VFX shots are mostly pleasing but in quite a few scenes it becomes evident that the characters and backgrounds are artificially attached. The way he has captured the scene where the lead man assumes an extraordinary power is the best example. Natraj has opted for shots in unusual and challenging angles. The gigantic palace set (both interior and exterior) by Muthuraj challenges the previous standards set by Indian cinema. Art director Muthuraj, cinematographer Natraj and the VFX team lead by R.Kamalakannan have ensured that the film is a visual treat. Technically the film has lived up to its lavish spending and hype created. Robo Shankar and Imman Annachi compensate this with their one-liners here and there. The efforts of Thambi Ramiah and Sathyan in the first half fail to evoke laughter. Prabhu comes in yet another 'oor periyavar' role ofcourse in a different setting. Shruthi Haasan and Hansika come and disappear as mere arm candies of the hero and they satisfy that requirement. Sudeep as the lead villain is menacing but has nothing new to offer The casting of such a talented actress is completely justified and no doubt Sridevi has given her best for this strong role that women could rarely get in Tamil films. But the getup for this character could have been better.Īfter Vijay, the second strongest role goes for Sridevi and the yesteryear princess of Kollywood has lived as a queen to say the least. With a surprise guest role as 'Puli Vendhan', he proves his acting skills and his unique dialogue delivery comes to fore in these sequences. He carries of the stunts and dance sequences with his usual finesse. The second half has a lot of moments for the ardent Vijay fans to cheer aloud, clap and whistle. Vijay fits well in the fantasy setting without compromising his mass appeal. And you have to follow the thumb rule of fantasy: Set aside the logic and enjoy the magic. The script does not have any complicated ideas like time travel etc and it’s a simple revenge story told with lots of fantasy elements. Lead characters with super natural powers etc would definitely satisfy the lovers of this genre and would also appeal to children.
The biggest plus for 'Puli' would be that the film does not disappoint in its fantasy content. But a weak flashback, poor placement of songs, convenient turns in the story and a dragging climax dampen the overall impact. The second does retains the momentum to a large extent and the fantasy element retained throughout offers many surprising moments. Towards the interval the film picks up momentum and we put on our seat belts expecting a racy and entertaining second half. But there are interesting moments here and there thanks to the presence of Vijay and fantasy based ideas like dwarf people, talking bird, a giant tortoise, black panther fight etc.
But what follows are usual elements like romance, comedy etc loyally following the commercial agenda and they offer nothing new except that the film is set in a different place and characters wear different costumes. He also sets the tone for a fantasy film with the initial voice over and how Marudheeran (Vijay) reaches the tribal village as a kid with strange powers. 'Puli' is the story how Marudheeran (Vijay) saves the innocent people of his tribal village from the clutches of a demoniac klngdom ruled by Yavana Rani (Sridevi) who Is controlled by the wicked Thalapathy Jalatharangan (Sudeep).ĭirector Chimbudevan starts off his film with the detailing of the background of a kingdom with super powers and the travails of the tribal villages coming under its regimel. Read on to know how the film has worked out. Vijay, the leading star among the current lot of actors has acted in a film that has these two concepts and that film is ‘Puli’. Fantasy and multi-starrers are relatively new concepts for Tamil cinema.