Maan Karate Movie Review

Movie:

Maan Karate

Director:

Thirukumaran

Cast:

Sivakarthikeyan, Hansika, Vamsi

Music:

Anirudh

Producer:

P.Madan

Avg user rating:

Maan Karate is a watchable fantasy entertainer. It is a good fun ride with Sivakarthikeyan in his elements and he holds the film together along with fabulous music and BGM by Anirudh and eye catching camera work by Sukumar.

The film is tailor made as a summer holiday special for Sivakarthikeyan’s audiences, who like to have a fun time at the movies. It is a film that will have you laughing, rooting for the hero and ultimately you leave the hall with a smile.

Here's a film where you have its every thrilling feature exaggerated in melodramatic detail – a boy-next-door, a glamorous, fair (?) girl falling for the hero in no time, rich production values, peppy dream songs at regular intervals, and the underdog triumphing in the end.

Four IT professionals who are on an outdoor trip meet a hermit inside a jungle (!!) who predicts the future by giving them a leading Tamil newspaper which is going to be printed four months later!

Going by the news in the daily, they track down Peter (Sivakarthikeyan) a normal middle-class guy who is supposed to win Rs 2 crore in the Tamilnadu boxing championship after four months and sign an agreement.

Peter who doesn’t know anything about boxing is sponsored by these people who train him for the match. Meanwhile, Peter meets Yazhini (Hansika) in a mall and it is instant love for him and in lighting speed she reciprocates. After all the fun and duets it’s time for the climax, a long drawn-out boxing match. Maan Karate Peter has to defeat the menacing Killer Peter(Vamsi) in the finals.

In many ways, it is a typical formula film that sticks to hero image template. There is nothing new in this fantasy story, which is hard to digest. But director Thirukumaran’s idea is simple- provide a packaged entertainer where audiences should not ask questions and suspend disbelief. The interval block is one of the highlights of the film.

At the centre of all mirth is Sivakarthikeyan. His comic timing and ability to mock and lampoon conventional notions of macho heroism makes it a knockout performance. Hansika is immensely likeable as Yazhini. She looks charming, light s up the screen with her cute expressions and her costumes are perfect. It’s a pure delight to watch her, especially in the songs. Satish and Soori in a cameo as a boxing referee provide additional laughter. Vamsi as the boxing champion is menacing.

Technically, the film has many brownie points. Anirudh’s songs are a treat and are picturised in a glossy manner like a music video. ‘Un Vizhigalil’ and ‘Maanja’ are the pick of the lot. Cameraman Sukumar’s lighting makes it visually stunning. Editor Sreekar Prasad has made it like a typical mass entertainer.

Minuses? The story and setting is unbelievable and there is a sense of déjà vu as it unfolds. The way a boxing tournament is conducted is not presented in the right manner. It has a racy first half but starts plodding in the second half.

On the whole, a perfect summer outing with your family.