Jailer (2023) Action Movie Review

At 72 years old, Rajinikanth plays Muthu "Tiger" Pandian, a retired cop and prison warden in "Jailer." The character is known for his sassy young grandson and a unique talent for taking down villains, often with beheadings and fatal stabbings. Muthu has a network of old and shady friends, portrayed by various Indian character actors, who assist him in eliminating threats to his family.

In this action-packed thriller, the main antagonist is Varman, a crime boss played by Vinayakan. Varman kidnaps Muthu's adult son Arjun, who is also a cop, and threatens to harm Arjun's grandson Rithvik, an aspiring YouTube star. The plot takes an unexpected turn during a seemingly ordinary ice cream outing, where Varman's men mock Muthu with a grotesque dance. Muthu responds by using a gigantic blade to settle the score: "After a point I don't talk, I slash."

If you're watching "Jailer," it's all about Rajinikanth. The film blends self-awareness with a commitment to navigating the ups and downs of Indian cinema's mass-audience style. The emotional tone shifts frequently, from heartwarming moments of Muthu helping Rithvik film a gardening program to intense scenes of his ongoing battle with Varman.

"Jailer" may surprise fans as it delves into different emotional registers. One moment, Muthu and Rithvik enjoy each other's company in a sunny montage with an acoustic guitar playing, and the next, Arjun is torturing Varman's men. The film keeps you on your toes, and the acoustic guitarist never seems to take a break, just like the intense action unfolding on screen. If you're a Rajinikanth fan, "Jailer" is a must-watch, but be ready for a rollercoaster of emotions and action.

In "Jailer," the intense violence defining Varman's character gives the aging Rajinikanth a license to be merciless. It's quite touching to see the old man keeping up with Varman, who claims in his theme song that he'll make the next generation dance to his tunes. Unlike stars like Sylvester Stallone or Steven Seagal, Rajinikanth still attracts young filmmakers eager to make the mature actor look eternally iconic. At a Los Angeles screening, someone joked about how dramatically Rajinikanth enters rooms, and in Times Square, every slow-motion turn to the camera prompted screams.

Director Nelson Dilipkumar's handling of both his star and the film's mix of tones and styles is sometimes unclear. Comparing "Jailer" to Dilipkumar's "Beast," a quirky "Die Hard" clone featuring a younger star, Vijay, facing off against terrorists, provides context. In "Jailer," Muthu, played by Rajinikanth, is an older man with a legacy to consider. Rajinikanth's performance occasionally seems constrained, especially when Muthu expresses emotion, but he compensates with his intense angles and lunatic cackles.

Before the "INTERMISSION" title flashes, Muthu declares that now with nothing to lose, he can drop his multiple faces and wear just one. This declaration precedes a scene where Muthu, along with his action-ready friends, takes on more bad guys. After the intermission, a new subplot unfolds involving an affair, a bad toupee, comedian Sunil, and starlet Tamannaah Bhatia. While everyone plays versions of themselves in "Jailer," it's Rajinikanth's performance that holds it all together.

At 72, Rajinikanth's ability to deliver a lively star vehicle like "Jailer" every few years is oddly moving. Outside Theater 25, a man in his 40s asked an older companion about the film, and though I couldn't hear the response, the chuckle and head shake suggested that the older man was still enjoying Rajinikanth's enduring appeal.