Malayalam ka action thriller *Kattalan*, directed by Paul George, ko reviewers ne khafa kar diya hai. Inke hisaab se film ka narrative incoherent hai, characters ka development weak hai, aur storytelling ki jagah action sequences par zyada focus hai. Film mein Antony Varghese (Antony Varghese Pepe), Sunil as Maari, Kabir Singh Duhan as Eddy, Dushara Vijayan as Lucy, aur Parth Tiwari important roles mein hain. Promising premise ke baad bhi—human-wildlife conflict, ivory trafficking aur Kerala-Tamil Nadu border par cartel warfare ke around—*Kattalan* ek cohesive cinematic experience deliver karne mein fail ho raha hai.
Film *Aanakolli* se start hoti hai, ek remote hamlet jaha wild elephant population hai. Jab villagers ko tuskers se increasing threats milti hain, toh wo notorious hunter Maari (Sunil) ki help lete hain. Par Maari situation ka fayda uthata hai, village par control kar leta hai, aur ivory trafficking cartel establish kar deta hai. Years baad, rival gangster Eddy (Kabir Singh Duhan) ke saath rift ke baad, Maari ko Antony Varghese ke character ki help chahiye—ek street-smart ruffian jiske motives clear nahi hain. Jaise jaise plot unfold hota hai, pata chalta hai ki Antony ki allegiance uske apne hidden agenda se driven hai.
Critics ne point kiya hai ki *Kattalan* narrative structure ki kami se bharpoor hai. Reviewers ke hisaab se film disjointed feel kar rahi hai, key story elements missing hain ya skip ho gaye hain. Ek reviewer ne kaha hai ki film ke 10-15 minutes ke baad hi experience aisa lagta hai jaise accidentally fast-forward kar rahe hain crucial plot points. Proper setup aur character background ki absence se audience disoriented rehte hain, aur central characters jaise Maari aur Antony ka development bhi weak hai. Film ke flashback sequences, jo Maari ki backstory ko samajhane ke liye hain, meaningful context add nahi kar paate aur sirf surface-level insights hi provide karte hain uske power mein rise hone ke bare mein.
Action sequences, choreographed by Action Sandhosh aur Kecha Khamphakdee, ko visual style aur sleek execution ke liye praise mila hai. Lekin reviewers argue karte hain ki ye set pieces, though technically impressive, film ki structural flaws ko compensate nahi kar paate. Narrative repetitive cycle of fights aur shootouts mein stuck rehta hai, aur character arcs ya plot development mein koi substantial progress nahi hota. Antony ke introduction ke baad bhi, story largely unchanged rehti hai—tone ya direction mein koi major shift nahi.
Film ki dialogue, Unni R ne likhi hai, ko bhi criticism ka saamna karna pada hai. Critics ke hisaab se lines overly literary hain aur cinematic dialogue ke liye unsuitable, jo viewing experience ko aur khrab kar deta hai. Iske alawa, film ne radicalization aur children ke weaponization ko normalize karne ke liye bhi criticism face ki hai—yeh thematic element reviewers ko disturb karne wala laga.
In sab shortcomings ke baavjud, *Kattalan* ke kuch technical aspects ko praise mila hai. Renadive ki cinematography ne region ke lush, dense forests ko beautifully capture kiya hai, visually striking moments provide kiye. Shameer Muhammed ki editing seamless transitions ke liye commended hai, especially action scenes mein, jo tension maintain karne mein help karti hai. Ravi Basrur ka background score, though occasionally overwhelming, film ke tense atmosphere mein contribute karta hai aur crime thriller ko weak moments mein bhi float karne mein help karta hai.
Film ek shared cinematic universe ka hissa hai jismein *Mikhael* (2019) aur *Marco* (2024) bhi shamil hain—dono ko weak writing aur hollow storytelling ke liye criticize kiya gaya tha. *Kattalan* jab broader themes jaise oppression aur forest resources ke exploitation explore karne ki koshish kar rahi hai, toh wo in ideas mein deeply dive nahi kar paati. Instead, film action sequences ko prioritize karti hai jo social media clips ke liye design kiye gaye hain, especially post-credit scenes, jinhe reviewers ne underwhelming aur uninspired paya.
Antony Varghese, Sunil, Kabir Duhan Singh, Dushara Vijayan, aur Parth Tiwari jaisi cast ke saath, *Kattalan* ko critics ne 1.5 out of 5 stars diye hain. Film ka weak script, character depth ki kami, aur disjointed narrative ne audiences aur reviewers dono ko yeh sochne par majboor kar diya hai ki ye ambitious project kyun itna flawed hai.
