The events in *24* unfold largely due to chance and coincidence, yet director Vikram Kumar manages to make these moments believable within this inventive, entertaining, though undeniably lengthy film. The story begins with one such accident—an eagle triggering Dr. Sethuraman’s (Suriya) invention: a time machine. He's a renowned watchmaker and inventor who enjoys a peaceful life with his wife, Priya (Nithya Menen), and their son. However, his twin brother, Athreya, resents his success and plots to steal the time machine, which is disguised as a watch. Sethuraman ultimately saves his son and his invention by sacrificing his own life. Twenty-six years later, that baby has grown into Mani (again played by Suriya), also a watchmaker, raised by Sathyabama (Saranya Ponvannan in another enthusiastic mother role). Unaware of his past, Mani discovers the watch by chance and, through a beautifully crafted scene involving raindrops, realizes its power. He then uses it to win over Sathya (Samantha), a woman who visits his store for repairs—essentially manipulating her into falling in love with him using the device. This section of the film is lighter in tone, and Vikram Kumar explores the possibilities presented by time travel, even including a scenario where Mani influences a cricket match with a Quicksilver-like ability to freeze time. However, the romantic subplot in the second half feels sluggish, exacerbated by a visually predictable song sequence that functions as a second intermission. Meanwhile, Athreya, who has been comatose for years, unexpectedly awakens (again due to an accident involving an eagle!), finding himself aged and paralyzed from the waist down. With the help of his loyal assistant, Mithran, he tracks down both the watch and Mani, intending to seize the device and travel back in time to alter his fate. It’s been a while since a film offered genuinely surprising twists and turns, and *24* keeps viewers guessing about what will happen next. Vikram Kumar maintains the story's internal consistency, so these unexpected developments feel logical and believable, as seen in the climax when Mani attempts to save his parents by traveling back to the day they were murdered. The film also balances its science fiction/fantasy elements with a melodramatic subplot involving Sathyabama, Mani, and her estranged family, which aims to evoke sentimental feelings for audiences seeking a familiar “family” experience. Technically, the movie is visually impressive; the cinematography (Tirru), production design (Amit Ray and Subrata Chakraborty), and visual effects (supervised by Julien Troussellier) work exceptionally well together. Even the makeup (Clover Wootton and Preetisheel G Singh) is subtle—a welcome change from excessive prosthetics used to differentiate Suriya’s three roles. Only A.R. Rahman's score falls short of expectations. Ultimately, all these aesthetic achievements would have been meaningless without a charismatic lead actor capable of holding everything together, and Suriya delivers admirably. He uses his youthful charm to make the romantic scenes work (a character’s repeated line about being a watch mechanic might otherwise feel awkward), displays emotional depth in the significant dramatic moments (like the conversation between Mani and Sathyabama after he learns about his origins) and embodies a convincingly sinister persona as Athreya (particularly during the shocking interval sequence). It's unusual for a major star to take a chance on a script that isn’t simple or formulaic, especially after previous films have performed poorly at the box office, but Suriya succeeds here.

Source on TMDB