

Diwali has just become grander with Ajith starrer "Aarambam" having finally hit the screens amidst much fanfare and hype. With Vishnuvardhan calling the shots, the expectations are nigh high after all the dynamic duo had made the box office go bonkers with "Billa". So can they recreate their magic??? Well I sure hope so, as the promos look just awesome...

The film unfolds in Mumbai which is rocked by bomb blasts in 3 of the posh malls, all of which were owned by the State Home Minister, Rane (Mahesh Manjrekar). The bombs were planted by Ashok (Ajith), a former bomb specialist of the Mumbai ATS; who however made sure that there was no harm to life as he had informed the police officials well in advance. Ashok along with his girl friend Maya (Nayanthara) follows this up by duping Arjun (Arya), a computer hacker to crash Flash network which belonged to Rane as well. Arjun understanding the mess that his college mate, Maya has got him into; make efforts to alert the authorities. So what was the motive behind Ashok's actions & will Arjun escape from his clutches???

Unlike "Billa", the major flaw over here is that the script is trite and doesnt offer anything new at all. The first half of the film breezes through but the latter half huffs & puffs before meandering towards a tame climax. If at all the film works, it's solely due to the style & persona of Ajith; not to forget some of the well choreographed action sequences by Lee Whitaker. Yuvan Shankar Raja's music fails miserably though it has been picturised well thanks to Vinod. As for other aspects, Sreekar's editing was top notch as well.

Ajith "Thala" absolutely rocked & will have the fans asking for more. However, it pales in comparison to his performance in recent flicks like "Mankatha" & "Billa 2". Nayanthara sizzled as Maya & Arya provides the light moments. As for the rest of the cast, Kishore, Mahesh Manjrekar & Rana Daggubati was impressive while Taapsee was over the top.

Verdict: The film will have a bombastic initial & should be marching its way to being a blockbuster. From a personal point of view, the film doesnt offer anything different, but if you are a Ajith fan, check it out!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben