Ace movie review: Vijay Sethupathi, Rukmini Vasanth’s crime comedy is yet another disaster that uses Yogi Babu as the butt of tasteless jokes

In his new neighbourhood, he meets a pretty young woman, Rukmini Vasanth, in an eponymous role, and they, of course, have a rocky start. Nonetheless, he immediately develops feelings for her. Then, they keep running into each other, not just in their locality, but in other parts of the city too, as if someone is scripting their story and desperately wants them to keep meeting so they can eventually fall in love. The coincidences keep stacking up. At the exact moment when Rukmini wants some people to be beaten up, Kannan appears and does the job, completely altering her opinion of him. And before long, she falls for him; totally coincidental, especially considering the film offers no proper explanation for her change of heart. All we’re shown is the two of them talking and laughing, with a song, “Urugudhu Urugudhu,” playing in the background. I thought such unimaginative storytelling was a thing of the past. Clearly not.

As if these weren’t enough, both Kalpana and Rukmini are facing conveniently timed financial crises. Kalpana needs a large sum to settle a bank debt tied to her food joint, while Rukmini needs a huge amount to escape the clutches of her ruthless stepfather, police officer Raja Dorai (portrayed extremely poorly by Babloo Prithiveeraj). But fret not; Kannan is here to save the day. A pro poker player, he tries to make money through gambling. However, his plan backfires (probably one of the few times things don’t go his way), and he ends up just as deeply in debt to mafia don Dharma (a decent BS Avinash). Desperate, he robs a bank. And yes, the heist is just as casually written as it sounds — rushed and completely devoid of tension or planning. Meanwhile, Kannan also wins a jackpot worth nearly the same amount he stole; just imagine the level of coincidences that happen in his life.

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However, the police soon get some clues regarding the robber and commence a probe. From that point on, while the sheer level of convenience and coincidences starts to taper off and a few obstacles come Kannan’s way, things don’t improve significantly. Kumar continues to take the easy routes, throwing in some half-baked thriller elements too, thereby ruining even the slight potential this part of the narrative had.

Although Ace had the potential to be a thrilling and fun crime comedy, the intrigue at its core is completely undermined by Kumar’s extremely lazy writing. Laden with overused tropes and painfully clichéd jokes, Ace is not only poorly constructed but even more poorly executed, ultimately turning the film into a complete trainwreck.

Another major drawback of the film is its unnecessary subplots, particularly the one involving Raja Dorai. While we repeatedly see him blackmailing a young woman with her sex tape, one would naturally expect this aspect or her character to play a more significant role in the larger narrative. But no; she is simply reduced to a background presence with no meaningful development or resolution.

Also, how much longer will Tamil cinema continue to recycle the same tasteless jokes at Yogi Babu’s expense? In this film, he’s portrayed as a sanitation worker, and no, the makers’ intentions don’t appear noble. This becomes clear in the way the film attempts to extract humour from Arivu’s job. On top of that, the movie also relies heavily on tired ‘jokes’ about his appearance. To mock someone whose skin tone and body type reflect a large segment of the Dravidian population is not only tone-deaf but also deeply offensive and regressive.

Meanwhile, as conversations around the disturbing age gap between Kamal Haasan and Trisha Krishnan in the upcoming Thug Life continue, Ace falls into a similar trap by pairing a 28-year-old Rukmini opposite a 47-year-old Vijay Sethupathi. While their romance is handled with a certain degree of grace and the two do share charming on-screen chemistry, the age difference is impossible to ignore. It begs the question: was there really no alternative to pairing these two actors, if not for the entrenched patriarchal mindset that male leads are “ageless”, while their female counterparts are not? The makers could have easily chosen an age-appropriate casting by retaining just one of them; the fact that they didn’t speaks volumes.

Amidst all its issues, what works in Ace’s favour is the adorable chemistry between the lead cast. Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu are a delight to watch, making one wish for a better film that does justice to their dynamic. Vijay and Rukmini’s interactions also bring a certain warmth and spark to the screen. While none of the performances are particularly remarkable, especially considering these actors have delivered far stronger work in the past, they do their best with what they’ve been given. Karan B Rawat’s cinematography, Justin Prabhakaran’s enchanting music and Sam CS’s exceptional background score also contribute to keeping the film from becoming a complete disaster.

Ace movie cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Rukmini Vasanth, Yogi Babu
Ace movie director: Arumuga Kumar
Ace movie rating: 1.5 stars