‘The Pet Detective’ movie review: A moderately funny comic book caper with template characters

A kidnapped girl, a missing dog, exotic fishes that get stolen, a feared Mexican mafia don and a couple of smaller dons, a psychopath, a bumbling policeman, and a pet detective. One would need this basic checklist to keep track of the numerous subplots that are cramped into The Pet Detective, directed by debutant Praneesh Vijayan.

The writers appear to be aware of this rather confusing mix that they get one of the characters to periodically narrate the series of events till then, just so that no one gets lost. But then, it is sometimes a pleasure to get lost in a world in which things do not get serious beyond a point, just like in comics. Clearly, this is the space that the makers are aiming for, where even a Mafia don does not look too dangerous, but at times ends up as a laughing stock. In its staging, editing patterns and over-the-top performances, the film attempts to capture this comic energy. Yet, for a film of this nature, the jokes that land well are just about a handful.

For Tony Jose Alula (Sharaf U Dheen), his detective agency is an inheritance from his father. It is also a means to impress his girlfriend Kaikeyi (Anupama Parameswaran), but he has been unsuccessful thus far, having not yet nailed any case. The case of a missing pet lands as a blessing, making him switch to the role of a pet detective, a la Ace Ventura. But, in pursuit of that case, he gets entangled in a bigger game involving several players. Closely trailing him in the same case is a policeman (Vinay Forrt), who also wants to impress Kaikeyi.

Several parallel events

The screenplay, that the director has co-written with Jai Vishnu, draws on some of the generic elements from comic capers with several parallel events and quirky characters. But, barring some of the characters, quite a few do not even register due to inadequacies in characterisation and writing. Even a powerful performer like Vinayakan gets a largely forgettable and pointless role, while Sharaf U Dheen, Anupama and Vijayaraghavan manage to make some impact. Part of the confusion in the plot with multiple threads is owing to the lack of clarity in characterisation.

At the same time, the screenplay has interesting bits such as the way the detective’s old schoolmates are brought into the plot at various junctures, each with a backstory. One of the high points of the film is certainly the climactic encounter set in a theme park, where all the characters come together for one glorious mix up reminiscent of good old Priyadarshan movies. Although parts of the lengthy sequence make one wonder whether it is also meant to be an advertisement for the theme park, especially with scenes set across multiple rides, it does give one final push to the film to land it in the average films’ territory.

The Pet Detective is only moderately successful in its ambitious endeavour to immerse us in a comic book universe.

The Pet Detective is currently running in theatres