Sandamarutham - Formula Fatigue

Bharath Vijayakumar 

You do not walk into Sandamarutham expecting a new age cinema. You know it belongs to the genre of films conveniently named as 'commercial entertainers'. But 'Formula films' might be a more apt word because most of the times these films do everything but entertain. A.Venkatesh has a decent track record in delivering hits with these kind of films. And his association with Sarath Kumar in the past has almost always clicked. Has the reunion paid off?

Plot:

A cat and mouse game between a don and a cop. The only ones interested are these two and the audience are taken for a ride.

Cast:

Sarathkumar looks extremely fit. He looks the part in his dual avatar. But that is pretty much about it. He never really rises above the poor execution of the film to make an impression.The climax portions where he (as villain) is on a maniacal spree and tries various antics fall flat. The lesser said about the supporting cast is the better. Everyone goes through the motions.It almost looks like the rehearsal scenes before the actual shoot was filmed and made into a movie.Imman Annachi seemed to be the only actor who was serious about making an impression.

After naming the film based on the villain's character the least you expect is that character to stay with you.

But both the writing and the performance leave a lot to be desired. The flashback of the villain character that lasts for about 5 minutes is one of the clumsiest that you have watched anytime recently.

The portion involving the tug of war between Samuthirakani and the villain Sarath is relatively engaging. The film might have worked much better had it taken the straight route of the clash between the hero and villain right away. Instead it tries to rope in a thriller angle and an investigation track involving a certain kind of chemical bomb. Scenes jump here and there and after around 30 minutes into the film you realize that you are in for a long haul with no signs of any light at the end of the tunnel.

Bottomline:

Sandamarutham is one of those films where we find it very difficult to spot a single redeeming feature. If at all there is one, it is the end credits that does bring a sigh of relief.

Rating:2/5