Good Bad Ugly Review..!!
Good Bad Ugly is an ode to Ajith Kumar that rides on iconic references and mad entertainment, albeit a wafer-thin storyline.
Rating – 3.5/5
After Mark Antony, Adhik Ravichandran came with a cinematic spectacle that wears its chaos like a badge of honor. From the first frame to the last, the film refuses to slow down or calm itself. It’s wild, loud, and knowingly over-the-top, and yet, for all its madness, there’s a method. This is not a movie made for everyone. It’s crafted for fans and audience who don’t mind logic being thrown out the window as long as the vibes stay strong. And when Ajith Kumar enters the frame, that’s exactly what the film becomes – a vibe more than a narrative.
There is technically a story, but it’s paper-thin and purely functional. Ajith plays a reformed gangster trying to lead a peaceful life, but of course, the past has a nasty habit of clawing back. The emotional weight is hinted at but never fully explored. Instead, the film runs on adrenaline, nostalgia, and punch dialogues. It doesn’t even attempt to slow down for depth. This isn’t a world of consequence or subtle character arcs. it’s a world where Ajith walks into a room, and the camera, background score, and even time itself stop to admire him.
Ajith’s performance is less of a character and more of a myth. His screen presence does all the heavy lifting. Whether he’s staring someone down, walking in slow-motion through fire, or delivering a one-liner, he holds the screen with the ease of a veteran who knows the audience is here for him. He barely speaks, but every glare and every silence are amplified by style-heavy direction and thundering background score. The film doesn’t demand him to emote, it just needs him to exist, and he does that with magnetic charm.
Among the supporting cast, Arjun Das delivers a fierce and unhinged performance. He’s explosive, unpredictable, and just the right amount of crazy to keep things spicy. G.V. Prakash, in one of his most intense works yet, fully let’s go – at times almost cartoonishly overboard, but always committed. Trisha, playing against type, is a quiet standout. Simran cameo is cherry on top and more of a tribute to her.
What defines Good Bad Ugly most, though, is its love for cinema itself – particularly Tamil cinema. It’s packed with references to older Ajith films, callbacks to iconic moments, and visual tributes that feel like fan edits projected on the big screen. From small indirect references to vintage songs, every moment screams: “This is a fanboy’s fantasy come true.” The editing is fast, the transitions are loud, and the camera rarely stops moving. In any other context, it would be exhausting, but here, it oddly works, because the film knows exactly what it is and leans into that identity unapologetically. The result is a loud, style-first, swagger-loaded ride that works more as a celebration than a story. For viewers expecting a grounded narrative or emotional payoffs, this might be too erratic. But for those who’ve grown up watching Ajith rule the screen – and who still cheer for slow-mo entries and goosebump-inducing BGM, this one deliver everything it promises. It’s not flawless, but it never pretends to be. It’s pulpy, indulgent, messy, and mad, and that’s precisely what makes it work.