24

I had some high hopes with 24 (2016). But I was disappointed with it. I was expecting some paradoxes in the movie, some sort of predestined event that was inevitable, but nothing was there to wow.

Perhaps happy ending made it bit boring. Could have been certainly better. Character of Sathya (Played by Samantha) felt useless and that character had little to no major affect on storyline. The reason for rivalry between the Brothers (Athreya & Shiva Kumar) is not mentioned in the movie. I expected more from this movie especially with Time Travel concept. Movie is average just because concept is new doesn't make it any better. My rating would be 6.5.

As a doctor who fan, I thought the time traveling elements in the show could one day be matched in Tamil film industry. This movie came very close to it. Excellent writing and acting pave way for a new darling for critics. I really liked Surya's Psychotic killer role than his other two. As the negatives, I could say the romance and songs killed my mood multiple times. Songs are pure time dragging (Yes I know it is ARR). But I do understand the need for commercial elements. They should have released a shorter version of the movie in oversees without all that romance crap for the international audience. Overall, this movie is gold and the best ever from the actor we all admire. My rating would be 8.4/10

Note: the write-up is based on the 2 hours 34 minutes trimmed version that is currently being played in theaters.

The film is trimmed, Well trimmed indeed. Right through the 154 minutes run time, The film is filled with lots of 'Disney' like fun moments that will be enjoyed by the kids and you wont be annoyed accompanying them.

The 'Actor Surya' who has been lately trying hard to become 'Entertainer Suriya' seems to be back in a well executed film. Suriya trying to select different kinds of scripts was clearly evident through his previous films but the script which looked good in paper was never executed well in the screen and this is the only factor why 24 as a film is a well made comeback film. Talking about the execution, Suriya plays three different characters and each character seems to be a break up for three different kinds of audience.

Mani- The jolly go lucky -romantic guy who is enjoyed by the family audience.

Sethuraman- The typical 'for the critic' written guy who runs the plot of the film.

Athreya- The stylish villain who keeps the boys excited throughout the run time.

These break up of characters have done wonders in the film to satisfy whole of the audience and this is the reason why I call this as a 'Pakka Masala' product.

(Taking about me calling this film a 'Pakka Masala product' and if you find this offensive try finding another alternative word for a Sci-Fic film like this containing some totally unwanted romance and misplaced songs, From Thani Oruvan i have been complaining about this and I'm already tired) Right from the film Manam director Vikram Kumar seems to never get the romantic scenes right. It will mostly end up has a half written and half swallowed lines but his brilliance as a writer is rightly shown in the place where he should be appreciated for. His writing and linking of each characters to the story shows his intelligence. Sometimes it makes you complain about the co incidence but believe me it is never easy to link all characters to one plot.

There are different versions of Time travel and as time travel never been proved or experienced you are forced to accept the directors version of time travel. If you have a friend who sees different kinds of films and is comparing each film and finding faults, its high time you ask the nerd to shut up.

According to my knowledge the directors version of time travel is simple, well written and presented. Leaving those love scenes aside the screenplay is well written and even a little bit of annoyance will make you miss some twists. Vikram Kumar seems to be playing a intelligent game with the audience, every time you expect the character to reveal something he fools you and shows you how intelligent his characters are. I bet you can never predict those 'I got it right' moments and it is one of the reasons why the film is never a bore.

Samantha is adorable in each scene and Saranya as usual does the mother role at her best. Talking about the characters in the film, There are around 5 important characters and in which 3 of them are being played by Surya himself :P still you never get bored, Even the style of crying seems to be different for each character.

Another brilliance in the movie is the visual effects. The moments of keys, the inside of the watch and the rain sequence (my favorite ) isn't an immature work. Kudos to the cinematographer and VFX TEAM.

As said before you will never be annoyed watching this film in theater, until your nerd friend starts his theories. :P

This movie possess everything:

• Strong story base

• Sci-fi fantasy

• Romance, though below par from the standard of entire movie

• Deadly villain

• Unexpected twists

• Family drama

• perfect logic loops

A once in a decade kind of film, very carefully handled in terms of screenplay and direction. The movie starts in a typical sci-fi way, then slowly takes you into a roller-coaster ride with some unimaginable and unpredictable destinations.

Cinematography & VFX deserves a special mention as this film could have been nothing without this team.

In a sci-fi film, you cannot think of songs to gel up with the pace of the film, but here, they were awesomely handled. BGM, out of word - Rahman rules all over.

Its triple role for Surya as Athreya/Mani/Sethuraman and he rules the entire movie with his performance. The antagonist Athreya is on top of the rest.

Amidst a completely occupied screen space for the lead actor, Samantha and Nithya Menon have got decent roles and they have done their parts well.

The movie do have a few glitches in the first half, but they are completely negligible for its 'never seen before' kind of feel, when your anticipation goes wrong all the time.

Verdict: Just go for it...!

Vikram K Kumar is the real hero! All his work in making such a detailed script has payed off.

The screenplay will be slightly hard to digest for the commercial movie lovers! But I loved the way he penned the screenplay. The Romantic part is well combined with sci-fi part, so it was very engaging and enjoyable one.

Greatest comeback for Surya! If it's Theri for Vijay, it's 24 for Surya! He just basks the whole movie on his back and delivers a great performance! Aathraya role needs special mention as he literally steals the show with his sleek villainous role.! Watch out!

ARR silently keeps the flow of the movie with his BGM and you won't get disturbed unlike others. The Art direction and cinematography completes the visual cycle beautifully! Special appreciations to them!

Every character is given its own importance. Was waiting for such a sci-fi thriller in Thamizh cinema that has very good detailing that it takes some time to get a good look into it completely!! Although it's on the lines of Indru Netru Naalai, 24 is the movie to watch out, purely for its screenplay! Aathraya - highlight of the whole movie! Must watch in theater!!

As it's a sci-fi in Thamizh, 9/10!!!!