Having delivered the acclaimed romantic fantasy comedy ‘Oh My Kadavule’ in 2020, Ashwath Marimuthu returns with his sophomore feature ‘Dragon’ starring Pradeep Ranganathan, who also follows his directorial and starring debut to collaborate with his long time friend. The trailer hints at a film along similar lines to Sivakarthikeyan’s 2022 film ‘Don,’ however, this is thankfully not the case.
The film follows Ragavan (Pradeep Ranganathan), a boy who learns at graduation that girls prefer ‘bad boys’ over ‘good boys,’ and so transforms himself before attending university. Now a violent, truant slacker, he rejects the education system, determined to forge his own way in the world. The rest of the film follows Ragavan’s struggles as he clambers to a place to prove his worth. Elements of the plot reminds us of a certain Adam Sandler film, and it is well thought out and executed. The motif of the 'jenga tower' works well to carry the message of the film across.
The cast do their part in making the film work. Pradeep Ranganathan continues to give his Dhanush-inspired acting style with his own added eccentricities which work well for the film. Anupama Parameshwaran performs very well too. Mysskin takes on the antagonistic role, and glides through it effortlessly. The other major highlights are George Maryan and Indumathy Manikandan as Ragavan’s parents, who portray convincing characters.
The film is technically interesting. The cinematography is often noteworthy, with choice selections of framing. The camerawork is dynamic, with drone shots and dutch angles aplenty. The performances and song sequence choreography are lively too, fitting the cartoonish aesthetic of the opening credits. 'Dragon' is an example of how important the foundational plot of the film is, that minor mishaps are forgiven.
The film’s only letdown is its score and soundtrack. Marimuthu retains composer Leon James from his debut, who fails to deliver a song that sticks with you. The first single, ‘Rise of Dragon’ is neither catchy through its tune or its lyrics penned by Vignesh Shivan. Silambarasan, Anirudh Ravichander, Sid Sriram and Pradeep Kumar are big names who also offer their singing abilities; unfortunately none of whom are able to create a significant impact.
Overall, ‘Dragon’ is an entertaining sophomore feature from both Marimuthu and Ranganathan. If Ranganathan continues to select and write engaging scripts moving forward, he will certainly be a talent to keep an eye on in the future. If you enjoyed ‘Love Today’ and ‘Oh My Kadavule,’ I would highly recommend watching ‘Dragon.’
Krishna's rating: 3 stars
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Official trailer for film below.