Here is the movie review of 2.0 – the most awaited sequel to Rajinikanth starrer ROBOT (ENTHIRAN original), director Shankar’s magnum opus that is touted to be the costliest Indian movie till date, made with a budget of a whooping 540+ crores. Does 2.0 starring ‘superstar’ Rajinikanth and Bollywood’s on screen icon of patriotism – Akshay Kumar provide the maximum bangs as expected, find out in our review of 2.0.
Major Highlight
Shankar creates a technical marvel, which is at par with Hollywood’s iconic science fictions, the spectacle is non-stop and the VFX is mind blowing. The best Indian cinema has had till date.
Best moments
Almost the entire second half is a blast and like ROBOT, the last 20 odd minutes is a treat for Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar fans. Worth every penny.
Most surprising factor
The movie doesn’t have a single song.
The Story
A giant evil crow is on a rampage, stealing mobile phones from hands of people, shops, malls and trucks. The clueless state administration calls Dr. Vasigaran (Rajinikanth) for help.
Superstar Rajinikanth’s performance
Rajinikanth is in his complete element, terrific is an understatement and fans will be go in a tizzy when Chitti in his ‘giant’ avatar during the climax, flips his sun glasses and performs those mannerisms that has made him the ‘superstar’.
Akshay Kumar’s performance
Akshay Kumar is brilliant as the antagonist and wins hearts. It’s almost impossible to maintain your presence right from the first frame till the end in a Rajinikanth starrer and the ‘khiladi’ does it with aplomb.
Other actor’s performances
Amy Jackson has her moments. However, the inclusion of Dhirendra Bhora (Sudhanshu Pandey), the son of Dr Bhora (the villain of ROBOT, played by Danny Dengzongpa) is half-baked. An actor like Adil Hussain is not utilized properly.
Direction
2.0 stays true to the stamp or say ‘aura’ created by Shnakar, delivering socially related movies on a huge scale that hits the masses. His narration is easy, smooth and intriguing.
The VFX
VFX supervisor Srinivas Mohan gives Indian sci-fi a precious moment. 2.0 is a non-stop spectacle and the VFX is mind blowing. The best Indian cinema has had till date. Yes, naysayers will talk about those ‘Hollywood’ influences but an ‘inspired’ piece of art still needs that pious dedication to honour the imagination and the efforts by director Shankar and VFX supervisor Srinivas Mohan in creating this marvelous extravaganza felt frame by frame. The canvas is grand like an ocean and the visuals like mobile phones turning into a monstrous bird, room filled with mobile phones are moments to cherish for the genre enthusiast. The 3D is terrific and it’s amazingly smooth to your eyes enhancing the ‘cool’ quotient.
Technical Analysis
Technically a movie that can pose with any major Hollywood movie in its genre, Resul Pookutty delivers a sound of highest standards by using the SRL 4D sound. Nirav Shah as the cinematographer does a commanding job to shoot in 3D and he is flawless. Editor Anthony cuts it to perfection.
Music
Sadly A R Rahman fails to deliver.
Major flaw
Lacks the required emotional connect.
Most weird/crazy moment
Dr. Vasigaran calling her new assistant Nila a laptop and she immediately starts crooning ‘laptop, laptop’.
Script analysis
Just like Shankar’s previous movie templates, the story of 2.0 travels in the terrain the director is known for, corruption (NAYAK), an old man on a mission (INDIAN) and the devastating ill effects of technology that can harm the mankind (ROBOT), here too Shankar takes the issue of the control of technology in our life like mobile phones and its ill effects. The movie opens with an old man committing suicide by hanging on top of a mobile phone tower and we see numerous birds gathering around. Cut to Dr. Vasigaran’s (Rajinikanth) laboratory, a group of students pay a visit to study robotics and we are introduced to Dr. Vasigaran’s new assistant Nila (Amy Jackson), a humanoid robot. (Remember Chitti (Rajinikanth) was dismantled in the original). Suddenly, mobile phones start flying out of everyone’s hands, mobile stores, markets, malls, etc. The clueless state administration calls for some immediate military action which backfires and a mysteriously creepy giant bird, made up of mobile phones, starts attacking the city, killing phone vendors, owners of mobile phone companies, even the concern minister falls prey. The state government then grants permission to bring back Chitti (Rajinikanth) and fight the giant bird that has caused havoc in the city.
The first half is all about that mysterious giant bird that hates mobile phones and bang at interval point; we see the face of Akshay Kumar as the ‘holy crow’ that is causing havoc. The second half is the back-story of Akshay Kumar as Pakshirajan an ornithologist who becomes the fatal prey of mobile radiations (revealing further will be a spoiler). In short it’s a war between nature and science where Dr. Vasigaran is in favour of science but with a firm belief that technology should be for the betterment of humans while Pakshirajan is the unfortunate scapegoat of greed and overindulgence of technology that has turned a saint into a demon. The concept is pretty intriguing and Shankar in his enthusiasm to make it sound authentic uses scientific terms like ultron, neutron, an aura that is created by micro-photons, etc. However, the human side (read emotional connect), in this universal subject, fails to get the desired impact. It touches but fails to stay. The audience feels the lack of humour, romance, etc. ROBOT succeeded in highlighting the human angle much better.
Conclusion
All said and done, 2.0 is a moment in Indian sci-fi genre that deserves a pat on everyone’s back, though Shankar’s story is basically in his ‘pet’ format, the movie has the finest VFX in Indian cinema till date. With Rajinikanth in his element and Akshay Kumar in complete command and a universal subject, 2.0 is an entertaining fun filled sci-fi adventure that is worth a dekho, hope it could have stirred our souls like those eye popping VFX as well.
Worth a watch or not?
Watch the new age Indian ‘Transformers’ on screen – Akshay Kumar as the creepy evil bird man and Rajinikanth as the ‘super’ fun Chitti in this mind blowing VFX extravaganza that is worth your money.
