Maari
Reviews
timesofindia
If you, like many others, had been excited about Maari after watching its trailer, be prepared for disappointment. Almost all the best bits from the film are already in the trailer and the film clearly lacks the crackling energy that we see in the trailer. Maari largely feels like one huge build-up without any proper pay-off. The story is set in a slum, where Maari (Dhanush, infusing the character with life), a small-time thug, whose heart is in pigeon racing. His rival is Bird Ravi (Mime Gopi), who has been completely overshadowed by Maari, who has become the go-to guy for a bigger don, Velu Annan (Shanmugarajan). Enter a new inspector, Arjun Kumar (Vijay Yesudas, making his debut), who is determined to crack an age-old murder that happens to be the one which gave Maari his fearsome reputation. We also get a sub-plot involving red sanders, probably to make this story seem topical. Perhaps, after Vaaya Moodi Pesavum, which was a half-silent movie, Balaji Mohan wanted to do something relatively simple and chose this script, which has its fair share of cliches. The director seems to be aware of this and he tries to keep things light and never lets scenes get overtly dramatic (in this, he is helped to a great extent by Robo Shankar, who is terrific as Maari's comic sidekick Sanikizhamai), but this approach doesn't suit this material, which is essentially a fawning-over-the-hero masala movie. Plot developments are treated a bit too casually — including the hero being sent to prison — that we are hardly invested in the proceedings. And to make things worse, after doing everything — stylish beard, coolers, trendy shirts to punch dialogue (Senjuduven) and devil-may-care swagger — project his hero, the director fails to provide him with strong adversaries. A hero is only as good as his villain, and the villains here are hardly intimidating. Both Vijay Yesudas (playing a character that is this film's equivalent of Virgil Sollozzo in The Godfather) and Mime Gopi are lightweights in underwritten roles, and never for a moment do we see them as a real threat to the hero. But, Maari is no Anjaan (another recent film that had a star playing a don but fizzled out after building up its hero), though, at times, it does come dangerously close. There are some quirky touches that suggest some spark, though they are definitely not enough for the film to catch fire. The best scene — Maari reclaiming his turf — is pure masala movie moment, and a nice update on the scene in Baasha where every don comes and kisses Rajinikanth's hand. The villain's henchmen arrive at the market to collect the dues from the shopkeepers and Maari, who is unperturbed by them, coolly sits with feet up on a table and throws crackers around, making them jittery. And realizing who is in charge, one by one, the people of the place come and place their money on Maari's table. It is a quietly punchy scene and what the film needed is more scenes such as this one. But what we get are scenes that promise us something impactful but end up as underwhelming. Take the scene where Bird Ravi is left to lick his wounds after Maari refuses to pay him any due. We think he is going to plan something big to cut down Maari to size but instead, all we get is him whining to Arjun. Even the romantic track isn't lazily done, though it does follow the Tamil cinema template of an educated, pretty girl falling for a crude but goodhearted ruffian. Just as we roll our eyes when Sridevi (Kajal) begins to woo Maari after he helps her out in a financial transaction, Balaji Mohan introduces a twist into this and we are surprised. If only had he done such things throughout the film, we would have got the quirky mass masala movie that we were promised in the trailer.
Movie Recommendation
Oh! Baby2019-07-04A 70-year-old woman transforms into her 24-year-old self after she's photographed at a studio, changing her life and those of the people around her forever.More...
Eega2012-07-05Nani is a flower decorator, madly in love with his neighbor Bindhu. He gets killed by the baddie, Sudeep, a powerful businessman. Nani comes back as a housefly to get his revenge.More...
Maari 22018-12-21After falling off the radar for a few years, Maari is back in the fray doing what he does best: taking trouble by the horns and being a total bad-ass. This time around, he is facing off against a formidable opponent named Beeja, who would stop at nothing until he sees Maari's downfall.More...
Jilla2014-01-10A cop decides to take on his godfather, who raised him from childhood, and make him realize the error of his ways.More...
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam2018-09-27A bloody power struggle erupts between three brothers who are vying to take over the family business following the death of their father.More...
Dasvidaniya2008-11-07A man who loves to make "to-do lists" makes one last bucket list when he realizes he is about to die.More...
U Turn2016-05-20A journalist who intents to write an article on traffic rule breakers gets dragged into a whirlpool of murder cases and deception.More...
Maryan2013-07-19The film is an emotional journey of a common man to an unknown place with the hope to come home and lead a better life. The film revolves around a story of human survival adapted from a newspaper article of a real-life crisis event, when three oil workers from India were kidnapped and taken hostage in Sudan.More...
Bāhubali: The Beginning2015-07-10The young Shivudu is left as a foundling in a small village by his mother. By the time he’s grown up, it has become apparent that he possesses exceptional gifts. He meets the beautiful warrior princess Avanthika and learns that her queen has been held captive for the last 25 years. Shividu sets off to rescue her, discovering his own origins in the process.More...
Isle of Dogs2018-03-23In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island used as a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.More...
Deadpool 22018-05-15Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool battles the evil and powerful Cable and other bad guys to save a boy's life.More...
Don't Breathe 22021-08-12The Blind Man has been hiding out for several years in an isolated cabin and has taken in and raised a young girl orphaned from a devastating house fire. Their quiet life together is shattered when a group of criminals kidnap the girl, forcing the Blind Man to leave his safe haven to save her.More...
Twisters2024-07-10As storm season intensifies, the paths of former storm chaser Kate Carter and reckless social-media superstar Tyler Owens collide when terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed. The pair and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.More...
Wonder Woman2017-05-30An Amazon princess comes to the world of Man in the grips of the First World War to confront the forces of evil and bring an end to human conflict.More...
Hell House LLC2015-10-16Five years after an unexplained malfunction causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.More...
Avengers: Endgame2019-04-24After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.More...
Crawl2019-07-11When a huge hurricane hits her hometown in Florida, Haley ignores evacuation orders to look for her father. After finding him badly wounded, both are trapped by the flood. With virtually no time to escape the storm, they discover that rising water levels are the least of their problems.More...
The Kid Detective2020-10-16A once-celebrated kid detective, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.More...
Dracula 20002000-12-22When a team of techno-savvy thieves break into a high-security vault, they don't discover priceless works of art... they find a crypt unopened for 100 years.More...
Sonic the Hedgehog2020-02-12Powered with incredible speed, Sonic The Hedgehog embraces his new home on Earth. That is, until Sonic sparks the attention of super-uncool evil genius Dr. Robotnik. Now it’s super-villain vs. super-sonic in an all-out race across the globe to stop Robotnik from using Sonic’s unique power for world domination.More...
Similar Movies
Alega Gang: Public En...
1988-07-01In 1985, jeepney driver Ulysses "Boboy" Alega loses his vehicle just as he needed money to pay his rent and buy medications for his child. After he accidentally shoots and kills a person during a fight, Boboy is then imprisoned and tortured by the police. With his release from prison, Boboy eventually joins a group involved in arms smuggling, and after some time its members come to consider him as their leader.Smokin' Aces
2006-12-09When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.Bugsy Malone
1976-07-22New York, 1929, a war rages between two rival gangsters, Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. Dan is in possession of a new and deadly weapon, the dreaded "splurge gun". As the custard pies fly, Bugsy Malone, an all-round nice guy, falls for Blousey Brown, a singer at Fat Sam's speakeasy. His designs on her are disrupted by the seductive songstress Tallulah who wants Bugsy for herself.The Way of the Dragon...
1972-12-30Tang Lung arrives in Rome to help his cousins in the restaurant business. They are being pressured to sell their property to the syndicate, who will stop at nothing to get what they want. When Tang arrives he poses a new threat to the syndicate, and they are unable to defeat him. The syndicate boss hires the best Japanese and European martial artists to fight Tang, but he easily finishes them off.Kung Fu Hustle
2004-02-10It's the 1940s, and the notorious Axe Gang terrorizes Shanghai. Small-time criminals Sing and Bone hope to join, but they only manage to make lots of very dangerous enemies. Fortunately for them, kung fu masters and hidden strength can be found in unlikely places. Now they just have to take on the entire Axe Gang.The Polar Bear
1998-11-12Four characters become involved in one dramatic story: Nico has a mission to drive a car containing a live bomb to a specified destination, park the car and escape as quickly as she can. Leo has become his client's target, having carried out a "contract" that unfortunately had already been cancelled. Fabian and Reza want to enjoy themselves without any money, bringing themselves into contact sooner or later with the police. Sooner or later all four will meet up in dramatic circumstances....Another Stakeout
1993-07-22A pair of immature detectives are joined by a pesky assistant district attorney in staking out a lakeside home where an important Mafia trial witness is believed to be heading.Pusher III
2005-08-22Milo is aging, he is planning his daughter's 25th birthday, and his shipment of heroin turns out to be 10,000 pills of ecstasy. When Milo tries to sell the pills anyway, all Hell breaks loose and his only chance is to ask for help from his ex-henchman and old friend Radovan.Hollywood Homicide
2003-06-09Joe Gavilan and his new partner K. C. Calden, are detectives on the beat in Tinseltown. Neither one of them really wants to be a cop, Gavilan moonlights as a real estate broker, and Calden is an aspiring actor moonlighting as a yoga instructor. When the two are assigned a big case they must work out whether they want to solve the case or follow their hearts.Dead or Alive
1999-11-27Ryūichi and his small gang of Triad vie for control of the Japanese underworld in a crime-ridden Shinjuku quarter while Detective Jojima tries to bring it down.Jigarthanda DoubleX
2023-11-10A notorious gangster is incited to transform into a film hero and opts for a filmmaker and their project descends into a scenario they had never anticipated.7 Seconds
2005-06-28When an experienced thief accidentally makes off with a Van Gogh, his partner is kidnapped by gangsters in pursuit of the painting, forcing the criminal to hatch a rescue plan.Bad Boys
1995-04-07Marcus Burnett is a henpecked family man. Mike Lowrey is a footloose and fancy free ladies' man. Both Miami policemen, they have 72 hours to reclaim a consignment of drugs stolen from under their station's nose. To complicate matters, in order to get the assistance of the sole witness to a murder, they have to pretend to be each other.The Phantom
1996-06-06The 21st successor to the role of Bengalla's resident superhero must travel to New York to prevent a rich madman from obtaining three magic skulls that would give him the secret to ultimate power.Firebrands
2012-10-20Barely scraping by making an honest living as a rural yakuza, Hachiya (Yasukaze Motomiya) dreams of the City of Flowers. Unable to conceal their growing frustration at their everyday lives, he and his partner, Sagane (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi), choose to pursue their own paths as yakuza, hiding a new major source of income from the family. But when the family captain (Kazuyoshi Ozawa) shows up for the first time in ten years...Walker, Texas Ranger:...
2005-10-16Walker investigates a murder connected with a missing government weapon. In addition, he tries to track down a teen on the run from a crime syndicate.The Takeover
1995-01-01Both Danny Stein and Tony Vilachi are drug lords in a struggle to gain control of the same territory. Jonathan and Mickey are ex-cons who come in wearing white hats and attempt to settle the dispute.Carlito's Way: Rise t...
2005-09-27Seduced by the brutal New York underworld, future gangster legend Carlito Brigante enters a deadly circle of greed and retribution. Assisted by his two brothers-in-crime, Carlito is on the fast track to becoming Spanish Harlem's ultimate kingpin. He quickly learns, however, that the only way to survive at the top is through loyalty to his friends and respect for the rules of the street.I Went Down
1997-10-03Fresh out of prison, Git rescues a former best friend (now living with Git's girlfriend) from a beating at the hands of loan sharks. He's now in trouble with the mob boss, Tom French, who sends Git to Cork with another debtor, Bunny Kelly, to find a guy named Frank Grogan, and take him to a man with a friendly face at a shack across a bog. It's a tougher assignment than it seems: Git's a novice, Bunny's prone to rash acts, Frank doesn't want to be found (and once he's found, he has no money), and maybe Tom's planning to murder Frank, which puts Git in a moral dilemma. Then, there's the long-ago disappearance of Sonny Mulligan. What's a decent and stand-up lad to do?Bronze Head and Steel...
1972-08-31A debt-ridden martial artist is forced to work for a gangster, who then murders his family.