Sethupathi movie review: Vijay Sethupathi’s police thriller is entertaining and witty!

The movie gives some normal situations a clever twist

After a decent amount of hype, Vijay Sethupathi‘s cop action story, titled Sethupathi hit the screens today. Interestingly, the actor played a rowdy in his last and mocked the police and ironically, he glorifies the cops in this one. So without much further ado, let’s see what Sethupathi is all about…

What’s it about

It is a story of a tough cop, Sethupathi, who is an inspector of a Madurai police station. He is an honest cop, but is mean and twisted in his own way. That being said, he is also a loving father of two children and a loving husband as well. He begins investigating a gruesome murder of a police officer who was slashed and burned alive. Meanwhile, he is also busy solving a chain snatching case. Sethupathi finds out that the murder of the cop is a case of mistaken identity and the person responsible for it is a man called Vadiyar, played by Vela Ramamoorthy, who is the town’s big cheese and commands a lot of respect. However, Sethupathi disregards all that and arrests the big shot and humiliates him. So Vadiyar hatches a plan to defame Sethupathi. While interrogating a couple of young school boys, our hero accidentally shoots one and lands him in a coma. After this incident, all hell breaks loose and the rest of the tale is about Sethupathi’s attempt to prove his innocence and cancel his suspension.

What’s hot

One word, Sethupathi. Vijay Sethupathi is the one and only thing that holds the whole movie together. Of course, the story was made in such a way. His acting is impeccable as always and he continues to amaze everyone with his versatility. He has some serious swag in the movie, which nothing can break or shake. If the tough cop avatar is lovable, then the family man image of his is totally adorable. Vijay has great chemistry with actress Ramya Nambeesan, who plays his wife. Also, his antics with his two kids are totally hilarious. Another character who is worthy of praise is Moorthy, the faithful sub inspector and sidekick of Sethupathi. There are a few witty twists in a normal story which makes things interesting. Many moments stand out in the movie. But the best moment in my book is when goons enter Sethupathi’s house to kill his wife and children. But instead of the stereotypical tension and hero running to save his family, Vijay is very much confident and cocky, as he calls his 8 year old son. As for what he said to his son, when the goons come in, brandishing swords, the little kid walks in with his father’s gun and starts shooting. It was such an epic moment that the audience broke into spontaneous applause.

What’s not

Well, the lack of an interesting story is what pulls back Sethupathi from becoming an awesome movie. Even though, Vijay is entertaining and the movie has its moments of comedy and wit, the story is hollow and the fact dawns on the viewer at one point or the other. Also, the Naanum Rowdy Dhaan hero hogs so much of the limelight that other interesting characters lose some of their potency. In the end, clever or not, it is just a tale of hero and villain getting back at each other which has been done a million times. Plus, this is a more rural centric movie which might not appeal to multiplex audiences.

What to do

If you are a fan of Vijay Sethupathi or want to see an ordinary story treated in a stylish, different manner, then do catch Sethupathi. Ultimately, it is an entertainer with some innovation.