Movie: Cobra
Rating: 2.25/5
Cast: Vikram, Sreenidhi Shetty, Irfan Pathan
Director: Puri Jagannadh
Produced By: Ajay Gnanamuthu
Release Date: August 31st, 2022
2022 is a crucial year for Vikram with movies like Mahaan, Cobra, and Ponniyin Selvan up for release. Mahaan released earlier this year and got appreciated for his performance. While Mani Ratnam’s big-budget flick Ponniyin Selvan will release next month and a lot of expectations are placed on it. Coming to Cobra, the movie has generated great buzz and Vikram will be seen in as many as 20 looks. But, does it have enough substance in it? Let’s find out.
Story: A series of high-profile murders including that of a Prince in Europe and a minister in Orissa have got Intelligence officer Aslan Yilmaz (Irfan Pathan) on his toes. During investigations, it is revealed that Madhie aka Cobra (Vikram) is the man behind these assassinations. Madhie is a mathematical genius and has cleverly killed his enemies. But, why did he do it and what’s the motive behind these planned murders is what the movie follows.
Performances: Vikram is dependable as ever and shoulders the entire movie in the absence of better writing for the rest of the cast. However, the constant get-up changes are now getting a bit monotonous and often distract the viewers from his brilliant acting skills. Irfan Pathan is decent in his debut and looks good as an intelligence officer. Srinidhi Shetty’s character just like KGF is poorly written and is limited to a few scenes in the first half. The rest of the extended cast of Roshan Matthew and Mrunalini Ravi have done a good job in their limited appearances.
Analysis: The most attractive aspect of Cobra is its scale. The film is set on a massive international stage and production values are brilliant. Visually, Cobra is a treat to the eyes, and cinematographers Bhuvan Sreenivasan and Harish Kannan must be lauded. The writing, especially in the second half, is a letdown and after setting up a great interval block, the movie loses its momentum. Confusing screenplay and lack of emotional connect with characters except Vikram is another drawback of this technically superb film.
Plus Points:
- Interval Block
- Production values
- Camera work
Minus Points:
- Unnecessarily complicated
- Runtime
- Second half
- Illogical sequences
Verdict: On paper, Cobra has got every ingredient of a terrific action thriller. However, botched execution and painfully long runtime make the movie tough to follow. Director Ajay Gnanamuthu who is known for excellent thrillers like Demonte Colony and Immaika Nodigal (Anjali CBI) has gone off track this time in trying to balance Vikram’s stardom and story.
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