Mammootty has always been accused by the Malayalam movie lovers of doing only massy, one-note roles in recent times. Perhaps, to change that opinion, he is playing the lead in this week's Malayalam release, Uncle. A road thriller, the movie is produced by actor Joy Matthew who has also penned the script, while it is directed by Girish Damodar, who is making his debut with the movie. Karthika Muralidharan is the female lead. Interestingly she was one of the female leads in Mammooty's son Dulquer Salmaan's CIA: Comrade in USA.

Uncle is about Mammootty's character, a middle-aged businessman who goes on a road trip with the daughter of his friend. What happens during the trip forms the premise of the movie. Apart from Mammootty and Karthika, the movie also stars Joy Matthew, KPAC Lalitha and Muthumani.

Early reviews have nice things to say about the movie, with the biggest positive being that it is a refreshing change from Mammootty's work in the last couple of years. They have praised the performances and the premise, but are not in favour of the length. Check out some of the reviews below -

FilmiBeat says, "The first half of the film is filled with the lighter moments with a big shadow cast over the character of Krishnakumar. His character has been well-developed in such a way that one would keep guessing about his characteristics and shades till the end. There are moments of tension that have been imparted to the audiences as well. On the other hand, it's in the second half where we get to see some drama and it has worked out well for the movie. The climax portions are the key highlights of the movie, which are indeed impactful ones. However, the length of the movie could have been cut-shortened a bit, especially in the first half."

English ManoramaOnline says, "The film comes as a solace for those who have been seeing Mammootty in typical macho roles. The character of Krishnakumar gives ample scope for the actor to perform. Karthika Muralidharan, Joy Mathew and Muthumani perform equally well, imbibing the nuances of the characters they play."

Have you seen Uncle? Do you agree with the above reviews? Share your views in the comments section below.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2018 04:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).