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Star Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Kayadu Lohar, Vinay Fort
Director: Nahas Hidhayath
What’s Good: Dulquer Salmaan and Music in some parts.
What’s Bad: Screenplay, Plot, Performances
Loo Break: Anytime
Watch or Not?: Skip
Language: Malayalam
Available On: JioHotstar
Runtime: 171 Minutes
User Rating:
Dulquer Salmaan’s I’m Game was among his highly anticipated movies. After all, it marked his return to Malayalam cinema after three years. Before this, he was seen in the 2023 release King of Kotha, which tanked at the box office. The actor then took his time choosing his next Malayalam film. The film was released in theatres in September after avoiding a direct Onam clash with Khalifa and Bethlehem Kudumba Unit. Despite that, I’m Game failed to shine at the box office.
I’m Game Movie Review: Script Analysis
Dulquer Salmaan plays Dan John, the son of a rich businessman. He has taken over his father’s business, but it is pretty much on the decline. However, he has a gambling obsession, which has left him with massive debts. His moneylenders thrash him so badly that his hands have to be amputated. The hand he receives afterward takes control of him, and it has a personality and a vengeance of its own.
The film then follows Dan John and his journey to discover the secret behind his new hand and why it has a personality of its own. This is essentially the plot of the film. The story follows Dan John’s struggles with gambling, his debts, and his getting caught up in the hand’s quest for revenge.
I’m Game Movie Review: Star Performance
Dulquer Salmaan almost delivers a one-man show, or shall I say, a one-hand show in the film. It is him versus his right hand that forms the central conflict of the film. There are several moments when Dulquer struggles to make sense of his new hand, which confuses him by its own personality and decision-making. Here, Dulquer gets to perform, and more or less, he excels at it. But it soon gets tiring when the plot relies more on his solo struggle than on progressing the story.
Kayadu Lohar plays a physiotherapist who helps Dulquer Salmaan’s character recover after his hand transplant. However, her role never really goes beyond that or her position as Dan John’s love interest. Even the romantic sequences seem rushed, with one song doing all the work. Vinay Forrt plays Dulquer’s close friend in the film, but his character is quite forgettable.
Antony Varghese has a special role in the film. While he does his job well, the character seems half-baked and quite random.
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I’m Game Movie Review: Direction, Music
The film has been directed by Nahas Hidhayath, who previously directed the hit Malayalam film RDX. The film was lauded for its stylised action sequences. While Nahas brings his signature style to I’m Game as well, it never really aligns with the plot. The film needed more emotion and heart for audiences to hop on board and connect with the lead character’s sentiments.
The plot jumps straight into the hand element, which is quite good. But until then, we learn very little about Dulquer‘s character apart from his gambling addiction and the fact that he is a disappointment to his rich father. Sadly, that is the only personality trait of Dan John we ever get to see. After he gets a new hand, it controls him, and the story becomes all about the mystery behind it. Even the story behind the hand is quite predictable and fails to create an impact. Had this portion worked well, the climax and its emotional impact would have been much stronger.
Additionally, the film revolves almost entirely around Dan John and his life. It never really allows the people around him to play an active role in his rather dramatic, crime-filled life. It would have been much more interesting to have a third perspective on his life, adding some gravitas to the story. Alas, we never get to that point. With Dan John being such a problematic personality, we never really get to see how his behavior and the changes he undergoes affect the people around him.
The film’s music is by Jakes Bejoy. Barring the background score, not much stays with you. For every elevation moment, the same hook is used, which is honestly quite catchy and something you might find yourself humming long after the movie is over.
I’m Game Movie Review: The Last Word
It is a film made with good intentions, but it stays very generic in its approach. The film has the perfect lead cast, hardcore cricket emotion, a very prevalent gambling scene, and a fantasy twist involving a hand taking control of a human body. The possibilities were immense. However, the film fails to play around with this concept and remains very predictable.
I’m Game Trailer
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