A random sampling of films belonging to the sci-fi genre in Hollywood will make it clear that sci-fi films come in 2 flavors - the serious and the masala. With Rajni in front of the camera and Shankar behind it, its no surprise that Enthiran, Tamil cinema's first step in the sci-fi genre, falls squarely in the second category. The masala part of sci-fi masala seems a bit too heavy in the first half but Rajni's bad guy act, Shankar's imagination and the special effects team's work balance things out near-perfectly in the second.

Vaseegaran(Rajnikanth), a scientist, after 10 years of hard work when he neglected his family and his girlfriend Sana(Aishwarya Rai), creates a humanoid Chitti. His mentor Bhora(Danny Dengzopa), disappointed that his own robots aren't working quite as well, denies approval for Chitti citing as a reason, its lack of emotions and ability to distinguish between good and evil. Vaseegaran himself realizes this soon after and so programs Chitti to have emotions. But this creates unforeseen complications as Chitti falls for Sana.

The main reason behind Shankar's commercial success as a director is that he always packages his movies as entertainers. Whether an indictment of our education system or idealistic stories about the eradication of corruption and black money, his movies have always been slick masala films that have their share of romance, action, comedy and sentiments and are presented with visual grandeur. That's exactly how he tackles Enthiran's science fiction theme also.

For about two-thirds of the film, the masala trumps the science fiction. The masala elements are familiar - the comedy involves two assistants who don't fit in, the romance is a love triangle and the action arises out of 'damsel in distress' situations. But with a robot as the centerpiece around which these sequences are weaved, the end result is entertaining. For instance, the overt comedy with Santhanam and Karunas is of the slapstick variety and borders on silliness. But when it revolves around the robot, like its experiences in the real world, it is very funny(though the scene with the mosquitoes is one where comedy involving the robot does not work). Similarly, the romance between the scientist and Aishwarya Rai is generic but once the robot enters the picture, its enthusiasm as it woos Aishwarya and the scientist's jealousy and feelings of inadequacy are cute and funny.

We've always seen Rajni(and other heroes too) in Tamil cinema become superheroes and execute superhuman feats. Enthiran has the same but provides a plausible reason for it. So it has the same stock situations - unruly youngsters troubling the neighbors, rowdies trying to molest a woman in a train - as always but resolves them in enjoyable ways because of the superhuman abilities of the robot. As Rajni attracts the metal weapons(the image of Rajni decked up as God was the first, real goosebump-inducing moment of the film for me) or races atop and on the side of the speeding train, those cliched situations just don't seem so cliched anymore.

Through all this masala, Shankar finds the perfect balance between presenting the technical aspects the theme calls for and making the film accessible to all. Whether its the interrogation when the robot is unveiled at the conference or the scientist's work to add emotions to it, the film at times seems simplistic but it never feels dumb. This is the aspect where writer Sujatha's contribution is most evident.

But the science fiction aspects really come to the fore once the robot goes over to the dark side. The action is non-stop as the now-evil robot begins to wreak havoc and the special effects are exemplary as the robots unite to form a variety of shapes and take on everything thrown at them. Shankar's vision and the technical team's efforts to bring the vision to life during the climax deserve to be applauded. Many times during the film we tend forget that we are watching a Rajni film but during the climax, we forget that we are watching a Tamil film!

If Shankar made Sivaji with the superstar in Rajni, he has made Enthiran with the actor in him. And with 3 different characters that he differentiates impeccably, Rajni delivers a knock-out performance. The least flashy is ofcourse the scientist and a conscious effort seems to have been made to make the role seem as far away as possible from the Rajni persona we've been used to. There's the no-frills introduction and the way he struggles to flip his sunglasses the way we've seen him do so many times before giving up with an embarrassed look. And at one point, he runs away from a rowdy and gets out of breath. His deadpan expressions and dialog delivery are perfect for the robot character and his comic flair shines through here. But its as the bad robot that he really shines. Channeling the villain inside him, he has a blast as he threatens Aishwarya, teases the scientist and takes on the police. The scene where he tries to find the scientist among his army of robots(who ever knew an actor bleating like a sheep could convey so much sarcasm and menace!) is a standout.

Aishwarya looks beautiful in most scenes. Danny Dengzopa suits the role of the elderly scientist and brings a seriousness to his role, especially in the scene where he rejects the robot. But his lip sync is really awful, except for the few lines he speaks in English. Santhanam and Karunas are weak, more so since there roles are completely redundant.

Shankar's grandeur and visual opulence is fully evident in all the songs though it doesn't work equally well in all of them. Kaadhal Anukkal... looks rich and fabulous with the serene desert setting and the simple steps of Rajni and Aishwarya. The magnificence of Machu Picchu doesn't really come across onscreen in Kilimanjaro... and so it looks like a rather ordinary duet. Art director Sabu Cyril(he also has an onscreen cameo) and the costume designer have gone all out for Irumbile Or Irudhayam and Arima Arima... with some bright, colorful sets and outlandish costumes. Pudhiya Manidha... and Boom Boom Robot Da... predictably play in the background. Ratnavel's camera gives the film the rich sheen it needs while the sets for the AIRD and Danny's den are fashionably futuristic.

Enthiran is a terrific entertainer. Dot.