Turbo movie review: A double-engine Mammootty and nefarious Raj B Shetty shoulder wafer-thin actioner

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Meanwhile, he soon discovers that these goons were sent by the family of his close friend Jerry’s (Shabareesh Varma) girlfriend Indulekha, to deter Jerry from pursuing a relationship with her. Irked, Jose intervenes, but the situation quickly spirals out of control, forcing him to flee to Chennai with Indu and Jerry. Nonetheless, what awaits them there is even worse, as they get entangled in a situation far beyond their capabilities, clashing with political kingmaker Vetrivel after meddling in his business. The remainder of the film focuses on their dilemma: whether to run for their lives or confront Vetrivel face to face.

Unlike typical actioners where the hero is introduced with a fight sequence accompanied by a mass BGM, Jose makes his first appearance while his mother scolds him for his reckless behaviour and his pride in the nickname “Turbo”, earned due to his full-throttle stunts. As a middle-aged man obedient to his elderly mother, Jose is initially shown as an innocent soul. However, once trouble arises, he transforms into Turbo Jose, relentlessly facing his targets until they are defeated. From his first appearance, the movie begins to revolve entirely around Mammootty and he skillfully carries Turbo with his remarkable screen presence. Unfortunately, the megastar’s towering presence is one of the few redeeming qualities in an otherwise thinly plotted film.

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From the outset, Turbo suffers from poor writing, exacerbated by unimpressive moments and “jokes” that mostly don’t land. Despite the instances being all too familiar, none manage to leave an impression or evoke excitement, except for the stunt sequences, which owe their success entirely to the technical team, especially stunt master Phoenix Prabhu. As the film progresses, writer Midhun Manuel Thomas’ script continues to decline, with his attempts to balance mass, comedy and drama mostly backfiring due to consistently weak writing.

As much as the mass and comedy elements lack impact, the script also fails to build tension or do justice to the characters in emotional moments. Several instances that could elevate the emotional and tense atmosphere pass by without evoking any sensation in the viewers due to the shoddy nature of the script and without the technical quality, these shortcomings would have significantly detracted from Turbo’s overall impact.

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Making things even worse, almost all characters, including Jose, lack depth and are extremely flat. While Jose is initially presented as a simple and good-hearted villager who knows how to stand his ground, there are moments when his behaviour strays into the supernatural, in terms of fights, only to revert back to his original nature, creating inconsistency. Sometimes he cracks “jokes”, mostly with his mother; then he shares a sentimental story about why he decided that he needed no one in life except his mother; soon afterwards, he would fight off rivals like a seasoned martial artist, leaving one wondering who or what he actually is. While Rosakutty’s character is that of a typical mother to a reckless son, who disciplines him with one hand and pampers him with the other, the narrative fails to explore their bond too thoroughly. Though the movie introduces several characters, such as Jose’s friends, in the beginning, they all disappear immediately, never to be seen again. It would have been nice if the writer had read Chekhov’s gun principle.

Indu is yet another flat character in Turbo, displaying a single expression of perpetual irritation or tension. Though the movie provides ample build-up to Vetrivel, it fails to make him anything more than the typical ruthless villain often found in mass, action movies. Due to these poorly developed characters, Turbo also fails to effectively portray their relationships and bonds, thus not invoking any sympathy or empathy for them from the audience. In fact, without the emotional moment where Jose recounts his mother saving him during a childhood landslide, even their connection would have gone underdeveloped. And what was the purpose of showing that husband and wife being murdered in the beginning itself if they have no significance in the story whatsoever? Guess we’ll never know. Also, the placement of the title following this gruesome murder was an extremely poor artistic choice on the director’s part.

While the script’s attempts to create mass appeal often falter, Mammootty manages to achieve it single-handedly through his expressions and body language. (Image: Mammootty Kampany/Facebook)

Even as the script drags on endlessly, the movie is predominantly salvaged by Mammootty’s no-holds-barred performance, operating in top gear. Although he falls short of eliciting laughter or tears when necessary, largely due to the weak writing, his mere presence compensates for Turbo’s deficiencies. His appearance and swagger, along with his improved handling of stunts, previously considered a weak point, are indeed commendable. While the script’s attempts to create mass appeal often falter, Mammootty manages to achieve it single-handedly through his expressions and body language.

Simultaneously, Raj B Shetty’s portrayal as the despicable antagonist is exceptional, despite his character lacking depth. With a commanding screen presence and his ability to transcend a character far beyond its limitations, Raj portrays Vetrivel with finesse and if the character had been well-developed, he could have set a benchmark for villains in Malayalam. Interestingly, there are moments when Raj’s natural acting instincts seem to overshadow his simple task of being evil. Although it sometimes feels like he is the only one making an effort to act while others focus just on improving entertainment value, Raj’s approach never goes overboard and ultimately benefits the movie.

While Bindu Panicker delivers a good performance, being the sole source of laughter for audiences in a movie marketed as an action ‘comedy’, Anjana Jayaprakash’s performance falls notably short, largely due to the inadequately written nature of her role. Meanwhile, casting Telugu actor Sunil in the film seemed like a poor choice, especially since the character had little to offer and could have been played by any other actor, even a newcomer.

The manner in which director Vysakh has conceived the world and ensured technical brilliance has significantly saved the film. Thanks to his expertise in crafting mass actioners, Turbo adds another feather to his cap, highlighting that he doesn’t need a strong script to create an engaging entertainer. Without relying on the wafer-thin narrative, Vysakh proceeds in his own style and pace, ensuring with its visuals that the movie doesn’t fail to impress. At the same time, Phoenix Prabhu’s action choreography keeps the movie elevated, with each stunt sequence surpassing the previous one. While Vishnu Sarma’s cinematography is generally impressive, some of the micro shots seemed unnecessary and amateurishly handled. Shameer Muhammed’s exceptional editing stands out, particularly in the action sequences, where Christo Xavier’s high-octane background score also plays a crucial role.

Turbo movie cast: Mammootty, Raj B Shetty, Sunil, Anjana Jayaprakash, Bindu Panicker
Turbo movie director: Vysakh
Turbo movie rating: 2 stars