Soodhu Kavvum 2 film assessment: 2024 has been the 12 months of sequels and franchises. If it isn’t a sequel, it’s a movie that ends with the promise of 1. However this pattern begs an even bigger query. Why do most sequels look like a cash-grab alternative that rides on the goodwill of the unique solely to tarnish it past recognition? After all, there are the stray good ones that handle to uphold the ‘iconic’ standing of the primary half, and construct on it to earn plaudits for delivering on the expectations. Director SJ Arjun’s Soodhu Kavvum 2, sadly, belongs to the previous class.
The factor with making a sequel is that comparisons with the primary half is par for the course. Nonetheless, in Soodhu Kavvum 2, it will get much more apparent as a result of there are scenes from the primary half discovering its means within the sequel to ascertain a connection. Truthfully, these scenes have been the most effective and the worst factor to occur to Soodhu Kavvum 2. Whereas the scenes from Soodhu Kavvum 1 that have been proven on this instalment have been insanely entertaining, it additionally triggered a way of nostalgia about how issues have been higher final time round. Soodhu Kavvum 2 serves as a prequel, a standalone movie, and a sequel on the similar time, and the tip result’s as complicated as trying this cocktail.
Soodhu Kavvum 2 is actually a political satire, and it begins off with the story of how Radha Ravi turns into the Tamil Nadu CM. Quickly sufficient, we shift timelines to pre-Soodhu Kavvum days to indicate that the OG ‘kednapping’ specialist was Guru (Shiva), who disbands his motley group of criminals and surrenders to the cops. What connects Guru and Das from the primary movie? It’s Arul Doss’ Rowdy Physician who moonlights as a filmmaker. What connects each the movies? It’s the kidnapping of Arumai Pragasam (Karunakaran). However each these connections are so everywhere, and acquainted however unconvincing that the movie falters even earlier than it might begin.
What makes the sequel a relatively unflattering addition is how Soodhu Kavvum 2 has the identical beats as the unique. As in, it isn’t simply within the therapy, however even the scene construction and order. Why name it a sequel, when it’s primarily a remake, albeit a disappointing one. Guru has the identical points as Das. Guru is saddled with two henchmen who create extra issues than they remedy. Guru has an imaginary girlfriend, and there may be an elaborate life-and-death sequence that includes this fantasy character. Arumai Pragasam makes use of his mom as a protect in relation to saving his pores and skin from his father’s righteous wrath. He continues to discover a strategy to stage his personal kidnapping. There’s a trigger-happy cop who desires to deliver this kidnapping gang to justice. One completely different factor is the inclusion of yet another trigger-happy cop who desires to deliver the opposite kidnapping gang to justice, which solely leads to long-drawn sequences which are neither darkish nor humorous, and finally ends up changing into a grating mess.
Right here’s the trailer:
It isn’t to say that Soodhu Kavvum 2 didn’t have redemptive qualities. There have been just a few laughs right here and there, however the movie undoubtedly wanted extra. Despite the fact that impressed, the scenes involving Shiva and his shenanigans within the kidnapping sequences are enjoyable. However why pull again punches in comedian set items when the purpose is to bowl us over by the sheer incredulity of issues. The movie wanted extra scenes just like the one the place a random physician is pressured to do a surgical process on Guru’s imaginary girlfriend. Additionally, why go for comparable scenes to the unique within the identify of callback when all the movie appears like one? There may be an attention-grabbing angle to be explored in Guru’s must eat alcohol on a well timed foundation as a result of within the absence of the intoxicant, he begins ‘seeing’ snakes in every single place. Nonetheless, it isn’t explored sufficient, and it goes on a tangent that grounds the thought to an awesome extent. Oh, the movie wanted extra quirks throughout departments.
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The largest downside of Soodhu Kavvum 2 is the rudderless actions of the protagonists. There may be nothing natural or seamless about the best way these characters discover their means out of hassle. It appears like random scenes stitched collectively within the hope that one thing would come off it. Even the background rating and songs are similar to the primary movie, and it’s an pointless burden on composer Edwin Louis Viswanath as a result of Soodhu Kavvum featured one in every of Santhosh Narayanan’s best-ever soundtracks. It makes one query the necessity for being so devoted to the unique that the movie in hand turns into invisible. With the sturdy ensemble, performed by earnest actors, not having something authentic to mess around with, even actors with confirmed comedian expertise like Shiva and Karunakaran really feel underserved by the writing. There may be solely a lot they’ll do when the movie is happier seeing them exist relatively than thrive.
Oh! The movie is a political satire that also grinds the identical previous axe of ‘freebies are preserving folks disillusioned.’ After all, they prolong the scope of the freebies to incorporate much more whimsical issues, but it surely doesn’t come throughout as well-intentioned. Why blame folks for the incompetence of the system? Anyway, again in 2013, Soodhu Kavvum got here out of nowhere and took Tamil cinema by storm, and the reception to the movie propelled the solid and crew to the highest. It was a kind of runaway hits that outlined the careers of many.
Because the credit rolled, Soodhu Kavvum 2 served as a reminder as to why the re-release pattern appears to be catching up internationally. Generally, it does make sense.
Soodhu Kavvum 2 film director: SJ Arjun
Soodhu Kavvum 2 film solid: Shiva, Karunakaran, MS Bhaskar, Vagai Chandrasekhar, Radha Ravi
Soodhu Kavvum 2 film ranking: 1.5 stars
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