Thegimpu/Thunivu Movie review: Not for common audience
After “Nerkonda Parvai” and “Valimai,” “Thegimpu” is the third film in the combination of Ajith, H Vinoth, and Boney Kapoor. This time, the trio as picked up a heist-action entertainer as the premise and the trailer surely created great curiosity. Let’s check out does the movie have enough to sustain this or is it another case of well packaged but not the well-made product.
Story
A bunch of goons target Your Bank for robbery. They devise a perfect plan but are taken aback by the presence of Ajith Kumar. Who is he and why is he in the bank? What are his intentions, and who gave him the intel? The movie’s core plot is how does the whole heist end up?
Analysis
H Vinoth directs the movie. It is his third consecutive collaboration with Ajith. The good thing with the collaboration is the director has come up with three unique subjects for Ajith. A progressive courtroom drama, a high-octane action thriller and now we have a heist drama involving banks.
Coming to the film, the first half feels rushed from the start. There is a messy feel, and the impression here is that H Vinoth is trying to utilise the ‘star’ Ajith to further the narrative. The swag, laughs and dancing bits are part of the oeuvre. But, they fail to make the necessary impact on the flimsy ground. The clueless screenplay trying to mix the swag and content makes the whole thing look messy in the first half. The action happens without any conviction and misses the necessary intensity. Things remain the same until the interval, where little hope of a better second half emerges.
Unfortunately, the second half comes with its own set of problems. The most obvious is the genre switch from a thriller to a social drama. The topic here is banks, and the content is about mutual funds. Instead of bringing a relatability and engaging narrative out of it, the proceedings stick to the surface details and jump from one thing to another in a vigilante fashion. The change in tone from social drama to vigilante drama and then to over-the-top action derails the proceedings from time to time, just when one might seem interested. It is slightly better than the first half regarding the content, but the lack of effectiveness doesn’t change the eventual fate.
On a whole, “Thegimpu” has a relatable core central point that relies heavily on the star’s enigmatic presence to pull through. Even the content takes different turns, leaving the viewers dazed and confused. Ultimately, it is a movie strictly for the fans and a huge disappointment for others.
Performances
Ajith portrays a different getup in the movie while continuing his salt-and-pepper look. The styling, especially the beard and goggles, makes the difference. The whole thing enhances his appeal on screen and perfectly suits the gangster role. However, all these are mere physical details. The first half sees Ajith get back to his Mankatha days. There is that touch of evil and negative shade, but they are all done superficially and don’t gel well with the narrative. There is fun only due to him in some parts, but they are limited. Nothing stands out or impresses (as a whole) despite a visible effort to impress. It is, in particular, true to the general audience as the fans can easily be satisfied with simple things.
Manju Warrier is technically the female lead. It is not the usual heroine role but turns into a cliche nevertheless after a point. All we see here is Manju Warrier doing the action, and that’s it. Apart from main lead, the cast has very few known faces. Among them, Samuthirakani plays a typical honest, sincere cop. He is alright, even though it’s a minor role. Ajay gets a decent part after a gap and does well in what’s given. The rest of the actors are okay, but they don’t have anything highlighting them among the crowd.
Technicalities
H Vinoth has yet to provide the right package dealing with a star like Ajith. There is no depth in writing. The issues seen with “Valimai” are now seen in his latest effort “Thegimpu.” He is getting confused and throwing the audience into confusion.
Coming to music, there aren’t many songs in the movie; even the ones present are strictly part of the narrative and serviceable. Regarding the background score, Ghibran fails to live up to the high expectations. The BGM gives a cartoony feel whenever there is action reminding one of the Diwali cracker noises. Even apart from that, there is no outstanding work in the dramatic moments as well.
Nirav Shah’s cinematography is okay but lacks the grand appeal due to the subject’s limitation. Most of the movie happens inside a bank which makes it difficult. The production values, too, reflect the same. The special effects, at times, look very tacky. The editing could have been better.
Positives
Ajith
Message
Core Relatable Point
Negatives
Messy Narrative
Uneven Tone (Two Different Halves)
Clueless Direction
No High Moments