Notes

Exclusive, first on the net review. Please re-tweet, share around and let everyone know.

Firstly, this review is my opinion alone and does not come from any sources.

With Vijay's Thupakki turning out to be a successful venture for both the director and the actor, it was time that Vijay carried on his streak of delivering movies that would turn into successful money makers and blockbusters. With disappointments ranging in from Sura, VettaiKaran and even arguably Velayudham, it was made clear that Thalaivaa had to be a hit in order for Vijay's future to be promising.

The movie starts as usual, and we get the same typical hero entry. This time it wasn't as cheesy as some movies are, and at the same time, it wasn't dull and simplistic. We are then taken to the tamil pasanga song which is a treat to watch on the big screen, just alone for Vijay. Personally, I got small flash backs referring back to the dance moves in Surya's recent Singam 2 - Singam Dance - however, despite this, the song is a treat and flavour to watch on the big screen with Vijay carrying his screen presence and charisma all the way. A hats of to GV.P for a catchy and definitely worth listening to tune.

We are then introduced to our comedian which we are all very familiar with by now- it's no other than Santhanam. He gives us those one liners, those dialogues which make your stomach crave for more and he does his job well. Does he do better than what he did in Singam 2? For sure. Does he do better than what he did in movies like TVSK, Kalakalapu or Thillu Mullu? Unfortunately not. But he does carry his same attitude and you do get a few good and nice laughs here and there when he is on screen. A pleasure to watch and enjoy.

Another plus point is Nirav's stunning cinematography and GV.P spectacular music which does indeed keep you in your shoes. Hats of to them.

Amala Pauls makes her entry just before the first half interval and oh boy, you are going to be in for a HUGE shock just before the interval. If you're expecting a normal standard, typical interval break, you are hugely wrong - stay tuned for an interval that will get you begging the cinema to resume the video back again. Amala again is the same, pretty, well dressed and fit for the role aptly.

With the first half, there's nothing serious going on. Yes, we have comedy. Yes, we have those awesome flexible dance moves from Vijay. Yes, we have that romance we all know was going to happen. Yes, we have a mixture of everything from the bag. What don't we get? Enough thrillers or actions… but then comes to the interval and you ask yourself "what now!!!?".

The second half starts and it gets straight to the point. We dig deep into the main issue underlying in the movie and we get to see more from our sir, Sathyaraj who has done a remarkable job and has come out clean and done wonders with his role - it's a shame that this man does not do any more mainstream popular tamil movies.

The second half moves at a pretty rapid pace and you seem to sometimes forget that the movie is in fact measured at a whopping 3 hours. Even still, you feel the movie is only 2 hours long and you are able to enjoy vijays screen presence as he dances, jokes, and fights. Yes, we do see more fights and action in the second part of the movie and that is what we expect anyway from seeing the trailers. The songs in the second half are a treat to watch with vijay carrying the dance moves as if it was a piece of cake.

The second half does satisfy you and the ending is appropriate. Everyone did their roles with ease, such as Amala Paul, Sathyaraj, villains and Santhanam. Now comes the main hero, our thalapathy.

Vijay.

Vijay carries the movies on his shoulders the whole way. It seems that his acting has now gone from good, to better to amazing to perfect. I literally sat there trying to find something to critique on but could not get any luck. His dance moves are getting better, his emotions are going beyond the roof and his speeches, dialogues and pretty much his simple screen presence makes the whole crowd go bonkers. Does this movie have the same action as Thupakki? Yes it does, but not until the second half begins.

Muthukumar's lyrics are heart warming and they do the job right for all the songs. A great masterpiece from him and a great completion by GV.P.

What works well?

Pace of the movie, acting from all members, songs, dance and dialogues.

What doesn't work too well / could be improved?

Plot, cast of villains, certain locations, possibly more stunts (?).

Box Office prediction:

With the current suspense over the release in T.N and other districts, it's hard to say whether Thalaivaa will make as much as it COULD have made if it was released grandly tomorrow (if it does). If it does not release tomorrow, for sure the B.O will be affected severely as this is the Eid weekend and many movie buffers will go out looking to watch movies or spending the night at some event.

The movie also releases worldwide by Ayngaran International. For some reason, the movies in the UK most significantly have put the age rating up to a 15 - which means no one younger may see it. This is a huge fail due to the fact that most of vijays fans are also young kids and young teenagers under 15. However, despite this being said, major cinemas in the UK such as London - Ilford are showing nearly 10 shows per day (more than other ENGLISH movies too!), and the first day shows have already been fully booked out at various cinemas already. The first show starts in the UK at 7:30PM today, ahead of T.N release.

With these 2 hurdles to jump, Thalaivaa will definitely cross 100 crores- there is absolutely no doubt about that at all. Will it cross 150 crores? Yes, eventually it will. Will it cross 200 crores? Not sure as of now. How fast can it cross 100 crores? If it releases in T.N and other places tomorrow, it will garner the 100 crores easily beating Thupakki and the latest.. Singam 2's record. If it is NOT released tomorrow in T.N, I strongly doubt it will beat the record of Singam 2 of the time taken to hit 100 crores.

All has to be now seen from what the T.N government says. Whether this movie becomes a HIT or a BLOCKBUSTER is in their hands. If they allow for a smooth release, this movie, without doubt, thanks to Vijay, will become a blockbuster 100%. If not, then it will be a mystery and unfortunately, there is no sure way to know. After Singam 2 declared a financial blockbuster, Thalaivaa could easily achieve this too - however, this all lies on the shoulders of whether the movie would release tomorrow or not.

The opening response in UAE, Singapore, Dubai has been grand - can this be matched up the same tomorrow in India? Only time will tell. Does this movie in any way involve politics in a negative shade? NO! Of course not - just like how Vishwaroopam did not show Muslims in a negative shade. These are just silly rumours which have come alight to the government recently.

Overall verdict for now - watch this for vijay, watch it for mass entertainment, and watch it to enjoy!

Overall rating: 4/5. Go enjoy this movie before they take it off completely for idiotic reasons.