A1 Express review: Sundeep Kishan's breezy sports entertainer runs out of ideas too soon

3/5

Set in the town of Yanam, which was occupied by the French till 1954, A1 Express starts off with the tale of how the townsfolk led by Chittibabu resisted the French colonists' efforts to set up a fertiliser plant at their ground by challenging them for a hockey match and trouncing them at their own game. This is a recurring theme in this Dennis Jeevan Kanukolanu directorial even as the film's story moves to the present when the town once again faces a similar challenge --- this time with a corrupt sports minister playing dirty games to allocate the ground to a multinational medical company.

Rather than just focusing on the sports bit, the filmmaker has packaged A1 Express so that it appeals to all kinds of audience. The first half especially evolves as a romantic entertainer with Sundeep Naidu (Sundeep Kishan) courting Lavanya Rao (Lavanya Tripathi), who is an established hockey player in her college. Lavanya's character as a fiercely independent woman who prefers to be the driving force in a relationship is refreshing. The half also gives a glimpse into how corrupt politicians stand in the way of development of sports, and Rao Ramesh shines in his role as the deceitful sports minister with a mix of comedy and guile.

The pace at which the story evolves also keeps things interesting, but the movie soon runs out of steam in the latter half, which focuses on friendships and once again sheds light on how corruption within the sports system deters promising talent. The filmmaker takes a predictable route to tell these, making it a rather tepid second half filled with run-of-the-mill sequences and mundane twists. It also lays aside some promising ideas such as Lavanya's character arc and focuses on the men.

Sundeep carries off his role in the first half with an easy charm, however the need to be too serious as 'the hockey player with international experience' all snaps the zest he previously lent to the role. Murali Sharma as the coach with an army background, Rahul Ramakrishna and Priyadarshi Pukikonda as Sundeep's buddies play their roles well.

The movie's cinematography by Kavin Raj and music by Hip Hop Tamizha also contribute a lot in terms of upping the energy of this sports entertainer, which makes for a decent watch with its noble intentions even though it stumbles every now and then.