'Jailer’ trapped by Rajini’s stardom

Rajinikanth's latest film Jailer unwittingly reveals the strengths and limitations of his stardom. It initially engages the audience, as his stardom goes hand-in-hand with a revenge story, but later goes awry, with style overtaking substance.

The film kicks off with a father and son working in the police department and leading a happy life. The plot thickens as the son (ACP Arjun) gets entangled with a deadly gang headed by Verman (Vinayakan) and goes missing. He is presumed dead. That leaves the father (Muthuvel Pandian), played by Rajini, to protect his family and seek revenge. This part of the film is intriguing, with brisk fights, occasional punch lines, and a short cameo by the Kannada star Shivarajkumar.

Things change when Pandian can’t continue with the same devil-may-care attitude. The rest of the plot follows his efforts to get Verman a national treasure, since the latter holds Pandian's kin as bargaining cards.

Jailer could have been a swashbuckling entertainer had it revolved solely around the revenge story. With Rajini shining, the plot meets a logical end towards the interval. The narrative then introduces new twists in an effort to stretch the film. The shenanigans at the end are too confusing.

Cameos by Mohanlal and Jackie Shroff come across as 'too little too late' to make any impact. Rajini’s swagger and powerful action sequences fail to rescue the act in the second half. As a doting father and efficient officer, Rajinikanth plays his role with style. Despite an ensemble cast, the plot is over dependent on him, thus reducing the value of contributions from other quarters.

Finally, one is left wondering why a director with Dilip Kumar in his name and an actor who built an early career with Amitabh Bachchan remakes failed to seek inspiration from Shakti, a film known for its nuanced depiction of a father-son clash.