Run Baby Run

Mohanlal’s onam release Run Baby Run, directed by Joshy is a smartly crafted movie. It is not a path breaker or trend setter, but it’s definitely a thriller that will give the audience the expected pleasure. A fresh plot and reduced level of cliché makes RBR a good one time watch.

The plot basically revolves around two media persons Venu and Renuka. Renuka is a senior editor in Bharath Vision TV and Venu is an acclaimed sting operation expert who works for big media tycoons like Reuters, BBC etc. In the past they did a combined sting operation that dethroned a major politician. That operation had great influence in their personal life also. After 5 years, the politician is planning a revenge on the journalists who spoiled his career by putting them in a trap and question their credibility. How the journalists tackles these obstacles and manages to prove their credibility is the basic plot of this Joshy movie.

The plot itself has a scope for a fast paced thriller. The makers have tried their best to keep it fully engaging. The past of the leading protagonists is not just a mere addition to add the flavor of romance. It was used nicely in the script. Mohanlal’s character was given a slightly over the top backdrop which annoys at times. A good on screen chemistry between Amala and Lal also works for the movie. No punch dialogs are there for the fans to scream after the movie.

On the performance side, Mohanlal was flawless as the expert sting operation guy. The kind of natural, yelling, funny characterization of Venu was convincingly portrayed by the complete actor. Amala on the other hand was impressive as the smart journalist and cool lover. But when it came to the highly emotional side, she lost the grip. Biju Menon offers some solid fun with his natural rendering. Sai Kumar is impressive as the politician Bharathan Pilla. Siddiq was also satisfying in his breezy character. Small and engaging roles for Krishna Kumar, Vijayaraghavan, Shammi Thilakan, Ameer Niyas and Aparana.

Technically, Joshy’s direction is not that fresh, but still for this kind of a package his style suits. Sachy’s script was really good. Nice selection of theme. The scenes were nicely embedded and the kind of cool talk jokes were also engaging. It looks like Sachy was the main entertainment element of the Sachy-Sethu team as I felt this one as fresh and Mallu Singh as total cliché. Dialogs were also cool. The scripting of the climax could have been made better. RD Raja Shekhar’s work has a key role in this movie. A movie that talks through camera was nicely captured by the DOP. The thrilling and engaging nature of the script was nicely backed up by the camera chief. VFX was satisfying. Music of Ratheesh Vega was also impressive.

Overall, RBR is a good one time watch festival entertainer. It has all the elements to satisfy the neutral viewer and entertain the fans. I am giving 3/5 for this Mohanlal starrer. It’s not going to be a great hit or an all time hit movie of Mohanlal. But for the time being, it’s a pleasing entertainer.