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Versatile actor Vishal has now come up with a sci-fi gangster action drama Mark Antony which also has the terrific performer SJ Suryah in another lead role. The movie directed by Adhik Ravichandran has piqued the curiosity of the audience with its promotional content. Amidst good buzz, the film hit the screens today. Let’s see how it is.

 

Story:

Antony (Vishal) and Jackie Marthanda (SJ Suryah) are very close buddies. They both are gangsters and are at loggerheads with another gangster Ekambaram (Sunil). One day Ekambaram kills Antony and he escapes from the town. Jackie is determined to seek revenge on Ekambaram for killing his friend. Jackie raises Antony’s son Mark (Vishal) and he gives more importance to Mark than his own son Madhan (SJ Suryah).

Mark who hates his father works as a mechanic to make ends meet. A twist in the tale arises when he comes across a telephone through which one can talk to the people in the past. What difference did that telephone create in the lives of Mark, Madhan, and Jackie forms part of the crux of the film.

 

Plus Points:

To start things off, Mark Antony succeeds in providing fun in both halves. The humor is created with the help of a special telephone. There are some set of rules regarding the functioning of the mentioned telephone and the whole comedy is based on it.

The script isn’t something new as we have few such movies already but what works with Mark Antony is the excellent performances of SJ Suryah and Vishal. They bring freshness to the film and are the heart and soul of Mark Antony without a shadow of a doubt.

Vishal is terrific both as a gangster and a mechanic. While the father character is intense, the son role is adorable. Credit to him for showing the variations between both roles. Vishal has a good screen presence too. The double-decker fight sequence is crafted nicely. The team did a good job with regard to CGI creation of Silk Smitha.

One can’t help but fall in love with SJ Suryah every single time. The actor is impeccable in Mark Antony too and the way he does comedy tickles the fun bones. SJ Suryah’s trademark style and swag are superbly utilized by the makers. Full marks to the casting team for bringing Vishal and SJ Suryah together.

 

Minus Points:

Mark Antony is a film with too much stuff and characters. One won’t be able to comprehend the proceedings if they are a little inattentive as the movie demands complete attention. At times things were rushed and they could have been told in a detailed manner for better impact.

The dialogues aren’t good and a few elevation scenes will remind us of earlier films. After a good start, things become slightly slow in the first half. The biggest drawback however is the songs. They aren’t good and act as speed breakers affecting the flow. Whenever songs come the movie turns into a bumpy ride. The climax is underwhelming as it doesn’t pack a punch. Sunil’s character could have been etched better.

 

Technical Aspects:

While G.V. Prakash doesn’t impress with the songs, the background score is good, and it complements the film’s tone. The production design is impressive, and the bygone era has been neatly showcased. The cinematography by Abhinandan Ramanujam goes in hand with the production design team. The editing is just okay. The production values are good.

Director Adhik Ravichandran did a decent job with Mark Antony. As mentioned earlier, he created his own set of rules as far as the sci-fi element is considered. The intention was to provide a whacky ride to the audience, and he managed to insert fun moments by playing around with the concept. It could have been better had enough care been taken about the songs.

 

Verdict:

On the whole, Mark Antony is a watchable gangster action drama with solid performances from Vishal and SJ Suryah. The sci-fi element has been used to create entertainment, and there are a decent number of fun moments in both halves. Mark Antony requires attention to detail to enjoy the proceedings and the madness. The movie gets slightly slow in the first half. The songs are poor, and the climax is a letdown. If you could overlook these flaws, the movie ends up being a timepass watch.

 

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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