Review: Robot
Starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai, Enthiran, The Robot, is a Tamil science-fiction about an andro-humanoid robot.
One of the highlights of this film is that Rajinikanth will be seen without his famed moustache in most parts of the movie.
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If Robot the film was a person, it would be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Parts of the film are superbly entertaining – the scale is spectacular, the story is ambitious and the special effects are impressive. But parts, especially in the second half, are so needlessly stretched and cacophonous, that you're just waiting for it to end.
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But once you're in the flow of things, the plot gives you no time for pause. Of course the scale moves to another level with the special effects that have been done by George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic and some of the same technicians who worked on Jurassic Park.
.jpg "When you buy a ticket to a Rajinikanth film, you enter into a pact with the actor. The only rule in a Rajinikanth movie is that there are no rules.")
.jpg "Rajinikanth, whose contract specifies that he be credited as superstar, reigns supreme.")
.jpg "In <i>Robot</i>, he plays a double role ? Dr. Vaseegaran, who creates an andro-humanoid robot named Chitti, also played by Rajinikanth.")
.jpg "As pure machine, Chitti functions well enough but trouble starts when Dr. Vaseegaran imbues human emotions into him.")
.jpg "Chitti falls in love with his creator's girlfriend, Sana played by Aiswariya Rai Bachchan, creating a singularly unique love triangle.")
.jpg "When Chitti's feelings aren't reciprocated ? Sana thinks of him as a ?toy-friend' instead of a boyfriend - all hell breaks loose.")
.jpg "<i>Robot's</i> most compelling feature is the character of Chitti. Deriving from sources ranging from <i>Blade Runner</i> to <i>Frankenstein</i>, Shankar uses Chitti to make a comment on the human condition.")
.jpg "Like us, Chitti wants to live, he wants to love but like us, he is also tragically flawed, capable of blinding hubris and horrific destruction.")
.jpg "Of course these sub-texts are buried under masala so extravagant that your jaws drop. There are several gorgeously shot songs, including one in Machu Picchu, that has several llamas in the frame with a swaying Aishwarya.")
.jpg "In another, Chitti walks through his kingdom with two robotic beasts on a leash.")
.jpg "Sadly however, AR Rahman's music is singularly unmemorable. As is the character of Sana who is essentially a Barbie doll required to look either gorgeous or afraid.")
