Marco, a reimagining spin-off of a character from the 2019 Malayalam film Mikhael, has a simplistic plot of revenge. It sets things to context in its opening sequence that ends with a murder, only for a little cat and mouse to ensue. Amidst this particular phase, you are introduced to the world of Marco that seems to be the heartland of the cartels dealing with gold, a world wherein there is no escape from the inevitable. So when you are introduced to the family of Marco in the wake of the tragedy, you are privy to the fact that the threat surrounding the family is more of an internal affair rather than an external one. But not before exercizing its brutality with the introduction of the protagonist who is built of the same flesh as Ranvijay Singh from Animal, and someone who would stop at nothing despite being offering the least stakes in the family of cartels.

One of the most important ingredients of an R-Rated action entertainer isn’t the plot, which can be wafer-thin to begin with. It is in fact the emotional core of the drama that needs to be drawn out. And I can cite two examples for the same – Ranvijay Singh’s mad obsession for his father in Animal that prompted him to take on the world for him, and Amrit Rathod’s stake in the game in the film Kill, that saw him turning into a beast after the stakes are raised with the death of his beloved Tulika. Likewise, Marco is shown to have a very close-knit bond with his younger step-brother Victor, who has always looked upto him (no puns intended) while promising him to be the first person that he would ‘see’ should his blindness be cured. And so, the stakes in the drama are already high to begin with, that prompts Marco to lead a full fledged onslaught against his enemies.

There is a certain rhythm in the drama that unfolds like a typical Malayalam template to begin with. There is a sense of world-building at the start tactfully sliced with a few brutal scenes that are intricately placed in the narrative. The drama relies on hearsay with respect to its protagonist on how dangerous he is, even though you only get a glimpse or two early on. A parallel investigation that is on, makes for a side plot which links itself to the main plot with the intention of closing the loop as far as the logic in the drama is concerned, even as the writers decide to gently raise the stake in the drama with a series of revelations directed towards Marco. But what follows is pure carnage – something that begins with an incredibly brutal interval block that had me in awe of the incredible action set-piece.

The interval block ensures that the lines are drawn between the good and the bad, should you view it from the point of view of the protagonist, while triggering a game of cat and mouse between the characters. There are atleast 4 distinct action set-pieces in store – a brilliantly choreographed staircase sequence, a brutal sequence ending with an explosion, an immensely brutal sequence involving the family of Marco, and the final face-off to close the loop. And each of these action set-pieces steadily raise the stakes of the drama that is designed to be a Battle Royale of sorts. The highlight for me was particularly the third action set-piece involving the family that was perhaps the most brutally choreographed sequence of the year, that was not only indulging but infuriating even as the makers decided to go full throttle! In comparison, the final face-off is simplistic, although quite brutal if viewed individually, summing up a film that has caught me by surprise, in a good way. Again to emphasize, the writing was simplistic which in a way worked given that the intention of the film was to highlight the action in its purest form. Bravo, Malayalam Film Industry, Bravo!