Kanguva Review: Siva… Siva!

BOTTOM LINE
Siva… Siva!

RATING
2/5

CENSOR
U/A, 2h 34m

What Is the Film About?

Kanguva’s story takes place in two timelines and involves a kid. Francis and Kanguva are two characters Suriya essays and both are attached to a kid under different circumstances forming a bond with him.

Who are the people behind the kid and did Kanguva and Francis (in their timeline) save him from the evil forces make the basic storyline.

Performances

Suriya plays a double role in the movie. There is a current character Francis and another in the period setting, which is the titular Kanguva. The contrast, physically, between the two characters couldn’t be more apparent.

Francis is a colourful, over-the-top character. Suriya wears a new colour suit in every other scene. Similarly, there is a warrior Kanguva with a chiselled body, tattoos and other details. They make for unique and widely different looks.

The problem is not the get-up or looks, but it’s the writing. It makes the first character (Francis) irritating. He tries to be all funny and entertaining, but when the comedy doesn’t work, everything looks bad. In the same way, the second character feels hollow without any high (emotionally or elevation-wise) despite so much happening around and involving him.

There is nothing wrong on Suriya’s part, but the impact is missing. Neither of the characters has any memorable moments to take away from the film. It is in this aspect that Kanguva ends up disappointing more.

Disha Patani appears in the current segment sporting trendy, glamorous outfits. She is okay in this aspect, but when it comes to the act, it is irritating.

Analysis

Directed by Siva, Kanguva is an ambitious film with a unique setting. Surprisingly, the first forty minutes of Kanguva feel out of place. A song (“Yolo”) appears within a few minutes, followed by Francis (Suriya) and Disha Patani’s over-the-top comedy, which neither entertains nor justifies Kanguva’s ambitious vision. Yogi Babu and K. S. Ravikumar add to the cringe-worthy padding.

Fortunately, once the flashback begins, the interest kicks in instantly. The visuals work well, and the first hundred-hands chopping sequence, though not exceptional, is effective.

Strangely, director Siva doesn’t establish much character development for Kanguva; Kanga just starts rolling. Kanguva’s character lacks a proper arc or defining traits throughout the film, making it difficult for audiences to connect with or feel invested in his role, which impacts the film.

Adding to this, several names are thrown around, which only adds to the confusion. However, you don’t necessarily need to remember the complex names.

Despite these major issues, the period setting is visually appealing and makes the first half manageable, even if the interval twist isn’t particularly strong.

After a barely manageable first half, Kanguva needs to deliver nothing but a banger second half to make the audience exit the theater on a high.

But what we get is that although parts of the second half look appealing, overall, it disappoints greatly, especially the ending portions, leading to massive disappointment. Over-the-top, repetitive action, like Francis jumping on a flight, looks odd for a film like Kanguva.

Though VFX-heavy episodes, like Kanguva saving a kid from a crocodile in water, may not satisfy the majority, some blocks, like the action set in Hima Kona, work well.

But the biggest issue still persists: Kanguva’s character, after a point, feels just monotonous. All he does is scream as loud as he can without building the necessary high for action. When it comes to emotion, we’d better not talk about it, as it’s totally absent.

In short, Director Siva fails to develop the character of Kanguva, which is the lifeline of the film, and the entire movie is loud, like a typical cringe-worthy mass film. The visuals are good, but there’s no character development or emotion to create an impactful action high. In the end, it’s a misfire.

Performances by Others Actors

Bobby Deol is on par with Suriya looks wise. The getup and the warrior part suits him as well as it should. However, the writing and poor character development let him down. He does the usual stock villain thing with no effect.

Many known faces are seen doing bits and pieces roles, apart from the main leads and Bobby Deol. The notable among them are Yogi Babu, KS Ravikumar, Redin Kingsley etc. They all go through the motions acting out the expected. None have anything that stands out even for a small scene.

Music and Other Departments?

Devi Sri Prasad provides the music and background score for Kanguva. The songs are plenty in the movie, but none manage to hold attention. A couple feel okay, but they get blended into the narrative as storytelling device which leaves them ineffective as well. The BGM works in parts, but is also a disappointment. It gets progressively louder and lacks any uniqueness (given the setting). There are no notable bits for any characters too.

Visually Kanguva is stunning – be it the present or the past portions. Vetri Palanisamy has done an excellent job and is the primary reason why at least parts of the movie feel bearable. The editing could have been better. The whole things gives a rushed feeling with no high action wise or has any emotional depth.

The production values are good. Studio Green and UV Creations have clearly spent a lot of money to mount the film on a large scale. A few VFX issues aside, they have managed to make the whole thing look grand and epic.

Highlights?

Visually Appealing

Himakona Action Episode

Suriya (For Looks And Efforts)

Drawbacks?

Poor Character Development

No High Moments

No Emotional Connection

Overly loud, with a formulaic mass feel

Did I Enjoy It?

Not at all.

Will You Recommend It?

No