Spyder movie review: An enjoyable Mahesh Babu film despite its flaws

Ratings: 3

AR Murugadoss' heroes are usually smart and intelligent, and have the power to overcome hurdles. They are stylish and use innovative methods to solve mysteries around them.

We have seen this in films like Kaththi and Thuppakki, and the director has once again come up with a protagonist -- played by Mahesh Babu -- with similar qualities in Spyder. No surprising here!

One will experience the same kind of excitement as watching Vijay fighting against all odds in the aforementioned films. In Spyder too, the fight between the good and evil is intense and people enjoy the clash between the hero and villain.

Yet, there will a sense of disappointment due to shoddy writing in crucial parts of the bilingual film.

Shiva (Mahesh Babu) has a desk job in the intelligence bureau. Despite being highly qualified he takes up this career as he is happy to help people in need.

He leads a happy life until the mysterious deaths of two women. The hunt for the killer leads him to Sudalai (SJ Suryah), a menacing sadistic villain. He finds pleasure when people bawl their eyes out and their tragedy gives him a kind of happiness.

The hero now has to catch the culprit, who is dangerous and smart at the same time. Their cat-and-mouse game forms the crux of the story.

To begin with the positives, Spyder has some cleverly-written scenes. The strategies the hero adopts to identify the culprit following the murders in the first half and to find his hideout in the second half are some of the best moments in the film.

Sudalai's deadly flashback portions and the way Shiva saves his family members from the villain shows the writing abilities of AR Murugadoss.

A good story would not reach the target audience without a right hero and Mahesh Babu fits the bill perfectly. His mannerisms, emotions and dancing abilities get full marks.

SJ Suryah steals the show with his power-packed performance. Cinematography and music add value to the project. But RJ Balaji is wasted and Rakul Preet Singh's romantic portions are forcefully added to the storyline.

The romantic track and the writing let the film down in the second half.

The climax portion, which should given an edge-of-the-seat experience, is a major drawback in the film. Last but not the least, the poor VFX in the actions sequences adds to the woes. 

Overall, Spyder stands out as an enjoyable entertainer despite its flaws.