section_path: Reception/Critical response
section_name: Critical response
paragraph_text: Critical response
  
  Thug Life received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan, the cinematography and staging, but the predictability of the story in the second half received criticism. The film was also deemed by critics inferior to Nayakan, Kamal and Mani Ratnam's previous outing.
  
  Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Should you see Thug Life ? Yes, because so many masters are at work here. But go in knowing that though the film has sparks which blaze momentarily, they never ignite into a glorious fire. And leave Nayakan behind. Perhaps no one, not even Ratnam and Haasan, can match that poetry." Krishna Selvaseelan of Tamil Guardian gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Haasan set out to better his previous Ratnam collaboration, and may have done so." Kirubakhar Purushotaman of News18 gave 3/5 stars and wrote "While Thug Life may not be Nayakan, it never tries to be. What it does offer is a compelling drama anchored by a magnetic lead performance, intelligent writing in parts, and an exploration of power, loyalty, and loss. It stumbles in its second act, but Kamal’s performance and Ratnam’s streaks of brilliance make it worth the ride."
  
  Ganesh Aaglave of Firstpost gave 3/5 stars and wrote "On the whole, Thug Life is a massy affair, which can be enjoyed on the big screen." Janani K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "While the film had a great set-up pre-interval, it falls into a deep pit in the second half and there is no turning back – even for a legend like Mani Ratnam." Avinash Ramachandran of Cinema Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Considering Thug Life is more tell than show for most of the time, the film needed to operate more in the drama space instead of becoming an action extravaganza." Kaushik Rajaraman of DT Next gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "A predictable plot with a weak story, this is an old wine in an old bottle-- rather Mani Ratnam's cocktail from scenes of his previous works. The film falls flat and ends up being just another movie that is passable."
  
  Shajin Srijith of The Week gave 2/5 stars and wrote "In some places, this Mani Ratnam directorial aspires to be 'Nayakan 2.0'; in others, it's split between becoming a 'John Wick', 'Batman Begins' or an 'Indian 1.5'" M Suganth of The Times of India gave 2/5 stars and wrote " with Thug Life, both Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan disappoint, delivering one of their weakest efforts, to make us wonder what they saw in this beaten-to-death storyline to get back together again." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Once the core of its central idea begins to wear thin as a result of being stretched to snapping point, not even Mani Ratnam's style and Kamal Haasan's presence are enough to pull the bacons out of the fire. Thug Life definitely needed more life."
  
  Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "What plagues Mani Ratnam and Kamal Hassan film is ‘old wine in old bottle’ screenplay which loses steam mid-way." Bollywood Hungama gave 2/5 stars and wrote "On the whole, Thug Life fails to entice due to the weak execution and silly post-interval portion. The Hindi version releases amid limited buzz and strong competition from Housefull 5. As a result, it will struggle to find an audience." Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "The Mani Ratnam-Kamal Haasan film is plagued by extremely subpar writing that not only fails to make the most of its premise but also falls short in delivering an engaging experience."
  
  S. Viswanath of Deccan Herald gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote " Despite its iconic names and foot tapping songs, the film ultimately falls flat due to a storyline that feels sickeningly weak, obnoxiously monotonous, and entirely predictable, preventing this portrayal of a self-proclaimed "Yakuza one-man show" from truly resonating." Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu wrote "Despite an excellent Kamal Haasan, a restrained Silambarasan TR, great production design and superb cinematography, Mani Ratnam’s film is a generic gangster drama that makes you grope in the dark for its beating heart." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in wrote " Thug Life looks fresh, exciting and seductive – the classic Mani Ratnam trick to make even the routine appear like something you have never seen before."
  
  Thug Life received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan, the cinematography and staging, but the predictability of the story in the second half received criticism. The film was also deemed by critics inferior to Nayakan, Kamal and Mani Ratnam's previous outing.
  
  Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Should you see Thug Life ? Yes, because so many masters are at work here. But go in knowing that though the film has sparks which blaze momentarily, they never ignite into a glorious fire. And leave Nayakan behind. Perhaps no one, not even Ratnam and Haasan, can match that poetry." Krishna Selvaseelan of Tamil Guardian gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Haasan set out to better his previous Ratnam collaboration, and may have done so." Kirubakhar Purushotaman of News18 gave 3/5 stars and wrote "While Thug Life may not be Nayakan, it never tries to be. What it does offer is a compelling drama anchored by a magnetic lead performance, intelligent writing in parts, and an exploration of power, loyalty, and loss. It stumbles in its second act, but Kamal’s performance and Ratnam’s streaks of brilliance make it worth the ride."
  
  Ganesh Aaglave of Firstpost gave 3/5 stars and wrote "On the whole, Thug Life is a massy affair, which can be enjoyed on the big screen." Janani K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "While the film had a great set-up pre-interval, it falls into a deep pit in the second half and there is no turning back – even for a legend like Mani Ratnam." Avinash Ramachandran of Cinema Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Considering Thug Life is more tell than show for most of the time, the film needed to operate more in the drama space instead of becoming an action extravaganza." Kaushik Rajaraman of DT Next gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "A predictable plot with a weak story, this is an old wine in an old bottle-- rather Mani Ratnam's cocktail from scenes of his previous works. The film falls flat and ends up being just another movie that is passable."
  
  Shajin Srijith of The Week gave 2/5 stars and wrote "In some places, this Mani Ratnam directorial aspires to be 'Nayakan 2.0'; in others, it's split between becoming a 'John Wick', 'Batman Begins' or an 'Indian 1.5'" M Suganth of The Times of India gave 2/5 stars and wrote " with Thug Life, both Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan disappoint, delivering one of their weakest efforts, to make us wonder what they saw in this beaten-to-death storyline to get back together again." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Once the core of its central idea begins to wear thin as a result of being stretched to snapping point, not even Mani Ratnam's style and Kamal Haasan's presence are enough to pull the bacons out of the fire. Thug Life definitely needed more life."
  
  Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "What plagues Mani Ratnam and Kamal Hassan film is ‘old wine in old bottle’ screenplay which loses steam mid-way." Bollywood Hungama gave 2/5 stars and wrote "On the whole, Thug Life fails to entice due to the weak execution and silly post-interval portion. The Hindi version releases amid limited buzz and strong competition from Housefull 5. As a result, it will struggle to find an audience." Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "The Mani Ratnam-Kamal Haasan film is plagued by extremely subpar writing that not only fails to make the most of its premise but also falls short in delivering an engaging experience."
  
  S. Viswanath of Deccan Herald gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote " Despite its iconic names and foot tapping songs, the film ultimately falls flat due to a storyline that feels sickeningly weak, obnoxiously monotonous, and entirely predictable, preventing this portrayal of a self-proclaimed "Yakuza one-man show" from truly resonating." Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu wrote "Despite an excellent Kamal Haasan, a restrained Silambarasan TR, great production design and superb cinematography, Mani Ratnam’s film is a generic gangster drama that makes you grope in the dark for its beating heart." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in wrote " Thug Life looks fresh, exciting and seductive – the classic Mani Ratnam trick to make even the routine appear like something you have never seen before."