It’s good to see how filmmakers here are constantly trying to explore the time-travel genre, which we have been witnessing for a while now. In most of these subjects, the central characters put themselves in conflict by trying to change the past with the help of the time machine. The lead characters of Aadhik Ravichandran’s Mark Antony do the same, but what’s special here is the narration, treatment, staging, performances, and chaotic retro visuals.
In the very first scene, we are introduced to Chiranjeevi (Selvaraghavan), a scientist who invents a phone through which one can time travel to the past. Anyone who gets access to it can make a call to people from the past and communicate with them. Twenty years later, in 1995, we get to see Mark (Vishal), son of the late gangster Antony (Vishal) and Jackie (SJ Suryah), a ruthless gangster who is waiting to seek revenge for the death of his close friend Antony. While Mark grows up to be a mechanic by profession, Jackie’s son, Madhan Pandy (SJ Suryah) is a wannabe gangster.
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Mark believes that his father Antony is the reason behind his mother’s death. However, his life takes a turn when he discovers a time machine in his garage. As Mark gets an opportunity to communicate with people associated with his father in the past, he realises that Antony is not someone who he believes to be. He learns about his father and many other events that have been kept under the carpet for years.
Will Mark be able to change certain incidents from the past and bring his father back alive against all the odds?
Sans logic, for someone who is merely looking for two-and-a-half hours of non-stop entertainment, Mark Antony might definitely work. Though Adhik’s narrative style helps to a certain extent, it’s SJ Suryah’s eccentric performance that keeps us engaged throughout. For instance, the scene where SJ Suryah’s son tries to communicate with him in the future is so much fun, and the audience is in for a treat. Though the plot is nothing different and follows the usual template of a gangster drama, Adhik puts in all his skills in the visual treatment and the effective staging of crucial action sequences.
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Right from the word go, the director sets up a perfect mood for this quirky sci-fi drama through the characters and the massy background score. Though we feel like picking up a remote and reducing the volume at times, certain moments definitely wouldn’t have worked without GV Prakash’s touch. The idea to bring late actress Silk Smita back in a very crucial scene is quite appreciable.
The climax, though, is chaotic; Antony’s re-entry towards the end is something to watch out for.
Vishal is as good as SJ Suryah when it comes to performance, and their combination scenes are a delight to watch. Ritu Varma, who plays Mark’s girlfriend, has delivered what’s expected of her character, despite lesser screen time. Mark Antony is not a great film, but it’s quite a refreshing entertainer that delivers what it promises.
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