Garudan

Garudan: An Imaginable performance of Soori.

The one line of 'Garuda' is on a person who is caught between fairness and loyalty and what he ultimately chooses, after a chain of events that pits lifelong friends against each other in a tale of betrayal and vengeance written and directed by RS Durai Senthilkumar, based on an interesting and intriguing story by Vetrimaran

Minister R. V. Udayakumar eyeballing a lucrative land owned by Temple in a village, where Sasikumar and Unni Mukundan who are close friends since childhood are living, and Soori, a faithful servant to Unni Mukundan's family who is an orphan who rescued years ago, plays a significant role in both families, overseeing their matters assiduously.

As the Minister's henchman tempts Unni Mukundan with a deal to deceive Sasi Kumari and to surrender the temple documents for an abnormal monetary benefit, persuaded by his wife's desires, agrees, eliciting a heartbreaking chain of events. Unni manipulates Soori's loyalty, installing him as the new trustee to assist in the document theft. Sasi Kumar, unclear of Unni Mukundan's betrayal, meets a brutal end, witnessed by Soori, caught between allegiance to Unni and a sense of justice, Soori lands at a tough decision, leading to an intense showdown.

Garuden maintains a fast pace, the film effectively portrays the close bond between the three main characters, intensifying the impact of the betrayal. Soori stands out with his conflicting emotions, portrayed in a way that goes against his natural loyalty. Additionally, he is unable to lie in front of his master, leading to humorous moments of stream-of-consciousness rambling.

It will be interesting to see what happens next in a film that capitalizes on the thrill. The intermission scene where everything gets thrown away is guaranteed the best theatre experience of the year with Soori's never ever before screen presence with extreme violence and splashing blood, with screaming, strangulation and cutting of hands.

The plot, galloped on betrayal, the film's use of graphic violence and bloodshed, while enhancing its intensity, feels excessive and slightly diminished their impact. Soori, Sasikumar, and Unni Mukundan share equal screen time, Sasikumar delivers his usual flair with a worthy performance. Unni Mukundan new comer from Kerala, impresses with his earnest portrayal seamlessly delves into the character's psyche. However, it's Soori, as an actor, has previously done mostly comedy roles as hero's sidekick, in this film Soori shines, with muddy vibes of the brickfield, transitioning from a loyal servant to a principled fighter, offering the film's emotional core. He delivers an outstanding performance, continuing his successful streak of serious role in Viduthalai, audience is at the edge of seat, they can see only Sokkan the character of Soori throughout the film, and Soori's miracle transformation from Comedy character to a serious and emotional rural action flick, it proves how a capable director can mould an actor to the desired character. Hats off to Director and Soori.

Yuvan Shankar Raja's background music is impressive to uplift the film, the Director RS Durai Senthilkumar has weaved Garudan to appeal the audience to see Soori with a totally different mannerism and body language. The climax builds up with a high-speed chase, culminating in a dramatic confrontation that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

Overall, Garudan is a rollercoaster of emotions that will stay with viewers for long time with Soori's life time performance.

Review by M. Siraj.

This film ambitiously tackles three significant issues that affect the human experience in the countryside, presenting them in a raw and unfiltered manner. However, it falls short in key areas of storytelling, editing, and screenplay, which are crucial for a compelling narrative.

The strength of the story and the actors' performances are engaging, with each actor striving to deliver their best. Yet, the film often breaks immersion, pointing out its own highlights rather than letting the viewer discover them organically. This is somewhat forgivable considering the involvement of upcoming actors, where certain faults can be overlooked.

Despite its shortcomings, the film manages to be an average watch. The fulfillment one seeks from a complete cinematic experience is not fully realized here. The potential is evident, but the execution does not rise to meet it.

This movie is a thrilling ride that delivers goosebumps, nerve-wracking moments, and plenty of suspense. The trailer alone convinced me to watch it. Soori, you proved that anyone can be a hero when given the right opportunities. Your performance was fantastic, and I was captivated by every scene.

Sasikumar, kudos to you for allowing Soori to shine by giving him 60% of the heroic action space, and he truly delivered. This is a super satisfying movie that everyone should see in theaters. Don't underestimate it.

The entire Garudan team excelled in their roles, showcasing remarkable talent. Well done, everyone!

RATED 8/10 Language: Tamil Source: Nil RECOMMENDED

The movie is extraordinary in the first half and the interval block is so thrilling to close as "Naadodigal" one interval block.... The character and story development was fantastic.

Liked the lead trio characters most and Soori's silence and "non-stop" dialogs to reveal the truths are ultimate.

The second half also good, but the freshness in the first half was missing.

Too much of violence also little bit minus. And the after credit scene is 80's cinema cliche.

The overall screenplay and cast makes the movie as a worth watch in big screen.

I'm still baffled by how Soori was insufferable as a comedian and is yet somehow sincere and naturalistic as a lead actor. Only his second movie in the lead following Vetrimaran's underrated "Viduthalai" last year, Soori delivers an impressive showcase of range and character in this gripping tale of family, loyalty, greed and jealousy.

R. S. Durai Senthilkumar's "Garudan" might not be a very pretty entry in the list of good Tamil movies this year, but it's effective and rich in its complex study of familial relationships. Each character is very well crafted and the way in which they all interact with each other speaks volumes to the amount of care the writers had towards telling an effective story. Sure, there are times when it could be a tad predictable, but it's never too much to be distracting. There's as much action and as much layers underneath said action to make the movie as entertaining as it is emotional. Where this movie shines the most is where it draws the line, as it consistently skirts the line of excessiveness without ever crossing into it. It's aware of its own scope and does well enough to stick within it, making any slip up (which of course there are many of) forgivable.

It's not a movie I went into expecting anything, but walked out of it pretty satisfied with what I watched. It's very worth your time and I would happily recommend you check it out!