It’s not just guys like Liam Neeson and Clint Eastwood who feel the need to keep kicking ass later in life—Tamil superstar Rajinikanth wants in on the action, too. You can see the result in the gleefully bloody and darkly funny Jailer, which is in Australian cinemas now.
Rajinikanth is Muthuvel Pandian, a retired cop and former head warden of the notorious Tihar Jail (hence the title). When his cop son Arjun (Vasanth Ravi) is murdered by thug Seenu (Saravanan) and his grandson Rithvik (Rithvik Jothi Raj) is threatened, Muthuvel promptly kills the guy—setting off a war with ruthless crime lord Varnam (Vinayakam). Of course, the villain is making a huge mistake in underestimating the old cop, and you can guess how things proceed from there.
Jailer differentiates itself from the bulk of the geriactioner subgenre by having its hero draw on the help of countless former criminals he’s helped start new lives, so there’s a hint of Oceans 11 flavour to the proceedings. Writer and director Nelson, making his fourth action feature, keeps both the melodrama and violence at a fever pitch, with our elderly hero’s signature move being brutal decapitation. So maybe leave the kids at home for this one.
In terms of plot, Jailer may offer few surprises but hey—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Plus, at 168 minutes, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Indian audiences demand both quantity and quality for the price of a ticket. With English-language blockbuster action in the doldrums right now (even Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Chapter One underperformed) those with a taste for the more violent side of cinema are well advised to start looking further afield for their thrills ‘n’ spills. This Tamil-language roaring rampage of revenge is a perfect first stop.
