First of all, it was a pleasant surprise to see Master dropping on Amazon Prime video within just 15 days of its mega theatrical release! Having skipped it in theatres, I caught up with it on OTT in two sittings between yesterday and today. Yes, the film is 3 hours long and finishing it one sitting is tedious!
At the outset, the premise of the film is different and interesting. Lokesh Kanagaraj, the Director takes his own time to set up the premise of the film in what in simple terms would be a clash between two titans, one with a purpose and other without. And it is the villain who has a sense of purpose in the film and not the Hero!
In that sense, Master is not a Vijay film but a Vijay – Sethupathi film where Vijay, the mass hero yields quite a bit of space to Sethupathi, the mass villain. So, you have a mass villain introduction scene. The hero’s back story is narrated in a flash, but the villain’s back story is shown in detail. The villain in fact leads us to the mass interval block with the now mass “I’m waiting” dialogue. The villain gets to dance as well. The villain is a rogue but a teetotaller and the hero is supposed to be a teacher who drinks all the time till he is awaken from his stupor somewhere before the interval block.
Having said that, it is not that Vijay, the mass hero is missing. He is there as usual – fit as a fiddle, dancing like a ballerina dancer, packing a punch in the action sequences and emoting with a measure. He doesn’t disappoint his core fan base at all.
What starts as a promising story line soon loses steam after the 1st half and fizzles out completely towards the end. The writers fail to hold on to the “maassive” rivalry they built up between the hero and the villain which takes us to a disappointing finish.
While Vijay Sethupathi as the main villain leads the cast in terms of his performance, there is a second villain in the movie who is the opposite. And that is the length of the film. In trying to balance Vijay the mass hero and trying to do make Sethupathi’s role diffferent, the director indulges himself into too many unwanted songs, dance sequences and action sequences which drag the film. The same film instead of being for 3 hours, if cut for 2.15 mins would have been more entertaining.
As a director, Lokesh’s framing of action sequences and in general scenes are outstanding. Camera work is real and brilliant. Anirudh’s background score is a major plus though the songs have a repeat feel. The “Kutty story” song is clearly a copy of his own “Why this Kolaveri di” song of the past.
Of the other cast, like in other Vijay films, the heroine is just a co-passenger in this film too. Malavika Mohanan doesn’t have much to do and suddenly vanishes from the scene at the end! What is Andrea and Shantanu doing in this film? The kids are all cast well and have a wonderful outing.
The director asks if he can say a Kutty (short) story in a song through the hero. But in the film, he chooses to tell a very long story. I’m sure Master in its one line concept set out to be a great film. In its execution it has ended being “Not a bad film”! For the two Vijays and Director Lokesh’s attempt to be different, you can give it a watch!
AnandKumarRSonFilms 
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