The trailer of Leo, actor Vijay's upcoming movie with director Lokesh Kanagaraj dropped this evening. A first impression report (FIR) of the same: 

Meets Expectations

If one's kept up with all things Leo, then what's showcased in the trailer wouldn't have been completely unexpected. Ever since Leo was launched, "buzz" has suggested that the movie's plot is the same as the graphic novel A History of Violence (1997), which was also made into a Hollywood film of the same name in 2005.  

A History of Violence surrounds a small town café owner who unexpectedly becomes local hero and receives national attention. When the café owner is visited by thugs and underworld mafia, he vehemently protests to everyone that its a case of mistaken identity, but is eventually forced to drop his façade.

Leo trailer reveals Vijay as this cafe owner named Parthi, who lives with his wife (Trisha) and kids at Kashmir. He catches the attention of gangsters Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Mysskin, and how Parthi becomes 'Leo Das' forms the rest of the story.  This troupe of a gangster action thriller where the central hero imbibes dual identity has always been welcomed in Tamil cinema, ever since it was popularized by Rajinikanth starrer Baashha in 1995. 

Uniquely Leo

What has also been known since the onset of Leo, is that the movie is part of director Lokesh's franchise coup known as the LCU (Lokesh Cinematic Universe). While Kaithi (2019) and Vikram (2022) each had its own characteristics sharing the same drugs nexus as the central theme, Leo stands out with its overall tone while belonging to the same gangster-drugs world. 

Both Kaithi and Vikram predominantly took place during the night time, and the day time happenings in Vikram was showcased mostly indoors. Leo stands apart with its well-lit frames, and even the action cuts are in the tune of the stylish Beast (2022), rather than any of Lokesh Kanagaraj's previous works. 

However despite sharing the same hill station background as Beast, Vijay in Leo comes across fresh and not repetitive. Vijay the actor also ages like fine wine with each movie, and him (for maintaining his appearance), the team involved in deciding his looks (makeup, hair, costume) and cinematographer Manoj Paramahansa deserve special mention for bringing out the best onscreen. Vijay's performance takes center stage, and the rest of the star cast including Gautham Menon as a cop pique interest. 

The ace 'A' [May not be the 'A' one expected]

Music composer Anirudh who's at the top of his game in Tamil cinema right now was expected to walk away as one of the highlights of Leo trailer. However Anirudh's work seems downplayed in the video. Instead, besides Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj, stunt masters Anbariv leave a mark with all the action scenes one sees in the trailer. 

Bottomline

The 165 second Leo trailer gave exactly what one knew of Leo, in video form. Priya Anand was a major cast member who was missing from the trailer [she has been spotted by eagle eyed fans in the background, refer to the tweet below] as well as some other actors from the movie. If the History of Violence connect was revealed as a strategy to set expectations, then it has worked right for the filmmakers. There is definitely suspense about about what else lies in store for the audience, when they eventually walk into a movie theater, and Leo trailer gets it right in piquing this interest. 

Payyan pudichtaan. Ellam technology. pic.twitter.com/8Yb7oQFD0e

— Siddarth Srinivas (@sidhuwrites) October 5, 2023

Also Read: Leo Trailer Audience Reactions