Malayalam masala films usually have more complicated stories than their Tamil or Telugu counterparts and Vallakkoattai, a remake of Mammootty's Maayaavi, benefits from that. While that works to its advantage initially, the weak execution of the most interesting parts of the story and the convoluted last leg ensure that the meaty story doesn't translate to consistent entertainment.

Muthuvel(Arjun) is in jail but doesn't mind dressing up as the jailor to keep the really bad criminals in check. Bala(Prem) is his friend and when Muthu is released on Independence day, he agrees to take the rap for a murder, in order to get the money needed for Bala's brother's operation. So he travels to Vallakkoattai to meet the bad guys(Ashish Vidyarthi, Vincent Asokan), who inform him that the planned murder will happen as soon as the target Easwara Pandian is released from jail. So Muthu hangs around in Vallakkoattai awaiting his arrival, during which time he meets Anjali(Haripriya), who handles the finances for the bad guys.

Once Arjun gets to the titular town, there are a number of characters introduced - with some of them having multiple connections - and the story's route is not always predictable. The underlying blocks are quite familiar with a good-hearted hero, a sidekick, villains seeking revenge for an ongoing family feud, a corrupt cop, etc. But by adding elements of a superhero story by making Arjun appear in different guises under the name Vayuputhra, the film avoids falling into the rut that most movies with these elements fall into.

While Arjun's superhero appearances add some variation to the story(the way his name Vayuputhra becomes public is also neat), their execution leaves a lot to be desired. Arjun's disguises are weak as they don't really alter his face. So it becomes rather silly when people he encounters don't recognize him when seeing him - and hearing him talk - under normal circumstances. Also, he picks disguises to remind us of familiar characters from movies but very little effort has gone in to make him actually look like them(for instance, one wouldn't know he supposed to be the Indian until he does the finger thingy).

The film overdoes the complicated story aspect towards the end. The way one of the characters turns out and the misunderstanding that arises as a result of that are both good surprises. But the way the misunderstanding is brought about is weak and the motivations of many of the characters become confusing after that.

Arjun looks tired and old and goes through the motions without much energy. Haripriya shows some fire initially but is relegated to the sidelines soon enough. The bad guys are a usual bunch and hardly make an impression. Prem is the only actor who makes a mark though that might be more because of the nature of his role rather than any particular acting skills.