Turbo Malayalam Movie Review - Delivers a Knock-Out Punch
Following the epidemic, it's almost become a thrill to see Mammootty's flicks, just because they frequently give something fresh. The fact that the actor has been able to amuse and build his fans without the backing of mass films, except Bheeshmaparvam, which is a mainstay of celebrities, makes it all the more impressive. That's also why his newest film, Turbo, directed by Pulimurugan's Vysakh and penned by Midhun Manuel Thomas, had even higher expectations from mammootty fans. Does it land a knockout blow? Yes!
Vysakh, who had previously helmed Mammootty's Pokkiri raja series, had successfully extracted aspects of comedy,'mass', and action from the superstar in their previous two films. However, in Turbo, he depends nearly solely on action to propel the film along. It might be an intentional tactic to portray Mammootty's character Jose as a simpleton from a wealthy part of kerala who enjoys fighting but is also the archetypal mamma's boy. This implies that the 'mass' aspects are held at bay, except when Jose uses his 'Turbo' mode.
However, given that Jose has won all of his battles, it's difficult to assume that he can be defeated. That's also where raj B Shetty's Vetrivel nemesis, Shanmuga Sundaram, who is portrayed as a cruel kingmaker, suffers greatly in terms of character development. Despite Jose's ferocity, the adversary never feels powerful enough to oppose him. The fact that Jose isn't the typical 'mass' hero weakens the opponent, as the picture is torn between being a sleek action thriller and including action sequences that would be more appropriate for a 'mass' film. This makes the film's second half, which has three action scene pieces, nearly tiresome.
Make no mistake, these stunt scenes perfectly demonstrate why Jose is dubbed Turbo. Jose and mammootty, helped by cameraman vishnu Sharma, do an excellent job stretching their biceps in these sequences. However, parts of it is excessively long, particularly the finale fight in which Vetrival releases his goons one after the other, to the point where even Jose asks, 'Is there no end to this?' It's a good thing the filmmakers are aware of the boredom creeping in, as seen by lines in which Vetrivel expresses his dislike for tropes and the filmmakers intercut comic sections amid high-speed chases. However, just when they address it does not make it any easier to watch in the long run.
Apart from mammootty, Shabareesh varma has a decent role and makes the most of it. Anjana Jayaprakash and raj B Shetty deliver excellent performances based on the material provided. But, given the latter's potential, some creative writing may have resulted in a memorable villain. Vishnu's cinematography elevates this to one of Vysakh's more visually appealing pictures. However, Christo Xavier's music falls short of the high standards he established with Bramayugam.
Mammootty nails the five action moments in Vysakh's directing, and it does climb above that despite mediocre writing.
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐