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Retta Thala Review

PUBLISHED DATE | 26/Dec/2025

Premise:  Arun Vijay and his girlfriend seek financial stability, they come across the hero's look-a-like who is super rich. They kill him to take over his identity and wealth, it turns out he is a murder convict. The consequences form the crux of the story.

 

Writing/ Direction: The film has a strong outline that feels ideal for shaping a cracker of a commercial entertainer, with three engaging plot points placed effectively across the beginning, middle, and end. However, the execution remains mixed. The dialogues could have been more authentic to firmly establish the story world, and the first half feels stretched in parts due to pacing issues in the talk-heavy portions. As the film progresses, the latter half leans heavily on action without sufficient dramatic build-up, resulting in repetitive confrontations rather than truly exciting situations. The use of AI visuals for certain visionary moments slightly affects the film’s texture, while inconsistencies in world-building—such as the portrayal of the lead pair’s financial status through their styling—make it harder to fully empathise with them. A few filler scenes and dated song placements further extend the runtime, and some character writing, particularly that of the female lead, feels one-dimensional, missing scope for greater emotional depth.

 

CastingArun Vijay brings intensity to the action sequences, a space that clearly suits him. Siddhi Idnani’s performance feels restrained, and her characterisation lacks the maturity needed to make a stronger impact. The antagonists function more as physical obstacles than fully developed villains, relying largely on brute strength rather than menace. John Vijay appears in a loud, exaggerated role, with his dialogue delivery and body language leaning heavily into over-the-top territory, which may not work for everyone.

Technicalities Sam CS catches attention with Kannamma, while the background score works even better overall, effectively elevating the action sequences and offering some variety in its musical treatment; the classical touch in the climax, in particular, lands well. The cinematography, however, appears quite dim and inconsistent at places, with frequent use of pixelated stock footage and AI-driven shots affecting the visual flow. Despite the runtime being under two hours, the editing doesn’t always feel slick, with noticeable lags and jump cuts. On the positive side, the action choreography is commendable, with the stunt team and Arun Vijay convincingly pulling off several high-octane fight sequences. The visual effects, though, feel underwhelming, with excessive reliance on Artificial Intelligence impacting the film’s overall polish.

 

Verdict: Thin story yet there are a handful of plot-points with the potential for it to become a racy actioner. But the lethargic writing, drags the film from what it could have been.


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