We have finally witnessed Madura Michael and Ashwin Thatha on screen! Yes, STR's Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan (AAA), directed by Adhik Ravichandran has released and here is what we feel about the movie.
AAA deals about two love stories at two different periods of time, one in the 1980s and the other in 2017. What happens to STR in both these love stories is what the primary plot of the movie is all about.
STR is full of energy, and his stellar screen presence is enjoyable, especially in the Madura Michael character. But, unluckily, he falls flat in Ashwin Thatha’s character. Shriya Saran is back to Kollywood as a heroine after Rowthiram. However, her role lacks an impact. Tammanaah looks stylish, and she appears to be that one innocent heroine whom we have seen in many films before. VTV Ganesh, Motta Rajendran, Mahat are just okay and do not interest you with their performances.
Madura Michael portions happen in the first half, while Ashwin Thatha gets the complete second half. Agreed there are mass moments for Madura Michael, but they are not fulfilling as a whole. You don't get the complete feel. The screenplay isn't engaging, even with STR on the frame. The treatment is also a bit used and a beaten one, and hence the freshness in the screenplay is missing. There's a police investigation portion that comes in between at places, which, doesn't seem to have any connection at all. Maybe if we watch the second part, we might know the answer for that.
STR fans might love a few moments, but even a section of them might get disappointed. Dubbing is not in sync in many places, and at few sequences, one might get a feeling that two different people have dubbed for Shriya as there is slight inconsistency. Ashwin Thatha portions definitely do not keep you engaged, and it tests the patience to a greater extent. It lacks life, and you don't feel like you're seeing a love story of an aged man.
On the positive side, there are few dialogues which earn applause from youngsters. Also, watch out for a surprising spoof scene of Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada, STR’s previous release. There are a few Trisha Illana Nayanthara touches like Sengal Psycho in AAA, which the audience might enjoy. Emotions work a bit in the second half during the hotel scene (Tamamnaah father's retirement function). Also, the register office scene in the first half was very interesting and cool. If the film had had entertaining scenes like that, the movie would have definitely been a much better product.
Yuvan’s background score is a big pillar for the movie and the STR- YSR combo has struck the chord once again, but one might feel that his music hasn’t deserved the right film. Krishnan’s visuals and Ruben’s cuts are in good sync, but there could've been more crispiness and connectivity between scenes.
Adhik, unlike his first film, fails to get a complete connection with the audience. He has worked in such a way to celebrate STR on screen. There might be two different love stories in the film, but both don't stand strong, and there has been no experimentation. Adhik has made a run of the mill drama, which fails to garner your attention for a longer time. The confusing screenplay writing adds more to the worry. Will AAA2D, the sequel, make up for all this?