For Ibrahim Ravuthar(Shayaji Shinde), killing is a family business as he and his two sons are assassins. Aadhavan(Suriya), the younger son, has a perfect track record and his latest target is Subramaniam(Bharath Murali), a judge who is just wrapping up an investigation into the killings of young children. Aadhavan fails to kill the judge on the first attempt and so he worms his way into Subramaniam's household in order to finish the task. Everyone in the family takes a liking to him and the judge's niece Tara(Nayanthara) falls for Aadhavan.

The film opens on a serious note with talk of assassins and murders of children but turns into comedy once the action moves to Murali's house. The shift is a bit jarring but the comedy makes us forget that soon enough. Without the double entendres or the physical/verbal abuse that have come to characterize comedy these days, the movie makes us laugh heartily. The track itself has only a single idea as Vadivelu attempts to outwit Suriya and ends up in trouble but milks a lot of laughs out of it. Sequences like the one where Vadivelu is coerced into accepting the plan in a 'theater' and the one where he tries to get out of a family outing contain a number of hilarious lines. Ramesh Khanna joins the proceedings and though he doesn't up the laughs significantly, he doesn't damage them either.

The comedic momentum definitely slows down in the second half and the reasons are threefold. First, there are too many songs introduced under the flimsiest of excuses(Vaaraayo Vaaraayo... is the biggest culprit in this regard). Secondly, the jokes seem beging to seem repetitive as they continue to revolve around Vadivelu's troubles and Ramesh Khanna's enthusiasm. And third, inspite of occasional jumps to Shayaji Shinde and Rahul Dev, the storyline becomes stagnant and shows no signs of going beyond Suriya's failed attempts to kill Murali.

The storyline, when it finally does move, employs some of the oldest and most used cliches - and sentiments - in Tamil cinema. Still, it manages to tie up many loose ends satisfactorily and most importantly, justifies some of the most obvious questions from before(like, for instance, why Suriya, who is supposed to be a top-notch assassin, bungles up so badly in his attempts to kill Murali).

The segment where Suriya himself appears as a 10-year-old doesn't amaze us but it definitely earns our admiration. The graphics are not seamless and the proportions are a little out of whack, especially in the close-ups. But it is an admirable effort, on the parts of Suriya and the special effects team, and adds some uniqueness and interest to what would otherwise have been a generic flashback.

While the bulk of Aadhavan is a comedy, the comedic middle portion is bookended by two extended action sequences. The first opens the film on a high note with a fantastic chase sequence. While similarities to the parkour sequence in District B13 are unavoidable, quick editing, judicious use of stunt doubles and an athletic Surya make this chase a close contender to the one in Ayan for the best foot-chase in Tamil cinema. The climactic sequence is more over-the-top(this might be the first time an RPG rocket is deployed by hand!) but it does close out the film on a large scale.

Suriya seems to have taken the movie more seriously than intended, especially whenever he is in 'assassin mode'. But he loosens up and has a blast with Vadivelu. Nayanthara has lost her charm and looks a bit jaded for the most part. Vadivelu comes up with one of his funniest routines in recent times and his expressions and voice modulations are perfect for the role. Saroja Devi is on board more as a gimmick since she doesn't have much to do. Bharath Murali is solid as always in what turned out to be his last role. KSR has shown more flair than usual in picturizing the song sequences but none of them really stand out. Damakku Damakku... and Maasi Maasi... are colorful. Hasili Fisili... and Yeno Yeno... are indistinguishable from one another while Vaaraayo Vaaraayo... sees Suriya and Nayanthara in some different costumes but makes no impression simply because it is so unnecessary. Dekho Dekho... is irritating and more so after it ends since the volte face of Saroja Devi and Nayanthara makes the number completely irrelevant.