The Pet Detective Movie Review: Sharaf U Dheen shines in a chaotic yet amusing comic caper

It begins like a comic book: a voiceover, an overzealous detective, and a crime that quickly spirals into chaos. From the very first frame of The Pet Detective, debutant director Praneesh Vijayan makes it clear that logic isn’t the point. This is a world where a Mexican drug cartel, a missing dog, and a fumbling detective from Kochi somehow coexist in the same frame. The film unfolds like a cross between Johny Antony's CID Moosa and Priyadarshan's Vettam, carrying their gleeful absurdity and slapstick rhythm, though without quite matching their flair. The result is a film with uneven writing but funny enough to keep you engaged.

Director: Praneesh Vijayan

Cast: Sharaf U Dheen, Anupama Parameswaran, Joemon Jyothir, Vinay Forrt, Vijayaraghavan, Renji Panicker

Sharaf U Dheen plays Tony Jose Alula, an underachieving son of a once-celebrated detective (Renji Panicker), who takes over his father’s agency, mostly to impress his childhood sweetheart Kaikeyi Menon (Anupama Parameshwaran). When a small-time case involving a missing pet begins to spiral into something much larger, Tony and his naive sidekick Sanoop (Joemon Jyothir) find themselves entangled in a conspiracy involving smugglers, kidnappings, and a very expensive species of fish. What begins as a comedy of errors soon turns into a frantic series of misadventures that hop across apartments, police stations, and eventually a full-blown theme park.

Sharaf U Dheen is in full command of his comic rhythm, using sharp retorts and effortless timing to inject real energy into The Pet Detective. The film even allows him to slip into brief bursts of action, which add to his endearing mix of swagger and self-doubt. His chemistry with Joemon Jyothir is one of the film’s liveliest elements; their back-and-forth feels instinctive, almost improvised, turning otherwise ordinary moments into genuinely funny exchanges.

Anupama Parameshwaran’s Kaikeyi has more to do than the usual female lead in a comic adventure. She complements Sharaf’s restless energy with her own understated humour, giving their scenes a playful rhythm. Vinay Forrt’s Rajath Menon, the inept cop and Tony’s old rival, seems intended as a nod to Jagathy Sreekumar’s iconic turn in CID Moosa, though he never quite reaches that level of impact, partly because the character appears only sporadically. Vijayaraghavan brings flavour to his quirky role as part of the older generation, while Renji Panicker is little more than an amusing background character.

Just under two hours, The Pet Detective aims to be a brisk, chaotic comedy and mostly succeeds once it finds its rhythm. The initial portions take a while to settle, with a few scenes stretching out minor jokes and interesting subplots that fade away without much payoff. When Tony’s investigation begins to move forward, the film finally hits its stride, and from there the humour starts to flow more naturally.  Part of the film’s charm comes from the way it embraces its own chaos.

Praneesh Vijayan and co-writer Jai Vishnu clearly know that their story works best when it feels like a comic strip, full of exaggeration, quick detours, and absurd turns. Even the gangsters and smugglers come across as more foolish than frightening, keeping the film’s tone light. The standout sequence is the sprawling finale set in a water-themed park, where cops, crooks, and everyone in between crash into one another in a carefully staged storm of confusion. It plays like a warm tribute to Priyadarshan’s classic climaxes, filled with mistaken identities, collapsing props, and spirited slapstick, even though it never quite reaches the high of those vintage finales.

Visually, The Pet Detective stays true to its comic tone. Despite its predominantly beige, brown, and soft yellow palette that nods to the film’s Mexican beginnings, the cinematography by Anend C Chandran ensures it remains vibrant and engaging. He gives the film a visual polish that makes it worth experiencing on the biggest screen possible. Abhinav Sunder Nayak's editing, especially during the action scenes, adds to the playful rhythm, while Rajesh Murugesan’s music moves easily between parody and light-hearted energy, with a few adrenaline-pumping stretches that lift several key moments.

For all its liveliness, the film stumbles in places. A handful of jokes fail to connect, and many supporting roles remain underdeveloped. Even an actor of Vinayakan’s stature is limited to a brief and forgettable appearance. With so many parallel threads, the screenplay at times appears to be struggling to stay coherent rather than moving ahead with conviction.

By the end, The Pet Detective may not break new ground for the genre, but it sustains enough humour and spirit to stay engaging. The narrative can feel cluttered at times, yet the performances, led by Sharaf U Dheen, keep it lively. Praneesh Vijayan maintains a playful tone throughout, creating a world where confusion and coincidence drive the fun. It never quite matches the sharpness of the classics it draws from, but it remains an engaging and occasionally clever comic adventure.