Leo - will be remembered for Vijay's finest performance and Lokesh Kanagaraj's impeccable direction.

Thalapathy Vijay and director Lokesh Kanagaraj joined hands for the first time in the 2021 blockbuster 'Master'. The fan-favourite combo teamed up once again for "Leo" which eventually became the most hyped film from Tamil cinema. The action drama with an ensemble cast stormed the big screens amid huge expectations today. Here is a spoiler-free review of Leo.

Parthiban (Vijay) is a middle-aged man living with his wife Sathya (Trisha), son and daughter in Himachal Pradesh. He runs a coffee shop and is also an animal rescuer. Parthi was left with no other option and cornered to take up violence in a critical situation. He is surrounded by uninvited fame following the same. This leads to deadly gangsters Antony (Sanjay Dutt) and Harold (Arjun Sarja) mistaking him for their nemesis Leo (Vijay). Joshy (Gautham Menon) and Parthiban's family are trying to unravel the secret behind Parthiban's identity. Whether Parthiban and Leo are the same person and whether the former saved his family from this mishap is the crux.

Leo will be hailed as one of the best performances in Vijay's career and it is also the best thing about the movie. Vijay can't be seen anywhere in his portrayal and all you watch on screen is Parthiban. He also excelled in delivering his swag as Leo Das. It is an absolute treat to watch Vijay perform a roller coaster of emotions in a grounded character. Lokesh on the other hand has tried to re-invent himself with a different premise than his previous movies. He has come out of his zone and tried his hand at a fresh screenplay and staging in the first half, which was great. However, the second half slips big time though the story shifts to his strong zone.

Leo starts off as a clean film with no usual buildups and punch dialogues. The movie had a subtle yet terrific interval block in a Vijay film after Thuppakki. On the downside, the later acts of the film fall prey to bland characters, fragile backstories and illogical sequences. The highly anticipated Sanjay Dutt and Arjun's characters weren't half as good as the baddies in Lokesh's previous works. The creator should've been more careful in writing for a biggie of this scale.

Coming to the technical front, the Anbariv' duo's action direction is top notch and the VFX works were commendable. Watch out for the Hyena sequence and the coffee shop battle which are the absolute best. Anirudh has delivered yet another banger soundtrack this year with Leo. On the whole, Leo suffers a few setbacks but will be a memorable film in Vijay's filmography. It sure has Lokesh's surprise elements to satisfy his fans as well.

Verdict : Go for this action drama to watch a never-before-seen dimension of actor Vijay and for its super cool surprises.