Daveed movie review: Antony Varghese Pepe shines as ‘Kerala Rocky’ in this poorly-written sports drama

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Although Daveed has a solid premise, borrowing liberally from director John G Avildsen’s Rocky (1976), its dramatic moments fail to hold up. But despite the mediocre drama, Daveed’s high-energy action sequences partially compensate for its shortcomings.

Though Govind and co-writer Deepu Rajeevan take ample time at the start to establish the setting, introduce the characters and build the atmosphere, the writing remains largely pedestrian, making it difficult to connect with anyone, including the protagonist. Even the father-daughter bond, though charming at first, often feels forced, particularly because the film doesn’t provide any real justification for Safa’s idolisation of her father. While a child’s admiration for a parent doesn’t always need a logical explanation, as the script goes to great lengths to highlight Abu’s irresponsibility, one is unable to see him through Safa’s eyes.

Watch Antony Varghese Pepe’s Daveed teaser here:

The same issue extends to Sherin as well. While Abu idles away, she bears the burden of managing their impoverished household. Yet, her unwavering support for him comes across as convenient writing rather than an organic choice. The film never establishes why she continues to shoulder these burdens alone while Abu does little to contribute. By failing to explore her perspective meaningfully, Daveed misses an opportunity to add depth to her character and, in turn, to itself.

Even as the narrative unfolds and new characters like Raghavan are introduced, the writing remains subpar, as a result of which key aspects go underexplored. The ghosts of Abu’s past are referenced, but never fully examined. Thus, it becomes difficult to form a genuine emotional connection with the story. Weakly written dialogues only add to Daveed’s woes.

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However, the performances and Govind’s execution of the action sequences — enhanced by PC Stunts’ stellar choreography — help mitigate much of these narrative flaws. Right from the beginning, the film establishes its strength in action with a striking sequence depicting Goliath’s battle against King Saul’s army, culminating in David (Daveed in Malayalam) stepping onto the battlefield and defeating him. From this moment on, Pepe remains deeply committed to his character, seamlessly portraying Abu across different stages of his life. His physical transformation, along with the distinct body language and mannerisms he adopts for each phase, adds authenticity to the character. In Daveed, he has also refined his boxing skills — further beyond what he showcased in director Nahas Hidayath’s RDX (2023) — convincingly embodying “the fighter who never flinches”. The mad-dog persona he exudes in the flashback sequence is equally compelling. That said, Abu’s transformation scene, which serves as the film’s interval block moment — intended to have an “Enakku innoru per irukku“-like impact — could have been significantly more effective with stronger visuals and tighter editing.

Vijayaraghavan once again proves himself to be one of the finest actors in Malayalam cinema, delivering a standout performance. Although he is constrained by a poorly-written character. Lijomol also delivers a commendable performance, while Saiju Kurup and Aju Varghese (in a cameo as the event sponsor) fail to leave an impression. Mo Ismail’s performance, in many ways, mirrors the film itself: electrifying in the ring but let down by weak dialogues and even weaker character development.

Right from the beginning, the film establishes its strength in action with a striking sequence depicting Goliath’s battle against King Saul’s army. (Credit: Instagram/@daveedmalayalammovie)

Another one of the film’s most significant drawbacks is its mediocre and directionless cinematography, which has affected several key moments. DOP Salu K Thomas’ excessive reliance on tilt shots also detracts from the experience, as does the lack of visual rhythm in the dramatic moments. Rakesh Cherumadam’s editing does little to salvage these issues, while also missing crucial opportunities to elevate the narrative. Justin Varghese’s background score enhances the action sequences, although his overall compositions remain strictly average. However, Rajesh P Velayudhan’s production design stands out and deserves recognition.

Daveed movie cast: Antony Varghese Pepe, Lijomol Jose, Vijayaraghavan, Mo Ismail, Saiju Kurup, Aju Varghese
Daveed movie director: Govind Vishnu
Daveed movie rating: 2.5 stars