Ace Movie Review: Vijay Sethupathi’s Heist Drama Misses the Mark but Still Entertains

Ace Movie Review, When Vijay Sethupathi and director Arumugakumar reunited for Ace, the buzz was real. After all, their previous outing Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren was either a cult classic or a complete mess—depending on who you asked. This time, fans were hoping for a more universally appealing story, something sharp, stylish, and slick. Did they deliver? Well… not quite.

Meet Bold Kannan: The Enigmatic Antihero

Let’s kick things off with Bold Kannan, played by none other than Vijay Sethupathi. He’s a man trying to cut ties with his criminal past, looking for a clean slate in Malaysia. But you know what they say—once a criminal mastermind, always a criminal mastermind.

Bold Kannan is mysterious, quirky, and not your typical lead. His past? A big question mark. His nickname? Explained through oddball anecdotes that don’t quite land. And yet, Sethupathi infuses the character with enough charm to keep us intrigued.

Yogi Babu and Comic Relief in an Unlikely Duo

Now enters Arivu (Yogi Babu), a ragpicker pretending to be a businessman to impress a hotel owner. He’s the comic relief, sure, but also the emotional anchor that connects us to the simpler, more human elements of the story.

His bromance with Kannan adds some levity, but the humor sometimes feels misplaced, especially in a movie that doesn’t quite decide if it wants to be a gritty heist drama or a quirky caper.

Enter Rukku: A Survivor in a Gritty World

Ace Movie Review, Rukmini Vasanth plays Rukku—a young woman working odd jobs, running from her traumatic past involving a violent ex (played by Babloo Prithviraj). She mistakes Kannan for a thief at first (classic meet-cute with a twist), but eventually forms a bond with him.

Vasanth is compelling, both emotionally and physically resilient. She delivers one of the more grounded performances in Ace, though the occasional lip-sync glitches are hard to ignore.

Poker Face: The Slow Build to Chaos

Here’s where things get a bit dicey. The film drags in its first half, and much of that drag is thanks to a drawn-out poker game. A high-stakes game, you’d expect, right? Well, not if you don’t understand poker.

The tension is supposed to come from Sam CS’s background score rather than the actual gameplay. And if you’re not into poker, you’re left playing emotional catch-up. It’s an ambitious attempt at narrative buildup—but it fizzles more than it sizzles.

The Heist is Where It’s At

Now we’re talking. The film finally hits its stride when the heist kicks in. These sequences are well-orchestrated and genuinely thrilling, showcasing Kannan’s strategic brilliance.

For a moment, you feel like you’re watching a Tamil version of Ocean’s Eleven—minus the gloss and with more grit. This part of the film gives a peek into what Ace could have been if it had stuck to being a full-blown heist thriller.

A Visual Feast in Malaysia

Visually, Ace is quite the treat. Cinematographer Karan B Rawat captures the vibrancy of Malaysia—its bustling streets, neon lights, and coastal beauty. The locales add layers of exoticism and urgency, elevating otherwise flat scenes.

Unfortunately, the visuals alone can’t save a shaky script. But hats off to the camera work—it’s consistently gorgeous.

Soundtrack Hits and Misses

Ace Movie Review, The music’s a mixed bag. Sam CS’s score is intense, but sometimes it goes overboard—like a waiter who just won’t stop pouring water in your glass.

On the other hand, Justin Prabhakaran’s songs are soft, soulful, and melodic. They act like speed breakers though, slowing down the pace at crucial moments.

Unanswered Questions Leave Us Hanging

Here’s the kicker: we never really get to know who Kannan is. Why is he such a brilliant criminal? What shaped him? These are questions that could have added depth and weight to the story—but they remain frustratingly unanswered.

The result? We’re asked to believe in his genius simply because the script says so. That’s not storytelling; that’s lazy writing.

The Problem with Predictability

Another major hiccup is the screenplay’s reliance on convenience. Plot twists feel less like surprises and more like boxes being checked. Everything just feels… too easy. And in a genre like this, predictability is a death sentence.

We want edge-of-the-seat tension. Instead, we get a roadmap with all the turns clearly marked.

Missed Potential: A Heist Film Without the Hustle

By the end, Ace leaves you with a strange feeling: it’s not bad, but it could’ve been so much more. The heist portions are exciting, the performances are solid, but the screenplay and character arcs let the whole thing down.

It’s like ordering your favorite meal and getting a lukewarm version of it. The ingredients are there, but the execution just doesn’t hit the spot.

A Decent Watch, But Don’t Expect a Masterpiece

If you’re a die-hard Vijay Sethupathi fan, Ace Movie Review is worth a watch just for him. He carries the film with ease, injecting life into scenes that would otherwise fall flat. Arumugakumar’s unique narrative voice is present, but overshadowed by a script that leans too heavily on convenience.

It’s a film that had the potential to be a breakout heist thriller, but settles for being a passable weekend watch. Don’t go in expecting fireworks. Maybe just a few sparklers.

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Conclusion

Ace Movie Review, At its heart, Ace tries to be many things—a redemption story, a heist thriller, a character study. But in trying to juggle too much, it ends up dropping a few balls. There’s no denying the charm of its lead actor or the creative spark of its director, but the final product feels like a work-in-progress rather than a polished gem.

If Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren left you puzzled, Ace might do the same—but for different reasons. It’s less wacky, more grounded, but still unsure of what it really wants to be.