The Warriorr review: Lingusamy delivers a staple yet largely engaging cop saga

3/5

Story:

Satya is a medico who leaves for Kurnool with his mother to intern at a leading hospital. He falls for a hyper-active RJ ‘Whistle’ Mahalakshmi soon. While going about his job, he is increasingly troubled by how a local goon Guru is on a killing spree, taking the law into his own hands, leaving the common man sleepless. Satya retaliates when his battle with Guru gets personal but he’s ultimately silenced. Will Satya bounce back and give Guru a taste of his own medicine?

Review:

In times when every second filmmaker is trying his hand at larger-than-life commercial entertainers, it’s good to see a veteran like Lingusamy get back to his comfort zone and make a masala potboiler the good ol’ way. With a mainstream actor like Ram Pothineni, whose strengths are a perfect match to the filmmaker’s sensibilities, the unlikely combo results in a fairly engaging cop saga that may not reinvent the wheel but delivers what it promises - a staple diet with an interesting twist.

The story brings together two professions that are highly revered (i.e. done to death) in mainstream cinema - a doctor and a cop - and this ensures a unique spin on the standard masala moments in an action entertainer. Lingusamy, more so in the first hour, juggles between humour, action and melodrama with relative ease and he utilises the genre stereotypes in his favour, giving what an average viewer craves - escapism that makes your popcorn feel crunchier.

The director here doesn’t try too hard to oversell the plot; the dialogues are precise and catchy, and the sequences remain slick and sharp, at least until the protagonist turns into a cop. The emotional hook behind the character’s transformation isn’t very convincing but the seamless narrative keeps the film going. However, just when you expect the film to explode, the screenplay loses its fizz and relies on its lead actors to do the heavy lifting (and they deliver).

The idea to sell a ‘flawless, ideal cop with no rough edges who can’t go wrong any time’ appears a tad too far-fetched and ill-timed in an era where the grey shades of a protagonist (that makes them relatable) are finding resonance with viewers. Almost nothing can challenge Satya and he can get out of any crisis as if it were a piece of cake. Minus Aadhi Pinisetty’s attempt to lend gravitas to a one-dimensional role like Guru, the contest between Satya and him isn’t exactly absorbing.

There are a few intriguing touches to the story amidst the predictability – the ruthlessness of a villain is established through a dense, green patch, where he plants a sapling for every person he kills. Satya tries to intimidate the criminal psychologically more than his pelvic thrusts. The bitter-sweet camaraderie between Ram and Brahmaji livens up the momentum in the second hour. The ‘whistle’ being a key element to Satya and Mahalakshmi’s romance is written smartly too. The timing of Devi Sri Prasad’s energetic numbers is just right.

If only Lingusamy found a way to tighten the proceedings and substantiate the hero-villain conflict better, The Warriorr would’ve been even more enjoyable. If there’s some freshness in the film, it’s because of what its leads Ram Pothineni, Aadhi Pinisetty and Krithi Shetty bring to the table. Ram is an ideal fit in this masala universe, he knows when and where to heighten the pitch of his performance, underplay and transform into the loverboy effortlessly.

Krithi Shetty has all the qualities to be a bankable commercial heroine in the times to come, be it her screen presence, effervescence, good looks or her pitch-perfect dance moves. Aadhi is in good form in his return as an antagonist though he deserved a meatier role. Devi Sri Prasad’s experience comes through in the film’s key junctures and he doesn’t disappoint. Brahmaji stands out among the supporting cast while Nadhiya, Jaya Prakash, Saranya Pradeep and Posani do what’s expected of them. Akshara Gowda doesn’t get an adequate scope to shine.

Verdict:

The Warriorr is a standard cop-saga with a few interesting twists, and some solid masala moments and banks heavily on its lead actors Ram Pothineni, Aadhi Pinisetty and Krithi Shetty to deliver the goods. It’s a passable mainstream fare which had the potential to do more. Lingusamy sticks to his strengths. The action sequences lack enough tension and the lengthy second hour affects its momentum.