Taj Mano (tajshar2k)

A very average movie, with disappointing screenplay from AR Murugadoss. Rajinikanth's screen presence is the only saving grace. Rating 2.5/5

Mersal is an awesome movie with great entertainment value. Vijay has given his best performance yet and he deserves praise for his triple role.The movie doesn't overdo the "mass" image that Vijay has, but it does provide us with some moments that will give you goosebumps. The cinematography is top notch in this movie, and songs like "Mersal Arasan" and "Aallaporan Tamizhan" are enjoyable to watch, All thanks to Vijay's dancing skills of course! Action scenes are lacking for Vijay's standards, but given the story-line it makes perfect sense. The story itself isn't anything mind-blowing and fairly average, but the reason why it works well in this case is because of the social messages that delivers. Throughout the movie, there are many references to social issues that are impacting India, and it's nice that the movie takes some time to talk about these issues. The main focus of the movie was about how hospitals are exploiting patients to make extra profit, and I think the movie did good job of drawing out the emotional plight of the victims. The flashback with Vijay's Vetrimaaran character strengthens that sentiment. My main criticism for the movie would be the love interests that Vijay has. Samantha and Kajal's characters were really not needed for this movie, and their only purpose was to fill up 2 songs. The movie spends valuable time with pointless romance scenes, and had the movie been more dedicated to the social message that it was trying it present, there would have been more impact. The only Heroine that was needed was Nithya Menen, who did an excellent job with her character. The magician aspect of Vetri's character was cool, but sometimes it seemed too unrealistic and was only put in the scene to advance the plot. They could have constructed more logical scenes in that case. Overall, it was a great movie, and I think most people will enjoy it. Please watch it for the social message and Vijay's performance. You won't be disappointed. My rating: 8/10 or 3.5/5 stars

Sarkar is a very good movie. Vijay has given the greatest performance in his career and simply shines in all of his scenes. The political content was also excellent with many dialogues that reference real life events. Seeing Vijay engage with the people throughout the film is a major plus point. The BGM is stunning and works perfectly for his character. Despite all of that, there are some flaws. I'll admit that the screenplay isn't as good as many of movies that were released this year, as it is very linear and straightforward. I expected there to be a few twists and turns, but for the most part Vijay is dominating all of his enemies and there isn't much competition. Wish they had given Varulaxmi a more significant role. Also Keerthy Suresh was not needed in this film. In the end, the movie was not meant for entertainment purposes but to deliver a political message. Do not go into the theater expecting another Thupaaki or Kaththi because the film is much more than that on a grand scale. It's impact on society and politics is what makes it stand out the most despite it's flaws. My rating: 8/10 or 3.5/5 stars