Leo Review: Vijay's Mass Universe Meets Lokesh Kanagaraj And It Is Not Like Other Movies

Vijay”s Leo Movie Review: People have different reasons to go and watch a movie, especially when it comes to its content. When it”s about Vijay and his movies, there has been only one reason for a Vijay fan: the one about the mass image their Thalapathy created, starting from “Thamizhan,” “Ghilli,” “Pokkiri,” “Kuruvi,” and “Villu” in the 2000s to “Master,” “Beast,” and “Varisu” in the 2020s. If you ask any Vijay fan now, they would definitely agree with the fact that their hero has created a mass universe for them, with his distinctive way of walking, dialogue delivery, dances (yes, along with singing), and role selection based on the macho blockbuster formula.

Now, let”s get back to the “Leo Das” in the room. In previous Vijay movies, when you set your eyes on the silver screen, you expect old-fashioned set piece showdowns in which the hero and the villain engage you until the end while the hero (tries to) entertain you. However, in this Lokesh Kanagaraj movie, don”t expect that.

Why?

The plot of Leo never turns generic but maintains a perfect concoction of action and mystery that can easily turn out to be a blockbuster. In this outing, “Kill Bill”s The Bride” meets the “Bourne” franchise”s “Jason Bourne” in the snowy mountains of Himachal Pradesh, Vijay, supported by the writer who maintains conceptual boldness throughout the movie, delivers a powerful performance.

Then there”s the whole Lokesh Cinematic Universe or LCU hype. Will the hype affect you in any way as a moviegoer? Will the movie live up to the hype? Or, in the exact sense, is it, after all, a part of the LCU?

(Spoiler alert) In “Leo,” there are visuals, characters, dialogues, background score, and sub-plots that can help you connect the movie to the franchise.

Beyond these connections, what will make a viewer (not necessarily a Vijay fan) buy a ticket, if available now, is the expectation of the transformation the lead actor can offer in the movie.

Here”s an honest admission: My experience of watching a fantastic movie during an early morning show happened because I went to see a Lokesh movie starring Vijay, and it was surrounded by the hype of the LCU. Throughout the experience, I didn”t watch this Vijay movie through the lens of “watching a Vijay movie” but rather as watching a Lokesh movie.

The movie does not have the typical explosion of colors seen in other mass movies; instead, there is only one prominent color: red, the color of blood. The villains, convincingly portrayed by Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Sarja, enter the story without much difficulty but exit after a proper struggle.

Although the main plot of the movie revolves around a prolonged mystery concerning Leo Das” identity, the writer, as seen in many such movies, does not employ a Hitchcockian touch where “the audience knows who the hero is, but the hero doesn”t find out until the end.” Instead, the hero is aware of “who he really is” from the start, and arrangements are made accordingly, for its execution.

Yes, there is a Rambo-esque superhuman, Parthipan/Leo Das, in the movie. However, there is also a sensuous and calm side to him. In most emotional scenes, the action hero Vijay disappears, and Parthipan takes center stage. Trisha and Vijay, a former cute couple in “Ghilli,” have matured into a serious middle-aged husband and wife in “Leo.” The excellent combination of scenes featuring the lead actors, supported by the wonderful writing of Lokesh, adds significant value to the movie. Lokesh, who made his mark as a director and announced his arrival with “Master” and “Vikram,” establishes himself as a writer with the “Leo” script, which requires no pruning at all.

Sanjay Dutt”s squaring off with the hero in the rousing thriller is a spectacle, as the story skilfully weaves together with two worlds: the calm one of Parthipan and the violent other of Das and Co.

Normally, in mass movies, the hero hogs the entire limelight and others go invisible. However, in “Leo,” you will see everyone, including characters portrayed by Arjun Sarja, Babu Antony, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Madonna Sebastian, Mansoor Ali Khan, Mathew Thomas, Priya Anand, among others.

One thing that Lokesh retained from the typical mass formula is the numerous sidekicks of the gangsters—there are plenty of them, and they all meet their end in the process.

The entire journey of “Leo” is greatly enhanced by Anirudh Ravichander”s excellent background score (BGM). One more thing: as they write to make content viral, watch till the end, where “Leo”s” BGM harmoniously meets a famous BGM from the previous year.

“Leo” is a must-watch for all types of movie lovers.

Director, Writer: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast: Vijay, Sanjay, Arjun Sarja, Trisha, Sathya, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Mansoor Ali Khan, Priya Anand, Mathew Thomas, Babu Antony, Madonna Sebastian, Abhirami Venkatachalam, Iyal, Santhi Mayadevi, Anurag Kashyap