The GOAT story

MS Gandhi (Vijay) is a skilled former SATS officer, hiding his occupation from his wife Anuradha (Sneha) who is expecting their second child. Gandhi is aided by his co-workers Sunil Thiagarajan (Prashanth), Kalyan Sundaram (Prabhudeva), Ajay (Ajmal Ameer) and their boss Nazeer (Jayaram). However, in one of their leisure trips to Thailand, which Gandhi combines with an assignment, a tragic turn separates Gandhi and his family from their son Jeevan. Disgusted by his carelessness, Anuradha separates herself and her newborn daughter from Gandhi, in what then proceeds to be followed by a time leap, and the return of the past.

The GOAT review

In the 2007 Tamil film Azhagiya Tamizh Magan, Vijay plays a dual role. The villain Vijay says, “Guru dhan pesaren” nonchalantly assuming the identity of the lookalike hero, who is struggling to prove his innocence. In the 2024 released Vijay-starrer The GOAT- Greatest of All Time, Vijay once again plays for both sides. But this time, Venkat Prabhu makes the film a tribute of all sorts, and a gathering of moments that warrant so much celebrations, yet becomes evidently a testament to non-cohesive storytelling.

In the 17 years that we grew up watching Vijay in almost all sorts of avatars, including witnessing the actor plunging into another realm of connecting with people, he comes with The GOAT, yet another film that celebrates the actor so much, and rightfully so. Venkat Prabhu knows how much to push himself so that you get to enjoy every frame of it. It is no secret that there is a tribute to the late veteran actor Vijayakanth in the film, which becomes the first adieu the filmmaker cooks. And slowly comes in the surprises. Given Venkat Prabhu’s tastes for fandoms, there are fitting theatre moments for all those we grew up celebrating and have reigned their respective fields. If Vijay recreates his iconic Ghilli’s Marudhamalai Maamaniye, as well as his latest Halamathi Habibi, The GOAT falls no short of crafting tributes to all the fandoms. The enthralling jersey number 7 is often referenced, and we know how much yellow magic has conjured up in the hearts of Tamilians. Undeniably, the Ranjithame-style kiss, a recreation of Kamal Haasan’s Gunaa, and even Padiyappa, and to top it all, when Gandhi asks his daughter whose fan she is, the theatre erupts when the fandoms merge, forgetting their much-debated rivalry. The GOAT, in this way, is a film that pulls momentous and nostalgic tricks to keep you hooked, so that you tend to forget the lack of cohesiveness in the story.

The GOAT is primarily a slick action thriller. It travels for most parts, from Kenya, to Moscow, and culminates at Chepauk cricketing stadium. But what it undeniably lacks is a solid story and chain of happenings. Characters run, and we see how many twists Gandhi has to go through to face his opponent Rajiv Menon, who was once ousted from SATS for being a disgrace. Carrying vengeance after he faces a detrimental loss, and having acquired a weapon so powerful to destroy Gandhi, Menon pulls all tricks to make the latter fall into the trap and successfully does that. And that is where the story also makes a fall. Given it is no spoiler that Vijay plays both the son and father, and how the de-aging technology has helped with this, the meat is less for the audience to chew. After a point, the film merely becomes a cat-and-mouse chase that does not require dual acts. However, Vijay valiantly plays his roles to perfection, and there is an undeniable effort the actor has put in to change the body language of the two generations.

Amid the constant high-octane sequences, masterfully placed fanboy references, highly speculated cameos that bring grins to the faces, mainly how it evokes both nostalgia and budding camaraderie, The GOAT misses to notice that the moments only fade to give a stale offering of screenplay. Venkat Prabhu’s film does not have much to bring to table in terms of a gripping screenplay, which he is highly appreciated for in films including Maanaadu, Mankatha and Chennai 600028. For once, he places Gandhi on a high pedestal and forgets to pad up Rajiv Menon who is touted to be a deadly terrorist, or even the other weapon he takes up to attack the protagonist. And it only makes it sadder when Venkat Prabhu has been a connoisseur when cooking his iconic villains, be it Vinayak Mahadev in Mankatha, and Dhanushkodi in Maanaadu.

The GOAT verdict

There is no denial that The GOAT is a film that warrants a theatre watch given you go in as a fan, expecting less to chew and more to celebrate. Vijay pulls off his yet another acting stint following up with Leo. However, there is so much only Vijay and all the fan tributes can do, when the film lacks enough material to soak in.

Read Also: No Gain No Love episode 4 review: Although Byeon Woo-seok's cameo is slightly disappointing, second leads steal the show