Puli (Tiger) feels like a South Indian take on Gulliver’s Travels and the story of the Lilliputians. It’s an extravagant fantasy adventure film that ultimately centers around a romance. Far away exists a tribe called the Betals, who are portrayed as cruel. They have distinctive features such as blue eyes and fangs reminiscent of Dracula. These beings also possess unusual abilities allowing them to move like Batman and battle like Gladiators. Their primary goal seems to be inflicting harm on innocent people living near their territory. Fortunately, things aren’t entirely bleak. When it appears the villagers are helpless, baby Magadheera is discovered in the water nearby and is taken in, quickly becoming a cherished member of the community. He also falls for Pawanmali (Shruti), and they secretly marry. However, their joy doesn't last long when Jaltarang (Sudeep), a ruthless Betal officer, abducts Magadheera’s wife. To find her, Magadheera journeys to the palace of the cruel queen (Sridevi), who lives there with her daughter Mandakini (Hansika). Naturally, his quest isn't without its challenges; before he can reunite with his wife, he must defeat a one-eyed creature, injure numerous Betals, and perform musical numbers alongside Mandakini. While Puli is a fantasy film, it suffers from being presented in an unpolished way. Following the massive success of Bahubali, which set a high standard for fantasy films, animation, and overall cinematic effort, Puli falls short. The movie succeeds as a visual spectacle but doesn’t quite manage to be entertaining. Even fans of Vijay might struggle with his flashy musical performances. Sridevi's raised eyebrows convey more emotion than her acting does. Hansika and Shruti mostly just dance around, which is also underwhelming.

Source on TMDB