What makes it different from others?

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

There is a terrifying sequence during Mani Ratnam's Raavanan, or 'Villain' out of the Tamil language and into the English one, that sees two hard-bodied men, both specialists in what it is they do either side of the line of the law, duking it out on board a delicate rope bridge hovering above a drop, which will bring about certain death, as its gradual falling apart syncs up with how much the two men's hating of one another escalates during this fight – such are the lengths you'd probably go for Aishwarya Rai. The sequence carries with it a great deal of both horror and trepidation, principally because it is as a fight to the death and we genuinely feel someone is going to get seriously hurt, but additionally because we are inclined naturally to get behind one man and yet are simultaneously invited to root for the other. This recent Indian film, about the good guy not necessarily being all that nice and the titular villain not necessarily being as evil nor as one dimensional as one would assume, is a sweeping and deeply involving piece; a film it is difficult not to get as involved in as I did; a film with a concise and interesting idea at its core, before efficiently going on to explore such items in an exciting and cinematic manner.We begin with a series of sequences highlighting a real disregard to police officers, or those of whom stand for law and authority; the merciless execution of several Indian police officials and the rampaging through their offices carried out with brutal precision. Those perpetrating the chaos are followers loyal to that of Veeraiya (Vikram), an influential and physically toned individual whom occupies lonely forestry up in the rural nowheres of India with his minions; a man whom the police so desperately desire to catch and someone who shares some back-story with that of local police chief named Dev Subramaniam (Prithviraj), against whom this war on the machine of law and order is effectively raged. Dev is equally inclined towards his job, carrying with him respective characteristics of influence and physicality only dedicated to fighting for the polar opposites to that of what Veeraiya strives towards. The existence between the two becomes particularly heightened when Veeraiya takes it on himself to kidnap Dev's wife, a Sita named Ragini played by the aforementioned Rai; thus kicking into action all sorts of strife and hard-edged plights which formulates the bulk of the film as Dev and a crack team of commandos plus one eccentric forest expert take it upon themselves to find her.Dragged through the jungles, Ragini's appearance as a smart, photogenic and outspoken woman amidst an array of disparate Veeraiya-led troops consisting of various unshaven; overweight and cross dressing individuals, is stark. She manages to hold her corner; to philosophise and later comes to instill some sort of thinking or order into the wild society of fear and gangsterism she finds herself enraptured in, a society encapsulated by Veeraiya's own uncontrollable characteristic of having several disconnected, sporadic voices inside of his head at once which is challenged. Principally, it is a film exploring the duality Ragini has with her captor; Mani Ratnam's piece a text rife with varying elements of Stockholm Syndrome pausing for thought and refraining form merely relegating Ragini to that of the damsel requiring rescuing. The film does so in providing her with scenes and exchanges that she shares with her captors that are full of life and energy; something that runs in deliberate contrast to that of the police and their searchings, which gradually become more and more anonymous as motions are gone through and sequences that we've all seen before of them hunting through wildlife, or whatever, are provided.Running with the same theme, the idea is captured by way of a terrific dance number at the bandit's jungle-set abode; a number which celebrates, despite their ways, individualism and a living of their own way of life with their own infrastructures and foundations - something placed into contrast to that of the officials and their blank nature and preordained demeanour, gradually becoming more and more anonymous in comparison to Veeraiya and his clan's exaggerated and spontaneous existence. A further instance of this subverting of the respective male leads and their personas is in Veeraiya's raiding of a local police camp; the uncovering of his file mugshot seeing him verbally identify the brooding, threatening anonymity of the hulking terrorist criminal in comparison to what he feels is truthfully there in relation to him.The scenes between Ragini and Veeraiya carry with them a real sense of shift and change in that, as she fights him and he subdues her attacks, his face brushes through her hair during a physical evading; something executed in such a manner that when Ragini has some linen brushed across her own face when another attack is foiled on another occasion involving Veeraiya, their sharing of the the same physical sensations born out of similar catalysts suggest an echoing of respective internal responses. In spite of my comment made in jest about what one would do to get Aishwarya Rai back, there is this burning question hanging over proceedings, even highlighted by those within, as to whether Dev chases the villain out of personal motivation due to his wife's taking, or professional levels born out of the fact he has hated Veeraiya for a lot longer than he has loved Ragini. The drama born out of this ambiguity, of which, works well. The film is a really involving; well made and taut thriller whose undercurrent of forbidden romance as the idyllic Indian wife is allured by that of the bandit, and he himself by a human he cannot push around nor merely tame, is set up and explored wonderfully well; a rousing and involving film one cannot help but recommend.

Raavanan, is it really an open ended movie? Let's discuss! Prerequisite: Should have watched the movie Raavanan. As Mani (The Director) puts it, this is a story between the hunted (Ragini), the hunter (Veera), and the haVED (Dev). The movie clearly shows that in the eyes of Ragini, the opinion about Veera is a continuum, moving towards positive shade. But what is the limit of this continuum? Is it mere affection towards Veera or something more? How does Dev's portrayal travels in Ragini's perspective? Does Dev carry "the lovable husband" tag always until the train/trick scene? Although Dev has a negative shade* even before that, we need not assume that Ragini be aware of it, as she was purposely (read cleverly) avoided in/about those instances. So, to answer the key questions above here is an interpretation of the climax where Ragini waits for and meets Veera. In this scene, Ragini's intent to meet Veera is to clarify/question what Veera said to Dev and why. Veera gives his version of the bridge fight. In the fight, Veera has an upper hand and could have killed Dev, comfortably. He knows that Dev could come back and get him later. But for Ragini's sake he saves Dev. Valuing Ragini more than his life. On the other hand, Dev has been depicted in getting Veera through any means, including by tricking Ragini. Among these characteristics, obviously Veera is expected to stand out in Ragini's heart. That is the moment of love, the one curbed by Ragini for Veera until, which is emphatically expressed by her in Veera's words, "Buck Buck Buck Buck, Buck Buck!." So, here is where Mani shows that the pendulum (Ragini's dilemma) swing towards Veera. Eventually Veera gets killed, in spite of Ragini's effort to save him. To put this love in poetic words, when Vee"RA"ends, "RA"gini begins. So, the limit of the continuum is the opening up of the flood gates of love by Ragini towards Veera through "Buck Buck Buck Buck, Buck Buck!". Moreover, Veera's plead for Ragini's love is uttered through the song/words "Usuray Pogudhey" initially. In the end, Veera understands/complements Ragini's "Buck Buck …" by saying, "Usur Vandhurichu". Yes, the limit of the continuum is "LOVE"! This movie is definitely worth your "Buck Buck Buck Buck, Buck Buck!"***** Scenes depicting negative shades of Dev: 1. Sakkarai, the mediator gets killed by Dev. 2. Vennila's husband when pleading for life (hand)in excruciating pain, being tortured by Dev, than being offered help. 3. Dev's continued association with Hemanth, although the latter is responsible for Vennila's rape.Some Nu(is)ance allusions to Ramayana? 1. Raptor in Ragin's boat:Garudan? 2. Bridge, Ram-Sethu bridge? Dev/Ram-Sethu/Vikram/Veera bridge? *END*

Stunningly spectacular visuals, Sleek and stylish technical aspects, crispy narration, powerful characters and magnificent performance from the cast makes Raavanan one of the best movies of 2010.Raavanan is the 21st century Ramayana by India's acclaimed writer- director Mani Rathnam. The movie draws inspiration from the crucial events of the epic; the kidnapping of Seetha during the exile, Ram preparing the army to invade Lanka, Raavanan falling for Seetha, Hanumans giant leap into Lanka, to send message across to seetha and cautioning Raavanan about the debacle of lanka, anticlimax where Ram insists Seetha to step into fire to prove her chastity. For those who have no idea about the above events, Raavanan would give you a preface. The story revolves around Veera ('Raavanan' Nick name); wild, untamed, dauntless warrior. A leader for his clan, his people worship and follow his path. He would not tolerate injustice against his people, this gets him into the police records. Dev, the police officer, who has been specially appointed to capture Veera, shifts to the area where Veera has established his reign. Veera intolerant of the action against his clan, kidnaps Ragini, wife of Dev, and there begins the cat and mouse game which bears shades of Ramayana. In the later part of the movie, we get to know that Veera's vengeance against the police is because of his sister's (played by Priyamani)suicide for the pure agony she faced at the hands of the police. Ragini, then, like the Stockholm syndrome, starts to exhibit a soft corner for Veera. Well paced second half and a riveting climax should be given a special applaud. The climax is the best of 130mins of the film as the performance of Aishwarya Rai and Vikram reach the highest level. Remember this; no other cast could've pulled out a performance like this. Thanks to Manirathnam for the best casting.Vikram has played his character Veera with perfection, making it his own, in few instances taking it away from mani. He takes each scene into his stride depicting ease with the character. Prabhu, who has played the right hand of Veera in the movie, has given a good performance. Prithviraj, Priyamani and Karthik (outstanding in his come back) have given their best; with Prithviraj playing Dev, the 'good' policeman with shades of grey, Karthik, in fact, seems to be the 'Hanumam' character of the movie brings back the flavor of his yesteryear touch, and Priyamani expresses with her eyes and jazzy voice. Aishwarya Rai as Ragani, the female lead is looking refreshingly beautiful and sinks with the backdrop. She excels in her role and on few occasions she matches the performance of Vikram. There is a poetic feel in the conversations between Aishwarya and Vikram, and its complimented by the scenic beauty around them. The abundance, splendour and the grandeur of nature has been captured by cinematographer Santosh Sivam and V Manikandan. The views are breathtaking; Mani's Love for rain is almost visible in every scenes especially in those conveying emotions. Cinematographers have done a fantastic job in recreating the spectacular visuals on the screen.A R Rahman's music is predictably brilliant. Most of the songs bear a rustic and earthy feel and lyrics by poet Vairamuthu glorifies the story. The songs blend with the visuals rendering viewers a treat. The movie has the stamp of Mani Rathnam's style in the narration, scene execution, but still, one does feel the scenes in the first half slack a bit in continuity and connecting characters. Yet again, the star studded combo of Manirathnam, AR Rahman, Santosh Sivam and Vairamuthu rocks the box office. On the whole, 'Raavanan' is a film that doubtlessly offers something new, fresh and exceptional. For those whole liked this movie i would recommend a movie inspired from epic Mahabharata 'Thalapathi' written and directed by the same genius ManiRathnam.

Usually a Mani Ratnam film gets two reviews. Either Brilliant or Boring. But Raavanan is unique in the sense that a viewer cannot tag this movie under any of the two Bs. This film has got it all - Big time pre-release Hype, Technically astounding visuals, sensational music, exceptional acting from the Lead characters, powerful visual metaphors and the fascinating intellect of the director, yet one feels at the end of it all something critical is missing. Raavanan stands up tall, but one expected it to fly high, which it never does.Mani Ratnam's movies prosper in the Hype surrounding it before its release, but Raavanan needed less of these hypes. For once, it seems, the publicity has marred the grip that the screenplay could have otherwise had on the viewer. For, the story is just a modern adaptation of the Ramayana and almost all of us know what the epic holds in its stable.STORYLINE : The face-off between Dev (Prithviraj) an upright police officer and Veeraiya aka Veera (Vikram) is the central post around which the movie revolves. Dev is the usual clichéd police officer, bright, upright, honest et al. Veera, called Raavanan by all, is many things rolled into one. Fearless, imaginative, angry, intelligent, good hearted, he is all these and more, but what he is not, is being new to tamil cinema. Veera is the tribal version of Nayagan, a la God father to his people. The Dev -Veera battle gains an explosive premise with the kidnapping of Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachan) by veera and his people to avenge the death of Vennila Veera's sister(Priyamani). What happens hence is the story we all know.PERFORMANCES : For the record, Vikram has the role of his life and one must say he has performed with panache. That the role would have demanded extreme levels of skill and mettle is out of question. Aishwarya Rai is another actor that Mani Ratnam has used brilliantly. She shines in her part. Vulnerability, ferocity, grit, pain, she carries all these emotions admirably. The pair of veterans Prabhu and Karthik do their roles perfectly. The technical front of the movie keeps the viewer hooked. Cinematography deserves a special mention. The camera angles and the visuals are spell binding and the entire feel is poetic. Editing is top notch, yet the speed could have been bettered especially in the first half. A.R.Rahman has added real muscle to the movie. His belligerent tracks are already a rage. The re-recording is top notch. Where words fail, the Re-recording sizzles. Kudos ARR!DOWNFALLS : Movies like Raavanan need Dialogues of the highest standard. Powerful, precise and razor sharp. But sadly, Suhasini Maniratnam's dialogues range from, Weak to downright silly. The power of dialogues cannot be questioned and one wonders how come Mani Ratnam over looked this aspect of the movie. But the principle disappointing factor is the weak characterizations. Every character in the movie has a very frail flavor. The characterization is confusing. One feels Mani Ratnam is unsure of how he wants to project his characters. It doesn't help either when the director introduces sequences to act as metaphors of the Ramayana. Introducing Karthik as a tree jumping comic caper is Downright SILLY! In retrospect Karthik's entire role has been botched by the director's persistence to show him as Hanuman. Such irritating aspects of the film bring the appeal down drastically. Another huge problem with the flow of the movie is the reason for Veera targeting Dev. Revenge is totally baseless. Veera's sister's fate has nothing to do with dev, only the director has to explain why Dev's wife is kidnapped by Veera and once again the number 14 keeps cropping up senselessly. One wonders if Mani Ratnam bit off more than he could chew. In concentrating on making the movie in three languages, it seems the director's concentration has slipped and the screenplay and the story as a whole have sufferedBOTTOMLINE : Ravanan scores high on the technical front. Direction, music and cinematography are un-matched. Yet, something somewhere pulls the movie down from reaching greater heights. The characters needed more definition, the scenes needed more pace and the dialogues needed to be more powerful, menacing and explosive.The movie scorches the screen in parts. Certain sequences are Vintage Maniratnam. No one can do what he does, better. The whole movie carries his intellect and his brand identity yet, summing up Raavanan is tough, for, no verdict can justify the product. But one can safely say, the Whole is lesser than the sum of its parts.