Drishyam 3 Review: Whether it was Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal’s team, whose franchise was built on intelligence and not action, or the familiarity that envelops Georgekutty, Drishyam 3 is an oddly fatiguing film. The previous films were built on tension and drama, emotional urgency and excitement at the prospect of a normal guy being one step ahead of threats. This time it’s more of a wobble. The screenplay is too long and overhangs with problems that aren’t all that compelling, and Georgekutty no longer exists in such a terrifying corner. The film is a slow burn until the last 20 minutes or so. But there are traces of nostalgia here, Mohanlal’s screen presence is always reliable, and the occasional fun near the end, but then again, the creative fatigue that envelops this third chapter is unmissable.
The plot is yet another round of Georgekutty (Mohanlal). The first movie has him as a normal cableman who lived with his family peacefully until they were forced into a terrible situation and into committing a murder in self defence. In this film, watching Georgekutty making the most of the knowledge he acquired while watching films and his witty instincts to save his family became the soul of the film. In the second part, he was already aware of the danger not being over, and he had made a careful plan for the case to come up again. It caused a lot of suspense and made each play very interesting to watch in the cat-and-mouse game that developed.
The third chapter follows the transformation of Georgekutty into a rich and a well-respected man. Now he is making a movie about himself and the movie is a huge hit. Now he has grown up his daughters and is engaged in arranging the marriage of his senior daughter. But one marriage proposal goes down after another, though. As Georgekutty digs deeper, he discovers that someone is conspiring to undermine these alliances. When he feels that another trap is being laid for him, he sets to hunt down the one behind the trap. It’s that investigation that is the center of the movie.
The most problem I have with this movie is the pacing. The film runs for almost 2 hours and 40 minutes and it’s just too much. The first two hours go by slowly as if they had a bit too much to eat. I was hoping that this thing would blow up and be a lot of fun, but this screenplay takes too long to get to that. The last half hour or so is somewhat more tense and interesting, but still not very impactful.
The challenge of watching Georgekutty outsmart all around him was what made the previous films so successful. The more he faced the more he did, and the more he did the more he learned about himself. But in this case, the problems are small and inconsequential. Georgekutty doesn’t really put in effort to outsmart danger, but rather, he’s out there trying to find out what is going on around him. Even worse, he is only able to respond when there is trouble! This totally alters the character’s energy. What once was his sharpness and unpredictability, today it’s a diluted version of the same.
The other thing is that it’s the way the story unfolds around him that’s weak. A group comes together to develop fake evidence against Georgekutty, as the old case is not re-opened without strong evidence. In theory, it seems to be a good idea. But it’s not very tense, because each time someone is involved with Georgekutty is questioned, they know about it and call him up. Due to this, Georgekutty gets an instant idea that people are trying to trap him. A little longer, I think this film would have been much more interesting if he had been unaware. This screenplay lacks the element of suspense, which is what makes a movie great.
Also, I wasn’t satisfied with the treatment of some of the characters which returned, I’m afraid. Asha Sarath radiated a very strong aura in the earlier movies – particularly as she had an emotional battle in the investigation. It’s as if she’s playing a much smaller role here and practically nothing. The film then makes Siddique the main antagonist against Georgekutty, and makes him look like a mastermind strategist. Unfortunately, it’s a very banal and down-to-the-basics plan and eventual revelations. The build up is more savvy than what the film actually offers.
This is a movie that can’t be understood without first watching the first two and having them very fresh in one’s mind. A lot of reference is made to events and supporting characters from the past. Many segments here may not have the desired effect without the emotional and narrative pull.
Despite my misgivings, I do not come off on the negative side when it comes to the film. Mohanlal’s screen presence in the film remains unparalleled and there are certain points where the film’s’ nostalgia of Georgekutty’ comes in handy. Some of the climactic moments generate a respectable level of engagement, while the technical quality is well done throughout. However, this installment is somewhat depleted of creative ideas compared with the shininess of the previous movies. The franchise felt new, multi-layered and well-crafted. In this place I often seemed to be hearing old thoughts over old feelings, but lacking novelty.
I was surprised the most at the obvious preparation for a fourth part. I personally felt that the material was already tired here in this film. The first film was one of the best crime thrillers Indian cinema produced and the second did not disappoint. Unfortunately, this is not the same level of excellence as the first two chapters. However, if anyone doesn’t have large expectations, they might find it to be a middle-of-the-pack, decent thriller that at best captures the magic of its forebears in part.
Rating: 2.5/5
