'Retro' quick review: Suriya brings life to this testing Karthik Subbaraj 'padam'

Cast: Suriya, Pooja Hegde, Joju George, Jayaram and Nassar

Director: Karthik Subbaraj

Music Director: Santhosh Narayanan

Rating: 2/5

Following the success of Jigarthanda DoubleX, filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj teams up with actor Suriya for Retro. With a slick trailer cut by Alphonse Puthren and a chart-buster album by Santhosh Narayanan, the film releases amid soaring expectations. But does the film as a whole live up to the hype?

From the very first scene, the storyline swings like a pendulum between romance and violence. With a solid setup of characters and a fascinating 15-minute-long single-shot wedding sequence, Karthik sends out a clear message,'cut n right', that the film is more character-driven than story-focused. However, the pace remains inconsistent and fails to build any momentum until interval.

Just when it seems like the steam would pick up second half, it just sinks deeper into a black hole. The story abruptly shifts into hero worship, with the protagonist taking on the role of a village savior. The demon turns into god. By the midpoint of the second half, the film begins to wear thin, making its 170-minute runtime feel even longer.

The only saving grace is Suriya. His performance stays measured, especially in the first half. His portrayal of Paarivelan Kannan, a character with layered emotion, brings out the best in him.

The wait for Suriya's perfect box office hit continues.

Detailed review to follow...