Ace is a heist comedy flick starring Vijay Sethupathy, Rukmini Vasanth and Yogi Babu in the lead roles. The film is directed by Arumuga Kumar of Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren fame. The music is composed by Justin Prabhakaran.

Premise: Vijay Sethupathy resides in Malaysia, his love interest Rukmini Vasanth is in need of money to be free from his toxic stepfather. The hero gets into gambling but loses big, after which he accomplishes a heist. The repercussions of the crime forms the crux of the story.

Writing/ Direction: Ace is a screenplay-centric film with an ensemble of characters whose individual arcs drive the narrative forward. The film unfolds in an unconventional manner, and the initial segments create a sense of intrigue as the storyline takes its time to reveal its direction. While the first hour may feel scattered due to a loosely established setup, it still keeps the viewer curious about what’s to come.

The gambling sequence stands out as an engaging highlight, though it might have benefitted from a stronger contextual build-up and aftermath. Similarly, the ambitious heist sequence at the midpoint adds grandeur, albeit with a sense of theatrical liberty that places Vijay Sethupathi’s character in a rather unchecked domain, making it seem like he owns the space.
"Ace" often flirts with brilliance — whenever an exciting moment arises, it may fall short on depth, and when meaningful content appears, the delivery feels somewhat uneven. A pivotal revelation featuring Babloo Prithiveeraj adds a layer of intrigue, though its potential is left partially explored.
The film has several opportunities for humour and commercial engagement, especially with themes like gambling and robbery. However, these elements don’t always land with the impact they promise, due to underutilized strengths and an over-reliance on generic action diversions.
Nevertheless, despite its imperfections, "Ace" manages to hold attention as a breezy entertainer. It offers a steady stream of happenings that keep the pace alive, resulting in a watchable experience that doesn’t wear out its welcome.

Performances: Vijay Sethupathy plays a character whose past remains a mystery till the very end, he has maintained that mood on his face by talking out minimal throughout. There are plenty of fight scenes and he has significantly improvised with the skill which everybody played a blame-game on him all these years. Rukmini Vasanth looks super pretty, she has provided what is required from her by displaying a very calculative performance. Yogi Babu’s comedies are a mixed bag, some work and many don’t, clicks when the situation is favourable, the dialogue-oriented ones are middling. However, the characterizations are low-key and no one could exhibit their full potential. Babloo Prithiveeraj gets to play a dirty cop, his dark shades are explored to an extent, some coherent arc could have made his presence more impactful.

Technicalities: Neat work by Justin Prabhakaran and ‘Urugudhu’ song is a standout. The background score by Sam.C.S is pleasing, his music keeps the film going when the on-screen happenings fumble. Camera work is good with Malaysia explored very well, the original Malay dialogues plus the visuals perfectly maintain the nativity of the subject. Editing is too clumsy, although the screenplay itself feels that way, there are random jump cuts and avoidable shots that are all over the place. Costumes by Sapna Kalra are beautiful, for the Malaysia backdrop, the clothes worn by the lead actors are very much in sync. Quality work by the stunt department, dupe is evident in some shots, but mostly it’s grounded and realistic.

Verdict: While the film has its share of highs and lows, it manages to stay engaging, especially once it moves past the initial hiccup. With its light-hearted, no-brainer approach, it holds attention reasonably well—and with a bit more finesse in the fundamentals, it had all the makings of an enjoyable timepass entertainer.

ACE - A leisure watch with nothing much to worry about