Jailer Review: Rajini, Nelson gift an entertainer the audience deserved

Synopsis: A retired jailer is in search of his son, who is kept hidden by an antisocial element. He needs to find the reason, fight against all odds and protect his wife, daughter-in-law and grandson. Will he be able to do so or is there more bad news awaiting him?

Cast: Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff, Shiva Rajkumar, Sunil, Ramya Krishnan, Vinayakan, Mirnaa Menon, Tamannaah, Vasanth Ravi, Naga Babu, Yogi Babu, Jaffer Sadiq, and Saravanan

Director: Nelson Dilipkumar

Music director: Anirudh Ravichander

Rating: 3.5/5

One constant topic that has been going around in the film industry is Rajinikanth hanging his boots on a high note with a string of successes after a few minor stumbling blocks in his career in the recent past. Jailer created tremendous pressure not only for the actor but for his fans as well as director Nelson, who took the brickbat for his previous outing. This film was a monkey on the shoulder for both Rajini as well as the filmmaker. Despite these factors, Jailer has taken one of the biggest openings in Tamil cinema. But the question was, will the film sustain after August 15? The answer is yes.

Jailer opens in Arakkonam, where idol smuggler Varman (Vinayakan) is shown as a ruthless criminal, who doesn't think twice before murdering those who betray him. The camera then zooms in to the house of a content family where Assistant Commissioner of Police, Arjun (Vasanth Ravi), is hunting for the idol smugglers while his dad Muthuvel Pandian (Rajinikanth) spends time with his grandson, shooting YouTube videos for the kid and buys vegetables from the market for the family. Arjun goes missing from work and the family learns that the cop, whom his father raised as an honest officer, was murdered by the gang.

Muthuvel Pandian, who is calm and composed on the outside, is furious from within and takes revenge on everyone in the smuggling network. Here in the first half, we are introduced to a few characters, including that of Yogi Babu, who makes us laugh with his one-line banters with Rajinikanth. The story moves forward quickly with Anirudh Ravichander's music elevating every frame, starting from the title card. The pace is quite good, as we believe the story unfolds in the first half as Muthuvel Pandian hunts down Varman. But the film gets interesting towards the interval. Here is where we realise that a Rajinikanth film is not all about him. Of course, he has his mass moments and build-up scenes but has been generous enough to give ample space to all his co-actors, which is evident even in the first half. The interval block of Jailer is well-crafted and the director has put a lot of thought into it.

One may wonder what could a commercial film hold for the audience when almost everything has been revealed in the first half itself. But here is where Jailer wins. Nelson plays his card perfectly by introducing more characters, and by letting the story revolve around him. There is action, dark comedy, and songs in the second half which makes it a laugh riot. Watch out for vintage Rajini in the second half and you will certainly jump out of your seats. The twists in the climax and the emotion attached to it also make the film a surprise package. Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff and Shiva Rajkumar's cameos do not look forced and have a neat part to play in the story.

DRK Kiran's artwork is another highlight of the film. From Muthuvel Pandian's house to Varman's hideout, he has pulled off a good job.

Of course, not everything is green about Jailer. There are clichés and lags in the film in both halves. The 168-minute film should have been trimmed by at least 7-10 minutes to make it perfect. A couple of comedies in the second half come across as speed breakers.

But barring a few clichés and logics, Jailer is a complete entertainer and a winner. The film isn't only for Rajinikanth fans. Nelson has proved yet again that he can handle a quirky film with necessary commercial elements with a star like Rajini in it.

For those who have been talking about Rajinikanth retiring on a high note, watch Jailer. He doesn't have a reason to quit anytime soon.