User reviews

Rating - 4/5

A retro style slow burning drama on the backdrop of a hillside Rifle Club.

The story in a nutshell is about the Rifle club and their proud legacy persevered by the successors through the passion of hunting is disrupted by an arm dealer for his personal vengeance.

The writer trio Syam,Dileesh & Suhas has written a visual treat for the audience giving umpteen goosebump moments. Aashiq has effortlessly set background for the storyline that slowly progresses with hilarious dialogues and peak moments complemented with Rex Vijayan's swagging BGM's captivating the viewers to the screen. The first half crawling in few moments gets concealed by an interval punch. The latter half is completely engaging with phenomenal action sequences,Rifles,bloodshed,fire,bullets. The filmmakers pulled off with a spectacular cast giving avenues for their performances.

Startling performances by Dileesh Pothan,Vijayaraghavan,Hanumankind,Vishnu Agastya,Vani Viswanath & Natesh Hegde. Anurag Kashyap has made a kick-ass performance and his contemptuous smile is simply lit. Darshana,Vineeth,Surabhi,Suresh Krishna,Unnimaya,Kiran Peethambaran,Prasant Murali & Sajeev has also made notable performances.

Aashiq Abu has not disheartened the audience by wearing the hat of a DOP. His pioneer effort in capturing the action sequences,the natural lights and beauty of the Western ghats and the period ambience is worth mentioning. Saajan has effortlessly tuned the movie to a complete action packed entertainer. The efforts by Ajayan Chalisssery in giving a retro antique look to the club and sourcing the vehicles deserves appreciation. Action Choreographer Supreme Sundar,Costumes by Mashar Hamsa and the colorist Remesh CP deserves big hugs for their contribution for setting the tone and elevating the movie to a wholesome entertainer.

A must watch entertainer in the theatres to witness a clean masterstroke by Aashiq Abu .

Rifle Club is an action-packed tale of guns, vengeance, and family dynamics, centering on a rifle club family and their standoff with a gangster and his sons. The film starts on a slow note, spending time setting up the narrative and introducing a sprawling cast. While this deliberate pace may test some viewers' patience, it lays the groundwork for an explosive second half.

The turning point comes with a series of intense, high-stakes shootouts that showcase thrilling action choreography and keep you at the edge of your seat. However, the large ensemble cast is a double-edged sword; many characters feel underutilized, leaving some subplots half-baked.

Despite its uneven pacing and loose ends, *Rifle Club* delivers an adrenaline-pumping climax that action lovers will enjoy. It's a movie that thrives on its second-half spectacle but could've been more impactful with tighter storytelling and better character focus.

Aashiq Abu proves his naysayers wrong and bounces back with an extremely stylish, no-nonsense actioner filled with fun one-liners. Yes, this is definitely style-over-substance but when it's tastefully done, I'm not complaining. In the conventional sense, this may also be Abu's most "entertaining" film yet, though it may not feel all that original. That's beside the point here, as the cast (every single one of them) is firing on all cylinders-be it with guns or puns. It's almost like the writers (Syam Pushkaran, Dileesh Karunakaran, Suhas-especially, the former) wanted to shed their "always realistic and grounded" tag and come up with an all-round engaging film that's mostly about guns and the humans wielding them.

A special shoutout (within the ensemble) must go to Hanumankind-his second-coming scene is just FIERY and Rex Vijayan gives him a fantastic song + score. Anurag Kashyap also does well in his first Malayalam outing, mixing up Malayalam and Hindi in his dialogues. Vishnu Agasthya exudes an enigmatic screen presence, and I'm glad he's playing one of the good guys here after RDX. Dileesh Pothen is solid, getting some of the best lines and a whistleworthy comeback. Vani Viswanath shines among the leading ladies, reminding us of what we were missing all this while. Also, Navani's Kasargod accent (if it was dubbed by her) was jolly good.

At 1h 52m, Rifle Club is not trying to come across as an exercise in detailed, arc-filled writing. Aashiq Abu clearly knows what he's going for, which is to make a very good-looking film that makes you laugh and hoot; his filmography was sorely missing out on something this fun-filled (and gleefully violent) for a long time. I think the team managed to score a winner in that regard. The baddies could've been written a tad better though.

Simple story, excellent making, stylish characters, super performances and bucket load of bullets!!!! Fun movie !!! No one character in this movie disappoints. All are awesome. Hanumankind did a good job on debut... Most others are well known performers and they did not let us down. The golden colour grading works well. The comedy suble and part of genuine conversations. Background score by Rex is top notch. Only problem is the movie might not work in other markets as it does not have a star nor has any masala in it. Might pickup if WOM is good. This will be a hit in OTT anyway... Will be a cult movie.

A stylish fun movie about a bunch of people who finally get their wish to flex their shooting skills in a real way with the guns they love. The few problems for me were that the songs were not that impressive and affected the flow of the film, even though they were well integrated in the script and the film could've had more character development so that we could feel more satisfied with each of them eventually ending up more badass than initially shown. I was so happy to see so many of these actors who most would not initially think to be such badasses having an absolute blast here. Glad to see Vani Vishwanath after so many years reminding everyone why she's been the only real action heroine of Malayalam. This has such a huge ensemble cast that it feels impossible to mention everyone but each had their moment that really stays with you. Really wish this was longer and showcased everyone being cool even more.

In what would have been a breakthrough movie in Malayalam by choice of the canvas of gun violence and the underlying theme of "seige/survival" .. the expectations however turned bitter due to shoddy script, poor direction and less than convincing performance by many except of Anurag Kashyap and to a little extent of Dileesh Pothen.

The firing exchanges were poorly choreographed possibly failing in trying to lift some ideas from well rounded western movies like the Magnificent Seven and others.

The overall theme of "Seige & Survival" is a tried and tested formula with much success right from the legendary 1950 Akiro Kurosowa movie "Seven Samurai". This formula is always amenable to innovation as seen in the 2018 Fahd Fasil movie "Varathan" (the outsider) making the movie a runaway success at the box office.

The beginnings of the movie indicate an existential struggle within the plot & by the director failing to narrate a coherent thread .. this lends an impression to the discerning viewer of watching several disjointed YouTube videos.

The plot picks up momentum after intermission with a lot of fairy tale aggression by gun toting youth against seasoned members of a well rounded rifle club ensconed deep within the jungles of the western ghats where big game hunt is the favourite past time and target practice the hobby.

The principal takeaway from the movie was the great opportunity available to showcase firearms of different categories and calibre which could have ignited in the young generation a passion to pursue shooting and there were fleeting moments where one could enjoy the thrill of clay pigeon/flying target shooting in competitive mode by the club members. That was the only silver lining in the movie apart from the outstanding emote by actor Sri Anurag Kashyap who literally carried the movie on his shoulders. The tactical play of emotions enacted by him in retrieving his seriously wounded son from within the rifle club was a brilliant masterpiece.

The downside in the movie was the excessive gun violence depicted which was unnecessary to drive home the plot and to an extent seemed both faked as well as absurd. How much it will appeal to our benign masses here remains to be seen .. though in my view the movie would get better acceptance in places where gun control laws are lax and anyone desiring to defend himself has access to a personal firearm.

Another noxious aspect was the use of very foul language between a father and a son which could have been edited or moderated appropriately without decreasing the intensity of emotion in that phase of the plot.

The DNA of siege movies is the tactical ingenuity depicted by the heavily outnumbered ones in overcoming their adversaries in the climax of the movie which shoots the thrill factor through the ceiling. The movie to an extent toys with and succeeds as evidenced by the wild cheering that arises in the movie hall.

How can one forget the terminal sequences of action in the movie "Varathan" which nearly filled the eyes of the movie goers with tears of joy by the gratuitous grand finale.

The movie "Rifle Club" ups the antee at the climax but everything appears on expected lines at the end making the movie peter out tamely like firing a blank cartridge when a real one was the necessity.

The movie though fictional and perched in the distant past showcases big game hunt, which is an anathema in our life and times where concerns of wildlife depletion and their habitat loss plague us daily.

Finally I can only say that a brilliant opportunity was lost due to the lack of knowledge of those behind the movie .. which if researched well and taken time to craft would have ended as another landmark movie in Malayalam cinema for such is the strength of the "Seige/Survival" theme in the genre of action movies.

Better luck next time .. ..

It will be interesting to hear the views of the much respected Major Ravi on this movie. We need to look forward to it.

Although 'Rifle Club' lacks a deeply engaging narrative, Aashiq Abu delivers a cinematic firework that keeps the audience entertained for two hours without a dull moment.

This film cannot claim to have a great script, despite being penned by Shyam Pushkaran, Dileesh Karunakaran, and Suhas. Instead, it presents a fierce backdrop perfect for gunfights, enriched with all the essential elements for an action-packed drama.

Even in the photographs adorning the walls, Sunny and Aziz establish their distinct character presence, adding depth to the narrative.

It is also refreshing to witness the powerful screen presence of Vani Viswanath after a long hiatus. Just two or three impactful scenes highlight how much Malayalam cinema has missed her charisma.

However, Vani Viswanath's dominance in the scenes tends to overshadow Surabhi, Unni Maya, and Darshan, despite their efforts and training with firearms.

For Vijayaraghavan, portraying Kuzhuveli Lonappan posed no significant challenge, and he executed the role of a wheelchair-bound character with finesse.

Among the supporting cast, Vineeth Kumar as romantic star Shahjahan, Kiran Peethambaran as production manager Rappadi, Suresh Krishna as doctor Lazar, and Prashanth Murali as gun-wielding Pallilachan stand out as the most engaging performances.

Dileesh Pothen and Vishnu Agasthya's gun-toting appearances evoke memories of scenes from their own 'O. Baby,' including the presence of a white dog, which also finds its way into 'Rifle Club.'

Hanuman Kind Suraj's performance adds significant mileage to the film, particularly in the thrilling scene where Bheera enters the Rifle Club.

The real fireworks ignite with the entry of Anurag Kashyap, intensifying the action. On one side, Anurag Kashyap and his team unleash bullets from modern firearms, while on the other, Dileesh Pothan's secretary Avaran and his team counter with antique guns. 'Rifle Club' masterfully blends both styles, creating an explosive cinematic experience.

While Dileesh Pothan impresses as Avaran in Kaduvachal, some viewers may feel that Anurag Kashyap wasn't given enough freedom to fully explore his role as Dayanand Bare.

The song 'Gandharva Gaan..' bears resemblance to 'Ratipushpat' from Bhishma Parvat, although its melody and rhythm seem slightly disconnected. Setting this aside, Rex Vijayan's background score is commendable.

Visually, the cinematography outshines even Aashiq Abu's direction, pushing the film's aesthetics several notches higher.

Despite an impressive cast, the abundance of characters in the action sequences sometimes feels overwhelming, making it challenging to focus on individual performances.

If you enjoy gunfights and thrilling sequences akin to Amal Neerad's films, Aashiq Abu's 'Rifle Club' will not disappoint. This is a movie best experienced on the big screen.

Rifle Club is a blend of action and comedy. The comedic elements are well-executed, and each actor has delivered a solid performance. Surprisingly, Hanumankind steals the show with his swag and remarkable screen presence. The background score is decent and complements the narrative.

I personally enjoyed the first half, as it was engaging and well-paced. The second half, while still good, lacked the same level of intensity. Additionally, the antagonist's character arc could have been developed better.

Overall, it's a decent one-time watch, especially for fans of action-comedy movies....6.5/10.