Releasing today amidst humongous expectations, Billa 2 has widely been acclaimed as being India’s first prequel. Audiences are already familiar with David Billa as a character, thanks to the impact of the earlier Billas which showcased the aura, the daredevilry and the sheer guts of this man.

Now, Billa 2 was supposed to trace the roots of David Billa. Billa is a man who is always on the lookout for the next big thing and loyalty counts as his biggest virtue. The journey that David Billa goes through in his quest for total control and domination in his domain is what Billa 2 is, in a nutshell.

It is a typical gangster movie with loads of villains and an invincible hero who has truckloads of charisma and style.

The fairly engaging first half of Billa 2 happens in coastal Tamil Nadu and later moves on to Goa. The intro scene wherein Ajith is engaged in a ferocious fight sequence and the indigenous title credits are gripping. The dialogues by Era Murugan and Mohamed Zafar are the highlight in this segment. They are filled with punch and meaning. Sample this “Na Agadhi da, Anaadha illa”, “Mathavanoda Bayam dan nambaloda Balam”. There are more such dialogues that are guaranteed to please Ajith’s fans.

The tempo is lost in the second half. The two heroines, Parvathy Omanakuttan and Bruna Abdullah are more like guest cameos. It is disheartening to note that Parvathy doesn’t live up to the hype. Bruna Abdullah looks ravishing and the scenes where she flaunts her bikini body are sure to please the male populace. 

The villains, Sudhanshu and Vidyut are majestic and have terrific screen presence. Vidyut’s prowess at stunts has been positioned in his introductory fight sequence. Sudhanshu has to remain the cold and calculating don and doesn’t get to flex his muscles like Vidyut.

Rahman has a blink and you miss type cameo while Manoj K Jayan, Krishna Kumar and Sriman have negative roles which they have done adequately. Ilavarasu impresses in the first half and he is missed in the second half when the action shifts gears.  

Ultimately, this movie is made for Ajith’s fans. Ajith looks fit in the first half while in the second half we get to see him in his typical suave avatar. The ferocious eyes in the fight sequences are Ajith’s biggest strength. His daring guts in the climax helicopter stunt have already been well documented but one does feel that the impact created by this aerial fight isn’t as great as expected. 

The fight sequences done by three separate stunt masters stand out for their ruthless nature. The fist cuffs are fast and they are violent to say the least. The A certificate seems justified.  There are lots of stylish gun shots and blasts that send the pulse racing. But the impact created by all these explosions isn’t great, again.

The editing by Suresh Urs could have been tauter. The ‘Yedho Mayakkam’ song and the needless short belly dance number in the second half hamper the movie’s flow. That said, the editing and VFX in the ‘Unakkulle Mirugam’ song remind you of the flashy style that you see in Guy Ritchie movies.  

It is also disappointing to see the ‘Gang Gang Gangster’ song being reduced to a mere end credits song.

R.D.Rajasekhar’s cinematography has made sure that the movie has a grand look. The songs look glossy, the picture resolution is extra-ordinary thanks to the Red Epic camera and RDR’s work in the helicopter sequence earns extra brownie points.

To conclude, Billa 2 will please hardcore action fans and Ajith fans in particular. The emotional connect goes down thanks to a laborious second half. But, the idea of making a prequel and the grand scale of the movie make sure that the movie isn’t a tiresome experience either. Given the expectations, somehow you feel that the end product hasn’t been delivered.

Verdict: Gangster movie that doesn’t pack a solid punch