The G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all Time) Review

Vijay’s latest movie, The Greatest of all Time is director Venkat Prabhu’s most ambitious film to date. It boasts an impressive cast that includes Prabhu Deva, Prashanth, Mohan, Ajmal Ameer, Jayaram, Vaibhav, Sneha, Laila, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Premgi Amaran, Yogi Babu, Subbu Panchu, VTV Ganesh, Yugendran and Ajay Raj. There are also special guest appearances by Trisha, YG Magendran and a digital appearance by the late Vijayakanth. There is also another surprise cameo in the film.

Vijay plays anti-terrorism officer MS Gandhi whose mission to eliminate their former boss has far reaching personal repercussions. Gandhi’s visit to Thailand as part of his top secret assignment changes his life forever, the effects of which are felt the strongest decades later.

The film follows a cracking pace, is action-packed and has many twists and surprises. There is a generous dose of organic humour and multiple references to other films which sweetens the tense narrative. There are some minor logical flaws but these are adequately made up for through clever writing and a breathless screenplay. The emotional depth of the film could have been better and some of the characters could have been better fleshed out, but all this can be expected of an action entertainer.

This is undoubtedly Vijay’s best acting performance. His expression, inflections and body language comes across with electrifying effectiveness in his dual role. It is a role that his fans could never forget. Prashanth, Prabhu Deva and Jayaram are in convincing performances, with Prashanth surprisingly outshining the other two. Sneha does justice to her role while Meenakshi Chaudhary is adequate. Premgi Amaran and Yogi Babu bring in the fun elements without detracting from the narrative.

Yuvan’s songs are good but all act as speed-breakers in the screenplay. On the other hand, Yuvan’s background score is dynamite and must rank as one of his best efforts to date.

Venkat Prabhu must be praised for the depth of the story and for the well-written script. Even without the expected emotional depth, it is still an outstanding screenplay as it sustains interest for the full duration of its running time of 183 minutes.

The digital effects in the film are outstanding, shining brightest through its simplicity.

Cinematography by Sidhartha Nuni uses very creative angles and some unusual panning and tracking techniques. The camera work in the stunt sequences is particularly impressive.

The film has some of the best action sequences in recent times with stunt coordinators Dilip Subrayan and Arun Yadav refusing to stay in the shadows of world cinema.

The Greatest of All time has some incredible detail in its making and does not under-estimate the intelligence of its audiences. The pace of the first half could have been tighter, the logical flaws could have been avoided and the emotional impact could have been better. These minor flaws mean that the film cannot be termed “The greatest of all time” but certainly one of the best in recent times.

The Greatest of all Time scores 8 points out of 10.