Jailer 2 Movie Review: Sequels to hit films carry a particular kind of pressure. The first Jailer in 2023 was a surprise on several levels: a dark comedy director handling a superstar, an older hero who felt believable and a villain people still imitate. Everyone walked in to Jailer 2 wanting the same pleasure again, plus something new.
The early verdict, after the film opened on Thursday, October 15, is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Critics broadly agree that Rajinikanth is magnetic, that the comedy is sharper than before and that Anirudh’s score is a highlight. They are far less united on whether the story, the villains and the cameos live up to the setup. Here is a closer look.
The Setup
Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, the retired jail superintendent from the first film, is back, and Nelson Dilipkumar once again writes and directs. The sequel follows directly from what happened at the end of the original. One review noted that the film spends its pre-interval stretch giving Muthuvel something different to do before the emotional fallout of his past actions comes to the surface.
Without giving anything away, the story puts the hero against a fresh set of enemies, which is the part that has divided audiences most.
The ensemble is large. Alongside Rajinikanth, the cast includes S. J. Suryah, Vidya Balan, Mithun Chakraborty, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Ramya Krishnan and Yogi Babu, with Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff and Shiva Rajkumar returning in guest roles and Hrithik Roshan reported in a special appearance. Anirudh Ravichander composes the music again.
What Works
Rajinikanth at 75
If there is one thing nearly every review agrees on, it is that the star is the reason the film works. Koimoi’s reviewer called it remarkable that he can carry a mass entertainer at 75 and still dominate each frame. The Sunday Guardian noted that a look, a pause or a single line is often enough, and that his comic timing is as sharp as ever.
The Telugu outlet 123Telugu made a similar point: he sticks to the style audiences love, with the walk and the slow removal of his glasses still drawing strong crowd reactions, without having to do anything dramatically new. Only Kollywood put the idea best with a headline: “Rajinikanth Doesn’t Fight His Age, He Makes It His Weapon.” That is also what made the first film click, and it is what the sequel has kept.
Also read: Drishyam 3 Review: Does Ajay Devgn’s ‘The Conclusion’ Match the Malayalam Original?
Funnier Than Before
Humor is where the sequel appears to have improved. The Week’s headline described it as a “far funnier sequel with some of Nelson’s best writing, and also his weakest,” which captures the film’s split personality neatly. The first half, according to several reviewers, is where the writing shines.
A surprising standout is actor Namo Narayana, whose character Moorthi has become a talking point. The Week’s critic went so far as to say the character overshadowed everyone, Rajinikanth included, and 123Telugu also singled out the scenes with him as the first-half highlight. Yogi Babu is mentioned in several reviews as well. Nelson’s trademark dry, deadpan comedy is clearly still in working order.
Anirudh’s Score
Anirudh Ravichander has rarely been the weak link in a Rajinikanth film, and this one is no different. The Sunday Guardian listed the score among the film’s strongest assets, saying it adds energy and elevates the mass moments. Bollywood Hungama’s headline, “Anirudh Leads, Everyone Else Bleeds,” is cheeky, but it points at something real: the music carries a lot of weight in the big scenes.
The Mass Moments
The film delivers what fans came for. Pinkvilla, which gave one of the most enthusiastic ratings at 4 out of 5, said Rajinikanth’s swagger and Nelson’s humor strike gold again. Another trade review called the film a mass entertainer in the classic sense, one that rewards fans with the kind of crowd-pleasing beats a big opening weekend depends on.
What Does Not Work
The Villains
This is the most repeated criticism. Koimoi’s headline put it bluntly: “Everything Works Until The Villains Arrive & Then Nothing Works!” The review argued that the film builds well and then loses direction once the antagonists take over, with the screenplay getting weaker as it approaches the finale.
Several other reviews agree, describing new additions as underused or underwritten. The Week called out underutilised new cast members, and 123Telugu pointed out that the structure feels very similar to the first film, so the new antagonists do not bring enough freshness. With strong talent such as S. J. Suryah and Vidya Balan in the cast, that is a shame.
A Stretched Second Half
The Sunday Guardian described a lot happening, sometimes too much, and said the second half feels stretched as it jumps between characters, confrontations and long action sequences. 123Telugu noted that with a runtime close to three hours, the simple story feels longer than it should and that a tighter edit would have helped. Some reports list the runtime at around two hours and forty-five minutes, so the exact figure may vary by version.
The Plot Is Thin
Several critics note that the story itself is light and mostly exists to set up hero moments. That is not unusual for a Rajinikanth film, and many fans will not mind. But viewers who loved the first film for its character-driven writing might feel the sequel leans too much on formula.
Cameos That Do Not Land
With a cast list this long, expectations for the guest appearances were high. The reviews are mixed at best. 123Telugu said the cameos deliver little excitement this time, noting that Mohanlal appears only twice and Shiva Rajkumar gets about ten minutes. The Week also called the cameos underwhelming. On the other hand, the Sunday Guardian credited Hrithik Roshan’s appearance as one of the things that saves the film, so reactions depend on whom you ask.
What the Ratings Say
Critic scores for Jailer 2 range widely, which tells you something about the film. The Week gave it 2.5 out of 5, as did The Hollywood Reporter India. Bollywood Hungama and 123Telugu gave 3 out of 5. Koimoi and the Sunday Guardian rated it 3.5, while Pinkvilla went up to 4. A review aggregator that averaged eight early critic ratings came to roughly 63 out of 100, with three positive and five mixed reviews and none negative.
In other words, almost nobody hated it, and almost nobody called it a masterpiece. It sits in the “decent to solid commercial entertainer” zone, mostly thanks to the star and the comedy.
The Box Office Opening
Whatever the critics say, audiences turned up. According to the tracker Sacnilk, Jailer 2 earned about ₹59.70 crore net in India on its first day, across roughly 16,600 shows. That included about ₹43.35 crore from the Tamil version and ₹12.50 crore from Telugu. The worldwide gross for day 1 is estimated at about ₹125.25 crore, with around ₹70.25 crore from India and ₹55 crore from overseas.
For comparison, the first Jailer opened with about ₹48.35 crore net in India and ₹96.36 crore worldwide, so the sequel improved on it across the board. It also ranks as the second-biggest worldwide opening of Rajinikanth’s career. His 2025 film Coolie still holds the top spot with about ₹151 crore worldwide on its first day, while Jailer 2 edged past the reported opening of 2.0.
These are early estimates, and tracker numbers shift. Treat them as a snapshot, and check the latest figures before quoting them.
How It Compares With the First Film
The original Jailer got a similar reaction pattern from critics: a strong first half, a good-enough second half and a star who covers for a formulaic plot. A Gulf News review at the time summed it up with the phrase “First half good, second half ok.” The sequel appears to follow the same arc, only with a bigger canvas.
Where the sequel seems to differ is in how openly it leans on Rajinikanth’s persona. The first film, in the words of one critic, made him look a little less like a typical Rajinikanth movie hero. This one returns to a more classic star-vehicle approach, and that suits fans better than it suits viewers hoping for subtlety.
Who Should Watch It
Watch it if you love Rajinikanth’s screen presence, enjoyed the first film’s humor, or want a big-screen, festival-season entertainer with a thumping score.
Think twice if you were hoping for a tightly written thriller, a fresh villain or meaningful use of the star-studded cameos.
A tip: The Dussehra and Diwali holiday window is a good time to see it with a crowd, since much of the fun comes from audience reactions to the mass moments. If you have time, rewatch the first film first, since the sequel builds directly on it.
Our Final Verdict
Jailer 2 is a film that does a few things very well and a few things only passably. The star is in command, the comedy often lands and the music is excellent. The story, however, goes thin, the villains lack impact and a long second half tests patience. It is a crowd-pleaser first and a well-made film second, which is exactly what many of its fans wanted.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Jailer 2 has a huge opening, a cheering fan base and a mixed critical reception. If you go for Rajinikanth, you will most likely leave happy. If you go for a better story than the first film had, you may leave wishing the writing had stayed as sharp as it was in the opening hour. Either way, the Tiger is back, and the box office suggests plenty of people are glad to see him.
