Whatever one makes of it, one must give both Rajinikanth and Soundarya props for effort. If the film doesn't work, it's not for lack of trying. I'm going with two out of five for Kochadaiiyaan. This one's strictly for fans.

Kochadaiiyaan, alas, is a fundamentally flawed dud, one without anything to applaud besides grand (if self-glorifying) ambition. And little is as heartbreaking to witness as utterly failed ambition.

Unsurprisingly, the brand name ‘Rajini’ has proved for the umpteenth time that his face value alone could carry a movie on his shoulders. 'Kochadaiiyaan' has embraced technology in the best possible way, not to forget this being the very first attempt. Looks like director Soundarya Rajinikanth Ashwin has the last laugh after all!

Kochadiiyaan succeeds not because of technology but because of the writing. The film is motion capture 3D computer-animated but the animation is primeval; both the motion capture and the texture of the visuals are closer to The Polar Express than Avatar or Tintin. The long shots aren't problematic but whenever the camera cuts to a close-up, we are drawn to the inanimate nature of the expressions. The characters feel like caricatures of the real-life actors we have known.

Kochadaiiyaan is ​​not the work of an amateur and I give Soundarya the credit for trying her hand in something so mid boggling as well as dangerous. The mere look at one of the exquisite war sequences​ convey the magnitude of her imagination, but the translation of the same into celluloid was half baked. Despite the story having a soul to it, the animation discrepancies suck it out from the film. IT doesn’t have the quaff value of Avatar but for the thumping effort alone, I am giving this film a 2.5/5. Probably the sequel Rana will have that unprecedented quality I am looking for.

The absorbing screenplay and the technology makes KOCHADAIIYAAN an interesting fare. For the legion of Rajinikanth fans, this film is definitely worth a watch. Recommended!

Despite the lack of technical finesse, the filmmaker deserves to be applauded for taking a step towards innovation and change, and setting the ground work for 'Rana'.

There is very little balance achieved in the telling and for people unfamiliar with the culture and rituals of the bygone era, everything on view may appear far-out and fanciful. In terms of technology being used, this is a first, no doubt, but it doesn’t come out as exciting or completely entertaining.