“Kingston,” released on March 7, 2025, is touted as India’s first sea adventure film starring G V Prakash Kumar. Directed by Kamal Prakash, the story unfolds in a cursed Tamil Nadu village where King, a smuggler, attempts to revive the village’s fishing heritage despite the lurking curse of the sea. The film has some thrilling moments in the second half, but suffers from weak storytelling and a sluggish pace, hampered by unnecessary flashbacks. While Kumar’s performance is commendable, the film’s subpar VFX and mediocre production values lead to a lackluster experience. Overall, it garnered a rating of 2.5/5 from 123telugu.com.
Movie Title : Kingston
Release Date : March 7, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Cast : G V Prakash Kumar, Dhivyabharathi, Chetan, Azhagam Perumaal, Elango Kumaravel, Sabumon Abdusamad, Antony, Arunachaleswaran, Rajesh Balachandiran.
Direction : Kamal Prakash
Production : G V Prakash Kumar & Umesh K R Bansal
Music : G V Prakash Kumar
Cinematography : Gokul Benoy
Editing : San Lokesh
Related Links : Trailer
Kingston is the newest Tamil film featuring music composer GV Prakash Kumar in the lead role. Marketed as India’s first sea adventure movie, it has also been released in Telugu with the same title. The film made its theatrical debut today. Read our review to find out its performance.
Plot:
In 1982, the coastal village of Thoovathur in Tamil Nadu suffers from a supernatural curse that forces the villagers to abandon fishing indefinitely. Fast forward to the present, Kingston, also called King (played by GV Prakash Kumar), is a self-serving man involved with a smuggling gang led by Thomas (played by Sabumon Abdusamad) in Thoothukudi. As King uncovers troubling secrets, he decides to abandon the gang and is determined to restore his village’s lost economic activity. Ignoring stern warnings, he sets sail, but the treacherous curse of the sea looms over him. Will he manage to break the curse, or will he become its next casualty? The main film reveals the outcome.
Strengths:
Kingston features several moments of promise, especially in the second half when the sea adventure scenes stand out. The sequences set amidst the ocean are well-crafted, injecting a sense of tension and curiosity.
GV Prakash Kumar gives a commendable performance as Kingston, navigating through the material with commendable effort. A handful of thrilling scenes in the latter part of the film keep the audience engaged, piquing their interest about the unfolding events.
Weaknesses:
Promoted as India’s first sea adventure film, Kingston disappoints with a lack of robust storytelling and inconsistent execution. The film requires a more engaging screenplay to maintain audience interest throughout, yet it often lags with redundant flashbacks.
The erratic narration significantly slows the film’s tempo, making it difficult to remain invested in the central storyline. Key moments are interrupted by flashbacks that contribute little to the narrative, undermining its overall impact. The film also seems heavily influenced by KGF, employing stylized flashcards and excessive hype-building techniques that fail to add meaningful substance.
The first half unfolds at a leisurely pace, causing viewers to await the interval with increasing impatience. Although the second half improves slightly, the execution lacks depth, hindering the film from achieving the gripping experience it aspires to deliver.
The casting is somewhat unsatisfactory, with numerous characters proving to be inconsequential. Divya Bharati’s character seems unnecessary, while many supporting actors fail to leave a memorable impression.
Technical Aspects:
Director Kamal Prakash ventures into new territory with his directorial debut, yet he struggles with the screenplay and execution. A more concise narrative and better organization could have transformed this into a more captivating sea adventure thriller.
GV Prakash Kumar’s musical score is average, failing to enhance the film’s emotional and thrilling moments. The visual effects are below standard, detracting from the believability of the sea scenes.
While the cinematography is decent, the editing lacks precision, making the film feel overstretched. Production values are mediocre, and the Telugu dubbing is just passable.
Final Verdict:
Overall, Kingston is a lackluster attempt at a sea adventure thriller, suffering from an uninspiring story and weak execution. Despite GV Prakash Kumar’s commendable effort, the film is hindered by a flawed screenplay, excessive flashbacks, poor visual effects, and slow pacing. With only a handful of engaging moments in the latter half, it struggles to maintain interest and fails to leave a lasting impression.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team