Good Bad Ugly movie review: This Ajith Kumar flick is a stylish, massy fan boy tribute to the star

Good Bad Ugly movie review: The film features Ajith Kumar in a stylish gangster story, mixing action and nostalgia.

Good Bad Ugly movie review
Cast: Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan,
Director: Adhik Ravichandran
Star rating: ★★★

Good Bad Ugly doesn’t try too hard to disguise which camp it falls into—it’s loud, indulgent, and unabashedly tailored to celebrate its star. The film banks heavily on Ajith Kumar’s charisma and larger-than-life screen presence, but beneath the gloss and fan service lies a wafer-thin story stretched across an uneven narrative.

Good Bad Ugly movie review: Despite its flaws, it's a fan-centric tribute showcasing Ajith's charisma.

What is the story of Good Bad Ugly?

He is dreaded gangster Red Dragon, who gives it all up when his wife Ramya (Trisha Krishnan) tells him he can't touch their son Vihaan until he atones for his sins and leaves his criminal life behind. And that’s exactly what Red Dragon—aka AK (Ajith Kumar)—chooses to do by surrendering to the Mumbai police.

As AK, who longs to be a doting father, serves out his sentence, Ramya and Vihaan move to Spain to start afresh. Vihaan is told his father is away on business rather than in prison, and their weekly phone calls keep that illusion alive. AK is released just in time for his 18th birthday. But as AK and Ramya prepare to leave Mumbai for good, they are ambushed by local gangsters. A furious Ramya urges AK to settle the score before joining them in Spain—and then comes the shocking twist: Vihaan has been kidnapped. Who took him? And how far will AK go to save him?

Ajith returns to mass mode in a role tailored for fans

Good Bad Ugly sees an in-form Ajith Kumar returning to the kind of massy, commercial entertainer that his fans have been craving. Director Adhik Ravichandran crafts a story rooted in the classic gangster-gone-clean trope—not unfamiliar to Tamil cinema—but reinvents it with a stylish, swagger-filled presentation that pays tribute to Ajith’s iconic screen persona.

The first half is loaded with elevation moments for the star, peppered with slick action sequences and songs (the Ilamai Idho remix is a fun addition) that are sure to get fans cheering. The second half dives into flashbacks, surprise cameos, and more fight sequences. While the first half moves at a brisk pace, the second half drags in parts—especially during scenes like the overly long interaction between Jammy and a dead Zakaba, which could have been trimmed.

One-man show with too many villains

The film rests entirely on Ajith Kumar’s broad shoulders, and he pulls off Red Dragon with effortless ease. His screen presence is magnetic, and he gives his fans plenty to cheer for. But the film’s biggest flaw is its cluttered cast of villains—Arjun Das, Jackie Shroff, Rahul Dev, Raghuram, Tinnu Anand, Shine Tom Chacko, and Pradeep Kabra—all appear briefly and leave little impact. Arjun Das, despite playing a double role, doesn’t quite hold his own as a worthy opponent, and a single, stronger antagonist would have served the story better. Trisha’s role as Ramya feels predictable and underwritten.

The film also throws in cameos by Sunil, Prasanna, Simran, Prabhu, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, and Priya Varrier—some of which land well, others less so.

As for the story itself—it’s thin and lacks emotional depth. There’s little that truly drives the narrative, and while massy dialogues abound, many of them fall flat. The film leans heavily on nostalgia, referencing Ajith’s older movies and even borrowing famous lines from other stars. At one point, AK recites Yash’s KGF line: “Violence. Violence. Violence. I love violence.” In another, he throws in Vijay’s “I am waiting.”

GV Prakash Kumar’s background score does justice to Ajith’s elevation scenes, and several songs are already chartbusters. Cinematography by Abinandhan Ramanujam is impressive, though editing by Vijay Velukutty could have been crisper in places.

Good Bad Ugly ultimately plays out as a fanboy tribute from Adhik Ravichandran to Ajith Kumar—packed with style, action, and star power, even if it falls short on storytelling.

This one is strictly for the fans who’ve been waiting to see their vintage hero back on the big screen.