Among the flicks that had released in March, Midhun Manuel Thomas's "Aadu 3" was the one that had gone to become a blockbuster. There were a couple of others that I had watched as well & though they were average, I still would have to admit that I was surprised at the manner in which the former had such an impressive run at the box office. So how did these films turn out to be for me???
Aadu 3: "Certainly the weakest in the franchise!!!"
Almost a decade has passed since the first installment of the "Aadu" series has released & the one aspect that I loved about the franchise were the iconic tunes that were given for each of the main characters. There is no doubt that Friday Film House needs to be applauded for their belief in the potential of a sequel even after the failure of the first part. Anyway, it has now reached the third part & has gone on to become of the biggest Malayalam hit ever.
Unlike the previous parts, Midhun has set the story in three different timelines with a run time that runs close to 3 hours. It is 2370 and Earth is ruled by a totalitarian regime called 'The Organization' who are in search of 'Stardust', a celestial substance which would give them limitless power to continue their reign. At the same time, there was a resistance movement led by Baba (Indrans) who sets plans in motion to make sure that the former don't get their hands on the substance. That essentially meant interfering with the timeline of the past i.e. the 18th century as the Stardust was in the possession of Maharaja Padmanabhan Thampuran (Jayasurya). Incidentally, the news of the material had reached the ears of Sultan Azam Khan (Vinayakan), Tipu Sultan's general & Cassandra (Alleya Bourne), a British treasure hunter and both of them wanted it. Whether Padmanabhan manage to keep it safe & how it has an impact on the other timelines is what the movie is about.
The USP of this franchise were the character quirks & their intro music, which was a perfect compliment to the goofiness shown by the characters. Among the three, the second part was the one that I enjoyed the most as it ticked all the boxes that was expected from an action comedy. Coming to this part, the initial segment felt like a spoof of "Lingaa" & most of the humour just didn't work for me. The overall idea seemed reasonable but the execution left a lot to be desired. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention. As for the performances, Jayasurya has done justice to his part along with Vinayakan both of whom were spot on with the characters. Saiju Kurup was fine along with Indrans & Vijay while the rest of the cast were ok with Dharmajan being quite irritating at times (as in the prequel).
Verdict: It has already gone on to become a profitable venture for the makers which is indeed heartening. However, personally, it was the weakest flick in the franchise which tested my patience at various junctures!!!
Rating: 1.5/5
Sambhavam Adhyayam Onnu: "Interesting thought & execution that could have benefitted more with better performances!!!"
This is a movie that I watched much after it released due to positive word of mouth that I came across in social media. Hence I decided to check out this flick which happened to be the directorial debut of Jithu Satheeshan Mangalathu, who had also penned the script. Just a couple of minutes into the movie & it reminded me of Lijo Jose's "Churuli" for some reason. Soon enough, it became evident that Jithu had come up with an interesting premise.
The opening sequence is set in a dense forest & from a bygone era where a lady along with her aides were disposing of two bodies. An eerie environment is created & the audience is introduced to Anand (Askar Ali), a CPO who was transferred to the Kerala-TN border as a punishment. Soon enough, mysterious events start to unfold & he struggles to make sense of it raising questions as to whether he will be able to see his family again.
Though I am pretty sure that most of you would be aware of the concept that Jithu has tackled over here, I am not going to play spoilsport & reveal it for the benefit of those who havent watched it yet. Apparently, it is an extended version of his short film "Sambhavam", which I havent watched. Anyway Jithu definitely deserve applause for his thought (though we have seen similar themes in the West) & the way he has executed it. The intrigue & thrill are maintained for most parts especially in the first half, though it had a sluggish feel towards the end with quite a few repetitive scenes. The technical team composed of Naveen Najose who handled the cinematography & the sound department deserves praise for creating the apt mood that the movie demanded.
Even as the subject & the technical aspects has impressed, Jithu ought to have been more judicious when it came to his casting choices. Askar was average at best as he failed to convey the gravitas of the situation when the issue is revealed, Vineeth was fine as the temperamental police office but the emotional sequences didnt quite work out while Assim Jamal's performance lacked consistency. Among the ones that I felt were fine was the Tamil actor who played the role of Stephen, Senthil Krishna & Siddharth Bharathan. As for the rest of the cast, it was quite uneven.
Verdict: Jithu has shown his caliber in penning an interesting ploy & executing it convincingly, within the constrains of the budget. Anyway wish the performances could have done justice to the script, but still do give it a try!!!
Rating: 2.75/5
Regards...Ben
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