Beast Review: Below par action thriller

Beast is an action thriller featuring Vijay in the lead role. The film was released worldwide today. Here’s our review of the Nelson Dilipkumar directorial.

Story: Following an unfortunate mishap, Veera Raghava (Vijay), a RAW agent stays away from the agency. One day, he meets Pooja Hegde and they hit it off together. Pooja then tries to get Raghava placed in a security agency. In the process, they go to a mall and this is where things go south. ISIS militants hijack the mall and they demand the release of a dreaded criminal. Can Raghava save the day? What are the consequences?

What about on screen performances?

Thalapathy Vijay looks at ease in the role of RAW agent with a troubled past. He shoulders the film with his composed performance. He does well in the action blocks. His screen presence is elite. Pooja Hegde looks gorgeous on screen. She makes a perfect pair with Vijay. VTV Ganesan as security company owner and Selvaraghavan as the guiding agent during the hijack saga deliver thumping performances. The rest of the support cast deliver to the best of their capabilities.

What about offscreen talents?

The director Nelson picks an interesting plotline but his narration is uneven. The comedy blocks in the first half work out to a fair extent. Comparatively, the first half is better than the latter. That said, the closing stages of the first half is not of the best quality. The hijack episode lacks the punch as everything simply falls into place for the protagonist. The interval block is a bit unconvincing. The latter half is a patchy ride due to the convenient screenplay. But what stands out is the good performances from the cast through the course of the film.

More efforts should have gone into executing the mall hijack episode and capturing ISIS terrorists sequences. There is so much relevant content on OTT platforms these days. The team should have worked on presenting these penultimate episodes in an authentic and gripping manner rather than showcasing them on a lighter note.

Anirudh’s background score is of top quality. Halamathi Habibo song is a treat to watch on big screen. Cinematography and visuals are elite. Production design is very good.

What’s Hot?

• Vijay’s acting
• Pooja Hegde
• Halamathi Habibo
• 1st half comedy

What’s Not ?

• Convenient screenplay
• Second half
• Weak ISIS thread
• Over the top action

Verdict: Beast is a sub-par action thriller. The mall hijack is not executed very well. Convenient narration takes away thrill element in action blocks. The comedy in the first half and Vijay’s impressive performance are the mainstays. But as a whole, the film is not the most engaging of watches. It might make for an okayish one-time watch strictly for Vijay’s fans.

Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.25/5