Game Changer Movie Review
Game ChangerRachit Gupta, Jan 10, 2025, 14:02 IST
4.2/5
0/5
Game Changer
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| Cast: | Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Srikanth, Anjali, SJ Suryah, Jayaram |
| Director: | S Shankar |
| Genre: | Game Changer |
| Duration: | 2 hours 45 minutes |
Quick take: Game Changer is director S Shankar and Ram Charan's new take on the angry young man. Watch it to witness a stylistic anti-corruption story.
3.5/5
Fighting corruption and changing broken systems in society is as much an emotional task as it is a logical process. Ram Charan and S Shankar's latest film, Game Changer is a story of an angry young man, channelling his emotion and changing the system. It's an all-heart story, told in the most earnest manner. All of it makes sense if the viewer invests their heart and soul in the premise. In essence, Game Changer is an unmistakable Shankar creation fuelled and delivered with Ram Charan's charisma.
The story deals with an honest but hotheaded IAS officer Ram Nandan (Ram Charan) who's decided to rid the state of Andhra Pradesh of its corrupt political and administrative nexus. He wages and 'official' war against the corrupt administration of the state's CM Bobbili Sathyamurthy (Srikanth). Sathyamurthy is a man with a conflicted conscience and demons of his past have convinced him that he must mend his errant ways and do a proper prayashchit (penance). The problem is, Sathyamurthy's sons Bobbili Mopidevi (SJ Suryah) and Ramachandra (Jayaram) have aspirations of being the next CM and they're as crooked and devious as a snake. Mopidevi in particular has a feverish passion to be the next CM and he squares off with Ram in a battle of wits and grit.
Game Changer is a modern tribute to one of Shankar's own, unforgettable creations, Mudhalvan, where an ordinary guy is made the CM of a state for 24 hours. In Game Changer, the exchange of power and the good fight against corruption plays out in a manner that's more practical and less fantasy. But even then, the sequence of events and how they play out, don't really make a strong case for water-tight logic. But when you're selling the latent frustrations and injustice of the common man, most arguments and stand-offs are fuelled by passion and emotion. That is what Game Changer's screenplay does with ease. It uses the lead character's anger as a front for the common man's suffering. Ram, the IPS officer who turned into an IAS officer, becomes the messiah of the masses, akin to Telugu heroes of celluloid selling fantastical dreams to the common viewer for the past few decades. The lines blue seamlessly, as the film entertains with quirky dialogue and action sequences.
The film pays homage to past Shankar movies like Sivaji: The Boss, Indian, Enthiran, Gentleman and many more. If one has grown up on the director's legacy of cinema, Game Changer will feel like an instant fanboy service. A good one at that. There's even an interesting reiteration of the Mukkala song from Kadhalan, that featured Prabhudheva, dancing like a God. This time, Ram Charan and some clever CGI recreate a bit of the same magic to good effect.
Whether it was Anniyan, I or 2.0, Shankar has always made films with outlandish concepts that work because they're presented in a creative vision that becomes an art form. That distinction is reserved for Game Changer's songs like Dhop and Raa Macha Macha, where extravagant visuals and Indian cultures blend to create an experience unlike anything seen before. But we can't say the same about the rest of the film. The drama and action, seem to lack a novelty factor. Because there's so many subtle themes that are harking back to Shankar's previous movies, the film at times, feels a little unoriginal. But that's nitpicking. True to Shankar style, Game Changer serves up a superb interval twist and delivers two halves of a film that is absolute entertainment.
Ram Charan is a sight to behold on slo motion and fast dance sequences. His dialogue delivery is top-notch and the smoldering intensity just doesn't seem to fade throughout the 2.5 hours of the film. The standout performances come from Anjali, playing Ram Nandan's mother and SJ Suryah playing the quintessential bad guy. Kiara Advani, has a shorter but impactful role as Ram's wife and love interest. There are plenty of cameos from Telugu stars like Brahmanandam, Vennela Kishore and others, which adds to the experience of the film.
Ram Charan fans will enjoy Game Changer's high moments, but that X factor, which we last saw in RRR, is missing here. Even so, watching his character fight corruption in style is worth the price of a movie ticket in 2024.
The story deals with an honest but hotheaded IAS officer Ram Nandan (Ram Charan) who's decided to rid the state of Andhra Pradesh of its corrupt political and administrative nexus. He wages and 'official' war against the corrupt administration of the state's CM Bobbili Sathyamurthy (Srikanth). Sathyamurthy is a man with a conflicted conscience and demons of his past have convinced him that he must mend his errant ways and do a proper prayashchit (penance). The problem is, Sathyamurthy's sons Bobbili Mopidevi (SJ Suryah) and Ramachandra (Jayaram) have aspirations of being the next CM and they're as crooked and devious as a snake. Mopidevi in particular has a feverish passion to be the next CM and he squares off with Ram in a battle of wits and grit.
Game Changer is a modern tribute to one of Shankar's own, unforgettable creations, Mudhalvan, where an ordinary guy is made the CM of a state for 24 hours. In Game Changer, the exchange of power and the good fight against corruption plays out in a manner that's more practical and less fantasy. But even then, the sequence of events and how they play out, don't really make a strong case for water-tight logic. But when you're selling the latent frustrations and injustice of the common man, most arguments and stand-offs are fuelled by passion and emotion. That is what Game Changer's screenplay does with ease. It uses the lead character's anger as a front for the common man's suffering. Ram, the IPS officer who turned into an IAS officer, becomes the messiah of the masses, akin to Telugu heroes of celluloid selling fantastical dreams to the common viewer for the past few decades. The lines blue seamlessly, as the film entertains with quirky dialogue and action sequences.
The film pays homage to past Shankar movies like Sivaji: The Boss, Indian, Enthiran, Gentleman and many more. If one has grown up on the director's legacy of cinema, Game Changer will feel like an instant fanboy service. A good one at that. There's even an interesting reiteration of the Mukkala song from Kadhalan, that featured Prabhudheva, dancing like a God. This time, Ram Charan and some clever CGI recreate a bit of the same magic to good effect.
Whether it was Anniyan, I or 2.0, Shankar has always made films with outlandish concepts that work because they're presented in a creative vision that becomes an art form. That distinction is reserved for Game Changer's songs like Dhop and Raa Macha Macha, where extravagant visuals and Indian cultures blend to create an experience unlike anything seen before. But we can't say the same about the rest of the film. The drama and action, seem to lack a novelty factor. Because there's so many subtle themes that are harking back to Shankar's previous movies, the film at times, feels a little unoriginal. But that's nitpicking. True to Shankar style, Game Changer serves up a superb interval twist and delivers two halves of a film that is absolute entertainment.
Ram Charan is a sight to behold on slo motion and fast dance sequences. His dialogue delivery is top-notch and the smoldering intensity just doesn't seem to fade throughout the 2.5 hours of the film. The standout performances come from Anjali, playing Ram Nandan's mother and SJ Suryah playing the quintessential bad guy. Kiara Advani, has a shorter but impactful role as Ram's wife and love interest. There are plenty of cameos from Telugu stars like Brahmanandam, Vennela Kishore and others, which adds to the experience of the film.
Ram Charan fans will enjoy Game Changer's high moments, but that X factor, which we last saw in RRR, is missing here. Even so, watching his character fight corruption in style is worth the price of a movie ticket in 2024.
TRAILER :Game Changer
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