Review 
Sardar 2 review: Karthi makes the spy game worthwhile
A lively period mission and inventive action give this sequel plenty to enjoy, even as its conspiracy grows wordy and the final stretch runs too long.
★★★ ★★ ★
Reviews
Films watched closely. Praise where it lands, push-back where it's earned — never the trade-press shrug.
Review 
Mandaadi review: Soori excels in a rousing sea drama
Sailboat racing gives an old village rivalry fresh excitement, with bruising action and people worth rooting for, despite a few familiar dramatic turns.
★★★ ★★ ★
Review 
4 Idiots review: too many jokes crowd the bungalow
Pugazh leads four pickpockets into a bungalow owned by an organ-trafficking doctor. Sajo Sundar Murugesan has the trap and keeps reaching for the gag instead.
Review 
I'm Game review: a great hand, played safe
Dulquer Salmaan wrestles a transplanted hand with a mind of its own for one terrific hour. Then Nahas Hidhayath's film settles for a revenge plot. 3/5.
★★★ ★★
Review 
Immortal review: a neat trap with loose rules
GV Prakash Kumar rents a room from Kayadu Lohar and walks into a survival thriller. Tight, until the creature's rules bend and the hero shots start. 3.25/5.
★★★ ★★ ★
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Bethlehem Kudumba Unit review: everybody's business
Girish AD turns a Karukutty church colony into a comedy engine. The Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju romance is one thread among many. Six in ten gags land. 3.5/5.
★★★ ★★ ★
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Once More review: Half a great romance
Arjun Das plays soft, Aditi Shankar does her best work yet, and Hesham's songs quietly rescue scenes. Then the flashback arrives. Once More, 3/5.
★★★ ★★
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Toxic review: a fairy tale in pieces
Geetu Mohandas and Yash aim for a dark gangster fairy tale in Portuguese Goa, but chaotic cutting and nonstop aura worship leave nothing to hold on to.
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Pyaar Prema Kalyanam review: Thin comedy stretched across a household lecture
Elan's rom-com turns housework into a two-hour argument that gets settled with real estate. The comedy is thin, the speeches thick. Streaming on Netflix.
Review 
ONE review: the end credits are the better film
Sankagiri Rajkumar writes, shoots, edits and plays every role in ONE. The six-year feat is real. The film it produced never gives you a reason to care.
Review 
Magudam review: three Vishals, one tired script
Vishal's directorial debut casts him in three roles across a shipping-empire revenge saga Tamil cinema shelved decades ago. The climax works; little else does.
★★ ★★★
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Vishwanath & Sons review: warmth, sanded smooth
Suriya and Mamitha Baiju spark in a breezy first half before Venky Atluri sands every edge off his characters. Likeable, but it plays too safe. 3.25/5.
★★★ ★★ ★