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Valiban

 It has its moments, but Valiban isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Following a string of mediocre movies, there was considerable anticipation for an LJP-Mohanlal collaboration, with expectations running high for the actor to stage a strong comeback. Statements made during the promotions set expectations even higher. It weighed the movie down. People possibly went to the theatre expecting a swashbuckling Valiban but didn't get it in adequate quantity. Movies worse than this have garnered better numbers. I am not saying the movie is without its flaws, but it has to be said it received more flak than it deserves.


The movie tells the story of a warrior, drifting from place to place, looking for worthy opponents to fight for both thrill and money. It carries the flavors of old folklore stories we all grew up listening to. The story unfolds in an unknown place and time, vivid with colorful characters, with a blend of Western and Japanese samurai influences, paying homage to those genres. The background music is quite reminiscent of that.


Movies like this, or any movie for that matter, require strong characters, not just the titular character. Each of them should have a character arc, enacted by good performers. It makes the story more convincing. I didn't like a few of the cast choices. Rangapattinam Rangarani and Chamathakan would have done better with fluent Malayalam. Danish Sait, the joker wannabe Chamathakan, both the character and the actor felt equally obnoxious. For Valiban, who ties up a behemoth of a man with a scarf without batting an eyelid, the fighter he encounters next, a supposedly threatening kalaripayattu expert on whom Chamathakan risked half his facial hair, looked hardly like an opponent.


The whole sequence in Malaikotta, the fort on top of the hill, has contributed heavily to the criticism the movie received. It was unintentionally comical. Why did the oppressors have to be Portuguese? Mr. and Mrs. Macaulay looked cartoonish. Fight sequences in the fort were subpar. Scenes where people shoot with a rail gun-like device have already reached the saturation point. Arnold did it first (maybe not, just that it is more popular). Kaithi brought it to Indian cinema recently. Animal overdid it. Here, it is a custom-made cannon with arms resembling an octopus, and Mrs. Macaulay is firing aimlessly in all directions, showing no concern whether her shots hit a friend, a foe, or even her husband.


Towards the end, the movie regained some momentum.


Positives: Mohanlal looked every bit the Valiban from Malakottai. Visually beautiful.

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