 With a winner in the form of story, Vijay in the company of Prabhu Deva has come out with an action-packed entertainer. With typical 'Vijayisms' (action, humor and punch dialogues) finding a place at right intervals, he steals the show and his charm is spread all through the movie. The life and blood of the movie, the actor charms the audience in dance and stunt sequences. His characterization, though not unfamiliar to the film-buffs, is made interesting by director Prabhu Deva as he has let Vijay to be himself on the screen.
Prabhu Deva and Vijay leave their magical presence especially in the dance sequences. There are five choreographers for the film and each one has put in enough effort and got the best out of Vijay, who is a talented dancer. The choreography for the peppy songs is entertaining and attractive.
 Asin is attractive and plays a typical heroine falling in love with a macho-man. She does have the opportunity to shake her legs with Vijay. Though she looks naïve in few scenes, she is also charming and bubbly and has done her role with ease. What stands out, probably, is her ease at dancing, considering that the steps are not usual or simple. Both Vijay and Asin share terrific on-screen chemistry. Prakash Raj as the notorious Don Alibhai does an excellent job. His mannerisms and body language would surely win applause from the film-buffs.
Napoleon plays an honest police commissioner in the hunt of criminals. Hats off to him for playing the role with utmost grace. The dialogues during the press meet deserve kudos and Napoleon has delivered them well. Vadivelu evokes laughter with his comedy. He succeeds in tickling the funny bone. He dons the role of a kung-fu instructor. Tamizh (Vijay) is a hardcore criminal, who can do anything for money and also change loyalties for currency. He meets Sruthi (Asin) and love is the immediate offspring between the two. The sequences that follow are interesting and arouse curiosity, as Asin is a simple woman with conventional expectations from her man whereas Vijay is a ruffian who can do anything for money.
A villainous cop attracted by Sruthi threatens her mother to send her daughter with him. Enters Tamizh as a savior for Sruthi and her family. Tamizh, who works for an underworld gang and he soon rises in life, owing to his bravery and never-say-die attitude. The sequences that throw light on the hooligan attitude and ‘can’t-care-any-less’ stance of Tamizh offer a lavish treat for Vijay’s fans. This attitude, however, comes as a rude shock for Sruthi and this results in a conflict. Despite this hardcore criminal attitude of Tamizh, Sruthi cannot help falling head over heels in love with him. Tamizh’s boss and an international don Alibhai (Prakash Raj) arrives from abroad and thereafter, the story takes an unexpected turn with twists, suspense and surprises, all neatly packaged and presented as an engrossing narrative.
 Stunts by Vijayan are a major attraction of the movie. The chasing sequences have been captured well by Nirav Shah's lens.
Kola Bhaskar’s editing is crisp with fast-paced cuts. All credit must be given to director Prabhu Deva for managing to sustain the tempo throughout. He has given a perfect formula film for Vijay which should work out well with the masses. He seems to have given more thrust on expressions and all his characters are there, doing what Prabhu Deva wanted from them.
For the flip side, one can mention Asin’s make-up in certain shots, which could have been better. Excellent choreography, thrilling action sequences and catchy songs besides cool 'punch lines from Vijay contribute for a cracker in Pokiri. It is not just these alone, but also editing, cinematography and re-recording as well, as all the departments have joined together to create an interesting potpourri.
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