I had given only positive movie reviews. Here is a negative review of why “Thug Life” failed for me:
1. Kamal's character, Sakthivel Nayakar, is a bad man from every perspective, and Maniratnam expected folks to accept him as the hero.
- He is selfish and self-centered.
- He is jealous and egoistic.
- He shields himself with a child to escape a police encounter and is proud of it.
- He is a womanizer and wants his wife to accept his behavior.
- He cheats on his wife and compensates for it with his so-called love for her.
- He is an opportunist and claims to have united Amaran's sister with him on a coincidental opportunity.
Finally, he is an epitome of every dirty human trait and character.
2. Simbu is the show stealer; he is a good man from every perspective. But Maniratnam wants to show him as both the protagonist and villain.
3. Kamal, a great actor, does extreme overacting in this movie (he rarely does so in any of his movies). But Simbu, an overactor in every movie, stuns us with his fantastic acting in this movie.
4. Maniratnam, the great, is short of a story and re-presents “Sekka Sivantha Vanam” with a different skin.
5. Trisha is Cheap and so is her Character. Her love for Kamal is presented Cringey and gory
Her character and her guardians' characters are heights of irritation.
6. Maniratnam is a king in presenting police characters in his movies…. Nasar in Nayagan, Prabhu in Agni Natchatiram, Prithviraj in Raavan, Vijay Sethupathi in Chekka Sivantha Vanam, why even the villain police Kelkar in Nayagan.
But his policemen, Ashok Selvan and Chetan, are buffoons in this movie.
7. Finally Logic - Maniratnam never miss in logic and never falters…..
“Chandra’s Guardian Policeman very well knows that Kamal escaped with her Brother when they were kids and he could have easily united them, as Kamal continues to live a Gangster life right under his nose in Delhi”- But he never did it all his life and left Chandra search for Amaran for 25 years
8. Tall Abirami and Short Kamal were well balanced in Virumandi, atleast by the Cinematographer
In Thug Life,Kamal looks a puny in front of his Giraffe wife and thats comical - Looks like Frodo Baggins and Gandalf as husband and wife
9. Finally why that “Vinveli Nayaga” Song for a Sadist guy…..
He is not “Cooper” from Interstellar or “Jim Lovell” from Apollo 13 …. Hearing the songs from Teaser, i fathomed that Kamal was NASA pilot in Thug Life, Ima cheated 😞
The great Maniratnam has made his greatest mess of his lifetime ever.
End of the day, folks go to the theater to watch a feel-good movie or a heartwarming movie. “Thug Life” is absolutely negative-vibed, and you feel irritated and gloomy coming out of the theater.