Game Changer movie review: A riveting Ram Charan anchors a middling Shankar showreel that needed more upgrades

In a way, it is to remove the idea of servitude among his heroes or have them play characters that might still be part of the system, but be above it. It is almost like nothing can stop his heroes from delivering the utopia people crave to see unfold on the biggest of screens. Not even logic. But the law of averages caught up with Shankar, and despite his brand of cinema still making waves across the country, he seemed to have lost the touch. Probably why, his hero in Game Changer is a lot of things. He is a young lover changing his core behaviour to win his love. He is a small-time reformer and a revolutionary who goes against the might of the system and wants to eradicate corruption. He is an IPS officer. He is an IAS officer. He becomes involved in electoral politics. It is almost like seeing a Shankar showreel, albeit with the magnetic presence of a star like Ram Charan, who could be all of these things, and a lot more in a film that allows him to be anything he wants to be.

Game Changer is essentially a lot of nice segments that are stitched together in the hope that it would make a good film. Now, individually, these segments have a sense of purpose, but together, they sometimes become incoherent due to the lack of focus. For instance, the entire relationship arc between Ram Charan’s Ram Nandan and Kiara Advani’s Deepika is quite impressive. But the way the story unfolds and how it saunters around for a while before randomly becoming important all over again isn’t good enough. However, when these portions work, they are actually pretty impressive. In fact, both Kiara and Anjali get wonderful scenes, and powerful dialogues that shape the journey of the two Ram Charans in the film.

Shankar’s brand of films is all about instant justice. In fact, Deepika tells Ram Nandan to not become an IPS officer because his anger would mean extra-judicial killings would become commonplace. But, as an IAS officer, Ram’s actions are instant too. One sign, and the corrupt official is vacuumed out of his position and thrown into the stratosphere. One gesture, and entire malls come crashing down. One stroke, and he eradicates corruption surrounding ration shops. One monologue, he changes the mind of an entire village to not vote for money. Honestly, most of these segments are interesting because he goes about all of this by the book, but let’s be honest, cynicism has creeped into the society. We want to see utopia, but one that appears possible. Here, one man changes everything, but the irony is… throughout Shankar’s filmography, such solo warriors have constantly been changing society, and if another solo warrior in 2025 is again going to eradicate the same problem that was taken care of in 1993, 1996, 1999, and 2007, then it is less utopia, and more of just a gag.

That is the real problem of Game Changer because the hangover of Shankar’s filmography weighs too much on the film, and even an energetic Ram Charan can only shoulder it for a while. Oh yes, the story… An IAS officer takes on the corrupt political class, represented by Mopidevi (the inimitable SJ Suryah) and Manikyam (a funny Jayaram forgetting that he deserves better). There is a flashback that connects all of them, which is quite impressive for the narrative turns it takes, and the results it delivers. However, this flashback is bookended by the clashes between Ram and Mopidevi that threatens to snowball into something very sinister and diabolical, but is content in just being a shouting match, and a quick class on political etiquette and the powers of India’s bureaucracy.

Ram Charan and SJ Suryah are pitted against each other in Shankar’s Game Changer

Just like how a lot of scenes are cramped in the name of elevation, the flashback is also too rushed to register a solid impact. Even before we can understand the magnitude of a sacrifice, we are thrown back into the present. It is disappointing to see Ram Charan and Suryah give it all for the portions that don’t do justice to their histrionics. Also, their tug of war gets stale too soon because the chips are never really down for Ram, and the dialogues and expressions of Mopidevi are more menacing than his actions.

In such commercial potboilers, the melodrama is an integral part of the narrative. And despite a few scenes that had the potential to be much more, Shankar reins it all in, and these feel like mere afterthoughts rather than a soul-crushing experience. Also, many strong actors like Naresh and Achyuth Kumar are criminally wasted in the film. Even Sunil, who gets a rather interesting character trait, isn’t allowed to go bombastic with the idea, and is underutilised. Also, it is disappointing how this trait is ‘funny’ in Sunil’s case, but when it is an important facet of another character, we are expected to empathise. Why? How? Why this confusion? How do we deal with this dichotomy?

Despite the film blowing hot and cold with an erratic consistency, Game Changer is truly held together by consistently good performances. Ram Charan as Appanna and Ram Nandan is wonderfully earnest, and delivers an impressive performance in a role that definitely needed more layers. Anjali also gives all in a role that doesn’t give her much. On the other hand, Kiara, with an impressive lip sync, manages to get an important character in Game Changer that cannot be brushed off as just ‘hero’s support system.’ She does well too, but again, after a while, is underserved by writing that conveniently forgets her. I quite enjoyed Srikanth’s arc, but it needed more space for it to become the emotional anchor between the timelines.

Also, it is painful that Ram’s ‘family’ doesn’t get to do anything, except in the starting when his mother says,”You have become IPS, IAS… but when will you get married?” Come on! Oh, apart from the performance, another striking aspect of Game Changer is Thaman, who ensures there is never a moment where we are not invested in the proceedings, and the visuals of Tirru, which not only fits the world of Shankar but elevates it.

Kiara Advani plays Deepika, a doctor, and the love interest of Ram Charan in Game Changer

Even if the writing falters, which it does in quite a few places, Thaman shifts gears to bring us back right into the groove. But even Thaman, Tirru, and the starcast lead by Ram Charan can only do so much when Shankar’s writing doesn’t follow his own rules of his own world, and showcases a final act that is outlandish even for his standards. It gets too verbose after a while that it almost undoes the goodwill the film received for its dialogues till then. Even the action sequences, which were measured and to the point, get all loud and too over the top. I can forgive Ram Charan dangling from the helicopter or slashing the ropes of henchmen tied to the track just before an incoming train zooms past them. But a line must be drawn somewhere, right? Right?

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It is intriguing how Shankar, who remains steadfast in his belief that songs must be a visual spectacle, and even delivers like few filmmakers can, didn’t trust his instincts about other scenes. Shankar has been criticised for his previous films, and worked on the feedback to deliver a film that might be right on a few levels. In fact, for all intents and purposes, it is fair to call Game Changer his comeback of sorts. However, the OG game changer of Indian cinema, finds himself facing his biggest dilemma — to go with his gut instinct or what he thinks/is told works with the audience of today? In this case, wanting to please both, he has ended up cooking a film that might be a lot of things, but it is no game changer.

Game Changer Movie Cast: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, SJ Suryah, Jayaram

Game Changer Movie Director: Shankar

Game Changer Movie Rating: 2.5/5