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What Does Shankar Have In Store For Us In His Rajnikanth And Akshay Kumar Blockbuster ‘2.0’?
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What happens when the characters of “Enthiran” find themselves wrapped in the conspiracy of a typical S. Shankar film? You get the Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar starrer, “2.0”. In it, director Shankar gives us a film that is part science-fiction, part horror, part vigilante film, and an incredible special effects performance.
The protagonist of the film is an ornithologist. The subject of the film is his pet bird (whom he cares about) and taking revenge. This film starts with an old man who commits suicide over a mobile phone tower. After this, we are presented with the scientific Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajnikanth), and Nila (Amy Jackson) who is his helper and a humanoid robot. Soon, mobile phones begin to start flying off shelves and out of hands, and Vaseegaran is called to investigate these mysterious incidents. It is when a huge bird made up of mobile phones starts attacking the city that he is forced to act.
A good conspiracy is the grand canvas against which the director tells his stories. Films that we eagerly await. And in “2.0”, we think that alone is satisfactory. In the first half, we see some striking cinematography: mobile phones crawling across roads, forests made up of shining phone lights, and a monstrous bird that crackles with energy. “Alien” (with its famous scene of a creature bursting out of a man’s stomach), “Terminator 2” (with a scene of an incredible mechanical unit that regroups itself), and even “Ghostbusters” are some examples of great visual effects, and each of them can be immersive 3D viewing without causing tension on our eyes.
The plot of “2.0” feels familiar. Actually, very familiar to a lot of other films. But it is different too. It kicks off a log like a horror film, except that the existence of the human soul is explained scientifically as being made of micro-photons.
And yet, despite the entry of Rajinikanth, the lines are hardly memorable, and the characters are only functional. The villain of the first film is underdeveloped, only a part of sub-conspiracy associated with one Dhirendra Bhora (Sudhanshu Pandey). Shankar, who is known for featuring songs in his movies, wisely avoids these in “2.0”. But, unlike its predecessor, there is no way to inject humor or invention into action in this film.
It is only with the entry of 2.0 (Rajni, again, though comparatively late in the timeline) that the film gets some energy. As he did in the first film, Rajinikanth digs into this role, and performs with joy. Akshay Kumar also has a solid presence as an opponent, whose heart is in the right place. And the climax scenes between the figure of 2.0 and Pakshirajan (Akshay Kumar) ensure that we get the bangs we deserve for our bucks.
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