Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024) Poster

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6/10
A brilliant effort technically, but the writing isn't as strong. [+61%]
arungeorge1325 January 2024
It took me a good 30 minutes or so to get sucked into the mystical universe of Malaikottai Vaaliban. Still, once I did, I'm guessing I enjoyed it more than 90% of the audience.. gauging from the varied reactions at the cinema hall. This film marries the sensibilities of a large-scale Puranic opera with the narrative style of a Kurosawa Samurai flick and the visuals of a Sergio Leone western. Since we've seen how much the hype train has damaged a Mohanlal film in recent times, I chose to largely disregard the "claims" made in the promotional interviews in the run-up to its release. And that helped. Knowing I had sat down for an LJP directorial was enough assurance of the film being inherently unpredictable and not your regular fast-paced crowd-pleaser.

This helped me appreciate Madhu Neelakantan's postcard-like frames a lot more (especially the extended static shots that bored most viewers). Yes, they did feel as overindulgent as LJP's use of slow-motion in the action blocks. But I was already sold. This bizarre universe, its distinct plot developments, and oddball characters gradually grew on me. The sudden shifts in tone (from soapy to violent to farcical to philosophical), Prashant Pillai's use of folk instruments to underline some of the set pieces, and even the stupid love-plus-revenge-triangle in the second half, which normally would have killed even the tiniest bit of interest in me - I was able to digest most of it. That said, I did not feel vehemently connected to any of the characters including the protagonist, and it was the aura created through sheer audio-visual magic that kept me fascinated.

Malaikottai Vaaliban heavily invokes the feeling of reading an Indian comic book based on local legends, and LJP has tried to play it to his strengths. It hasn't really fired on all cylinders, but I'd still appreciate him for not half-arsing it. The work of the art & production design departments is essential in letting you connect with the lore of this particular land. P S Rafeeque's writing works when it's busy building to a key moment, but is archaic as hell when it revolves around the tropes of romance or lust. The female characters (and the transwoman), especially, are poorly etched. The colonists are too caricaturish, reminding you of LJP's own Double Barrel. When the film finally poses a pertinent question on an indomitable warrior's existential crisis, it gets too busy building to a sequel that may not even happen. Argh, why even bother?
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5/10
The best technicians cannot fill the lack of a coherent story
srikkanth-m25 January 2024
Malaikottai Vaaliban follows Vaaliban(Mohanlal) and his group of mercenaries/warriors who fight other warriors in different villages and who never loses a fight. Lijo Jose Pellissey takes his own time to establish Vaaliban as a charismatic warrior with his lengthy scenes and long shots embellished with a subdued background music. The framing, the music and the theme reminds the westerners of yore. Vaaliban ends up at his native village where he fights off the Portuguese ruler who enslaves the local people. The story moves at brisk pace from here on exploring various genres with some unexpected twists, albeit uninteresting, and culminates at an inconclusive juncture.

Lijo Jose Pellissery's obsession with static frames is evident here. The movie plays out like a theater play with long pauses between scenes and overly melodramatic dialogue. The choice of instruments used to provide the background score elevates this feeling which you may love or hate depending on your mood. The movie feels like it overstayed its welcome after a certain point.

Mohanlal as Vaaliban shines with his ever-expressive eyes and flawless portrayal of an arrogant mercenary. Harish Peradi gets an important and meaty role as Vaaliban's mentor which he portrays with finesse. The true star of the movie is the cinematographer Madhu Neelakandan who captivates the audiences with his immersive frames and color. You rarely say that camera work is the main highlight of a movie, and this is one of those.

But in the end, as the saying goes, even the best technicians cannot save a movie with barely any story to hold on to.
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5/10
One for wannabe film analysts.
swethadas30 January 2024
This film is not for general audience who expect commercial elements. It's slow paced. Could have been managed better. People who were almost sleeping during the 1st hour are later claiming the film is 10/10. Why? They want to look like pro movie analysts lmao. If you give this 10/10 just because you can claim "Pure LJP film", then your actual standards are low!

For neutrals, If you have free time, go and watch it. Don't watch it out of FOMO due to overrating by wannabe analysts. There is degrading as well by general audience. Overall, it's a different attempt but bang average outcome. Different does not mean 10/10 lol. Don't go with over expectations after hearing fancy phrases like "Visual treat", "Not everyone's cup of tea", "LJP Brilliance"
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1/10
Good premise. Overuse of slow-motion dragged for hours.
grarunkumar199427 January 2024
Malaikkottai Valiban tells the tale of an unstoppable wrestler later revealed to have a supernatural ancestry, and his acquaintances. Although the plot is interesting, premise is new, the film lags like a snail. Adoor Gopalakrishnan makes movie faster than this. Overuse of slow-motion has gone from boring to irritating by the time film crosses 1st hour. Every character moves from one of frame to the other end mostly without dialogues over a span of 30 -40 seconds. Pace of the film is absolutely pathetic. Could've cut the slomo portions, and made a bit crisper, it would ve been an hour and a half long movie but well paced. Mohanlal is on a good track after Neru with his performances as compared to Monster/Arattu. Hareesh Peradi and Danish Sait too performed the eccentric characters well. Cinematography was great "each frame a painting". Music was average, didn't help with keeping audience engaged. Action choreography was cartoonish and immature especially for a fantasy story that needs convincing. Unbeatable wrestler is a plot which had unlimited potential for fight choreography and shot like its on a zero budget. Lijo needs to reconsider his mind set. "No plans to change/impress" won't work if the film is boring. Lijo only will sit and watch his own films if he's not adaping to the audience expectations. All he had to do was to pace up the screenplay. A man who made Amen/Jallilkattu need not be lectured regarding fantasy and fast paced action. But here we are. Thanks for the utter disappointment Lijo.
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8/10
A beginning of an epilogue, birth of a western classic segment in south India !
joshandaniel25 January 2024
What If Quentin Tarantino made an Indian movie ? Yes. That's exactly what "Malaikottai Valiban" is on screen.

Brilliantly woven piece, the movie begins where you think it ends. The amazing plot twist will keep you in edge of the seat. LJP's story telling is always unique, the Malaikottai Valiban is like a video game, where you finish one lever after other each one more daunting than the previous and at the end one final big mission which looks impossible with an absolute plot twist.

The movie is filled with wide angle shots and landscapes, Madhu Neelakandan's cinematography is really brilliant. I loved it personally.

It's not a movie for Mohan Lal's fan, it won't have extravagant intro, it's a movie made according to what the story really wants and that makes the movie absolutely a masterpiece.

Danish Sait will bag multiple awards for his role for sure, and I have no doubt it. You can see a director's real talent when you see Danish acting in this movie.

Overall this movie is an art of Indian cinema, LJP has done it again.
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7/10
Mohanlal delivers a cracking performance after so long!!
surajpnair28 January 2024
"Malaikottai Vaaliban" showcases Mohanlal's brilliance, delivering a flawless performance that captivates the audience. While the film falls short of LJP's usual credibility, it doesn't compromise on his unique storytelling style. The production values, including frames, art, costumes, and sound, are commendable. However, the music treatment feels jarring and distracting. The first half is superb, but post-interval action sequences lack impact. The climax is a punch, concluding the film on a high note. While some actors struggle hard to adjust to the dramatics, Mohanlal shines effortlessly, kudos to his voice modulation, a gem of an actor, emphasising his greatness.

Despite LJP's apparent effort to impress the commoners, the film is worth a theater experience for its beautiful frames and the magic of Mohanlal after a long while. Fortunately, LJP maintains his distinctive style without compromising or accommodating for the seasoned actor.
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2/10
Not just a case of marketing gone terribly wrong. It's an awful movie too
Thrishoolin29 January 2024
I went in expecting a movie that appeals somewhat to the masses. I knew it was a Lijo movie. But the marketing guys had hyped it up to the sky. So, I expected at least one or two mass scenes. But I was disappointed. The movie goes at a snail's pace. I hoped there would be a good story. But the movie couldn't keep me hooked on in the story/script department too. It has a very boring story.

I thought the movie would pick up after the interval. But it never happened. The stunt scenes were just average. Not something I had expected after the huge marketing stuffs they had put out before. The background music was even worse during the fight scenes.

The last 30 - 40 minutes of the movie tested my patience. It was a mono act by Hareesh Peradi. I could hardly stand it. At the end, they have clumsily added some plot to make a sequel for this movie. But I don't think it's ever going to happen. Heard the movie tanked at the box office.

Mohanlal was in great form. He looked great, his costumes and makeup and all those areas were great. He did his best in the action department. But there is only so much he can do in such an awful movie.

Some of the vfx used were also great. Almost felt like I was watching a different movie when those vfx filled scenes came up.

Some shots too. They were beautiful to look at. But without an engaging story or anything else, those shots were practically wasted. Can be used as the wallpaper of your phones or computers.

I wish they didn't hype up this movie this much before the release. When it's available for streaming, probably you can watch it once.
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9/10
A very good film. Its a LJP film!
menonpritesh27 January 2024
Saw the film yesterday. Was quite surprised seeing the backlash criticising the film. This is a quintessential LJP film. If you want to see Mass Mohanlal movie then this is not one. Beautifully shot , each and every frame is spectacular. Have not come across a Malayalam movie shot like this in the past.

Its shot like a play giving it a Shakespearen touch and second half is enthralling and will give you a feel of Clint Eastwood+ Tarantino style filmmaking and ending on a great note.

A bit slow but enjoyable fare.

Do watch it in theatres. Ignore the silly stupid criticism that's pulling the movie down deliberately.

It is a LJP film that uses Mohanlal in an apt manner as a Mallan.
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6/10
Super conflicted
alphadude00727 January 2024
I am not a hardcore mohanlal fan and I actually question his sensibilities in some of the recent movie choices he has made. But, this movie actually worked for me. In full, I liked the movie, but in parts, I was like meh. Not bored by any means, but felt disconnected. Mohanlal has the aura, the innocence and the body flexibility to pull off the role of vaaliban. He sold it to me right from the first scene. The issue was that in between all the amazing frames and the different characters and homages LJP wanted to include, he forgot to establish a bond between the characters and develop arcs, atsast for the main cast. None of the relationships are explored or strongly portrayed, so deaths, revenge, treachery etc. Don't hit the mark at all. Also, the fight choreography could have been improved so much, some of them were an absolute joke and looked awkward. Danish Sait was a miscast. That role needed somebody who could command the screen a bit more and was a bit more insane and wild. Danish looked meek. The second part looks promising, but I am not sure if LJP has it in him to do it. One last point is about mohanlal fans. After the fdfs reviews, I am now sure that it's the hardcore mohanlal fans who are destroying this talented actor. After this so called failure of vaaliban, I really hope he doesn't go back to doing utter garbage movies like Monster, Aaratt etc.
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1/10
childish cartoons movie
pankajkachhadiya23 February 2024
Jose director seems like very stupid childish person and very immature movie.

Boring action and stupid dialogue. Jose want to make one movie so he made it with all his immautre idea and thinking.

Who writes such illogical story with nuisesnse climax and too boring music and songs, I was not getting what shall I do shall I laugh on such movie or shall I thrill with it. Just wanted to enjoy that also thise movie failed with all non-entertaining action and dialogue.

Thought Mohanlal will not choose such idiotic and pathetic movie, so hope it will be great enjoyable Epic movie with nice story, but came with full opposite of it.

Mallu movies are nice but few are very dark and full of cruelty.

This movie is one of thise childish cruel movie made by immature who plays lots of video game and watch cartoon whole ife and don't know what is history of his ancestors.
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8/10
Art or Mass
joeljacobv25 January 2024
The folklore of the beast.

(grandma narrating a mythical story)

Firstly, I contend that this film may not significantly impact the box office, primarily due to the preferences of the Malayali audience. While it's true that there has been a growing acceptance of art in cinema, those very individuals who appreciate artistic endeavors seem unwilling to forego the mass appeal and adrenaline-filled moments associated with their favorite actors, Mohanlal being a prominent example.

There is an expectation for something markedly different, but the audience often becomes fatigued and concludes that the film falls short of expectations. Some argue that watching an LJP movie is not everyone's cup of tea, and the notion that the major audience deems it as such is dismissed as an excuse to distance themselves from what they perceive as a subpar cinematic experience.

Personally, I attended the theatrical screening solely for one reason - LJP. Having previously admired his work, I was convinced that if anyone in the Malayalam film industry prioritizes art over commercial gains, it would be LJP. The collaboration with one of Mollywood's biggest stars, Mohanlal, intrigued me, and I was eager to witness how this pairing would fare.

To my delight, the usual rawness characteristic of LJP's films was notably absent in this production. He had undergone a transformation, evolving into something even more refined. The cinematic canvas presented by the film instilled in me a renewed sense of hope that Malayalis possess elements that Hollywood lacks. Rather than attempting to mimic, LJP crafted something distinctly his own - from the plot and characters to the narrative structure, underscored by a captivating background score and exceptional cinematography.

The film evoked a sensation similiar to the enchantment experienced during childhood when grandparents narrated mythical stories. The suspense, love, tragedy, and action encapsulated in the movie echoed the emotional resonance of those tales.

However, I must acknowledge a couple of setbacks: the dialogues, at times, felt artificial, disrupting the immersive environment the film was building. The frequent change in the style of the movie, changing from a static shot to an action disrupting the consistency. Additionally, the abundance of songs, while not inherently objectionable, risked veering towards a musical rather than maintaining the essence of an LJP film. They tried to convey many stories in a novel like fashion but it may make the viewer that something is lagging behind .

While further delving into the artistry without revealing the plot proves challenging, "Malaikotta Valiban" is certainly a folklore of the beast.
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7/10
Good Lijo Jose Film.
vibilraj26 January 2024
The movie is good. I really liked the making of the movie. Mohan Lal has done great as usual. Harish Pissarady has done a great job. Music is awesome. Bgm is one of the highlight of the movie. The shota and camera are great. Little slow in first half but captures the audience.

This movie shows the deep emotions of human.

Different experience. In theatres you will get a different movie experience. The director has made this film so differently. The way the scenes and fights and its bgm all were good.

If people looking for Mass film with fights and dialogues, then its not for them. Its a unique film. Its a great master piece by Lijo Jose Palliserey. A different film as compared to his previous ones.
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4/10
Full of great ideas but so poorly executed
PimpinAinttEasy25 January 2024
A film full of awesome ideas and great intentions. But so poorly executed. And mostly poorly cast except for Lalettan.

LJP's static camera "trick" does not work here. Often the camera is placed at such a long distance from the actors. During a song sequence in which Sonalee Kulkarni dances her heart out, the camera is just static like a bored lover. The audience performance during the song was also uninspired.

Then there is the usual LJP rubbish (like in Amen) where large crowds of people are simple acting like they are cheering for god knows what.

Danish Sait was an interesting casting choice. His dialog delivery was decent. But he lacked the frame to really make an impact. Sait had no screen presence whatsoever man. He looked menacing on occasions.

The second half was quite ridiculous. Who were those foreign husband-wife duo? Such poor character development. And the two actors sucked too. They made no impact whatsoever.

Action scenes were poorly choreographed and edited. You just wished they would end. The action scenes inside the fort were a joke. Even the actors looked like they did not know what to do on some occasions.

Lalettan acted really well. He performed well in the action scenes too. He looked grand like a man of experience.

The script by Razzaq had some powerful lines. But it is the ordinary scenes - like the camaraderie between the trio (Laltettan, Manoj and Harish) where the writing does not work at all. The attempts at humor are quite pathetic. The background score is pretty good. One melancholic tune reminded me of the tune by Morricone for the Morton character in Once Upon a Time in the West.

One reviewer on Youtube said that the whole film looked like it had been shot on some random ground or something. He is right. Sure there are many pretty frames. But LJP and Madhu Neelakandan fails to give us a real sense of place. Many of the sets looked like ..... well sets.

Sonalee Kulkarni looked really nice and acted well too. But there was something wrong with her make up.
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1/10
Yawn!
musicloverjan28 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I went with much expectation as the director Lijo has given us some wonderful movies. Actually he was the reason I went for the movie. But this time Lijo failed to deliver.

Not worth watching in the theatre. Should have waited for an OTT release.

It was Boring. Too much drag. So many scenes in slowmo. A bit overdone.

The storyline is weak and maybe that's why it was dragged out.

On the technical side, the visuals were fantastic. Superb photography/visuals. Each shot seemed like a painting. When it began I thought - Wow! This can be screened at international film festivals! However as the movie dragged from one frame to the next I had a tough time staying awake inspite of the brilliant visuals.

The only scene that had me holding my breath was the scene of the double murder in the crowd. It was the best in the whole movie. Only that scene had life.

Mohan Lal was surprisingly not boring. Another decent performance after Neru. Maybe he needs to take on roles that are realistic. Also he ought to give up his stereotypical dialogues as they seem repetitive. He's a brilliant actor with a bad set of advisors. He has to learn to age gracefully like Amitabh Bachchan and take on roles that suit him or he will end up losing his popularity by doing dumb movies that try to cash in on his superhero image and gimmicks.

The villian Danish Sait was irritating. The European villians were even more irritating. That entire scene at the fort was a waste and shot in such an immature manner.

The rest of the cast was okay.

The music wasn't worth remembering.

Sorry to say that I was thoroughly disappointed with the movie as a whole. This was a movie with promise but you guys wrecked it. There's a humble request. If there's a second part, kindly do better. Don't bore us and waste our time, our money and your talent.
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9/10
Timeless classic fantasy movie
anupviswanath27 February 2024
My take: The movie is exceptionally crafted, I liked the background score but felt that songs were not that necessary especially where he is tied to big pillars.. This movie reminds us of many movies... Ennio morricone background score from Western spaghetti movies and frames like wild west, Reminded me of sholay, the samurai sword of Japanese culture, the lady with claw reminded of Bruce Lee movie, man with iron fist, sometimes it felt like theatrical style etc..

There is no timeline for this movie... This is not before independence, not after independence, nor is it after an apocalypse...

It's a fictional fantasy movie of a person who is after creating history in his name using his physical power and this makes it highly experimental in it's making...

Like Lalettan and LJP it's like Amar Chithra Kadha Yes it's slow paced movie and it's not everyone's cup of tea... Only thing I didn't like were the use of wire to fly around it seems artificial...

Lalettan was superb after a long time, music was good, camera and the art dept everything great.... This movie was his ticket out from conventional movies

If you are a fan of fiction, fantasy, out of the box thought experimental movie this movie is definitely for u... Visually it's a Marvel and treat for your eyes

LJP:: please continue making such movies

Still no plans to change, still no plans to impress...

Time will prove his worth.... Timeless classic his movies will be.
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7/10
A masterpiece but slow and lengthy . Not everyone's cup of tea
nairabh25 January 2024
Malayalam movie Malaikottai Vaaliban directed by LJP (Lijo Jose Pellissery) starring Mohanlal, Marathi actress sonalee Kulkarni, Bengali actress Katha nandi, Hareesh Peradi and many other actors.

This movie is a typical LJP style movie and not a mass movie. It's a fantasy movie shown in LJP style hence not sure if it would get connected to all.

Standout of this movie is the visuals ...Wow what a cinematography, camera placements , long shots and some frames are just mind blowing.

Madhu neelakhandan as cinematographer will surely win some awards for his work in this movie.

Another important and best part was the music and BGM Prashant Pillai just amazing work on music. Actually the BGM and sound effects made the movie watchable and get connected to the story.

Its a story about a warrior who proves to be a hero by defending every opponents he meets while travelling to different villages in his bullock cart.

In this journey he meets many people which leads to fight which further leads to making enemies and then there is revenge, cheating, sacrifices ,love and hatered that happens.

Mohanlal has done full justice to the role of Vaaliban, his action sequence, dailogue delivery and all was really good.

The other actors especially people who are non mallus there was some serious problems in their dailogue delivery.

Hareesh Peradi, Danish Sait ,Manoj Moses played very important role in the movie and gave their best performances

Typical LJP movie where you have long shots ,slow dailogues , and even slow action makes the movie very lengthy.

Sometimes you will feel it's dragged a lot and will make you bored.

You feel you are watching a stage drama where there is dailogues, dance ,music,drama, emotions and action.

If you go and watch this movie as mass entertainer then you will be disappointed. Not many people like and enjoy such slow paced movie you really need some patience to watch it

Vibrant colours, good visuals , action choreography ,a mind blowing music and bgm is the overall strength of the movie.

Kudos to LJP for taking risks and courage to make big canvas movie like this where he had to manage so many artists, giving attention to every detail and create a visual treat for audiences.

I think in malayalam cinema only he can do it and only he can have such vision.

I appreciate the effort he has taken. Creativity at its best and none of his movies from past are repeated everytime he comes up with something new and stylish.

This movie will be discussed a lot especially for his making and technical brilliance .

I would say it's a average movie one time watch but must watch in theaters because in theaters you can enjoy the visuals, sound and all .

You won't enjoy this in small screens for sure.

The makers have smartly ended the movie giving hopes about part 2 of this movie . Will have to wait and watch for that.

A master piece movie but slow and lengthy. Not everyone's cup of tea

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2/10
Embarrassing to say " Malayalathinte"
MatthewKay00726 January 2024
This movie unfortunately falls short of expectations. Throughout, I found myself wanting to run out of the theatre. While LJP attempted to capture the essence of Django Unchained, the execution fell flat, with a repetitive soundtrack reminiscent of Django's. It struggles to be even considered an artistic movie, but credit is due to the cinematography - an excellent effort by the DOP. It might be time for Mohanlal to embrace common man roles rather than big-budget disappointments. A shift in focus could revive his craft. AVOID this one, even on OTT platforms. Stop saying "Malayalathinte", we don't want this one.
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8/10
Brave and Stunning.
sachinvv25 January 2024
This film takes its time to settle in due to its normal pacing and drags around a bit after interval. But thats ok since they went into the classic story telling routes of the 70s. Vaaliban has Mohanlal in a strongman avatar which he convinces with ease. The fights are unique so is the brilliant score from prashant pillai. Great cinematohraphy from madhu neelakantan. It was a treat to watch on the big screen. A different but surely watchable flick from the director. All casts are fantastic with lal, hareesh and danish sait doing the major performances. This may not a usual watch so be warned as its quite different kind of genre... To be precise.. Its genre less as said by the director.
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6/10
Beautiful but muddled curry western
Jithindurden25 January 2024
A curry western that is filled with references that indulge in the style a bit too much. I feel like this is by far the weakest in LJP's filmography. The film is too disjointed without a proper flow. It tells the story through chapters to develop the myth of Vaaliban and ends with a promise of a second part that seems to be much more interesting than anything in this movie. The different stories throughout the movie should have been combined to make a tighter first half and then the second half of the movie should have been what is now the second part to be made. The myth-building of Vaaliban wasn't something novel enough to entice the audience through the disjointedness of the narrative. But the style itself used for it was incredible throughout the movie. The cinematography is brilliant and together with the background music creates a great atmosphere. The influences of Samurai movies to the Spaghetti Westerns, from MGR to Sholay etc, are great to pick up. It's such a beautiful movie to watch that more than often, I was ready to forgive all the flaws in the narrative. Even though the background music was great, the songs were not as well-suited. The mixture of so many different cultures on screen should have been mirrored in the songs as a positive thing but the songs brought out more on how a lot of it doesn't fit well, even though outside of the songs, that mixture of culture was quite nicely portrayed. I really feel like this would've been way better if they hadn't decided to make it two parts. Nonetheless, just by the technical marvel that is in this movie, I enjoyed a lot of it.
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5/10
Strictly for sycophants
legaf-007467 February 2024
Sycophants can simp for this movie all day long.

A total middle of the road movie that has lofty aspirations yet lacks conviction. Neither terrible nor good, a middlingly mediocre film that falters big time in execution.

It doesn't fall into one traditional genre, which doesn't equate it to being bad. But the jarring and inept amalgamation of the various elements does.

The egregious part is the toxic LJP fans who think expressing opinions on this movie is sacrilege. To them, disliking the movie is a sign of ignorance as you do not possess the intelligence to understand it's "layers".

Intellectual masturbation at it's finest.

I am usually very easy-going when it comes to movies but this gatekeeping what compelled me to write a review.

Just take the L and move on. Defend an artistic creation that deserves it. This ain't it!
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10/10
Fabulous and Stunning
bugzy-9865627 January 2024
Fabulous and stunning. If you have ever loved cinema, please watch this on a big screen. I have seen some excellent movies over the past few months. I mean excellent. And ever since the movie announcement, I have been waiting to watch this movie. The last few films of LJP have been OTT releases and I wanted to make sure I give him my money. Just take my money and leave, you brilliant man. This movie received so many negative reviews that it made me doubt the film and myself before entering the theatre. However, after watching it, I knew "I was Chosen". There is a dialogue in the movie, "What you see is the truth, all unseen is a lie, everything you have witnessed is a lie and what you are about to see is the TRUTH". Malaikottai Vaaliban is the truth.

Reasons why I loved it and my interpretation of some bits that made me love it even more:

1) This movie is an Indian Western: Like in a Hollywood movie, the hero arrives at a new town, challenges someone to a duel, and wins the hearts of the town's people. This could be the synopsis of the movie, short and crisp.

2) Story Trajectory and scale: An urban legend often exaggerates the feats of a hero, such as 100 soldiers against a hero with a knife killing them all. This movie is one such urban legend. I am using a little Hindi for context; imagine someone saying. "Abey udhar se rocket or machine gun. Par apna hero....bhaiiiiiii........chaku liya...aur aise feka...wuup wuuup wuuuup...aur khatam. Gala kaat diya villain ka...ek number.

3) Beautiful Shots: Just Beautiful.

4) Excellent BGM and Score: "The score is perfect with the right number of songs."

5) Symbolism: Watch it and you will know.

6) Performances: "The casting is spot on, with a huge and diverse cast where everyone is perfectly suited for their role." This might be Mohanlal's best movie in the last 5-10 years. He doesn't need to act much in this movie, him being there is enough, it says it all.

7) The Direction: LJP.

8) An Ode to Mohanlal: This movie is a tribute to one of the greatest actors of all time, if not the greatest. It is not just an ode to "Mohanlal", but to his journey as a whole. Watching this film feels like an act of idol worship, and I mean that in the best way possible. If someone were to introduce or explain the phenomenon that is "Mohanlal," this movie would be the perfect way to showcase how he came and conquered all. No one will ever be able to do this ever again because there is only one "Malaikottai Vaaliban" and there is only one Mohanlal.

I could go on and on about other things but then, when would I stop?

So, I stop here, absolute poetry.
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6/10
Such a dishonest movie
aimless_fool28 February 2024
Being a fan of LJP because of movies like R. I. P and Churuli watching this movie hurts even more than usual.

Movie starts with such amazing visuals(some scenes feel like artistic paintings) my hopes were pretty high. Also the folk, drama vibes and desert/dusty environment and the choice of set/clothes gave me a feeling this is going to be a very good movie. I also felt based on the "truth" related dialogue Mohanlal says every time during a mission, this is somehow linked to spirituality.

But mission after mission and song after song my disappointment just grew more and more. All the color, the art and the rustic feel, in the screen cannot make up for the poor story/plot. If there is a clear solid plot/theme then all these other things boost it. Otherwise it just becomes an intellectual exercise. IMO using artistic intelligence to put forth your views without emotions/heart is just superficial/dishonest and somewhat disgusting. No matter how much of subtle tribute/references to Old-western music, desert, theme of duals, BGM you use, they don't work when the core is fragile.

In our culture, all our mythology, folklore and the stories our grandmas told have fantasy, surrealism, magic-realism, supernatural elements; which make us open our mouths in awe and curiosity but also touch our hearts due to the well-conveyed elements of human weaknesses, pain, suffering, greed, redemption etc. I thought this movie had great potential to be one of those but it just succumbed to shallow portrayal of art, without much heart and childish portrayal and appeal to action(reminded me of stupid mass-oriented action movies) and cheesy dialogues and honestly sometimes poor acting by Mohanlal and others.

Character of Danish Sait, instead of being relatable to intricate Shakuni, just turned out to be a crazy clown.

Character of Mohanlal instead of being relatable to a mystic courageous protagonist on a mission turned out just to be a mass-hero on a journey like in a video game. Even the last scene hinting at a sequel with some spiritual future could not make me care any more. It was just too late.

Other characters and side-plots(a story of love and killings at the end and revenge thread) seemed just cooked-up to have some sort of climactic elation and did not move me at all. I was just happy that the movie ended and I did not have to endure this ego trip of intelligence masquerading as art.

This is worst of all the movies of LJP I have watched and it hurts. Hope LJP can recover from this and make more honest movies(or maybe I am wrong and I don't have enough intelligence to appreciate this movie)
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1/10
Very poor
midhunjkm27 January 2024
Happy to see that only critics understood the film. Its not for general audiance that mostly include 98% of the viewers. I watched after LJP response' criticise after watch, absolutely waste of time. I watched along with my whole family and they curse me for wasting their 2.30 hr. I hope they portrait too many details but i don't have the brilliance to understand this film, even i dnt know how to explain this to families also . Very much disappointed to see this from LJP may be this is his style but very poor taste for the audience. Always tried to watch LJP's film from theatre but this film not worth watching it in theatre.

Dont justify by saying this is not everyone cup of tea.
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10/10
Don't miss this movie in theater
asnchikku28 January 2024
I am very enjoyed with this movie. Especially technical side marvelous to handled this movie. Visually very high enjoyable movie.

I liked ever artists were performed very good and story goes low to high thats was feel very good. Hareesh peradi done fantastic role mohanlal and Sonalee Kulkarni performance were marvelous.

Also i feels some times lag but that was not affect my entertainment. I really enjoyed epic classic movies insipirations with the background musics are very enjoyable.

The locations and selections are very highly good to enjoyed and also talk about the selection of costumes and that designs.
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1/10
Stupid Movie
sabahslm26 January 2024
Tried the cinematography from The Good The Bad and the Ugly, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. The movie is such a drag that you will feel bored to the core. I didn't even complete the second half and left the theatre. I have better things to do in my life.

Not sure why Mohanlal agreed to do this movie in the first place, I wonder if he reads the script or not. His similar movies/characters were such a flop, like Kunjali Maraikkar and Odiyan and he still managed to act on the same kinda movie. I was wondering why doesn't he realise that these kinda movies are not for him. I am a Mohanlal fan, and other fans pls don't say "It's not everyone's cup of tea", trust me "It's nobody's cup of tea".

Don't waste your money, but it's not about money it's such a waste of time.
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