Movie: Valimai Valimai Cast: Ajith, Huma Quresshi, Kartikeya Gummakonda, Bani Valimai Director: Shanker Raman Where to Watch: In Theatres Review by: Russel D'Silva Ajith's fixation with the letter, 'V', continues after Veeram, Vedalam, Vivegam and Viswasam with his new Tamil biggie, Valimai, as does his penchant for collaborating with one Director on multiple films in a row. Thala did it with Siva on the four aforementioned movies, of which only Vivegam failed both critically and commercially. Valimai is now the superstar's second collaboration with Director H. Vinoth after the extremely well reviewed Nerkonda Paarvai, which was also a box office success, with another film between the two after this in the pipeline. So, does Valimai follow the critically acclaimed and commercially successful double whammy of Ajith's earlier 'V' entries like Veeram, Vedalam and Viswasam, or does it falter like Vivegam? Well, truth be told, it lands somewhere in the middle. So, are you excited about what to watch this weekend or what to watch this week and wondering whether Valimai is worth your time? Scroll down for my full Valimai movie review...
What's it about
Super-cop ACP Arjun Kumar (Ajith) is transferred to Chennai to clean the metropolitan, which has become a combined hub for drugs, murders, robberies, and chain-snatching, with the middle and lower-middle class suffering the most. When he finds out that all these crimes are linked to one gang of anarchic bikers, headed by one Naren (Kartikeya Gummakonda, he realises that the city might be facing its biggest threat yet.
Watch the Valimai trailer below:
What's hot
Director H. Vinoth displays his flair for white-knuckled, adrenaline-pumping action, with the bike chase sequences and stunt choreography coming across as genuinely original, innovative and a thing to behold. The post-interval highway chase scene between several bikes and a police convoy alone is worth the price of admission. Ajith Kumar is at the front and centre of every minute detail Valimai, and it'll be a moot point to even highlight how much at ease the veteran is in such roles. Huma Qureshi and Gurbani Judge aka Bani are merely there for eye-candy, but the candy they provide is no doubt extremely sweet.
What's not
If only the adrenaline being pumped had more of a heartbeat, Valimai would've been a thrill-a-minute ride. The screenplay has barely anything of note to offer, and is so interminably long that you wonder if editor was sent on leave. Surprisingly, Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score also doesn't leave a mark, and with no songs thrown in, the portions without action truly test your patience. And as captivating Huma Qureshi and Bani are to look at, it's 2022, and ladies need to be given parts with more meat. Moreover, Kartikeya Gummakonda is all style and no substance (due to his half-baked character arc and no fault of his) as an antagonist, leaving a tepid impact during his confrontation moments with Ajith Kumar. Plus, you get the distinct feeling that the film suffers from a Dhoom hangover, right down to some of the dialogues. The screenplay is also quite paradoxical at times, condoning police brutality at one moment and condemning it in the next, not to mention how ludicrous one of the police departments is made to look, almost resembling a game show, while Ajith leaves your head scratching at times with how he decides to twist the law in misguided endeavours of doing good.
BL Verdict
The bike chases, stunt choreography and Ajith show make Valimai watchable. Just don't go in expecting much else. I'm going with 3 out of 5 stars.
Rating : 3 out of 5 
