Director Nelson returns with “Jailer 2”, a commercial action entertainer led by Rajinikanth. The film, running 2 hours 45 minutes, features S.J. Suryah, Vidya Balan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu and others, with music by Anirudh and cinematography by Vijay Karthik Kannan. The review rates it 3/5.
The story follows the fallout from the first part: the team linked to the slain villain Vinayakan is out for revenge, while a new antagonist (Suraj Venjaramoodu) vows to find the man behind the killing. Parallelly, a Goa-based idol-smuggling don family—featuring Mithun Chakraborty, S.J. Suryah and Vidya Balan—searches for a high-value missing idol, pulling Rajinikanth into a two-sided trap.
Rajinikanth is shown living a simple life, working at a supermarket in Coimbatore with his wife (Ramya Krishnan), grandson and daughter-in-law. Early portions lean heavily on comedy and light moments, before the villains begin to toy with his life and the narrative shifts into action. As expected, with help from friends who appear in guest roles, he sets up a plan and turns the tables.
Performance-wise, Rajinikanth appears slightly older and more restrained in look, with less emphasis on styling, but the acting is highlighted as a major strength. Several scenes—his confrontations with a government officer (Bhagavathi Perumal), his undercover stint as a driver for Namo Narayana, and sequences involving Yogi Babu—are noted for Nelson’s black-comedy flavour and crowd-pleasing hero-build moments.
Among the supporting cast, Suraj Venjaramoodu and S.J. Suryah are credited for their comic-tinged villainy, while Vidya Balan’s turn as a smoking villain after the interval is described as a standout. The film also includes cameo appearances by Shivrajkumar, Mohanlal and Jackie Shroff, with Shivrajkumar getting more screen time and Mohanlal leaving an impact in the climax. The review notes that viewers expecting the “usual” high-dance, high-fight Rajinikanth may feel let down, as the star stays calmer and lets others play around him more.
