Martin review: Sub par graphics and poor screenplay let down a promising story in this Dhruva Sarja starrer

Martin, which stars Dhruva Sarja, on paper, is a fantastic story.

Written by his uncle Arjun Sarja, it has all the elements, twists and turns to make a perfect commercial entertainer with elements of action, romance, drama and patriotism.

But the film, post-execution, is a big letdown because of poor execution in terms of screenplay and graphics.

One can see that the editor has tried so hard to salvage the footage into a coherent story, but one is often left befuddled and wondering what on earth is going on.

Dhruva’s movies are released like the occurrence of a leap year, leaving fans waiting eagerly for the films. Martin, for those die-hard fans, is a severe disappointment as they deserved a better product.

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Promising twists lost in the screenplay

The makers have tried their best to ensure Martin looks like an international action thriller, with little dialogue and pure action and chase sequences in the first half.

In fact, the first 20-odd minutes have bare minimal dialogues. The action sequences might make one wonder what is happening, but it does work as it has a very video game-like feel to the making.

The first half, to sum up, has Dhruva’s character asking two major questions, “Who am I” and “Who is Martin”.

Both of these are revealed with what is meant to be a big twist in the interval. But the way the story moves, with the romantic track almost being force-fitted, one does not feel the impact of this big reveal.

The second half of the film is an out-and-out Dhruva show, with all the actors having precious little to do. The climax could have been one of the most amazing experiences, but the graphics and treatment take away the spectacle, and it has the vibe of an early 2000s video game, with the explosions seeming far from real.

Dhruva tries his best

Martin is all about Dhruva and he tries his best. One gets to see him enjoy everything he does especially in the second half, where he has a lot more to show the audience following an interval twist reveal.

But one really feels for him as there should have been a better screenplay holding the narrative together, for the audience can get worn out, despite Dhruva giving his all.

The film has barely anything for the ensemble cast to do. Actors like Chikkanna and Achyuth Kumar appear for barely a few minutes and are taken away from the story just as quickly.

Vaibhavi Shandilya looks great, but her romantic track finds a better footing in the second half. The romantic song in the film is a big misfit.

Nikitin Dheer and Nawab Shah look big and menacing but have nothing much to offer. Malavika Avinash’s cameo gives audiences a “WTF feeling”.

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Final take

Martin came with a lot of promise after multiple delays, but it does not live up to the expectations.

And the fact that the team offers a possible sequel with a big twist in the climax makes it more of a joke than an exciting prospect. One wishes the money was spent wiser.

(Views expressed here are personal.)