Dum Dum Dum could well be considered a product of the next generation in tamil cinema. We have Manirathnam's assistant in the director's chair, P.C.Sriram's assistant in charge of the cinematography and Ilaiyaraja's son scoring the music. Add to this a hero who is the latest newcomer to make an impact and a heroine who is the current darling of Kodambakkam and one can see why Dum Dum Dum could be considered the new wave. The good news is that this generation proves to be no slouch. Likeable performances, a well-paced screenplay, eye-catching cinematography and great music transform the lightweight story into an enjoyable entertainer.

Adityan(Madhavan) and Ganga(Jyothika) are the unhappy groom and bride forced into a wedding. Adityan backs away because he is reluctant to give up his life of wine and women in the city while Ganga is unwilling because she wants to pursue an Engineering degree. The twosome draw up a few plans to stop the wedding but they fizzle out. But just when Adityan and Ganga begin to think that their getting together may not be too bad an idea after all, a real fight stops the wedding . Their feelings are strengthened when they run into each other in the city.

The movie starts on a slightly different note with a hero and heroine who do not want to be married. So there's none of the usual 'love at first sight' phenomenon. Instead we get a boy and girl conspiring to stop their union and this provides some nice fun. It is refreshing to see Jyothika talk with Madhavan as an equal instead of the typical shyness and their interactions, like using the young girl as the go-between during the engagement, are nicely handled. Though the plans themselves aren't very clever(the first one could even be considered mean-spirited), their executions, like the kidnapping, provide many laughs.

The fight that ultimately stops the wedding is definitely flimsy but the dialogs and performances of the artistes involved make it believable enough. The preceding scene, where Madhavan and Jyothika, meet and have a brief talk, has some sweet but natural dialogs and gives us an inkling of the direction of the story. Several new characters like Chinni Jayanth, with a spoof of Kamalhassan's Velu Naicker in Naayakan and Manivannan are introduced once the story moves to the city and the way the screenplay has been handled(for instance, Manivannan misunderstanding the true intentions of Madhavan) is appreciable.

Ofcourse, these are just add-ons. The main story in the second half is the romance between Madhavan and Jyothika. This has been developed in a believable manner and some scenes, like their meeting in a room with Manivannan and Vivek outside, are incredibly cute and romantic. Since the climax is a foregone conclusion, the director does well to keep it short and sweet. There are some indications that the story may be lengthened beyond what is necessary after Jyothika's response to Manivannan's question but the final scene itself is suitably done.

Madhavan puts memories of Ennavale firmly behind him with another likeable loverboy role. But his acting skills haven't been stretched. Jyothika cuts down on her usually irritating facial expressions and instead uses her eyes well to convey subtle expressions like her liking of Madhavan's overtures in the city. She looks cute as the village belle and has a great smile(hmmm... could she be growing on me?!). Murali, another Malayalam import after Suresh Gopi in Dheena, portrays the loving father very well while some unknown faces shine in other supporting roles. Vivek is a disappointment with the director hoping that anything he says will be funny. That doesn't work.

Karthik Raja too leaves behind some forgettable scores behind in recent movies to come up with a blockbuster soundtrack while cinematographer Ramji makes the colors come alive. Their combined efforts raise Sutrum Bhoomi... and Desingu Raja... to great heights. Athan Varuvaaga... is catchy and well-choreographed while Ragasiyamaai... and Un Perai Sonnaale... captivate us with their melody. Krishna Krishna... is similar to the group songs in Minnale and Alaipayuthey and as in those cases, is the weakest song in the soundtrack.