Pulimurugan has been one of the most-awaited Malayalam movies of recent times. The hype, pre-publicity, the large scale production values and above all, the Mohanlal factor had raised the expectations of the audiences to the peak.

First thing first, you ought to be clear about what you should expect from movies like this. It’s a superstar movie, directed by Vysakh and written by Udayakrishna. So, what do you expect from a mass entertainer? If you need to enjoy Pulimurugan, you may have to refine your answer.

Pulimurugan is all about Murugan, a guy born and brought-up in a place called Puliyooru, a place near to a dense forest. Murugan, who lives with his family, is the saviour of the village and has developed the skill to fight with tigers. Some new guests arrive in Puliyooru seeking the help of Murugan and what happens rest forms the crux of the story.

What happens always in big budget entertainers is that the writer/director gets the dates of the star and proceeds with a story, that has nothing new in it. Pulimurugan is no different, the film has all the cliches associated with mass entertainers. Vysakh has done his best to package the product in the best possible way

The movie is just not about the fight between Murugan and the Tiger. The film has another major plot. And that plot is nothing new, the only difference is in the premises in which the story is set. First half of the film has too many unwanted sequences and is filled with double meaning dialogues. Second half showed some signs of improvement, but falls into the predictable lines.

But, what makes the movie watching are two things. First is Mohanlal and the second factor, the stunt sequences. It’s a treat for Mohanlal fans as he is in full form in all the stunt sequences. His flexibility and energy levels are incomparable.

Apart from Mohanlal, it is actor Lal who impresses in the film. He entertains you in most of the sequences. Kamalini Mukherjee irritates you whenever she appears on screen. Vinu Mohan gets a meaty role after a break. Jagapathi Babu is decent in his performance. Really don't understand why Namitha was cast in this film. Apart from them, the film also features, Suraj Venaramoodu, Kishore, Makarand Deshpande, M R Gopakumar, Nandu, Bala etc. in major roles.

Cinematography by Shaji is impressive. John Kutty could have done a better job in editing, especially in the first half. BGM & songs by Gopi Sunder are impressive. Big round of applause for Peter Hein, who has choreographed some never seen before stunts in Malayalam. The graphics & VFX works could have been better.

Altogether, Pulimurugan has some amazing stunts that would thrill you. But, the film has a weak story and lacklustre screenplay, that pulls the film down many times. Only Mohanlal and the amazing stunt sequences are the saving graces of the film.

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