Leo

The central plot of the movie follows a somewhat traditional trajectory, reminiscent of numerous Indian films and works like "A History of Violence," adapted from a graphic novel by John Wagner. Nonetheless, Director Lokesh, in collaboration with his writing team, skillfully injects a rejuvenating dose of suspense into the storyline with brilliantly executed plot twists. It's worth noting that the flashback segments seemed hurried and unconvincing, which affected the second half, and the pacing in the first half could have benefited from some tightening, especially the over-budget hyena sequence.

To avoid revealing any spoilers, I'll conclude my thoughts here.

Vijay delivers a commendable performance in both of his roles. While his appearance as Parthiban, a character in his mid-40s, may not be exceptional, it remains acceptable, and his acting is good. His portrayal of Leo, on the other hand, looks good but doesn't offer much to act on because of the short duration.

Trisha didn't get a meaty role, but as always, she delivers a fantastic performance, radiating beauty even in a role that requires her to portray a woman in her 40s and a mother of a teenager. Her on-screen chemistry with Vijay is superb, a genuine treat for their fans.

Sanjay Dutt's presence in the film is decent, though his acting doesn't quite match up to the overall cast's caliber. Arjun Sarja's role is actually useless, but his appearance and acting are good.

The supporting cast delivers their best efforts, contributing to the film's overall quality. Priya Anand and Anurag Kashyap are underutilized.

The action sequences are well-executed and visually appealing. The cinematography showcases moments of extraordinary brilliance, although it falls short in some areas. The songs may not be remarkable, but the background score is notably strong. The film's locations, sets, and costumes are adequately done, while the VFX work could have been more refined.

Lokesh's direction deserves recognition for steering the film in a positive direction, but he should work on his writing.

In summary, I recommend experiencing this movie in theaters to fully appreciate the cinematic journey it offers. #LCU.

On the bright side, we get..

• One of Vijay's finest performances (not as a star, but as an actor): The first half is replete with moments where Vijay showcases emotions as a doting father, husband, cafe owner, and animal lover.

• The writing in the first half: Superb, even when it's A History of Violence contextualized for Tamil sensibilities. Every scene carries a decent tempo, and the developments make you sit up. The whole hyena angle is beautifully executed, and its payoff in the climax is wonderful. The title card placement is a nice creative touch on Lokesh's part.

• Brilliant cinematography: Manoj Paramahamsa's frames wonderfully capture the Kashmiri locales (even though the film is "set" in Theog, Himachal Pradesh) with Parthipan's (Vijay) cafe looking remarkably aesthetic in that first fight sequence. When the film gets action-heavy, the use of the mocobot camera is put to fine effect.

• A pretty solid supporting cast: Whether it be Trisha (who looks absolutely dashing), Gautham Menon, Arjun Sarja, Sanjay Dutt, or Mathew Thomas, they deliver what the writing expects them to. It's just that the antagonists (Dutt, Sarja) lack sufficient fleshing out for us to care about their motives.

• Anirudh's music: While I feel he overdid the score a bit in the film, the elevation points (particularly a 10-15 minute pre-interval stretch) are fabulous, courtesy of his compositions. Badass Ma is the clear standout, but Naa Ready also worked thanks to the choreography. The English bits in the score were tremendous, and I can't wait to blast them on Spotify for my workouts once the OST is uploaded.

On the not-so-bright side, we get..

• A lackluster second half: The whole flashback segment suffers from tepid writing. A key character is introduced only to be killed off just a few minutes later. The writing doesn't give us any time to register this character, let alone connect emotionally. This then becomes the driving force for the protagonist's subsequent actions. The whole "identity crisis" aspect also wears out, because there's only so much you can do with it. In totality, this is a 75% Lokesh, 25% Vijay film.

• Some tacky CGI: While this doesn't hamper the viewing experience overall, you'll come across not-so-great CG work in certain parts. This is especially the case in a car chase sequence.

• The LCU connect: Felt somewhat inorganic and forced. Given the film takes place geographically far away from the proceedings of the LCU, I felt it stood a better chance as a standalone piece. There are some interesting cameos yes, but nothing that gives you the wowness of Vikram, or even Kaithi for that matter. Lokesh definitely reserved his best for Aandavar.

Middle-of-the-road aspect: Anbariv masters are quite well-known for their innovative set pieces. I loved the first set piece (at the cafe) - it felt raw and real, with fantastic cuts and zero slo-mo. There are plenty more in various locations, but only the climactic showdown (which also includes a 1v1 between Vijay and Arjun) lingers in my mind after leaving the cinema hall.

P. S. - I enjoyed Loki's tribute to Sly Stallone. If you know, you know.

Please watch it to witness a different Vijay. 🔥 Terrific experience. Screenplay and BGM. Everyone says second half could have been a bit better. Even though it's actually true, the first half and the last 30 mins compensates for it.

The first 90 mins is bliss followed a bit mediocre 30 mins and a high octane terrific last 30 mins.

Positives: Vijay - It is not a regular Vijay movie. You won't see The regular body language, mannerism.

Lokesh's screenplay 🔥🔥🔥 Anirush music 🔥🔥🔥 Anbariv stunts 🔥🔥🔥 Negatives: Villains could have been better written.

So many known faces in the cast makes us expect more from them.

Overall : A Loki, Vijay, Ani & Anbariv sambhavam! 🔥

It's a pure action entertainer with a perfect first half, followed by a decent second half. Except for the car chase sequence and the final action sequence, it was lit. I'm not saying those were bad, but they pushed the limits of physics and logic to the extreme. Other than some minor issues in the screenplay, I thought it was a pretty good movie. Personally, I loved watching the movie in a houseful theater. I don't know if it will be the same when it comes out on digital platforms, so go watch it in theaters. Not having high expectations will also help you enjoy the movie better. Can't wait to see the next installments in the LCU🔥🔥

I felt this movie is definitely better than Master but not upto Kaithi/Vikram level. More than 10mins could have been trimmed. The flashback scenes should have been shown as only glimpses because it did not justify the build-up. The build-up & hype for flashback was more than Rolex which the director failed to fullfill.

Still definitely - 7.5 to 8/10 Good to see Vijay is finally focusing on character rather than just flexing heroism.

Villain character were not strong as the background music. Could have added more scenes to it to justify their ferociousness.

LCU connect is just fine. Hope Lokesh has answers to all obvious questions from fans which may appear as forced scenes in the next part.