Madharaasi

Sivakarthikeyan plays a trauma-riddled yet empowered hero in a film with some neatly done high-octane action sequences, self-aware narrative, and surprising merits that overshadow its minor flaws.

A convincing Sivakarthikeyan ushers in the rather safe second coming of AR Murugadoss.

Of course, the film uses the crutch commercial cinema's creative licence — a hero who can take innumerable punches and not even a stray bullet, a villain who can make trained soldiers look like amateurs, exposition to spell out actions and motivations — a little too often, but there's conviction in Murugadoss's filmmaking, that keeps us from complaining, and take the film past the finish line. With sheer grit, he manages to snatch a win despite not bringing in his A game.

‘Madharaasi’ is only for fans of Sivakarthikeyan and his comedic timing and charm.

...a commercial actioner on gun culture. While the performances and action sequences win you over, the film's logical loopholes keep it a mediocre entertainer.

The film shows glimpses of Murugadoss operating at his full powers. But ultimately, Sivakarthikeyan-starrer is frustrating as an exercise in action storytelling because it is too tired to break its own conventionality.