April 10, 2025: Good Bad Ugly Review: Ajith Kumar plays a myth, not a man. A legend clad in slow-motion, walking through fire, fists clenched, hair catching the wind at 48 frames per second. But somewhere beneath the stylised swagger and the fanfare-soaked frames, there’s a story gasping for air—a story about redemption, fatherhood, and the cost of past sins. Sadly, it never quite makes it out.
Directed by Adhik Ravichandran, known for last year’s unapologetically wild Mark Antony, this film attempts to repeat that magic—but tries so hard, it almost forgets what made the chaos work the first time: spontaneity, surprise, and sincerity.
Ajith as Red Dragon: Myth, Man, or Meme?
Ajith’s Red Dragon is introduced like a deity of the underworld — feared, untouchable, almost mythical. When his wife (played with quiet grace by Trisha) tells him he must become a better man before meeting their child, he walks into prison for 18 years. On paper, that’s an arc begging for emotional weight. On screen, it’s sacrificed at the altar of elevation shots and rhyming dialogues.
Redemption arcs work when we see a man change. Here, we mostly see a man strike poses.
Good Bad Ugly Review: A Film Designed Like a Video Game Cutscene
Structurally, Good Bad Ugly feels like watching someone else play a video game. Each character appears like a boss-level reveal. Arjun Das gets one of the film’s best setups, but even that unravels quickly. By the time Simran arrives in an elegant cameo, you’re reminded of how much more depth the film could’ve explored—if only it had the patience.
There’s a lot of retro sugar sprinkled on this story: old songs, cinematic callbacks, even Lesa Lesa and Vaalee winks. These would have been charming in moderation, but here, they’re relentless. Nostalgia is a spice, not the meal.
What does it mean when characters keep quoting rhymes that sound like TikTok captions? “I’m not Frank, it’s just a prank.” At some point, the film stops pretending to be a story and becomes a meme museum—curated lovingly, yes, but with little to hold the pieces together.
Even the action, which is stylish and often well-composed, rarely feels earned. It happens to characters, not because of them.
It’s clear Good Bad Ugly was made with fans in mind. Ajith fans, 90s Tamil cinema fans, punch-dialogue fans. And there’s absolutely space for that. The theatre erupts, the whistles echo, and for many, that’s all the movie needs to deliver.
But for viewers seeking substance beneath the style, or emotion behind the action, the film leaves them behind. The potential to explore legacy, guilt, and rebirth is right there—but the film chooses to reference rather than reflect.
Final Thought: Style Can’t Save a Hollow Core
There’s no denying the passion poured into Good Bad Ugly. It’s confident, loud, unapologetically massy, and at times visually arresting. But confidence without emotional conviction wears thin. By the end, you’re not sure if you’ve watched a movie… or just a moving tribute to Ajith Kumar’s filmography.
⭐ Rating: 2.5/5
