Another review echoed the sentiment and added, “The whole Goa birthday sequence in the second half is a textbook on how to write mass masala scenes with excellent payoff for stars. Personally loved it more than Jailer. Just go and watch it in a packed theatre.”
The film is a rare sequel that Rajinikanth agreed to do. The superstar has, in the past, rejected sequels to his other blockbusters. Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Mirnaa and Rithvik reprise their roles from the first part, with S. J. Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vidya Balan, Anna Rajan and Jatin Sarna joining the cast. The film also features several high-profile cameos by Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, and Jackie Shroff.
Jailer 2 is produced by Sun Pictures and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar. Jailer 2 brings back Rajinikanth as his iconic character, ‘Tiger’ Muthuvel Pandian, who is going against a new legion of bad guys this time.
Some fans said they were reminded of Baasha, the 1991 film that catapulted Rajinikanth to superstardom. “JAILER 2 is a f***ing dynamite. Waiting for jailer 3,” wrote one impressed viewer.
God damn explosion like Baasha!! And even as most of the early reviews were positive, there were a few that felt undone by the film, criticising the abundant cameos and writing. One complained, “Even Rajinikanth’s superstar aura couldn’t save the film. The villains lack impact, the cameos feel forced, and the elevation scenes fail to deliver the expected goosebumps. Expected a blockbuster entertainer, but got a forgettable, below-average sequel. A huge letdown considering the hype and expectations!”
Second half divides fans
But the consensus was that while the first half set the film up nicely, the second half underdelivered. But the writing gets weaker as it goes on, with the SJ Suryah and Vidya Balan villain tracks feeling tiring and impactless, while the film moves away from the entertainment that works best. Rajinikanth’s screen presence still delivers, but even the elevation scenes don’t hit consistently.”
Because of Nelson’s trademark comedy, a few solid Superstar elevation scenes, and Anirudh’s BGM, one review read: “First half works mainly.
