Despite flashes of brilliance, Shankar’s latest political action drama, Game Changer, featuring Ram and Kiara Advani, struggles to reclaim the sharpness of his finest works
Shankar Shanmugham, the director known for delivering some of the best mainstream films with his signature style and grandeur, is back with Game Changer. The Showman of South Cinema received a lot of brickbats for his previous venture, Indian 2. Naturally, all eyes are on him to see if he can make a strong comeback with Game Changer. Unfortunately, the answer is a disappointing “no.”
While Game Changer is a marked improvement over Indian 2, it still doesn’t showcase Shankar at his best — renowned for his smooth, racy, intelligent, and innovative screenplays. In Game Changer, Shankar attempts to replicate the magic of Mudhalvan up until the intermission, but the second half falters. The plot becomes overly predictable and formulaic, lacking the sharpness and originality that define his finest works.
A predictable cat-and-mouse game
Ram (Ram Charan) is an IAS officer determined to bring about systemic change by eliminating corruption. Once an angry young man, it was his girlfriend Deepika (Kiara Advani) who encouraged him to channel his anger constructively and pursue a career as an IAS officer. (There’s an unnecessary subplot where Ram becomes an IPS officer before transitioning to IAS, which is a detour in the screenplay.)
Also read: Indian 2 review: Vigilante drama lacks Shankar's punch, but Kamal scores
Ram soon finds himself at odds with Bobbili Mopidevi (SJ Suryah), a corrupt politician and the adopted son and heir apparent to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. When the current CM (an impressive Srikanth) learns that Ram is the son of the party's upright founder, Appanna (also played by Ram Charan), he reconsiders his actions and attempts to reform the party and its members. However, Mopidevi devises a cunning plan to secure his position as the next Chief Minister. The remainder of the film unfolds as a predictable cat-and-mouse game between Ram and Mopidevi, with few surprises along the way.
Loses the plot post-intermission
The first half of the film shows promise, featuring Shankar’s trademark elements with a grand hero introduction, racy action sequences, and intelligent scenes that highlight the power and influence of an IAS officer. The intermission point delivers a compelling twist, elevating the hero’s image. The second half starts strong with an emotional flashback showcasing Ram Charan’s character (who struggles with a stammer) and Anjali. However, post-intermission, Game Changer becomes overly predictable, loud, and exaggerated, testing the audience’s patience.
Also read: Pushpa 2 review: Stellar Allu Arjun anchors Sukumar’s ambitious, wayward sequel
Ram Charan delivers a commendable performance as both Ram and Appanna but lacks the charisma and style expected of a mass hero. Anjali stands out with her heartfelt performance, emerging as one of the film’s highlights, while Kiara Advani is reduced to a mere glam-doll role. SJ Suryah, who usually excels, is disappointingly loud here, with his performance bordering on caricature and failing to engage the audience.
Thiru’s cinematography is glossy, grand, and visually stunning. Thaman’s songs and background score are impressive, often elevating even ordinary scenes with his pulsating music. The editing is pacy, but could have benefitted from trimming many unnecessary scenes in the second half. Overall, Game Changer is an average political action entertainer. While it fares better than Indian 2, the wait for Shankar’s true comeback continues.
