'Extra - Ordinary Man', produced by N Sudhakar Reddy and Nikitha Reddy, was released in theatres today (December 8). In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.
Plot:
Abhinay (Nithiin) is a junior artist in the Telugu film industry. When he is offered a lead role in a cop story based on true incidents, he starts building castles in the air. But when the director replaces him at the last minute, a heartbroken Abhinay accidentally runs into Nero (Sudev Nair), the real-life counterpart of the film's antagonist he desired to act in. Nani, who now sees a divine plan playing out in his life, decides to behave like a cop to take on Nero. In the process, he becomes a hero for real.
Performances:
Given the trappings of 'Kick' and 'Race Gurram', this film deserved a swashbuckling performance by the lead man. The nature of the script was accentuated by Ravi Teja and Allu Arjun. Here, Nithiin looks fresh and that's all you can say about his performance. His comic timing is sharp but his performance lacks the required force.
Sree Leela is unremarkable and even dull playing a bimbo who transports herself from the Trivikram Cinematic Universe. She gets to be seen in four to five scenes in the first half and thankfully is allowed to slide into oblivion for most of the second half.
Sudev Nair, as the antagonist, fails to match the eccentricity of the character. Rao Ramesh, as the hero's frustrated dad, is good. Hyper Aadi and Soniya Singh of 'Virupaksha' fame could have been better. Brahmaji, Ravi Varma, Prudhviraj, Harshavardhan (as the heroine's sidekick reminding us of 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo'-style beats), Pavitra Lokesh (she gets to indulge in meta comedy with a reference to her husband, VK Naresh), and others are seen. Shiva Ramachandravarapu (as the film director) is good.
Dr. Rajasekhar rises above the script. Given his knack for both comedy and action, he deserved a better character. Sampath Raj as a smuggler is over the top.
Technical aspects:
Harris Jayaraj's music and the cinematography (Arthur A Wilson, Yuvraj J, Sai Sriram) are pretty average. Prawin Pudi's editing is decent. Sahi Suresh's production design is subpar. The stunts by Vijay and Selva don't do justice to the eccentric situations. The dance choreography is uneven.
Post-Mortem:
What is the tone that the film wants to maintain? That's the question this reviewer toyed with as the film advanced from one plot point to another. The brand of humour changes its colors and shapes every 10 minutes, leaving us wondering if the script has a purpose at all. The hero raids a rave party and picks up a fight with a baddie. The whole track feels like an unwanted hat tip to Mahesh Babu's 'Aagadu'. Nithiin behaves like what Mahesh Babu did with Posani and Prabhas Sreenu with the bad guys in a couple of scenes where he fakes his cop identity.
The film would have worked better had the script brought out the inner churning in Nithiin's character better. We understand that he does what he does (he turns from a sissy into an adventurous guy) to satisfy the actor in him. The same is explained away as his 'gula'. The idea is strong but the script development and execution don't carry the quirkiness ahead.
The sustenance of the story depends on how dumb the villain is. So, all logical questions are an 'extra' here. How cogent you find the narration will depend on whether you buy into the shock and awe that the hero wants the villain to experience.
At least two episodes needed way better execution: the scene involving Nithiin and Sree Leela's family in the first half, and the police station dance scene (a hat tip to 'Gabbar Singh') in the second half.
Closing Remarks:
'Extra - Ordinary Man' is a passable action comedy with convenient ideas. The brand of comedy is inconsistent.
