Director Venkat Prabhu sets the tone of his Vijay-starrer GOAT (The Greatest of All Time) right from the very first scene. It’s a recovery mission for a covert team of agents led by Gandhi (Vijay) against the villain Rajiv Menon (Mohan). Gandhi, as someone the film hints about in its title, brings down the house with an action sequence laced with his unique style, but before taking the final shot at Rajiv, he is stopped by his friend, owing to the circumstances. This sequence, in a way, is a synopsis of the overall plot, and such slivers of excellence from Venkat and his team stand apart in this template film enhanced with impeccable fan service.

GOAT might let you down if you’re expecting a globe-trotting espionage thriller, or just a genre-specific entertainer along the lines of Venkat’s Maanaadu. But if you want to catch the celebration of one of our most popular stars doing everything we love in his penultimate outing — including transforming from a GOAT to a Beast — then The Greatest of All Time is worth the entry fee; even with all its drawbacks, isn’t a lion always a lion?

audience’s patience. While the second half picks up with the intense face-off scenes, the film’s overall length remains a concern. Even though Vijay’s performance keeps the momentum going, the story feels stretched.

There are notable plot holes, especially in the action sequences where the villains fail to land a single shot on the protagonist, a common yet frustrating trope in action films.

Menon’s character, portrayed by Mohan, lacks depth, making the villain less impactful. Meenakshi Chaudhary’s role is underutilised, as she appears in only a few scenes and songs. The cameos by Trisha and Sivakarthikeyan are a pleasant surprise but have no impact on the film.

Some of the humour falls flat, and the end credits sequence feels like a direct copy from a flop Hollywood movie.

Technical Aspects:

Venkat Prabhu’s direction and screenplay are the film’s weak points. The story is conventional, and the slow pacing, especially in the first half, diminishes audience engagement. The film’s excessive runtime further hampers its appeal.

On the technical side, the VFX team deserves credit for convincingly de-aging Vijay, although other versions of the character look awkward. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music fails to leave a mark, and several scenes, particularly in the first half, feel unnecessary and could have been trimmed. The cinematography is adequate. Production values are commendable.

Verdict:

On the whole, The Greatest of All Time (The GOAT) is a standard revenge action drama that leans heavily on Vijay’s performance. His portrayal of the villainous Jeevan and the face-off scenes are the film’s highlights, but beyond that, it offers little in terms of novelty or excitement. The slow pacing, long runtime, score, and numerous plot holes make it a challenging watch for all but die-hard Vijay fans.