Lucky The Superstar movie review: A tail-wagging idea that never fully fetches

Lucky The Superstar Plot

After a street dog (voiced by Kovai Sarala) loses her newborn pups in a devastating flood, she gives birth to one last puppy and names it Lucky. When the pup wanders away and goes missing, the mother sets out in search of him. Meanwhile, Lucky is found by Lakshmanan aka Lucky (GV Prakash), who brings the puppy home for his autistic niece, Ammu. As the dog begins to bring unexpected fortune to everyone it encounters, from a young girl whose life slowly finds light, to powerful politicians who see the canine as nothing more than a talisman, events spiral into chaos, with even the Chief Minister attempting to seize the puppy for selfish gains.

Lucky The Superstar Review

Among all creatures in the animal kingdom, dogs are often considered the most social and emotionally attuned to humans. Perhaps it is because they offer unwavering loyalty and unconditional love, qualities humans frequently fail to uphold. When a puppy becomes a source of hope for a young autistic child and, at the same time, a symbol of greed for corrupt politicians, Lucky The Superstar hints at subtle philosophical layers. Unfortunately, these ideas remain largely underdeveloped, making the film one that neither strongly impresses nor actively disappoints.

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One of the film’s more engaging choices is giving human voices to the trio of dogs, Lucky’s birth mother and her two companions (voiced by Thambi Ramaiah and Rajendran). Named after their voice actors, these canine characters provide much of the film’s humour. Rajendran’s exaggerated courtship of Sarala, played like a roadside Romeo, lends a few amusing moments. But when Sarala who chides Rajendran says she would probably kill her pups had it been of Rajendran, makes us think, why would animals too follow the cruel inventions of humans; like infanticide. Do we take it as a commentary that this what to happen if animals were humanised, or is it merely the film’s language to evoke humour? Some food for thought there.

Emotionally, the film struggles to build convincing bonds, particularly between Lucky and Ammu, as their relationship is rarely shown evolving organically. A child getting amused by a pup is a no-brainer; but why does it have to be Lucky? What makes their bond special? The film had time to delve into it, but doesn’t. Further, Ammu’s autism being shown as a mental illness, that the child cannot communicate or comprehend at an age-appropriate level, appears to be a tone-deaf representation on the neuro-development condition. Defining autism as a “confusion between reality and imagination” only adds to the discomfort, making the film feel preachy rather than perceptive.

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While GV Prakash holds the film together as the man determined to reunite the puppy and the child, the supporting cast is underutilised. Characters such as animal rescue worker Keerthi (Anaswara Rajan) and the many politicians are written as one-dimensional caricatures, resembling figures from political cartoons more than real people. The comedy outside the canine sequences is sparse, and the repetitive antics of powerful men vying for the puppy grow tiring.

Ultimately, Lucky The Superstar works best as a light, time-pass watch that attempts to blend comedy and emotion, though both remain limited and distant. With stronger focus on the human-animal bond and less reliance on greedy adult stereotypes, the film might have struck a deeper chord. In trying to stay simple, Lucky The Superstar settles for being merely basic.

Lucky The Superstar Verdict:

Lucky The Superstar is a light-hearted film which wants to take big steps. But its little feet and big ambitions do not go together. A film that has heart in the right place, but takes the wrong leap of faith.