'Pure Entertainment': Thalapathy Vijay's Leo roars in cinemas

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Thalapathy Vijay-starrer Leo, arguably the year's most anticipated Tamil film, has hit the cinemas. Initial reviews of the Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial suggest the film has managed to impress the fans as well as the critics, with many calling it Vijay's career-best performance. Several reports say that fans lined up outside theatres in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other parts of India for early morning shows.

Leo also marks Vijay's reunion with Lokesh after their 2021 blockbuster Master.

So what are people saying about the film on social media?

In a short clip shared from a theatre playing Leo, an account by the name Vijay Fans Trends, wrote, "This is the exact situation of theatres." The clip shows the entire crowd, on their feet, cheering for Vijay and showing the film has managed to spread its charm.

"Not a huge Vijay fan but Leo is one of the best films I’ve seen in recent years. Thrilling, intense and 3 hours of pure entertainment. A must-watch movie," said another Twitter user, sharing a picture of Vijay from the film.

Film critic and industry tracker Ramesh Bala gave the film 3.5/5 stars, saying it was a one-time watch. "A good action thriller/entertainer. Familiar story. Thalapathy Vijay holds the show.

Sanjay Dutt and Arjun are terrific. Action sequences are well choreographed. #Ani music is OK!" he said.

"LCU connect is forced," he concluded.

"Leo very good 1st half followed by a decent 2nd half. last 40 mins action sequence. Vijay, Arjun, Anirudh. Leo Leo Leo... Winner," wrote Karthik Ravivarma, a cinema trade analyst.

Another fan tweeted that Leo has you screaming and howling in disbelief at what it pulls off. "It does its action beats well, it does its mass moments well. And it has Vijay Anna in a career-best, almost unbelievable performance," the fan wrote, adding, "Wish the writing did him justice, but overall: it entertains & I liked it."

This Vijay fan believed that the second half was better than the first. "The Way It Ended was Goosebumps, Can't Wait for their next outing which will be a bigger nuclear blast in screen than this!" the fan tweeted.

Manobala Vijayabalan, an author, columnist and film industry tracker, however, had a slightly different take. Vijayabalan was critical of Leo and said that the character wanted to be a lion but ended up being a cat. "Despite a promising premise and some commendable efforts from Joseph Vijay and cast, the end result is a disappointment," he said.

"The film is nowhere near Vikram or Kaithi, it is the weakest in Lokesh's career. A Mediocre Effort," he said.

Leo also features Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Sarja. With Trisha pairing up with Leo after fourteen years on the silver screen, the fans had added reasons to witness their magic in the theatres.