'Laththi' was released in theatres today (December 22). Here is our review of the Vishal-starring action movie.
Story
Murali Krishna (Vishal) is a suspended constable. His wife Kavitha (Sunaina) and his school-going son Raju (Master Lirish Raghav) are his world. After he gets reinstated in the police department, a DIG named Kalyan (Prabhu) asks him to do something risky and explosive. Murali's daredevil action irks Shoora and Veera, the father-son duo who are ruthless gangsters.
Analysis
Tamil cinema and cop stories are inseparable. The 'Singam' movies proved it. Even filmmakers like Gautam Menon have tried to tell cop stories with a touch of realism. The Suriya-starrer ‘Kaakha Kaakha’, Kamal Haasan-starrer ‘Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu’ and the Ajith-starrer ‘Yennai Arindhaal’ were intriguing and moving in different degrees. Director A Vinoth Kumar attempts to blend the sensibilities of the 'Singam' universe and the flavour of Menon's cop movies. The result is a dud.
The problem with 'Laththi' (alternatively spelled as 'Laatti') is that it expects the audience to suspend their thinking capacity one too many times. A powerful person who has a penchant for harassing women and his rivalry with an ordinary constable becomes the central focus of the film. This villain and his father (who can be seen terrorizing political heavyweights at will) commit all sorts of crimes with no fear of consequences. But they wait for the hero to take off his police uniform and get into a civil dress before they can assault him. Do you find it believable?
Hundreds of men don't know how to handle the hero standing right in front of them, bruised and badly mauled. Only one of them comes forward to attack the hero and gets hit back violently. All the while, the rest of the baddies just look on.
The action choreography by Peter Hein in an under-construction building (where more than half of the second half takes place) had to be really outstanding for this film to work. In a way, the limits of director A Vinoth Kumar's imagination does the film in.
Vishal's performance is able. His wife, played by Sunaina, is a cliched character. She looks homely and all, but the writing fails her. Master Lirish Raghav gets more space than most child artists these days to emote. Prabhu, Munishkanth, Ramana and others leave no impact.
Closing Remarks
'Laththi' has too many weak moments for it to work. The cop actioner should have had riveting action.
