Thumbs up, by Arun Venkatraman, Deccan Chronicle : ...The lead up to the final scenes strike the final nail and by now Ranjith seems to have already buckled under the superstars weight. By the end, you end up getting the pure, escapist thrill of watching a Rajini film, giving us the sense that it's a film that could have been more, but was only destined to be another 'historic blockbuster'. ... full review

Thumbs up, by IANS, Free Press Journal : ...So the verdict. Does Rajinikant rock it in “Kabali”? Yes! Though the motions of his iconization have now altered somewhat. ... full review

Thumbs up, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...Nevertheless, when the Thalaiva is on the job, nothing can be allowed to go wrong and his mere presence makes Kabali worth a watch. ... full review

So-So, by IST, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, KABALI is an archetypal Rajinikanth film that will surely be lapped up by his hardcore fans. Rajinikanth does his best to carry the film on his able shoulders but the audiences will be left wanting for more. ... full review

So-So, by Anupama Subramanian, Deccan Chronicle : ...'Magizhchi' is the only punch word Rajini utters throughout the film: well, you be the judge of how happy and content you are afterwards. ... full review

So-So, by Smita Vyas Kumar, Desi Martini : ...I loved being in the theatre and feeling the energy of the people around me. I clapped and screamed along with them. It kept me going. The movie by itself will not much work for anybody who is not a believer. Dekho magar pyar se or blaze in Hell. Neruppu da!... full review

So-So, by Sujith, Desi Martini : ...On the whole, Kabali is definitely worth watchable once. ... full review

So-So, by Karthik Kumar, Desi Martini : ...Once again Ranjith manages to extract the best background score from Santhosh Narayanan who unleashes his inner Thalaivar fan with a variety of foot-tapping scores. ... full review

So-So, by Ameet Bhuwan, Desi Martini : ...The film is paced dreadfully slow, a mere two and half hours seem like an eternity. The climax is a cop out, the plot twists merely done in a different style- nothing about the film is fresh, save for Rajni. The man himself digs into his part, regales as the super star, flashes the “actor” in him every now and then and just about manages to make a die hard fan whistle up and jump in his seat. For a cinema lover who would want him to do meatier stuff, this is just a more stylised rehash of every other Rajni film since always. And that might not be a good thing for the super star anymore. ... full review

So-So, by Mukesh Kumar, Desi Martini : ...Yes. We were given 2.30 hours of Rajinilanth. Exactly the kind of charming Rajinikanth for which we were craving for years. But not in the exact demeanour we wanted to. Kabali is just a shadow of what it could've been. Ranjith lets us down. But not Rajinikanth. ... full review

So-So, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...It takes Rajnikanth's presence to make Kabali an entertaining movie. Without him, this would've been a good looking but very forgettable film. But with Rajni's characteristic aura, Kabali does become an event film. Must watch in Tamil. ... full review

So-So, by Ravi Kandala, fullhyd.com : ...The film is shot well - loads of money has been spent, and it is clear in the output. The action choreography is decent, too, and the superstar is reduced to mere mortal levels in most scenes. ... full review

So-So, by Surabhi Redkar, koimoi : ...Kabali does not live up to its hype. In spite of Rajni’s smashing persona, the film fails to make an impact. A 2.5/5 for this Rajni ride ... full review

So-So, by Vishal Verma, Life Love and Logic : ...Well reviewing a Rajinikanth film and going more in details won't serve much. If you are still reading this then we conclude by saying that if you wish to see the actor Rajinikanth more than the superstar Rajinikanth and are awed by known Bollywood cliches then KABALI is a fair deal.... full review

So-So, by Kunal Guha, Mumbai Mirror : ...Reminiscent of 80s gangster movies, this one's in a time warp. Watching the baddies being beaten to pulp by a hero whose insults are as fierce as his blows, this one is comfort food. Chomp away. ... full review

So-So, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...Wish we could say the same about the film. But that shouldn't make any difference to the army of Rajini fans out there. ... full review

So-So, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...What is interesting, besides Rajinikanth, is the wonderfully mixed iconography Pa Ranjith throws together in this film about immigrants and borrowed cultures. ... full review

So-So, by Saisuresh Sivaswamy, Rediff : ...Overall, Rajinikanth retains his swag, shows off his dialogue delivery, fights a mean bit, and wows the fans. But is that good enough at a time when the audiences are wanting more? ... full review

So-So, by S Saraswathi, Rediff : ...Kabali is definitely not your regular Rajini film and is most likely to disappoint his fans. The film is also not as gripping as Ranjith’s critically acclaimed Madras. ... full review

So-So, by Ritika Handoo, Zee News : ...The filmmaker has deliberately left an open-ended climax because when you are a gangster not all endings are a happily ever after! Watch 'Kabali' because this is a tribute to Thalaiva and you don't really need a reason to watch a Rajinikanth film—mind it! ... full review

Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...“Kabali”… An unsatisfying clash between the impulses of star and director ... full review

Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...Anyway, lets continue with our work of exploring the must watch regional gems made in different Indian languages at the site, and hope Rajinikanth comes up with a much better venture soon forgetting this poor KABALI. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Sreeju Sudhakaran, Bollywood Hungama : ...Riding on so much hype and Rajinikanth’s star power, Kabali turns out to be a huge disappointment. Though Rajinikanth keeps on saying Magizchi (Cheers! in English) in the film, there is very less to cheer about anywhere in here, even for his die-hard fans. Only watch the film if you want to know why there is so much craze over Rajinikanth. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah : ...Rajinikanth is undoubtedly charismatic, but Kabali is so senseless and boring, that it doesn’t deserve a star like him. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Vignesh Radhakrishnan,, Hindustan Times : ...For Thalaivar fans, it’ll be hard to tell. Though Rajinikanth shines, he has a long career in which Kabali doesn’t quite fit. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Suhani Singh, india today : ...After two hours and 30 minutes we still don't know what keeps his empire running given that it is against his principles to trade in drugs or women. Radhika Apte as Kabali's wife appears more as a model for India's rich handicraft tradition by ambling about in beautiful saris. Dhansika is the better-served female character here as a feisty contract killer, whose introduction alone is a giveaway to what her back story is.Rajinikanth displays ample of charisma but his Robin Hood act is not enough to keep the Thalaivar fans entertained.... full review

Thumbs down, by Krishnakumar Padmanabhan, MiD DAY : ...The superb music by Santosh Narayan and the extremely political lyrics only magnify the script’s flaws. (Even some of the key dialogues are political, but they do not have the same impact as the powerful lyrics, primarily because of the poor script.) ... full review