Venkat Prabhu’s The Greatest of All Time (GOAT), featuring Thalapathy Vijay in a double role, tries to be a Mission Impossible-esque action thriller but falls far short of delivering a satisfying experience. With a script that struggles to maintain a cohesive narrative, this big-screen spectacle feels like a hollow attempt to capitalise on Vijay’s star power.
The Greatest of All Time follows the story of MS Gandhi (Vijay), a Special Anti-Terrorist Squad (SATS) agent whose life takes a dramatic turn after a mission gone wrong. The film begins in 2008 with MS Gandhi and his team successfully thwarting a uranium-smuggling operation, but the mastermind Menon (Mohan) flees, vowing revenge. Tragedy strikes when MS Gandhi’s six-year-old-son Jeevan dies during a mission in Bangkok.
Fast forward 16 years, a retired MS Gandhi is sent to Moscow where he comes across a younger version of himself — his lost son, Jeevan. They return to India but Jeevan soon betrays MS Gandhi, revealing that he’s working with Menon who had kidnapped Jeevan and brainwashed him into hating his biological parents. Jeevan vows to exact revenge on MS Gandhi for killing Menon’s family in a past mission.
The narrative jumps from one set piece to another but the transitions are anything but smooth. The twists, far from being shocking, are predictable, leaving the audience with a sense of déjà vu. Even the much-hyped face-off between MS Gandhi and Jeevan in the climax lacks emotional depth.
Given the film’s ambitions, it’s no surprise that Prabhu leans heavily on CGI to create the grand set pieces but it is glaringly weak. The opening train mission feels like a cheap imitation of Mission: Impossible, with tacky visual effects that are a distraction in building up the tension. The de-aging of Vijay, a major talking point in the run-up to the film’s release, only adds to the discomfort. The younger version of Vijay looks artificial and unconvincing, raising questions about whether this CGI-heavy approach was necessary at all.
The action sequences — particularly the climactic bike chase on the roof of Chepauk Stadium while a Chennai Super Kings match is on — are poorly executed. In fact the almost-half-an-hour-long climax, against the backdrop of an IPL match, is stretched too long for it to make a solid impact.
One of GOAT’s biggest missteps is its relentless pursuit of fan service. Rather than focusing on crafting a compelling narrative, Prabhu seems more concerned with catering to Vijay’s fan base. From scattered heroic dialogues in the final act to the overuse of dance numbers, the plot has a digression every once in a while. Venkat Prabhu’s trademark humour, which worked so well in his earlier films, like Maanaadu, falls flat here.
If there’s one saving grace in The Greatest of All Time, it’s Vijay’s performance. As the younger Jeevan, Vijay brings energy to the role, capturing the character’s exuberance and youthful vigour. His portrayal of the older Gandhi, however, is less successful. In an attempt to slow down his speech and convey the weariness of a retired agent, Vijay’s performance feels stilted.
The supporting cast, unfortunately, doesn’t fare as well. Prashanth, Prabhu Deva and Ajmal Ameer are largely wasted in their roles as members of MS Gandhi’s team, while Sneha and Meenakshi Chaudhary, playing the film’s female leads, are given little to do. Jayaram, as the head of SATS, and Mohan, playing the antagonist, bring nothing new to their one-dimensional roles.
