Raja Vikramarka Movie Review: An uninspiring spy thriller 
Raja Vikramarka Movie Review: An uninspiring spy thriller 

Raja Vikramarka Movie Review: An uninspiring spy thriller 

Logic, pace, and tautness is what one would expect from a spy film, but Sri Saripalli's work disappoints on all three counts
Rating:(2.5 / 5)

A good spy-thriller ideally keeps the audience engrossed in its intelligent plot, spectacular action sequences, exciting espionage elements, and thrills. But, Raja Vikramarka, directed by debutant Sri Saripalli, fails to create such impact owing to its potpourri of influences coupled with irredeemable qualities. Borrowing its title from Chiranjeevi's yesteryear film, this Kartikeya Gummakonda-starrer lacks the excitement of a spy-thriller.
Cast: Kartikeya Gummakonda, Tanya Ravinchandran, Tanikella Bharani
Direction: Sri Saripalli

The film traces the journey of an NIA officer, Vikram (Kartikeya Gummakonda), who sets out on a secret mission to settle scores with the enemies of Chandrasekhar (Sai Kumar), the Home Minister of the State. When he is entrusted with a big task, you expect him to be diligent with the mission, but his interest lies elsewhere. He falls in love with the Home Minister's daughter, Kaanthi (Tanya Ravichandran) instead.

Logic, pace, and tautness is what one would expect from such films, but Sri Saripalli's work disappoints on all three counts. He tries to keep the cards unrevealed for long, but, by then, the damage has already been done as almost all the audience know the 'big reveal'. As far as spy-thrillers go, Raja Vikramarka is a weak one, considering the zero adrenaline rush it delivers. The simple and predictable story doesn't really rise above the ground level. Much of the film's problem lies in its shoddy narrative which is repeatedly punctured by unnecessary songs and unintentionally hilarious dialogues. The emotions too fail to provide an insight into the characters.

As I had mentioned, earlier the film suffers from severe predictability. When Vikram and his team catch hold of a most-wanted arms dealer and interrogate him, we know what could possibly go wrong. When a Home Minister's daughter gets a threat, we know how it would sound. Well, the list is endless. 

With such plot contrivances, it doesn't take a genius to figure out where this film is headed. In one of the scenes, Kaanthi asks Vikram if he is really an NIA officer. We too share the same doubt!

The icing on the cake is the bizarre back-story explaining the reason behind Guru Narayan's (Pasupathy) against Chandrasekhar.

Kartikeya is expressive and gets to play a strong role in this film. He has undergone massive physical training to get into the skin of the character and the results show on the screen. He performs his stunts well and has good comic timing. Sai Kumar plays a role that is well within his comfort zone, but leaves no space to complain. The film doesn't offer much scope to Tanya Ravichandran to give a nuanced performance. Sudhakar Komakula appears earnest in his performance, while Tanikella Bharani, who plays Vikram's senior officer, gets unintendedly funny lines. Harsha Vardhan makes his presence felt in an otherwise naive role.

With a wafer-thin yet predictable storyline, Raja Vikramarka doesn't offer disappoints the fans of spy thriller genre

Related Stories

No stories found.
Cinema Express
www.cinemaexpress.com