- Date of Release: 23 May 2024
- Genre: Action, Comedy
- Language: Malayalam
- Watch On : Theatres Only
Turbo
Introduction
At a tender age of 73, Mammootty still stands as the undisputed king at the Box Office! The man refuses to slow down, and Turbo is a testimony to it. There is no denying that Mammootty has literally aced the period after the pandemic with a variety of roles that are polar opposites of each other. And so, there is a distinct Mammootty flavour to each of his films, some of which are different from his off-screen image. That is what sets the superstar apart from his contemporaries and his peers from across industries – he is willing to take risks by picking the right scripts. But amidst all of this, I was taken aback when he decided to collaborate with Vysakh for a mass masala entertainer – a genre that you don’t quite associate with the Malayalam Film Industry. What’s more was that Mammukka(as we like to call him) had decided to produce it as well, which was even more surprising given that there is a sense of quality surrounding his filmography. And Turbo was probably that one Mammootty film that I had least expected, something that was more to do with the genre rather than the actor himself. I remember watching its trailer and thinking that this will probably be a generic action entertainer which Mammootty may have done only to have some fun after a series of performance heavy films. As a result, I ventured into Turbo with minimalistic expectations, probably my lowest for a recent Mammootty film, does Turbo manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Turbo follows the story of a jeep driver who attracts the ire of the head of a syndicate after his friend uncovers a large financial scam. Will he manage to stop his nemesis? The story here is quite the mass masala entertainer that follows a generic ‘Telugu Cliched Template’ although the writing ensures that there is never a dull moment. My only issue(and a major issue) with the writing was that it was too generic even with its structure. Picture this – you have a goofy but towering protagonist, a damsel in distress, the friend of the protagonist and a stylish and daunting antagonist, all put together in a film that adds a little comedy and emotions to taste along with dollops of action. And when these ingredients are mixed together, you have Turbo! The screenplay standing at 150 odd minutes is definitely entertaining but drops in every little cliche of this template(even while being self-aware and blatantly admitting to it). As a result, the story is predictable which also means that the film rests on the performances that save the day to an extent.
The drama gets off to a good start with the assassination of a family for unknown reasons. That entire sequence of the events sets the tone for the drama to follow before the camera cuts to a different setting and introduces the viewers to the protagonist. And while the introduction is on the mellow side, an extended action sequence compensates for the subdued intent early on. But I was quick to realise that there was a genuine attempt at incorporating dollops of humour particularly in the first hour, although the humour was a hit and a miss. Yet, I couldn’t help but smile or even chuckle at some of the one-liners, that created a lighter mood which was pretty much the calm before the storm.
The conflict in the drama is introduced a little later in the first half but not before shifting the drama to Chennai. You have to give it to the writers for atleast joining the beats of the screenplay well, by which I mean that there were little to no random jumps along the way while including the generic tropes of the genre in terms of comedy and romance sprinkled with a few bouts of action. The proceedings are entertaining but quite predictable, so much so that the beats of the screenplay do give you a fair indicator on where the drama is headed. Also, while the conflict itself is good and borrowed from real life incidents, the magnanimity of the event showcased wasn’t tapped into, the way I would have liked.
The drama is filled with meta-references from the Marvel comics or even The Godfather that adds to the humour in the drama. But, the predictable twist at the halfway mark sets the perfect stage for action as the genre to take over. And so, there is a lot more urgency in the second hour mostly featuring a cat and mouse chase and a game of one upmanship between the protagonist and the antagonist. The action set-pieces are pretty good and do hold your attention – be it the one at the local police station or even the extended car chase sequence, there is intent in them, leading to exhilarating moments. But I couldn’t help but think that the conflict was barely scratched on the surface, with the focus being on survival and the eventual counter-attack. The final face-off is also a little too abrupt and random for my liking with a plethora of twists that don’t quite settle in the drama. A little spin-off at the end pins hopes on a sequel which is an exciting proposition on paper but hopeful returns with a better screenplay, which was pretty generic in this film.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are peppy almost peppered with one-liners that aren’t anything extraordinary but do go well in sync with the drama. The music is good but even better is the BGM that elevates the action sequences pretty effectively. Even the slow-motion walks are perfectly complimented by the BGM that is rollicking to say the least. The cinematography is good and adds a lot of style to the proceedings particularly capturing the action sequences really well. The editing is a little patchy with far too many jump cuts that briefly reduce the impact of the action sequences. This is particularly true in the finale that leaves a lot of scope to be satisfied. Director Vysakh does a great job in elevating a rather generic script, often lacing it with a lot of style in terms of the presentation. He does play to the galleries with his protagonist at the fore, and sticking to his star power was also a good creative decision. Had the writing aided the direction, this may well have been a different beast altogether.
Performances
The performances are pretty good and they save the day to an extent. Dileesh Pothan as Andrew and Amina Nijam as Nirajhana have their moments to shine. Bindu Panicker as Rosakutty absolutely kills it with her one-liners and she was quite hilarious to witness. Sunil Varma as Auto Billa impersonates The Godfather in a hilarious manner and I found myself cracking up everytime he was onscreen. Shabareesh Varma as Jerry and Niranjana Anoop as Sithara are outstanding and lend commendable support along the way. Kabir Duhan Singh as Vincent is intimidating and does a fair job. Anjana Jayaprakash as Indu has a good screen presence and she does quite an impressive job despite her character being one-dimensional due to the writing. Raj B Shetty as Vetrieval Shanmugham is clearly having fun here and he totally plays to the galleries with his performance. He is intimidating but also a lot of fun to witness. Mammootty as Turbo Jose does shine once again although this wasn’t really a performance oriented part. He was required to have fun and nail his one-liners along with acing the combat sequences, and he does exactly that and more! In a scene involving his past, the actor Mammootty steps up to the occasion and delivers a rather heartfelt sequence about the bond that he shares with his mother. But other than that, this was a fun outing by a superstar who refuses to age! And he is 73, let that sync in!
Conclusion
Turbo boasts of solid performances packaged in a stylized action entertainer which follows a rather generic template for its genre. It is far too predictable but also enjoyable, so my advice would be to watch it, enjoy it and move on. Available in a theatre near you.
