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India Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Ace review: Vijay Sethupathi's charm elevates convenient storytelling
Vijay Sethupathi and director Arumugakumar's debut collaboration 'Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren' polarised audiences completely - viewers either loved its zany approach or absolutely despised it. There's no middle ground. When the duo reunited for 'Ace', expectations were quite so-so. The question remained: Could they craft a film with universal appeal this time around? Let's find out!Bold Kannan (Vijay Sethupathi) is an enigmatic figure desperate to shed his criminal past and start a new life. His only link to his former life is his last phone call to imprisoned associates. Relocating to Malaysia, he befriends Arivu (Yogi Babu), a rag picker who masquerades as a businessman to impress Kalpana (Divya Pillai), a hotel Rukku (Rukmini Vasanth), a woman juggling odd jobs to survive while haunted by her abusive past with Rajadurai (Babloo Prithviraj). After mistaking Bold Kannan for a thief during their first encounter, she eventually warms up to him. When Rukku faces pressure at her workplace over targets, Bold Kannan's help lands them in dangerous territory involving ruthless gangster Dharma (BS Avinash), who deals in smuggling and illegal arms. Director Arumugakumar has a unique voice in storytelling, crafting protagonists who defy conventional traits of a hero. His characters are quirky, flawed people who we may not like instantly, but gradually warm up to. Vijay Sethupathi's Bold Kannan embodies this trait perfectly - his various explanations for his nickname feel both meaningless and odd, though they often leave viewers clueless, particularly during the sluggish first half. advertisementThe narrative gains momentum when a seemingly simple poker game for quick money turns life-threatening. However, reaching this point requires one to sit through a lacklustre screenplay and an overextended poker sequence that, despite Sam CS's musical score, fails to generate genuine tension. Why? Because not everyone knows poker. You have to take cues from Sam CS's music to feel the film truly finds its footing when Bold Kannan orchestrates an elaborate heist. These sequences reveal his criminal expertise and methodical approach, finally providing insight into his capabilities while raising intriguing questions about his mysterious background - questions that unfortunately remain unanswered in this Sethupathi delivers a compelling performance, making Bold Kannan interesting with his signature wit and charming presence. The character's eccentricities feel authentic in his hands. Rukmini Vasanth brings both beauty and emotional depth to Rukku, making her role effective, though occasional lip-sync issues are B Rawat's cinematography beautifully captures Malaysia's scenic landscapes, while the music presents a mixed bag. Sam CS's background score often feels intrusive and jarring, whereas Justin Prabhakaran's melodic compositions, despite serving as speed breakers, offer a soothing experience.'Ace' suffers from significant structural flaws, mainly because we know little about Kannan's past, which would otherwise have lent credibility to his extraordinary criminal abilities. Instead, audiences must accept his brilliance by faith alone. The screenplay relies heavily on convenient plot devices, making most twists predictable and reducing the intended the heist sequences show promise and the post-interval portions gain some traction, the overall experience feels incomplete and unsatisfying.'Ace' unfortunately joins 'Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren' in the category of polarising cinema, though for different reasons. Where the previous film was deliberately zany and wacky, 'Ace' falls prey to convenient storytelling. While Arumugakumar's unique voice remains evident, Vijay Sethupathi's performance anchors the film film works best when embracing its heist thriller elements, but struggles to maintain consistency across its runtime, ultimately delivering an experience that feels more like a missed opportunity.2.5 out of 5 stars for 'Ace'.Must Watch
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Vijay Sethupathi says he wants 'stardom'; blames himself for the failure of 'Junga'
1 2 Vijay Sethupathi is all set for the release of his upcoming movie ' Ace ' on May 23. The film, directed by Arumuga Kumar , also features actress Rukmini Vasanth in her Tamil debut. In a recent conversation, he spoke about ' stardom ' and shared his views on commercial cinema . Vijay Sethupathi about reuniting with Arumuga Kumar In an interview with Hindustan Times, Vijay Sethupathi spoke about working with director Arumuga Kumar, who gave him his break back in 2018 with Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren. Asked why it took them six years to collaborate again, the actor said, 'We did have conversations in between and discussed around seven or eight ideas, but Ace is the story which finally clicked for me. He executed Laabam for me in 2021.' Ace - Official Telugu Trailer He further elaborated on the plot of Ace, calling it a mix of love story, crime, and action. 'The protagonist has a major past, but he gives it all up to create a new identity for himself and lead a new life. But unfortunately, life presents a situation – love and the people he loves – where he has to become the old one once again,' he explained. With popular comedian Yogi Babu also part of the cast, Sethupathi assures that the film offers not just intensity but also lighter moments. Embracing Failures and Taking Risks Despite a series of critically acclaimed performances, Sethupathi has had a few misfires at the box office, including Junga. But he owns up to the setbacks. 'I liked Junga. I'll blame myself for the failure of that film – maybe I didn't act convincingly enough in it, and it didn't reach the audience,' he says candidly. He explains that while a story may seem promising during narration, filmmaking is unpredictable — miscalculations can happen, and if the final product doesn't connect with audiences, it's often seen as a failure. He shares that audience and critic feedback has helped him grow, and despite warnings about playing villains, he chose to take risks. Coming from a middle-class background, he believes it was courage – not fear – that led him to pursue acting, and he refuses to stay in a comfort zone. Defining Stardom on His Own Terms Sethupathi has often been labelled more of an 'actor's actor' than a commercial star, but he sees things differently. 'No, I see myself as a star – the way I approach cinema is probably different,' he asserts. He shared that the way people define a star varies. But for him, a star is someone who brings the audience to theatres – and he does that with his films. 'I believe I'm a star because I can bring the audience to theatres, engage them, act convincingly, entertain them, and make an impact with the story being told,' he stated. He further explains that, for him, commercial cinema is not about mass appeal elements – it's all about bringing back the money invested in the film. He believes that a movie should give fans a sense of exhilaration through performance. 'I want stardom, and I want to be a star, and I want to work to remain a star,' he shared. The actor also admitted that following the same formula to make a hit movie will not help, as there should be constructive changes in the filmmaking format. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Pink Villa
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Vijay Sethupathi's movie ACE censored U/A; know runtime, star cast and everything
Ace, starring Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role, is slated to hit the big screens on May 23, 2025. Ahead of its release, the film was certified by the CBFC on May 19, 2025, granting it a U/A 13+ rating. The film Ace marks the actor's 51st cinematic venture in the lead role and is touted to be a romantic crime comedy. With the certification, the movie has been revealed to have a runtime of 156.9 minutes, which, when converted, comes to approximately 2 hours and 36 minutes. Ace follows the story of Kannan, a man who dreams of starting afresh in his life and moves to Malaysia. However, his journey takes a dark turn when a heist gets botched, and it inadvertently pulls him into the life of crime and deceit. How he could manage to navigate himself through all the trials and how he can outsmart everyone else to survive sets up the rest of the movie. With Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role, the movie features an ensemble cast of actors like Sapta Saagaradaache Ello fame Rukmini Vasanth, Yogi Babu, BS Avinash, Babloo Prithiveeraj, Divya Pillai, and many more in key roles. The film is written and directed by Arumuga Kumar, who is uniting with Vijay for the second time after Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren, a black comedy film that had actors Gautham Karthik, Gayathrie, and Niharika Konidela in co-lead roles. The movie's musical tracks were crafted by Justin Prabhakaran, with the background scores being created by Sam CS. With Karan B. Rawat handling the cinematography, the film is edited by Fenny Oliver. See the Ace trailer: Coming to Vijay Sethupathi's work front, the actor was last seen in the movie Viduthalai Part 2. The sequel film, directed by Vetrimaaran, follows the life of a police constable amidst an operation to apprehend a revolutionary leader, with Soori as the co-star. Moving ahead, Vijay Sethupathi has movies like Train, directed by Mysskin, and Thalaivan Thalaivii, helmed by Pandiraj, in his lineup. The latter's announcement was recently unveiled by the makers, with Nithya Menen playing the female lead.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Ace' trailer: Vijay Sethupathi's elusive ‘Bold' Kannan promises a stylish heist comedy
The trailer of Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi's upcoming film, Ace, directed by Arumugakumar, was unveiled by the makers on Sunday (May 11). The film, a reunion between Vijay and Arumugakumar after 2018's Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren, is set for release in theatres on May 23. In the trailer, Vijay appears as a man who flies to Malaysia to renew his slate and live under a new identity. He becomes the elusive 'Bold' Kannan, who is extremely good at gambling. But how did he get his nickname 'Bold'? The story keeps changing; to Divya Pillai's character, he says it's because of his bold nature, while Yogi Babu's character is made to wonder if it's in fact 'Bolt' and not 'Bold.' He wooes Rukmini Vasanth's character and says that he's 'Bold' Kannan because he's as electrifying as a lightning bolt. The rest of the trailer reveals that Kannan is in Malaysia for a reason, and we see glimpses of a story set around gambling, drug smuggling and crime syndicates. Towards the end of the trailer, Vijay Sethupathi interestingly name-drops actor Sivakarthikeyan, considered widely as his contemporary. Ace also features Babloo Prithveeraj, BS Avinash, Muthu Kumar, and Raj Kumar in pivotal roles. Denes Kumar, Alvin Martin, Priscilla Nair, Jasper Supayah, Kaarthick Jay, Nagulan, and Zahrinaris are also part of the cast. With songs scored by Justin Prabhakaran and background score composed by Sam CS, the film has cinematography by Karan Bahadur Rawat and editing by Fenny Oliver. Writer-director Arumugakumar produces Ace under his 7CS Entertainment banner.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Ace' trailer: Vijay Sethupathi starrer gears up for a stylish, high-stakes cinematic ride
Vijay Sethupathi returns to the big screen with 'Ace,' an action-packed entertainer directed by Arumugakumar . Following the success of 'Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren,' the actor-director duo reunites to deliver a film that blends crime, comedy, drama, and a touch of romance. Set against the bustling backdrop of Malaysia, ' Ace ' promises a fresh narrative with international appeal and a protagonist like never before—introducing the enigmatic 'Bold' Kannan. Operation Sindoor Amid flare-up hours after thaw, officials say things will settle down with time Ceasefire on, but pressure stays: Key decisions by India against Pak that still stand 'Will work with India & Pakistan to seek solution on Kashmir': Trump Bold Kannan makes a stylish entry in a gripping trailer The makers have unveiled the trailer, and it opens with Vijay Sethupathi arriving in Malaysia, his character seeking redemption and purpose. With a rugged look and trademark wit, Vijay Sethupathi brings intrigue to his role as a man whose past is shrouded in mystery. As the trailer unfolds, viewers are treated to slick visuals, daring heist sequences, and fast-paced action intercut with comic relief, primarily through Yogi Babu 's antics. The sketch of Sivakarthikeyan in one frame adds a quirky twist that's bound to create buzz. An ensemble cast and skilled crew back the vision The cast features Vijay Sethupathi in the lead, with Yogi Babu playing a prominent supporting role and Rukmini Vasanth making her Tamil debut as the female lead. The film also includes Divya Pillai and P. P. Gnanam in key roles. The music is composed by Justin Prabhakaran , known for his emotionally resonant soundtracks, while cinematography by Mahesh Muthuswami gives the film a slick, international feel. A story of reinvention set to hit the big screens this summer 'Ace' revolves around Kannan's transformation as he becomes entangled in a world of high-stakes gambling and deceit. With themes of reinvention, unlikely partnerships, and adrenaline-fueled missions, the film builds expectations for a fun, thrilling ride. Scheduled for a May 23, 2025 release, 'Ace' is poised to be a summer treat for fans of Vijay Sethupathi and genre-bending cinema alike. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . And don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
