Is Tamil superstar Ajith back in top form? Good Bad Ugly movie review

South Indian superstar Ajith Kumar’s loyalists — who may have been left underwhelmed by Vidaamuyarchi  for not fully tapping into his star power — will likely find redemption in his latest outing, Good Bad Ugly. This audacious gangster-gone-rogue actioner gleefully embraces his swagger, larger-than-life aura, and flair for theatricality.

It’s a whacky, self-aware ride populated by characters with painfully pretentious street names like AK/Red Dragon (Ajith Kumar) and twin villains Jammy and Johny (Arjun Das). But the fun lies in how the film is in on the joke — never taking itself too seriously.

Ajith plays flamboyant gangster AK, a trigger-happy anti-hero whose outlandish personality is matched only by his wardrobe: think dragon-print silk shirts, chunky gold rings, and chains that would put most rappers to shame. If Liberace and Versace had a love child, he’d probably dress like this. And his actions? Just as colourful.

Truth be told, parts of the film are gloriously enjoyable simply because every character is unapologetically over-the-top, campy, and on-the-nose. One-liners like, “Don’t run away from problems, face them in the face,” delivered just before gangster AK/Red Dragon punches his opponent with brass knuckles, are tossed around with gay abandon. His rivals fearfully dubbing him “The King of the Jungle who makes his own rules” only adds to the wickedly self-aware charm. 

In one of the film’s standouts (read: extra) moments, AK lounges on a golden chesterfield sofa — because subtlety clearly left the building — and proclaims, “No matter how good I am, the world makes me bad.” That over-the-top gem drops just as his teenage son is arrested for drug trafficking and consumption, framed and served up as a sacrificial lamb by AK’s enemies. Drama? Dialed up to eleven.

So, the story (if we can even call it that) goes like this: AK is a morbid gangster, but his beautiful and scrupulous wife (Trisha) has just given birth to a son and promptly banishes him. Her condition? Come clean, ditch the guns, and swap gang wars for diaper duty.

Like a dutiful husband who moonlights as a whimsical ganglord, AK hangs up his brass knuckles and lays down his gun — not because the bumbling, ineffective cops catch him, but because he decides it’s time to serve. After all, what better way to earn redemption (and maybe a little domestic bliss) than by voluntarily walking into jail?

In the interim, AK’s cloyingly clingy son grows up blissfully unaware that daddy dearest is rotting in prison — and is, of course, developing a sturdy set of abandonment issues. Every year on his birthday, he waits for his father to magically appear, but AK never turns up. Cue the emotional trauma.

By the time he hits 18, the son — clearly taking a page out of his mother’s ultimatum playbook — lays down the law: “Show up this year or never see my face again.” The quivering dad, clearly rattled by the emotional blackmail (and not so subtle manipulation), somehow gets his sentence reduced and walks out of prison just in time for the big birthday reunion.

But just as things are about to get sappy, chaos strikes: the son gets arrested. 

Naturally, all hell breaks loose. Mayhem and macabre shootouts follow in quick succession. After a flurry of bombastic one-liners and snarling threats — delivered with the intensity of a jungle cat mid-roar — AK, a.k.a. Red Dragon, slips right back into his gangster shoes. And just like that, the redemption arc is torched in favour of a bullet-ridden, blood-soaked comeback. 

Every scene in this blockbuster-in-the-making is designed to pay lip service to Ajith Kumar’s fanbase. Several moments are sculpted to echo his earlier hits — most notably Vaalee. Simran, his co-star from that film, even makes a surprise appearance, channelling Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. Clad in figure-hugging yellow and black piping — a cheeky nod to Tarantino’s pulpy aesthetic — she’s clearly there to extract whistles and catcalls. And if you can look past her overly botoxed face, there’s some genuine fun to be had.

The film takes its ridiculousness up a notch with throwaway gags about Red Dragon saving John Wick and being the mastermind behind Money Heist's Professor’s plan. It’s all so wildly outlandish, you can’t help but laugh out loud at the sheer whimsy of it all.

Sometimes, a movie is so outrageously outlandish that you can’t help but admire the sheer audacity of its makers — and the cast that dives headfirst into the madness. Good Bad Ugly wouldn’t have been half as fun or this bonkers if it hadn’t fully committed to its chaos. Thankfully, it does — guns blazing, silk shirts unbuttoned, and logic firmly tossed out the window. 

The film's soundtrack doesn't just complement the wild ride—it fuels it. Picture this: gunfights erupting in casino-like bars, all set to the nostalgic beats of Ilaiyaraaja's retro hits. It's as if the Wild West went on a psychedelic trip to India. 

All the actors in this film seem to have been handed a clear, theatrical brief: "Ham your way into this role, and position Ajith as the indefatigable hero — revered and unshakable." And they follow it to the letter. Performances lean towards the exaggerated, with every beat designed to elevate his screen presence. It often feels like the rest are puppeteers, dutifully pulling strings, while Ajith stands at the centre as the puppet master — firmly in control of the spectacle

Be warned: don't expect logic, stellar acting, or a solid script. What it does have in spades is sass, guns, gore, and glorious gangsters with questionable wardrobe choices.