H. Vinoth tries to blend an unbearably soapy family drama with the aesthetics of an action thriller to underwhelming results in Valimai. The generic sentimental scenes (with overly moralistic overtones) ruin all the excitement of the intermittently well-done set-pieces. The cat-and-mouse game between the protagonist (a righteous cop played by Ajith Kumar) and the antagonist (the leader of a nihilistic biker gang, played by Kartikeya Gummakonda) isn't exhilarating, or rather, the screenplay doesn't build it up that well. But Vinoth excels in staging the set-pieces, and that's what makes you occasionally sit up. At 3 hours, Valimai becomes a chore to sit through because style can only do so much to keep you invested in a film that frequently gets preachy on "Amma paasam."
