Minnal Murali, directed by Basil Joseph, produced by Sophia Paul (Weekend Blockbusters) with Tovino Thomas in the titular role and Guru Somasundaram as the antagonist, has been receiving accolades from critics and fans across age groups since it premiered on Netflix on December 24, 2021. The film has been called an ‘out and out entertainer’ and ‘the homegrown desi-superhero film India needed’.
Once again proving that great stories are universal, in the first week of its launch, Minnal Murali is trending at number 4 on the global Top 10 list for non-English films on Netflix! This superhero film is also in the Top 10 in Films in 11 countries on Netflix, including #1 in four countries- India, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
https://www.news18.com/amp/news/movies/minnal-murali-becomes-first-ever-malayalam-title-to-feature-in-netflixs-top-10-films-globally-4609013.html
I couldn't help notice how engaging the climax scene was, like the guy describing how dangerous is Shibu to Saajan and how it created a terrorising feel in myselves. The script writer and the directors did a very good job about this film(Im not saying this is perfect and all. Just pointing out what I felt about certain scenes in it)
Even there is some connection with Godha too. It’s like a small Basil Joseph cinematic universe. Very creative director.
Please concentrate all discussions about the movie here. Unvoted standalone posts will have to be removed.
- S R Praveen - https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/minnal-murali-movie-review-like-a-feel-good-bolt-from-the-sky/article38012642.ece
- Vishal Menon - https://www.filmcompanion.in/reviews/malayalam-review/minnal-murali-movie-netflix-tovino-thomas-basil-joseph-guru-somasundaram-is-magnetic-in-a-marvellous-origins-story-that-has-the-soul-of-a-solid-drama/
- Anna Vetticad - https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/minnal-murali-movie-review-tovino-thomas-is-a-charming-true-blue-desi-out-and-out-naadan-superhero-10228841.html
Please avoid spoilers. If you have to add something, use spoiler tags.
Minnal Murali on Netflix is a desi superhero flick which is surprisingly good even though it picks up bits from a few popular superheroes but does well to not just copy it blindly but use it in context, for example Scare Crow is a Batman supervillain with a scare crow mask, but some villain in an Indian village actually picking up a scare crow mask from a farm makes total sense. Though the standards are pretty low anyway, still Minnal Mural is easily one of the best Indian Superhero movies. The reason I believe is that it sticks to the comic book style of storytelling which most Indian Superhero movies failed at, they made a song and dance Bollywood movie with a superhero in it. Even though Minnal Murali is not based on any Indian Comics but given that I have read a lot of them, I could see how it is on the lines of it. The initial fire sequence is such a reminiscence of the origin story of Super Commando Dhruv. An ordinary guy struck by lightning , getting super powers is pretty normal and then he exploring his powers is funny though inspired heavily by Shazam. The super villain is not just some random sicko trying to destroy the world for some ridiculous reason, he has a pretty good character arc which is always the key for any superhero movie. I watched the Hindi version and enjoyed it, pretty sure kids will too. It ofcourse has its flaws like no real reasoning behind the superpowers or some kind of science getting involved. Not too high on vfx and special effects. The final showdown is not as grand as you would like from a superhero flick and hardly any twist or reveal at all which could have made it more interesting. Overall 3.5/5
I just don't like the way people romanticise the so called "28 year love". It is definitely not okay to celebrate it the way people are doing. The guy literally went on a killing spree to "get" her, at this point you may as well be lauding and encouraging all the acid attacks or whatever else.
To give a little bit more context, she rejected him multiple times, it was only when he killed everyone who loved her, did she come to him or more like "realised" her love. So he created a situation where he is pretty much the only one who loved, wanted and can provide for her and her child.
And to those who say the brother was in the way of their love - he sure wasn't in the way when she took a bold decision to go with the lorry guy.
The creepiest part is when he constantly watches her from a distance. Imagine some stranger watching you every fucking moment.
Kudos to the MM team though, they really potrayed how psychopaths are like, those were some of the most uncomfortable scenes in the movie.
Edit :
I never criticised the creators, I'm criticizing the people who glorify stalking and psychopathic behaviour.
How best would you steer Minnal Murali universe forward ?
Would you even take it forward ?
Firstly, I think the Bruce Lee character added very little or nothing to the story, so I would not have had that. I’d also not have the wedding sequence of Aneesh and Bincy. The two characters are fine though.
Secondly, I think the way Pothan finds out about the photographer and the photos taken at the school event (while being at the principal’s office) could have been better, it felt lazy to me. He could have found out about the pictures when he was out investigating the case, rather than something that just happened by chance.
I think the film reached its tipping point when Jaison and Shibu are at the tea stall. But personally – in my honest view, the screenplay post that point went all over the place.
I liked the interaction between the two characters – especially when Shibu tells Jaison that he’s going to leave the town but the cops coming in along with Shibu’s ex-boss could have been avoided, and also the sequence where Pothan arrests Jaison.
This is how I'd have liked it to have played out:
During their conversation outside the tea ship, I’d have liked Jaison to have requested Shibu to surrender to the cops and Shibu to resist that suggestion. Shibu would tell them he’s going to leave the town that night with Usha, to which Jaison tells him that if Shibu wouldn’t surrender, Jaison would go the cops himself. Shibu laughs it off.
Shibu then goes to Usha’s house. The house is locked. He’s confused and wonders if she's left him. He goes home disappointed, only to find her there, waiting for him. His anger turns into joy. The whole sequence with the music and her discovery of his true love of 28 years plays out.
Shibu tells Usha that they will leave the town tomorrow morning, they then cuddle and go to sleep.
Just then Shibu hears/sees Jaison outside his house. Jaison pleads to Shibu to surrender to the cops. Shibu refuses and asks him why he cares so much about the police when they have nothing but a thorn in his life. Jaison says that he believes in law and not the cops. Shibu laughs. Jaison then tells Shibu that if he doesn’t surrender, he’s going to tell the truth to Usha.
This infuriates Shibu. He starts to think that Jaison can fuck his life up, so he decides that Jaison needs to be eliminated. The two being to fight. Usha and her daughter are clueless as they are fast asleep.
Jaison doesn’t want a fight but Shibu needs to kill him, else he may get to Usha.
In the fight, Jaison gets beaten black and blue. And in an effort to kill him, S
... keep reading on reddit ➡I watched it last night. Very well made, well written and well acted. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Few hiccups technically but considering the budget, they exceeded the expectations.
Also it's not just a great superhero movie, it's a great Christmas movie. Today is a good day to watch it. Merry Christmas!
I was impressed by Minnal Murali. While, I don't think it's a perfect film, it's a solid entertainer that is well directed, well acted, and decently written for the most part.
I want to take a deeper look into Minnal Murali and do a light analysis of its characters and themes.
Thematic parallels between hero and villain
Jaison and Shibu have strikingly similar backstories and undergo parallel arcs throughout the story. They are mirrors of each other. Both are outsiders to the village of Kurrukanmoola (traveling actor, Tamil migrant), who are orphaned from their single parents at a young age due to some tragedy (firework explosion, suicide).
The difference is, Jaison is adopted and given the love a child requires to grow, while Shibu, carries the stigma of his mother's suicide due to her mental illness, and is therefore neglected by society and left to fend for himself.
It’s this key point of divergence that defines these characters and influences their actions moving ahead.
Due to his neglect, Shibu obsessively attaches to the tiniest amount of humanity that was shown to him as a child, toward Usha who fed him when he was a starving child. He veers off into madness, becoming increasingly possessive of her. His primary conflict is with the society that rejected him, the mob that eventually kills Usha.
Jaison manages to repress his memories of his father, but nonetheless grows up to be a well-adjusted himbo. By uncovering his repressed memories, and his father’s desires for him, he gains purpose as a hero. (IMO this was honestly the weakest part of the movie. Trauma represses memories, but rarely your parent, and especially unlikely when you’re as old as Jaison was when his dad dies. Also, every line his father says was lame as hell, and this portion, though thematically well-thought out, was not well-executed, and the flashbacks to the inciting explosion were tedious)
I see that as the primary message of the movie. Two people, from similar circumstances are given great power. The difference was how they were treated by their environment. Love and nurture vs neglect and rejection. This leads to vastly different outcomes. Power does not corrupt. Power reveals.
Having the heroes and villains in a story be mirrors of each other is not a new thing to superhero movies, in fact it’s a cliche at this point (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaNWFHLy2NI). But the execution was better than most marvel movies, and felt earned, and was one of the best instan
... keep reading on reddit ➡Arshad Warsi in a Minnal Muraliesque Indian superhero movie..
And Javed Jaffrey as his Shibu/complicated antagonist.
I think they would kill it. Cuz I'd watch the shit outta that.
Yay or nay?
Perfect antagonist .. with solid writing. It’s like a prequel to superhero movie. What do you say bondas?
So it's the first time the movie industry here (Mollywood) produced a superhero movie. I've always enjoyed MCU and DCEU movies. So as a guy who loves superhero stuff, I'm very excited to have a superhero from my own region.
I'm not saying it's technically advanced or it can go toe to toe with other Hollywood films, it's a small movie. It's a different approach. Idk if it's gonna be up to your taste. I enjoyed it!
People who watched the movie......Is Minnal Murali great? 'cos everyone had been bickering on and arguing about how huge of a mistake Basil Joesph and team were making by looking for an OTT release and not a theatre release and stuff....
Since the movie released, i saw a lot of mixed opinions on it, some said it lacked this specific "superhero element" in the movie and the movie was much of an emotional roller-coaster....
So, do you think it's definitely a worth-a-watch-at-theatre kinda movie? 'cos i have exams to prepare for and didn't have time to watch it, tho i was waiting a lot for it :(
I think minnal murali is a promising start to more Malayalam superhero movies. What do you think?
Except for its length, one of the best superhero origin stories I've seen. And I include Marvel movies in that.
The characters were so good, especially the villain. Stoked for the next movie in the Minnal Cinematic Universe!
Sorry if this doesn't fit in this sub. I had no one else to share my excitement with!
It looked like a cringy illogical film to me
Minnal Murali, directed by Basil Joseph, produced by Sophia Paul (Weekend Blockbusters) with Tovino Thomas in the titular role and Guru Somasundaram as the antagonist, has been receiving accolades from critics and fans across age groups since it premiered on Netflix on December 24, 2021. The film has been called an ‘out and out entertainer’ and ‘the homegrown desi-superhero film India needed’.
Once again proving that great stories are universal, in the first week of its launch, Minnal Murali is trending at number 4 on the global Top 10 list for non-English films on Netflix! This superhero film is also in the Top 10 in Films in 11 countries on Netflix, including #1 in four countries- India, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
https://www.news18.com/amp/news/movies/minnal-murali-becomes-first-ever-malayalam-title-to-feature-in-netflixs-top-10-films-globally-4609013.html
