Call it a magnum opus, or larger than life, but Vikram has been worth the wait. A Kamal Haasan film always brings innovation with it, and Vikram aces it in action. Mounted on superlative production values and a breathtaking pace, Vikram doesn't have one dull moment in its 146 minutes of running time

The film starts with a series of murders, including that of Karan (Kamal Haasan) perpetrated by a team of vigilantes that claims to be cleaning up the system by waging a war against the system. Two of the three people murdered were policemen who had captured a large consignment of drugs and hidden the same in an unknown place, and Karan was the foster father of one of them. This is just the beginning. The Chennai Police Commissioner calls upon a crack team of sleuths led by Amar (Fahadh Faasil) to trace down the culprits as they are the best in the business. Amar and team go about systematically and conclude the case with a warning to the Commissioner himself - that Amar knew who murdered one of the two policemen, and that Vikram, the original leader of the Black Squad from the 1980s, taken for dead, is back to life and out on a mission to rid the nation of the drug menace.

Vikram (Kamal Haasan) is in reality an undercover agent leading a team of vigilantes, cleaning up drug mercenaries knowing very well that their current crop of antagonists headed by a local drug lord Chandhan (Vijay Sethupati) are just small fish that must be dealt with. The real big fish Rolex is who their ultimate aim is.

Vikram, helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj is visually spectacular. A taut action adventure, it extracts Kamal Haasan to his fullest potential, but doesn't showcase him in every frame to make sufficient space for Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupati too. In fact, the three men are the core of Vikram, in very different roles that make the movie immensely watchable with a mix of myriad emotions and action at its best. The climax is violent, with the use of an arsenal of firearms and hand to hand combat, setting up a finger licking wait for the potential sequel where Vikram will lock horns with Rolex (Suriya, playing a surprise cameo). Don't wait for Vikram to drop into OTT platforms, for a film like this must only be watched in the theatres.

Very engaging screenplay and overall great performances by all stars. A lot of fan moments to enjoy. Looking forward to future installments of the Vikram series. Congratulations to Lokesh and team.