Sunday, February 28, 2021

Operation Java: "Engaging take on the operations of the cyber cell!!!"

In 2016, Abrid Shine's "Action Hero Biju" gave us a glimpse about the events that unfolds in a police station. It was a refreshing take as Abrid had shown it in an organic manner rather than resort to daredevilry that majority of the film makers had done in the past. Taking cue from that, Tharun Moorthy has focused his lens on the cyber cell with his directorial debut "Operation Java". Though that unit of the law & order department are mentioned pretty regularly in the news, we haven't had a full fledged movie that focused on it. So there was more than ample reason to be excited about it.

Alphonse Puthren's "Premam" had released & it was making waves as the public flocked to the theatres. But the makers were faced with the problem of piracy, as someone had leaked the print of the movie in torrent. The cyber cell swiftly moved into action & they nabbed the culprits with the technical assistance of Antony (Balu Varghese) & Vinayadasan (Lukman). Both of them were in search of a job & their competence made the cyber cell induct them into their fold as interns. In due time, the duo gets assigned with bigger & tougher challenges and how they deal with it forms the crux of the movie. 

Apart from calling the shots, Tharun had also penned the script & deserves praise for an engaging story that takes the audience through various cases. It provides a perspective as to what exactly the cyber team deals with and how they are an integral part of the police force. Another main point they have looked at is the pressure that the temporary work force goes through & how it can be so unrewarding at times despite the best of efforts. On the technical side, each of them deserves a nod of acknowledgement be it Faiz Siddik's varied frames, Nishadh Yusuf's editing & Jakes Bejoy's music which blends well with the movie.

In "Unda", Lukman impressed with his performance & he continues to do so here as well with a natural act. Giving him competent support is Balu who got to showcase his skills in a role that is different from what he usually does. As for the rest of the cast, Irshad (do check out his awesome first look poster in "Andal"), Binu Pappu, Shine Tom, Vinayakan etc have all done justice to their roles.

Verdict: It is both engaging & a refreshing take on the day to day happenings at the cyber cell. It looks like a different version of "Action Hero Biju" but still has a uniqueness of its own. In short, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.25/5

Regards...Ben

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