After their last outing in "Makalkku", an offbeat film that failed to create ripples at the box office, director Jayaraj and actor Suresh Gopi team up again in "Aswaroodan", an out-and-out commercial film that turns out to be an even bigger letdown.

One expected high production values or a difference in the stylistic approach from D. Rama Naidu, arguably one of the biggest producers in India.

The fault, actually, is Jayaraj's. Not only did he select a hopelessly outdated theme dating back to the Stone Age but didn't bother either to give it a contemporary look to make it appealing.

"Aswaroodan" is set in the same old feudal environs with a lord who has a heart of gold but rules with an iron hand. The usual accompaniments of deceit, property disputes, murder and mayhem are all in place along with long winding dialogues quoting Puranas that go over audiences' heads.

Suresh Gopi, desperately trying to gain a foothold in the industry after his comeback, failed to salvage the hackneyed plot. Clad in a pristine white lungi and shirt (that reminds one of the classic "Thevar Magan"), he just has to be himself with the camera, which concentrates only on his palms and the ring finger of his right hand sporting a huge, sun-shaped, silver ring.

Going by his previous releases, Suresh is in danger of vanishing again if he does not select his roles carefully.

Padmapriya, the female lead, makes a very late appearance in the film. Cast as the leader of the tribals, she puts some spunk into her character but is relegated to the background by the end as the hero's wife. She deserved much more screen time and a better role.

Sai Kumar, the main villain, does a neat job. There are no menacing twitches of body parts or the loud laughter that are stereotypical in such films. This is a huge relief considering our overall disappointment with the film.