- Release Date: 05/09/2024
- Platform: Netflix
- Cast: Joseph Vijay, Mohan, Meenaakshi Chaudhary, Prabhu Deva
- Director: Venkat Prabhu
A Scintillating De-Aged Vijay Shines in a Rollercoaster Ride of Masala and Mediocrity
Venkat Prabhu’s The Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T) felt uncannily similar to Ang Lee’s Gemini Man, and yet Venkat adds such a copious amount of masala, drama, melodrama, high-octane action, twists and turns, and unnecessary song-and-dance numbers that it becomes a whole new film. As I sat watching G.O.A.T, I could spot numerous elements in the narrative that were directly picked up from Gemini Man, yet they were rehashed and presented in a way that was so attuned to the Tamil style of enjoying high-octane masala entertainers that the obvious similarities quickly faded into the background. This allowed me to enjoy the film for the over-the-top entertainer that it was.
What I loved more about this version of the eerily similar story was the fact that the antagonist of the film was elevated to a level and made to do things that even the most courageous directors from Southern India wouldn’t attempt, considering the image and hero-worship their stars enjoy. However, Venkat was not afraid to go the distance, and in the process, he attached a unique identity and shock value to a narrative that plays out simply enough for everyone to understand but still has enough twists and turns to keep most of the audience at least partially guessing.
The Story:
The story revolves around a team of Counter-Terrorist Squad officers and their leader, Gandhi (Joseph Vijay), who go up against an international terrorist known as Menon, who also happens to be one of their own. In the opening action sequence of the film, which unfolds on a moving train, Gandhi and his team attempt to capture Menon and stop his nefarious plot involving a deal for nuclear weapon parts. However, things go terribly wrong, and Menon, along with the rest of the train, is destroyed.
Months later, while carrying out another mission in Bangkok, Gandhi is forced to bring his wife and son along to maintain peace at home and make his wife believe that he still loves her. The mission is supposed to involve no major risk for the family, but things take a sinister turn when Gandhi’s infant son is first kidnapped and then killed in what appears to be an accident. His wife, who was pregnant then, gave birth to a daughter. Distraught and devastated by the death of his son, Gandhi quit his job as a counter-terrorism officer and joined the immigration bureau, working at the airport. His wife hates him for not being able to save their son and hasn’t spoken to him for years.
Decades later, during a mission to Moscow to train new recruits on immigration procedures, Gandhi crosses paths with a younger version of himself, and nothing remains the same. Who is this mysterious man? Could he be Gandhi’s son? Didn’t he die in the accident? How is he alive? Is there a bigger game at play? These are some of the questions that drive the narrative for the rest of the film.
Even At 3 Hours, G.O.A.T Remains Breezy and Entertaining Throughout:
There is just so much material packed in terms of twists, drama, melodrama, action, character exchanges, hero moments and homages to various films, characters, moments etc of both Vijay and Venkat Prabhu that the runtime never felt too stretched. The story flows smoothly, constantly moving from one point to another organically and with gusto.
The only moments where I felt bored or disconnected from the experience were during the song and dance routines, which felt completely out of place. This issue becomes more prominent in the second half, where the positioning of these sequences worsens. After the initial setup, which is completed by the interval, the film really needed to shed any excess baggage and stay on point for the rest of its runtime—but that never happens. This might prove to be a frustrating issue for audiences like me.
However, it’s important to note that the song and dance routines are aimed at the fans and loyalists of Venkat Prabhu films, who have a different connection with these musical interludes and the actors, like Trisha Krishnan, who has appeared in previous Venkat Prabhu films like Mankatha and does an Item number here. G.O.A.T pays homage to those films as well as to the works of Joseph Vijay, and I am confident that Tamil family audiences must have gone bonkers during these scenes, forgetting realism and surrendering to the over-the-top nature of the film’s narrative.
It was a strange experience for me to take certain parts of the film seriously despite the sheer number of homages and the forced comedy injected into the narrative, especially through the primary antagonist. With so much happening, the elongated runtime of the film is, in some way or another, justified.
The De-Aged Version of Vijay Is Fantastic and Does Much More Than Just Serve as A Fancy Gimmick:
Contrary to what the trailers suggested, this de-aged character plays an important role in the film. I would go so far as to say that the success or failure of the film depended on how well this character was executed, and both versions of the character—the scientific and the performance by Vijay—worked very well together.
The de-ageing remains on point throughout, with only a few momentary lapses that many in a packed theatre, already under the influence of the over-the-top entertainment they’ve been served for over an hour, wouldn’t even notice and would be more than happy to go along with. Interestingly, the character has its own unique traits and agenda, oscillating violently between moods, expressions of violence, and pretentious sweetness. Vijay pulls this off with exceptional success and quirkiness.
The character is shown doing terrible things but with a pinch of comedy and over-the-top cockiness. This might have felt cringeworthy or unnecessary had it not been executed with the kind of flair that Vijay brings to it. Many times, when I looked at his de-aged face, I was reminded of Pokkiri. That’s how effective the de-ageing was in the film and how successful Vijay was in embodying the younger version of the character, which is crucial for the narrative and the presence of thrill and intrigue in the storytelling.
Vijay As Gandhi in G.O.A.T Is Just as Impressive:
As a superstar in the South, his recent declaration that he will make just one more film before transitioning to politics has elevated people’s expectations for his final project. He is a superstar because he possesses the uncanny ability to manipulate emotions, a hallmark of most great actors. He can effortlessly shift between comedy, rage, romance, and tragedy, remaining equally effective in all these emotions. We see a lot of that in G.O.A.T.
Even though his performance is highlighted through unique editing methods and storytelling tropes that would undoubtedly elevate any actor, his presence and how he deals with various situations have a distinct quality that works well for the character and the film. The moments when he broods under the weight of tragedy after losing his son feel genuinely impactful. His first interaction with his son after finding him is truly heartfelt. Thus, when you see this same character face off against his son, the gravity of the situation becomes apparent and adds to the thrill.
I would have liked the director to explore this aspect of the character more instead of going overboard with the heroism and comedy of Gandhi’s character in the film’s final moments. This approach would have made the film even more effective. However, I realized that this isn’t just that kind of film. Venkat doesn’t try too hard to delve into emotional angles unless it is absolutely necessary to advance the plot, so I don’t have much to complain about in this regard. Suffice it to say, Vijay as Gandhi is a completely different character with entirely unique mannerisms, style, gusto, attitude, and history—all of which effectively flow through his performance.
The film had a lot of potential but ultimately fell prey to its own mediocrity:
G.O.A.T features plenty of action, most of which is well-executed. However, the climactic fight and many of the other battles suffer from an overreliance on CGI, and even that is not very well done. This not only takes you out of the experience, giving the feeling of being in a fabricated world but also diminishes the impact of the stakes and the risks faced by the primary characters.
The same can be said about the story. It is a rollicking tale and the director and writers did the hard part of establishing the conflict in a semi-believable manner. The second half needed to deliver on the established promises, but this was not achieved due to a meandering screenplay, unnecessary songs, and a lapse in realism and logic behind the actions of major characters. The film also suffers from many unanswered questions and lapses in judgment that are uncharacteristic for someone like the character of Gandhi. He doesn’t ask basic questions even after spending a life where his task was to doubt and inquire.
Perhaps I am reading too much into a film that aimed solely to entertain—and it certainly did entertain. However, in the hands of a different director who approached this same story in a hyper-realistic manner, it could have become a ground-breaking film. Sadly, for now, we have to settle for being fairly entertained by what we got here.
Rating: 3/5 (3 out of 5 Star)
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