Coolie Review: Rajinikanth's Mass & Aura Save Loki's Poor Show

RATING - ⭐⭐ 2/5*

Coolie Review Movie Talkies:

Lokesh Kanagaraj returns after the underwhelming Leo, and with Coolie, he once again fails to deliver the magic many were expecting. This time, the excitement was sky-high because he was working with superstar Rajinikanth. Fans hoped for another high-voltage entertainer like Vikram, his hit collaboration with Kamal Haasan. Sadly, Coolie doesn’t reach those heights. It feels more like Lokesh’s misfire than anything else, relying almost entirely on Rajinikanth’s aura to keep it afloat.

Coolie Story:

The story follows Deva (Rajinikanth), who teams up with Simon (Nagarjuna), a powerful smuggler operating at a busy port. But Deva has an agenda — he’s on a mission to uncover the truth behind the murder of his friend Rajashekhar (Sathyaraj). Raja’s daughter, Preethi (Shruti Haasan), knows how to operate an electric chair, which is crucial to Daya (Soubin Shahir), a violent and cunning man. This connection leads Deva to Simon. After gaining Simon’s trust, Deva learns shocking truths — about his friend’s death, his missing child, and a mysterious kingpin named Dahaa (Aamir Khan). When Daya kidnaps Preethi, Deva must fight against time and enemies to save her while confronting his past.

Lokesh’s writing is the biggest issue here. The screenplay is unnecessarily long and drags for no reason. The first half moves at a snail’s pace, with little to clap for. Thankfully, the interval block injects some much-needed energy. The second half has more action and a few surprises, but it quickly becomes overstretched. Certain moments, like the de-aged Rajinikanth in flashbacks, truly land with style and get the audience whistling. A few action set pieces also hit the mark. However, the film is riddled with illogical scenes and predictable loops.

One of the most unintentionally funny moments comes when Soubin Shahir’s character, with one hand chained to his neck, somehow manages to beat a dozen men in a row. His love subplot is equally uninteresting. Nagarjuna’s Simon suffers the same fate — an underwritten role that goes nowhere exciting. These narrative weaknesses keep Coolie from becoming the electrifying mass film it could have been.

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Coolie Cast:

Performance-wise, Coolie belongs entirely to Rajinikanth. His charisma, swag, and screen presence are as magnetic as ever. He carries the film effortlessly on his shoulders. There was never anyone like him, and there never will be. Nagarjuna delivers a decent performance, but his role is wasted. Soubin Shahir, on the other hand, makes an impression with his violent and cunning portrayal, even if some scenes are over-the-top. Shruthi Haasan is serviceable — thankfully better here than in Salaar. Upendra enjoys a mass-heavy entry sequence paired with a blockbuster action episode. Aamir Khan arrives far too late, delivering a stylish introduction but leaving no lasting impact. Rachita Ram is an unexpected surprise, and Kanna Ravi does fine in his part.

Coolie Movie Review:

The film’s music is one of its saving graces. Anirudh Ravichander once again delivers, with Coo Coo Coolie being a total crowd-pleaser. The song alone elevates otherwise average action scenes into big-screen bangers. Unfortunately, the technical side isn’t all strong. The cinematography feels below par, the editing lacks sharpness, and some scenes could have been trimmed for better pacing. While the production design is polished and the budget shows on screen, Lokesh’s storytelling fails to justify the scale. His screenplay and direction have many flaws that can't be excused.

After a sluggish first half, Coolie briefly picks up before slowing down again into predictable territory. Old clichés, lazy writing, and overstretched drama make parts of the film a yawn fest. In the end, it’s Rajinikanth’s sheer presence that keeps the audience engaged. Every time Thalaiva is on screen, you can’t look away — but once he’s gone, so is the magic. Coolie could have been a modern mass classic. Instead, it feels like a dated action flick decorated with superstar moments. If you’re a die-hard Rajinikanth fan, you might still enjoy it for his larger-than-life persona. For everyone else, this is an easy skip.

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