Film: 10 Endrathukulla
Director: Vijay Milton
Cast: Vikram, Samantha, Pasupathy, Rahul Dev, Abhimanyu Singh
Rating: **
What it’s about: He loves to drive and race. So when Vikram comes on screen vrooming, the audience knows they are going to be in for a crazy ride. James Bond (Vikram), who goes by many names, teaches people how to drive car at a driving school, but also moonlights as a guy who can be hired to drive a vehicle for money. And he can achieve the unachievable by the time someone counts to ten. He doesn’t ask questions as to what is in the vehicle – he reaches the destination, hands over the vehicle, takes his money and moves on. He meets Shakeela (Samantha) when she comes to learn how to drive at the school he works at. But their paths end up crossing more than just at the driving school. Pasupathy, who is a thug, hires him to deliver an SUV to Uttarakhand. And in that SUV, he ends up finding Shakeela. Why is she in the vehicle? What is waiting for them in Uttarakhand? What happens between them? How are Rahul Dev and Abhimanyu Singh involved?
What’s hot: It’s good to see Vikram back on screen after ‘I’ – he’s suave, smart, cool, and essays the role with ease. Samantha also has a role that gives her scope for action and comedy. Some of the high-speed chases and sequences are a must-mention.
What’s not: Director Vijay Milton has come up with a story that unfortunately doesn’t do much for the audience. The movie has a very 1980s feel and look and considering the movies releasing today, this one is outdated. The first half of the movie is uninteresting except for a few laughs and high-octane scenes. The second half of the film has a few interesting twists but this doesn't do much to lift the film. There's a sense of deja vu as far as Vikram goes and Samantha doesn't make much of an impact in the film except towards the end. The script just doesn’t flow smoothly and there’s no logic to many scenes. For instance, Vikram stops at a dhaba where for some reason all the men sitting and eating are shirtless. He then breaks into a song and in comes Charmme for the item number. The VFX in the film is extremely shoddy and the music by D Imman is far below than what the talented music director can deliver. The movie is quite disappointing in many aspects and unfortunately, James Bond can't fix them.
What to do: It's high time Vikram really rethinks his script choices. This movie is strictly for Vikram fans.
