2.0 Review: Shankar and Rajinikanth deliver another victory

In a thrilling sequence in 2.0, Chitti’s battery is almost drained. He runs and later crawls to the nearest power hub to restore his charge. However, he is chased by Pakshirajan, the invincible falcon who is 10-times stronger than Chitti. Will Chitti be crushed by this beast or will he revive himself? It is terrific moments like these that you find yourself at the edge-of-your-seat. You also can’t help but marvel at director Shankar’s vision.

A sequel to the 2010 hit film, Enthiran, 2.0 displays twice the action and twice the grandeur of the original. While the first part revolved around Vaseegaran (Rajinikanth) and the robot Chitti, the sequel shows us the battle between Vaseegaran’s robots and an evil vigilante.

Director Shankar’s trademark style of storytelling is simple. His protagonist is a man, who is disregarded and often angry with the society, and decides to become a vigilante to avenge them. In his latest film 2.0, the vigilante turns evil, and the power to save the day is bestowed upon Dr. Vaseegaran and his robots. The idea of this is executed well throughout the film. Despite predictability and the flashback portions having the sense and feel of a ‘dubbed film’, it manages to convey the point of conflict. As the film proceeds, the major twists employ the troops of a horror film. In horror films, the ghostbuster or priest tries to trap the spirit and warns people not to unbox the forbidden box. In 2.0, the same concept is used. In fact, evil even possess over the good and emotionally toys with feelings of robots. At one point it seems like a never-ending sequence. The dialogues too seem a little to colloquial. For instance, when Nila (Amy Jackson) uses phrases like Atrocity, it dilutes the impact. Nevertheless, it was fun to watch!

There’s little complain, as director Shankar’s films are not just about social messages, it’s about the grandeur, the triumph of imagination and the stunning visuals. You get all of this in 2.0. Be it the scene where cellphones light up the forest or the scene where the cellphones slide into a house – everything is a visually arresting. Specifically, the visual of the giant falcon-like bird is a delight to watch. It glows with an energy that makes it seem unbeatable, it’s unusual sound creates a haunting atmosphere. It antic make it seem like a worthy opponent to Chitti. That’s a winning moment there because otherwise it could’ve easily been reduced to a caricature. Baring a few scenes, the visual effects work perfectly, and so does the 3D. It’s a triumph for Shankar’s vision as the 3D as it is skillfully done.

What truly makes the film remarkable is the presence of Rajinikanth who appears in a swashbuckling avatar as Dr. Vasigaran, Chitti, Chitti 2.0 and in the other tiny role in the film. While Chitti 2.0 shows off his fearless and vivacious side, the audience shower whistles. That loveable yet menacing personality of Rajinikanth wins all! Amy Jackson does her best role till date. She fits perfectly as the robot. Akshay Kumar too makes an impressive appearance, where we see him an angry ornithologist. The battle sequence between Akshay and Rajinikanth is a joy to watch. A. R. Rahman‘s background score, add perfectly to the scenes. Sound designer Resul Pookutty’s sound effects make every scene seem real.

Overall, the film is fun, that deserves a theatrical experience to be enjoyed the most. The absence of songs is another plus!