This was the time when Rajinikanth should have reinvented himself for his directors have long stopped bothering about plot and characterisation. For when Rajinikant is on and at it, who cares?

Kabali is definitely not your regular Rajini film and is most likely to disappoint his fans. The film is also not as gripping as Ranjith’s critically acclaimed Madras. 

If not for the hype and stunning trailer, which promised an all-out Rajini masala entertainer, the film would have been far more enjoyable.

Watching a Rajnikanth film in Mumbai’s Aurora Theatre can only be compared to watching a Salman Khan film in Bandra’s Gaiety-Galaxy, but multiplied 100 times over

The problem with Kabali, to put it simply, is that it is a weak film weighed down by a multiplicity of characters and a web of interconnected stories about a dead wife (Radhika Apte), an unknown daughter (Dhanshika), a fidgety young lieutenant always at Kabali’s service (Dinesh Ravi), and a whiny girl whose sob stories never end (Riythvika).

Kabali does not live up to its hype. In spite of Rajni’s smashing persona, the film fails to make an impact.

…the biggest letdown is the characterless — literally and figuratively — script, which is not only bereft of any intelligence or imagination but also telegraphs and spells out in all-caps what little plot twists it has. The resultant soggy mess of a film is thus neither director’s nor star’s. Ranjith has, somehow, managed to deliver a Rajini movie with no ‘Rajini’ in it.

Riding on so much hype and Rajinikanth’s star power, Kabali turns out to be a huge disappointment. Though Rajinikanth keeps on saying Magizchi (Cheers! in English) in the film, there is very less to cheer about anywhere in here, even for his die-hard fans. Only watch the film if you want to know why there is so much craze over Rajinikanth.

Kabali was always going to be 100% about Rajinikanth’s super stardom. It was going to be about his action, his style, his persona. The character Kabali would be designed to suit that purpose. Unfortunately, it doesn’t blend well at all with this attempt at “gang war with a heart”.

This is definitely not Rajini movie. Watch with open mind. Get ready to face some slow screenplay. However the director has added all commercial elements in second half of the movie. The first 15 minutes and last 20 minutes be2fore Interval are the highlights of the movie. Similarly the climax is also entertaining. As always, Good triumphs over evil. Cinematography and Music are the two pillars of the movie and they escalate the movie to new level.