Tamil movie "Mahabalipuram" has opened to mixed reviews from critics. The movie directed by Don Sandy has been received by reviewers as a movie that has lots of loop holes.
Most of the critics have opined that the movie has a theme that could have been done better with much neater script. Too many dialogues, poor editing especially in the first half and performance of the actors other than Vinayak are seen as the major drawbacks.
When it comes to the positives, most of the critics say that the gripping last 30 minutes of the movie saves it from being a total disaster. The back ground score of the movie by Krishnan Kumar has also been reviewed to be a decent affair.
Here are the reviews of "Mahabalipuram" by various critics
"The hard hitting message comes to our mind as the first thing. The inevitable thing is about the growing sex scandals, falling into the wrong hands and what people are capable of. Don Sandy's unusual choice of script based on true life incidents sends a spine chilling message through the end, considering the genre of the movie its best to watch and find out rather than knowing the storyline through word of mouth. Tests your patience through the first half, however finishes off as a seething thriller to the end." – Indiaglitz
"The problem with "Mahabalipuram" is that the director finds it really difficult to portray friendship and romance in a believable manner, most of the time he has tried to convey it through dramatically written dialogues which is exactly opposite to the progressive new age Tamil cinema. Also, there is not even a single interesting moment in the first half as the director reserves everything to be revealed in the second half." - Sify
"The performance of the main protagonist, played by Vinayak, who also happens to be the film's producer, is a huge let down. His acting looks clumsy and makes you feel he should be concentrating on producing rather than acting. Karunakaran and Ramesh Thilak have done their job adequately but the real surprise comes from both the leading ladies Angana Roy and Vithika Sheru who have managed to impress one and all with their acting skills, the only let down being their insufficient screen space." – Filmibeat
"The manner in which all the knots are tied off at the end gives the impression that director Don Sandy is one who knows his profession well. He deserves full marks for having made a film that not only scores as an entertainer but also seeks to create an awareness on a form of crime that society urgently needs to address."- The Times of India
