Crime Branch CI Antony Simon (Mammootty) is a laid-back sort, who has just two passions in his life- son Aadi (Master Dhananjay) and Cricket (he is really bad with the willow though). His wife Annie (Richa Pallod) is annoyed with her husband and often walks out of their home to her parents', which incidentally happens to be the apartment next door!

A major chunk of the film's first half is wasted in their silly banters but at the same time, there are a few nicely taken song-n-dance routines. What next, we would wonder and it seems even those behind its making thought about it only after filming these portions. The result is that the film meanders along aimlessly for a while with trivial situations, tasteless mimicry of news anchors or certain Tamil heroes and even that of a scene straight out of Mammootty's Azhakiya Ravanan, all these action happening amidst some nicely shot stunt scenes.

For all those who rave at the sight of baddies flying all around as the hero moves his fists, the film may be thrilling in parts. The rest of the viewers would be wondering what the film is trying to convey. With trite dialogues and the absence of a credible script, the only saving grace is its stylish presentation. But even that becomes jaded after a while, due to overuse.

Mammootty has to look 'cool' in the film and he looks pretty 'hot' in his designer outfits but other than that, he looks disinterested and lacks his usual energy. It's indeed amazing that an actor of his caliber has not been given a more challenging role by the director. Model turned actor Richa Pallod just can't act and hams all along. Though the whole story is about the father-son relationship, the kid Master Dhananjay looks cute but fails to make much of an impact, especially with poor dubbing.

The rest of the cast including Biju Menon, Radhika , Vijayaraghavan, Saikumar and Baburaj all have nothing much to do other than dressing up to some trendy color pattern. However there are major disappointments like Govind Padmasurya (as a cricketer who spends more time dancing with sexy gals than in the nets), Ashish Vidyarthi (begins the show as a deadly don but turns out to be a silly one), Daniel Balaji (he continues with his ridiculous antics after Bhagawan, though he does it all to look fiery as a villain) and Suraj Venjarammood (how long can he bore us with the Thiruvanthoram slang?).

Sameer Thahir's camera does a nice job and Biji Bal's music is peppy with songs like My daddy… and Kadhayoru…, though the lyrics is perhaps just meant to rhyme and not to make much sense.

In all fairness, Daddy Cool is meant to be a visual spectacle not to be taken with much seriousness. In the current form, it leaves you just cold or to a great extent, let down! On second thoughts, it would have qualified as a watchable fare if it was thirty minutes short, with its trendy costumes, stylish shots and some of the songs.

Verdict: Average

The film has been set in the 1940s and it succeeds in taking the viewer to those times, which we all know about from the history books, old movies and of course, from the anecdotes of those who lived then.

The stories have been titled Kallante Makan, Niyamavum Neethiyum, Oru Koottukaran and Pankiyamma. The anguish of a young kid, who has to bear the brunt of living as the son of a robber (M.R.Gopakumar), is the theme of Kallante Makan. Niyamavum Neethiyum zooms in on an old police station, where two corrupt constables (played by Nedumudi Venu and Jagannathan) finds some easy ways to solve certain pending cases.

Oru Koottukaran says the story of a lawyer (Jagadeesh) who is trying to help his friend (Sudheesh), a student to get rid of his secret lover's unwanted pregnancy. Pankiyamma narrates the tale of a young, beautiful woman who has some men dancing to her tunes, fighting each other for her love. Her middle aged husband (Ravi Vallathol) is besotted with the ample charms of Pankiyamma (Praveena) and she loves him as well. But at the same time, Pankiyamma has a secret lover (Manoj K Jayan), who also believes that she loves him the most.

One of the highlights of Oru Pennum Randaanum is that Adoor narrates the stories, which handles complex emotions, in a simple way. It works perfectly well without the slow pace, silence or the overtone of philosophy which have alienated the public from the serious genre of films, in Malayalam.

The actors have come up with some nice performances and the director has used the mainstream actors, some of whom have even been branded as comedians, in an intelligent manner. Of all the performances, perhaps it is Praveena, who stands out with a stellar show.

She has performed the complex character of Pankiyamma with an amazing finesse and confidence. During these times when female characters are often limited to the kind where they have to look pretty and dance to the tunes of the hero, her character is remarkably strong.

M J Radhakrishnan's camera has done wonders, while the music by Isaac Thomas suits the mood quite well. Adoor has always been known to maintain high standards in technical aspects, like sound and costumes for instance, which is evident in the film

The four stories are independent in nature and have only been related by its genre, crime. Oru Pennum Randaanum is certainly a genuine attempt that takes Malayalam cinema to a different level. Watch it to appreciate the sincerity that has gone into its making!

Verdict: Excellent

The story unfolds as a flashback, when retired IG Sachidanandan Thampy (Sivaji Guruvayur) is waiting with his grandson at the airport. Now the action shifts to those old times when Chandramohan had earned the wrath of his father for falling in love with a Christian girl from a poor family, Lisamma (Sithara). He becomes a post master and walks out of his home, to marry the girl of his choice.

Lisamma has a heart ailment and Chandramohan borrows a heavy sum to treat her. Sometime later, the couple has three children and is living happily. All along, his respect and love for his father remains intact, though Sachidanandan Thampy is not ready to forgive his son.

Meanwhile things are going from bad to worse for Chandramohan, as his debts pile up. Now his schoolmate GK (Mukesh) takes him to the Gulf and he hopes that he can tide over the crises in his life.

Twenty five years ago, this plot would have worked just fine but with similar stories in plenty in virtually every TV serial. The film turns out to be grossly outdated and melodramatic to the core. Of course, there is no problem in narrating the tale of a highly virtuous man and his love for his family, but the problem is the way it has been done.

The character is too heavy for Rajasenan and his acting is rather amateurish, to say the least. The dialogues and situations in the film are evidently contrived and it never helps in making things better.

Among the rest of the cast, it is Sivaji Guruvayur (remember his stellar performance in Lal Jose’ Arabikkadha) who looks quite convincing in his role. Yesteryear heroine Sithara too has come up with a decent performance. Rahman, who plays Rajasenan’s younger brother in the film, has nothing much to do.

Surprisingly, the comedy situations in the film, which has always been Rajasenan’s strength in most of his earlier films, fall flat. Salu George’s camera and M.Jayachandran’s music are ok.

Bharya Onnu Makkal Moonnu is perhaps meant for all those who are addicted to the potboilers on the various TV channels and not actually for the youth. Rajasenan has done some really nice films in the past and this one is just not in that league.

Verdict: Mushy tearjerker

Now, you should have heard this story many times before. An honest Brahmin boy from modest surroundings joins a college in the city, where a gang of baddies creates havoc in his life. After lots of suffering and pain, he decides to take on the villains and soon, the hero is just invincible.

It's the fast narration and packaged that makes it a decent entertainer. Yes, there are definite influences ranging from Anniyan (the change in nature from a soft spoken Brahmin boy to a daredevil hero), Saroja (a few song sequences) to Ghajini (remember the peculiar way Aamir walks in to the frame with a determined look) and more. Perhaps such comparisons don't really matter here as the storyline is not intended to be taken so seriously.

Krishnakumar or Kichu (Prithviraj) lives in a modest agraharam in Kalpathi, where he teaches mridungam to kids and romance Sreedevi (Meera Nandan). He soon joins an engineering college in Kochi and become friends with his classmate Anjana (Priyamani). Their friendship irks Sudhi (Bala), a senior in the college and a criminal. Sudhi and his gang cruelly beat him up. After some time, we come across an all new Kichu, who fears none and geared up to thrash any number of thugs at one go.

The film is fully focused on Prithviraj and the rest of the cast have limited roles to play. In all fairness, he is just rocking in the two avatars, the first one with a clean-shaven look and the other, where he is a toughie. He has fewer dialogues to deliver and his mannerisms and action does the talking mainly. Meera Nandan looks quite convincing as his sweet heart, back home. Priyamani has to look good and that, she does pretty well. Bala, who is not quite known for his acting skills, has come up with an impressive show.

The other highlights of the film could be its visuals by Bharani K.Dharan and music by Deepak Dev. The title song (incidentally, sung by Prithviraj himself) is one of the best compositions to have happened in Malayalam during recent times. The action and the effects have worked wonders for the film. Still, things could have been even better with lesser length during the first half and also for the stunt scenes, which never seems to end.

Puthiya Mugham is all about action and style. If your idea of entertainment is just that, it may work wonders for you.

Verdict: Racy Action entertainer

The story is happening in a village where Parambath Raju (Ganesh) and Kaimal (Jagathy Sreekumar) are the feudal lords who hate each other. Soon, a girl named Bhadra (Mangala) is found murdered and the whole story is all about its investigation from then on.

Jayaram is in a double role, as the local sub-inspector Rajan and crime branch DySP Rajamani, and interestingly, both his avatars have been deputed to unveil the mystery behind the crime. While Rajan is rather meek in nature, his look-alike is a complete hero material in trendy clothes, matching sun glasses and peculiar mannerisms. As part of his investigation, Rajamani makes his entry as a goonda named Chalai Mani.

Old-fashioned to the core and full of clichéd melodrama that we have seen in almost every film of this genre, Rahasya Police would have worked just fine if it had come some twenty years earlier. With so many characters without much relevance, buffooneries from comedians like Harisree Asokan and Suraj Venjarammood and the usual format of investigation, the film offers nothing new.

The background score just adds to your irritation and never serves its purpose. The visuals are average and the blurred images at times aren't justified.

Jayaram's double role has no particular fizz and he just sleepwalks his parts. As usual in our films, the heroines have nothing in particular to do. Samvrutha Sunil (what actually is her relevance in the story?), Sindhu Menon (okay, she is pregnant in the story), Ananya (where are the acting skills that got her rave reviews in Nadodigal), Mangala (she's the one who gets murdered) and Shivani (long way to go on the acting department) have nothing much to do. It's their choice to accept such roles, but how can you justify a husband keeping his leg on his pregnant wife's lap to cut his nails?

In this era when the suspense of a thriller will be over after the first show, via SMS and e-mails, it is the process of investigation and the backdrop of the story that can make a film an engrossing affair. The makers of the film fails to generate any interest in the viewer's mind and in the end, this one turns out to be a tasteless khichdi or aviyal of what we have seen in their earlier sagas.

Now, if this is what you expect for the price of a movie ticket, it may be an Okay fare. But for all those who look forward to more quality entertainment, avoid this disappointing film.

Verdict: Avoid

The film opens with a ‘Manthravadi’ (Pithamagan Mahadevan) an evil magician spiriting away a friendly ghost (Mammootty with horns) to obey to his commands and make money through crime. Meanwhile a group of kids and their benefactors are held hostage in a circus camp by the baddies, who has taken over the show.

Ancy (Kavya) is coming back from Delhi, to take charge of the circus company founded by her father Philipose (Janaradhanan), who was found murdered. On reaching there, she is told that her father was stabbed to death by a bike-jumper named Jimmy (Mammootty).

In fact Jimmy, his foster father Krishnettan (Innocent), aide Sisupalan (Suraj Venjarammood) and a gang of street children were all invited by Philipose to join his circus group.

Meanwhile the ghost (Mammootty, in his other role) appears, becomes friendly with the kids and takes a more stylish shape of Jimmy. Thanks to the ghost, Ancy realizes that Jimmy was innocent in the whole issue. Now the battle between the good and evil begins.

Now haven't we seen the friendly ghost playing the savior and friend, some twenty five years back in My dear Kuttichathan, which had the world looking at Malayalam films with awe for its genuine experiments and technical brilliance?

Johnny Antony has borrowed liberally from old Bollywood hits like Mr.India and Brahmachari. The film may certainly not be in that league, but it still could qualify as a decent entertainer.

The plus points of the film are Mammootty’s all round performance, especially in comic scenes. He does not romance Kavya, and the film is made for children there are no smutty language or scenes. It’s clean fun all the way. On the downside the plot is amateurish and predictable, with no twist in the tale and is too long. It looks more like a kids stage play than a mass entertainer.

Mammootty looks eminently handsome and is evidently at ease playing both his avatars, though it would have been better if he had used his trademark voice for the ghost as well. Kavya Madhavan has nothing much to do other than look pretty and play to the tunes of the hero.

Suraj Venjarammood, who plays the dumb sidekick and Salimkumar, as a stupid cop, scores with their comic acts. Mahadevan who plays the wicked magician, looks convincing in his role.

Utpal V Nayanar's visuals and Shaan Rahman's music are among the highlights of the film. The song Mamarangale… is a nice melody and has been shot well. The special effects and computer graphics is the best we have seen in recent times.

Here is a comedy caper that will work with its target audiences, the kids who are sure going to lap it up.

Verdict- Time Pass

Kumaran (Manoj K Jayan) is a devoted local leader of the Communist party and lives with his wife Sarojini (Swetha Menon) and daughter Manikkutty (Niveda), in a village in Kannur. They are happy with their modest surroundings but the coming of a new generation bank affects the equations in a big way.

Praveen (Arun), the wily bank officer, earns the confidence of the locals and when Kumaran opposes the party's 'soft line' towards the bank, he is thrown out of the outfit. Though he manages well for himself by focusing more on agriculture, he dies soon and things go really bad for his family from then on.

Well, in all fairness, the film has its nice moments and some genuine thoughts as well. The apathy towards new developments could be justified, but it's indeed weird when the whole blame for every wrong doing is put merely on the new bank and its officer.

And it is also disturbing to see Sarojini let her teenage daughter live life on her on terms! In the end, we get the feeling that the director is trying way too hard to make the film look very serious.

Swetha Menon (the glam girl of Bollywood) looks pretty convincing in an ordinary cotton saree, without any makeup and living in accordance with the Gandhian ideologies, even using a charkha to weave her clothes and leading rallies as a rebel leader! Remember, the whole story is being narrated focusing on her character.

Manoj K Jayan looks okay as well in his rather brief role as a hardcore idealist. Niveda has role pretty similar to the one in Veruthe Oru Bharya, which won her the award for the best child artiste in the Kerala State film awards. Actors like Irshad, Augustine and Arun, in the supporting roles, needs a mention for their impressive performances.

The beauty of Kannur has been shown with fabulous visuals by cinematographer M J Radhakrishnan. The song Swantham Swantham…, written by Kaithpram Damodaran Namboodiri and composed by Kaithapram Viswanathan, is quite good.

Madhyavenal, though good in parts, is perhaps pretentious and rather too long. Why do our filmmakers turn to the same old villages, to the same issues like globalization for instance and narrate them at an irritatingly slow pace to make their films look serious? Folks, what we look forward to are some interesting stories with good scripts.

Verdict: Average

It's based on certain happenings inside a mental hospital that is being told at a sluggish pace and suffering heavily due to a messy script and amateurish direction.

The story begins when Dr.Reuben Isaac (Jayasurya) takes charge of Brylin Mental Hospital. The hospital MD Rakhi Devadas (Radha Varma) is a strict disciplinarian and she hates Reuben for his friendly approach to the patients, or “clients”, as he calls them.

Now, we are not quite sure why she wanted to get him out, especially since he seems to be the only doctor around in the whole hospital!

The scenes inside the hospital are thoroughly clichéd ones that we have come across in numerous films over the years. Like, the kind of inmates that ranges from a poet to a software engineer, the cruel guards, the stupid attender and so on.

The new doctor reschedules their routines, takes them out for a trip, sing songs and even arrange painting sessions. After a while, Rakhi is impressed by the new doc's style.

So, everything is fine, did you think? No way, the plot gets murkier with the arrival of the original Dr.Reuben Isaac, played by Mukesh! You learn that Jayasurya happens to be his patient named Bobby.

You still want to see the rest of this silly drama? Watch it at your own risk, please!

It is quite evident that no one related to this film had any idea about what was going on, while making it. Jayasurya is fine, Mukesh has nothing much to do but it is Radha Varma, the heroine, is wooden and is the weakest link in the acting department.

The comedians Suraj Venjarammood, Bijukkuttan, Anoop Chandran, Mala Aravindan and even Jagathy Sreekumar make you cringe in desperation rather than laugh. M. J. Radhakrishnan's camera does a nice job, but Bennet-Veetrag's music is just average.

Even when the end titles roll, you may still have no idea about what the director was trying to say, in Dr.Patient? Just don't bother, it's a farcical exercise, as you will soon realize. Better, go for a walk and forget this horrible experience as a bad dream!

Verdict: Avoid

The story begins when a visibly unkempt Sivankutty (Mohanlal) reaches the apartment of his schoolmate, Unni (Suresh Menon). Though Unni fails to remember him clearly, the stranger, who introduces himself as Jose, becomes friendly with his kid. The mood takes some abrupt turns from then on as his real identity is revealed.

Unni, now a successful share broker, and his close pal Alex, a doctor, studied in school with Jose (well, we're not playing spoilsports and revealing more), who is now a jeep driver. To their horror, Unni and Alex soon realise that Jose is not his real name. They were all part of a tragic incident and now ‘Jose’ has come there with an agenda.

The film has its moments for sure, but things could definitely have been more effective with a taut script. Though Mohanlal puts in his heart and soul to get into the shoes of his character, the supporting cast lets him down big time. What makes the film click is its stunning climax.

Bhoomika, as Mohanlal's wife, and the child actor who play their child fail to make any impact. Some of the characters played by Bollywood comedian Suresh Menon, Bhoomika and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy could have been more effective with better dubbing. Muralikrishnan, who plays Alex, has nice features to suit his role and he does a nice job as well.

Among the best things about the film is the cinematography by Ajayan Vincent that adds to the mood of the story in a huge way. Mohan Sithara’s music is melodious, especially Mohanlal’s Annarakanna… song that is another highlight of the film. The action scenes, though at times created just for the heck of it, have been taken pretty well.

Bhramaram haunts you even after you come out of the theatre. Of course, it also makes you think about its merits and shortcomings. How many films that came out in recent times have succeeded in doing that? So go for it!

Verdict: Good

Yes, there's a storyline but it is a rather jaded one, which you have already seen and appreciated quite a number of times on screen. In fact, it is essentially a potpourri of situations in select measures, from some of the yesteryear hit films like Valsalyam, Sneham, Vesham, Rappakal and even Aram Thampuran.

Nandiledathu Madhavan (Kalabhavan Mani) is the eldest son of an affluent household. He is a simple, virtuous soul who prefers to work hard on the muddy paddy fields, talk the typical Valluvanadan dialect and is still unmarried.

His greedy siblings, all married and well settled, are indeed not too happy about his 'unpractical ways' when he opposes their plans to open a heritage hotel in place of the paddy fields.

They demand for a partition and a dejected Madhavan decides to move out. He goes to Palani and certain new happenings take him to Meera (Niya), a parallel college teacher whose family is in dire straits after her father's death.

Malayali is all about melodramatic situations, clichéd dialogues, fights and comedy at regular intervals and some half-hearted performances. Ten minutes into the film and the viewer will know exactly where the story is heading to.

Not surprisingly, it travels along expected lines until the very end. J Pallassery's script lacks imagination and the director was evidently keen only to tread the beaten track.

It's a character that is pretty difficult to be convincing for Kalabhavan Mani but in all fairness, he has put his heart and soul into it.

The heroine, however, doesn't impress and hams it big time when she was required to perform well. P Sukumar's cinematography is perhaps the highlight of the film, but the music is on a pretty average note.

Malayali has its moments for sure, but lacks originality or freshness that one look forward to in a movie. When DVDs of those nice films from the past are available on stores, why on earth should one waste time on a mishmash of some of them?

Verdict: Avoid

Zahira (Priyanka Nair) lives happily with her parents and younger sister in Ahmedabad, until a group of communalists wreaks havoc. After being gang raped, she barely manages to escape from the criminals before they set her ablaze. In a fit of panic, she hides inside a lorry but it takes Zahira to her father's hometown in northern Kerala.

As Zahira gradually recovers from her pathetic state, with the help of doctors played by Suhasini and Biju Menon, she has to face a new crisis. She soon realizes that in our society most humans categorize themselves only on the basis of religions and castes!

Zahira learns more about the real world, where beastly minds are vying to pounce upon a hapless woman. Even during those tumultuous times, she comes across genuine souls like Gopalettan (Thilakan), who takes care of her like a daughter.

Vilapangalkkappuram succeeds in making the viewers think about the plight of the world around them and such an attempt should be wholeheartedly appreciated. Aryadan Shoukath's story has been developed into a strong script by the director and he has made it into an absorbing movie.

M J Radhakrishnan's camera, M Jayachadran's music and Isaac Thomas Kottukappilly's background scores helps in setting the right tone for the narration. Manjari's rendering of the song, 'Mullulla murikkinmel…' hits right at the heart of the viewer and conveys the meaning quite convincingly.

Priyanka Nair, as the protagonist Zahira, gives a different meaning altogether to subtle acting. The rest of the cast including Suhasini, Thilakan, Biju Menon and V. K.Sreeraman also gives the right impact to their characters, making the film an engaging fare.

Though the director has gone for rather a conventional narrative style, it has its heart at the right place. It's a pity that often we tend to ignore such passionate attempts to show realistic and truthful stories on screen. Watch this one as such mishaps as mentioned in the film can happen to any of us!

Verdict: Excellent

In a desperate effort to package in too many messages and plots, the script loses its grip and the movie meanders along aimlessly like a 'mega-serial on big screen' (Not to forget that most involved in it are active in the TV serial circuit).

Vivek (Jayasurya) is an MBA student and the only son of a lawyer-couple, played by Siddique and Rekha. The parents, who live separately in adjacent apartments though not legally divorced, are stunned when their son asks to get him married soon after his exams are over.

He gets married to Kavya (Bhama), a radio jockey who has just lost her job and their problems start right from day one.

Kavya finds it difficult to adjust with her husband, as he is too immature! To add to her woes, he is too close to his friends even after their marriage, especially to Tessy (Samvritha Sunil). Soon there is tension happening between them and the parents as well.

As he announces towards the end, it was an attempt to bring his parents close that Vivek tied the knot in the first place, but he perhaps opted for the wrong partner!

Now, with its rather dramatic situations, amateurish script and unimpressive performances, the film is not perhaps intended to be taken too seriously. Both Jayasurya and Bhama behave as if they have no definite idea about the nature of their characters.

No wonder, it is comedian Suraj Venjarammood and to some extent, Samvritha Sunil, who eventually come out with the most impressive performances in the film.

In all fairness, is a nice attempt, but it is a situation where the makers of the film had all the resources, but just didn't know how to use them effectively.

The songs are good and have been taken in a stylish way. But things would have been even more attractive with better visuals during the scenes, especially since most of the sequences happen inside the apartments.

Ivar Vivahitharayal is a watchable fare and may cater pretty well to all those who defines entertainment just as a perfect mix of song 'n' dance routines, melodrama and tasteless buffoonery. But the question for all those involved in its making is that, why should you settle with that when you have a nice storyline and a competent cast, at your disposal?

Verdict: Time-pass

It is all about a callow gal named Jiya (Nithya), who is often overtly bubbly and painstakingly childish in her thoughts, talks and mannerisms. Well, as it is usually seen with girls from wealthy households in our films, she has everyone around her little finger but still the girl is yearning for true love! The main reason for her agonies, she believes is her strict mother, played by Seema.

Meanwhile Manu (Rejith Menon), her classmate who lives in the house next door, has a troubled life. His stepfather, who is always drunk, makes life hell for him and his hapless mother (Seetha). He decides to leave home for a better life, in an old motorcycle, which brings memories of his dead father. Jiya joins Manu as they go on a journey on the motorcycle, without a clear destination in mind. Now, there is this white feather or Vellathooval that follows the girl all along.

Things get serious when Jiya's parents learn that their darling girl has eloped with Manu. The kids are having a nice time riding across a picturesque land, where they sing songs in rain, come across occasional troubles and drink toddy to quench their thirst. The cops, who are often shown as mere jokers in uniforms, fail to nab them.

Unlike his yesteryear film, Ina, there is no romance between the lead actors. It could well be a change in premise, but there are no real surprises in the story and moves on predictable lines to the level that the viewer will crave for more, as things develop in a boring way. The lead pair fails to connect with the viewers generally and the result is that they never really succeed in taking the audience along in the process.

In all fairness, the fact that there is a storyline with some messages in the film. As you come out of the theatres, the immediate feeling will be that things could have been really different with better visuals, haunting music, and a tighter script. On simpler terms, Vellathooval would have been an okay movie, if it had come at least two decades ago!

Verdict: Average

The purpose is to narrate a rather unbelievable storyline that happens in a land virtually ruled by a rich landlord with a predictable Malayali origin, his gorgeous daughter or niece who is waiting to fall in love with the hero, a good number of dumb baddies who for sure will be Tamilians and so on. Director duo Fazil and Jayakrishna does the same in Kancheepurathe Kalyanam.

But with a hackneyed storyline, weak situations and puerile jokes, the film generally fails to serve the purpose, which obviously is to entertain the viewer. It has nothing much to offer as an original plot and has been influenced by yesteryear hits like Tenkasipattanam, Thommanum Makkalum Hitler etc.

Achuthankutty (Suresh Gopi) and Najeeb (Mukesh) are running two event management firms. They are not in good terms any more after Achuthankutty's sister eloped with Najeeb. Both the parties reach Kacheepuram to organize the marriage of Meenakshi (Muktha) with her uncle Varadaraja Mudaliar's (Jagathy Sreekumar) son, Saravanan. Of course, things are bound to change with the hero coming there.

With dialogues that will make you cringe rather than laugh and sequences that are cooked up without any justification or logic, the film does not even qualify enough to be a mindless comedy. In all fairness, there is an attempt on the part of its makers to make an entertainer, but they didn't have an interesting storyline at their disposal. J Pallassery's screenplay and dialogues never help to improve things either.

The hero, Suresh Gopi, seems evidently insecure with the whole environment, perhaps without his trademark gun. Mukesh has nothing much to do other than play his usual tricks. It's tough to imagine Muktha, perhaps old enough to be his daughter, romancing the hero. But to the horror of the viewer, it happens to be so in the film! The camera by Sanjeev Sankar does an impressive job and M Jayachandran's music perhaps suits the mood at best.

In the end, the film turns out to be a mishmash of what you have been seeing in the various films of the genre for some years now. The better option here could be to enjoy some of those originals in DVD in the cool comfort of your drawing rooms!

Verdict: Avoid

It's essentially about the obsession that a mother has towards her daughter. A noble thought indeed, but it is the way that the story has been told, which makes it ineffective to a great extent. With a clumsy screenplay, shoddy direction, poor visuals and even silly make-up, Calendar is at best, a wasted opportunity.

Thankam George (Zarina Wahab) is a college lecturer widowed soon after her daughter's birth. The mother and the daughter, Kochurani (Navya), can't be away from each other even for a day.

The equations begin to change after Thankam learns that her daughter is in love with Olikkara Sojappan (Prithviraj), a school dropout. After a while, she agrees for the marriage, but fate had different plans!

The film packs in too many things at a time and as a result it turns out to be a messy affair. It begins with some asinine comical scenes that test your patience. With flashbacks that continues to appear without a definite order, half-baked characters, poor visuals and most importantly, some disappointing performances, the film loses its way soon and meanders aimlessly from then on.

One gets the feeling that the focus of the film should have been on the elegant Zarina Wahab, who is making her comeback to Malayalam films after some decades. Perhaps the makers too have started off with that intention as well, but just didn't know how to.

The affection that the mother and daughter shares would have been a great premise, if shown well. Now, that is no surprise as even the romance between the characters played by Prithviraj and Navya has also been largely ignored.

Instead, too much time has been wasted in showing the comedy track involving Jagathy Sreekumar, Mallika Sukumaran, Maniyanpillai Raju and Kottayam Nazeer, which is often pavement humour that fails to generate any laughs. One of the best things about the film is the music by Afzal Yusuf. But the background score is not in sync with the mood at times.

Calendar has a decent plot and resources as well, like a hugely talented cast, for instance. But here the makers just didn't know how to use it all, in a wise manner and make it into an enjoyable entertainer!

Verdict: Average

Of all the things, the only one factor surprising about it would be the audacity of its makers to release it for public viewing. The film's screenplay is juvenile to the point of being plain stupid and it’s easily one of the worst films you're likely to see this year.

No two ways about it, the only record that this buffoonery creates will be for being one of the worst films to have happened in Malayalam film history. That, if this silly ninety minutes plus collage of senselessly made shots qualifies enough to be called a feature film. There may be some good things about any film, however bad it has been made, but it lacks any and is just an absurd act that makes a complete fool of the viewers.

The film has been made on a ridiculous premise, beginning with a terrorist attack on a hospital. Dr.Balagopal (Mohanlal), the gynecologist there, takes on the baddies. It is hard to explain how puerile and unimaginative the sequences, the dialogues, the music, the visuals, the stunts and the performances are! Frankly, this film is just not worthy of a review, because that will require more efforts than it has gone into its making.

It is evident that after the shooting, the director never got even a quarter of the scenes right and still ventured out to make a cut and paste version at the editing table. The result is that we see the same scenes being used again and again, with a cooked up storyline which lacks any sense.

It is quite a mystery on how Mohanlal agreed to be a part of this film? The versatile actor looks totally out of place and the less said the better about the rest of the cast who are equally clueless about what is happening.

It’s a particularly annoying film because the plot and presentation is amateurish and practically impossible to digest with no logic or even continuity. When you come out after watching the film, you'll feel like you've escaped from prison.

Verdict: Avoid!

Does it remind you of the recent Mohanlal starrer Red Chillies or Jim Gillespie's I know what you did last summer? Acor turned director Baburaj's Black Daliya has a predictable plot but is watchable in parts.

It's a fast paced-action-murder-mystery and in all fairness, the director has done a decent job in his maiden attempt. The story begins when a serial killer is taken to the tough talking Dr.Aadhikeshav (Suresh Gopi) and then the mystery unveils in a flashback.

Cut to a medical college, where the action begins as a gang of voluptuous looking girls from affluent households live in true funky style. They live in a designer hostel and fear none. But things go wrong for them in a big way.

After that fateful night when a stranger is found dead under the wheels of their car, they are in a fit of panic. And worse still, the members of the gang are found dead from then on, one after the other.

Cop Anwar (Baburaj) is in charge of the investigations, but he rubs people the wrong way and that ruins his chances. Enters the firebrand IPS officer Daisy Wilfred (Vani Viswanath) and things fall into place, or do they? Well, there is some suspense in store!

Using recognizable stars for short spans and still marketing the film with their faces pasted prominently in the posters, the makers of Black Daliya has played a smart game. But the best thing about it is that they have made it an entertaining affair. The script has holes for sure and the film is never the 'must-watch' sort, but even the makers may not expect you to take it that seriously.

Vani Viswanath has been presented in a role that fits her very well and her real-life husband, Baburaj has done a nice job facing the camera. P Sukumar's visuals, Sayan Anwar's songs and Rajamani's background scores add to the mood.

It may not have the kind of finesse or the brilliance that is seen in many of the well-taken mystery thrillers, but still this one can easily be classified as a watchable fare. Go without much expectation and chances are that you may find it enjoyable.

Verdict: Time-pass

Keshu or Keshav Menon (Jayasurya) is a school dropout and a good-for-nothing sort. He is an introvert by nature, works in a photostat shop for living and stays with his mother in modest surroundings. One fine day, he makes a counterfeit note and it leads him to a shady antique shop owner, Danny Sayippu (Mukesh). At the insistence of Danny, he starts making more fake currency and soon, his life goes from bad to worse.

Rose (Meera Nandan), a salesgirl who was in love in with Keshu, soon realizes that everything is not happening well in his life. And he by now was gunning for more and with the help of a local don called Iruttu or darkness (Kalabhavan Mani), Keshu and Danny plan to go for the kill.

Currency unleashes a tone of grey and that itself is worth appreciation as such away-from-the-beaten-formula occurrences are by now a rarity in Malayalam! But sadly, the director has not been quite successful in making use of that premise, especially with a weak script that is often clichéd and amateurish to the core.

The situations and dialogues are often contrived and the performances never help to make things better. The visuals are nice in parts and so is the music.

Jayasurya should blame himself for a wasted opportunity to prove himself as a credible actor. He just finds it tough to carry off the dark shade convincingly and his diction and mannerisms look silly.

Mukesh as Danny has done a decent job, though the script offers him limited possibilities. Kalabhavan Mani is supposed to be the leader of some slums, but he sports a ridiculous wig, leather jacket, gloves and looks funny, at best! But soon, we realize that the man means business. Meera Nandan has nothing much to do and even in those scenes, she has just hammed it up.

It's surprising that Malayalam filmmakers still haven't got over the fetish for voluptuous sirens in minimal clothing, gaudy colours and guns, while presenting the baddies. Well, the world has moved over but we are still comfortable with the kind of storytelling techniques that was prevalent ages back. Want some proof? Watch Currency then, of course, at your own risk!

Verdict: Below Average

Here is a film with a nice storyline that succeeds in keeping the intricacies of the narrative intact. The film begins by focusing on the life of Sathyanathan (Sreenivasan), who travels on a season ticket regularly, to his office and back. He is a nice soul, with a concern for the well being of others.

One night, he remains asleep on his way back after a tiring day in his office and fails to get down from the train at his destination, Nellayi. That results in a chance meeting with Advocate Nandan Menon (Dileep), who also happens to be a fellow traveler in the same train, on his way to Guruvayur.

Around the same time, Nandan's wife Anuradha (Mamta), a TV journalist, is all set to unearth a scoop involving the tainted defense minister of the state. Though he was a total stranger until some moments ago, Sathyanathan proves to be the crucial factor in the lives of the couple, after the minister and his goons start chasing them.

The best thing about the film is its ensemble cast that puts together a fine show, without the bindings of any set images. Dileep never tries to impose his heroics and is riveting, Sreenivasan is superb as the ‘Good Samaritan' and Mamta for once, shines in a non-glamorous role. But the surprise package is the inimitable Jagathy Sreekumar, essaying an amazing performance as the corrupt minister, who in fact is a cold blooded villain.

True, the film has its loose ends in the script and the director has gone for a conventional style rather than a modern approach, in the presentation. The dialogues are at times dramatic as well. But on the whole he has been successful in presenting the story as an engrossing thriller with a stunning climax.

A considerable portion of the film happens inside the railway compartments and that has been handled with the expertise of a seasoned filmmaker. The visuals are quite good and the background score has been used in a highly effective way.

It's the gripping manner of presentation that makes the film, a must watch. As one comes out of the theatres after watching the film, several questions arise in our minds regarding the various possibilities that the protagonists had, in the given situation. Now, that's exactly where the film succeeds. It makes you think about it for sure even after you're out of the theatres, perhaps unlike other recent films!

Passenger, is a taut thriller, with gritty performances that keeps the mercury rising. It moves like a super fast express train, racy with a running time of 2 hours, and is worth a ride. Go for it!

Verdict: Good

Now, that itself is the problem with the film. The lives of these women have been linked, loosely on the lines of the narrative style of films like Crash, Babel and so on. But most of these stories lack depth and fail to impress the viewer. It is definitely an honest attempt, but it suffers from the lack of a tight script.

Fouzia (Padmapriya), a journalist who is facing some turbulent times back home herself, is the main link that connects the rest of the women. Samvritha Sunil plays Nirmala, who works in a factory to earn a living for her family and Priyanka Nair plays a high jumper, whose plans to excel in sports are affected by an early marriage.

The widow of a rebel leader, a girl who lives in her dreams and another who is frightened after reading about the plight of a girl buried alive, include the other main characters.

It's indeed heartening to watch a film with the women in lead roles and the earnestness of the actors is there to be seen on screen. Suresh Gopi has done a double role, but the focus is never really on him. The visuals are quite okay and the music by Isaac Thomas Kottukappally adds in creating the right mood for the film.

The film should be appreciated for the sincerity that has gone into its making. Of course, it shows traces of novelty in its presentation, but falls short of becoming at par even with some of the director's earlier films.

Verdict: Average

The story happens in a Kuttanadan village where the protagonist, Benny (Jayaram), runs the franchisee of a local cable TV channel. He is a nice young man and an ambitious one as well, who has set some big dreams to achieve in his life.

Benny soon realizes that to get rich, the shortcut will be to get married and the dowry will fetch him all the fortunes. He marries Daisy (Kaniha) with that in mind, but his plans fall flat when he doesn't get the promised dowry. Daisy soon becomes the darling of his home, but Benny feels cheated. Things change from bad to worse for him from then on.

It is a simple story which is a sweet and moving experience for every section of the viewers. It moves on predictable lines, yes, especially in the second half and it is certainly not the director's best film yet, but still it succeeds to unleash a refreshing charm.

There are also some strong statements that the director tries to convey in between. Like the unrealistic stance of some local politicos, the snafus at the government departments and bindings of some religious practices. It's all there, but in the end the film touches you with some carefully crafted moments.

Just like Roy in Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal and Reji in Manassinakkare, Benny is also a lovable lad but a bit selfish. Or in other words, he's just like anyone of us! Jayaram has got yet another tailor made character which he essays with honesty. Kaniha looks convincing as a Christian girl from a rural background and though her character speaks less, her mannerisms and expressions does the talking.

In fact the best thing about the film could be its cast as well, the actors fit perfectly well to the characters. Be it the hugely talented KPAC Lalitha, who plays Benny's mother, Narain in a cameo, Innocent, Nedumudi Venu, Mamukkoya and the girls who played Jayaram's sisters or even the fishing boat owner, they all have put in their best efforts to make their parts look perfect.

Cinematographer Venu, who is on a roll with his nice visuals in 2 Hariharnagar, has succeeded in making the frames look good. Illayaraja's music is good and suits the mood of the film well.

In the end, Bhagyadevatha turns out to be a delightful experience and is a small film with a big heart! Here is one film that you can watch with your family and feel like spending some quality time together on a worthy trip. Considering the stuff that is coming on screen these days, that itself is something to cheer about!

Verdict: Good

He has made some spectacular films in the past but his latest offering, Moz & Cat, proves to be a major disappointment. The whole package looks dull and outdated, the storyline is confusing and lacks clarity, the situations are jaded and artificial, and most of the performances are quite ordinary, to say the least.

Moz D Samuel (Dileep) is an orphan and has a cute little kid named Tessy (Baby Niveditha) for company. The two join hands to play pranks on others to earn money for their living! A chance meeting with Nandana (Aswathy), change their lives forever. Nandana decides to use Tessy to remind her brother Sumesh (Rahman), a junkie, about their childhood and bring him back to his normal self.

Well, though this is the basic premise, the twists and turns that happen from then on makes the film a boring misadventure. The series of incidents that happen one after the other and the tricks played by all involved goes to such levels that the viewer will lose interest in the proceedings after a while. The sequences are clichéd to the core and the dialogues sound contrived and melodramatic.

Dileep tries desperately to generate laughs with his mannerisms and some poorly written lines, but the jokes fall flat. Then he tries to impress with his heroic acts, but he fails there as well. It is amazing why he is hesitant to play the nice man next door tag that is best suited for him, more often to his own benefit!

Aswathy, who has been a model and an anchor, looks picture perfect in every frame and at times, raises doubts on whether someone going through a do-or-die situation will dress up in matching costumes and accessories even during midnight! The bubbly little kid, played by Baby Niveditha, has done an impressive job. But the award for the worst performance in the movie should go to Rahman, who is plainly disgusting especially in the drunken scenes.

The marginally good thing about the film could well be its music by Ouseappachan that is good in parts. The song Thottal Pookkum… is perhaps one of the best tunes during recent times. But the other songs are major let downs. The visuals are fine and the costumes look stylish.

With a script that is full of flaws, the film is like a never ending journey. Fazil should call it day and retire gracefully, than making such stupid films. Our advice- Pick some of the old gems (DVD) of the director like Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu, Ente Mamattikuttiyammaykku, Manivathoorile Ayiram Sivarathrikal or Aniyathi Pravu and re-live those fine memories . You will find it much more enjoyable than getting a migraine watching this film!

Verdict: Avoidable

Prabhakaran (Jayaram) is a hardcore Gandhian and a Panchayat member of a village called Thonnoorkkara. With his 'impractical' style where he adopts unconventional ways to protest against every development plans, he is a head ache for both the ruling party as well as the opposition. Prabhakaran is also finding it difficult to make ends meet, as he lives at his uncle's mercy. From this basic premise, the story goes through several events which are dull, banal or plain boring.

Though the intention of those involved in its making is to find a justification for the hero's acts, it turns out to be thoroughly unconvincing, to say the least. Jayaram was going through a tough phase in his career until Veruthe Oru Bharya gave him a fresh lease of life. It was his rather weird choice of films that worked against him and this one is exactly in the mould of some of his earlier films, where he plays a highly virtuous soul and the rest of the world plot against him.

In fact the storyline and settings has a striking resemblance to one of his earlier films Njan Salpperu Ramankutty. Sadly, even that was a highly forgettable one as well. Here the situations, the characterization and the performances all look contrived to the hilt. It seems there was a desperate attempt to give a certain balance to the roles of the two heroines in the film, played by Priyanka Nair, who shot into fame with the Tamil film Veyil and newcomer Serah who cannot emote.

The best thing about the film perhaps, is its music, but surprisingly even the songs have not been presented in an impressive way. Without a credible storyline or script, it is amazing how those involved in its making managed to convince the rest to go ahead with this agonizingly naïve misadventure.

Verdict: Avoid

The basic premise is that of a young man, who is moving out of his village and from an innocent Murappennu, to pursue his studies at the Banaras Hindu University.

He becomes friendly with another girl there and what happens next is what the film is all about. The performances of the actors involved do not help to get matters right as well.

The protagonist, Hari (Vineeth), is going to Banaras not just for his research but to find more about his mother who died there. He leaves behind Devu (Navya), who is madly in love with him. In Banaras, Hari meets Amrita (Kavya), a half-Malayali girl and they become good friends. Things take unexpected turns in their lives from then on.

It is the fractured screenplay and its unimaginative narrative style that is the major flaw with this love triangle. The viewer gets the feeling that the makers of the film had too much to tell, but they just didn't know how to do it, in a gripping way.

What happens as a result is a mangled mess that is clichéd to the core. It has been announced as a musical, and there are some nice compositions by M.Jayachandran, though it is unnoticed.

The actors generally share cold vibes and zero chemistry even during the romantic scenes, especially Vineeth and Kavya. Though a major part of the events are happening in Banaras, the visuals are limited to a few locations there.

The dialogues are contrived and most of the situations are evidently weak. The comic department that involves Suraj Venjarammood, Jagathy Sreekumar and Harisree Asokan falls flaton its face.

The film is at best, is a wasted opportunity. The careless approach and lack of passion ruin its chances, though there are some nice aspects like the music, costumes and a talented cast.

If you're looking for the feel of holy Banaras, well, it's completely lacking here!

Verdict: Disappointing

B.Unnikrishnan, writer and director keeps to the time tested formula- never tinker with a star’s image. The result is IG, a run of the mill action police story told in a crisp manner.

The story is taken from news reports and political happenings in Kerala. A weak Chief Minister (Rajan.P.Dev), caricatured on the current man who sits on the hot seat, a corrupt police force, with the City Police Commissioner hand in glove with terrorist and other anti social elements!

A Malappuram based political party of the minorities now in the opposition controlled by Beeran Kutty Sahib (Sai Kumar), who is more of a businessman and a power hungry politician. Then there is a ruthless fly by night operator and kingpin Zachariah (Ashish Vidyarthi) who provides shelter to a Jihadi terrorist Yaseen who has killed many people in a bomb blast in Chalai Bazar in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Home Secretary Paul Joseph ( Sreeraman) is shot dead in his office at the state secretariat after a midnight meeting with top police officers and Chief Minister.

Enter Durga Prasad (Suresh Gopi), the Traffic IG, who is made the new Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief along with his handpicked men (Vijayraghavan, Jagathy and Kiran Raj). Durga Prasad is a chronic bachelor as his mother (Lakshmi) says- “he was too busy with police work to get married”. He has a younger brother an IT professional ( Govind Padmasurya of Adayalangal fame) who is madly in love with a Muslim girl ( Anaitha Nair of Chak De fame), who also happens to be the only daughter of Beeran Kutty!

Meanwhile Durga Prasad follows the trail of the terrorists leading him to the door steps of some of the most powerful people in the state, which leads to a great twist in the climax.

There is a sense of déjà vu seeing the film as everything has been seen before in so many movies in the same genre. More than half the dialogues in the film are in English. Sample a dialogue of the Kerala Chief Minister- “I’m sitting on a shaky chair.”

The plus points are Suresh Gopi, for whom wearing Khaki is as ducks taking to water and the climax twist laced with sentiments and punch lines.

Govind Padmasurya definitely has a future in Malayalam film, while other characters like Jagathy and Vijayraghavan disappear half way through. Is the role of Nandini as a smart lawyer necessary?

At most the film is a time pass entertainer which is racy and briskly told though the story and situations are all ‘old wine in new bottle’.

Verdict- Above Average

The best thing about the film is its engaging script that takes the viewer effortlessly along with the pace of its narrative. 2 Harihar Nagar has its heart in the right place and, more importantly, that’s quite evident on the screen. Supported by good editing, cinematography, good music and earnest performances, 2 Harihar Nagar gets the viewer absorbed straightaway.

Mahadevan (Mukesh), Govindankutty (Siddique) and Appukuttan (Jagadeesh) are well settled and return to Harihar Nagar for the wedding of Thomaskutty (Ashokan). There are 10 days to the wedding and they decide to become young at heart for that time—away from their wives. Soon, they are smitten by the charms of their beautiful neighbour Maya (Lakshmi Rai), whom they meet by chance, and that’s the beginning of their troubles.

The four actors fit into their characters, the ones they had given life to nearly two decades ago, with amazing ease. Mahadevan still takes key decisions within the gang and, though it is never mentioned, he remains the leader of the gang. Govindankutty is still a Romeo by nature, which is obvious in the first few moments itself. That Thomaskutty is less successful in his life is also evident and there’s the hope that perhaps things will change after his marriage. Appukuttan has become a doctor, but can dentistry make him more sensible?

Well, Lal decided to present them exactly the way we have known them earlier. The smart thinking of a gifted filmmaker is evident in the ingenious use of the music from the previous film and, also, in some of the characters as well. Like the one played by actor Appa Haja, who had to pump air into a flat tyre with his mouth in the first part. He is now a cop and, to the horror of the four, they land up at his station for their stupid acts and it's their turn to face the music!

The first half is full of wacky dialogues, situations and, in the second half, the terrific twist in the climax makes it a crackling show. 2 Harihar Nagar is just what intelligent filmmaking is all about and, no wonder, this delightful comedy is a winner from the word go. There is no need to leave your brain back home here—it will entertain the viewer with its right intentions and sincerity. So just grab some popcorn and watch it at the cinemas because it’s genuine fun.

Verdict: Simply Rocking

Vicky (Prithviraj) is the student's union chairman of an engineering college and is madly in love with his fellow student, Anu (Geetu). A few songs and some misunderstandings later, Anu moves away from the hero.

To make him jealous, she gets closer to a new entrant in the college, Johnny (Indrajith). But the situation turns worse as Vicky gets falsely implicated in a number of misdeeds. It's amazing that Vicky never tries to find the actual miscreant, though it happens to be his bête-noire in the campus. Worse still, the role has been played by debutante, who lacks any acting sense as such!

If you find this story interesting, there is another sub-plot involving Vicky's parents played by Balachandra Menon and Revathy and Johnny's mother, played by Suhasini, that could remind the plots of some 60s or 70s masala movies. With some melodramatic twists that can at best qualify for an unending soap on the idiot box, this film presents a gruesome two and a half hours for the viewer.

The on-off romance between Vicky and Anu makes one cringe in the seat. The zero on-screen chemistry between Prithviraj and Geetu and the forgettable songs for which the actors have to sway in close intervals, adds to the woes. It is sad that actors like Suhasini and Revathy have been wasted in insignificant roles.

There is a storyline in Nammal Thammil unlike some of the celebrated films during recent times, yes, but the question if it is good enough to hold the viewer's attention for its whole screening time.

It's obvious from every frame that no one associated with this film was trying to make a credible film. Quite evidently, it turns out to be a test on your patience, no less.

Verdict: Avoid

This film promised to be the mother of all stylish films made in India. But sadly, director Amal Neerad clearly lacks a story and the skills required to turn that idea into an engaging film.

There is a sense of déjà vu as Amal has rehashed certain scenes, locations and characters from his earlier Big-B, and the end product looks like it has fallen off straight from the assembly line of stylized gangster movies like Musafir, Billa, D Company etc.

Where is the story Mr. S.N Swamy? Sagar alias Jacky (Mohanlal) is an international operator who outsmarts rivals like Naina (Suman) through his guts and determination and always emerges triumphant. However he has a problem to be sorted out in Kerala, where the Chief Minister’s (Nedumudi Venu) son-in-law, a good for nothing guy and his childhood friend Manu (Manoj.K.Jayan) is kidnapped. Manu’s wife Indu (Shobhana), finds that the Kerala Police is dragging its feet over it as their loyalty is with her elder brother Hari (Ganesh), a budding politician who wants to inherit his fathers political legacy.

Indu requests Sagar to bring back her husband who is held in Goa by the notorious gangsters Rozario brothers (Tamil villain Sampath, and the long haired bearded guy who played main villain in Big-B). Sagar flies in to Kochi, in his personal jet along with his 4 member gang.

They take on the Rozario brothers; rescue Manu which leads to more trouble with a host of baddies like Rahul Dev and ends with a final shoot out in a resort. For some romance and songs there is a television news reporter Aarathy Menon (Bhavana), who tries to investigate and expose Sagar and ends up falling in love with him and paying a price.

At times you get the feeling that Swamy has remade his K.Madhu directed Irupatham Nootandu, which was a far better entertainer. In fact, this film is the perfect example of the new style of film making being followed by young directors in south fed on Hollywood and Bollywood DVD’s. First decide and design action sequences, exotic locations, costumes and then write the story around that.

It's an opportunity lost, as Mohanlal the most flexible actor in Indian cinema is asked to look wooden and walk throughout wearing designer coats and leather jackets, which after a point of time becomes predictable or plain boring and agonizingly snail-paced. Jagathy Sreekumar is wasted while Jyothirmayee’s item dance fails to sizzle.

Added to that the director has employed the regular technique used by Ram Gopal Varma, Vishnu Vardhan and others to make their film look stylish- ramping technique, wide-angle lenses, top angle shots, sepia-toned photography, sharp cuts and a jarring loud background score and end titles rolling over with a special song.

But Sagar alias Jacky is not an unwatchable movie. For the locations and look, it can be seen. But what could have been a fearless, edgy action thriller is ultimately only a half-decent enterprise because it lacks a strong story. You can watch it only because it’s a new format but for most parts prepare to be seriously bored.

Verdict- Average