Change Your Image
bgsam_0101
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023)
Carried by Ash and Vikram, a very good movie with a few negatives
The first half was fantastic. Aishwarya Rai was magnificent, as was Vikram. The flow and pacing felt better than part 1.
Most of the second half was fantastic, too. Some of the scenes were excellently shot - Ash and Vikram again steal the show. But the ending was a downer, and a big one at that.
Condensing a huge novel into 2 movies requires some changes to the original script and I understand that. So, I have no qualms with a few things (even important ones) being changed. But grandiose battle sequences is not what PS is about, and it is not Mani Ratnam's forte. Those pointless battle scenes (not in the novel) could've been replaced with some more character exploration and depth. I complained that PS-1 had more battle scenes than needed and PS-2 takes it further.
PS is about politics, secrets, love, and an intricately woven tale, not some grand battles fought by Cholas. Even Rahman's background score felt a tad underwhelming. At some points, the music was excellent, but it for most of the scenes, it didn't pack the punch PS1's score did, which I thought was quite good.
This had potential to be 9/10, but sits at 7.5-8/10. It is still a very good movie, but I cannot help but feel a bit of a missed opportunity.
Ponniyin Selvan: Part One (2022)
A very, very good movie.
POSITIVES: Acting, Dialogues, Music, Setting
NEGATIVES: A bit too much emphasis on grandeur/battle scenes
I haven't read the books but I was briefly familiar with the background of the main characters. The movie did a good job of showing the setting, the motivations of different characters, and their personalities. The first half was particularly good in achieving this. Some reviews found this slow paced but I think it was paced perfectly to suit different audiences. The dialogues were very well-written, with a combination of sarcasm, wittiness, and bluntness when required. The dialogues, the background music, and acting in the first half was excellent. I am curious to watch this in Telugu and Hindi to see if justice was done to the dialogues.
My only criticism would be parts of the second half, where there was a bit too much emphasis on battle scenes. I understand that such a movie ought to contain some grand scenes (especially to suit a certain type of audience) but I think they distract from the main theme of this, which is all about politics, scheming, backstabbing, etc. I wish they would've focused a bit more on these aspects instead of the long battle scenes in the 2nd half.
A special appreciation to Rahman whose music was excellent through out. It always amplified the scenes without being too loud/distracting. Devaralan attam, in particular, sounded magnificent in the IMAX setting.
I'd give this 7.5 or 8/10 and it sets the ground very well for Part 2.