Gooli is certainly not the run of the mill gangster film that you see these days in Kannada.

There are many elements which lift the film from being a mundane affair. The first is the offbeat, fight-less climax -- which is a stunner. 

Then, Sudeep's performance as an underworld don is stunning. Also, director P Sathya's punchy dialogues are written in such a way that they are bound to please the actor's fans. Gooli also sends a good message. It is to Sathya's credit that he has not made just another gangster film to boost the image of the hero. 

Still, one gets the feeling that the film could have been better if Sathya had taken greater care to extract good performances from all the artists and selected a competent cast.

Music composer Anoop should have been used better as well, even though he has given two cute songs and a good background score.

The second half lags at many places where the director should have effectively used the scissors. The logic frequently goes for a toss, and the twists and turns in the second half are on the expected lines. 

Underworld don Gooli, the undisputed king of the city, fights for the underprivileged and stands by justice. Naturally, his rivals are out to get him, but he has the guile to overcome all obstacles. Rich college student Ramya develops a liking for Gooli and eventually even decides to marry him.

Gooli refuses and throws her out of his den, where she is kidnapped by his rivals. He saves her and reciprocates her love for him. Ramya now tries to take on the tough task of reforming Gooli, and the film ends in an amazing climax, sending a powerful message of peace.

Sudeep plays the role of Gooli perfectly. His body language, stylized walk and costumes suit the character well. Mamta Mohandas is impressive in the song sequences, though she is found wanting in many critical scenes.  Kishor delivers another good performance as the inspector. 

The film is technically sound with Ravi's cinematography being the strong point.  Stunt director Palani Raj has done a fantastic job. 

Gooli is a great watch for Sudeep's fans who were waiting to see him in an action film for a long time. As for the others, they better start believing that the Sudeep-Sathya combination rocks.

Rediff Rating: