Watchman movie review: There is not much to like in Watchman except an underutilised Bruno.Watchman movie cast: GV Prakash Kumar, Yogi Babu, Suman
Watchman movie director: Vijay
Watchman movie rating: 2 stars
In general, human-animal relationship stories are believed to be a sure winner among the audience. And who doesn’t love a ‘dog film’? Irrespective of the genre and plot, movies based on four-legged furries tug at your heartstrings and give you that warm feeling. Despite an adorable golden retriever Bruno around, Watchman doesn’t quite move you. What could have been a riveting thriller loses its steam midway. Bruno’s performance is let down by an unimpressive plot.
However, there is not much to like in Watchman except an underutilised Bruno. You are not particularly tempted to care for anyone, except Bruno, again. What’s not to love in a dog with humane eyes? Some of Vijay’s films are interesting. At least on paper, I am sure Watchman would have ‘read’ or ‘sounded’ the same. But the thrill, excitement or the drama fails to get translated on to the screen.
Bala (GV Prakash Kumar) is in need of money for his engagement. At the same time, he is answerable to a couple of money-lenders. What does Bala do? He decides to loot, and steps into a bungalow, thinking there is nobody inside. To his shock, he finds a dog that ‘follows’ him. Then, a series of incidents happen, which unfolds through a non-linear narration, led by poor writing.
The film runs for about 90 minutes, and that is the only saving grace. Vijay spends so much time in establishing the mood of the story. For example, more than 20 minutes is spent showing Bala breaking into the house. You get introduced to a retired cop, played by Suman, and a bunch of terrorists. (Oh, yes) After a point, it is easy to predict what’s going to happen. Soon, it gets boring. Yawn.
There are annoying timestamps that go back and forth and this confuses you even more. Samyuktha Hedge has a blink-and-miss appearance. And there is a joke on Yogi Babu’s appearance, yet again. The comedian has very little to do in the film. Maybe, the industry people think it is mandatory to have him in all films. That is why, I guess, for the sake of it, he is here too. Well, honestly, I don’t know.
Watchman was promoted as an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Hey, it was anything but. The thriller angle falls flat because it is not credible. Also, uneven writing doesn’t allow the infectious charm of Bruno to spread.
