Valimai by H Vinoth begins with a sequence of chain snatching episodes and a robbery in Chennai by masked men on motorcycles. The people is furious at the police force, which appears to be dumb. The police chief wishes for a super officer to prevent similar crimes in an internal monologue. After then, the action shifts to Madurai, where a temple procession is taking place. A murder plot is the same way. The film's protagonist, ACP Arjun (Ajith Kumar), is then presented, with shots from the procession intercut with his introduction. We witness this persona rising up from the depths like a God who is held high (here, from within a car). In a nutshell, a hero-introduction sequence to remember.
Arjun is assigned to Chennai and begins investigating a suicide case that appears to be connected to a greater crime. As he investigates the case, he realises it is linked to the previous chain-snatching and drug-smuggling instances. When the gang's mastermind (Kartikeya Gummakonda) realises Arjun is on to him, it becomes a lethal cat-and-mouse game, with Arjun's family as pawns. Is Arjun capable of rescuing both his family and the city from this ruthless criminal?
In Valimai, a slightly intriguing but overlong action film that covers its poor writing with extravagant action set-pieces, stunts and sentiment collide. Vinoth appears to be struggling to strike a balance between crafting a gritty action film and meeting the needs of a star vehicle. Despite the opportunity to ground action scenes in emotion, the film instead to portray them as stand-alone set-pieces. The shallow way in which the film deals with its minor characters and their relationship with Arjun exemplifies this approach.
They're mostly one-note characters - loving mother (Sumithra), drunkard brother (Achyuth Kumar), supportive colleague (Huma Qureshi, who has one memorable scene before being relegated to a supporting role) - or worse, caricatures - corrupt cop (GM Kumar), tattoo-wearing, Goth-like villain's girlfriend. Even the storyline of a despondent brother (Raj Ayyappan) who goes rouge isn't well-developed. This is why, when we aren't in the thick of an action moment, the movie feels less powerful.
They're mostly one-note characters - loving mother (Sumithra), drunkard brother (Achyuth Kumar), supportive colleague (Huma Qureshi, who has one memorable scene before being relegated to a supporting role) - or worse, caricatures - corrupt cop (GM Kumar), tattoo-wearing, Goth-like villain's girlfriend. Even the storyline of a despondent brother (Raj Ayyappan) who goes rouge isn't well-developed. This is why, when we aren't in the thick of an action moment, the movie feels less powerful.
Valimai is ultimately a fight between good and evil. There are obvious parallels to Batman. Arjun, like that masked superhero, does not believe in killing criminals in order to eliminate crime. We frequently see him clothed in black and hiding his face behind a helmet, especially when he is fighting the evil guys. He, too, is up against an anarchist who rejects the concept of society. And at one point, he is forced to choose between protecting his loved ones and saving the lives of the general population.