Karuppu Review: Engaging Setup Lost to a String of Loud Action Scenes
Rating: 2.5/5 Suyog Zore
Upon finishing the Suriya-starrer fantasy action film 'Karuppu', the first thought that crossed my mind was: did I just watch two entirely different movies stitched together?
I thoroughly enjoyed the "first movie"—a gripping courtroom action drama that highlights how our judicial system, rather than delivering actual justice, primarily serves to make the poor suffer. The film vividly depicts how the police, lawyers, and judges work hand in hand to ensure that the wealthy, especially politicians, escape punishment for their crimes while the innocent endure years of suffering. We see a man who has been legally declared dead for 30 years despite being very much alive; after fighting a 17-year legal battle just to prove his existence, he has lost all hope.
The main plot kicks off with a father, Sukumaran (Indrans), arriving in Chennai with his daughter, Binu (Anagha Maya Ravi). The moment they step off the train, their 60 sovereigns of gold (480 grams)—intended to fund Binu's life-saving liver transplant surgery—are stolen. They file a complaint at a local police station, but the police claim they only recovered 45 sovereigns. Furthermore, they are told they must file a Return of Property petition in court to reclaim the jewelry. Desperate, they approach a powerful advocate named Baby Kannan (RJ Balaji). While he initially appears to be an honest lawyer, he turns out to be entirely corrupt, deliberately dragging out the case for financial gain alongside complicit judge and police officers. Just as Sukumaran loses all hope, the deity Karuppuswamy (Suriya) arrives to help the father secure justice. However, when Baby Kannan challenges Karuppu to win the case without relying on his divine powers, the deity begins to truly understand just how deeply corrupt our entire judicial system is.
The first half of Karuppu—which truly feels like a standalone film— is a genuinely well-made, tightly scripted courtroom action drama. It doesn't waste any time and features many emotional scenes as we watch the father and daughter try to keep their hopes alive while their hearings get constantly postponed. It tugs at our heartstrings on multiple occasions. We also see that, just like this father-daughter duo, there are many other people who have been suffering for years because of a complete lack of empathy from the court. While this first half is not extremely dark like Suriya's Jai Bhim (2021), it is still quite intense and compelling, especially when we see the father trying his best not to lose hope.
However, right after the intermission, a completely different movie begins—one that is packed with back-to-back hero-elevation slow motion action sequences, some forced meta references to Surya's own films and unnecessary humour. It totally forgets, and expects the audience to forget, the film we were engrossed in just minutes prior. In doing so, it completely loses the very soul that made it compelling. The emotional core of this film was the father-daughter relationship and their desperate struggle to reclaim their jewelry. Yet, in its rush to appease die-hard Suriya fans, the narrative completely abandons the emotional arc of father- daughter that kept us hooked. What remains is a loud string of heroic action set pieces, countered only by the villain's various tactics to outsmart a deity.
It almost feels like RJ Balaji, who co-wrote the screenplay, found himself caught between two minds: delivering a compelling drama about a flawed judiciary, or making a fantasy action film. In his attempt to strike a perfect balance, he ends up with a half-baked product that delivers neither a solid courtroom drama nor an entertaining action movie. Of course, with Suriya playing a deity, expecting grounded action scenes is pointless. Instead, we are treated to numerous action set pieces that are quite obviously choreographed purely for the sake of hero worship.
After a certain point, these hero-worship sequences begin to feel incredibly repetitive, failing to deliver the high-octane adrenaline rush the filmmaker intended. Furthermore, the constant reliance on slow-motion action set pieces actively dilutes the narrative, severely diminishing the strong emotional impact that the first half had successfully established with the audience.
The villain, Baby Kannan, possesses a unique, hidden charm that initially makes him seem unthreatening. However, as the plot progresses, we realize he is far more than just a corrupt lawyer. I really wish the film had included a few more scenes to showcase his underlying evilness. Furthermore, there was a missed opportunity to explore a sharp, engaging banter between him and Karuppu. But RJ Balaji makes up for it by his impressive performance. He tries come across as a man with a swagger and he does succeed in it most of the time.
As expected Surya does most of the hard lifting in 'Karuppu' and he excelled in it especially during those intense scenes when he is trying to control his rage when he notices the corruption in every department. What makes these scenes even more impactful is that he cannot use his powers here while dealing with this court proceedings. But once the action-packed second half takes over, there is little scope for Suriya to show his real acting skills. He is undeniably charismatic on screen but we have seen this kind of mass hero worship too many times to make a lasting impact. Indrans as Sukumaran in the supporting role has a noteworthy performance, holding every scene he is in, with immense dignity and vulnerability. Anagha Maya Ravi is equally solid as Binu, portraying the quiet agony of a girl waiting for a liver transplant while watching the grim reality of the courtroom.
On the other hand, Trisha Krishnan is completely wasted in a role that seems completely unnecessary. Her character could be completely removed from the film and it would not affect the storyline.
Coming to the technical side, 'Karuppu' stands out especially in the cinematography department. Suriya’s stunning visuals as the deity give the much-needed scale and impact which can only be felt on a theatre screen.
The music by Sai Abhyankkar is hit and miss. I liked 'God Mode' and 'Raathu Raasan' songs, but the rest were quite average. The same with BGM.
All in all, 'Karuppu' is a missed opportunity to deliver a solid grounded fantasy action film that gets diluted because of the director's intention to add hero-elevation slow motion action sequences to appease die-hard Suriya fans.
Cast: Surya, Trisha Krishnan, RJ Balaji, Indrans
Writers: RJ Balaji, Ashwin Ravichandran, Rahul Raj, T. S. Gopi Krishnan
Director: RJ Balaji
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