Movie: The GOAT – The Greatest of All Time
Rating: 2/5
Banner: AGS Entertainment (P) Ltd
Cast: Thalapathy Vijay, Prashanth, Prabhudeva, Mohan, Jayaram, Sneha, Laila, Ajmal Amir, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Parvati Nair, Vaibhav, Yogi Babu, Premgi Amaren, Yugendran Vasudevan, Akilan and others
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
DOP: Siddhartha Nuni
Editor: Venkat Raajen
Production Designer: Rajeevan
Action stunts: Dilip Subbarayan
Additional Screenplay: K.Chandru & Ezhilarasu Gunasekaran
Producers: Kalpathi S Aghoram, Kalpathi S Ganesh, Kalpathi S Suresh
Written and Direction: Venkat Prabhu
Release Date: September 5, 2024
The GOAT is one of Thalapathy Vijay’s films that had the lowest buzz in recent times in the Telugu states.
Let’s find out whether the film has generated any interest in theaters.
Story:
MS Gandhi (Vijay) and his wife (Sneha), who are anticipating the arrival of their second child, travel to Bangkok for a brief family vacation, during which their son Jeevan is abducted.
The incident deeply devastates Gandhi, a member of an anti-terrorist squad. Years later, Gandhi sees Jeevan (Vijay), his son, in Russia.
After he brings his son to their Chennai residence, the whole family starts living contentedly.
Unbeknownst to Gandhi, his son has joined him with a specific goal in mind—to seek vengeance on his own father. What are the reasons for his son seeking vengeance?
Artistes’ Performances:
Vijay portrays both a father and a son. He not only looks credible as Father Gandhi but also delivers an excellent performance. However, in the role of the son, whose youthful appearance is created using de-aging technology, he appears strange in many scenes.
Prashanth and Prabhudeva are satisfactory in their respective roles. Mohan, a prominent star in the 1980s and 1990s, has a poorly written character.
Meenakshi Chaudhary and Sneha have small roles, each appearing in a song and a couple of scenes. Trisha and Siva Karthikeyan make cameo appearances in the film.
Technical Excellence:
Except for the use of de-aging technology for Vijay's younger role, the film's technical aspects aren't particularly impressive.
The chase scenes and action sequences are typical imitations of Hollywood films. The cinematography is effective, but the songs are forgettable. The background score is quite weak and fails to contribute anything positive for the film.
Highlights:
Interval bang
Vijay's Looks
Drawback:
Boring scenes
Unconvincing character of young Vijay
Overload of action
Duration
Cliched climax
Music
Analysis
Father-son dramas are not new, but the basic premise of The GOAT is based on an intriguing concept: an estranged son returns to his family with the intention of exacting revenge on his own father, with Vijay playing both the father and the revenge-seeking son. Normally, this idea would have captivated everyone, but filmmaker Venkat Prabhu has narrated it in a way that makes it less exciting.
The younger Vijay is the plot's central character. The audience should be on the edge of their seats, wondering if the son has truly turned rogue or if he will realize his mistake. However, the final hour is so formulaic that the proceedings never really excite us. The last segment, set in a cricket stadium, further undermines the seriousness of the action drama.
The film begins like a typical spy thriller, with the hero working for the Indian government as a secret agent and unintentionally killing the family of someone who then vows to take revenge on the hero's family.
The first half is mostly focused on the hero's daily life, with unfunny jokes about drinking habits and the wife being the boss, among other things. Much of the first half is completely dull. It only becomes serious and exciting when the narrative shifts to Russia and the younger Vijay is introduced.
The film's second half is somewhat intriguing, with moments involving father Vijay and son Vijay in their cat-and-mouse games. The film is engaging until a pivotal twist occurs in the second half, but then it starts to drag.
Following the trend of a 'part 2,' the film ends with the idea of a second part titled The GOAT vs. OG. However, by the time the film reaches this title card, the majority of the audience has already left the theater. The film is simply too long.
Moreover, the justification for the moniker "The Greatest of All Time" feels forced.
Overall, Venkat Prabhu's action film, which seems to be influenced by Will Smith's Gemini Man, offers only one or two spectacular sequences but fails to maintain the momentum until the end, resulting in a typical action drama.
Bottom line: Greatest Patience-Tester
