Starring: Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Varun Sandesh, Sundeep Kishan, Divyansha Kaushik, and Ayappa Sharma
Ranjit Jeyakodi is the director.
Bharath Chowdary and Puskur Ram Mohan Rao are the producers.
Today marks the release of the pan-Indian movie Michael, which stars Divyansha Kaushik and Sundeep Kishan in the key roles. The film features a sizable celebrity cast and has generated a lot of interest thanks to its promotional materials. So let’s check out the movie.
Story:
Mumbai’s Gurunath (Gautham Vasudev Menon) is a terrible thug (then Bombay). A young child named Michael (Sundeep Kishan) saves him from a murderous assault. As a result, Gurunath orders his goon Swamy (Ayappa Sharma) to raise Michael. After some time, Gurunath is once more saved by Michael, prompting the former to give the latter control of his bar business. Gurunath discovers Rathan (Anish Kuruvilla) was responsible for the assault. Rathan and his daughter Theera are killed by Gurunath’s orders to Michael (Divyansha Kaushik). Did Michael finish the job? What then transpired? This plays a role in the narrative.
Plus Points:
Protagonist Sundeep Kishan gave the movie his all. Sundeep’s physical transformation is flawless, and his work is evident throughout. The actor gave an outstanding performance throughout the stressful battle scenes. Sundeep Kishan excelled not just in the action scenes but also in the romance ones. Sundeep doesn’t speak much throughout the film, yet he still makes an impression.
The chemistry between the leads is strong, and the film’s background music and graphics are excellent. One of the most brilliantly produced films in Telugu cinema is without a doubt Michael. The movie’s gloomy undertone is effectively established, and the atmosphere is sustained. The technical team deserves praise for making the movie appear so opulent and refined.
In their brief cameos, Vijay Sethupathi and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar left an impression. Both actors created an impression despite having limited opportunities to perform. If not for them the second half is totally forgettable. The action sequences are well-designed and they look good on screen.
The story and screenplay were completely thrown out the window as the filmmakers wanted to present the film as glossy. The focus was entirely on making the movie appear posh and fashionable, but the essential components were overlooked in the process.
The plot of the film has been done to death. The writing team couldn’t come up with a compelling story, and the movie’s stunning sights couldn’t keep viewers interested. The movie is dripping with flair, but the emotional connection that is sorely lacking at the moment.
Although it is OK to be influenced by other movies, in Michael the effect was somewhat greater. Only a few shots had such a strong affinity for prior movies, and occasionally the viewer would feel as though they were also viewing the older movies.
There are many artists in the movie, but none are notable. Some of them are completely wasted in their positions, and their characters are poorly developed. A further problem is the extended running time.
Technical Aspects:
One cannot imagine that this is Kiran Koushik’s debut picture because his cinematography is unquestionably the best in recent memory. He made an effort to improve this action movie, and he was successful in doing so. Sam CS also did a fantastic job. At some points, the mood was accentuated by the eerie background music.
The film’s producers invested a lot of money and it has excellent production values. Regarding the writer-director Ranjit Jeyakodi, he blew the chance to use Michael. Despite having a fantastic technical staff, he was unable to develop a compelling tale. The movie is full of numerous dull parts, and the storyline is no different. There isn’t much novelty in the movie, and the characterizations are rather weak.
Verdict:
Overall, Michael was mediocre despite having some good moments. The technological elements received more attention. The story and narrative suffered as a result. In this dragged-out action drama, Sundeep Kishan and Vijay Sethupathi are the only bright spots. You can try it, but be careful with your expectations.
