The Goat is one of the most-awaited films in Tamil cinema as Vijay is playing the main lead. As he is busy with his political entry, this film is being hyped to no level. Venkat Prabhu has directed this film which has Meenakshi Chaudhary as the female lead. Archana Kalapathi has produced this film on a massive note and read the review here.
Story: MS Gandhi (Vijay), a former SATS officer, hides his profession from his pregnant wife Anuradha (Sneha). During a work-related trip to Thailand with colleagues Sunil (Prashanth), Kalyan (Prabhudeva), Ajay (Ajmal Ameer), and boss Nazeer (Jayaram), a tragedy strikes, leading to the loss of their son, Jeevan. Devastated by Gandhi’s carelessness, Anuradha leaves him with their newborn daughter. Years later, the past resurfaces and Gandhi begins his journey to unravel the actual truth.
Performances: Vijay plays dual roles in this film and he is amazing as always. But it is the role of Jeevan that Vijay kills with his negative side. How Vijay plays the mature part is so good to see on the big screen. The face-off between two Vijay’s has been showcased impressively. There are so many fan moments featuring Vijay which his die-hard fans will enjoy. Sneha as Vijay’s wife was good. It was nice to see Prashanth and Prabhu Deva in key roles in this film. Mic Mohan and the other character actors did well in their respective parts.
Technical Aspects: Venkat Prabhu’s direction and screenplay are the film’s weakest aspects. The story feels conventional, and the slow pacing in the first half reduces audience engagement. The excessive runtime further affects its overall appeal. Technically, the VFX team does a good job de-aging Vijay, though other versions of the character appear awkward. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music is underwhelming, and many scenes in the first half feel redundant and could have been cut. The cinematography is decent, and the production values are strong.
Analysis: After the failure of Custody, Venkat Prabhu got a golden chance to direct The Goat. But did the film live up to all the hype, one can say it did not and falls flat for the most part. The first half is slow and tests the audience’s patience, though the second half improves with intense face-off scenes.
The storyline is predictable, adhering to a familiar template. Despite Venkat Prabhu’s claims of an unpredictable plot, the narrative is easy to anticipate, reducing its appeal for those familiar with similar films. A more focused script could have enhanced its impact. However, the overall length remains an issue, and while Vijay’s performance maintains some momentum, the story feels overly stretched.
Meenakshi Chaudhary’s role is largely underutilized, with her presence limited to a few scenes and songs. While the cameos by Trisha and Sivakarthikeyan are a pleasant surprise, they add little to the film’s overall impact. Some of the humor falls flat, and the end credits sequence feels like a direct rip-off from an unsuccessful Hollywood movie. For Tamil fans, it will be a feast but for the Telugu audience, things can look boring.
Verdict: Overall, The Ghost has several fan moments that hardcore fans of Vijay will enjoy. But the story is routine and Venkat Prabhu’s narration is jaded. Also, the length is an issue. If you like action dramas give this film a shot but the film is not worth the hype.
Bottom Line – Only for a few fan moments
Rating: 2/5
