Who doesn’t want to travel back in time and turn wrongs into rights? When given this chance, I may flashback in time with no second thoughts.
This movie, 24, is all about time travel and let me emphasize on the fact, though being a Kollywood movie, it does not lose its essence of narrative time travel. Director Vikram K Kumar, who made the engaging Manam, should take a bow to show guts for venturing into the scary plot and making something different. The movie sure sticks to its theme which bowled me over.
After Massu and underrated Pasanga 2, I was really hoping for 24 to bring back Suriya in all his glory. The whole movie gives you enough of Suriya experience with him playing 3 roles and showing all his acting prowess.
Suriya plays the role of Sethuraman, who is a scientist and makes a watch that can manipulate time, calling it Project 24. However, his evil twin brother Atherya(also played by Suriya) a known image in underworld, wants the watch for himself. In the process of retrieving the magical time-wanderer machine, Athreya attacks his brother, killing his wife and making Sethuraman escape with his infant. Like typical movie scene, where you realize that you cannot escape the claws of darkness and have to give up running, our hero hands over the baby with the wizardry watch to a lady(Saranya Ponvannan) he met in train. In this catch up game, the antagonist severs himself and goes into coma. Then the movie runs fast forward into future of 26 years(much expected as villain is sleeping and hero cannot fight yet). The kid grows-up to become Mani(yeah, Suriya) who is a watch mechanic and one fine day with series of coincidences he comes across the box containing that watch. Having his dad’s genius genes, he understands the shamanism of the watch and manipulates for his advantage, especially cracking a romantic plot with a pretty chick(who won’t). How can we forget about his uncle, well well.he wakes up and wants his lost youth back. Even after 26 years he has his faithful people who help him achieve this.
Now the whole plot comes into play when the similar looking protagonist and antagonist play their brilliant game with time travel.
To be very frank, I never have high expectations when it comes to Kollywood sci-fi movie, was just in for some masala entertainer with time travel as a gimmick to add some more flavor. This movie, just shattered all my beliefs and after the movie my head was whizzing with such excitement. Definitely, when you expect less and get more, that’s the kind of feeling you get.
Talking about other actors, Samantha, yet again an arm candy but manages to work her character. Hands down, Saranya Ponvannam brings out a different act as an adopted mother and Nithya Menen’s role, though a cameo, never disappointing. About Suriya, I fall short of words when I think about his roles in all 3 characters. It is Suriya all the way! He is back in his true form and plays brilliantly all 3 roles without hiccups.
Something’s should have been kept short and sweet like, a family reunion drama and Suriya’s romantic scenes with Samantha. It would have saved some important minutes for some more CG and VFX work and more of Suriya, of course.
It’s a movie that can be watched and enjoyed by all, yes, ALL; even the non-Tamilians. Once you grab the essence of the movie it is easy on your logic to understand. Definitely a must watch and watch again.