The current hot issue in Hollywood is the link between real life and reel life. This danger is more in TamilNadu where people sometimes fail to distinguish between reality and the fantasy that they see in a darkened cinema hall. How else could one explain women from villages falling at the feet of Ramya Krishnan following her performance as Rajakali Amman? In tamil cinema, the issue of violence on screen influencing people came to the fore with Nooraavadhu Naal, which was supposed to have served as the inspiration for the crimes of both Jayaprakash and 'Auto' Shankar. The people arguing for this link have even more fodder with Malaiyoor Mambattiyaan, which might have very well served as current terror Veerappan's inspiration.

The movie is almost scary in how closely it mirrors the life of the smuggler-turned-kidnapper. Thyagarajan, who is forced to hide out in the forest after killing a rich man, wears green clothing, sports a thick, twirled moustache and has a loyal band of followers who are ready to give up their lives for him. He is the local Robinhood, stealing from the rich and helping the poor and so, the sympathies of the grateful villagers lie with him. These factors help him in staying always one step ahead of the policemen on his trail.

The village pannaiyar finds a pot of gold in his land and lays claim to it. When one of his servants looks like he might go to the police, he has him and his wife tortured and killed. When their son Mambattiyaan(Thyagarajan) hears of this, he kills the man and his henchmen before going into hiding in the forest. Commanding the loyalty of a small band of followers, including his brother Oomaiyan, Mambattiyaan operates out of the forest, helping the poor. An honest and upright police official(Jaishankar) is assigned on his case but Mambattiyan manages to remain free. A woman Kannaatha(Sarita), whom he had earlier robbed, makes him rethink his way of life.

As long as the movie sticks to the task at hand, ie following the life of a forest brigand, it is quite gripping. His first escape from the police station is picturised very well. The director has failed to fashion enough sequences to show exactly why Mambattiyaan commands the love and respect of so many people but the sacrifices his men(and a woman) make to keep him alive are effective in conveying the loyalty he inspires. Though none of them have quite the same impact as the old woman giving up her life for Velu Naicker in Naayakan(the mode of one of the sacrifices is actually the same), they are among the best scenes in the movie. The climax too is unexpected and very well picturised.

The director has tried to fashion the character of Mambattiyaan in a way that earns respect has been successful in his efforts. Thyagarajan's romance with Sarita is mature and low-key. Both the scene where he declines to marry her and the one where he informs her of his decision to change his way of living have some nice dialogs. His treatment of Jayamalini when she attempts to seduce him is also respectful(the director can be lauded for not having the usual song sequence here, wherein Jayamalini tries to seduce him and Thyagarajan slaps her and tells her off after the song has ended!)

The effectiveness of the main story is diluted by other, unnecessary elements. The comedy track involving Koundamani and Jayamalini is quite cheap and vulgar. Though Jayamalini's character earns some sympathy with her unrequited love for Mambattiyaan, her clothes could have been more decent and her interactions with Koundamani are unfunny. The scenes with the 'fake' Mambattiyaan are also an unnecessary diversion. Even among Mambattiyaan's scenes, the chases extend for far too long and since they are not very innovatively picturised, they tend to get tiring.

Having been introduced as a villain in Bharatiraja's Alaigal Oyvadhillai, this movie proved to be a turning point in Thyagarajan's career. Its success brought forth a number of similar movies with silly names like Theechatti Govindhan and Salem Vishnu but none of them made a mark at the box office. Here he lacks the baritone required to convey his emotions but fits the bill otherwise. He brings a quiet intensity to the role. Sarita was known for her fierce dialog delivery and proves it here too in the scene where she shouts at her stepmother and her cowardly husband-to-be. Jaishankar Ilaiyaraja provides a memorable title song in Kaattuvazhi Pora... but the other songs are average.