A black ops policeman goes after a mysterious gang of masked men who have declared war on the system because it is protecting a dangerous drug lord after a string of murders of police officers. Review of Vikram: In Vikram, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Kamal Haasan's espionage-filled 1986 film Vikram is combined with his own 2019 film Kaithi's action-packed world of drug lords and cops. Vikram is a predictably plotted action movie that is more interested in expanding its universe than actually engrossing us in it. It has some of the thrills of an action movie and the mysteries of an espionage movie, but it leaves us feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied.
When Karnan (Kamal Haasan), the father of a martyred police officer named Prapanchan (Kalidas Jayaram), is murdered, the movie does get off to an intriguing start. We discover that there have been several such murders, with a masked group of men claiming responsibility and referring to it as their battle against the system. Amar (Fahadh Faasil), the leader of the black ops squad brought in by police chief Jose (Chemban Vinod Jose), begins investigating Karnan's life. Sandhanam (Vijay Sethupathi), a ruthless drug lord with a sizable family who is looking for a shipment of raw materials that could elevate him to a kingpin, is the prime candidate. Amar is perplexed by Karnan's various incarnations in the meantime. Was he a father suffering from alcoholism and mourning the death of his son.
The first half of Vikram, in which we see Amar and his team attempting to make sense of the killings and find the killers, is where Vikram excels. Kamal Haasan doesn't appear much in these parts, but we can still feel his presence—both as a character and as a performer. From Nayakan to Anbe Sivam, there are references to Kamal's work, and finding them can be mildly exciting. The actor, who is currently in action-star mode, also has a scene that is worth whistling, which brings us to the intermission. And Vijay Sethupathi, who is portraying a merciless villain, appears to be continuing where he left off in Master.
To his credit, Lokesh makes an effort to evoke emotion with a subplot featuring the child of Karnan and Prapanchan, but it falls short of being profound. Amar and Sandhanam's storylines also take an expected turn. Vijay Sethupathi comes off as working too hard while Fahadh's Amar is largely written off. Narain, who plays Bejoy, the upright police officer from Kaithi, receives the same treatment. Even Suriya's much-hyped appearance, which serves as a setup for the upcoming episode of the "Lokesh Kanagaraj Universe," is a little underwhelming.
Despite being expertly choreographed, the action sequences never leave us in a hurry. The biggest public reaction, however, occurs during a stunt scene starring a female character (a maid/spy portrayed by Vasanthi). For Vikram to be truly memorable, he required more of these moments.
