Movie Name : Jailer 2
Release Date : October 15, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Rajinikanth, Vidya Balan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, S. J. Suryah, Ramya Krishnan, Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff, Sunil, Yogi Babu and Others
Director : Nelson Dilipkumar
Producer : Kalanithi Maran
Music Director : Anirudh Ravichander
Cinematographer : Vijay Kartik Kannan
Editor : R.Nirmal
Related Links : Trailer
Superstar Rajinikanth returns as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian in Jailer 2, the sequel to the 2023 film Jailer. The film is now in theatres. Here’s how it fares.
Story:
Varma’s (Vinayakan) death leads several high-level smuggling syndicates to hunt down his killer. Muthuvel Pandiyan (Rajinikanth), who is living a quiet life, gets pulled into the conflict as he tries to find the people running the network. The rest of the story follows him as he tracks down the masterminds and deals with them.
Plus Points:
Rajinikanth sticks to the style that audiences have enjoyed over the years. His walk, the slow removal of his glasses and his screen presence still get strong reactions from the crowd. He carries the role comfortably without having to do anything very different from what we’ve seen before.
The first half leans heavily on comedy, and Namo Narayana gets plenty of screen time. His character acts like he’s in charge, even when things don’t go his way, and that works well for the humour. His scenes with Rajinikanth fit Nelson’s style of deadpan comedy, while Yogi Babu also does his part.
SJ Suryah handles the main antagonist role well, though it’s familiar territory for him. Vidya Balan plays his on-screen sister; seeing her in a negative role is a change from her usual parts. She handles it well. Suraj Venjaramoodu is also convincing in his negative role.
Anirudh Ravichander’s background score is loud and works well in several scenes, especially during the action sequences. He brings back the main theme from the first Jailer, which helps build the mood. The climax also sets things up reasonably well for the next chapter.
Minus Points:
The biggest problem with Jailer 2 is its story. The plot is thin, and much of the film seems built around setting up Rajinikanth’s hero moments. The structure also feels very similar to the first film, so the new antagonists don’t bring enough freshness to the story.
The film also slows down at several points, especially between the major scenes in the second half. With a runtime of nearly three hours, the simple story feels stretched. A tighter edit could have made the film more engaging.
The cameos, this time, deliver little excitement. Mohanlal appears only twice, while Shiva Rajkumar gets around ten minutes of screen time. Jackie Shroff has very little to do, and Mithun Chakraborty is barely used.
Hrithik Roshan gets an introductory sequence, but it doesn’t leave much of an impact. Namo Narayana’s comedy is one of the positives in the first half, but his presence is reduced in the second half, which affects the film’s momentum.
Technical Aspects:
Nelson Dilipkumar focuses more on hero moments and deadpan comedy than on building a strong story. The hero moments and comedy work in parts, but the writing could have been tighter, and the pacing needed more attention.
Anirudh’s background score does much of the work during the action scenes. Vijay Kartik Kannan’s cinematography and R. Nirmal’s editing are adequate, but a tighter edit would have helped reduce the runtime. The production values are in line with what you’d expect from a film of this scale.
Verdict:
On the whole, Jailer 2 is a decent watch that works mainly because of Rajinikanth’s screen presence and the first-half comedy, particularly the scenes involving Namo Narayana. SJ Suryah and Vidya Balan also do a solid job in their roles. However, the thin story, lengthy runtime, stretched second half, and cameos that add little to the plot hold the film back. If you are watching mainly for Rajinikanth’s signature style and screen presence, there is enough to enjoy here.
123telugu.com Rating: 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
