I was one of the lucky few to catch Rajini's 'Sivaji' the first weekend, here in NJ! ***THOUGHTS JUST BEFORE THE SHOW - Man, it can't get bigger than this. Rajni, Shankar, Rahman! it is going to be soooo different from the other Rajni flicks. innovative story, racy screenplay, awesome visuals and Rajni's new stylish look! ***THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOW - hmmmm! usual masala formula. No innovative screenplay. Great visuals but some graphics were a trifle overdone. RAJNI ROCKZZZ! The movie as such was definitely a disappointment considering the tremendous hype and the story being kept under wraps with great difficulty. It was an outright Rajni formula flick with attractive eye candy being the only contribution from Shankar. We all know Rajni's movies are for pure entertainment and not masterpieces. Those who are shocked by the physics defying stunts are just too naive. We need such movies to relax from our already complicated lives. And there are others like Kamalhassan and Manirathnam to provide thought provoking, revolutionary and uplifting cinema. Variety is the spice of life. Rajni as usual plays to the gallery and enthralls his fans. His electrifying screen presence especially in the climax is unmatchable. The first half was definitely a drag. Comedy seems forced into the script, but Vivek props up this section with his own punch dialogues! The scenes involving Rajni and Shreya too were ill scripted and boring. But i've got to say Shankar definitely knows how to project his heroine as the epitome of glamour. She is smokin' hot in the songs. At the interval, i felt a little let down by shankar, the man who provided the engrossing and equally entertaining 'Anniyan'. Now it was left to the superstar to provide an explosive second half... and that he did. The 'Athiradi' song and the mottai boss fight were amazing. Wish the whole movie was like this! Blaaze's rap number at the end was great. at the end of the day, one gets the impression that Shankar played it too safe and tried to preserve the Rajni formula. I respect Manirathnam for making a gripping movie like 'Thalapathy' despite ignoring this same formula. But what shankar achieved was to cater to the tastes of true Rajni fans. Action, Drama, Comedy, Dance!!! The movie displays the highs and lows of technical finesse! As with many of shankar's earlier films, cheap overdose of graphics like the rocket flying into Shriya's home and the drivein theater fight sequence provide a picture quite in contrast to the 'Style' song and the climax fight. The message that he tries to deliver about 'Black Money' gets lost in the sheer frenzy of the Rajni phenomenon. It didn't make an impact anywhere near shankar's earlier movies like 'Mudhalvan' and 'Anniyan'. It seemed like it had to be there to preserve Shankar's trademark. Maybe the director himself felt that too, as he stuffed the ending credits with his novel ideas, rather than let the hero mouth them. My Verdict (if it matters at all) - Does not justify the hype but projects a suave and explosive Rajni! Let the box office be inundated!
PS: Dancing and Shrieking Fans are an integral part of the Rajni film, and you have got to experience it at least once!
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