The GOAT review: Vijay, Venkat Prabhu deliver a whistle-worthy film

Cast: Vijay, Mohan, Jayaram, Prashanth, Prabhudeva, Laila, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Yogi Babu Vaibhav, Premgi Amaren and Aravind Akash

Director: Venkat Prabhu

Music director: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Synopsis: A team of SATS agents perform a secret mission in Kenya in 2008. But it leaves a lasting impact on MS Gandhi and his team as it comes back in the form of revenge, even after 16 years.

Rating: 3.5/5

The collaboration between Vijay and Venkat Prabhu, titled The Greatest Of All Time (aka The G.O.A.T), is anticipated to be Vijay's penultimate film before his foray into politics. Therefore, the actor has been selecting scripts that will offer a special treat to his fans. Without revealing too much, it's safe to say that the film provides an exhilarating experience not only for Vijay’s fans but also for general audiences and Tamil cinema, which has been eagerly awaiting a significant blockbuster this year.

The G.O.A.T begins with a high-stakes operation in Kenya in 2008, carried out by the Secret Anti-Terrorist Squad (SATS) featuring MS Gandhi (Vijay) alongside his team members Sunil Thiagarajan (Prashanth), Kalyan Sundaram (Prabhudeva), Ajay (Ajmal), and Nazeer (Jayaram). After this mission, MS Gandhi takes a vacation in Thailand with his wife Anu (Sneha) and their son Jeevan while secretly continuing his work. A series of unfortunate events leave a lasting impact on Gandhi, prompting him to transition to a career as an immigration officer. Fast forward to 2024, Gandhi and Anu are separated, with Anu raising their daughter Jeevitha. The SATS team reunites at a birthday celebration and is soon drawn into diplomatic tensions in Russia, leading to unexpected twists and turns. Venkat Prabhu’s narration gets better as the film progresses. Vijay delivers a commendable performance as Gandhi, but his portrayal of the antagonist midway through the first half elevates the film significantly, particularly with a compelling interval sequence.

The film’s strength lies in its second half, where the story maintains its momentum. Vijay captivates the audience with his charm, and his performance, along with his adept dialogue delivery, makes us care little about the de-aging effects. Alongside Vijay, performances by Prashanth, Prabhudeva, and Mohan contribute strongly. Although the musical numbers disrupt the narrative flow, Yuvan's background score for the action-packed second half compensates for this. Despite the presence of numerous characters like Yogi Babu, Yugendhiran, Premgi, Aravind Akash, and Vaibhav, their roles are justified and take the story forward sans lags.

Nostalgic references to Ghilli, Thirumalai, Mankatha, and Chennai 28 are a nice touch, and there are notable cameos to look out for. The climax is well-crafted and will be enjoyable for both film and cricket enthusiasts. Venkat Prabhu has skillfully integrated cricket commentary with the film’s plot. The first few minutes of The G.O.A.T might feel slow as the story sets up, and the VFX could have been improved, particularly given the effort to use de-aging technology in Los Angeles. Despite these minor issues, The Greatest Of All Time is undoubtedly worth watching and delivers the much-needed hit that Tamil cinema has been anticipating.

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