Extraordinary Man is a Telugu action-comedy film that was released in theaters on December 8, 2023 and started streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on January 19, 2024. Written and directed by Vakkantham Vamsi, the film stars Nithiin and Srileela in the lead roles under the banner Shreshth Movies, and also stars Rajasekhar, Sudev Nair, Rao Ramesh, Rohini, Sampath Raj, Brahmaji, Harshavardhan, Hyper Aadi, and others in key roles. It was released with a U/A rating and a runtime of 2 hours and 37 minutes with music by Harris Jayaraj, cinematography by Arthur A. Wilson, Yuvraj, Sai Sriram, and editing by Praveen Pudi. Expectations were high on this film, as Nithiin did not get a hit after Bheeshma and Vamsi did not get a success as a director after Naa Peru Surya. The trailer has comedy, action, and meta references. How is this movie? Let's see my feelings, highlights, and shortcomings in this review!
What's in the story?
Abhinay (Abhi, Nithin) lives in Hyderabad with his parents Somasekharam (Rao Ramesh) and Usha (Rohini) and works as a junior artist in films. His father always scolds him for dreaming of becoming a hero. When his father gets injured and is hospitalized, Abhi puts aside acting to take care of his family responsibilities and joins a company as the CEO of a rich woman named Likhita (Sreelila). The two fall in love. However, when his friend Rakesh tells him the story of a detective-versus-gangster movie, Abhi turns to acting again. But, when he goes on the sets, the director chooses another hero. In this sequence, an unexpected twist happens in Abhi's life. How will he face a gangster named Nero (Sudev Nair) and IG Vijay (Rajasekhar)? How will Abhi play his film script in real life? That is the story.
My Feelings: Good idea, but flat execution!
When I saw the trailer of Extraordinary Man, I felt that it would be a fun ride with comedy in the style of Bheeshma, quirky entertainment from Vamsi's works like Race Gurram, and meta references. The first half was impressive with Nithin-Rao Ramesh comedy, film industry spoofs (Baahubali, Kantara, Vijay Deverakonda-Rashmika references), and Nithin's energetic performance. As a user on X wrote, "Nithin's comedy timing and Rao Ramesh's dialogues made the first half fun!" I agree with Anna's sentiment. Reviews from The Hindu and OTTplay (3/5) praised the film's smart writing and comedy moments. However, the Times of India (2.5/5), Indian Express (1.5/5), and Hindustan Times ("The most ridiculous film of 2023") criticized the second half for its silly narration, logical errors, and unnecessary romantic track. A 5.1/10 rating on IMDb and comments like "Cringe fest, Vamsi direction should be dropped" on Reddit show a mixed response. The story dragged in the second half, Nero's villainy fell flat, and the songs were a hindrance.
Technical aspects, acting
Technically, the film was average. Arthur A. Cinematography by Wilson, Yuvraj, and Sai Sriram shows the locations of Maredumilli and Hyderabad decently, but the visuals seem outdated. Harris Jayaraj's music is disappointing; while the song "Danger Pilla" is decent, the background score is overdramatic and the songs disturb the story. Praveen Pudi's editing is unable to control the slow pace. Vamsi's dialogues have fun wordplay like "Mohanty, Moham Teey", but the script lacks depth. The production values reflect the budget limitations. Nithiin's acting is the strength of the film. He impressed in Bheeshma, and as a junior artist, he leads the first half with comedy timing and energetic body language. Cinema Express review praised his “exhibitionist” performance. Rao Ramesh played the father in an over-the-top but funny way; his dialogues were the highlight. Rohini did a neat job as the mother. Srileela impressed with the glamour in the romantic track and songs, but the lack of depth in the character disappointed. Sudev Nair as the routine villain Nero and Rajasekhar as IG Vijay gave a nostalgic feel, but their roles did not impact. Brahmaji, Hyper Aadi, Sampath Raj were okay in supporting roles.
Likes and Dislikes
Likes:
Nithin's performance: He led the first half with comedic timing and energetic acting.
Rao Ramesh's comedy: Over-the-top dialogues, father-son scenes made me laugh.
Meta references: Baahubali, Kantara, Naresh-Pavithra Lokesh spoofs were fun.
Concept: The idea of playing the movie script in real life seemed fresh.
First half: It was entertaining with spoofs and comedy.
Dislikes:
Second half dragged: Silly narration, logical errors made the story flat.
Unnecessary romantic track: Nithin-Sreeli's love story felt lacking and disturbed.
Villain of the Week: Nero's character lacks intensity and depth.
Songs, BGM: Harris Jayaraj's music was disappointing, the songs stopped the story.
Poor execution: Vamsi's direction and script wasted a good idea.
Who should watch it?
Extraordinary Man is a must-watch for fans of Nithiin and Srileela, for those who like comedy entertainers like Bheeshma and Race Gurram, and for the youth who enjoy film industry spoofs. It has clean comedy and mild action with a U/A rating, so even family audiences can watch it in theaters or on Disney+ Hotstar. A user wrote on Reddit, "The movie was fun, but the timing of the songs in the theater was annoying," which suggests the vibe of the movie. However, those expecting emotional drama like Hi Nanna, Guntur Karam or intense action like Hanuman may find the film cringeworthy and outdated. Reviews comparing it to Vamsi's flops like Kick 2 show the limitations of the film.
Rating: 2.5/5
Extraordinary Man Nithin's comedy, Rao Ramesh's dialogues, first half spoofs, and meta concept impressed. However, the second half drags, unnecessary romantic track, weak villain, and poor execution keep the film a half-success. Vakkantham Vamsi started with a good idea and lost track with silly narration. A fun watch for those looking for a comedy entertainer, but a disappointment for those expecting Bheeshma-level impact
Release Date: December 8, 2023 (Theaters), January 19, 2024 (Disney+ Hotstar)
Director: Vakkantham Vamsi
Cast: Nithiin, Srileela, Rajasekhar, Sudev Nair, Rao Ramesh, Rohini
Rating: U/A (Action, Comedy, Romance)