Vikram Is On The Brink Of A Cobra Comeback

Vikram's latest film, Cobra is somewhat of a crowd sensation and raises Vikram back to his old standards.

Cobra Comeback

Vikram's latest movie, Cobra, has been brewing for over three years, but the wait is finally over. Many expected Cobra to end up like a few other Vikram films that were introduced but never released. However, after much fan excitement, the official trailer was released, confirming the movie's release in late August, during which it finally hit the big screens. Watching the trailer, like many new Tollywood films, I could sense that this movie was something out of the ordinary. It made clear that this movie followed the life of an individual, who was a mathematical genius, and used his knowledge of numbers to commit crimes. Yet, I was still left with a feeling of suspense. This initial experience, along with the high ratings and good reviews, pushed me to watch it, and I was not disappointed.

The Film

Many of us that watch Hollywood films may be aware of Christopher Nolan, well known for his insanely deep films that require high levels of intellectual thinking to understand completely. Cobra might be one of the most complex Indian films in a long time. I don't know if I can rank it among Nolan's most complex films, but it is mind boggling relative to other Indian movies. Now, along with the complexity, we have the mass buildup of the hero. I feel like many films in India are now striving to achieve the hype and goosebump moments similar to when watching the K.G.F movies. Watching the first hour of Cobra, it was clear that a lot was done to build insane hype around Vikram and many other characters. I noticed a few characters cast for the sole purpose of saying/doing things to make Vikram seem that much more remarkable. All that hyping left the audience wondering, "Oh, who might that be?" "How the hell did he die," "Where did he come from" and so forth.

No information was given to the audience easily; we had to pry it out of the director's hands to understand it. However, that style of directing forces the audience to try and focus, which is vital when you must remember who certain characters are and how they are connected to an intricate storyline. As stated before, this movie is based on a dude who was insanely good at mathematics. So there were also some complex discussion scenes of algebra, game theory, and all those topics many of us may have hated back in high school. Yet, as complex as it was, I am sure some people were able to enjoy and understand the movie. But as expected, there were mixed opinions in the theater upon finishing the film, listening to others say the film was "meh" or "confusing" and others saying how much they loved it.

Admirable Acting

I have always considered Vikram one of the few actors who was genuinely born to act. He often plays multiple roles in his movies, setting an extremely high expectation for his fans. Vikram works in two parts in this movie, but they aren't two different people. This paradox essentially sums up the film as a whole. That aside, Vikram did a fantastic job playing these roles equally well, portraying the necessary emotions and expressions to carry the movie forward.

Closing Critiques

Vikram, in my opinion, has always been a great actor but rarely picks a script to match his skill. His other film this year, Mahaan, was an utter failure, not to mention the abysmal movies he's released in previous years. However, Cobra has proved to be a comeback for him, and with Ponniyin Selvan-I on the way, I hope this is the start of Vikram's redemption arc.

Raving Rating: 6.9