The Mask

This was touted to be the first super-hero movie in tamil, though "Kandasami" that bombed a couple of years back too could have fitted the bill.

Had seen this movie soon after coming back to Bangalore in 2012. Being Tamil-starved for two whole years, had really looked forward to seeing this.

Mysskin has portrayed well in the first half the protagonist's attempts at anonymity, hiding behind a mask, and due to his good nature, unwittingly ending up as a masked crusader sans the steroids or superpower.  Jiiva as the eponymous "Mugamoodi", Nasser as the cop (yet again) have done their dues convincingly. Narain- well, would have looked better of with some facial foliage?? Gramps Girish Karnad, and Pooja Hegde as Mugamoodi's love interest did not have too much of space or character definition.

While the director scored on realism, in portraying angst and bonhomie, he sadly missed out on tightening the second half. Much of the audience started fidgeting, moving out for a second round of popcorns, and less forgiving patrons like G dozed off only to suddenly wake up and ask "Why are they all on a ship now? and who's this weirdo with the orange wig?"

 The climax especially ended up cartoony - what with the implausible tricks with a joker and the grandpa Girish Karnad dressed up as Sherlock wielding a taser!! Add to this a cliched ending, providing the ubiquitous escape clause to the villain - What Mugamoodi -2 much? 

Hope to see a less lengthy sequel from Mysskin with a less boring villain, a better fitting outfit for Jiiva (Hint! TDKR?)

To be honest, I did like this Karate Kid meets Spidey story for being more believable than Kandasamy.

Ironically when this was broadcast on SunTV yesterday, it was followed up back to back with a dubbed version of....... The Karate Kid !

Boy! they do know how to rub it in :-)