So I feel that earlier the movie ends, the better. But the film takes a diversion as Kabali sets to find his wife (very neatly played by Radhika Apte) along with his daughter (a tomboy character played by Dhansika through which director wants to show that he is all in for equal opportunities). The fan in me begs for some punchlines and some typical Rajni fights. With minimum expectations I start watching the second half not bothering a bit about the story. The scene leading to the interval doesn't make any impact to make the audience curious and eagerly wait for the second half. As more and more characters get introduced it only adds to the confusion and I wait for the break which is something I wouldn't have hoped watching a Rajni movie. At this point of the time the critic and the fan in me both start wondering what is happening. As the flashback part of the movie begins, it takes a political turn and yet once again it isn't convincing enough. We all see Rajni on screen, but we only see bits and pieces of Rajniism but not too convincing. They no more shout, whistle or clap when they see Rajni uttering some punchlines.
As the movie runtime comes close to an hour, the audience have seemed to lost the enthusiasm as well. I see random villains trying to kill Kabali but with not much of a zeal or a structured plan. I sit there hoping for a typical South Indian movie flashback which cooks up a good and a brutal revenge story. The critic in me starts to think why all this is happening, but the fan in me asks the critic to wait for some more time.
Random scenes follow with some flashback thrown in.
There is always a herd of people around him as he walks, eats, drives and give speeches at his Free Life Foundation (please don't ask what it's about). The so called gangster cum social worker Kabali looks for some answers and payback as he is out of jail. As the movie plot begins to shape up the cinema lover inside me wonders as if it is picking up somewhere from the middle. Whistles follow as the Rajni dances a few steps in the introduction song. The fan inside me buckles up for a Rajni ride. It feels good to see him doing push ups even at this age. It is followed by 'Sivajiesque' introduction scene in the jail. As the 'SUPER STAR' flashes on screen with the Kabali theme music, excitement runs through the movie hall. Just as much this movie struggles to find the balance between the actor and superstar Rajni. Watching Kabali for me was an inner struggle between the fan in me and the critic. So I went to the theatre with minimum expectations on the story and logic, but I did expect it to be an out and out Rajni film. I did the same for Kabali and I also avoided listening to naysayers despite the bad feeling I had from my previous outing with Linga. Even I am one of those who eagerly wait for a Rajni film and watch the trailer over and over to get that feel before the release. The so-so start comes in spite of excellent reviews, which are now running at 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the franchise seems to have trouble reaching beyond its core audience.I am a sucker for mass films and typical heroism, I admit it. The studio has the film coming in at $59.6 million over three days, which is substantially short of the $79.2 million earned on debut by Star Trek (the reboot) in 2009, and the $70.2 million made by Star Trek Into Darkness. Star Trek Beyond will fall just short of $60 million at the box office this weekend, according to Sunday estimates from Paramount. Weekend Estimates: Star Trek Falls Short of $60 Million However, Kabali came close with $8,380 in 236 over the three-day weekend and $16,539 including Thursday. The only other film in the $10,000 club was Train to Busan with an average of $10,547 in 28 theaters. The number one film of the weekend, Star Trek Beyond, earned an average of $15,085. Café Society fell to second place with $16,999, but it did expand to 50 theaters, so this is still impressive. I expect it to expand rapidly over the coming weeks. Theater Averages: Don’t Think Twice hits First Place on Yearly Chart with an Average of $92,835Ĭafé Society's record lasted just one week as Don’t Think Twice earned $92,835 in its lone theater. See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.įalsely Accused, Revenge, Romance, Betrayal, 1980s, 2010s, Framed, Organized Crime, Slavery All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 6,701-6,800)Īll Time International Box Office (Rank 11,601-11,700)Īll Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 9,701-9,800)Īll Time Domestic Highest Grossing Limited Release Movies (Rank 601-700)