Retro Movie Review: A Colourful Action Drama That Bites Off More Than It Can Chew
Rating: ⭐⭐½ (2.5/5)
Introduction: When Ambition Outruns Simplicity
Director Karthik Subbaraj, known for experimental storytelling (Jigarthanda fame), returns with Retro — a film that’s bold, vibrant, and bursting with genre playfulness. Unfortunately, in trying to blend action, comedy, ideology, and fantasy, Retro becomes a case of “too many flavours spoil the broth.”
Though packed with colour, energy, and some standout moments, the movie’s attempt to tie together love, laughter, and war ends up diluting its own impact.
Plot Summary: Love, Laughter, and a Whole Lot More
The story revolves around Paari (Suriya) — a man with a traumatic past who can’t smile, a trait that becomes central to his transformation. His journey of self-discovery involves elaborate schemes, mistaken identities, gladiator matches, and even martial arts training.
Adding to this chaos is Jayaram, who plays a laughter therapist. Ironically, the character meant to spread joy comes off as awkward, with humor that rarely lands. Meanwhile, Pooja Hegde and Joju George fill supporting roles in this overstuffed narrative.
A Wedding Scene to Remember
One of Retro’s most entertaining sequences is the single-shot wedding scene, a technical and visual feast. This exaggerated celebration — chaos, confusion, and masala-packed moments — shows Karthik Subbaraj’s flair for staging grand set-pieces.
The blend of colourful visuals, energetic performances, and Santhosh Narayanan’s peppy score brings this scene alive, giving the film its brief moments of sparkle.
Performances: Hit and Miss
Suriya as Paari
Suriya tries to bring depth and intensity to Paari, whose inability to smile shapes much of the film’s emotional arc. He succeeds in moments but gets lost in the film’s uneven tone.
Jayaram as the Laughter Therapist
Unfortunately, Jayaram’s role feels underwritten and awkward. His forced physical comedy fails to tickle the audience, turning what could’ve been a hilarious side character into a strange afterthought.
Pooja Hegde and Joju George
Both are stylish, screen-friendly presences but remain trapped in shallow, underdeveloped roles.
What Works in Retro:
✅ Bold concept blending action, comedy, and fantasy
✅ Visually vibrant set pieces — especially the wedding chaos sequence
✅ Interesting core idea about laughter as therapy and transformation
✅ Some quirky, comic book-style world-building
Where Retro Fails:
❌ Overstuffed themes — mixing love, war, and laughter confuses the tone
❌ Shallow emotional moments that don’t truly resonate
❌ Poorly written humour for Jayaram’s laughter therapist
❌ Heavy-handed ideological commentary feels forced
❌ Too many subplots weaken the main story
Themes: Lost in Translation
Karthik Subbaraj ambitiously tries to comment on:
Childhood trauma and emotional healing
Love as redemption
The futility of war
Modern slavery & historical exploitation
Global arms trade and politics
…all packed into a single film. But instead of feeling thought-provoking, these threads clash and cancel each other out, leaving the audience disconnected.
Technical Aspects: Style Over Substance
Direction: Visually stylish but narratively cluttered.
Cinematography: Bright, colourful, fitting for its comic book ambition.
Music: Santhosh Narayanan delivers a fun and infectious score that tries hard to keep the energy high.
Editing: Overlong and inconsistent in pacing.
Final Verdict: Great Vision, Flawed Execution
Retro is not without merit — the vision, the style, the bold genre mash-ups are commendable. But the film drowns under its own weight, trying to say too much, too loudly, without allowing its core — a story of love and healing — to truly breathe.
For fans of experimental Tamil cinema, Retro might offer flashes of brilliance. But for most, it will feel like a chaotic, half-baked experiment that never reaches its grand potential.
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