April 10, 2025: Good Bad Ugly Review: Ajith Kumar’s latest outing is a fan service fever dream – a wild, flashy ride that forgets to park at ‘Storyline Street’. It’s massy, messy, and maddeningly meta.
In Good Bad Ugly, director Adhik Ravichandran doesn’t just wear his Ajith fandom on his sleeve — he wraps the whole screenplay in it. What starts off as a potentially emotional redemption arc for a reformed gangster ends up being an all-you-can-elevate buffet of slow-mo shots, punchlines, and retro callbacks that drown out everything else, including logic.
Ajith Kumar plays Red Dragon, in Good Bad Ugly a name so dramatic it deserves its own firework show. After surrendering to the cops for love and family, he’s ready for a fresh start as a father — until destiny (and screenplay convenience) throws his son Vihaan into jail in Spain. What follows is a two-hour, twenty-minute collage of style-over-substance sequences and nostalgic references, all delivered at full throttle.
Good Bad Ugly Review: is Fanboy Cinema at its Loudest
This isn’t a film, it’s a celebration — but only if you’re in the mood for one. With Mark Antony, Adhik proved he could mix wackiness with heart. But here, in trying to top that, he ends up overstuffing the dish. The film’s relentless rhyming dialogues – “I’m not Frank, it’s just a prank” – are more likely to make you roll your eyes than clap.
There’s plenty to chew on visually: dazzling action, stylised gunplay, and a Simran cameo that deserves its own fanfare. The pre-interval twist with Arjun Das shows promise, but the wafer-thin plot buckles under the weight of its own grandiosity.
Even the evergreen hits like “Oththa Roova” or “Ilamai Idho Idho” feel misplaced — like karaoke at a funeral. They generate short bursts of nostalgia, sure, but rarely serve the emotional arc or pace of the film.
The AK Factor: Charisma Over Character
Let’s not kid ourselves — this movie belongs to Ajith Kumar. Whether he’s brooding in prison, roaring in gangster mode, or silently emoting in scenes with Trisha, the man exudes presence. But even his screen magnetism can’t fill the emotional void left by a clunky script.
Trisha, as Ramya, is solid but underused. Their relationship lacks the depth it sorely needs. Arjun Das is compelling, while others like Prasanna, Yogi Babu, and Priya Prakash Varrier are forgettably floating in the background noise.
Final Review: Good? Bad? Mostly Ugly… but Entertaining
Good Bad Ugly is like that over-enthusiastic fan in a theatre who screams at every entry, whistles at every punchline, and won’t let the film breathe. It’s loud, chaotic, occasionally thrilling, and frequently exhausting. If you walk in expecting a well-knit story, turn back. But if you’re here for AK fan moments and cinematic swagger, buckle up.