Kondal film critique: The action film featuring Antony Varghese as Pepe suffers from disorganized writing.
Kondal movie review: The film presents Antony Varghese Pepe, who is aptly dubbed the "Action Hero." In this context, Kondal successfully showcases his talent, particularly in executing intense stunt sequences.
Kondal movie review: The narrative of a man seeking vengeance against those who have wronged him is a well-trodden theme in global cinema. Nevertheless, this concept continues to captivate audiences, particularly when it is executed with a degree of emotional resonance, especially in relation to the ‘bro-code’. However, debut director Ajith Mampally’s Kondal (Raincloud), featuring Antony Varghese Pepe, Raj B Shetty, and Shabeer Kallarakkal in prominent roles, ultimately falters due to its lackluster and directionless writing, despite the familiarity of its premise.
The film presents Antony as the “Action Hero,” and in this aspect, Kondal succeeds by leveraging his talent for intense stunt performances. This effectiveness is further enhanced by the film's backdrop, as a considerable portion of the action takes place on a fishing boat at sea, which intensifies the overall suspense.
Originating from the coastal village of Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram, Immanuel, also known as Manuel (Antony), has been leading a reckless lifestyle, predominantly engaging in excessive drinking. Despite maintaining a close relationship with his family and providing them with support, his self-destructive tendencies suggest underlying issues. Concurrently, the village, where the majority rely on fishing for their livelihood, encounters a significant crisis when Stephen and Sons, a local business, is revealed to be selling spoiled fish, resulting in negative publicity for the community. As the fishermen struggle to market their catch, they insist that the company accept accountability and publicly state that only their fish was affected, in order to restore the reputation of the other fishermen. However, the owners of the company, Spadikam Sunny and Usha, dismiss these demands and attempt to introduce additional fish, which leads to a confrontation between the two factions. The situation escalates into a violent altercation when Manuel becomes involved.
As the incident escalates into a significant topic of conversation, particularly after police involvement, Manuel is compelled to leave the village for several days. He secures a position on a fishing vessel departing from Munambam Harbour in Ernakulam, where his brother Daniel, known as Danny (Raj B Shetty), had previously worked. Throughout the voyage, tensions escalate between Manuel and the other crew members, including Jude (Shabeer Kallarakkal) and Michael (Rahul Rajagopal), primarily due to certain actions taken by the latter. These conflicts lead Manuel to startling discoveries regarding Danny’s death, which had previously been regarded as an accident. The remainder of the film chronicles Manuel’s quest for the truth and his desire for retribution, while Jude and the others plot to eliminate him.
Kondal possesses the essential elements to qualify as a compelling revenge film; however, its primary shortcoming is the poorly constructed script, co-written by director Ajith, Roylin Robert, and Satheesh Thonakkal, which consists of little more than a handful of rudimentary plot points. Given that much of the narrative transpires in a limited setting, with the protagonist and antagonists perpetually in close quarters, the storyline ought to have provided more than mere misfortune to account for their failure to eliminate one another. Additionally, the film lacks pivotal moments that could have sustained the tension, which is another significant deficiency in Kondal.
At the outset, Manuel is shown accepting a position on the boat as a means to flee the chaos he has caused in his village. Concurrently, certain crew members begin to exhibit suspicious behavior towards him, despite their awareness of his past. Nevertheless, the film does not elucidate the reasons behind this odd conduct or the underlying conflict. Up until the intermission, Kondal wanders without a clear trajectory, leaving the characters to exchange dubious glances devoid of substantial context. It is only shortly before the intermission that the audience is introduced to Danny and the true motivations behind the crew's actions. Instead of artfully withholding crucial information to create suspense, Kondal leaves the audience largely uninformed for an extended period, failing to provide even the most basic details necessary for comprehension.
Even after the characters' motivations are unveiled, Kondal does not succeed in creating impactful or engaging moments. The narrative instead unfolds a series of murder attempts, primarily orchestrated by Manuel or Jude, yet none result in actual fatalities, except for a colleague, Aloshy (Manikanda Rajan), who meets his end due to an unrelated accident.
Moreover, several characters introduced with significant anticipation in the first act, who cast ominous looks at Manuel as if his fate rests in their hands, do not return or receive any mention later in the film, leaving their roles ambiguous. While some characters, such as the one portrayed by Gauthami Nair, are present frequently at the beginning, their identities remain unclear until much later. Consequently, the audience finds it challenging to understand the significance of Manuel’s journey, which undermines the tension aboard the boat and prevents viewers from connecting with the characters. The dialogue is similarly uninspired, coming across as both pretentious and outdated, with the actors failing to infuse any nuance or depth into the scenes. What becomes of Aloshy’s family? Will his friends on the boat manage to gather sufficient funds for his sister’s wedding as he desired? Will Manuel seek vengeance against his and Danny’s acquaintance Peter (Abhiram Radhakrishnan), who was aware of the latter’s murder? Kondal concludes by neglecting to address several crucial questions.
The film, despite its numerous flaws, finds some redemption in Antony's commanding presence and his proficiency in action sequences. While his struggle with accents other than his own and certain limitations in his acting are evident—especially with the camera predominantly focused on him against the backdrop of the unchanging sea—his charisma somewhat alleviates these shortcomings, preventing the film from becoming entirely tedious.
Raj B Shetty continues to impress in his limited appearances. However, the decision to employ a dubbing artist whose voice does not align with Raj’s is puzzling. Given that many Malayalis recognize Raj from his Kannada films and his role as the antagonist in the recent Mammootty film Turbo, the creators of Kondal should have been more mindful of this choice, as the mismatch between the actor's voice and the dubbing detracts from the on-screen action. While Shabeer Kallarakkal’s portrayal of Jude suffers from weak character development, Rahul Rajagopal’s performance as Michael comes across as overly exaggerated, characterized by a constant, exaggerated scowl of anger.
Although Deepak D Menon’s cinematography is commendable, the same cannot be said for the visual effects, which exhibit inconsistent quality throughout. Sam CS enhances the film with a captivating background score and memorable songs. While the action choreography by Vikram Mor, Kalai Kingson, and Thavasi Raj is not particularly remarkable, it effectively showcases Antony’s abilities, which benefits the overall film.
Kondal movie cast: Antony Varghese Pepe, Raj B Shetty, Shabeer Kallarakkal
Kondal movie director: Ajith Mampally
Kondal movie rating: 2 stars
