Valimai movie review – ordinary writing, extra-ordinary taking

Starring: Ajith, Huma Qureshi, Kartikeya Gummakonda
Director By: H Vinoth
Rating: 2.75/5

After a gap of more than 2 years, Ajith’s much-anticipated actioner Valimai got released today. The movie is carrying huge buzz and the promos are exciting as well. Let us see how the movie is.

Story:
Chennai is shell-shocked with a few chain snatching incidents and murders. A gang named Satan Slaves, a techie gang of unemployed youths is behind all this and it was headed by Karthikeya. ACP Arjun (Ajith) comes on board to solve these crimes and what are the challenges Arjun faces to catch the criminals.

What could Arjun achieve in the end is the crux of the story.

Performances:
Ajith is sincere, he is honest in the role. He will connect well with the audience with the role of ACP Arjun. His performance is electrifying. He is particularly superb in stunts. When it comes to bike sequences, there is no stopping Ajith. With the fact that Ajith loves bikes a lot, the sequences are more appealing. All in all, Ajith’s performance will be a huge treat for the fans.

Valimai is Karthikeya’s Tamil debut. He looks fit and stylish. He did a decent job. However, he couldn’t match the might of Ajith in the confrontation scenes. Huma Qureshi does her part neatly. Raj Ayyappa is good in emotional character. Others are just fine in their respective roles.

Technicalities:
H Vinoth is a brilliant writer. We have seen that from his past movies. However, with Valimai the writer in him takes the back seat. He took more dependency on stylish taking, bike chases, etc., The pre and post-interval sequences are the major highlights of the movie. It sets up the tone. Vinoth has carved the first half racy. However, the major complaint is with the second half, where the stuff gets mediocre.

Nirav Shah’s cinematography act is brilliant. The chase sequences, especially are shot superbly. So is Dhilip Subbarayan and his team’s hard work. The stunt sequences are of Hollywood level. The bike chase sequence and the bus-highway sequence stand out in the movie. They are excellent. Vijay Velukutty’s editing is fine. His fast-paced cuts help in setting up the film’s mood.

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music is ok, But the BGM work of Yuvan and Ghibran is excellent.

Analysis:
Valimai gives us mixed feelings. While the stunt sequences give you a world-class experience, there is nothing new apart from that. This can be H Vinoth’s weakest work. Nevertheless, Valimai can’t be written off completely. It is a decent watch for Ajith’s fans. His screen presence is sufficient for them. However, for others, keep your expectations low.